Market Your Selfie

Maybe you make wearable products (like jewelry, scarves, hats, or clothes) and realize how much easier your life would be if you were confident enough to model your own products.

Or perhaps you're a coach or consultant who wants to build a a deeper connection with your audience on social media, but you never like the way you look in pictures. (Or maybe you're just tired of always having to hire someone to take your pic, and you want to learn to do it for yourself.)

Or maybe you've seen people build large followings on social media using images of themselves and want to make that happen for you! (And you don't have a professional photographer or Instagram husband following you around with a camera.)

Or perhaps, with the rise of platforms like FB Live or Instagram Stories, you just want to get more comfortable with how you look on camera.

No matter the reason, I'm here to help!

In Market Your Selfie, you’ll learn all the tips and techniques to create great images of yourself that you can use to promote your business across the web.

In this online course, you’ll go from camera shy (or straight up camera-phobic) to camera confident.

How do I know?

Because I've been there!

You may have seen me teach my popular classes on Creative Live and assumed I love having my picture taken. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

I've always hated pictures of myself. Most pictures of me fell somewhere in the range of awkward to awful, so I looked for any excuse to avoid being photographed. (I didn't even hire a photographer for my wedding, because I refused to pay for photos I knew I was going to hate.)

But as a jewelry designer, I knew I was making my life more difficult by not photographing my jewelry on myself. Constantly having to bring in models for photo shoots meant the process of bringing new work to market was always slower than I wanted it to be.

So I set out to photograph my jewelry on myself. After a few rough first attempts, I developed the techniques (and gained the self-confidence) to take pictures of myself that I not only like, but actually love.

Plus, I’m using those images to sell more product then ever and consistently hearing from my friends and fans how much they love seeing pictures of me modeling my own jewelry.

And now I want to help you do the same!

I’ve combined my love of teaching marketing, photography, style, and self-confidence into one powerful course designed to help shift the way you market your business online.

Taking great pictures of yourself is one part technique, one part styling, and one part self-confidence, and we'll be covering all three of these areas in the class!

We'll start the class by identifying what you want to get out of your selfies (more product sales, connecting with clients, etc.) and follow that up with ways to gather inspiration for your own images. And we'll address all those fears and gremlins that are keeping you from loving pictures of yourself. (Everything from stories about not being photogenic to parts of yourself you're totally self-conscious about.)

In lesson two, we'll cover basic skills and techniques that go into taking a great picture of yourself. You'll learn how to set the stage with backgrounds and lighting and how to adjust the settings in your camera or smartphone to take the best picture. We'll also talk about logistics that are specific to self-portraits, like tripods and remote shutters.

Once you're comfortable with the tech side of things, we'll turn to getting confident in front of the camera. Using your goals and inspiration as a guide, you'll learn how to style and pose yourself so you look like the best version of you. And for those shooting products on themselves, we'll talk about the specific challenges and solutions for modeling your own products!

While our goal with lessons two and three is to help you shoot the best possible image in the camera, in lesson four you'll learn how to edit your photos so they really pop. You'll learn what settings to look for and adjust, regardless of whether you're editing in an app on your phone or software on your computer. Plus, you'll learn how to create images that are consistent with your brand's aesthetic.

In the final lesson, you'll discover all the things you can do with your new marketing images. We'll start with some practical workflow stuff (like how to get your images from your computer to your phone, or the reverse) before diving into strategies for sharing your images on your own website and social media.

And throughout it all, you'll be encouraged to experiment and ask questions! Plus, you'll get photo challenges to help you stay motivated and accountable! (And generate lots of images you can use on social media and your website!)

In total, you get five lessons with lots of videos and resources, photo challenges, and the ability to ask questions and get feedback on your images, all designed to help you go from camera shy (or camera-phobic) to camera confident with a great set of images you can use to market your business!

“I came to this course determined not to put myself in front of the camera and with very little knowledge of photography but knowing that I wanted to speed up the process of getting my jewellery out there.

Megan is hands-on throughout this course. The first week has live hour-long instruction, there is practical advice on cameras (both DSLR and smartphone), lenses, lighting, backgrounds and creative posing.

I cannot recommend this course highly enough. If you need to get your designs photographed, to learn camera skills and posing with heaps of creative advice for content thrown in, this course is a no-brainer. There is so much value here - this is one course you will not regret purchasing. “

-Annie, AniMac Design

"Market Your Selfie was a revelation for me. I knew I needed model pictures for my products, but having only recently started out and still building my client base, couldn't afford to pay either a model or a photographer. So this course came at the perfect time for me! Not only did it give me the confidence to step in front of the camera myself (and not give a f*ck if the pictures aren't "perfect"), but also lots of tips for making the process less time consuming and for generating an almost endless array of ideas for new photos and blog or social media posts. Megan has a knack for honing in on the essentials, whether it's regarding your photography equipment or your posts. It was so freeing to have someone say (and I paraphrase), "It doesn't have to be complicated. All you need is a good picture and a short caption. Most people won't read it anyway."

Megan was highly interactive throughout the course. It was incredibly valuable to have feedback on my pictures from both her and the other course participants. The weekly photo challenges were great in pushing me outside of my comfort zone and making me try new things, and last but not least, the weekly coaching calls were particularly valuable for clearing up any remaining questions.

I really cannot recommend this course highly enough. If you're still on the fence, my recommendation is: Just take it. You won't regret it!"

Christine, ChrisCrafting

"I wanted to up my game and start showing my scarves on models rather than always showing a flat lay image. I didn’t have the resources to hire a model. I tried taking selfies, however the images seemed awkward and never turned out with the quality I had envisioned. In addition, I was struggling on what images to post on social media and my blog post images seemed generic…and boring.

I read a lot of articles on taking selfies and how to position photography equipment, but my images were still not coming out with the quality I wanted to represent my brand. Not to mention, I was spending a lot of time and getting very little return for my efforts. In December of 2017, Megan offered, “Market Your Selfie”. I had seen many of Megan’s images on social media and I was so envious of how great these photos looked. Taking many of Megan’s other classes and always having so many “AH-HA!” moments, signing up for this class was a no-brainer.

Megan did an awesome job with the course content of “Market Your Selfie”! There are solid “how to’s” starting with the first lesson. This class is like no other class I have ever taken. Megan shares all of her tips, tricks, and techniques, to build your own portfolio of product “selfie” images. She helped me get over myself and beyond my comfort zone to be my brand’s model.

I use to struggle with “What do I post today?”, now I have more content than I ever thought I’d have for social media, blog posts, product pages, and my website. Megan taught me how to keep the ideas flowing for future selfie shoots, social media posts, and blog posts. This class gave me the confidence to put myself out there and show who is behind the brand. Now taking product selfies has become part of my weekly activities, it’s a lot easier than I ever thought it would be, and I love my image quality. My “present self” is thanking my “past self” for investing in this class…yours will too!"

Theresa, Theresa Delgado

Why should I take a class about how to take a selfie? Don't you just hold up your phone and click?

This class goes beyond the kind of quick selfies that you associate with teenagers and style bloggers. This class is about helping you take better images of yourself (or yourself modeling your products) that you can confidently use to help promote your business. You'll learn to use your smartphone or camera with a tripod and remote to get images far beyond what you could take as typical selfie! (If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can think of this as a class about self-portaiture as a form of marketing. It's just that Market Your Selfie is a much catchier title!)

What kind of camera do I need?

You can take this class with just the camera on your smartphone or tablet, and I'll show you tricks and tips to get the most out of those images.

That said, I prefer to shoot my images with my DSLR (way more options and control) so I'll also be talking about how to use one of those. If you've got a fancy camera, you'll learn tips and tricks for using it to take better images of yourself. And if you're thinking about buying a fancy camera, I'm happy to make suggestions about what to get during the course.

Will I need to buy lots of fancy/expensive equipment?

The short answer is no! You can take this course with just your smartphone. (But I will recommend you get an inexpensive tripod and remote for your phone, both of which you can get for under $30.)

Depending on where you shoot your photgraphs, you may also find investing in a simple studio light or two (for around $50 each) will really help your photos. (And I'll make recommendations for what to buy in the course.)

I really don't know how to use my camera. Does this course cover technical aspects of photography?

Yes, in a way that's not overly techie! (Because I believe you don't have to be a professional photographer to take great images!)

This class covers every aspect of photography, from getting your set-up and lighting right, to what camera settings to use (and which to ignore), to camera angles and composition, to editing your photos to really make them pop! Even if you decide after the class that you want to go back to shooting your work on a model (or shooting images other than yourself), this class will help you become a better photographer!

What can I use the images I create during this class for?

The goal of this class is to create images you can use to market your business across a variety of platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, your blog, email marketing, Pinterest, product and sales pages, about pages and/or advertising.

Why not just hire a professional photographer? (Or a model for my products?)

You can certainly hire a professional photographer, but the costs of hiring a pro can add up quickly if you’re regularly looking for new images of yourself for social media. (The same goes for hiring a model if you’re producing a lot of product.) The cost of this class is actually a bargain when it comes to hiring a pro!

But more than that, unless you’re working with a cream of the crop professional photographer, I’ve found that most camera-phobic people aren’t happy with images of themselves that someone else creates. They might turn out decent, but they also might not feel like you.

When you photograph yourself, you’re in control. And that means (once you get the technical aspects down and gain a little self-confidence) you’re more likely to end up with images you love, because they feel more like you!

I make wearable products and I'd love to learn to photograph them on myself, but I really don't want to show my face? Do I have to?

The short answer is no! If you're photographing wearable products, there are lots of creative cropping tricks you can use to make your products the focus, not you!

Ideally, as the class goes on, you may get more comfortable showing more of yourself, but it's not a requirement for creating great images of your products!

When does class start? When do the lessons take place?

You'll get instant access to all the lessons as soon as you join the course! All the lessons are pre-recorded, so you can watch them at a time that's convenient for you. (And you can rewatch them as often as you need.)

How long will I have access to the course materials?

You'll have lifetime access to the course content.

The timing doesn't work for me, will you be offering this class again?

That depends on why you're asking this question. If the timing truly doesn't work with your business or life at the moment, I totally get it. Registration is open so you can purchase when it's right for you and work through the content when you're ready!

If you're asking because you want more time to get "camera-ready" (i.e., you feel like you need to drop a few pounds or go through some kind of crazy makeover before you take this class), I'm going to challenge you to shift your thinking. You don't have to be a size 2, super fit 20-something to use images of yourself to market your biz. (I'm not.) In fact, I started using images of myself wearing my jewelry at the heaviest weight I've ever been, and the sky didn't fall down.

The beauty of the current social media landscape is that we're seeing more diverse images of people throughout marketing, so there's room for you to use images of yourself in your marketing no matter what stage of life you're at, what size you wear, or what flaws you think you have! Using your own image in your marketing is about connecting with your customers by showing the real you. (Not some imaginary you that may or may not exist six months from now.)

Does it matter what part of the world I'm in?

Nope! As long as you have a working Internet connection, you can take this class from anywhere! (You can even take the course if you're traveling.)

How does registration work?

When you hit the Join Now button, you'll be directed to a checkout page to create an account or sign in to my online learning platform. From there, you can pay via credit card or PayPal.

Any other questions?

Email megan@craftmba.com - I'm happy to answer them!

“I have taken several of Megan's classes over the years, and always found them to be exactly what I needed – solutions to problems I was just finding out I had. When she began to share photos of herself modelling her own work, and then came out with a class on it, it was at exactly the right time for me, once again... I had been wondering how to be able to afford models and photographers to showcase my silk accessories on a very tiny budget as a small one-woman business.

Megan, through her class, has taught me how to be confident about taking 'selfies' and also how to pose, dress, organise my shoots and locations, set up lighting and camera settings, and even how to edit and organise my photos. Her weekly challenges boosted creativity and motivation.

Dedicated and supremely generous in sharing all her years of experience, Megan is an excellent teacher. Her ideas are innovative; she is supportive throughout the class.

If you want to grow your business, take professional mode-shots of yourself, or indeed anyone else, to promote your lifestyle or home based products, this is the course for you. I have seen my business grow since I took the class, and have far more interaction on my social media posts.

Needless to say, I will likely be taking every new class Megan teaches in the future.“

-Arati, Arati Devasher

Market Your Selfie

Do you ever feel like marketing your business would be easier if you actually liked pictures of yourself?

I'm Megan Auman, designer, metalsmith, and educator.

What will you learn in Market Your Selfie?

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