Why photographers should copy Netflix | 120

What do Amazon, Netflix, and Doordash have in common? What can we learn from them to become world-class photography and videography business owners?

You’ve probably heard the story of how Netflix took down Blockbuster. Netflix approached Blockbuster for a deal in the early 2000s. Blockbuster laughed in their face. Netflix became a streaming giant and put Blockbuster out of business.

What happened here?

Blockbuster and Netflix both delivered the same thing - movies you can watch at home.

But where Netflix dominated was speed and convenience.

We think that the missing piece behind charging clients thousands is to create a better portfolio.

But often, this isn’t the case. We don’t understand what the client really wants sometimes. We live in a world where people expect things fast now. Amazon same-day delivery. Groceries are delivered to your door with Instacart. You can get a ride with Uber in a couple of minutes.

We're up against every service our clients use, setting their expectations for speed and convenience.

So we need to embrace it.

In an ideal world, as soon as a lead signs your contract, the final photos/videos land in their inbox.

While we can't bend time (yet), our goal is to minimize the gap between contract and delivery.

We want their experience to be fast and seamless through every interaction.

Did you just get off a sales call with a client, and they’re expecting a proposal at the end of the week? Send it that afternoon.

Any email from a client should have one touch point. As soon as you see it, you respond or archive it. No more waiting hours or days to respond after you’ve already seen it.

How can you streamline your workflow? Every step in your process should be as efficient as possible, from shooting to editing to delivery. Automation and batch processing can be lifesavers.

Speed is going to be your best friend early on. In a world where creatives provide 2-week turnarounds, you’ll stand out from everyone by doing it in 2 days.

Speed will get you in the door. Speed will get clients to stick around longer. Speed will let you charge more.

Start doing what all the best companies in the world already focus on. You’ll be surprised how transformative it is for your business.