How Photographers Can Dive More Deeply Into Ideal Clients' Minds With This Silicon Valley UX Hack
UX PT. 2 | As we continue this month's series on UX for photographers, let's stop advertising your services in a bland, forgettable product-first way. Instead, let's sell a transformation.
“Upgrade your user, not your product. Don’t build better cameras—build better photographers.”
When Kathy Sierra, an accomplished programming instructor and game developer, said this, she expressed the sentiment that photographers who’ve been in the business for more than, like, a day know all too well: a great camera can’t make up for a bad photographer. A great photographer, however, can make art with a freakin’ disposable camera!
But a great photographer with a great camera…well, now she’s unstoppable!
So, when marketing a camera, is advertising a great piece of tech really the way to go? Experienced marketers know that’s actually a dead end. Then, what is the correct way to market a camera if marketing the “thing” isn’t effective? After all, there are lots of “things” I can buy. Why is your “thing” the one I need?
Let’s take a peek at Nikon and Canon’s websites to see how they do it!
On Nikon’s website, they say: ”Nikon cameras have been trusted by photographers and picture takers of every caliber for their enduring performance and outstanding image quality, empowering them to capture the essence of the moment.”
Meanwhile, Canon’s lens buying guide says: “Wide-angle lenses make it easy to include large subjects or areas into a single video shot or picture. The wide-angle effect can range from mild to extreme as focal lengths get progressively shorter. Their beauty is two-fold — you no longer have to back-up to get an entire scene into the frame, and (especially when focused close on a nearby subject) they can dramatically render an otherwise ordinary scene.”
What did you notice? Did you see lists of stats and numbers? Did you see a full breakdown of the camera components? No! While all of that information is listed elsewhere, these iconic camera brands choose to sell their lenses by the way the product transforms users’ lives!
When it comes to marketing, advertising the “thing” isn’t effective. What you really want to advertise is the transformation!
This is the mindset shift that will utterly transform all of your marketing content…and make it infinitely more successful!
Think about it. When you’re skipping off to buy a new camera, what is the actual goal? Is it to have a fancy camera because the brand name will bring you status? Impress other photographers? Gather dust on your shelf? Or is it something more? A great camera is really an upgraded tool that gives you the capability to truly showcase all the skills you’ve painstakingly gathered across years of experience. And it can also make your job easier! Faster! Better!
A better camera isn’t about the better camera. It’s about better pictures, better client experience, a better life. That’s why photographers really want better cameras!
The shift: “Don’t deliver a product—deliver a transformation!”
So, let’s think about your ideal client, the person whose attention you’re trying to capture. With that concept applied, your goal should be as follows:
“Don’t deliver better galleries—deliver happier brides.”
Now, think about your ideal client. Their end goal is not to have a beautiful gallery of wedding photos. They might THINK that’s their goal. But as marketing experts, we know it’s about so much more than that.
So, what is their real goal? Well, that depends on who your ideal client is! But here are a few general ideas! Your ideal client really wants:
To have their memories preserved forever so they can relive them forever.
To have moments preserved in case they forget them someday.
To have high-quality images of their loved ones to treasure once they pass.
To have an extra helping hand there when they need it.
To have an expert who can guide them through an overwhelming process.
To get images they adore, despite extremely squirmy children.
To finally have photos that really capture their personalities.
And the list goes on.
This is the Jobs To Be Done framework which is Silicon Valley’s way of hacking into the minds of users. Today, let’s dig into the Jobs To Be Done framework, apply it to the world of photography, and show you how you can start captivating and delighting more of your ideal clients with ease!