sold!

I love being able to put up posts like this. It’s confirmation this site isn’t just random words floating out there into the ether. It really is helping people kick-start their businesses and launch their brand. Keep ‘em coming and pay it forward, I say! But first, enjoy a new guest post right-quick featuring a beautiful charity auction gift basket by Elizabeth Sethi Photography.

I started my photography business about a year ago, and have avidly read your blog for 6 months.

Through you I found Leah Remillet / GO{4}PRO who did my custom logo – and I have learned so, so much about creative packaging and marketing.

Last week was my very first charity auction, and my basket (thanks to all your blog posts and vendor ideas) was the hit of the auction! The ladies setting up the show spent at least 15 minutes “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” over my packaging, my basket items, and my very own ‘Martha-esque’ bow. Without this blog I never could have created something so special, and set my photography business apart from the rest of the donors. I just had to share.

P.S. – I just got my Zazzle stickers in the mail…I’m in love!

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

you might be a winner!

Today we’re very lucky to have a guest post by Kim Drury of MadiLu Designs. Kim also designs for one of my favorite template sites Pink Ink Studios. Read to the end for a chance to win one of TWO fantastic prizes!

What’s best for you? Custom or premade design?

I was so excited to hear from Paperie Boutique! Packaging and presentation is something I’ve loved my entire life. Thanks for having me!

There are many design resources for photographers. While some can, and ENJOY doing it for themselves, there are many others who don’t have the time to devote to designing their own marketing materials. It’s great to have so much to choose from, but can be overwhelming!

Many sites will offer premade marketing templates. You basically download the files, pop in your info and you’re finished. Easy peasy! Premades are great for the photographer on a budget or when you need something right away. They are also nice to have when you aren’t sure about your look or style, yet you need something to present a professional image. You’ll find some of my premade sets at Pink Ink Studios. There are many talented designers over there who offer great marketing templates and they are ready to go!

Custom design is beautiful and by far my favorite thing to work on. I recommend going the custom route when you’ve got a good idea of what image you want to portray to your clients and if you’ve been looking at premade sets and can’t seem to find “the one”. Custom work does take longer and is typically more expensive. It requires focus and input on your part, but when you’re finished it’s very rewarding. It belongs only to you and can set you apart from your competition.

I’m sharing a custom logo and set I recently created for Jack and Jane Photography. It was so much fun to watch this come together.

But wait! That’s not all!

One lucky Paperie reader can win this Premade Set from MadiLu Designs! (Premade Set includes business card, gift certificate, thank you, 2” sticker, print care card, copyright card, referral card, #10 envelope, 5×7 card, letterhead and 5×5 digital negative holder. Colors can be customized.)

Another lucky Paperie winner will win a Custom Logo Design from MadiLu Designs! (Custom Logo Design includes logo and watermark.)

Since there are two great separate prizes (and not everyone needs a logo) we’re going to split the chances to win. So to enter one of the giveaways, or both, please make sure you follow the directions closely for each one – as the contests and your entries are separate.

To win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set:

Go to your Facebook account or Twitter account and post the following:

I want the MadiLu Designs Premade Set from @madilu_designs / madiludesigns.com – enter to win at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 22nd.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to two times total for the MadiLu Designs Premade Set – one entry each per public, non-private blog Facebook or Twitter account.

You have two chances to win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Post your comment in the following format (up to two separate entries per person for this prize):

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set on Facebook: [insert your Facebook link here]

  — AND / OR —

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set on Twitter: [insert your Twitter link here]

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by random drawing out of a hat, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Bonne chance!

To win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design:

Go to your Facebook account or Twitter account and post the following:

I need a MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design from @madilu_designs / madiludesigns.com – enter to win at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 22nd.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to two times total for the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design – one entry each per public, non-private Facebook or Twitter account.

You have two chances to win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Post your comment in the following format (up to two separate entries per person for this prize):

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design on Facebook: [insert your Facebook link here]

  — AND / OR —

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design on Twitter: [insert your Twitter link here]

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by random drawing out of a hat, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

Thanks so much to Kim Drury and MadiLu Designs for this fantastic prize! Stop by the MadiLu Designs Blog and tell her thanks!

UPDATE: The winners have been announced here. Congrats to them and thanks to those who entered and once again to MadiLu Designs!

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

Heather, be thy name

I am so excited about this guest post—it has really inspired me to change things up a bit and add a few new items to my packaging arsenal. Sit back, take five, grab and drink, and prepare to be wow’ed by Heather of Heather Garland Photography!

“Wow, I feel like it’s Christmas and I just got handed the most beautiful present under the tree.” When a client told me this one day, I knew why I put so much work into my package. It wasn’t just because I loved packaging, it was because my clients loved it too and it made them feel special. Of course, I do love packaging too. It is so exciting to me and I am always working to improve my packaging. Most people think it is silly to put so much investment and work into handing clients who have already booked you their prints. I think that is quite wrong, our clients that have had sessions are photographers MOST important marketing tool. Every one of them has friends, family, and co-workers who get married, have babies, and want family portraits. Making my clients happy is my biggest goal, not just for referrals but because I genuinely consider them friends after our sessions. Because of this, when I hand them their prints, I want them to feel like I handed them something worth the hundreds of dollars they paid for it.

First off my amazing marketing products and logo are from Amy Grace at candyapplestudios.com. She is absolutely incredible. I already had my logo done before and just switched to her to give me a somewhat new look. She made me feel so professional and amazing. Every design she handed me I was in awe because they were so incredible.

Above is my packaging. I have 3 different sizes of bags (one for sizes up to 5×7, one for prints up to 8×10, and one for sizes up to 16×20), a few different sizes of boxes (wallets, 4×6, & 8×10), and multiple shipping boxes (4×6, 8×10, and DVD sized).

My bags, boxes, tissue paper, and shipping boxes are all from papermart.com.

My tags are from cpq.com, are tied with raffia from bagsandbows.com.

My 8×10 boxes (apparel boxes), which I place inside the bags, have ribbon from Hobby Lobby and are secured with a 2 inch sticker I made myself. (I am probably going to start an etsy store eventually, just because there aren’t a lot of places to get quality round stickers. I’ve tried tons of places like Zazzle and can’t stand the shift.) I also have a 2×3.5 inch sticker from whcc.com on the bottom of my boxes and in the middle of my bags.

Inside my boxes I put the prints, an envelope with a copy of the contract, a business card, a referral post card with referral cards, and usually a little post-it note with a note to the client.

Here is a close-up of the envelopes with the contract. They are from vistaprint.com.

I include referral cards that share my referral program, along with a baggie from clearbags.com with 5-10 referral cards. The large postcard is from whcc.com and the business cards are from gotprint.net.

These are the post-it notes from 123print.com.

My prints are secured with the appropriate bag from clearbags.com and have white backing board.

I also have little wallet boxes and 4×6 boxes (jewelry boxes) that are inside the bag (if applicable).

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They have small 1 inch stickers on them, which I use on a lot of my products. I also make these myself.

If clients order a gift card, I package them the same as prints but in a 4×6 box. Here is a close-up of my gift cards.

My shipping boxes are new for me, I figured if I was professional in my other packaging I should have the same look for my shipping too.

I get my shipping labels from 123print.net and use a 2 inch sticker to seal it.

I include a tag (unpunched), the pictures, and tissue paper. This a 4×6 sized box with 4×6 prints and wallets.

For my wedding clients, I have my contracts printed and put in a folder from Office Depot. My folders are the only thing I am changing soon. I am looking into brown folders from paperpresentation.com. I put a 1 inch sticker in the corner and a business card in the slot inside.

When they book I send them a copy of the contract, a thank you card, and a candle. The thank you is from whcc.com and the candle is from Bath & Body Works.

I also include a link to a personalized site. This site has dates their payments are due, a copy of the contract & model releases, a get-to-know-you email form, and special tips for the wedding. If you want to see an example you can check it out here: http://heathergarland.com/bridesite/

Here is a close up of the thank you cards, referral cards, and business cards again.

The only thing not shown is my DVD cases, they are from jewelboxing.com and designed by my amazing designer. They are personalized with pictures from the shoot, along with a print release, and a panel explaining cropping of the photos and recommending Mpix.com.

My marketing materials change all the time, but I feel like now finally my packaging is established and I will only be adding on new and more exciting pages in the future. I am so excited to be able to share my packaging and hope it can inspire someone. This blog has definitely inspired me in my packaging and I love Robyn’s packaging and every person featured on the blog. So I hope I can pay back in a way, what has inspired and helped me so much. Thanks!

Love, Heather

Did I tell you that you would be wow’ed or what? Please stop by Heather’s blog and / or leave a comment to tell her “thanks!” What a way to kick off the new week!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

an apple a day

This has been a week of giving and freebies here at Paperie Boutique. Now with the next gift, in that spirit, it’s time to pay it forward and lend a hand. Please welcome Stacey Duncan of Goldapple Photography and La Pomme Design for today’s guest post.

It’s so great to be back on Paperie Boutique! I loved showcasing my boudoir packaging a few months ago, and its such an honor to get to introduce my new venture to Robyn’s loyal blogstalkers!

I started La Pomme Design a couple months ago when I was designing lots of cards and storyboards for my photography clients. I had photographer friends ask me to share my templates, I had a couple photogs ask me to design a logo for them, and I was developing new papers and my own textures to use to enhance my images. So I decided a great way to use these templates and things I was spending so much time designing would be to share them with others!

I simply can’t decide what type of design I love the most – simple and elegant, grungy and urban, fresh and modern, bright and colorful, or the so many other fabulous types of design. It is a curse and a blessing, because I don’t have a cohesive look that defines me, but that means I get to play all over the design spectrum, and I don’t feel backed into a design corner!

I am constantly working on new designs and templates, and I am still in portfolio-building mode in terms of custom design, but I am loving it! I offer card templates, album templates, storyboards, textures, digital papers, premade logos, and I am working on releasing more templates and expanding my offerings.

Until January 23, I am donating and matching all sales from La Pomme Design to the Red Cross to benefit the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Also, I designed a digital paper set based on and inspired by the Haiti flag colors, and I am offering it for free to all the Paperie Boutique readers. I hope you enjoy the papers (view here larger), and thank you so much for helping me save lives in Haiti by shopping in my shoppe!

Thanks for reading, and Robyn, thanks for taking the time to do this blog – I adore it, and am such a blogstalker! Thank you letting me be a guest!

{much love} stacey

Thank you so much, Stacey! There’s no better excuse to shop ’til you drop while getting an awesome freebie in the process! Please drop by Stacey’s blog and show your appreciation.

Just seen on The Savvy Photographer…..Photographers for Haiti: “Photographers for Haiti is a collaboration of photographers across the United States who are pledging to donate proceeds from one day of mini-sessions to one of four relief organizations to help with the destruction in Haiti.”

Also, if you haven’t heard about it yet – switchcities.com has photographic prints up for auction – the proceeds will go toward the relief efforts in Haiti. Word was just posted on their Twitter account that they’ve broken the 2K barrier!

More new guest post features are currently in the works! If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

P.S. In case you missed it, Paperie Boutique made the PPA / Imaging USA “What a great show!” newsletter this week – click here to see!

on display

New week – new guest post! Today Jen Gentry of Mesmerizing Moments Photography shares how she set up a booth for a recent community event.

So grab a pen and paper to take notes. Ready? Set? Go! Take it away, Jen…

I think booths at local events are the best marketing you can ask for. They typically run about $100 for the entry fee, and then you can just bring whatever samples you already have, maybe order a few more, order a few hundred business cards, then borrow some tables and a tent! That’s it! One new client from it will pay for everything you put into it, but YOU WILL get more than one!

To make my booth a little snazzy, I just create a few different unique ways to display business cards, and decorate the whole thing with colors that match my logo and marketing. ☺

I set up my booth in way that catches people’s eyes (with large prints & canvases)—then to make them stay I put out lots of little photos, and candy with my business cards attached, and products. The longer you can get them to stay looking through your stuff, the longer you will have to sell yourself!

This booth was a big success, because I was approached by a local pediatrician office, and asked if I would like to do a big display in their office…ummm, “yes please!” These events are great ways to show your work, and get known in the area, for very little cost. I still get people from events long ago saying that is how they found out about me. And once somebody has met you in person, I think they tend to remember you more, so when need of a photographer comes up, they will spread the word for you!

Word of mouth has truly been my most successful marketing, and has kept my calendar full! You can just check your town’s website, and be on the lookout for fliers at local stores. Hope all that helps! Thanks so much for the guest spot. ☺

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, Jen! Don’t forget to stop by her website and blog and tell her you appreciate her time!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).