Can I be a multi-service photographer or will I need two brands and websites?

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September 17, 2018

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So many of us creatives are a multi-service photographer, meaning we offering many services because frankly – we love them all! We have big visions and see opportunity EVERYWHERE. We don’t necessarily want to be “all the things” (or do them), but we know there are more things we’re passionate about and more offerings we can dominate.

This idea-driven tendency can be overwhelming when we don’t quite know how to merge them all together, however—or even if we should.

I hear this question ALL the time when photographers and entrepreneurs want to add on different product or service offerings: Do I need to have two separate brands, websites, and social media accounts?

This question alone can keep photographers stuck for months or EVEN YEARS.

Not knowing how to merge services or offerings and interweave the common themes in your multifaceted photography business can leave you spinning your wheels and making some costly mistakes.

Creating a cohesive and clear brand that is all-encompassing is hard. But making your website actually make sense to your potential clientele is even harder.

How do you talk to so many different “dream” clients when they are all so different? How do you connect your services in a way that makes sense without losing business? How do you ensure you’re not confusing everyone?

So, if you are a multi-passionate photographer who offers newborn sessions, family sessions, weddings, pet photos, maybe even corporate headshots, or speaking and education…..

How do you show this on your website?
AND
How do you share this in your messaging?

First of all—let’s answer the question. You CAN have one website, one brand, and one account for your social media platforms if you do it right.

Watch the Real Talk Video version of this blog post here:

And, here are a few pointers for how to DO IT RIGHT:

  1. Make Your Navigation Clear If you have many different options in your menu, it can be confusing and people won’t know where to click. So have your branded services separated into clear categories on your navigation menu. This can be something like: Newborn  | Family | Weddings. Then you can have sub-categories for with a dropdown of pricing, galleries, etc. For example, for newborns your sub-categories might be birth photography and Fresh 48, etc. This leads your potential clients directly where you want them to go and on a clear buyer’s journey so they don’t leave your site confused without taking action.
  2. Use Different Prompts—Have prompts and calls to action on your homepage that take your client to the exact service they are looking for (i.e. three image blocks to take them to the services page for family, weddings, or business photography). On those pages, make sure your copy and messaging speaks to that specific client. Your individual pages are really where you separate out who you’re speaking to and connect the common thread around your “why” and story.
  3. Create Specific Branded MaterialsHave a different price sheet or welcome packet for each category or service. DO NOT provide one where you explain it all. No one wants to shuffle through information they do not need. And trust me they won’t. They will end up emailing you and asking you all of the questions you just provided information for because they can’t find it easily and they don’t have time to figure it out.
  4. Design Cohesively and Appropriately—Make your brand cohesive and appropriate for all services.. You do not want to have a baby/newbornish logo if you are trying to book brides or educate other business owners in your industry. They will be put off.
  5. Discover the Overarching Thread or Theme—Find a way to tie each service together. What is the common thread that runs through everything you offer? What is your unique selling point?  Now if you are absolutely set on NOT picking a niche , find a way to present your services in a way that is unique to you and how your clients can evolve. You can still find a niche within all your services. Maybe you want to focus on booking weddings and then growing along with them, and you’re really passionate about working with boho brides and boho personalities across services. So you want to have the journey from the engagement to wedding, wedding to newborn, newborn to family. OR maybe you want to be a newborn and family photographer who just loves the love between family and offer weddings a few times a year. There is always a way to spin it where you are telling the story of why people should connect with you and why they should stay with you for the long haul.

If you’re someone who’s asked this question and found yourself stuck with your branding, I want to help you! Head over to my services page and see if there is a package that fits your needs. Let’s get you unstuck and build a brand that shows your heart and ALL of the passions that you have!

Check out The Brand Experience Packages I have have to offer!

Hearts and Hoorays!

 

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