Studio Builder: Snack-Sized Photography Business Podcast

The Studio Builder podcast is going into archive mode and all production is moving over to the YouTube channel. I'll tell you why I made this decision and what it means for you as a listener.JOIN US! https://studiobuilder.co/youtube

Studio Builder on YouTubeVisit the Studio Builder YouTube channel to see my full review of fashion and beauty photographer Kris Fulk's website. I also offer her advice on how she can take her commercial photography website to the next level.

#42 | So you’re starting to shoot video and you’ve got some footage but now you need to put it all together and create an edited video. In this episode, I’m going to talk about the programs that are available to you from basic, entry-level editors to professional-grade editors.Getting Started with Video EditingVideo Editing SoftwareCamtasiaFilmoraVEGAS Movie StudioAdobe Premiere ProFinal Cut Pro XDaVinci ResolveResources for PhotographersBackblazeSprout StudioMore ResourcesStudio BuilderStudio Builder on YouTubeStudio Builder CommunityReview Studio Builder on Podchaser to let us know what you think of the show.These show notes contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#41 | On the last episode, I issued a challenge for you to create 20 videos this year and outlined why video should be an important part of your photography business in 2021. In this episode, I tell you what you need to get started shooting video and what you do not need to get started. I’m also going to give you some suggested parameters for your first video.The Gear You Need to Start Shooting VideoResources for PhotographersBackblazeSprout StudioMore ResourcesStudio BuilderStudio Builder on YouTubeStudio Builder CommunityReview Studio Builder on Podchaser to let us know what you think of the show.These show notes contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#40 | In 2021, it is going to be more important than ever to have a motion section in your portfolio and to offer video services to your clients. In this episode, I talk about why you need video in your portfolio and what you need to do this year to move ahead of your competition.Why You Need to Have Video in Your PortfolioResources for PhotographersBackblazeSprout StudioMore ResourcesStudio BuilderStudio Builder on YouTubeStudio Builder CommunityReview Studio Builder on Podchaser to let us know what you think of the show.These show notes contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#39 | Outside of straight-up business goals, I always make sure to set personal goals. I’m not a big fan of resolutions but I do believe in the power of habits. In this episode, I take a look at three habits Warren Buffett recommends to help you achieve success.3 Habits You Need to Start Doing TodayResources for PhotographersBackblazeSprout StudioMore ResourcesStudio BuilderStudio Builder on YouTubeStudio Builder CommunityReview Studio Builder on Podchaser to let us know what you think of the show.These show notes contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#38 | There are a lot of website options out there for consumer photographers. In this episode, I outline my picks for the best three website platforms for consumer photographers.Best Website Platforms for Consumer PhotographersSEO for Photography WebsitesLinks from This EpisodeSquarespaceGood GalleryWordPressShowItProPhotoElegant ThemesRob Greer's SEO for Photographers WorkshopResources for PhotographersBackblazeSprout StudioMore ResourcesStudio BuilderStudio Builder on YouTubeStudio Builder CommunityReview Studio Builder on Podchaser to let us know what you think of the show.These show notes contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#37 | In this episode, I take a look forward to what’s in store for 2021, for this show, for Studio Builder, and photography as a profession and an industry.2021 and the Future of PhotographyLinksLuminarStudio Builder on YouTubeStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a ReviewResources for PhotographersBackblazeSprout StudioMore ResourcesThis post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#36 | There are a lot of options out there for photographers to put websites together. I’m going to outline the key features needed for a commercial photography website, what the best options are out there.Best Website Platforms for Commercial PhotographersLinks:PhotoFolioFormatSquarespacePhotoShelterZenfolioSmugMugResources for PhotographersStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserBackblaze Get two free months of Backblaze if you sign up before January 31, 2021.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#35 | If you’re considering expanding into other genres and markets, you need to think about how to market your new work. Should you add a section to your website? Should you build a whole new website? Should you create a whole new brand identity and start from scratch? These are important considerations but I think the answers are pretty easy, albeit not necessarily straightforward.How Many Websites Should You Have?Links:Resources for PhotographersStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserBackblaze Get two free months of Backblaze if you sign up before January 31, 2021.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#34 | With the new year fast approaching, we’re all thinking about what business is going to look like next year. We’ve got questions. We probably all have an idea about what we want our year to look like and we’re thinking about resolutions, for ourselves and for our businesses.But how often have we set resolutions at the beginning of the year and then fail to follow through within the first month? First week? Maybe even the first day? I used to be one of those people. That was before I discovered the power of SMART goals.Get SMART with Setting GoalsLinks:Resources for PhotographersStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserBackblaze Get two free months of Backblaze if you sign up before January 31, 2021.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#33 | I took a couple of weeks off and quick frankly I needed it. We’re a week into December and somehow 2020 has felt simultaneously like the longest and shortest year of my life. Thanks, COVID.November 2020Links:Resources for PhotographersStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaser

#32 | Every business has seasonal cycles, either due to weather, holidays, or other external factors beyond our control. These troughs in our business cycles are the perfect times and opportunities to focus our attention inward for a change, to assess what’s helping our business and what's hurting our business.Is This Helping or HurtingLinks:Resources for PhotographersStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserTry Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#31 | I love to have a plan for my photoshoots. But I also have enough experience to know that things don’t always go to plan. So, when I plan for a shoot, I plan for two things: success and failure.Best Laid PlansLinks:Resources for PhotographersStudio Builder CommunityLeave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserTry Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#30 | We want to work with people who want to work with us. I’d argue that we want to work with people who are fans of what we do, who love what we do, and who want us to have a positive impact on their lives. It’s why we need to define our ideal client and create work for the people we want to help and make sure we focus on reaching those people.Links:Resources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/30Leave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserTry Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#29 | In order to improve my business and quality of life, I want to make sure I’m focused on serving my ideal clients. Before we can determine who our ideal clients are, we need to first determine what our goals are. We need to think about and put down on paper what it is we want, for our business, but more importantly, for our lives.Links:SMART GoalsResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/29Leave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserTry Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#28 | If you know who your ideal client is, you know who to target in your copy, your designs, your emails, your brand colours, brand voice, and every aspect of your marketing. You need to know who to target because we can’t be everything to everybody. In fact, we don’t even want to be. I explain why in today's episode.Links:Marcus LemonisThe ProfitResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/28Leave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaser

#27 | We don’t talk enough about the physical toll our bodies endure as photographers. Long days, often with little or no breaks — bending, slouching, squatting, lying, hovering, twisting, and more. In this episode, I look at how I've overcome some of my physical limitations, chronic pain, and how I've developed habits that allow me to continue working as a photographer.Links:What is Osteopathy?Resources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/27Leave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserPodcast AddictTry Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#26 | In this recap of October 2020, I reflect on recent episodes, shooting a wedding for 20 people, and address how some changes I’m making to my pricing. I would love it if you take a minute to review Studio Builder on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, and Podcast Addict.Links:Profit MaximizationResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/26Leave Us a Review:Apple PodcastsPodchaserPodcast Addict

#25 | Love it or hate it as a social media outlet, Facebook undeniably has the best advertising platform in the world right now. It also has a few other great tools you might not know about. In order to take advantage of any of them, you first need to create and connect a Facebook Pixel to your website.Links:Facebook PixelSquarespaceResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/25Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#24 | Now that you’ve got a kick-ass blog that’s great for SEO and your clients, in this episode I give you three ways you can use the power of your blog to harness your social media content strategy without actually having to do much work.Links:MeetEdgarZapierResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/24Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#23 | A major part of my SEO strategy, and something I think should be part of your SEO strategy, is blogging. In this episode, I outline some awesome ways to maximize your blog’s potential and how to create posts that automatically update themselves over time.Links:SquarespaceLong-Tail SEOResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/23Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#22 | When you’re creating posts for your blogs, you want to do so in a way that creates value for potential clients and also improves your position in search results and increases the number of impressions your website gets. This doesn’t need to be complicated and, contrary to popular belief, you do not need to write paragraphs of information for every single post.Links:Long-Tail SEOResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/22Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#21 | As photographers, our websites are image-heavy, but Google indexes images differently than it indexes text. So, we want to make sure we also feed the search engines some text to inform it about which keyword phrases to rank us for. That's where blogging comes in.Links:Long-Tail SEOResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/21Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#20 | How do you develop best practices for creating and maintaining good SEO for your photography website? It's actually pretty simple. In this episode, I outline five things you need to do to develop a good SEO practice for your website.Links:Google’s SEO Starter GuideGoogle Keyword PlannerResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/20Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#19 | Search Engine Optimization is not complicated. It's technical, but it's not complicated. Most photographers still don't understand the simple basics of good SEO. In this episode, I give you a very simple way to think about SEO while getting a little nerdy about HTML and document structure.Links:Google’s SEO Starter GuideResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/19Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#18 | One of the things I want to start talking about more and addressing more in this podcast is mindset. Things like having confidence in yourself, developing an abundance mindset, and even today’s topic — love. In today's episode, I talk about how to relieve client stress by being compassionate.Links:Love Is The Killer AppResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/18Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#17 | If you’re a professional photographer for longer than five minutes, you will get asked to work for free. The first thing we need to understand about working for free is that someone is always paying for the shoot, whether it’s us, our clients, our collaborators, or someone else. In this episode, I talk about when and why it's a good idea to say yes and how to politely decline when it's not a good idea.Links:Resources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/17Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#16 | In this episode, I look at 10 different pricing models and briefly talk about how you could apply each of them to your business, either to the business as a whole or to individual products and services.Links:Resources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/16Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#15 | In this episode, I look back on the first month of Studio Builder, get real about life, and talk about running a wedding photography business during a pandemic.Links:Resources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/15

#14 | This isn't the episode I planned on releasing today but something happened last night that made me realize it was the episode that was needed. Yesterday, I received an email from Instagram asking me if I had requested a password reset. I knew immediately what was happening and, thankfully, I had actually prepared for it earlier this year. Someone was trying to hijack my account.In this episode, I'll talk about why their attempt failed, how to secure all of your social media accounts and websites, and why you need a password manager like LastPass to secure your accounts, financial data, and even your own identity.Links:Get LastPass NowGoogle Authenticator in the Android Play StoreGoogle Authenticator in the iOS App StoreResources for PhotographersJoin the Studio Builder Community on Facebook.Full show notes @ studiobuilder.co/14Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#13 | When it comes to Search Engine Optimization for their business, a lot of people stop at the text of their website. People often overlook their Google My Business listing. In this episode, I tell you what you need to do to get your My Business listing up and running on Google and what you can do to make your listing shine, including a couple of things that could help improve your SEO rankings, and why you absolutely must at least claim your business listing on Google.Links:Google My BusinessCreate a GMB Review LinkSprout StudioAndroid AppiOS AppFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/13Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#12 | The most valuable assets in your business are not your cameras, lenses, lighting systems, or even medium format digital backs. Your most valuable assets are your images, your digital assets. We need to protect them at all costs.In this episode, I discuss my Digital Asset Management (DAM) system and workflow, and how you can set up a system that saves you money and gives you peace of mind.Links:BackblazeAmazon PrimeLexar Pro SD CardsSeagate Baracuda ProWD PassportGoogle OneDropboxFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/12Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#11 | When it comes to SEO it’s easy to neglect our images, but establishing and maintaining good image SEO is critical to improving our authority in the eyes search engines. In this episode, I outline three simple techniques to improve your SEO simply by focusing on your website's images.Full show notes at studiobuilder.co/11Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#10 | We live in an amazing age of automation when even one simple integration can save us countless hours of repetitive work. In this episode, I discuss the many wonderful ways I use cross-service integrations to make my life happier and managing a one-person studio easier.Links:ZapierIFTTTFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/10Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#9 | Start automating everything. If you can cut down on one hour of mind-numbingly boring task work every week, you can reclaim more than an entire week of work in a year. If I know I’m going to have to do anything more than once, I try to find a way to automate it the first time, so I never have to do it again.Full show notes at studiobuilder.co/9Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#8 | It's better to be different than to be better. Establish your own photographic identity based on your personal preferences and refine it over time to distinguish yourself from your competitors.Links:AirtableDogme 95Annie LeibovitzJill GreenbergLachlan BaileyMichael MullerNadav KanderPeggy SirotaPeter HurleyTim TadderFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/8Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.Try Sprout Studio Free for 21 Days Sprout Studio is the best studio management system on the planet. Start your 21-day trial today.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

#7 | Your business's graphic identity is more than just a logo; it's the whole look and visual style of your brand, including its colour palette, typeface choices, iconography, and yes, a logo. In this episode, I talk about what goes into making your graphic identity and where to find resources to build your brand assets.Links:The Know It All Guide To Color Psychology In MarketingReflections of Life PhotographyGoogle FontsAdobe FontsFont SquirrelFonts.comCanvaFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/7Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.

#6 | How do you name a photography brand? Naming your photography business is one of the most crucial steps of developing your brand. Do you use your own name, or do you develop a brand name? In this episode, I talk about each choice and give some practical steps to developing a brand name that isn’t just your given name.Links:Old English SurnamesRegister Your Domain NameDetailed show notes at studiobuilder.co/6Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.

#5 | Whether you know it or not, your business has a voice, so it's better to know it and control it than to make it up as you go. In this episode, I talk about what brand voice is and how you can create, define, and refine your messaging to be just as badass as you are.Links:Cards Against HumanityLuxsell's Luxury LexiconMailchimps' Voice and Tone GuideDetailed show notes at studiobuilder.co/5Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.

#4 | Market position refers to the value proposition your brand will occupy in the market, but more importantly, in the buyer’s mind. There are three main positioning areas to consider: budget, competitive, and luxury. Where does your business land?Links:AirtableKlo PortfoliosRelated Reading:Brand Aid by Brad VanAukenDetailed show notes at studiobuilder.co/4Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of resources to help grow your photography business.

#3 | What's the right lens to use for a portrait photograph? Does it matter if your images are flattering to the subject? What exactly are you trying to say with your images? Everywhere you look people will love to tell you what the "correct" lens is to use to create your images.In this episode, I examine the concept of "the right way" vs "the wrong way" to create a photograph, and why your choices should be driven by intention, not what someone on YouTube or in a Facebook comment tells you "wrong."Links:PlatonStudio Builder on InstagramRelated Books:Generation Wealth by Lauren GreenfieldPower by PlatonService by PlatonPlaton's RepublicFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/3Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of Resources to help grow your photography business.

#2 | Do you like to talk about other people in the industry? What can you do to foster relationships with new colleagues and strengthen the relationships you already have with existing colleagues? If you cultivate a “colleagues not competition” mindset, you will move forward faster than the people around you who treat you as an adversary.In this episode, I spill the tea about my feelings toward my colleagues, my competitors, and the other members of our community, and give you a few tips on how you can become a pillar of your own community.Links:Art Streiber on InstagramRise To The Top! with Megan DiPiero Facebook GroupMarek MichalekMarta HewsonErik MarcinkowskiKristina Laukkenen of West Rouge Photo Co.Alex Heidbuchel of BLVD StudioJeff TessierKevin ThomRecommended Podcasts:The Businss of Photography Podcast with Bryan CaporicciPhotoPros Podcast with Robert NowellProfitable Portraits with Tanya SmithFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/2Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of Resources to help grow your photography business.

#1 | In this first episode of Studio Builder, I talk about who I am, why I started this show, what you can expect, and why you should subscribe to this podcast. How can my experience as a professional photographer, website developer, and improv comedian help your photography business? Subscribe to the show to find out more.Links:Studio Builder Community on FacebookStudio Builder websiteResources for PhotographersFull show notes at studiobuilder.co/1Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of Resources to help grow your photography business.

Looking for ways to grow your photography studio that don't require undoing everything you've already built? Want actionable advice that you can easily implement in a easily digestable episodes? I hear you. Studio Builder is a snack-sized podcast that helps photographers grow their business and get to the next level one step at a time.Starting Aug. 31, join me, Kevin Patrick Robbins, a professional photographer, teacher, and business nerd, as I provide you with tips, advice, and action you can use right away to improve your photography business — episode by episode — whether you're a full-time studio owner, part-time pro, or aspiring startup.Join the Studio Builder Community on Facebook and check out our collection of Resources to help grow your photography business.