Latest work for Diesel watches
Still Life photography Will Thom
Creative curiosity with meticulous precision - View more on my website



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Photographer Vanessa Berberian, a London-based, American ex-pat specialising in food, environmental portraiture and travel.

This recent commission for The Wall Street Journal had me photographing the idyllic Hares Farm in Hampshire. Remember summer? There was gorgeous produce, beehives, chickens, fluffy alpacas and an impromptu family water fight!

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Not feeling very sociable?

Does the term ‘social media’ send a shiver of cold fear through you? Have you yet to embrace this revolution in communication? I’m Gillian your Promo’s Girl and I am here to guide you through the wonderful world of social media.

Social media is not a fad, it is changing the face of business and it is here to stay. If you don’t get on board you will not only be left behind but you will be left bankrupt.  You need to start looking at social media as being critical to your marketing and the continued promotion of your business.

Social media need not be feared, in fact quite the opposite, it has the potential to make you a serious amount of money. For example, online clothing retailer ASOS spends very little on traditional marketing and invests most of their efforts in social communications. This type of marketing effort has seen them  grow into one of the biggest online clothing retailers in the world!

There are so many different social media channels to choose from nowadays and if you are just starting out it can be pretty overwhelming. My advice is to choose a maximum of three social media channels and start making them work for you. For the creative industry there are plenty of platforms that are excellent for displaying your work on. I would recommend looking at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pintest  Instagram and linkedin.

Pick a maximum of three of these platforms and start to find your way around them. If you are completely new to social media then it would be best to choose one platform and start learning as much about how it works as possible.

Lets look at some of these platforms in more detail.

Facebook is the most popular social media platform available. Facebook is a great way to build up contacts and display your work and it would be advisable to have a Facebook profile for your business. Facebook is easily accessed via smart phones and this is excellent for the ever increasing mobile society that we live in. Facebook for business works differently from a personal Facebook account as you are looking to build up the number of people who ‘like’ your page. Choose a tone of voice and a style and stick to it. Remember social media is all about being social so don’t be afraid to be fun and dare I say it a little quirky. Be yourself and don’t be disingenuous. Don’t always talk about you and your business, post things about what you like that others are doing and saying, this shows people that you have genuine interest in your creative field and are not just using the platform for self-promotion.

The same rules apply for Twitter; keep your content interesting and specific but not centered on self-promotion, just like in the real world, no one likes a ‘big head’! Some simple rules for Facebook and Twitter are to keep your posts to a maximum of two a day. Feel free to comment on other peoples post and tweets as often as you like, but keep your own posts to a minimum. Also only post if you have something worth saying, otherwise ssshhhhhh!

Tumblr is a blog engine that relies on tags that boost the following of your illustration or photographic blog that you fill with beautiful images. Giving it tags that relate to the artwork you post with things like #illustration or #landscape will increase the chances of it being seen by those who look for illustration or photographpy related posts about illustrations or landscapes. Now, while Tumblr is a blog hoster, there is also a social component to it.  On Tumblr you can allow other users to ask you questions about when you are putting out your next print or asking you about your process. This means you can build a fan base, who in turn will be more likely to buy a print or a silk screened tote bag or even an iPhone case you are selling on a site like etsy or Society6.

Instagram works in much the same way as Tumblr in that hashtags rule the day. Instagram is a mobile platform (you need a mobile to access it and upload to it) so use this for the imagination inspiring things that you see in the world around you everyday.  Instagram is part of Facebook and this means that many people who like you on Facebook will also be able to easily find you on Instagram.

Pinterest is a virtual pin board. This platform allows you to pin items of interest to your pin board and allows other users to pin your items to their pin board  You can follow other users who have similar work to yours. Like Instagram your Pinterest board can link directly to your Facebook and Twitter account.

Finally Linkedin is a crucial tool for generating more business. Linkedin is like Facebook but for the business community. Get a handle on Linkedin and you will be directly talking to the people who could give you your next commission. View Linkedin as your virtual business card. Set up your profile as if you are sending your CV for a job. Look for people that are in your field. If you decide to ask to connect with them, tell them why you would like to, never just request to connect to someone that doesn't know you. This is rude and is akin to walking up to a stranger in the street and asking them to give you their contact details...they are not going to respond well.

As always, I’m here to support you in your marketing effort so if you have any questions about your next campaign you can contact me at  promos@bikinilists.com

If you've come across this blog post because you want to improve your email marketing, then why not take out a BikiniLists Freebie account here - Get the free trial...

The Cardinal Sin of Email Marketing

So your campaign has been sent out successfully. You'll have received some out-of-office replies, a general enquiry or two and the odd bounceback. Great... time to put your feet up and wait for the money to start rolling in. Right? Wrong!

This is the cardinal sin of email marketing. You spent all that time creating your list of dream clients and a sweet email campaign, then gazed smugly at a couple of pretty graphs on your reports page, but the next couple of days are crunch time... this is where the real work begins. This is your business, and this is your marketing, you have to work your leads to create new business, there is no other way around this. I am Gillian the Promos Girl at Bikini Lists and this week’s blog is all about how to make email marketing work for you.

Following Up Your Leads Get into your reports. Live them, breathe them. These contacts are your life blood for the next few days and beyond. Starting with your clickers, view details on every contact and use the BikiniNotes feature to store your notes for future reference. e.g. "Nick Turner clicked Nov 12 campaign" Warm up your telephone voice and begin calling your clickers and openers. Have an idea of what to say beforehand but learn to go with the flow of the conversation: “Hi this is X from Y Photography, I recently sent you an email with some images of my latest z projects. I'd love to show you some more of my work and discuss any photography projects/requirements you might have coming up...when might be a good time to do that?” Please, please, please for the love of all that is good and pure do NOT say something like: "Hi, you opened my email and clicked through to my site, so I'm phoning to..." Most people will be blissfully ignorant to the fact that many emails in their inbox will be tracking opens/clicks in some way. They'll think you are Mr George Orwell himself, or that you broke into their office in the night to install hidden cameras...

Get Creative You may also want to send follow-up postcards to your clickers a week or so after your email campaign. Your postcard should be approx 6 x 8 showing several images. Save your openers/clickers as lists from the "recipient activity" page, then use the "Create Avery label File" option on your list output page to print all the address labels for you. Easy peasy! There is also nothing stopping you sending something memorable to your clickers. Try and think of something seasonal or quirky that will make your contact stand out from everyone else. In my previous campaigns I have sent everything from a miniature haggis, to recognise my companies Scottish heritage, to a firework “put a spark into your next campaign” don’t worry it wasn’t a large TNT firework just a little candle sparkler for indoor use. The point was I got creative and when I called the contact they knew who I was immediately and the creative postal campaign gave us something to talk about from the outset.

Make the chain Why let go of subscribers who missed out opening your email? You can focus on increasing your open rate by creating a follow-up campaign for subscribers who didn't open your previous mail. Modify all that you need - Subject/Email Content or both. Don’t restrict yourself to just one follow-up campaign - create as many you wish until you get the response or open rate you are expecting.

Keep the Ball Rolling Legend has it that sending an email campaign roughly every 6 to 8 weeks yields the best results, but feel free to experiment. Got a job or two from your first campaign? Excellent, but please remember that's no reason not to keep up the effort with your marketing. Good luck!

As always, I’m here to support you in this process so if you have any questions about your next campaign you can contact me at  promos@bikinilists.com

If you’ve come across this blog post because you want to improve your email marketing, then why not take out a BikiniLists Freebie account here - Get the free trial...

Email Marketing 101

   

Email marketing is all about Open and Click rates. The higher your rates are the more successful your campaign will be. Sounds pretty easy right? Unfortunately like my grandmother used to say, “Anything worth having doesn’t come easy.”  However, that doesn’t mean to say you can’t break it down and figure out how to make it that little bit easier. I’m  Gillian the Promos Girl at Bikini Lists and this month’s ‘How To...’ blog is all about improving your Open and Click rates on your next email campaign.

So let’s break your email down into sections and look at where you can make improvements to maximise your reach.

Your Subject Line – Here’s my three simple rules for cracking your subject line;  the triple S – Short, Smart, Specific.

Keep your subject line short. No more than 50 characters is my rule of thumb, that way it can be easily read by the recipient. The job of the subject line is to grab the attention of the recipient and incentivise them to click through.

You are talking to creative people, so be creative!  A great example of using a creative subject line successfully comes from photographer Tom Broadbent and his recent email campaign detailing his work photographing the somewhat unknown subculture of  ‘Furries’. His clever subject line ‘At Home with the Furries’ received a 32% Open rate and an 8% Click rate.

Keep your subject line specific but don’t make it sound boring. Try to give your recipient an idea of what the email is about while engaging them creatively. If you’re not sure what to write, brainstorm a few ideas on paper or even better, with friends or colleagues. You’ll be amazed at what you come up with. This simple exercise will also generate a number of other ideas for subject lines that could come in handy for future campaigns.

Your Image – Hurrah! You’ve successfully secured a good Open rate by conjuring up a killer subject line. Don’t waste this opportunity by selling yourself short when choosing your image. Choose the image(s) that reflects the style of your work best and will help you stand out to buyers. Again, a good technique is to choose a handful of images and run them past your friends or colleagues and see which ones they like best.

Your Body Copy – With email body copy, less is always more. Think about your audience and what they need to know, not what you want them to know. Creatives are busy folk, if they've opened your email it’s because you got the subject line right. Don’t give them a long-winded biography, they won’t have time to read it! Displaying your work should always be the priority, that’s what they clicked through to see.  On top of seeing your work, Creatives want to know are who your previous clients are, where they can see more of your work and how they can get in touch with you. That’s pretty much it! Don’t tie yourself up in knots with the copy, just keep it simple and to the point.

The same rule applies to your links; one or two links is sufficient. Multiple links to blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and different parts of your website can often cause confusion and you run the risk of losing your precious openers. We've carefully designed our email templates to feature your image, copy, links to ‘View more’ and your contact details because we know that is all your audience are interested in.

When To Send – There’s no such thing as a perfect time to send your email campaign. In the age of smart phones it’s become increasingly easier to access email on the go. For some this could be early morning or late at night, for others during the working day. The key is to experiment and change your send times to see what achieves the best open rate for you. At Bikini Lists we can send your campaign any minute of any day, of any month, of any year, so the email world is your oyster!

Finally the simple things are just as important and can sometimes be overlooked.  Check and double check your spelling and grammar, because a sloppy email campaign reflects very badly on your business!

As always, I’m here to support you in this process so if you have any questions about your next campaign you can contact me at  promos@bikinilists.com

If you’ve come across this blog post because you want to improve your email marketing, then why not take out a BikiniLists Freebie account here - Get the free trial...

At Home With The Furries

Hello,

Two weeks ago I photographed a Jedi tiger called Fangorn in Wales for my on-going personal project, At Home With The Furries.
This series, which is an exploration of the furry subculture, has been featured in The Sunday Times Magazine and Wired Magazine (Italy) as well as having huge online exposure.

Also featured in this newsletter are portraits of Mo Coppoletta, owner and tattooist at Family Business Tattoos, London. The sculptor, Malcolm Poynter in his studio and Viktor Wynd, owner of the Hackney curiosity Little Shop of Horrors.

I am a London based photographer specialising in eye-catching offbeat portraits and feature stories. More images can be seen on my website : tombroadbent.com

To discuss your photo project or commission me, I'm on +44 (0)7813 774 609 and tom@tombroadbent.com

Howdy,

I hope you're well!

I'm a photographer currently on the lookout for new work opportunities.

I'd love to buy you coffee or a pint to introduce myself and show you my work.

Please check out my website at www.willienashphoto.com

I think the PEOPLE section would be of most interest to you, but please mosey on to the FINE ART section as well.
A bit about me: I'm from New York City but my studio is now based in East London. I've got years of experience behind me working in portraiture, fine art, and commercial photography. More recently, I've been commissioned by bands and solo artists for their portraits and some live gig photography.

I'd love your feedback on my work and a chance to meet face-to-face. Feel free to suggest a date and I'll lock it in the diary.

Many thanks,
Willie

Hello!

I am an Illustrator based in London. I produce mostly editorial illustrations, which can be figurative, colourful, conceptual, hand-drawn or digital (usually a mix of the two), humorous, serious, loud, quiet, or anything in between. I am able to produce a wide range of illustrations, whilst keeping a recognisable style.

Here is a recent illustration, used for promoting summer activities at a venue in London.

I am available for commission and would love to pop by and introduce myself and my portfolio. Or I would be just as happy to discuss your illustration needs over the phone.

Take a look at my online portfolio, and please feel free to get in touch regarding any upcoming projects.

Kind Regards
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Hi everyone , My name is Sab Punia i would love to be considered for your next campaigns or projects , i have a very creative mind and imagination and i am also very versatile in what i can shoot . please do have a look at my work and feel free to contact me at any time .

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How to maximise your email open rate

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So you've worked hard on your last project and the time has arrived to promote your work to the rest of the creative industry in the hope that your next project is just a 'click' away. How do you ensure that your email get's firstly into the inbox of your next client and secondly that they open it? I'm Gillian the promo's manager at Bikini Towers and I'm going to take you through the best practice in email marketing to help you get an increased open rate on your next campaign and hopefully a big juicy client!

Firstly you need to understand how email marketing works, if you haven't already had a chance then I suggest you watch our slide show Email Marketing - what creative buyers want here you will get an idea of how to make your email marketing inviting to the 'Creative Buyer God's'. 

Once you have prepared your next email campaign using the advice from  Email Marketing - what creative buyers want  your work is still not complete. One of the biggest problems all email marketers face is the dreaded spam filter! Spam filters are the bouncers of the nightclub; they stand guard at the email door of your creative buyer and decide who comes in and dances the night away and who is in the next taxi home with a portion of chips and cheese! Spammers are the 'chav's' of the email world. They spend their lives in little dark rooms banging out useless email that we have all received from one time or another. I lose track of the amount of times Viagra has been on special or I have been offered the chance at a cut of some money sitting in an off shore account belonging to Prince Akeem Joffer of Zamunda (note the Coming to America reference film buffs)! Nobody likes these sort of emails in their personal inbox and when it comes to business inboxes these types of emails are not tolerated, they slow down email productivity and usually have viruses attached. So the spam filter of your creative buyer is looking for anything and everything that might be classed as spam and you need to make sure you are not on that list. 

So what are the rules of the spam filters... At this point I would love to tell you that there are hard and fast rules to follow to guarantee success, but if we knew the rules then so would the spammer's and that would render the spam filter useless! However fear not, we at Bikini Towers know enough about email marketing and spam filters to have a pretty good idea of the things that your email should avoid at all costs if you want to make it into the best inboxes. 

Images - Too many images and your email will be rejected. The spam guards like to read as they think they are brain boxes! If you think it looks cool putting your image and your text into one large jpeg then think again. The spam guards will reject your email as 'spam' because they can't 'read' your image and if they can't confirm the content of the email is safe then you are not getting in. 

It's all about text based content - Senders send way too many images and not enough content. Take a little time to write something interesting and engaging to your prospective Creative buyer and not only will they reward you for it, so will their spam guards. 

Avoid spam phrases - The spam filters are wise in their battle of fighting the spammer and unfortunately sometimes the legit marketers get caught in the crossfire. Avoid certain phrases like 'Dear' as in 'Dear Creative Buyer' the spam guards really don't like the word 'Dear' so use an alternative like Howdy, How'do, anything but Dear. Try and be as creative with your emails as you are with your photography or illustrations. Keep them light, upbeat and maybe inject a little humour and automatically you will avoid the spam guards because you look like you should be in the club. 

DON'T SHOUT - SHOUTING in your subject line is wrong wrong wrong! I can't emphasis this enough. TYPING IN ALL CAPS = SHOUTING AND IS RUDE. Don't type in all caps anywhere in your email...EVER!

Finally there are a few things in the background that need to be in place to beat the spam guards. These include how unsubscribe links are written, sending plain text and html versions of the email amongst others. Fortunately as a BikiniList subscriber we do all the dirty work so all you need to do is write a fun, engaging email without shouting and stick an amazing image on it and we'll do all the rest. As you can see, your emails can get flagged as spam, even if you're not a spammer. Your email delivery can suffer, even from an innocent mistake. If enough innocent mistakes happen, BikiniLists overall deliverability can suffer. So we're working hard to prevent that.

Hello from London based Portrait and Fashion Photographer asiko ....

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Andrew Bainbridge :: I take pictures, you don't know me but I take pictures

Highlights from this months action on the IPM platform. Make sure you regularly follow our 'Whats Happening' page for regular updates.

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