TABLEof CONTENTS

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Introduction

Revenue

Marketing

Business Tools and Planning

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About PhotoShelter

PhotoShelter is the leader in portfolio websites and business tools for serious photographers.With PhotoShelter, you also get powerful features and resources to market your photos, such as SEO and social sharing capabilities, in addition to the most options for licensing photography, selling prints online and pro-strength file delivery tools to please your clients.

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2013OUTLOOK

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At the end of 2012, we surveyed over 5,000 photographers worldwide for an exciting inaugural survey, The Photographer’s Outlook on 2013. We wanted to know; What are photographers’ major business and marketing goals for 2013? How do they plan to invest their money? Where are they likely to find new business? Which social media platform do they turn to first? Do they expect to make more money than last year?

We asked and we got the scoop. The big takeaway: Photographers are ready to make 2013 the best year yet. They feel optimistic about their business prospects and plan to dedicate time and resources to growing their bottom line even more so this year than last.

Photographers also know that running a rock solid photo business can’t happen without good marketing. In 2013, marketing channels like word-of-mouth marketing and social media—specifically Facebook—will still rule over the rest, as most expect those channels to help bring real business through the door. In fact, with more attention to marketing and a smart business strategy, 73% expect to make more money this year than they did in 2012.

2013 is looking good.

What to expect in this guideWe’ve compiled survey results from The Photographer’s Outlook on 2013 in a way that’s easy to skim through and digest. Over the next pages, we’ll break down the results into three major categories:• Revenue• Marketing• Business Tools & Planning

Use this guide to find out where photographers in the industry stand with their businesses, and how you compare. We’ve also packed these next pages with helpful

Introductiontips and resources based on the major learnings we found. It’s our hope that these additional insights will help you build and market your business to reach more clients and grow your bottom line in 2013.

Survey MethodologyIn November 2012, we sent a survey of 46 questions via email to our PhotoShelter community*. Over 5,000 photographers worldwide responded.

*The PhotoShelter community includes users of our products, as well as members of the photography community at large who receive our monthly newsletter.

Who are the participants?Of the 5,000+ photographers, 49% are between the ages of 25 and 44 years old. 69% of respondents are male and 31% are female. 65% surveyed live in the United States, and 35% live outside the U.S. They also range in their level of photography experience, though 65% self-identify as part time or full time pros. Check out the breakdown.

We asked: What is your level of photography experience?

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Photographers’ SpecialtiesWe asked photographers to identify their primary and secondary specialties and learned that 98% of photographers pursue multiple niches to grow their business. Here’s a look at the most common groupings of photographers’ primary and secondary specialties.

We asked: What are your primary and secondary specialties?

We found out that the top speciality of full time pros surveyed is commercial photography (13% of full time pros), and of that population, most pursue portrait photography as a secondary specialty (30%).

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Photographers are more optimistic about making money and growing their business now than they were last year. And they want to improve their shooting skills: a full 93% of photographers plan to invest to improve their photography in 2013.

We asked: In 2013, what will you invest in?

• Decidewhetherornotyoushouldbebuyinggear. “Tax Ninja” Matthew

Whatley’s advice is to consider whether that new lens is necessary for the

jobs you’re doing. For many photographers, he advises, renting gear and

writing off the expense is a better option. Maybe more importantly, he says,

is to wait until your business has grown and put you in a higher tax bracket

before buying—that’s when big ticket items, such as a lens (rather than a

rental) will be very helpful come tax season, offsetting what you’ll owe as a

bigger, more profitable business. It’s all about timing and planning ahead.

• Askyourself:Isittimetoinvestinmoretraining,ratherthangear? An-

drew Funderburg, CEO and founder of Fundy Software —an album building

software for photographers—told us that he’s a firm believer in an invest-

ment of training over gear: “I highly recommend reading a ton of business

books. It’s probably the best money you can spend. If the choice is between

ten business books or a new lens, the ten business books are going to do

you a lot better than that new lens in the long run.”

• Whenit’stimetobuy:askotherphotographersfirst, and ask Google—from

buyer reviews to blog posts —about what’s out there. We always recom-

mend asking colleagues and friends what they use, and why.

TIPS

Revenue

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Common Sources of Revenue:We wanted to know photographers’ top sources for revenue in 2012, and if they plan to adjust the price of their services moving forward.

We asked: In 2012, how did you make a majority of your revenue?

Revenue Photographers Expect in 2013To build a business, there's often a balancing act between strengthening relationships with older clients and growing relationships with new ones.

We asked: Do photographers expect to make most of their revenue from returning clients or from new ones in 2013?

Business challenges in 2013Although photographers feel optimistic about the coming year, they still anticipate challenges.

We asked: What are the top business challenges photographers expect in 2013?

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• Decidewhoyourdreamclientsare,thenreachout. Make an effort to

customize your pitch because potential clients are more likely to respond

to promotions that fit their needs. This may be a long shot and you may

have to rely on the seven-year-down-the-road plan, but getting your work

in front of the clients you want is a strategy that many respected photogra-

phers told us they’ve used.

• Keepintouchwithpastclients. This is a great source of repeat work as well as

word-of-mouth referral. You can include them on your newsletter lists, or even

schedule a reminder in your calendar to send updated, relevant work their way.

• Createasolidandconsistentwebpresence—start with social media and

a blog geared for your photo business. Pinpoint exactly who your audi-

ence is. This will help you maintain a consistent tone, build your brand,

and attract new clients.

• Whenitcomestoonlineprintsales,thefirststopisyourwebsite: is it easy to

use? Imagine you’re a buyer. Consider adding a page dedicated for sales. Check

out Jody MacDonald’s “Buy a Print” page on her website. Educate your clients

(on what a high-quality print is; photo paper, and framing), and consider mak-

ing print sales a value added service (by including a few prints with a job).

TIPS Additional Resources: Investing and Growing Your RevenueGuide: Digital Camera Lens Buying Guide

Guide: Camera Buying Guide

Book: Photography, Upton and London

Article: Choosing Camera Lenses

Guide: Starting A Photography Business

Blog Post: 13 Digital Point and Shoot Cameras Used By The Pros

Site: Canon Rumors

Site: Nikon Rumors

Site: Digital Photography Review

Blog: Using Your Blog to Attract Your Ideal Client

Blog: The Price of Prints

Tutorials and Forms: American Society of Media Photographers

Articles: Professional Photography Magazine: profit center

Guide: The Freelancer’s Online Marketing Blueprint

Guide: SEO for Photographers

Guide: Photo Business Plan Workbook

Guide: PhotoShelter 101: Playbook for New Members

Guide: How to Sell Prints

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In the survey, we learned that 68% of photographers spend $1,000–$2,000 a year to market their photo business, and only 6% of photographers will decrease their marketing budget in 2013. Interestingly enough, 68% of photographers who earn $50,000+ or more per year also spend $1,000–$2,000 on marketing each year. In 2012, photographers spent an average of 2–4 hours a week on marketing, which is the same amount they plan to spend in 2013. Yet close to half (42%) of those who identified as full time pro photographers plan to spend 5–10 hours a week to market their photography in 2013. We also learned that 72% of photojournalists plan to market their work through blogging in 2013.

So what are the top marketing channels that photographers turn to? While word-of-mouth referrals are still king when it comes to promoting and getting business, social media is a close second. Here’s a breakdown of how photographers plan to market their work this year:

We asked: Which marketing channel will you focus on most in 2013?

MarketingThe greatest source for new clients:We also wanted to know which marketing channels photographers rely on to get their name out there and attract new business.

We asked: Which marketing channel has been the greatest source of new clients?

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• Forevents,bringcards,orevenanewslettersign-upsheet. And don’t forget to

send an email to those you met at the event. This can help you translate your

one-off in-person networking to an ongoing digital relationship, and it’ll keep

you top of mind next time they (or their colleagues) need your services.

• Beredundantwithyourmarketingcampaigns. John Keatley told us recently

that sometimes, even though he has sent his work in emails, mailers, etc.,

it will take an in-person meeting with someone for his work to finally click

and stay with them.

• Whenyou’repreppingforanin-personmeeting,doyourhomework. Read

up on who you’re meeting, try to get a sense of the esthetic that might appeal

to him or her, and make sure your portfolio reflects that. If you can, find out

what photographers this person has worked with before, and understand

how you can fit into that group, or what you would add.

Social media matters: Social media is a key part of a photographer’s marketing strategy to help reach a wider audience and grow a brand.

We asked: Which social media channel do you use to promote your photography business?

TIPS

• Gowhereyouraudiencegoes. We know it can be hard to choose which

social media platform is the best for your business, and as a result, where

to invest your time. But, some platforms attract more of your prospective

clients than others. And, sometimes niche online forums that focus on

your specialty, are a good place to start.

TIPS

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• ResearchthemostactivehashtagconversationsonTwitter in order to broad-

cast your tweets to a targeted (and interested) audience. Twitter is particularly

useful because the hashtag (#) conversations (hashtags are like portals that

funnel your tweet into an open-forum conversation about whatever it is you’ve

#hashtagged and allow people to follow it on a regular basis) are very active.

• BeactiveonyourFacebookpage. Map out a schedule for posting. When

you post regularly, people are more inclined to interact with you through

comments, likes, and shares. Keeping it fresh is what will boost your SEO

and give your clients confidence that you are as knowledgeable of the mar-

ket as they are.

Additional Resources: Marketing Your Photo BusinessRound-Up: The Best Photography Blog Posts of 2012

Blog: The 11 Best Photography Blog Topics

Guide: The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook

Guide: The Photography Blog Handbook

Guide: SEO for Photographers

Guide: Email Marketing for Photographers

Blog: 11 Photographers You Should Absolutely Be Following on Twitter

Guide: The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook

Blog: How Much Does Social Media Really Matter?

Tips: LinkedIn Analytics

Tutorial: Social Media Tutorial by ASMP

Book: The Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media

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To run a successful business, photographers are challenged to dedicate as much time and effort to strategizing and implementing a business plan as they are to perfecting their craft.

For many photographers, growing a business means dedicating real resources to building and improving their most powerful business and marketing tool—their website. This is because a professional and updated website is the easiest way to showcase your work. In a single link, a photographer can impress a potential client with the quality of work and products, dedication to great service, and show off their great personality. And if your website doesn’t work for potential clients—meaning they can’t grasp your brand, be wowed by your work fast, and easily search for images they need—then you’re doing something wrong.

Improving your websiteIn 2012, 67% of photographers said they made minor or large changes to their business website.

We asked: Do you plan to make changes to your business website in 2013?

Business Tools & Planning• Getorganized.Make sure your images are clearly arranged in categories

that will make sense to someone other than you. For example, change

“portfolio 1” to “Autumn in the Rockies,” etc.

• Cleanitup. Get rid of noise, excessive bells and whistles like flash or

theme music. These distract from what needs to shine through most—your

photography. Put up the work you like best, and the kind of images that

might attract the client who wants to hire you to do more.

• Getsetupforonlinesales: The goal of your website is to have people

purchase your work directly from you (as opposed to commissioning your

work). All PhotoShelter websites come equipped with ecommerce tools

like our shopping cart, which you can set up to license stock images or sell

downloads, and sell and deliver prints and products.

TIPS

Website DesignWe asked, “If you solicit feedback on your website’s design and functionality, who do you turn to and why?” Friends, family, site visitors, and clients were all popular answers. One pet and portrait photographer summed up most responses and said, “I turn to my fellow photographers, friends, and customers who visit my site. I turn to my friends for their feedback because of their tastes and design backgrounds. I turn to customers to get their feedback on how user-friendly and intuitive the site was for them to use.”

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• Makealistofwebsitesordesignsyoulike.Even if what you’d like your

website to look like would require the help of a designer, having something

in mind can be a huge help. Brainstorm ways you can infuse your website

with your branding.

• Makesureyoursiteisintuitiveforvisitors. Photo editors and professional

photographers alike have told us time and again that navigability is key. If

you want buyers to see your work, put time into making it accessible.

• Haveacontactpageor“About”page. Be sure it clearly states how to get in

touch. List at least your email address and even your phone number. If a

buyer wants to hire you, they need to know who to talk to.

Tracking your website trafficWhether you’re trying to figure out how people are finding your website or what they’re actually doing once there, implementing a tool to track your website is necessary to understanding the behavior of your target audience online.

We asked: Which do you use to track and improve your website?

• SignupforananalyticsreportlikeGoogleAnalytics(it’sfree). Learning

Google Analytics will help you create actionable tasks that will guide you

in everyday decisions—from email campaigns to social media marketing to

bigger website design changes. Get key insights into who your visitors are,

where they’re coming from, your most popular content, and more.

• Beconsistent. The only way to really measure your website traffic is by watch-

ing it, making changes, and noticing how they’ve made a difference.

• MakesureyouputenergyintoboostingyourSEO—this means dedicating

time to updating your website, blogging, and lots of photo tagging.

TIPS TIPS

Mobile CapabilitiesBusy photographers on-the-go often do business directly from their phones and mobile devices, and also use the technology to present their portfolios to potential clients, upload photos, take payment, and access your website.

We asked: Do you use any of the following mobile devices to conduct business?

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Of the top photographer specialities (portrait, fine art, wedding, photojournalism), portrait photographers are the most mobile (81%). Fine art photographers are the least mobile as 43% don’t use an iPhone, iPad, Android, or Blackberry to conduct business.

Delivering Images to ClientsThe ability to efficiently and effectively deliver a final product can make or break chances of getting hired again. This homestretch (i.e. the last few interactions with the client) is often what the client remembers most about you. That final step of a photographer’s workflow can be crucial to keeping business.

We asked: Which methods do you use to deliver images to clients?

• Developasystem. If you are an event photographer, for example, you

might have to send images to a client within hours of shooting. So you

don’t have time to fiddle around. Know your software, know your work-

flow, and budget appropriately for time and cost.

TIPS

• Builddeliveryexpectationsintoyourcontract. Make sure your client

knows when you’re going to deliver and how—if you’re going to deliver in

installments, be clear when and how many images at a time.

• TakeadvantageofPhotoShelter’simageaccessanddeliverytools. Those

will help you reach clients fast via outbound FTP, password-protected gal-

lery downloads or Quick Send Zip links to hi-res images—and all within a

photographer’s own professionally branded environment.

Video SkillsThe line between photography and video is increasingly blurred. Now, photo buyers and editors look for video skills more and more when seeking a photographer to hire.

We asked: In 2013, do you expect to be hired to shoot video, in addition to photography?

• Beprepared. If you’re new to video, make sure that you’ve done your home-

work by researching, budgeting extra time for your first few videos, and ask-

ing other photographers for advice.

• For those based in the US: Don’tforgetthatyoucanwriteoffanyvideotrain-

ingthatyoudo. Whether it’s online courses or a subscription to Netflix. Hear

more on this from the Tax Ninja, here.

TIPS

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• Decidethepurposeforanassistant. Some assistants can help out in the of-

fice too—social media maintenance, gear upkeep, etc. A lot of photographers

hire assistants to help out on the job.

• Bewillingtotrainsomeone. Many photographers have told us, though this

does vary quite a bit, that an assistant who knows how they work is key to

getting a job done smoothly. But if you need to hire someone new for every

shoot (location based, etc), try to meet in person before a job and walk

through your process.

Attending Industry Events in 2013Most business communication may be done online, but networking and industry events are still an effective way to find new clients and get your name out there. Photographers told us that in 2012, most went to 1–5 industry events.

We asked: Do you expect to attend more or less events in 2013?

• Pickyoureventsstrategically. Since this is a big industry, you probably won’t

be going to every event. Make sure you know which ones will yield the most

relevant contacts and training.

• Introduceyourself.Make contacts, find allies. Knowing people in the indus-

try will make your life easier when it comes to making almost all decisions

(about gear, a website, an assistant) that your business requires. Then, stay

in touch. Once you’ve made contacts, keep the connection going (respect-

fully, of course).

Hiring a Photo AssistantAs photographers grow their client list and assignments get bigger, they need more help to get it all done on shoot-day (and after). That’s where a photo assistant comes in.

We asked: Do you plan to hire a photo assistant in 2013?

TIPS TIPS

ConclusionEffective marketing, a great website, a consistent brand, and a smart business strategy are key to a thriving photo business. This year, we learned that photographers are go-ing to dedicate real time and resources to improving these aspects to target and attract clients who last. Photographers also understand that a strong website with powerful online tools is the backbone of a successful business to help showcase their work, sell their prints and products, and reach clients faster. Make 2013 your best year yet and try PhotoShelter free for 30 days with the promotion code: 2013OUTLOOK.

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Additional Resources: Business Tools & PlanningService: PhotoShelter Web Consultant

Tour: The Photographer’s Guide to PhotoShelter

Consultant: Web Design for Photographers

Guide: What Buyers Want From Photographers

Blog: 10 Brand Building Secrets for Photographers

Guide: 10 Branding Secrets for Photographers

Webinars: PhotoShelter

Article: 5 Best Practices for Photography Websites

Guide: Google Analytics for Photographers

Blog: 10 Ways to Avoid Big Business Mistakes Using Google Analytics

Tool: Google Analytics

Tool: Google AdWords

Tool: Chartbeat

Blog: Talking PhotoShelter with Angela Jimenez: Deliver, Sell, Dazzle

Blog: A Guided Tour of the New Image Browser

Guide: What Buyers Want From Photographers

Profiles: PhotoShelter Success Stories

Fundy Software: Album Building Software for Photographers

PhotoShelter Support: Quick Send Zip Links

PhotoShelter Support: Export Images via Outbound FTP

Tutorial: Video Software and Video on DSLR

Tutorial: American Society of Media Photographers

Tool: Adobe Bridge

Tutorial: Video Techniques from the UC Berkeley graduate school of journalism

Tutorial: Video Camera Tutorials

Book: From Still to Motion: A Photographer’s Guide to video with your DSLR

Guide: The Photo Assistant’s Handbook

Webinar: How to Make it as a Photography Assistant

Blog: The 40+ Items Every Photography Assistant Needs Now

Directory: Photographers Black Book

Directory: American Photographic Artists’ Find an Assistant

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