We’ve gotten quite a response to Mark Zucker’s article “Your Business Needs to Lose 1000 Pounds.” He first presented it at Pictage’s PartnerCon in November and we also sent it to all of our customers in our ZookNotes newsletter. MarksRemarksFall2009

Some people thought Mark was simply saying “drop your prices by $1000 because shoot and burn photographers are cheaper than you.” That’s not it at all. As most of you know, the digital age has changed the wedding photography business in many ways. Whether it’s Susan the soccer mom, Uncle Joe or Ashton Kutcher at the wedding with their DSLR, the public perception is that wedding photography is easy and cheap. And if your business is struggling because of this new competition, then you might want to look at offering a lower entry price point. This doesn’t just mean lower your prices, it means offer a smaller, bare bones, no frills package to get these price conscious brides in your door.

But then what do you do? Once you make contact with these brides you need to show them how your service, skills, products and value is so much better than that of those newbees. Wow them with your Unique Selling Points! You educate your prospects and market your talents, photographs, service and value. You answer the question, “Why I should hire you over the other photographer?”

But how much should you charge? Just as you shouldn’t arbitrarily lower your prices by $1000, you shouldn’t just set your prices without knowing your product and package costs. One of the best quick references to understanding pricing is Ann Monteith’s three part series of articles on the PPA magazine web site. Understanding this valuable information will help you set your prices correctly, know where your money is going and know where you can trim your packages without losing your profits.

So there you have it. With a little research and knowledge of how your business works, you will understand what you need to charge to be profitable and how you can trim your offerings be lean, efficient and survive in the digital age.