We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tasha Sojka a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tasha , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?
At one point I did have someone run my social media. She did a great job and brought me growth. I currently manage my own socials. So much of my art comes from how I view the world and I think it’s important for my clients to hear my voice and see my essence. There are many different tiers of brining in social media help to your company and I think it’s possible to find a middle ground; for example one can use a content scheduler and still put their voice in the posts.
Tasha , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Tasha a maternity, posed newborn and family photographer with a studio in Baltimore County, Maryland. I have been a full time photographer for the past nine years. When I started everyone told me to focus on weddings because that was “where the money is”. I hated weddings but found something energizing about posing newborns in buckets. I love using props to pose babies in. I love adding florals and textures from nature to incorporate into a session.
My most favorite business quote is “sell the problem you solve and not the product you have”. I really do try to make it easy for my clients. I provide everything needed for a newborn session; from props. outfits, bonnets, headbands, bottle warmers, pacifiers, diapers, wipes and also have post partum necessities for a new mom.
I am most proud of my ability to judge a situation, stay calm and pivot during a session. Newborns and toddlers can be unpredictable. I am always accessing my clients needs during their session and if I feel a pose won’t work or a baby needs to take a break for a snack I always pause, re-acess and find a new path to ensure a smooth session. Thought out my nine years of shooting babies I have come to understand that no baby is the same and everyone deserves to be treated like an individual during their session.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
I still remember it to this day! I had a plan to sell mini sessions for the year only on Black Friday. I put out teasers so clients knew to expect a mini session sale. I did not have a lot to spend on Facebook ads so I put $50 to the ad. I launched it midnight on black friday. I was not sure what to expect but I told myself if I sold 15 sessions I would be happy. My stomach was in knots because I knew I was taking a risk only selling mini sessions for the year on Black Friday. Well, in 24 hours I sold 60 (my max) sessions and got payment in full for all of them! I had a feeling of disbelief and astonishment. To this day I only sell mini sessions on Black Friday and every year they do well and I never spend more than $50 on the Facebook ad!
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
I think the best source for new clients is a combination of two things with the same underlying theme, One, I am open and vulnerable with my current clients. I am not one for small talk,I like to connect with them, to feel their essence, to really understand what they want documented. I think by doing that it makes my clients feel seen and valued. Someone who feels valued will always speak positivity about their experience to their friends. I do have a lot of new clients come to me through referrals.
I behave the same way on socials. I feel like showing my true, open and vulnerable self to new clients who may be following me on social media know that they can come to me and have their voice for their story.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tashasojkaphotography.com
- Instagram: @tashasojkaphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tsojkaphotography
Image Credits
Tasha Sojka Photography