We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annika Roser. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annika below.
Alright, Annika thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.
I got my first client from Living Social. I had just moved to Boston and opened my studio. I didn’t know anyone in the city and kept thinking about how I would make clients aware of my business. I had a small budget (or really a nonexistent budget) and couldn’t spend a lot on advertising. I didn’t have any friends or family that could share my business with their network, so it was a really big challenge for me. Also, I started my business a long time ago when FB and IG weren’t what they are today. So I decided on Living Social. It was really exciting getting to see how many people booked the offer I put out. However, I learned the hard way, that the majority of the people that booked were not my ideal client. I had to fight them for almost every dollar (and at that point in time, I was priced very very low compared to my prices today). I really burned myself out before my company even fully took off. But as hard of an experience as that was, it did make me a smarter business owner and I think I owe a lot of the success I have today to getting my first clients from Living Social.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Annika and I am the owner and photographer of Ma Cherie Studios – a luxury boudoir studio currently based in Tampa Bay, FL. I photograph women, men, and couples and help my clients celebrate their bodies exactly how they are. I help my clients celebrate their sexuality, fantasies, and embrace their body fully. I work very closely with all my clients to make their self-love journey not only easy but also extremely fun and empowering.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think what has helped me the most is the consistency I offer to my clients. I hear clients complain about other photographers (wedding, boudoir, or other) all the time. How they had to chase them for a reply to their emails, or didn’t have concerns answered, that they didn’t help with posing, or took forever to deliver their images, etc. Although I have a creative business, I run my business very diligently which I think a lot of creatives do not do. My clients love working with me because I take care of everything. I make the process of working with me a breeze and try to answer any questions they might have before they even ask. I want clients to not have to worry about a thing and I always meet my deadline without fail. Being consistent and exceeding clients’ expectations is the fastest way to get clients who are fans of your work and never stop telling their friends about you. Plus, running my business this way also lets me charge premium prices for my services and my clients are happy to pay them as they feel taken care of and love their experience.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients is word of mouth and Instagram for me. Word of mouth is much more important to me than Instagram, which is why I work so hard to make sure every client of mine becomes a fan and loves working with me. My Instagram account is not something I own and it can disappear at any time (as many fellow boudoir photographers have already experienced), so as much business as it brings in, it’s not a super reliable source.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.macheriestudios.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/macheriestudios
- Twitter: twitter.com/macheriestudios
Image Credits
Personal photo of me was shot by Lena Mirisola https://www.lenamirisolaphoto.com/