Author: Kwabena Okyire Appianing

Kwabena is a Marketing , Technology and Digital Media Consultant.. He has worked and consulted for some top Companies in Africa.

Kwabena writes on Social Media, Marketing , Customer Service and Digital Media in all

Categories
Tech

Amazon firestick could burn out DSTV and other Local TV stations in Ghana

Disruptive technological innovations have forced many businesses out of business, shrank and displaced hundreds of thousands, and at the same time created many more new businesses and jobs. Kodak, text messaging, photography, audio and video CDs, are some of the businesses and jobs that these technological innovations have affected in the past. The Amazon firestick is one of such innovations that could disrupt the businesses of multichoice Ghana, providers of dstv service and many more television stations in Ghana.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It’s an easy way to enjoy over 3,000 channels, apps, and games including access to over 250,000 TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO GO, Hulu, and more. Cutting the cord? Watch the best of live TV on NBC News, NBA, and Sling TV, which includes ESPN, CNN, HGTV, AMC, A&E, Cartoon Network, and more. No more buffering, ASAP learns what Amazon movies and shows you like so they start instantly.

Amazon Prime members get unlimited access to Prime Video, including original programming like Transparent, plus over 1 million songs with Prime Music. Now get a subscription to apps like HBO NOW, Showtime, and STARZ to watch TV episodes, movies, and sports, without cable.

Why this will burn DSTV

Improvements in internet services in Ghana will accelerate the adoption of these devices. The Amazon fire tv stick is dependent on reliable and high quality internet. With upgrades towards 4g internet, most dstv subscribers will readily and easily switch to cheaper option that gives them unlimited access to TV viewing. Unlike dstv that bills you monthly whether you watch or not, you only pay (internet) when you use the Amazon Fire TV stick. So you can end up spending only a tenth of what dstv subscribers are paying and yet have access to more contents. The cost of the device and its ongoing cost of use are far less than its major option, dstv. Most dstv subscribers belong to the high and middle class. They are people who can easily afford the Amazon Fire TV Stick and even those who cannot afford dstv and other digiboxes can now afford fire stick.

Implications for Local TV stations

The variety of shows, movies and tv viewing offered by the Amazon Fire TV Stick and the fact that it is portable ( you can carry it with you and slot it into any TV wherever you find yourself) puts it in direct competition with local TV stations. Local TV stations will have to begin to deliver contents that can compete with those offered by the fire stick, as Ghanaians become more demanding in their TV viewing. It is no longer a competition with fellow local tv stations. They are in competition with the giants out there.

Are there Gainers?

Yes of course. Disruptive technologies would knock some out and create even more. This would soon create jobs for people who develop expertise in installation of the Amazon Fire TV stick and related trouble shooting. There will be opportunity for vendors to import and sell the device to those who do not wish to buy it directly online. Perhaps, the biggest gainers in Ghana will be the telecommunication companies, Internet Service Providers, and players within that industry. The devices is dependent on internet and our regular subscription of data from ISPs is what will enable us to enjoy the benefits of the Amazon Fire TV stick.

How to stay in business

To stay in business and ahead, there need to be proactive rather than reactive strategic decisions made about the immediate future. And this should be done fast. It’s just a matter of information trickling to the masses and the adoption would be so fast – faster than you can imagine. At the moment, the early adopters are already in possession of the device and enjoying the returns.

Categories
Business featured

Retail Pricing Strategies for Startups and Small Businesses

retail
Four blank paper price tag labels hanging next to each other on a rope with orange background.

Pricing at the retail end is one of the most neve-wracking aspects of businesses, big or small, and has to be handled strategically and cautiously. Pricing is said to be both an art and a science that requires an on-going experimentation and an intuitive feel for how you want your brand and by extension, products to be perceived by the consuming public.

If you’re wondering what price to set for your products, then you’ll find this article very useful.  Price it too low and you’ll have thousands of sales, but you could be out of business in few months. Here are a few ways to price your goods.

Cost Plus Strategy

This is usually the basic among the pricing strategies. Retailers in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and other African countries use this type of pricing strategy without even knowing. It’s pretty simple.

Identify the cost of your product and add a profit margin to it as your retail price. However, the difficult decision is how much profit to add to it. If profit margin is expressed as decimal or percentage, then

Retail price = cost of item x (1+profit margin)

  • Advantage: Retailers save themselves the headache of using complicated formula. It’s straightforward
  • Disadvantage: You may not be able to sustain an advantage over your competitors when they are constantly varying their prices

Keystone Pricing

This pricing strategy involves retailers simply doubling the wholesale price. It is found in most agricultural produce like vegetables and fruits where retailers buy from wholesalers or producers and simply double the price for sale in our regular markets and grocery shops.

  • Advantage: Quick and easy rule of thumb that ensures ample profitability.
  • Disadvantage: Availability and competition may render it unsustainable

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)

Retailers of drinks usually rely on a price set by the manufacturer for their products. In Ghana for instance, beer, soft drinks, water, and alcoholic drinks usually have the same price across several pubs and local bars. In few luxurious places, the price is higher but generally it’s the same price everywhere in the country.

This price is usually determined by the manufacturer, who makes room for decent and sustainable margins for the middlemen (retailers, wholesalers and distributors). If you find yourself in such industries, you have little choice but to sell at the MSRP

  • Advantage: Retailers save time and headaches as they are not part of the pricing decision.
  • Disadvantage: You are unable to compete on your own even if you’re very efficient.

Loss-leader Pricing

In a soccer match, there are times when a player takes one for the team. Luis Suarez blocked the ball with his hand in a quarter-final world cup match against Ghana in 2010. He prevented a goal as the ball was clearly heading for the back of the net. He was red-carded (sent off) for that offense leaving his team a man down.

Ghana missed the resulting penalty and Uruguay went on to win that match to qualify for the semis. Suarez took one for his team. Same strategy can be applied in pricing. You can price some products very low, even at a loss, knowing that a buyer of that product will definitely buy something else in your shop, which you’ll make up the loss with the sale. This is particularly successful with complementary products.

  • Advantage: Works wonders and helps slow moving products to move fast.
  • Disadvantage: Over-doing it will get people used to that price and you won’t be able to price normally again

Discount Pricing

Consumers everywhere love discounts. It’s not a secret. Discounts are reductions in price to attract more customers. They come in several forms but to the retailer, what matters to them is a lower price. You can periodically lower your price to take advantage of say, a festive season or other occasions to increase your sales volume. Discount pricing is not meant to stay throughout the year. Find appropriate times to implement it.

You could rake in thousands of sales at the end, if well marketed. In Ghana, discount pricing is experienced at Easter and Christmas.

  • Advantage: Great for attracting a large number of buyers and getting rid of out-of-season stock
  • Disadvantage: It is not sustainable throughout the year. Also, if used too often customers get used to it and you may not be able to go back to regular pricing.

Below and Above competition

Sometimes, it’s just easier to look at what the competition is doing and price accordingly. The reason is simple; they are the reason why customers will not buy yours. It’s also simple and not time consuming. Filling stations often do this, even if it means they are making losses for a while.

If your cost structure is close to or same as your competitors then you can usually price your products a little below or a little above them to attract and retain customers. Usually, pricing it a little below brings customers through the door but pricing it a little above will not send loyal customers away either, as you earn extra revenue.

Psychological Pricing

Retail is a numbers game and amazing things happen when traders take advantage of the different ways customers perceive their pricing. Studies show that when consumers spend money, they experience a pain or gain, but if retailers can help minimize the pain it’s possible to increase the likelihood of customers making the purchase. Traditional ways of doing this is selling a GHc10 product for GHc9.99. Using odd numbers help.

 

Categories
Tech

Uber is Making Life Easier in Accra

Accra’s 2.27 million urban population now has  access to efficient transport through the ride-sharing platform, Uber. Uber has become popular across the world’s cities for its provision of affordable, safe and reliable transport. Through an easy-to-use platform, it connects drivers with riders in real time, at the touch of a button.

The hustling and bustling in the streets of Accra can become a headache if you don’t have a reliable means of transport to move around and attend to your daily activities in and around the city.

You find increasing numbers of commercial and private cars early mornings and in the evenings, indicating the flow of traffic to and from areas of condensed corporate and commercial activities.

The increasing number of private cars in particular, is partly due to a failed railway system across the city and a poor and unreliable bus carting system. Workers are often in a hurry to buy their own cars within the first three years of gaining a good employment, so they can avoid the poor commercial transport system in the capital.

Thankfully, there is a glimpse of hope in the commercial transport business in Accra now, with  Accra joining the Uber  network  in Africa. The economically vibrant hub is the first city in Ghana to receive the service.

Standardized Fares

Ubers standard and transparent way of charging transport fares makes it easy and clear for passengers to understand. This avoids the often long bargaining and negotiation between taxi drivers and their prospective passengers, and the sometimes unpleasant endings to these arguments. A look at Uber’s fares shows fairness and clarity.

GHS 1.70 Base Fare + GHS 1.30 per kilometer + GHS 0.19 per minute
Minimum Fare: GHS 5
Cancellation Fee: GHS 5
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Uber.
Safe and Convenient Transport

Commercial transport has not gotten any safer in the streets of Accra than what Uber is offering passengers in the city. No more walking to the street or nearest bus stops to find transport. You can start the Uber app from anywhere and wait safely for your car to arrive. Late night movements won’t be as dangerous as they have been in the past, as Uber drivers can drive to pick you at your specified location, rather than waiting by the dark streets in the night for several minutes before finding a rickety taxi.

Driver Identity and Tesponsibility

You can easily identify the driver and car coming to pick you up. When a driver accepts your request, you see his or her first name, photo, and license plate number. You can also check whether others have had a good experience with him or her. In addition, the driver can see your first name and rating.

You can contact the driver—and vice versa— through the app if there is any confusion or mishaps. This places a sense of responsibility on the driver, making them put up their best behaviours. Also, we were hitherto unable to identify and trace taxi drivers when we realize we left some of our valuables in the car. We lose them forever.

Share your ETA and Location

You can easily share your ride details, including the specific route and estimated time of arrival, with friends or family for extra peace of mind. They’ll receive a link where they can see in real time the name and photo of the driver, their vehicle, and where you are on the map until you arrive at your destination—and they can do all of this without having to download the Uber app themselves. This provides some security as others are able to follow or monitor your journey.

Feedback and ratings

After every ride, you and your drivers need to rate each other and provide feedback. Uber’s safety team reviews this information and investigates any issues. The mere existence of such a review platform indirectly brings out the best of service from drivers such as driving carefully and obeying motor traffic rules.

24/7 Support

If something happens in a car, whether it’s a traffic accident or altercation between you and your driver, Uber’s customer support staffs are ready to respond to any issues 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s surely a big guarantee.

Rapid Response

Uber puts in place a dedicated Incident Response Team to answer any more urgent issues. If they receive a report that a driver or rider has acted dangerously or inappropriately, they suspend their account, preventing him or her from accessing the platform while investigate is underway. This assurance further confirms Uber’s commitment to safety and security and the comfort of its passengers every time.

Why not try your first ride, if you haven’t used it yet. It’s simple, download the app and schedule your first ride.I have tried a couple of times already and i love it .

Categories
Marketing

Employ Visual Assets in your Marketing to Attract and Engage People

Many small businesses are finding a hard time jumping onto the digital media train. If you are not yet on the train, then the world is leaving you behind. Soon you’ll have no one to listen to your message, no one to see your products and no one to buy from you. Frightening? Yes it has to be frightening.

In 2016 and the years following, you must have a digital media strategy to grow as a business, no matter how basic your strategy is. You need to be here. You are presently reading this because you’re on the internet at this moment, with hundreds of millions of other consumers.

If you already have a digital media strategy for your business, here’s something you can easily do to help you reach more audience.
You want to join the 65% of senior marketing executives who believe that visual assets (photos, video, illustrations and infographics) are core to how their brand story is communicated. (source)

Words may not be enough to communicate everything, and even when they are, just a few readers will remember what the words said after only three days.

A post by Jesse Mawhinney indicated that when people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later. (source)
You want to be as brief as possible in your social media delivery, but at the same time capturing and disseminating everything that consumers have to hear.

This is difficult to achieve as today’s youth (the largest proportion of active digital media users) have very small attention span. They’ll quickly and easily switch to next post if you try to bore them with irrelevant and boring texts.

Marketing
Image Credit: QuickSprout

That’s why you need images that say it all at a glance.
Content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without relevant images. (source).

Creating crisp and engaging images can help your marketing and engagements online. Make it your priority and invest in it. Your content doesn’t have to be text alone. Text alone can be boring.

Here’s the top priorities for B2C content creators.

Marketing
Image Credit: Content Marketing Institute

Now if you agree that images can do a lot for your online marketing, I would like you to do one thing for others who may be struggling and finding a way to start their digital marketing campaigns.

Share. And contact me directly if you would want to outsource this function so you concentrate on your core business.

Categories
Tech

Smartphone Lovers on the run for Huawei P9

Consumers are clamoring for one of Huawei’s hottest smartphones, the Huawei P9.

The popular global mobile device provider, Huawei Technologies Ghana SA, recently unveiled the P9 smartphone at a sales activation at the Accra Mall.

Since the launch of the highly anticipated device tremendous demand has hit the Ghanaian market.

Huawei Technologies Ghana has sold over 1000 pieces of the P9, a surprising accomplishment for a flagship device, accomplished just within its first month of sales in Ghana.

Commenting on the Huawei P9’s performance, Robin Sun, the Country Manager for Device Business was not surprised at the boost in demand; highlighting the P9’s exceptional qualities which give consumers the best smartphone experience.

“We are very excited about the great impact Huawei P9 has made on the Ghanaian market, but we are not surprised because it is endowed with unique specs like its groundbreaking photography, high definition display and optimum security features,” Robin said. “With the P9 consumers are not only buying a smartphone, but also the best camera manufactured by Leica, a brand with over 100 years of experience in manufacturing the best performing cameras in the world,” Robin added.

The Retail and Marketing Manager at Huawei Technologies Ghana SA, Mrs. Jim Sufaiya Ibrahim-Tanko, reiterated Huawei’s commitment to producing premium smartphone and devices into the Ghanaian market and encouraged consumers to buy the Huawei P9.

“Huawei always wants to give the best to consumers, the best in smartphones and devices, the Huawei P9 gives you the best photography experience with its dual-lensed cameras manufactured by Leica,” Jim said. “No one should be left out of the P9 experience because you stand to miss more than what you can imagine a smartphone device can give you,” she added.

The Huawei P9 revolutionizes smartphone photography that opens new possibilities for users. It comes in four colours: rose gold, prestige gold, titanium grey and mystic silver. Huawei’s products and services are available in more than 170 countries and are used by a third of the world’s population, ranking third in the world in mobile phone shipments.

Huawei is also giving buyers of the P9, the opportunity to travel to France on a fully-paid trip to watch the EURO, 2016 finals.


Source:HUAWEI

Categories
Marketing

The value of Car Branding to Businesses

Image Credit : https://goo.gl/JNoPUY
Image Credit : https://goo.gl/JNoPUY
Marketing
Image Credit :psd-mockups.tumblr.com

 Investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in motor vehicles may not be for transportation only. It can also provide space for advertisement. For mobile surfaces like the body of cars, it is even more effective.

People are spending thousands and millions to give visibility to their brands and to send their message across. Radio, television and newspaper advertisements were the practice decades ago. Changes are occurring in the business scene and they are happening pretty fast. Technology is the major driver.

Social media advertisement isn’t as free as many think. You could end up paying thousands and millions to advertise on social media.

Inexpensive Advertising

One way of advertising that some businesses adopted in the past and continue to use is by boldly printing their brand name or message or logo on their business cars. Others are putting very nice stickers on their cars with their brands or messages on them. This is a cheap and effective way to market your business and its products.Marketing

When a car is driven through the busy parts of the cities and towns, you would be surprised the thousands of eyeballs that are caught in the process and the numbers that your messages get to, and the discussions that ensue from then, among people who see it.

Your business, product or message –whatever is displayed on your cars- could be the subject of discussion for hours after the car is gone.

[prp prp_theme=”inside post with image”]

Costly Effects

Though it may appear an inexpensive way to advertise, there are some negative impacts that could emerge to bite you hard. Imagine one of your drivers of your branded cars driving carelessly through the busy streets of major cities and towns, your company, products and everything you stand for is associated with such violence and other forms of negativity.

When a car is branded, adequate measures must be put in place by the business to reap the intended benefits of the branding or advertising and not the unintended consequences. Drivers must be properly trained and briefed on how their actions or in-actions while in possession of a car can have on the overall business – success and failure.

[bctt tweet=”Your business, product or message –whatever is displayed on your cars- could be the subject of discussion for hours after the car is gone.” username=”topbizjournal”]

 

Marketing
Car Branding Amanda Victoria Wilson
Categories
Life

The Pocket Wallet is still Important in this Modern Digital Age

It may be considered old-fashioned in today’s technology-enabled world of transactions. However, in Ghana, Nigeria and other African countries, so many transactions are still cash-based and one cannot belittle the importance of a pocket wallet to its holders.

The pocket wallet is designed to hold money and cards, although people stock it with other items that may surprise you.

The growth of technology and e-transactions have almost diminished or rendered needless the pocket wallet in some advanced countries where cash transactions are at the minimum. However, the wallet is still very useful in African countries and many others across the globe, even in advanced countries.

Keep cash

PocketThe obvious reason is to hold your cash intact and well-organised. The usually compartmented wallet helps holders to organize their notes according to any criteria they choose, like currency type and denominations, compared to loosely keeping cash in your pockets. Having a wallet usually prompts you to keep money on you to provide the needed liquidity for transactionary and precautionary purposes.

Safety

The wallet is perceived to provide some comfortable level of safety for its holders. People buy wallets with zips to provide additional security and/or safety for their money. Holders often do not worry about their cash falling out of their pockets. This safety relieves the mind of constantly checking on whether or not your money is still in your pocket.

Electronic-cards

Money, Purse, Bank Note, Euro, Leather, Wallet

Many believe that the growth in the use of electronic cards has rendered pocket wallets useless. The electronic-cards themselves can be misplaced or damaged, so they need to be kept safe. The pocket wallet provides that safety. It is more conspicuous and physically protected compared to the standalone card. And since many people are carrying so many cards on them daily, the wallet provides room for you to safely and conveniently keep all of them in one place.

There are mobile apps that are taking over some of the roles of the pocket wallet but it still remains a very relevant and beneficial companion to many around the world.

Categories
Business featured

How to Price your Products to Attract Customers

A taxi driver charged me GHc10 to drive me to my destination, where he was already heading. I offered GHc8 but he refused. We both stood our grounds in the negotiation of the fare. At the end of the day he drove away.

Fortunately, another taxi pulled over but charged the same amount, GHc10. Again, I offered GHc8 and he agreed. I had the opportunity of seeing the previous driver’s taxi in front of us throughout the journey. Guess what? He drove alone in the car to the point where my journey ended. He used fuel and wasted time driving his taxi without a passenger over that distance. He was unwilling to sacrifice GHc2 for GHc8. He lost GHc8 because of poor pricing.

Pricing is a tricky aspect of business management. You have to get it right, to attract and maintain customers. It must not be too low to make losses or drag your brand through the mud.

Here are some tips

Know your market

It is important to know the market you’re operating in. But it’s more important to know the section of the market you seek to satisfy with your product and service. You must find out how much that section of the market earns, how important your product is to them, and how much they are willing to spend on such a product or service. This forms the guiding framework within which your price should lie.

 

Work out your costs

Your cost forms the basis for your price. It is the foundation of everything. You have to price above it to make profit, if your business is not a sophisticated one. Both direct and indirect costs must form part of the cost of your product or service. Many small businesses without professional accountants are unable to identify indirect costs such as electricity, water, delivery cost, market tolls to factor them in pricing.

There are several pricing strategies, but whichever you choose, you don’t want your prices to fall below your costs in the long-run.

 

Set value-based price

The price customers pay for your product must be worth the satisfaction they derive from consuming your product or service. This is what will keep customers coming back every day or keep them away. The price sends a signal of the perceived quality of your products. In Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and other African countries, consumers attach some level of prestige to high-priced goods and services. We assume your product is the best, among other factors. But if you over price it too, you could lose out. So find the right level where your brand is perceived the way you want it, whilst attracting and retaining customers. You may not get it right from the beginning, but there’s not much harm trying and testing it.

Always be on your toes

The key to effective pricing is to be dynamic. In this fast-moving world of business, you cannot set a price and go to sleep. You have to constantly monitor changes in the market; competitors’ prices, consumers’ income, your production cost, general economic conditions such as interest rates, and your strategic direction as well.

Your price should be reflecting changes in these factors, however marginal, in order to continue attracting customers and retaining what you already have, while making decent profits.

 

Categories
Fashion Marketing

Former University of Ghana Student Goes Big on Makeup Business; Heres How

Makeup Business

Climbing to the top of the industry (Makeup Business) is a strong woman who has combined her dreams and aspirations with the challenges of entrepreneurship into what is now a layer of finesse and unimaginable beauty.
Mega Amegashie is a graduate of the University of Ghana who has chosen to pursue a dream inspired by her love for colours and a belief that everyone can look pretty. She has challenged herself to building a strong brand in the care & beauty industry as an astute, yet versatile and creative make-up artist.

She started two years ago with just a handful of customers, mostly friends and family members. Realizing the constant referrals that she got as a result of exquisite work done, she decided to take her passion to the next level.

She participated in the Sleek Ambassador competition where she gained tremendous knowledge, skills and experience as she worked through various challenges in the very educative competition, which saw her as a semi-finalist.

She saw her customer base rising steadily, at the same time received tens of requests for apprenticeship from many Ghanaian youths who desire to learn and become make-up artists. She now trains and works with six of these ladies to cast her artistic glory as pure layer of beauty and classic flamboyance on the faces of her customers.
She has worked with customers from different walks of life; bankers, bridal team, celebrities, politicians, presenters, students and almost everyone. Her good work has crossed the boundaries of Ghana to neighbouring countries like Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, and The Gambia. Mega is bilingual, speaking English and French with ease.[prp prp_theme=”beside post with image”]

Like many business and startups Meegah’s Makeover ran into a couple of challenges. Notable among them was finding new customers; as the makeup industry is one in which people do not easily switch their artist. You’ll need to do a lot for a prospective customer to trust you to do a good work with his or her body, face especially. Referrals have been her major source of new customers but she also has her social media pages (Meegha’s Makeover on Facebook and Megas gallery on Instagram) bringing new customers as well.

The business had challenges with availability of high grade materials needed to grace the faces of her cherished clients, but she has been able to contact suppliers directly to avoid stock-outs and at the same time beating down cost.

Mega takes her service to her clients at the comfort of their homes or other specified locations, guaranteeing her customers’ convenience, at affordable prices that meet every customer’s purse. Meegah’s Makeover is now one of the rising names in Ghana’s make-up industry- a fast growing and highly competitive industry.

In the future, Mega hopes to use the human body as her medium, applying makeup and prosthetics for film, fashion, television, theatrical, magazines and other similar programs including the modeling industry. Hopefully, through her hard work she would be recognized by powerful brands like the Academy award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, the Emmy Awards and the Golden Globes.

 

For make-ups and hairstyling, Meegah’s Makeover is certainly a name to look out for. A touch of class; A touch of beauty; A touch of style; A touch of glamour.

Categories
Photography

Photographers in Ghana Just Got Richer

One of the fastest growing industries in Ghana is digital media advertising. There are opportunities in it for almost everyone who wants to be a part of it. One of the players in the industry benefiting largely are photographers.

Social Media Effect

The importance of visual content emphasized by the changes that occur across almost every social network including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and pinterest, has spurred the once-upon-a-time small industry of photographers into a big industry now. Here’s some startling stats to put that in perspective

2dg.jpg

1) Researchers found that colored visuals increase people’s willingness to read a piece of content by 80%. (source)

2) When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later. (source)

3) 46% of marketers say photography is critical to their current marketing and storytelling strategies. (source)

To use pictures effectively in your marketing campagin, you need a good photographer and a graphic designer. You need image experts. Photographers are getting business from both individuals for their personal programs like weddings and birthday parties, and business organisations for digital media campaigns.

[bctt tweet=”Photographers have at least two income streams available to them: Stock photography and shooting on assignment” username=”topbizjournal”]

2A.jpg

Stock Photography

Photographers can take their time and take random yet useful images of people, places, objects, events, animals, plants, nature and many more for sale. This model does not require anyone to commission you to do the job. You do it on your own and upload them online for sale. You’ll be surprised the number of times you can sell a single image and how much that can make you. If you sell 5,000 copies of an image for 50 cents, you earn $2,500. This is something you can earn on monthly basis if you market your works well. Images may be priced below 50 cents though, but the advice here is to sell more images. There are many businesses and media companies that buy images before they use them online. They don’t use the free images that many smaller businesses and advertisers use.

Despite such a big market for stock photography, I rarely see photographers in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya actively engaged in this model of photography. Many of them are engaged in shooting on assignment.

_MG_5951.jpg

Shooting on Assignment

Upon engagement, photographers show up at your events to capture images for the memories of clients at a fee. Some charge as high as GHc2,500 for weddings and engagements. This is the major source of income for many photographers in Ghana. Your work has to speak for itself but you also have to market yourself. Referral is key for success in this model of photograhpy business.

Obviously, it’s a photographers’ season in Ghana and other African countries. Those who take their business seriously and add other skills such as picture editing and image marketing would be the ones to take a bigger bite at this large cake of demand for digital images.

Photography Courtesy : Apag Studios