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Big News: Tiered Pricing Returns to NowCandid™! 🎉

Big News: Tiered Pricing Returns to NowCandid™! 🎉
Hello, my wonderful photographers!

Candy here, and I’ve got big news about a feature that might just boost your sales in 2025. Yes, that’s right—Tiered Pricing is making its comeback to NowCandid™!

Let’s dive into the what, why, and how of this exciting development.

Heads Up, Everyone! ⚠️

This is an important one if you’re an active NowCandid™ user. So, if you read only one of our updates this year... let it be this one!

Tiered Pricing will roll out on January 20th, and it’s a big deal for your SportsPics™, PartyPics™, GradPics™, or other sales-driven events. So please keep reading to see what’s new and how it could benefit you.

What Is Tiered Pricing?

Tiered Pricing is the concept that your retail prices will nudge upward in small increments over three separate one-week periods:

  1. Week 1 – “Early bird” pricing
  2. Week 2 – Slightly higher “discounted” pricing
  3. Week 3 – Another small bump, settling at your “regular” pricing

We call it “Tiered Pricing” because each week is its own “Tier.”

We’re not trying to get you to charge outrageous amounts (in fact, lowering your prices can often benefit your overall profit), we're just introducing tiny price increases that the NowCandid™ marketing campaign will reference to gently push people to order more, and sooner.

The Real Advantage Lies in the Marketing

Some might assume Tiered Pricing is about making money off late buyers, but that’s not our aim:

  • Minimal Price Increases:

    A $1 or $2 difference won’t significantly affect your overall pricing but creates a sense of urgency in your marketing.
  • Deadlines & Discounts:
    • Week 1: Promoted as “early bird.”
    • Week 2: Positioned as “slightly higher but still discounted.”
    • Week 3: Called “regular” or “final” pricing.
  • No Negative Reinforcement:
    • There are no hefty late fees. Buyers see a small difference in price from one week to the next, which spurs action without scaring them off.

This structure keeps your clients engaged, draws in earlier purchases, and still ensures a reasonable price for those who come back later.

Remembering Tiered Pricing from the Past 🏛️

  • Before the New Dashboard:

    In mid-2024, when we introduced our modern Web Dashboard & new retail site, we chose to keep pricing straightforward at first—no Tiered Pricing.
  • Old Premade Offers:

    Back in the day, NowCandid™ used default “Tiered” premade offers with subtle $1–$2 increases each week. These small bumps proved beneficial enough that we’re ready to bring them back with the new system.

Why Such Tiny Price Increases? 🤏

NowCandid™ fosters long-term, residual sales through:

  • Annual Marketing Reminders
  • Event History (for customers who log into the retail site)
  • “Buy More” QR Codes on Prints
  • Our Find Me Portal
  • And future expansions that will encourage reorders!

By raising prices too steeply in the final weeks, you risk losing those valuable residual buyers. Tiny increments let the marketing do the heavy lifting—highlighting deadlines without truly punishing anyone for missing Week 1 or 2.

Why Bring Tiered Pricing Back Now? 📈

We studied a large batch of graduation Events, comparing the performance of schools photographed in both 2018 and 2023 (avoiding COVID years in the middle).

Between these two rounds of graduations, we made many improvements, but one of the bigger changes was the addition of Tiered Pricing.

Importantly, in 2023, Sales per person photographed increased by 76% over 2018.

Even if Tiered Pricing accounted for just one-fifth of that boost, that’s still a 15% jump in your own sales.

So while it might not be the only factor, it’s likely to be a meaningful one.

How We’re Implementing Tiered Pricing 🚀

We want to keep NowCandid™ easy to use, so Tiered Pricing will be made active for all sales-driven events (SportsPics™, PartyPics™, GradPics™, Portraits, etc.) starting January 20th, without a special toggle to turn it off—for now. Here’s the plan:

  1. New Tabs Accompanying Each Product & Package in the Offer Creator
    • Week 1 (base price)
    • Week 2 (+$1 on individual items, +$2 on packages)
    • Week 3 (+$2 on individual items, +$4 on packages compared to Week 1).
  2. Marketing Alignment
    • NowCandid™ marketing texts and emails will be altered to automatically reference these price bumps each week, nudging people to purchase before they miss the “discounted” or “early bird” phase.
  3. Your Current Prices Will Become Week 1 Prices
    • If you want your current price to remain the “Week 2” rate, consider lowering your Week 1 by $1 or $2. That way, you’re effectively offering a genuine discount in Week 1 while still matching your usual rate in Week 2, with only a slight increase in Week 3.
  4. What About QuicPics™ or QuicPics GO™?
    • Tiered Pricing won’t apply to those event types, since they focus on free downloads and don’t rely on persistent marketing. This only affects events where you’re selling items at retail prices over multiple weeks.

Participant vs. Event-Based Timing ⏱️

  • Participant Timing:

    Tiered Pricing for a specific subject starts when their “Day 0” marketing text goes out—i.e., once they become a participant in your Face Matching or Positive ID event. If someone isn’t photographed until Day 3, they’ll still get a full Week 1 period from that day forward.
  • All Images Gallery:

    If a customer bypasses personal galleries and shops the All Images Gallery on the NowCandid™ retail site, the Price Tier they see is based on the Event’s official start date.
  • Dashboard Insight:

    You can see which pricing Week a participant is currently in by viewing their Participant Details page on the Web Dashboard.

What Do I Have to Do? 🤔

  • If You’re Fine With Default:

    Sit back and let NowCandid™ handle it! We’ll roll out the changes automatically on January 20th.
  • If You Want a Lower “Week 1”:

    Adjust your existing Offer prices downward for that first Tier, making your Week 2 and Week 3 prices align with what you used to charge

    If you want your current price to remain the “Week 2” rate, consider lowering your Week 1 by $1 or $2. That way, you’re effectively offering a genuine discount in Week 1 while still matching your usual rate in Week 2, with only a slight increase in Week 3.
  • Feedback Welcome:

    If you truly dislike Tiered Pricing or think it messes up your strategy, reach out. We’re open to suggestions for making it optional, though for now it’s set to be standard across sales-driven events.

That’s the scoop, my lovely photographers!

Tiered Pricing is coming back to NowCandid™, and we believe it can add a gentle lift to your sales without complicating your life.

If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let us know. Otherwise, mark your calendar for January 20th and watch those early-bird sales roll in!

Candy 🍬

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Prom night is a rite of passage, filled with teenage dreams, extravagant dresses, and Insta-worthy moments. But as a photographer, you might be wondering if prom photography is still a profitable gig in the era of smartphones and selfies. Fear not, fellow camera enthusiasts! With a few clever strategies and the help of NowCandid's Party Pics Now program, you can turn prom night into a money-making opportunity. So, grab your camera and let's dive into the world of prom photography!

  1. Adapt and Thrive:
    The rise of smartphones has indeed changed the game, but savvy photographers can adapt by focusing on what they do best: capturing high-quality, professional images. Offer your clients a mix of posed pictures and candid shots, using the Selfie Check-In and Tap-A-Face workflows from NowCandid's Party Pics Now program to streamline the process and ensure a smooth experience for everyone involved.
  2. More Photographers, More Profit:
    Increase your revenue potential by sending multiple photographers to cover the event. Assign one to a dedicated photo station for portraits, while others roam the venue capturing quick posed photos of friends and group pictures. This approach ensures that you capture a wide variety of sellable frames, making the most of your time on-site.
  3. Create a Unique Photo Station:
    Make your photo station stand out by offering themed backdrops, fun props, and creative lighting. This will not only draw the prom-goers to your station but also encourage them to share their professional photos on social media, giving you free advertising and potentially attracting new clients.
  4. Network with Schools and Event Planners:
    Build relationships with schools, event planners, and other key stakeholders to secure more prom photography gigs. Offer special deals, referral incentives, or donate a portion of your profits to the school as a way to give back and establish a positive reputation in the community.
  5. Promote Your Services:
    Use social media, your website, and local advertising to promote your prom photography services. Share examples of your work, highlight special offers, and showcase testimonials from satisfied clients to build credibility and attract new business.
  6. Capture the Essence of Prom Night:
    Prom is a night of glitz, glamor, and teenage dreams come true. To create images that truly resonate, focus on capturing the energy, emotion, and excitement of the event. Channel your inner photographer and make every shot a visual feast that transports the viewer to a world of prom night magic.

Prom photography can still be a profitable venture for professional photographers willing to adapt and innovate. By combining the power of NowCandid's Party Pics Now program with smart strategies and a touch of creativity, you can turn prom night into a lucrative opportunity that'll have you dancing all the way to the bank. And hey, who knows? You might even get a chance to bust a move on the dance floor while you're at it – just remember to keep your camera handy, because you never know when that perfect shot will present itself. Happy shooting!

Capturing Success: How to Book Graduation Ceremony Photography Jobs Like a Pro
GradPics
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Capturing Success: How to Book Graduation Ceremony Photography Jobs Like a Pro

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Graduation ceremonies are a golden opportunity for photographers. With proud parents, beaming graduates, and memories to last a lifetime, these events are the perfect stage for capturing unforgettable moments. But how do you land these lucrative gigs? In this blog post, we'll share insider tips on how to book graduation ceremony photography jobs and create lasting success. And with NowCandid by your side, you'll have the support and tools you need to shine in the academic spotlight.

  1. Build a Stellar Portfolio:
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    Build relationships with school administrators, counselors, and event coordinators. Attend school events, join local education associations, and engage in conversations on social media platforms. Establishing connections in the education community will help open doors to potential photography opportunities.
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Booking graduation ceremony photography jobs can be both rewarding and profitable. By building a compelling portfolio, networking with schools and universities, and leveraging the power of NowCandid, you'll be well on your way to capturing success in the world of academic photography. So, put on your metaphorical cap and gown, and get ready to celebrate your achievements in the graduation photography business!

New Reporting Feature
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New Reporting Feature

2
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Recently, we rolled out a much-needed reporting tool for our NowCandid™ users!

Two new reporting tools that will be able to give you a macro view into your business’s performance, as well as a lot of helpful data and analytics on your events!

 

Tool #1, the Sales Report:

This report focuses on reporting all your sales within a date range! It’s filterable by which NowCandid™ program you’re using as well and can report your sales by day or your sales by month. Once you have your date range, filters, and date format set, you’ll get a reactive bar graph as well as a series of totals and averages for your sales performance within that date range! This report is great for quickly getting an idea of your overall income and margin.

 

Tool #2, the Events Report:

This second report is where you can really dig into your various metrics. Instead of reporting on all sales during a date range, when you choose a date range, you’re selecting all the events that have a Start Date within that date range. Those events and their totals will be what’s included in this report! So residual sales on older events would not be included like they would be in the Sales Report. After you choose a date range, this report can also be filtered by NowCandid™ program!

You can also choose whether to include $0 sale test events you may have made, so that you don’t drag down your averages on this report. If there are any non-$0 sale events you don’t want included, you can click the checkbox by the event to remove it from your total and averages as well! And lastly, once the information you are interested in is being displayed to you, you can export the data to preserve as a spreadsheet on your own device.

 

With several ways to look at your business’s performance, we believe these tools will be a great benefit to our users and help them make the most of their account with NowCandid™.

Our users will no longer have to guess or run a separate spreadsheet to understand their business’ performance or their overall margins.

Let us know if you have any questions or feedback!

Let’s get in touch

If you’re a photographer looking to add NowCandid services to your wheelhouse – set up a call by clicking the button below.

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