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How To Measure and Pivot in 2023 With a Spokesmodel Team

Have you decided to start a spokesmodel program for your senior photography business? Well, you’re in the right place! As a senior photographer with a spokesmodel program that’s been up and running for over 10 years, I can confidently say that this program not only helped my business grow but made me the go-to senior portrait photographer in my area. Today, I’m excited to dive into how to measure and pivot in 2023 with a spokesmodel team!

This episode is part of a four-part mini series on my spokesmodel program. So, if you haven’t listened to episode#81, I recommend starting there first! Alright, let’s jump in! 

Why Do You Need a Senior Model Team?

Let’s rewind for a second and talk about the why. Why do you need a senior model team in the first place? 

Well, a senior model team can:

• Create buzz about your senior photography business 
• Get your business featured on social media by your ideal client 
• Spread word-of-mouth marketing in your community
• Create a consistent marketing funnel of content to promote your business 
• Showcase your business for potential clients 
• Help you become the go-to senior photographer in your area 

Determine What You Need

It’s true, a senior model team can be a great benefit to your business. However, it’s important to first determine what YOU need for your business, because this will help you determine what you want and need to get out of your own senior model program.

Do you need:

• To get your name out there as a senior photographer?
• Content to show?
• Referrals or booked clients?
• Paying clients as models?

Before you set your requirements for your program, be sure that they actually benefit your business and fit your individual needs! 

Senior Model Team Incentives

After you’ve determined what you need, then you can start to decide what benefits to offer your senior models when they join your team.

Some examples of incentives could be:

A complimentary headshot shoot: This is a quick, first shoot to give models something to post to announce that they’re part of the team. 

Group events: These are events held throughout the year that include things like a big/little event, charity events, educational events, and more. 

Group styled shoots: These shoots are a special concept shoot with a certain theme in mind. This can be a special event where the models receive hair and makeup for the shoot.

Individual Senior Sessions: This is the individual senior session with each model for their senior photos. You can also make this special and unique to your models with hair and makeup.

Social media content/holiday shoot: You can create opportunities for your models to participate in other shoots throughout the year that are fun for them, and create content for you. 

Travel and other model opportunities: You can provide your models with opportunities to model for local fashion events, workshops, destination shoots and more. 

No matter what incentives you decide to offer, try to keep all incentives special and unique to your models. Make sure these incentives are things that your regular clients don’t have the same access to! Overall, the biggest incentive to your senior models is providing them with an experience like no other during their senior year! Remind them that they get to be part of something special when they join your team.

Senior Model Team Requirements

Incentives are important, but having business boundaries for yourself are important, too. It’s important to be clear about the senior model requirements you have for your team from the beginning. You don’t want to blindside your models or their parents in the process. 

Model requirements could look like:

• Paying the model investment fee 
• Participating in the group styled shoot 
• Sharing photos on their social media 
• Attendance at events and shoots throughout the year
• Exclusively using your business as their senior photography business

Pricing Your Program

Pricing your program might sound stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! There are no right or wrong answers to this. At the end of the day, it’s important that you price your program in a way that works for you and your business.

As you think about pricing your program, you may want to consider the following:

• What all is included in your program?
  • Things like shoots, hair and makeup, gifts they’ll receive, marketing material, t-shirts, props, digital photos, prints, and most importantly, your time! 
• Your senior session pricing – certainly add this into your pricing!
• What are you getting out of your program?
  • Referrals, more clients, advertising, word of mouth, social media content, brand awareness, establishment as a senior photographer, and reputation among teens

Remember, large companies PAY to market and advertise their business! 

Homework

Ready for your homework?

Price your program! Price out your time, shoots, digitals, products, gifts, etc. Next, determine if you’re charging a participation fee, all inclusive fee, or pricing levels and finally, write out what is included for the price you come up with, so you can fully explain to parents what they’re paying for.

Spokesmodel Team Resources

Ready to learn even more about how to measure and pivot in 2023 with a spokesmodel team? If you’ve decided creating and implementing a spokesmodel team for your senior photography business is for you, then I have several resources to help you do just that! 

The Spokesmodel Academy is an online course that teaches you everything you need to know about creating, launching and running a successful spokesmodel team with tons of templates, a complete launch calendar to follow, what to post when, how to get people interested in your program, what to offer in your program, how to price your program and so much more!  You can find out more information on The Spokesmodel Academy by visiting www.seniorologie.com/spokesmodelacademy.

Another amazing resource is the Seniorologie Semester, which includes the Spokesmodel Academy but is also a complete course on running a successful senior photography business. This coaching program is a six-month program that teaches you everything about being the go-to senior photographer in your area including marketing to seniors and parents, building websites that convert visitors to booked clients, pricing your work for profit, creating an amazing senior experience that seniors actually want, and so much more!  The Seniorologie Semester is currently open for enrollment, and I am running a $1000 off enrollment special if you enroll this week!  If you are ready to take the senior side of your business to the next level, book senior clients on repeat and make 4 figures per session, the Seniorologie Semester is for you! Learn more by heading over to www.seniorologie.com/semester.

xoxo,

Leslie

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“How To Measure and Pivot in 2023 With a Spokesmodel Team”