What makes your business different?
Back in the day, when I was photographing beautiful pregnant moms and little bitty newborns, I had a really hard time trying to figure out what made me different from other newborn photographers.
I thought that maybe I should just try and be the BEST newborn photographer in my area. So, I worked on perfecting everything I could. Bought beautiful props and blankets, spent tons of money on courses, spent tons of time trying to perfect my techniques.
What I really wanted was to look as good as Julia Kelleher or Ana Brandt. I thought maybe that was the way to be successful.
But the problem was, try as I might, there was ALWAYS someone better than me. I’d look around and see another photographer who was better at lighting, or wrapping, or posing the baby. It was actually really frustrating and made me push myself harder to get better.
Man, I was really hard on myself.
What attracts your clients to you?
What I didn’t realize at the time was that it wasn’t just how good my images were that attracted my clients to me. It was about how I made them feel and how they trusted me to deliver on the promise of beautiful images of their sweet little baby.
Honestly, I don’t really think I fully understood the power of this until I pivoted into brand photography. It was then that I started focusing on learning more about my clients. I learned about their goals and dreams, their clients, their personality, what they love to do, and what makes them different from everyone else.
All of the things I need to know about my clients in order to come up with creative ideas for my client’s brand photoshoots.
As I was diving deep into my clients’ brands, I realized I needed to focus on what made ME different. I knew that it wasn’t my technical photography ability. I know being a good photographer is a must but that alone is not enough to make me stand out.
After many months of learning about personal branding, defining and redefining who I wanted to work with, trying out different types of content, and looking with a critical eye at what it was that I do best for my clients, I figured it out for myself.
What makes you stand out?
What makes me different is that I incorporate brand strategy into the creation of unique images for my clients so that they are able to connect on a deeper level with their target audience. After all, if you don’t have images that communicate how YOU are different, how will you stand out?
Now, I’d love to hear from you. What makes YOU different?
About Melissa
Melissa Henry, CEO of Melissa Demple Photography, helps speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs become KNOWN. Walk away feeling like a rock star with powerful clarity on your personal brand, including unique images that wow your target audience and help you sell out your programs, books and win those coveted keynote spots!
Quoted in Forbes and Entrepreneur and featured in Thrive Global as well as on podcasts such as The Rita Made Me Do It Show, No Fat Cats, and Two Girls Talking, Melissa understands the challenges of standing out in the crowded marketplace and will make sure you & your business do too!
With extensive expertise in consulting and over a decade building her own brand, Melissa provides an extraordinary experience for purpose-driven entrepreneurs who want to become known as experts, thought leaders, and seven-figure business owners.
