The big news on the tech front today was the release of the Mac store from Apple. And what what I have heard so far it looks to be a massive success for Apple and Developers. What Apple has been doing over the past years with iTunes then the App store and now the Mac App store is pretty interesting if you really think about it. They have taken something that used to be a physical product sold mainly in stores and moved it into the digital realm with a very easy to use and streamlined way to make a purchase. They pretty much changed the CD industry and are now trying to change the model of the software industry. Thinking about this today it got me to think about our industry and what we can learn from all this change.

(as a little side not also, anyone who is interested in Aperture 3 Apple has it for only $79 on the new store compared to $199 online!)

So what lessons and insights can Apple and just the overall change in Technology teach us about the photography industry and how to not only survive in this competitive industry but thrive?

  • The first thing is to always try to innovate – No matter how short or long you have been doing this innovation is key. Don’t just settle for offering your clients 8×10 prints or albums. We need to constantly think of new and exciting ways that we can share our art with our clients.
  • The delivery method is also key – The App store for the iPhone would not be the success that it was if they were selling digital software from a storefront. The convenience of being able to quickly access useful apps and fun games all from your handheld smartphone at a very inexpensive cost makes it a no brainer purchase. What can we do to deliver our images and make them sharable by our clients across multiple formats? Just like someone wants to listen to a song on their TV, iPhone, car stereo etc… they want to view their images also in multiple places. What can we offer them that will allow them to view your art in a mobile format?
  • Make it easy – Speaking from experience I fall in love with so many types of products, wall art, canvas prints, metal prints, there are so many cool ways to show your work. I always want to show them everything we offer and because of that can create way too many options for people. What will most people do when presented with too many options? Not buy anything. We need to always remember to keep it simple and make it easy for them to buy.

    • So today a quick post to get us all thinking about what we can do on the business end of photography. Although I would love to never deal with the business side of things and just focus on creating great art, the fact is if you don’t focus on succeeding on the business side of things you won’t have the income to be able to support your business and get out to shoot. Business and Marketing is something I never learned in Art School but have learned many valuable lessons (most the hard way) over the years and will keep bringing you some more marketing ideas this coming year.

    So what are some marketing ideas that you are going to try to do differently in 2011? Let us know in the comments or post on our facebook wall at: http://www.facebook.com/digitalphotobuzz