5 ways the most active users on Flaunter are living a better life.
Got a lot of people tryna drain you of your energy? (Apologies, Drake).
We hear you, and we're here to help. Here's how some of our savviest media users have been saving time and energy by spending time on Flaunter. We're more than just a library full of pretty pictures, you know.
Follow your favourites.
You've probably got a list of go-to brands - the ones who you know always have something you want to publish. When you open a brand's profile on Flaunter, you'll see a little heart button: "Follow Brand" - clicking this will give you the option to choose whether you'd like to receive an alert when they upload new content on either the same day they add new content, or a once weekly digest of their uploads. It's just one less thing you need to remember.
Requesting access to brands before they need content.
Most of our media users are pretty adept at this already, but for any newbies reading: some brands choose to keep their Flaunter content downloadable on request only. If you click one of these brands from the Brand Directory, you'll see a little window pop up for you to send a friendly little message requesting to be given access to their image library. Our brands are pretty quick at allowing access, however, our really savvy media users keep an eye out for Flaunter's email updates listing recently joined brands, and jump right in and request access for any of those with exclusive content before they need it. This way, when you're in a rush for a last minute image down the line, you'll be able to immediately jump in and download from those exclusive brands.
Planning and moodboarding.
Flaunter's media superstars are making use of our mood boarding feature every day. You're allowed to build an infinite number of boards, so why not make the most of them? Of course, the logical thing to do is build a Flaunter moodboard full of images for the next story you're working on, but here are some other great ideas we've seen:
- A board for amazing images you've got no use for yet, but might want to save 'just in case' without filling up your hard drive.
- Boards organised by in-store dates to save images to for potential use in future issues.
- Using moodboards as a page planning tool- dragging and dropping images until they look perfect.
- Monitoring trends and building multiple stories in advance.
Making the most of callouts with Flaunter.
If you've been in this game a while, so you're more than familiar how helpful callouts can be in chasing down that tricky-to-find content... But then someone responds to your request for new season coats with pictures of swimwear....and someone else hits you up with a giant email full of shoes. "They're not coats, but they look great with coats." Luckily, there are two ways to super charge your callouts with Flaunter:
- Post your call out directly to the site. Not only will our team flag your callout with any brands we think may have relevant content on the way, we'll actually monitor the responses from our brands to make sure only relevant content hits your inbox.
- Already sending your callouts via email? Add us to your list! From there, we can post the call out to Flaunter on your behalf, and you'll get all the benefits we outlined in above.
Talking to us
Is there a brand who is...let's just say...a little more difficult to source content from? Let us know. Even though Flaunter grow our list of brands by approval only, our aim is to make your life easier- so we're more than happy to work to bring that tricky brand's content onto our site for you to access on demand.
We're also here to help you source those tricky shots. If you're always struggling for styled flat lays or elegant stock imagery, or you're having issues sourcing good quality deep etched product shots, we want to hear from you! Flaunter's ever-growing network of brands are eager to produce the quality, creative content you want to publish and we're happy to communicate your needs to them.
The 5 types of images you should upload to Flaunter
We don’t need to tell you that good visual content can be a brand’s most powerful asset. We don’t need to tell you that just as the media’s appetite for this content is increasing. We definitely don’t need to tell you there’s a heck of a lot of terrible visual content out there that the media need to wade through.
What we do need to tell you is that we spend a lot of our time pouring over the stats and data to work out the download habits of our media users (It’s OK, one of our team members secretly loves it) and even more time meeting the media face to face, working out the images the media always need, and the images they’re constantly struggling to find.
Based on all we’ve learned, here’s what you should be making available on your Flaunter profile to see your brand become a media favourite.
Current and Upcoming Collection Images
Media tend to look for for the freshest, newest products, and when a lot of monthly glossies have a lead time as long as 3 months, it’s highly important for them to know the products they’re sending to print are still in store by the time their mag hits the shelves. Make sure you’ve got your current and upcoming collections showcased on Flaunter, and do so as soon as your shots return from the photographer.
Also: avoid keeping sold out or old season images in your Flaunter profile, it just adds to the noise and makes your current season stock less likely to be seen. Best keep those old season images hidden, this means you can still share them outwards if you receive a special request for them.
Flat lays & Lifestyle
Thanks to your favourite bloggers and influencers, a great flat lay is in big demand- we’re always receiving media requests for more- the more beautiful and creative the better. We’re also seeing an increased appetite for beautiful ‘lifestyle’ shots- you know, those gorgeous brand-context images your photographer took at your last campaign shoot (you’ve possibly been unsure of what to do with them until now...)
Photos with a story to tell
It’s pretty easy to forget that your favourite fashion mags and blogs also run plenty of lifestyle and human interest pieces. In addition to making your product & campaign shoots visually interesting, you’re increasing your chances in being featured for these lifestyle pieces as well. We hear the media are always struggling for these images!
Deep Etch Product Images
Clarity and quality is key to creating a great deep etched product image. Consider a mix of conventional and unexpected placements for your garments or products. As I’m sure you can imagine, nobody wants to publish a page full of t-shirts all placed exactly the same way!
Don’t have the budget for doing a second shoot for deep etched images? Consider clever platforms like Pixc, who can create deep etched shots from your campaign and look book imagery at an incredibly affordable rate.
Campaign/Look Book Shots
This probably goes without saying, right? Campaign and lookbooks are a simple and effective way to tell your newest collection’s story. Want our two cents? Think outside the box and invest in some decent styling, being creative and avoid replicating other campaign/lookbook shots you’ve seen. The media are looking for something that feels fresh.
Remember: Just as every magazine and website you visit has a different look and feel, each publication is going to be looking for a different style of image. Who do you want to be featured by? Does your current collection of imagery look like it belongs on their pages?
Banner image: Pleasure State via Flaunter
Spotlight on: Imby Langenbach from KARMME
Imby Langenbach's sense of enthusiasm and love for her range of leather goods (her 'ladies') is nothing short of infectious. Although having sold predominantly online since founding her label KARMME, she recently took her ladies offline for the night, hosting an event for her Perth customers. We spoke to Imby about the event as well as discovered a little more about the designer behind the label.
Can you tell us a little about the event you recently held for your customers in Perth?
I had an idea to organise a touch and feel night a while ago. I’m originally from Perth so KARMME has a large and growing following over there thanks to word of mouth started by family and friends. I wanted mostly to thank everyone in Perth for their support as my business has grown and also give them the opportunity to feel all the leathers I work with, touch the KARMME ladies and take a little bit of our story away with them after the night.
I understand that when people buy online sometimes they want to see, touch and feel the products and because I don’t have a physical store I wanted to give them that opportunity.
The Shibori leather range was something I wanted to highlight on the night. I get to see it every day, but for customers to marvel at it on a hide gives so much more meaning to the end product that is my clutch.
I was blown away by the warm, encouraging and supportive women that surrounded me and showered me with kind words about my business. It was slightly overwhelming, but mostly heart warming. Working by myself, I often am guided only by social media interaction so it was nice to hear ‘real people’ give me such positive feedback about my product and brand.
You've made the conscious decision to only sell direct from your own website. In light of this decision, can you talk a little about the importance for an online business like KARMME to get out and meet your customers face to face?
Yes, it’s a decision I made very early on. I was approached by quite a few really beautiful boutiques and online stores about stocking KARMME. At first I couldn’t have kept up with the volume of orders but as my business grew I realised how important it is to me that KARMME customers have a purchasing experience that ensures a beautifully packaged clutch with a hand written note is delivered to them, and they receive something that is not only beautiful once opened but presented beautifully too.
My first KARMME gathering was a little bit out of my comfort zone but also affirming in that my brand is received exactly as I hoped it would be. I hope to do one in Sydney for the same reasons. I know I love meeting the maker behind the brands I choose to support and it seems like others think the same.
How to you create a great product shot?
I am very fortunate to work with Luisa Brimble who is a superb photographer and has a great eye for what to capture and how to make KARMME shine. I think simple, meaningful and authentic images will always get people’s attention.
We like to weave a story when we do a look book shoot and when I take images for social media, mostly there is a story attached. Those who are interested in my work are also interested in the creative process or story of KARMME. It’s not just another product shot to me, I want to always give my audience something on top of that, a back story if you like.
Can you tell us about the first piece of fashion you ever loved?
Ironically I have never been ‘into’ fashion. My sister was a model and always into clothes, I wore the same pair of shorts to uni nearly every day for three years, so it's quite funny that I have found myself in the ‘fashion industry’.
I made a lot of my clothes. I do remember making a mint green pencil skirt with a coordinated white and mint print blouse to wear to my year 7 dance and I thought it was the height of fashion. A little bit of mum’s shell pink eyeshadow and white pumps, ha! The eighties- probably all back in fashion now!
What's on your desk right now?
Old takeaway coffee cups, scissors, lip balm, order book, bills and new batch of watercolour leather yet to be unrolled - that is a boring answer!
What did your last 24 hours look like?
I have three children so each 24 hours feels like 48...
Yoga Monday morning- my only constant form of exercise and now can’t live without it. Back to studio to catch up on orders, cutting, sewing, prepping, wrapping, sending them.
Emails, food for afternoon tea, dance drop offs, shops, walk to Coogee with the puppy to check out the swell from storms, dinner prep, dance pick up, feed children, homework, emails, news, talk to husband, read, sleep, wake up and start again! :)
Someone downloaded my image from Flaunter! What do I do now?
That’s great! We knew you were doing something spectacular!
If you want to make the most of this new attention, use the Flaunter media list to help you find the contact details of the person who’s downloaded your image. Once you get their email address, send a quick, non-pushy message introducing yourself and offering more assistance if required.
Pro Tip: The Flaunter Media List includes the phone numbers and web URL’s of each publication, and we also give you the name and publication details for anyone downloading photos. Bingo – you’re 95% of the way there! Because we’re experts in getting you what you want, we know that armed with this info you’ll have no problems tracking down the email address you need…
Ideally, after sending this email you’ll receive a reply requesting further information about your collection/brand. Being proactive may just have scored you a little press coverage and a new media buddy. However, you may not receive a response this time, and that’s fine (definitely don’t send another message!).
Remember, you’re building relationships. And we all know that the best relationships take time, so keep at it ;)
What am I worth? Pricing for emerging freelance designers
Being a recent design graduate and being asked to quote on your first freelance gig exciting...until you sit down at your keyboard and try to actually type out how much you’re going to charge.
You know you’ve got the skills and enthusiasm you need to do a great job BUT your potential clients are probably seeking quotes from people with way more experience than you.
You don’t want to look overly ambitious and expensive, BUT you don’t want to be so cheap that you’re working your butt off for nothing.
Most of all, you really want to get this job.
Whilst there's no magic formula or universal standard for freelance design work, we've come up with the following guide to help you navigate this tricky territory a little more like a seasoned pro.
Ask the Questions.
There's no harm in asking your client for some hints about their budget and what they're expecting from you. Don't fall into the trap of making assumptions about their needs- you'll run the risk of massively over quoting or underquoting for the work.
For example, If you're being asking you to quote on a logo design, find out:
- How many rough concepts are they wanting?
- What style are they considering? Simple & minimalist, or something that will send your Photoshop layer count into the triple digits? There's a very different price point attached to each!
- How many revisions do they want included in the price?
- What turn around time are they expecting? Will you need to drop everything and focus solely on this task, or can it be completed in between other jobs?
Consider an hourly rate or project based pay.
Some freelancers prefer to quote their services to clients at an hourly rate- for example: I'll design a website for you at $50/per hour
However, we're fans of project based pricing for new designers for a few reasons:
- When you're working on your first professional jobs, you're probably a little slower than your competitors, the last thing you want is to leave your clients with a huge time-based bill and have them decide to call somebody else next time.
- Offering project based pay makes life a lot easier for your clients, budget wise.
- It's very easily to under/over estimate the hours you'll need to complete a project when you're new to the professional design game!
Consider what your competition is charging.
Whilst it's great to search the going industry rate for your line of work, one mistake people run into is looking at what other people charge, and then undercutting their prices. Remember, you're a professional, not a discount store. The last thing you want is be that designer who only secures jobs by being the cheapest, because it's a slippery slope. There's only so far you can discount before you might as well be working for free.
Remember- nobody will see value in your work if you don't value it yourself.
Don't forget your associated costs.
Be aware of how much you’re spending on items such as software, sourcing and purchasing materials, labour, transportation and resources. How much will this eat into your profit? You can decide to incorporate these into your overall quote at cost or with a % loading above the cost to yourself (Charging a 10% - 20% loading is commonplace in some industries).
Be clear in your quotes
Making assumptions about what you're including in a quote is just asking for an unhappy customer. Be sure to clarify exactly what you'll be doing, how many files/pieces you'll be handing over and by what date. This way you've got a strong footing to reassess your quote if your client asks you to do above and beyond your original agreement.
3-step PR Disaster Recovery Kit
Woah there, tiger. Your business has just done something super awkward, publicly. Even worse? Your client base noticed. To avoid ending up sans-clients (or joining the ranks of the next BuzzFeed corporate fail compilation) make use of our PR Disaster survival kit:
Be Proactive
We're not saying you’re a PR disaster waiting to happen, but it’s always prudent to have a plan in place. This is also a great way to identify any potential risks within your business.
Think about the ramifications for you if...
- Your server was hacked or your site went down.
- One of your team goes rogue.
- Inappropriate photos were released.
- Confidential information was leaked.
- A terrible product review went viral.
Involve your team and spend some time brainstorming and prepping responses so that you don’t make a bad situation worse with a poor, improvised response.
Take Responsibility
If your disaster is unfolding on social media with a bunch of impassioned posts from the public, don’t pretend it never happened and go on a deleting spree, because the comments are just going to reappear, and in greater numbers. Just as in life, in business you have to own your mistakes.
Take Action
No matter what scale the incident, staying silent or offering a wish-washy “No comment” is going to further upset your audience. Deal with the issue promptly and decisively. This means today, not tomorrow.
Is your service down with no end in sight? Provide regular updates so your customers don't feel left in the dark.
Employee behaved badly? Address the situation internally and release a statement confirming they have been disciplined appropriately.
Publicly demonstrating that you understand the issue and have and have solved the root cause will go a long way to restoring consumer confidence. Although the damage may be done to some customers, providing a firm and swift response will always minimise this loss.
4 ways to control your work/life balance
Ever find yourself questioning how many more hours of work you could manage if you hooked yourself up to a caffeine I.V drip? Are your friends on the verge of reporting you as a missing person after you bailed on the 5th catch up in a row? So many of us are torn between getting through their ever increasing workloads and enjoying a great lifestyle, but as that kid in the taco commercial said: “Porque no los dos?”
For those of us who don’t speak Spanish (and somehow haven’t seen the Old El Paso commercial) this phrase means ‘why not both?’and whilst nothing can ever be perfect, we’re sharing four techniques team Flaunter use to put a little more life back into our work/life balances- hopefully they help you out too.
Back away from the iPhone
This rule also applies for iPads, laptops, email alerts, work software and tablets (So no cheating on a technicality). When you get home, arrive in both body and mind by making a point of not accessing work files, replying to emails, or organising the next day through your smartphone. Even if you’re pseudo-chilling on your sofa, you’re not giving your brain the break it needs by keeping it constantly thinking about the office.
Bonus tip! Consider keeping your phone, laptop and TV out of your bedroom. Research shows that the simple act of making your bedroom a ‘sleep only’ space not only helps you fall asleep faster, but increase the quality of your sleep.
Hit the hard stuff as soon as you start work
As soon as you arrive at work for the day, sit down and spend a 20 minutes working out which tasks you’ll need to complete before you leave the office that day. Next step: attack those tasks first. That way, when the end of the day rolls around, you’re less likely to need to stay back for hours.
Spend a couple of hours each week on meal prep
There’s nothing worse than coming home from a busy work day, opening the fridge and spending half an hour trying to cobble together something meal-adjacent from the 2 eggs, half a jar of jam and sad carrot lurking in your fridge. Investing an hour or two each week on cooking up even your lunches and dinners for the week will save you a bunch of time and thought over the remainder of the week, plus eating healthy will give you a bunch more energy.
Our fav? Cook up a giant batch of mince (or beans/lentils for my vegetarian brethren) combine with chopped vegetables, then portion it out with rice or pasta and serve with different sauces: Spag bol, Hoi-sin & chilli sauce, for example. Variety with barely any added effort!
Talk it out
If you need to leave work a little early for a family dinner, or wish you could have a slightly extended lunch break to do head to that doctor's appointment you've been avoiding, say something to your boss. Employers are aware a lot of us are burning the candle at both ends, and economically, they want you to be a functional member of their team, not so frazzled that you’re a crying husk under your desk. Most will be open to helping you work your schedule in such a way that allows you a little breathing room where possible.