It's so appropriate that this blog post appears in October, the month Halloween is celebrated in the United States.

Danny Iny, is an author who quickly became known as The Freddy Krueger of blogging.

He is most recently the author of two seminal and free marketing e-books, Engagement from Scratch and Naked Marketing Manifesto.

Danny, as busy as he is on a variety of projects, agreed to audit my site, Tiffinbox based around these essential questions:

Who are you and what do you do? [01:15]

When did you start the site and how has it grown since? [02:05]

Can you give us a sense of what the numbers are like? [02:40]

Who is your target audience? What do you offer that is appealing to them? [03:20]

How are you getting the attention of your target audience? [04:55]

How does the site make money? What kind of things does the site promote? [08:15]

What is your conversion rate? [10:50]

How do you go about creating a cycle of commitment and reward, asking readers for an increasingly large commitment and in turn offering a bigger reward, and so on? [13:20]

If you could go back in time and give some advice to Seshu of 2003, what lesson would you give? [21:25]

Now, I know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself, “Gee, this is all about Tiffinbox, what does it have to do about me and my business.”

Well, what you'll hear in the audio applies to you. Trust me. I learned a ton about how to approach my photography business from Danny, even though we were talking about this photographer's community.

[podcast]https://s3.amazonaws.com/nakedmarketing/nm_audit_seshu.mp3[/podcast]

For example, check out his advice on how to leverage Pinterest. Sure, that's something I could do for Tiffinbox, but it could very well apply to our collective marketing efforts for our own businesses.

Soon after I spoke with Danny, Angela Pointon and I collaborated on a webinar series (this is on going and you should totally sign up) with Tamara Lackey, Rosh Sillars and Skip Cohen as guests. Danny's suggestion of offering a FREE webinar was brilliant. Over 100 people registered for it.

This is a candid chat with a guy who knows his stuff. Not only does he ask some very poignant questions, but he gives me some very specific solutions too.

Give it a listen now and tell me one thing you learned from our chat that you will apply to your photography business. You can also read the transcript.

Today's guest blot is by Shuva Rahim, a photographer in Eastern Iowa. Read her first post on Tiffinbox, “9 Tips For Clear & Consistent Client Communication.” When she's not focused on her photography business, she teaches businesses about how to effectively use social media. Follow her @shuvarahim.

Marketing IS never-ending. Some photographers are awesome at it, some aren't. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. But I know how to work hard and am not afraid to put myself out there. When I first proposed this post for Tiffinbox I was all gung-ho about it. I accidentally created a marketing “formula” without realizing it. Then after the first few drafts of this post I felt less certain, only to realize the only person who can expertly speak about my marketing is me. The following is what I did for one session. It's not the “right” way or the “wrong” way but it's my way. It hasn't made me millions (yet), but it's gotten me attention and free press and business … and allows me to create with a level of honesty, heart and love that fulfills me as an artist.

I introduced a new session last fall called Beloved, an unposed session aimed for longterm couples focusing on who they are instead of what they look like. I had been shooting Beloved-style since 2010, but it wasn't until 2011 I decided to really start promoting it. The marketing required a lot of thought, planning and time.

1. Promo video. After more than a year of photographing Beloved, I approached two different couples to photograph complimentary sessions, and hired a videographer. For me, this was a 6-month project (mostly because of scheduling). One of the sessions was videotaped and interviews were done with both. The end result was a short promotional video I was able to share on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and my blog. You can watch it below:

2. Media outlets. Once I had the video, I contacted various media outlets in my area and used it to pitch a story about me and Beloved as a product that was unique and celebrated relationships. My first media exposure to this was a newspaper interview in November (about a month after releasing the video). The second was a live TV interview on Valentine's Day (four months after releasing the video). The more recent was a feature in a business newspaper (five months after the video). All these media exposures are free publicity, and I blogged about each one, and subsequently created a link on my blog showing the promo video along with the media exposure. Again, something I share multiple times on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. As a former reporter I knew media staff are busy. So if I didn't hear back I would followup.

3. Silent auctions. I created a 12×18 mount with a Beloved image, with my name and contact info on it. I provide that to whatever charity is holding a silent auction. In addition, I make a custom certificate (8.5×11 paper) laminated for each auction, in which the bid winner takes home. The certificate states a deadline – usually 10 days after the event – in which item must be validated. Validation for me means to contact me to set up an appointment. Every time I've had this strict time clause, the session has been validated. (A great tip I got from Sarah Petty's Joy of Marketing). Previously if I put a deadline of 6 months or a year, I got nothing.

4. Blogging. Blogging. Blogging. I was a newspaper reporter for 6 years prior to becoming a photographer, so this part was easy for me. However, it does require an immense amount of discipline. Not only do I blog my sessions, I blogged about my products. Before the promo video was done, I also blogged about the individual interviews we did with the couples. I also posted status updates on social media about the progress of the promo video before it was released. It was a way for me to tell people what I was working on and create anticipation. Since then, I blog about the silent auctions I'm participating in where Beloved has a presence.

5. Getting out there. Earlier this year I made a goal of connecting with at least 6 different people each day, Monday through Friday, whether they were already old contacts or new. I'll be the first to admit I've slacked off … some. But it's kept me on my toes, and in people's minds. To some degree, I consider myself a reserved individual. But I'm confident in my service and product, and I use that to leverage how I approach people. I've been in and out of various business groups since i started. Finding a good group of people you connect with takes time, much like building a relationship. But it's always about the other people, not you. Learn about everyone else, what makes them tick and what they like to do for fun. Then talk about you.

Marketing for Beloved is never “done”. In the end, as long as I believe in the experience and the product and love what I do, Beloved may very well be a longterm endeavor.

What steps are you taking to market your photography? Discuss below!

Going to try something new for Monday's – will give you all a weekly wrap up from the previous week, just in case you have missed reading a post or watching a tutorial or video interview.

Love The Products & Services Posted On Tiffinbox? talked about how some of the reviews of products and services mentioned on Tiffinbox have actually been very useful to you and your photography business.

Robert Norman wrote a guest blog post on How To Use CardMunch To Manage Business Cards, an application for your iPhone that will scan and save your data. Pretty cool!

Leon Sandoval from Colorati came back to Tiffinbox for another guest blog post about < a href="https://tiffinbox.org/how-do-you-keyword-your-digital-images/">keyboarding digital files. He had two short tutorials on using Lightroom or Bridge, whichever works best for your workflow.

Blair Phillips has a handle on using video to attract high school senior clients to his studio. In his guest blog, “Video Speaks Louder Than Words,” he tells us just how he goes about it.

Lastly, I had an opportunity to speak and interview David Hobby, the photographer/teacher behind Strobist, a veritable repository for off-camera flash users. David also spoke about his new project “HOCO360,” photographing the people and events in Howard County, Maryland. Check it out!

P.S. This weekly wrap idea was highly influenced by the awesome Copyblogger blog. You ought to check it out too.

This guest post is by Visithra Manikam is a photographer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dance has been one of my favorite subjects to shoot and I’m particularly fond of shooting live performances but they’re not the easiest to shoot. There’s myriad expressions, body language, hand gestures and fast movements to keep you busy.

Planning and knowledge helps to make a dance performance shots look extraordinary. So how is a live dance performance different from shooting a music concert and what should you look out for?

The Venue

Auditoriums, community halls, small function rooms each have different space and restrictions to work around. So arrive early and plan your shoot with the organizer if possible. Or, find a seat with a good shooting range. Check out the stage light settings so you can gauge where the light will fall.

The No Flash Rule

Usually we’re requested not to use flash, even if it’s an off body set up as it may distract the dancers. Unless you’re doing motion blur shots of the dancers, use a higher ISO so that you can shoot at a reasonable shutter speed as dancers are usually quick and swift on their feet. Plus unless you have a light set up on the stage it’s totally useless to shoot with a flash from a seated auditorium setting. Do remember moving right up at the stage may just get you doused by rotten eggs [grin]

Pick A Strategic Spot

You’re usually requested to shoot from one location throughout the duration of the event as to not distract the audience. So again arrive early and pick a good spot to station yourself without blocking others. I know I keep repeating this but it really matters. Sometimes you may encounter other photographers who block everyone’s view by standing, so try to get them to politely move or just get up and move because it can be impossible to explain to someone they’re a disturbance.

Knowledge

A technically perfect shot is useless if the photo is caught at the wrong time. Hand gestures, expressions and body movement play a big part in getting a good photo. A dancer usually holds a pose only for a few seconds and sometimes executes a dozen poses and movements in less than 30 seconds. So unless you have knowledge of the style of dance, watch and time your clicks so that you get the right shots. A shot of a dancer’s hands in between a pose would just look clumsy and no dancer would want that. Read any information you can on the dance style beforehand so you can anticipate their moves.

Lighting Crew

Your photos can he helped or hurt depending on how good the lighting crew are. If they’re fond of flashing different colored lights on the dancer you’re going to have white balance issues with funky colored photos. Work with the situation and try to correct your white balance during the shoot rather than once you’re back as editing those images can be a pain. I’m always shooting events where the lighting crew love to flash red during an angry expression scene – problem is red drowns out the expression so much sometimes I just wanted to strangle the crew [grin]

Backgrounds

Keep them clean, so plan your location based on what’s on the background. Community hall performances tend to have a lot of decorations and words in the background, so try to minimize their appearance in the shot as it will be distracting. You can of course use them to your advantage in some cases.

Stage Lights

If they are prominent and stream out interesting ray trails, use them in your compositions. It will give your shoots an added edge. By switching your angles and compositions according to the dance movements you can help dramatise your shots using these lights.

Watch

Don’t forget to watch the performance while you’re getting the photos, dance can inspire you in your other photography work. Watch their minute expressions and body movement to incorporate into your other photography work.

So plan ahead and brush up on your dance knowledge and you’ll be getting the shots in no time.

For the last few weeks, I have had the honor of hosting a slew of wonderful guest bloggers – all of whom have some connection to the photography world.

Recent Guest Blog Posts

The Wedding Photography Industry: A Rebuttal
Holi, The Festival of Colors, In Utah
Photography Concentrate: Why We Teach?
Make Your Photos Sing (Part 1)
Make Your Photos Sing (Part 2)
Confessions Of An Emerging Professional Photographer
How To Grow Your Photography Business Without Pushing Customers Away?
When Did Teaching & Learning Photography Become Such A Controversy?
Dramatic Portrait Lighting For Photographers
Ethics & Etiquette For A Second Photographer
Concurrences: The Newly Global and the Eternal in South Asia

Why Would You Want To Guest Blog?

Very simply, Google loves it that you are present in spaces other than your own website. Links pointing back to your site from external sources is a GOOD thing, for you and me. You want to rank higher for keywords that are near and dear to you? Well, write a blog post using those keywords (as long as it has to do with photography I'll give it a fair shake), and the links back to your site will do its magic. This isn't some nefarious scheme to fool Google. It's an accepted practice where we can all win. So, do it!

Criteria Of Guest Blogger

Let me be frank – I am not looking for the next Hemingway. I just want to see writing and images that suggest you are serious about your craft and are committed to this journey with me. It's an exciting trip and I want you to come along.

I am always looking for photographers who can write, share their passion for photography in words and images. Are you one of them?

I have quite a few already writing their posts now and I am excited about revealing who they are what they have written. I am sure you will be just as thrilled when you read them here on Tiffinbox.

Basic Standards

Here are some basic standards that you must meet:

1) Be a photographer (I need to see an online portfolio)
2) Already have a blog (again a link is necessary)
3) Should link back to your own blog post on Tiffinbox
4) Be able to write simply (minimum 500 words, that's about a page)
5) Submit 6-10 images that have a width of 500 px
6) Submit a 300×300 px portrait of yourself
7) Deliver the text file as a .txt file not .doc file
8) Be open to have your blog post critiqued
9) Respond to blog comments in a civil manner (see no-no's below)

Blogging No-no's

– No posts/comments belittling other photographers – their work, their business models, their services or products

– No religion or political speak (don't want to have any flame wars on my site)

– No, you can't post anonymously

Topics To Write About

You may write about business, marketing, SEO, camera equipment … whatever that pushes your buttons or gets you really jazzed about photography.

Future Plans For This Site

In the next few weeks, I'll be setting up this site so that you can simply sign in and enter your post and upload your images. All I'll have to do is to hit “Publish.” Here's hoping it IS that simple!

Don't Wanna Blog, Then Comment Your Thoughts

Meanwhile, if you don't feel ready to blog here, but have been thinking about topics that are pertinent to your own business, mention it in the comments section below. It might just inspire someone who is reading this post to take it up and respond to YOU. How cool would that be to receive a customized blog post meant just for you?

I look forward to hearing from you all. Thank you!