Photo Booth Marketing – All You Need to Know About Testimonials

May 30, 2013 by

Testimonials - Photo by NewEndProductionsTestimonials are a key marketing strategy used to attract new business and build trust. Testimonials are like references- they reveal to potential customers how past customers rate their experiences with a business. They allow new customers to feel comfortable with your business, and it’s important to have valuable testimonials on hand that you can show to potential clients.  Here are a few tips on how to go about collecting testimonials that are sure to be great marketing your photo booth business.

Provide a Platform to Get Testimonials

Valuable testimonials provide a mixture of information, compliment, and recommendation. They begin with a satisfied customer who feels he or she has benefited from using your service or product. Step 1 in collecting your customer’s thoughts is offering them a platform to give feedback. If you have a website, create a page for success stories and testimonials. Have your customers send in stories about their experiences with your business. Ask them to tell about the photo booth they rented, the aspects of your business that they enjoyed (such as timeliness), and whether they would rent a photo booth from you again.

There are a few other ways you can obtain customer testimonials. If it suits your website, consider giving customers the option to send in video testimonials where they can speak about your business. If your business has a store or office, leave out cards for clients to fill out about their experiences. Hang these testimonials up on a wall or transfer them to your website (leave out any identifying information the customer does not want publicly disclosed).  

What About Negative Testimonials?

At some point in your business there’s probably going to be a customer who’s dissatisfied with a part of your product or service. It’s important to collect the testimonials from these customers too and use them as feedback. While you don’t want to publish or post unflattering testimonials about your business that could discourage potential customers, you can use the criticism to improve your business. A negative testimonial may give insight on how you can improve your relationship with clients, be more productive, or deliver your product/service in a different way. There’s always a way to turn negative feedback into business development.

Keep these testimonial tips in mind as a way to market your photo booth business. Past customers provide valuable information that can be used to attract new business, so take advantage of their feedback and show your customers how great you are!

 

 

Filed Under: How to, marketing your booth, Photo Booth Business, Tips & Tricks Tagged With:

How Smart Businesses Use Twitter – Hint, It’s not About How Many Followers you Have!

May 10, 2013 by

listening on twitter - phtoto by: opensourcewayVanity metrics is the phrase used to describe numbers that are impressive but vastly overrated. Take Twitter for example. People and programs, blogs and articles focus on how to gain more followers but few touch on the real value of twitter; listening.

Out of the 1 billion Tweets every week, how valuable would it be to know when someone mentioned your brand, service, product or competitor? Being able to see and respond to these social media blasts puts you in the more powerful position of responding to activity rather than creating content and trying to gain followers as mentioned in the article linked to above.

One well timed tweet in response to a question or mention could be worth a lot more than a month’s worth of aimless tweets just to seem active. And what about geo-targeted listening? Noticing someone tweet about photo booth in general is not half so interesting as hearing someone tweet about renting a photo booth in Denver.

Geo-targeting your listening by choosing keywords within your area of service or largest target market cities can turn you into a ninja twitter! Just imagine tweeting to a friend that you needed a good dentist in New York and getting a tweet within 24 hours from a local dentist near you offering a 20% off coupon if you come in and mention that tweet. Talk about target marketing!

If you are an avid TweetDeck user already, try out this listening strategy from Slideshare. This brief slideshow shows you just how to put twitter, your brand name and your keywords to work for you. Chris Brogan had a neat little how to painted out for you more savvy readers on his blog for listening on Twitter too. Seems simple enough. If you  know how to use an RSS reader than you can do this. If not, well, a tool below might serve you better.

Here are some great links to twitter listening services that email you results daily. If you get hooked, most of these services have an upgrade for around $20 per month to get more listens and alerts for more keywords:

http://socialmention.com/

http://tweetbeep.com/

https://en.mention.net/

 

 

Filed Under: How to, marketing your booth, Social Media, Tips & Tricks, Tools Tagged With: , , , ,

Customize Your Photo Booth Props While Saving Money!

April 29, 2013 by

Photo Booth Props -Photo By fantabandfrugalProps Make the Day

Posing with friends and capturing silly faces makes a photo booth fun for any occasion, but adding props really gets the party going. A cowboy hat or pink feather boa lets guests play around and let loose. It’s a good idea to have a collection of props on hand for your photo booth that lend themselves to different types of parties. But there’s no need to buy every prop out there. Think about what items guests will have the most fun with and plan accordingly when budgeting for props. Here are a few ideas to maximize both your collection of props and the fun your guests will have.

Pick the Best Props for the Occasion

Ask your customers about the party or occasion they’re renting a photo booth for. A birthday party for a 6 year-old boy has a different theme and vibe than an elegant banquet. Categorize the various types of events that your clients have and buy props based on these groups. For instance, guests at a graduation party or a high school prom could both enjoy funny hats, sunglasses, and message boards they can hold up.

Occasions with specific colors or themes, like wedding receptions and baby showers, may go better with props that complement the party details such as flowers or balloons. Stock up on your basic props but think about occasions that can be grouped together and buy a few of these distinctive props. Remember, to ask your customers if they have any preferences for props they want with their photo booth, and see if you can fill their requests with props you already have on hand.

Quick Customizations

What to do if you run out of props or don’t have the ones a customer wants? Instead of rushing to the store and buying more props, try creating your own. Simple and cheap items like foam board and ribbon let you customize hand-made props. Craft and dollar stores offer inexpensive items that can shaped into props fitting all sorts of occasions. Here’s a great video showing you how to save money by quickly and easily creating your own props.

 

 

Filed Under: How to, marketing your booth, Props Tagged With: ,

Spring Wedding Season Top 5 FAQ’s for Photo Booth Owners

April 17, 2013 by

spring wedding season by: Tim BouwerThe warm weather and chirping birds are proof that spring wedding season is upon us. As their special day approaches, your clients will want to confirm that your photo booth business will meet all their needs. Having a wedding in an unpredictable season like Spring can be stressful, but you can easily calm your clients’ fears by preparing confident answers for the questions they will ask. To help you out, we’ve compiled the top 5 most common questions so you can be ready with well-prepared answers.

 

  • How long have you been in business?   This question is the most common when considering any service, so even if you haven’t been an established photo booth business for very long it’s important to answer honestly. In the instance that you’ve only been in the business for a year or less, stay away from specifics. Use phrasing like “We are a fairly new business, but we’ve had excellent feedback and worked many different types of events!”. This is a great time to pull out your portfolio, thus leading us to the next question.

    •  

    • Do you have references?   In short, you need references. Be prepared to have printed testimonials and examples of your work in a digital and printed portfolio to share with your potential clients. This will not only provide them with tangible proof of the product they’ll receive, but reinforce their decision to choose you based on the great feedback from your past customers.

     

    • What kind of equipment do you use?   For AAAPhotoBooth owners this question will be an easy one to answer with confidence. You can assure your clients that your photo booth business uses the most cutting edge software and equipment. There is no need to overwhelm them with details. Knowing the brand name and model of your equipment will be enough for most clients.

     

    • What will the booth look like:  This question is bride code for “Will it be an eyesore?”, so be ready to show the client pictures of the booth looking its best and most unobtrusive. Let your clients know the dimensions of the booth and what it requires to function (outlets, a sheltered area, etc.). If applicable let the client know you can be flexible with their theme, blending the photo booth into their decor or color scheme. For AAAPhotoBooth client’s that service mostly weddings, the booths now come in white!

     

    • How long does it take to set up? Can you set up early?  Weddings run on a tight time schedule. Making sure your clients know you can set up quickly and work with their timeline is key to maintaining their business. When the issue of time comes up, be sure to learn your client’s expectations so you will both be on the same page when the day of the event arrives.

     

    The key to keeping your photo booth business on top is preparation. If you can answer all of these questions professionally and back up your answers with visual proof then your client will feel confident they are working with the best in the business.

     

Filed Under: marketing your booth, Photo Booth Business, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , , ,

Building Pricing Packages to Grow Your Photo Booth Business

January 31, 2013 by

Grow Your Photo Booth Business - Photo Credit: Eric Dickman

 1. Set a baseline: Determine the shortest event timeline you’re willing to work, and offer it with a single set of photos for each session. Depending on the style of photo booth and the set up, the final product could be digital images available for download from your company’s website, or small, printed photos that are available immediately at the event. Set a minimum event time (2 hours is a good starting point), and bill a set amount Always include necessities, such as booth attendants or setup/take-down time.

Here’s a sample:

  • 2 hours of photos
  • Free photo strips for every customer
  • Photos will be available for download at our website after the event
  • 1 photo booth attendant
  • Setup and breakdown not included in 2 hours of service

 

2. Set a top tier: Roll out all the standard options for the most inclusive, most expensive package you plan to offer. Gear this package toward your target audience — if wedding receptions are the focus of your client base, then design this top package for a long wedding reception. Include every step of every applicable package you offer elsewhere, as well as final extras and a longer service time.

Here’s a sample:

  • 4 hours of photos
  • Free photo strips for every customer
  • Customized photo strips for the event
  • Customized photo album printed after the event
  • CD of all photos
  • Photos will be available for download after the event
  • 2 photo booth attendants
  • Setup and breakdown not included in 4 hours of service

 

3. Fill in with additional options: Variations in the length of the event, the final photo options offered, the number of attendants available, and additional services should occupy the middle pricing tier. Base the pricing for these tiers by the number of hours worked.

 

4. Keep specialty items a-la-carte: For event-specific requests — such as photo strips that match a wedding’s color scheme, a printed banner of the newlywed couple’s photo booth portraits, etc. — offer a menu of a la carte pricing options that can be added to any package. Many companies also offer the extra pieces of higher-end packages as individually priced options. This allows customers who opt for a shorter rental, but want the added items such as a photo CD, to get the package they’re looking for.

Filed Under: How to, marketing your booth, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: ,

10 Photo Booth Props for Every Occasion

December 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Photo booth props add levity and a sense of fun to each shot taken in your photo booth. While the type and manner of the prop will vary by occasion—cartoon glasses might be a harder sell at a banquet dinner than at a jovial wedding reception—a steady cast of stand-by items will provide a base to build on for each event.

 

1. A small chalkboard and chalk – Guests can write messages about themselves or the event hosts, or phrases they’d like included in the photo.

2. Feather boas in various colors – Easy to pack and appropriate for kitsch or put-on class, a feather boa plays well at a young wedding or a 50-year reunion.

3. Flowers – From formal to fun, a small offering of fresh (or reasonably realistic artificial) flowers gives guests something to do with their hands while posing, and adds color to the shot.

4. Balloons – Whether they’re scattered at the base of a photo or filled with helium and held, a handful of inflated balloons are a low-cost, easily replaced item to keep in your kit.

5. Empty frames – Large enough to frame the face and small enough to avoid comedy, a set of empty frames add a level of depth and perspective to the overall shot.

6. Brightly colored pinwheels – Offering contrast to a solid backdrop and the ability to create a bright palette in a single group shot, a set of paper pinwheels in bold colors can be independently made or inexpensively bought for each event.

7. A quote bubble – Shaped from a chalkboard or paper, a handful of quote bubbles can add a nice message to the event host, or a playful phrase to the photo. Create one out of dry erase-board paper or paint to make it reusable.

8. Bowties in various colors – In prints that aren’t too flashy or glittery, easy-to-apply bow ties are useful at any event. Attach paper copies to the end of a wooden dowel, or offer clip-on cloth versions.

9. Sunglasses – Keep a small set of black, plastic sunglasses on hand for use at daytime or evening events. They add a small amount of humor to a formal event photo without going over the top, or play into a broader, sillier photo scheme in a more festive setting.

10. A fake moustache on a stick – Someone will use it, no matter the occasion. Same goes for a pair of bright red lips.

Filed Under: marketing your booth, Props, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , , ,

After Buying a Photo Booth, How Do You Find Your Target Audience?

November 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Tara HuntWhen developing a marketing strategy for your new photo booth business, the first step is to identify the audience. Who sees your brilliant, shiny advertising? Who is your target customer?

 Before reading further, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind:

 1. The target audience is not the state, region or city where your company is based. No matter how small a geographical area the business operates in, crafting a marketing plan that appeals to every person who lives in that area is next to impossible and a complete waste of your time and energy.

 2. The target audience is not defined by a single characteristic: Maybe the operation will appeal to the men in the area, even specifically the men between 25 and 40 years old? Sorry, still too general! Men between 25 and 40 years old who are married and in a middle income bracket? Getting there, but a little too broad still. It helps to imagine their social life, family life and likely habits and behaviors as they go about a typical day.

 3. The target audience is not the end-all, be-all of who might be included in your customer base, but it will inform your marketing moves. Businesses often market to multiple target audiences, but to do this they engineer their marketing material and service to each group they reach out to.

 Let’s get specific. If the business is established with a strong customer base, answers can come from surveying those existing customers. If the business is newer, make yourself an imaginary target audience profile:

 

  • Basic information: Age, gender, income level, education, and marital status make a good starting point. A young person at a lower income level is going to see a lower-priced, kitschy photo booth differently than an older person of better means.
  • Lifestyle: Where does your imaginary target audience example get thier information? Does he/she ask friends for recommendations, or does he/she prefer to make a decision and go with it? Does this person have children? What do they like to do? What is a typical daily routine?
  • Values: What is important to your now almost-fully-developed image of a target audience member? What types of experiences are most important to him or her?

 Go into as much detail as you can imagine about the target’s lifestyle. Job type, home location, and media habits are factors to consider. With a fully realized image of one person who represents the business’s target consumer, it will be easier to direct marketing strategies effectively.

 Each marketing decision should go back to that prototype target audience. Because if the plan wouldn’t appeal to a person whose imaginary sole purpose to exist is to consume your product, who is it going to appeal to?

Filed Under: marketing your booth, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , , , , ,

Illusions About Buying A Photo Booth

September 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you’re considering buying a photo booth, know that you are not buying a “business”. You are however buying a piece of equipment that will allow you to create your own business. When you truly buy a business you are buying, not only the equipment, but the customers, branding and all the work that the previous owner put into that business. There should be records, email lists, contact information and more.

Illusion #1

The illusion some people have is that when they buy the photo booth that they are immediately “in business”. This is true in a sense. You can buy your booth, take it home and immediately book a gig. No one is stopping you but there is a bit more to running a successful business than booking a few gigs and most booths do not come with a customer base included.

Typically, when buying a photo booth you are only buying the equipment. It will be up to you to register your business with the state, usually about $150.00, as an LLC or S-CORP. The main difference between these two is mainly taxes and how the filing is handled. Those that want less paperwork usually go for an LLC and those that want a better tax shelter go for the S-CORP.

Tips for Websites

The next step is a company logo, business cards and a website. Your website is a very important part of your business and the second illusion many people hold is that websites are like cars, you just choose what you want and it runs. The truth is that websites are more like children. You are always looking after them. They need a lot of attention and guidance and there is no “one way” to make them perfect. They are constantly growing and changing, forcing you to keep learning and challenging what you know.

Websites are also multi-faceted. They are meant for interaction and data collection. If you are not collecting information with your website you are missing the boat. Websites are not meant to be advertisements. They are there to engage and encourage potential customers to take action.
When a potential customer comes to your site you want to capture their information, either by getting them to call you, write you or fill out a form. There are many ways to do this including: newsletter subscriptions, free reports, quizzes, e-books and discount mailing lists. Always think about the action you want your potential customer to take and make it easy for them to do it.

Lead Generation

Since you will likely have zero to only a few customers at first you must begin building your email lists from the beginning by using a service like Aweber. Contact management is crucial to the life of your business. Sign up for Meetups and Meetup.com and engage people in your community. Word of mouth works wonders but there is nothing like networking to bring in a constant flow of new potential business. 

Learn about Facebook advertising and how it works. Did you know you can do research about your niche market by starting the submission process for placing a Facebook ad? If you don’t understand demographics learn. It is easy to get started with a few quick Youtube tutorials to get your feet wet in the world of marketing.

Make no mistake, a photo booth business is like most other businesses at its core and if you want to be successful you likely have a lot of learning to do along the way. That being said, the photo booth business is one of the most fun and entertaining businesses for small business owners to get into. People really do flock to the booths and you will pick up clients fast if you maintain a professional attitude and a healthy interest for the business. AAAphotobooth has years of experience and top quality booths. When you decide you are ready to buy a photo booth they are one of the best companies to get you started. Above all have fun and follow your dreams, wherever they may lead you.

Filed Under: How to, marketing your booth, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , , ,

The Best Time for Buying a Photo Booth

September 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you are considering purchasing a photo booth the fall season is arguably the best time to buy. The reason for this is that the wedding season (spring/summer) is over and manufacturers begin giving their best sales and discounts during the slower fall and winter months.

This time is when manufacturers have the most time for you and can give you the most attention. They are also likely doing their best research for the next season and have started adding new updates and conversions to their products which is a good thing for you.

The other reason fall and winter are the best seasons to buy your booth is that there is less competition for market share during the slower months and it may yield better opportunities while the more seasoned professionals take a break from the hectic summer. Clients are likely to be less rushed and demanding as well providing you the perfect opportunity to make a great first impression.

Most of the events will be indoors as well and that’s a good thing for most photo booth owners who’s booths are meant to used indoors. If you begin now, you will have 6 months to build your brand, make preparations, research next year’s trends and be polished by the next time wedding season hits.
Fall/winter is also a great time to attend trade shows and start sifting through online publications in your search for ideas and strategic partners. Check out the event planning industry and catering industries blogs and publications to get an idea of where your potential clients will be hanging out. It is now that next year’s brides begin to plan their weddings and start scrapbooking ideas for the big day.

Now is a great time to look for your props as well, an integral part of any photo booth business. Props are half the fun and a killer prop collection will keep people talking for years to come. Get ideas now for creative marketing. Decide whether you want to invest time creating a Pinterst or Instagram account. Will you use Facebook or Twitter as your primary social media platform? With so much to consider and learn, now is the time to invest in yourself and build your business the right way for the coming year.

 

 

Filed Under: marketing your booth, Tips & Tricks

How to Use Meetup to Increase Your Photo Booth Rental Sales

August 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Find conferences near you easy

Meetup.com is a great place to find local events that are being held by your community for free!  Finding conferences and get togethers comprised of your target market or potential referral partners really is as easy as the click of a button. First let’s get you to www.meetup.com.

One you ‘re at Meetup you have a few options.  You can search your entire city with or without a keyword. Both methods of searching have their advantages. If you search by location alone you will get every Meetup within 25 miles of that city but you also get to filter the results by “most active”.

The most active filter will tell you, in order,  what the best Meetups are without much effort. When you see one that is comprised of some or all or your target, BINGO. If you see nothing that excites you try the keyword search or another city.

To try the keyword search enter a keyword like “event planning” and then enter your city and state below before searching.  You will not be able to filter by “most active” anymore but you will have fewer results to choose from so it matters less.

Tips and Tricks

There is a trick to the keyword searches as well. On Meetup, each keyword variation matters. In other words, typing the words “event planning” will not pull up any conferences or get-togethers that have been tagged or described with slightly different keywords. So “event planning” will not pull up the same search results as “event planner” or “event planners”.

After you have identified your potential Meetups go ahead and see when the next Meetup is and what the rules are to join or attend. To prepare for the event do a little research so that you bring either something useful, new or funny to the group. There is usually a theme to the get together posted on the Meetup page so it shouldn’t be that difficult.

Make sure to bring pictures of your booth in action and plenty of business cards.  Another idea is to ask the event host if you can set up your aaaphotobooth at the event for free to showcase yourself. It never hurts to ask and, though it’s a bit more work, it’s well worth it when you are in front of such valuable referral partners or your target market.

Filed Under: How to, marketing your booth, Tips & Tricks
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