Another Article About Personal Brand... I Know, I Know... But It Is Still Important!
Perhaps we talk about it too much, but it is that important!
And I am not a fan of the word brand anyway since I think it is overused and overhyped.
But, for most of us, it is an easy-to-understand term, so Imma stayin’ with it for this article.
Brand - your personal brand, is who you are. And what you do is who you are. It is the most important brand you can ever have in this business. It is essentially YOU presented to the world in every post, every email, every discourse, chat, forum comment, and face-to-face you will ever have.
It is NOT your logo.
It is NOT your camera.
It is NOT your gear.
It is NOT how much you spend on marketing.
It is NOT how much you make. Or how little.
It’s YOU.
What kind of person do you want people to think you are? What kind of person, not what kind of photographer?
The answer to that is probably going to be a roadmap to your personal brand.
Do you make yourself an asset to your clients, your friends, and your family?
How do they perceive you when you are working or not working? Do they see you as someone who is interested in them?
An asset is someone who is willing to help and go the extra mile. They are the ones who keep their promises, work hard to build trust, and deliver what they say they will deliver. And usually, they deliver more than they promised to deliver. An asset is hard to find, and that rarity adds to your personal brand. An asset is a person who becomes a go-to person to solve problems. Because they deliver. And they are interested in and focused on the person/company they are working with.
Be an asset to your personal brand.
How to check if you are an asset to your clients.
– Do you make promises that you don’t keep? Regularly?
– Do models wait forever to get their images after a TFP shoot?
– Do the people you photograph on the street actually get the images you promised?
– Do the proofs get delivered on time, in order, and ready to go?<
– Do you find yourself trying to explain why something didn't happen, when you said it would, more than once a month?
– Do you seem to come in over budget and have to explain your pricing too often?
Key to above: “Yes” answers are bad.
Are you truly ready to do what you are doing?
Being a professional photographer is really easy. There are no tests, no special licenses, no unions, and no entry-point gatekeepers. You got a camera, you go ta job.
But there are many people who enter the business simply because it is so easy from the standpoint of the few entry barriers. That can be a good thing and, well, a bad thing. And really, so much of it is your personal brand that helps set the tone of your business.
A professional can do what he/she does every time. Repeatable. Reliable. Perfect. Every single time. A photographer who is ready to move into the profession shouldn’t be asking about rates on Flickr forums. They shouldn’t be wondering if anyone has any ideas on what shots they should do when a band wants to hire them to do some PR shots. Gear should be ready to go, and clean, and powered up. Getting the ideas to flow should be a natural thing developed through shooting all the damn time.
Not delivering a job correctly says a lot about you as a person—your personal brand.
Being totally knowledgeable about what you do is extremely important. Are you ready?
– Do you know what an RFP is, and how to respond to one in a way that makes sense?
– Can you make the shots you want to make, whenever you want?
– Are you familiar with the usage rights / normal billing for the work you want to do?
– Do you have backup gear? Backups for your backups?
– Do you deliver the work you said you would, on time, and on budget?
Are you a compelling person to be around?
Do you inspire others to do better in their lives and work, or do you denigrate and gossip about others?
Do people want to hear your opinion so they can be uplifted, or do they simply love the dirt you dig?
I guess both are brands that work, cause, damn there are a lot of muckrakers who ‘enjoy’ a brand as such.
But I wonder if that would be my first choice, and of course it isn’t. So I don’t care which you choose, but do be aware that there are many ways to personally brand yourself.
Arrogant and self-inflated can work for some, while helpful and compelling works for others.
I am not telling you what the best way to brand yourself is here, only that there are different ways to do it. I have seen some extremely arrogant and boorish photographers achieve great success; it was indeed part of their brand.
I have also seen those same personalities crash and burn due to not understanding the power and niche of such a brand. (Buddy Rich was a very difficult, and some would say terrible person to be around.
But then, he did play the drums pretty well (heh) and was known for behind-the-scenes charity and great philanthropy.) Being a ‘brand’ in your attitudes and dealings with others is not a guarantee to success, but it is definitely a way for people to know who you are when making decisions on whether they want to work with you.
Are you who you say you are? Is there some consistency in your personal brand?
When you take a look at your personal brand, be sure to consider that as a self-employed person, your every statement can carry some ramifications. And those can hurt some and help others, and being aware of that difference is very important. When you post something that may be offensive to some, be aware that they remember it.
If you want to be a consensus-builder, build consensus. If you want to be helpful and an asset, be helpful and be an asset. All the time. Not just online, on your blog, or on an occasional tweet.
Changing your portfolio is way easier than changing your personal brand.
My suggestion is to take a personal branding audit.
– Ask 10 people who know you well to describe you in a paragraph.
– Ask them to describe your work and your business.
– Ask them what they would change about how you do what you do
Take a moment to evaluate what the last month has been like:
– Did you return every phone call as soon as you could?
– Did you get the proofs out when you said you would?
– Were you helpful to someone with a real question/problem?
– Did you have an altercation with someone over something that has happened before?
– Is there anything you can do to make this situation not happen again?
– Did you make and keep any promises? To others and yourself?
– Have you spent time perfecting your craft?
I could go on with more personal branding tips, but these are crucial. What you wear, your demeanor, your speech—all of that matters as well, but this short list reminds you of who you really are to those who know and work with you.
When you are ready, here is how I can help you succeed.
Group Mentorship (Cohort): a small group of photographers who meet to show images, work on their portfolio, and build their businesses with help from a wonderful group. Lifetime membership for one fee.
One-on-one Mentorship: You and me, working as a team to make sure you begin making more money by finding the clients that are there waiting for you! I guarantee the results. I also include a website redesign or cleanup as well as a well-designed email template.
The Creative Class: Expand your toolset and become a one-person visual agency capable of pulling in steady and repeated income. This becoming more and more important.
Excellent post, Don. There's a lot of truth in these points and most are learned on the job and by making mistakes, others come naturally by being a nice person and having a professional mindset.