So what is your style? Tips for your senior shoot!

With senior photos starting some of the questions I love to ask before choosing a location is…What is your style? Woodsy, Urban, contemporary, fields, a favorite place.

When choosing outfits, I also ask again… what’s your style? what do you like to wear? Always wear clothing that makes you feel great!

Layers…I love them how about you? Jackets of any kind. Hats are super cute.

What about a beautiful long flowing dress with flowers in your hair? How about super cute jeans with a great pair of shoes and a colorful top?

Choose items you love and feel comfortable in. Choose a location that fits your style and the rest will be just fun!



It has been wayyy tooo long!

It has been way too long since last I posted. You know what they say about the cobbler’s kids that have no shoes.

Well, lots of fun things are going on these days. I have been booking for spring senior photos and you all know that is something I love to do. Last year was a bit of a challenge due to covid I am hoping that this year will be much easier. I also hope since it has rained almost the entire winter we will have beautiful sun and blue skies!

I have also added a studio for those that are looking for shots without natural lighting. It can be fun and different. See one of my first ones below!

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I wanted all of my clients to also know that I started a business at the end of last year with my partner, Lisa Alexander. It is called Sorority Smart. It has been a natural progression for me to add this service for my seniors. I am so excited about the choices and designs that we offer for the college-bound girl. We are even offering classes this year! You do NOT have to hire me as a photographer to use our service so if you have a family favorite one, no worries there.

Check out our new website and let me know what you think!

Sorority Smart!

Happy Spring, almost…everyone!

Social Media

 

Do you need a social media expert?

 

The answer is ABSOLUTELY!!!  

When I first started working with social media, it was for my own business.  I quickly realized that my traffic to my site was increasing by very large numbers.  Increasing traffic to my site was translating into a growing business for me.  What I also realized is that I loved working with social media.  Soon friends and businesses were asking me to help them with their social media strategy and implementation.  Fast forward several years and Jennifer Jones Media was established.

I often hear from people several reasons why they don't want to use social media and/or take it over for themselves.  I will address some of these issues:

1. We have a staff member doing our social media.

This is never a good idea.  Staff are generally hired to do perform unrelated duties with your company and may not be equipped to handle your social media.  Sure, they are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., but they are probably on it for social reasons.  This means that they are probably not knowledge or experienced with keeping tabs on numbers, and observing where your shares work best and keeping track of what time of day is best.  

There are many factors that go into setting up a marketing strategy for your company and clearly one of those is social media.  Unless your staff member has been doing this for a living for many years, they will not be equipped to create and share your posts most effectively.  Every time you post, you want to make sure it is shared to the target audience  and, believe it or not, there is a rhythm for this that a marketing person knows how to do effectively.

2. We don't believe in social media.

Believe it or not, I still hear this from prospective clients.  Social media is almost free so why are some people so resistant?  Generally, they have had a bad experience or they have been looking at is as a burden.  Sometimes it can be very overwhelming or they just don't see the value in hiring someone to "simply post" for them.  

When you hire a social media person, they should listen to your needs and lay out a strategy for you to advertise.  This also includes other avenues of advertising such as print, radio and/or TV when necessary.  Social media is a must in that plan!  Sometimes it even benefits to pay for ads on Facebook and Instagram depending on what you are trying to achieve.

3. Our business is word of mouth.

Social media is simply an extension of "word of mouth" advertising.  It also allows your customers and followers to share your products/services with more people that you never would have reached by relying on "word of mouth"advertising.

Example:  I have had a client that swears their business is only word of mouth.  I posted for them for three months, and a name recognition and "branding" began to occur.  A few months later, they were hired by a customer that learned of their services through a social media post that was shared with them.

4.  I do my own social media.

This is a very common mistake that businesses make.  Yes, I agree that most people are used to posting on social media, but there are many factors that go into the presentation and placement of your post that will build your audience.  For instance, what time of the day is best to share? How does it coordinate with all social media? Should I use more photos or am I using too much verbiage? Where should you share the post to create the most buzz and should you pay for an ad?  These are just some of the many reasons why you should hire a social media person.  They spend all day working on your business and sharing it with the social media world. This allows you to effectively run your business without interruption or frustration.

5. There are so many places to post my information...how can I possibly choose?

The social media world can be overwhelming. However, when you work with a social media marketing expert, they narrow it down for you and lay out the strategic plan that best meets your company’s needs.  Not all formats are perfect for every business.  Some only need Facebook while others might need Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and more.  

6. I have hired a person to set me up and now want to take it over myself.

This is never a great idea.  When working in the social media world and blogging, it is always best to use the same “voice".  Your audience can tell when more than one person is posting. This lack of consistency will probably result in a very disconnected message to the people you are trying to connect with.  This also occurs if you have more than one staff member posting.