Class Subjects

Visual Marketing Classes

Hands-On Business Photography

2 or 3 hours - In-Person Only

You need visuals to represent your business on your website and social media.  Make sure that they’re not terrible.  In this class designed for people who aren’t professional photographers, Bob Mackowski will give you some basic, entry-level tips to use with any camera (yes, even your cell phone) and you’ll spend time with hands-on practice.  Your business isn’t awful; make sure that your visuals don’t make it look that way.

Please bring a camera or phone to class with you for the hands-on portion.

Hands-On Video Marketing

3 hours - In-Person Only

Let’s put fingers to phones and make some videos!  In this intermediate-level, hands-on class, you’ll start by learning why creating videos for marketing is so important and strategies to tell your stories through video.  Once you’ve learned that, it’s time to get hands-on and create.  We’ll create an About video designed for your website that you can immediately put into your marketing.

Participants should bring a mobile device, preferably pre-loaded with behind-the-scenes photos/videos, product photos/videos, and logos.

Business Photography for Non-Photographers

1 hour - In-Person or Webinar

You need visuals to represent your business on your website and social media.  Make sure that they’re not terrible.  Commercial photographer Bob Mackowski will give you some basic, entry-level tips to use with any camera (yes, even your cell phone).  Your business isn’t awful; make sure that your visuals don’t make it look that way.

(Note: This is the same as the first hour of Hands-On Business Photography and should be scheduled separately.)

Intro to Video Marketing

1 hour - In-Person or Webinar

93% of consumers say that video is helpful when making a purchase.  If you’re not using video to market your business, then you’re missing out.  Learn the basics of why you should create videos and how to do it.  Commercial photographer and videographer Bob Mackowski has been coaching small business owners on how to add this valuable practice to their marketing and he’ll cover the main concepts with you in this class.

(Note: This is the first hour of Hands-On Video Marketing and should be scheduled separately from that class.)

AI Photos: Revolutionize Your Marketing Imagery

*NEW FOR 2024*

1 hour (Lecture-Only) or 2 hours (Hands-On) - In-Person or Webinar

Generative AI photos are here and it’s time to add them as an option for your visual marketing.  You can use AI photos on your website, social media, print materials, and more… but should you?  Visual marketing expert Bob Mackowski will share examples and discuss whether it’s a good idea for your business, the benefits and drawbacks, and how to create and edit AI images using Adobe Firefly.

DIY Food & Product Photography

1 hour (Lecture-Only) or 2 hours (Hands-On) — In-Person (1 or 2 Hours) or Webinar (1 Hour Only)

Nobody is going to eat food that looks unappealing or buy a product that looks bad.  Learn to take quality photos of whatever you’re selling, whether it’s a culinary masterpiece or a product that solves all of the world’s needs.  In this class, we’ll be discussing light boxes, lighting, backgrounds, framing, and composure.  Commercial photographer Bob Mackowski creates photos like these for his clients, and in this class he’ll teach you how to do it without his help.

Capturing Artistry: A Guide to Photographing Your Own Artwork

*NEW FOR 2024*

1 hour (Lecture-Only) or 2 hours (Hands-On) — In-Person (1 or 2 Hours) or Webinar (1 Hour Only)

Overcoming the challenges of photographing artwork can be daunting.  You have to work with lighting, reflections, distortion, editing, and plenty of other problems.  This class, designed for artists photographing their own work, will address those concerns and more.  Commercial photographer Bob Mackowski works through these situations every day and in this class, he’ll teach you to work through them too.

Photography: How to Use It

1 hour - In-Person or Webinar

You've taken that breathtaking shot that everybody needs to see.  Now what?  If it's a business photo, you need to get it in front of clients and potential clients.  Commercial photographer and business owner Bob Mackowski will teach you how to make sure that it's seen and that it leaves the right impression.  This presentation will touch on social media, blogs, email newsletters, print materials, and more.

(Note: This is the same as the third hour of Hands-On Business Photography and should be scheduled separately.)

General Marketing Classes

The 30-Day Online Marketing Makeover

3 hours - In-Person or Webinar

There are so many places online for potential customers to find you: Google, your website, social media, and more.  Make sure they can find your business and that they like what they see.  Commercial photographer and marketing expert Bob Mackowski will walk you through this high-level overview of the online marketing landscape.  This class will touch on websites, visual marketing, Google Business, email marketing, and so much more.

Content Marketing: What’s Working Now

1, 2, or 3 hours - In-Person or Webinar

Just “doing” social media is no longer enough.  The free ride is over.  To be successful, you need to be all in.  We’ll be talking about what’s been successful (and unsuccessful) for everybody in this roundtable-style gathering and then brainstorm creative ideas to move forward.  Commercial photographer and marketing expert Bob Mackowski will share the latest research on what works and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t work.

Harnessing the Facebook Algorithm

1 hour - In-Person or Webinar

The average free reach on Facebook is dreadful.  It’s hopeless, right?  Not if you know what you’re doing.  If you work with the algorithm and give it what it wants, it’ll give you what you want: eyes on your content.  Commercial photographer Bob Mackowski can achieve 5-20x the average Facebook views and he’ll teach you how you can get above-average views as well.

Put Yourself in Your Marketing

1 hour - In-Person or Webinar

Customers do business with people that they know, like, and trust.  Learn how to put yourself and your personality out there to get known, be liked, and earn trust.  Commercial photographer and marketing expert Bob Mackowski has built his business around this concept and he’ll teach about writing styles, vulnerability, photo usage, and more.