Howdy Tiffinbox readers! My name is Marit and I'm the Creative Director for WeddingLovely – we help brides all over the world plan a stress-free wedding and find vendors that match up to their budget and location. That's where you come in! We have five vendor specific directories, one of them being WeddingPhotoLove, our directory and community dedicated to wedding photographers. We want to help you improve your business, and have a few tips to help you out!

There are lots of ways to increase traffic and customers to your website for free. Not everyone has huge budgets for advertising, so you have to get scrappy and promote yourself wherever you can! Here are some ways to increase your visibility:

Get Social!

Blogs are an awesome place to share your work — do you have one yet? Do a small teaser post for each wedding or engagement shoot you do, and get your clients to share it with their family and friends. 

There are many other ways to connect directly with customers and let your personality shine through. Create a Facebook page for your business and encourage your clients and friends to “like” you. Make sure to post your photographs in albums on Facebook for potential clients to browse and share! You might have a website, but let's face it– people love Facebook and will likely see your presence more there!

Twitter is also great for building an audience around your personality and likes/dislikes. Since Twitter is so time based, you can use it to drive traffic to your blog posts (make sure to post once in the morning and once in the evening so the most people will see your tweet). Also use Twitter to share industry related news and tips with fellow photographers.

Pinterest is somewhat new on the market, and there are a lot of worries about Pinterest stealing images and removing credit. We'd recommend to use it to share your very best work to promote yourself, and make sure it's watermarked just in case something goes wrong. Pinterest is amazing for driving traffic, so don't ignore it!

Create Free Profiles on Directories to Drive Traffic

We built WeddingPhotoLove because it sucks to search for a wedding photographer on the internet. With Google, you get a ton of results, but the results are overwhelming! Not to mention, most vendor lists on blogs cost a ton of money and only list a few photographers. We wanted a beautiful, easy-to-use directory that welcomes every wedding photographer, regardless of a couple's budget.

So of course, we'd recommend signing up for a free account on WeddingPhotoLove! In addition to traffic, your website is linked to directly, which can improve your SEO. Here are four tips for creating a compelling profile to maximize the number of people clicking through to your website:

1. Choose one image that shows your style. In a basic profile you are only given one image so choose one of your best — we made the images large so people can really see the detail in the photo!

2. Stand out from your competition. Take a look at what other people are sharing. Browse your favorite portfolio images and select the one that differentiates you from the rest. Revisit the site from time to time and update your image! This will draw attention to your profile from regular visitors.

3. Be personable. Let's face it. You're all making a profile for the same reason, which often results in profile descriptions sounding alike. Make sure you profile your company in a way that sets you apart from other photographers. Perhaps you can mention what you love most about weddings? Better yet, rather than profiling yourself – profile your ideal couple. Get creative and make it fun to read!

4. Contact past clients. Never underestimate the power of a review. Ask couples to post a review on your profile, whether it's a sentence or two about their experience or a detailed explanation on how awesome you are. 

Promote Your Weddings on Wedding Blogs

A lot of wedding bloggers love to promote beautiful weddings, and they'll link to you and send you extra traffic to boot! On the WeddingLovely Blog, we feature real weddings and engagement shoots, wedding photographer interviews (linked to your WeddingPhotoLove.com profile), as well as guest blogs from photographers for brides … since you're the expert in wedding photography, not us! 

There are a ton of other resources to submit photos to — we particularly like Two Bright Lights, which will take your submissions and let you send them directly to hundreds of bloggers. Two Bright Lights charges though, so if you have a budget crunch, try making a list of wedding bloggers and contacting them directly!

We Hope That Helped!

There are a lot of little things you can do to promote your business on the internet, and we hope our tips will help get you going!

If you'd like to become a WeddingPhotoLove vendor, we'd be stoked to have you join! To get a profile, just head here. And if you decide you want to upgrade your profile, here's a little gift for you: enter PARTNER20 in the promo field to receive 20% off forever. 

If you have questions or would like to give us more tips about using the internet to promote your business for free, you can email me directly at marit@weddinglovely.com. I'd love to hear from you!

This guest blog is by Ellen Petty, the Head Brandslinger at Identity Kitchen, a marketing and design studio specializing in photographers. She and her business partner Marty Thornley launched a new line of affordable all-in-one WordPress portfolio sites designed specifically for professional photographers at PhotographyBlogSites.com.

Just yesterday, they announced new lower pricing on their self managed, all-inclusive BlogSites. As a special thank you to the Tiffinbox audience, they would like to extend an extra $50 off your first year when you use the code TIFFINBOX50.

Let’s Start at the Beginning. What is Branding?

Your brand is your touchpoint. Everything from how you answer your phones to the auto-responder on your email. Yes, it’s the big picture items; your website, your business card, your space, but it is the cohesiveness, that glue that gives a clear picture to your potential clients. There are some companies, (Starbuck’s anyone?) They do this very, very well. Talk about the Starbucks cup, how it fits perfect in your hand. Not a waxy exterior, not styrofoam, a little thinner than a regular takeout coffee. How much planning do you think went into just the coffee cup? Now let’s talk interior, advertising, their charities, the music, the Wifi.

“That's great for Starbucks”, you say, but how can I create a killer brand for my photography business? Here are 9 steps to not only get you started, and make sure you stay on track.

1) What’s Your Mantra?

Your brand essence, sometimes called your brand mantra, is the heart and soul of your business. Sometimes defined in a few words. Your brand essence is “Who you are”. Try and define your brand in six words or less. If I said “Maiden voyage…iceberg…not enough lifeboats” you would know Titanic. How can you define who you are?

Start with describing your work, yourself, your approach. Ask, who am I, who is this business? Choose 5-6 words that best describe you and your business.

2) Who Am I?

This is your brand positioning; what makes my business different from my competition? Is it the service that you give? Is it the kind of photographs you take? Is it the kind of photographer you are?

One of the most important rules in positioning your business and your brand is to know your competition. Once you know what you are up against, once you understand your competition you can figure out how you are different AND create a unique business perspective and carve out your very own market share.

3) Define Your Target Audience?

Do you know your target customers? Who are you going after? Engaged couples? Parents? Parents to be? What is their demographic? How do you want to come across to them?

This is where you really think about who your client or potential client is. Where do they shop, what toothpaste they use, how much disposable income they have, are they like you are they not like you?

4) Get Inspired

Now that you know who you are, what makes you/your studio different, who your competition is and who you are talking to…it’s time to get inspired, and really push that creative envelope. Look to places outside the photography industry for inspiration. Fashion, architecture, music, fine art, even food. Wherever your muse lies, don’t be afraid to interpret. Pinterest is a fantastic place to create style boards and have a sneak peek into other creative formulas.

Below is an example of an inspiration board and how we translated it into the online brand design for Studio Diana.

5, 6 & 7) The 3 C’s; Get Creative, Make It Cohesive, Keep It Consistent

Ok, you have your strategy, you have your inspiration boards, now it’s time to get creative. Whether you are designing your brand yourself or hiring an outside designer, this is where the magic happens. The “Ah-­?ha” moment. The spark, that can be realized as your own personal touchpoint or brand.

Once you choose a design path make sure there is a thread or a few that keeps your brand cohesive and consistent across all mediums. Print, online, advertising, promotion, and sales. Don’t be afraid to loosen the reins on your brand as you move between mediums, keeping your brand consistent, does not mean choking it. This is where it may be helpful to bring in a professional.

Below are some examples of the creative process of Partridge Lane Studios. Also, an example of how we kept the look cohesive from printed material to the online presence.

8) Choose Your Best Work

If you have completed the last 7 steps, we know you can make choices. Don’t question yourself now. It’s time to choose your best work. Go through your body of work and choose your best 5, 10 and 20 pieces. Those should always be front and center on all your promotional vehicles. Be strong, if you feel a piece does not live up to the standard of these choices, they should not appear in your portfolio. Your online galleries should be between 20 & 30 photos per gallery. Always aim to put your very best foot forward.

9) Be Unique

If you have followed these steps you should arrive at a brand that is unique, because it is you. If it is true to who you are as an artist, it is right.
One of my favorite sayings when it comes to finding your true voice in life and in branding is by Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.

As a wedding photographer for almost 10 years, Lara White has always loved the business side of photography. She shares her passion for business and marketing strategies with photographers through her PhotoMint blog and recently authored a free book for photographers interested in learning how to get their images published. Follow Lara on Twitter.

Want to get published? Follow these easy 4 steps and you will be on your way to creating images that wedding magazines find irresistible.

The first thing you need to know is that wedding magazines and blogs are all about details. Their readers can never get enough details. So that right there should tell you that your submission needs to be at least 75% or more details, and you need to have that on your mind when you are shooting your next wedding that you think has a shot at getting published.

1. Plan Ahead

Take the time to plan ahead for your shoot and how to get the most out of it. Speak with the planner and the florist to get an understanding for the décor and the florals. Will there be a cool escort card table, and if so, how will you capture it prior to the guests spilling into the cocktail hour? How about ceremony details-can you get to the ceremony area prior to the guests, in time to capture how the ceremony looks prior to guests putting their purses down and otherwise cluttering up the area? Ask the catering manager to keep the reception doors closed until the reception, and that you'll be coming in for a few minutes to capture the room before the doors open.

2. Allow Plenty Of Extra Time For Capturing Details

It takes time to capture details in a way that “sells” them. Allow yourself the extra time needed to spend time in the reception finding just the right angle for capturing the centerpieces. Arrive early while the bride is just starting makeup, and you'll have plenty of time to “play” with the details in the bride's room. These can include the dress, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, invitation and other items with personal meaning.

3. Don't Be Afraid To Rearrange & Declutter

Nothing ruins a great detail shot like a half empty glass or a partially eaten plate of appetizers. Think of your detail shots like a product shot. You want the image to “sell” that detail. It's OK to rearrange things a bit or remove bits of clutter from your image. Think of yourself as styling the details. It's perfectly ok to take the salt and pepper shakers (or the table number sign if it's ugly) off the table for your shots of the centerpiece. Take the bouquet out of the cardboard delivery box and find a beautiful spot with nice lighting. It only takes a moment and will vastly improve your images.

4. Consistent Photoshop Style

If you create certain looks or styles in Photoshop, be consistent. For example if you go for a desaturated vintage look on some of your images and some of them are just in a “standard” look. Most magazines and blogs prefer to have all the images in a set done as a consistent style and look. Otherwise the overall theme and feeling of the images is lost.

The more time you spend working on mastering the art of detail shots, the better you'll become. And the better you are at capturing details, the more likely you are to find your images in the next issue of your favorite wedding magazine. If you'd like to learn more tips about getting published, check out Get Published: A Guide for Wedding Photographers.

It takes time and patience to learn to create images magazines will be interested in publishing, but it's well worth the investment of time, because your brides will love those images too.

Remember – You can pick up Lara's e-book, Get Published for free. No strings attached. I've read it and it's full of great, actionable topics. Get it now!

This post and the one I just published about pre-designing albums have to do with wedding photographers but I am willing to bet portrait photographers can also glean quite a bit of useful information from the online webinars I am about to mention.

Let me be very clear (again) that I don't promote products, services or events if I don't personally feel they are valuable to me and by deduction, to you. So, with that being said, I have to tell you that in about an hour from now, wedding photographers will have the distinct opportunity to listen to some of the very best in our business – about the way they do business. The goal here isn't to blindly copy them, but to extract what you can and adapt it to your own unique situation.

The event is called I Do. It's a Joy of Marketing production and the awesome Sarah Petty and Erin Verbeck have brought us the following luminaries to chat with us about their businesses and what has made them successful in the past. If you are looking to do things differently in 2012, you'll want to register to listen for free or simply buy the recordings and the transcripts.

Full disclosure – I received a complimentary set of just the transcripts and was blown away by how accurate and thorough they were. You can print them off one by one, as you are listening to each one of them and take notes or highlight whatever they are saying. This is how I plan on using them. The recordings are of course awesome because you can always go back to them and listen to them while you are on the road, working out in the gym or working on your edits on your computer.

If you haven't clicked on any of the links above and simply want to know who will be speaking, here is the list of presenters:

Christopher Becker
Zach & Jody Gray
Julia Woods
Kevin Jairaj
Mark Garber & Jennifer Gilman
Dan Doke
Steve & Jennifer Bebb
Joy & Jules Bianchi
David Ziser
Laura Novak
Scott & Adina Hayne

Learn more about the speakers.

The event is spread over 3 days – December 28th (that's today), January 4 and January 11. Here is the full schedule.

To be able to listen, you have to register. If you find the information useful, as I did, you can then make a decision to buy the recordings or the recordings and the transcripts. If you are reading this before the event launches at 12 pm EST, you may still be able to buy the recordings for $79. I know the price is going to go up after today. So, jump to it, if you are interested. And yes, if you click a link, say this one, and you end up buying the recordings, I get a small commission.