What I’d do differently if I launched my photo + video production company today.
Hindsight is 20/20! No Pun Intended!
With clients like Framebridge, KINLO and Wedding Wire I consider Darden Creative a success! I’m proud of many things I’ve done for Darden Creative and we’ll get to that list shortly. But there are 3 things I’d do differently if I launched Darden Creative today.
Build a newsletter list
A newsletter can be a great way to build brand awareness, introduce new offers to a segment of your audience or share business related updates. Having an engaged email list is gold for businesses. Unlike social media, you have ownership of your email list and can build consistency with a monthly or even bi-weekly newsletter.
The key is having a clear goal of what you want your email audience to learn about you and your business + determine your frequency. How you measure success will vary; however one way is to view your open rates. The average email open rate is 19.7% across all industries. Assuming people do not want to hear from you? 49% of consumers said they’d like to receive weekly promotional emails from their favorite brands. [Statistics]
Not Buy Expensive Props Just Because
This may be a hot take but please do not go broke buying props for “just in case.” I’ve spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on props I thought I’d use. Following trends left me with a bunch of props I ended up not using for client work because it didn’t fit the creative brief or the brand’s DNA! You may find you’re forcing yourself to use certain props simply because you bought them guilty. Do I believe you can purchase a few items to build a prop kit? Yes, if is relevant to the type of product or food photography you want to be hired for. BUT leave the big purchases to when you’ve booked a client and bill for a prop budget.
Put Aside Tax Money with Every Project
No one wants to owe Uncle Sam even though we never know how much we really owe 😂. I follow the profit first method today but back when I started, not so much. putting aside 5-10% per project can really go a long way and will put your mind at ease when it’s time to file your taxes.
5 Things I’m Happy I Did Do
Narrow my niche quickly
Narrowing your niche allows you to focus on improving your skills and marketing your services quickly. I knew immediately I wanted to focus on product photography based on my temperament and skill set. I know that isn’t always the case. Not knowing what you want to do is just as important as knowing what you do want to do.
Practice Practice Practice + Invest in Skill Specific Courses.
It’s important to be intentional about the programs you invest in and set aside time to practice. Practice + Studying can accelerate your growth + skills! A lot of my practice work helped me secure some of Darden Creative’s biggest clients. I saw the biggest growth in my skills when I invested in targeted programs. Example: Photoshop for Product Photography, Intro to Beauty Retouching, Capture One Magic.
Initiate Conversations with People or Ideal Clients
Building relationships is key to business longevity. I love scheduling coffee chats with people, regardless of the industry. One thing I used to do is send intro emails to brands I found online or who engaged with my content. I still send out email pitches [I did recently for my test shoots in Miami]. Lastly, my followup game is STRONG. 😂 On average you need about 5 points of contact with someone before they respond to your email. Most give up after the first point of contact. I see people give terrible advice about outreach. “If they wanted to they would.” My response, you have no idea what’s happening on the opposite end of that email. Set up a system send followups!
Be Nice
Be nice to everyone! You just never know who will show up where in this industry so make an amazing first impression. Funny story, in 2015 I styled a test shoot in Brooklyn while I lived in Harlem. One of the models also lived in Harlem and she came to my house so we can leave together. The shoot was a hot mess but nevertheless we did the best with what we had. Fast Forward to 2016 that model was on the Digital Team for Harper’s Bazaar. She hired me to be the prop stylist for 2 stop motion videos 😍😍😍!
I started with what I had
The first 18 months I was in business my only equipment was an iPhone and 2 soft lights. My “studio” was my apartment and later the first floor of my friend’s townhouse. Waiting only leads to Waste. Start with what you have today and make a plan for getting what you need in the future.
Was this list helpful? Let me know which ones resonated with you in the comments!