Marketing a luxury brand for photographers: 3 beginner tips
Image by: Mohamed Masaau
The concept of luxury is such a big topic that I’ve dedicated an entire LEARN section on this website! It’s also a very layered and complex topic that touches upon psychology, selling and behavioural principles. It can also be a hard concept to apply to a photography business; luxury in retail for example seems to be much more apparent and clear-cut.
My background is in loyalty marketing. First I worked in the business to business space (B2B) to help organizations design programs meant to reward and recognize employees; lowering turnover and increasing employee satisfaction and productivity. Many years later I transitioned into the business to consumer space (B2C) where we produced mixed loyalty media - websites, print magazines direct to consumers to help cultivate relationships with the brands we represented. In my recent delve into the world of luxury research, I recognized that loyalty plays a huge role in luxury. People become loyal to the luxury brands that provide the psychological, emotional and tangible “goods” that they seek to be comfortable, to fit or evolve their self-image and to complement their lifestyles.
Like anything else, there are tiers of luxury and many, many nuances. Just as there are ‘hundredthousanaires” (ok, I made that up but it’s true! I think they’re called the millionaires next door), pentamillionaires, decamillionaires, billionaires - you get the drift - there would therefore be levels of luxury appropriate for each of these, and each could be slightly different. And besides net worth, people are people. They have specific tastes, attitudes, opinions and beliefs that shape if they seek any luxury at all, what kind of luxury if they do seek it, and how their luxury choices affect them. See how many layers of complexity we’re working with here?
For the purpose of this introductory post, I’m providing three tips on how a photographer can start thinking about elevating their brand into a more luxury space.
Examine Energy
At ShineSparkL, our energy is reflected in the Brand pillar. Our brand embodies us as people, combined with elements of our business. We want it to Shine and Sparkle like a luxurious diamond. Imagine walking into a room and meeting a person who has deflated energy. I’m sure we’ve all met him/ her/ them at some business conference somewhere. Perhaps akin to SNL’s Debbie Downer character, you can feel a vibe coming from that person and it could be needy, critical, defeated, not confident. Do you want to hang around this person? Alternatively, have you ever met the radiant social butterfly - the person who oozes authentic charisma and charm and lights up the room?
You can add lots of what you may consider a ‘luxury’ touch in your business - gorgeous client closets, chocolate-dipped strawberries and sparkling water in a champagne glass at the studio, but if your energy doesn’t align or back up those luxury touches, it’s an instant disconnect. Luxury branding comes from first cultivating a luxury mindset which must reflect a confidence in yourself and your business, and an air of trust that the experience will be what it promises by those luxury touches.
Why I say this as the number one tip is because so many photographers are fearful and doubtful of their work. Someone who seeks luxury service doesn’t want a service provider with these characteristics because it’s not aligned with their luxury expectations. Start with you - find and then practice confidence in your business and in yourself as an artist. Read some of the posts in the Mindset section of the blog to help find ways to overcome your fears and doubts, so that you can move into the luxury space you want to be in. Work on this before you start investing into those luxury touches, because if you can succeed in harnessing some luxury energy then you may be surprised at how that may change what you even would consider to be luxury touches!
2. Remember that any one sale is bigger than the one person you’re serving and the transaction in front of you
You know the expression that if you found a mouse in your house, then there are many more that you didn’t find? No person is an island, and social media friend-counts prove it. One person is actually a network of people; some smaller and some larger, but inevitably more than one. Because our photographs, unless they’re headshots, rarely feature just one person. We come in pairs, triplets and more just as family units and then extended family, friends, work colleagues etc. all radiate out from there.
Luxury service providers know that when they are serving and transacting with one person, there is implication well beyond that immediate experience and they are serving the collective. Word of mouth isn’t incidental to this transaction; whether or not word of mouth will happen is highly likely to be established in that crucial first interaction and even first few minutes of that interaction (the infamous first impression). This also touches upon the concept of the lifetime value of a client. How many photographers look beyond to assess, right at that initial contact before a first session is booked, to the next 3-5 potential sessions and upsells beyond? Answer: not many. I often see photographers posting about how to upsell clients to full galleries after they’ve delivered the proofing gallery. While not all is lost, the key to recognize is that the upsell needs to be primed at the very start, and not at the very end. Even before the client ever inquires!
Treat every client like they will be a lifetime client instead of a one and done. Treat every client as if they already represent three more clients from their network. How might that change how you talk to them, what you offer them, how you shape their experience, how you will stay in touch? As I mentioned above, loyalty is a critical aspect of luxury. If you see the client right at the start as a loyal client with a following that trusts their word, then luxury can follow in how you design what comes next. This should all be documented in your business plan or workflow, as part of your Wisdom or Business pillar.
3. Don’t overlook the closing
Do you like to spend money on the things you love, that lift you up, that make you feel amazing? I sure do - there is definitely a dopamine hit or an endorphin high when I get something I’ve wanted and am excited about. Have you ever felt the exhilaration of walking out of dealership with keys to your new car or out of the lawyer’s office with the keys to your dream home? That’s pride of ownership talking right there. Even pride of purchase, really. You decided to spend your hard-earned money, you did, and wow. That feeling endures for a while, doesn’t it?
How often have you ever been congratulated on that purchase? Assured of that decision? Maybe your realtor will buy you a bottle of wine, and the dealership may drive the car up and open the door for you to step in. In the luxury space, it happens more frequently. How many of us have been or seen people eating in upscale restaurants (in person or on TV) and hearing this upon picking their wine: “Wonderful choice, sir/ madam. Great year.” If they gave you three choices, they would have likely said the exact same thing. The point - it makes the client feel self-assured, confident and boosted. People who are boosted and feel amazing will return to that source for more of that feeling. Cue loyalty. And given that this doesn’t happen so often, it definitely can stand out as a luxury touch.
Part of it is rooted in great selling and customer service skills; the other may be a positive mitigation of the buyer’s regret reflex. If you were to congratulate your client when they book or choose a package and comment on how sound their choice was, how will they feel? Do you think they might be a one and done or a lifetime client (see point #2)? Even if you don’t want to be, or cannot imagine yourself in a luxury tier, you can still implement this with a great impact on your clients - and on yourself because their good feeling will rub off on you (and could lead to boosting your own energy that we talked about it in point #1). So go ahead, don’t just thank your client for booking you, congratulate them on their fine choice. Because it is.
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