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Weekly Recap: Face Matching Got 28× Faster, Virtual Group Builder Upgrades & RCS Marketing Texts ⚡📸

Weekly Recap: Face Matching Got 28× Faster, Virtual Group Builder Upgrades & RCS Marketing Texts ⚡📸
Hey photo friends! 👋


Candy here with a big follow-up from last week: we predicted our Face Matching improvements could make things up to 10× faster... and this past weekend, Face Matching ended up running 28× faster. 🎉

That is well above what we expected, and it came at a perfect time as image volume continues to hit new highs. We’re going to keep making improvements so NowCandid can better handle those big peak-season spikes.

We’re also improving parts of our retail support process, and later this month, we’ll be sending surveys to select end customers to learn more about their retail site and shopping experience. The goal is simple: keep improving the customer journey and help you get the most sales possible.

Now, let’s jump into what changed this week!

⚡ Face Matching Follow-Up: 28× Faster

🚀 Face Matching improvements performed even better than projected

  • Last week, we mentioned updates that could make Face Matching up to 10× faster. This past weekend, those improvements delivered around 28× faster performance.

📈 Built for peak volume

  • With more images coming in than ever, this speed improvement helps keep galleries moving during high-volume stretches like graduation season.

🛠️ More efficiency improvements are still coming

  • We’re continuing to tune systems behind the scenes so large event volume stays more manageable.

📣 Marketing Texts Now Support RCS

💬 Marketing texts now use RCS when available

  • All marketing texts, including QuicPics image texts, now send through RCS when supported, with SMS/MMS fallback for numbers that don’t support RCS.

Cleaner, more recognizable messages

  • Instead of appearing as a random phone number, supported messages can show as coming from QuicPics with a branded-style camera icon. This makes the text feel more familiar and easier for customers to recognize.

🛡️ Better deliverability potential

  • With mobile platforms continuing to add stronger spam filtering — including spam folders on iPhones — RCS gives our messages a better chance of feeling legitimate and avoiding the “unknown number” problem that can hurt visibility.

📱 Still works for everyone

  • If a customer’s phone or carrier doesn’t support RCS, the message will still fall back to normal SMS/MMS automatically.

Note: Client Outreach still sends through regular phone numbers for now. This RCS update applies to event marketing texts, 2FA in the Dashboard, the Find Me feature on quic.pics, and QuicPics image messages.

Oooooo shiny! Much more eye-catching than a simple phone number.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Virtual Group Builder Improvements

Virtual Group Builder got several upgrades this week:

Participant importing is much faster

  • Large imports should feel quicker and more responsive.

👨‍👩‍👧 Merged siblings now import properly

  • If siblings were merged through identical parent contact info, Virtual Group Builder will now pull them in correctly.

📂 New Subjects pane collapse button

  • Collapse the Subjects pane to make the preview area bigger. You can also toggle it with Shift + S.

🖼️ New cutout bottom fade slider

  • Adjust how strongly subject cutouts fade at the bottom.

🌫️ “Falloff Intensity” renamed to “Bottom Vignette”

  • Clearer wording for what the setting actually controls.

🖥️ Dashboard Improvements

🧰 More Tools moved out of the popup on Manage Images

  • Manage Images tools are now more visible instead of tucked away.

🗂️ Edit Folder is always visible

  • The Edit Folder button is now easier to find on Manage Images.

📬 New marketing column on Participant List

  • Quickly see how much marketing a participant has received.

👁️ Participant Details groups invisible images at the end

  • Makes the page easier to scan.

🎨 One Art Style node per edit

  • Candy Image Studio and Auto Editor now only allow one Art Style node per edit. This helps avoid confusion when selecting conflicting styles like Anime, Chibi, Action Figure, and Bobblehead together.

📈 Marketing History chart improved for new Events

  • New Events should no longer show one giant bar on the first day.

🏷️ Event Tags improvements

  • Hidden Event Tags are now hidden by default, and event search when adding Events to a tag is more flexible.

💰 Auto Editor total cost display fixed

  • The displayed total cost is now correct. Customers were charged correctly before; only the UI number was off.

🔢 Participant List now shows key report snapshots

  • You can now quickly see:
    • Images Per Participant
    • Sales Per Participant
    • % Participants Ordered

📱 Capture App 5.6.4

iOS & Android OTA update — Monday, June 1

🧍 Registered face boxes now show in the strip

  • When entering a shooting mode, existing images in the strip can show registered face boxes.

🔄 Restore Session fixes

  • Fixed Restore Session not loading saved registered participants for Positive ID Events or Face Matching Roster Check-In.

Face Matching Roster Check-In fix

  • Fixed an edge case where a registration could fail to save to an image.

📱 Android tablet UI fixes

  • Selfie Check-In Station camera UI fixed in vertical orientation
  • Image gallery name text no longer overflows in vertical orientation

That’s the week!

The big wins are definitely RCS marketing and Face Matching coming in 28× faster, but the Virtual Group Builder and Dashboard changes should make things easier during busy season too.

We’ll keep improving speed, support, and the retail experience as we go!

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

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Learn How NowCandid Can Help You Remarket Your Pre-NowCandid Images🌟
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April 22, 2024

Learn How NowCandid Can Help You Remarket Your Pre-NowCandid Images🌟

8
 minutes read

For those who are new to NowCandid, let me tell you that NowCandid does a lot to help you continue to make sales on the images that you put through our system!

Things such as:

  • Long-Term Hosting: We keep galleries online for at least 15 years.
  • Ongoing Marketing: Annual Event reminders & occasional consolidated Event marketing.
  • Sales Reinforcement: "Order More" QR codes on print products to encourage reorders.

So, if you're using NowCandid for your current and future Events, those Events are all set to generate plenty of residual sales as the years go by!

However, did you know that NowCandid can be used to easily remarket images from your past, pre-NowCandid Events?

As a photographer, you have probably used other software and sales solutions in the past. That's okay! NowCandid is not a jealous business partner, and we are just happy you're here for us to help you now.

So let's talk about how we can help you get more sales out of those past Events of yours.

The Power of Remarketing 🔄

First off, let me say that this will only work in situations where you have:

  • Pictures of Individuals: Such as headshots or portraits.
  • Corresponding Contact Information: You need to know which contact info goes with which image files.

If you have past Events with those two things readily available, then you can use our oft overlooked FaceMatch Import Workflow to create what we often call a FaceGroup in your NowCandid Dashboard.

You can then use that FaceGroup (pictures of individuals corresponding to an uploaded set of contact information) in any of your NowCandid Events!

Meaning... you could create a NowCandid Event, utilize a FaceGroup of some school picture headshots you did, and then upload to that Event that class's graduation pictures, school pictures, dance pictures, or anything else you'd like to remarket!

Once the "reference images" from your FaceGroup are in the Event as well as your past images of that same group of people - the images will match up using our Face Matching processes and begin a marketing campaign and sales effort that will help you generate some sales on those old images right now, as well as occasional residual sales over the years and years to come.

Your Portfolio, Forever Profitable 💼

As an example, a new NowCandid user performed the exact processes we described above to "remarket" graduation pictures from 4 of the graduations they photographed last year.

Within a month of remarketing those 2023 images, this user generated about $1300 in sales and shipping!

That $1300 will be in addition to the sales they will be able to make as the years go by, thanks to the residual sales tactics we mentioned earlier.

Unlocking New Sales with Old Memories 🔑

So, if you dear reader are in a position to utilize some of the portraits and contact info you've collected in the past, consider using NowCandid to remarket them! Doesn't matter if they're 1, 3, 5, or even 10+ years old.

NowCandid does not charge you any subscription or hosting fees, so even if you were to make $0 in sales, it won't cost you a thing.

We only make money when you do, and we only want to help you earn more and work less!

Get Started Now 🚀

Ready to give your vintage images a new lease on life? Schedule a walkthrough with our specialist, Darwin, and let's get those images working for you once more. Click here to book your session: NowCandid Training

NowCandid is committed to helping you earn more with less effort. Let’s turn those archived galleries into a flourishing sales channel, starting now!
Graduation Success: Candid Color Photography's Triumph at an Oklahoma Advancement Ceremony
Success Stories
April 17, 2024

Graduation Success: Candid Color Photography's Triumph at an Oklahoma Advancement Ceremony

7
 minutes read
Candid Color Photography (CCP) in Oklahoma City recently orchestrated a resounding success at a local medical school's advancement ceremony.

With only 100 graduates attending the ceremony, CCP generated an impressive average revenue of roughly $49 per person in just 31 days. This achievement underscores the potential of graduation photography when executed well!

While $49 per graduate is incredible, aiming for $20 per graduate is a more consistent target to aim for and achieve for both high school and college graduations. This benchmark is attainable with proper execution, although many events (such as CCP's) can surpass this figure!

Candid Color Photography has been a longtime user of NowCandid & GradPics Now, and is able to get the most out of the program thanks to their experience with the platform! But even in the beginning, they were able to see immediate improvements when switching to NowCandid for their graduations. In 2022, CCP transitioned 82 graduation ceremonies to the GradPics Now program, resulting in a significant 22% increase in sales per person on average, compared to their previous year's sales per person at those same ceremonies.

This switch not only boosted their sales, but it also led to an ~8% discount in their previous production & software costs. NowCandid's Workflows also saved them countless hours in post-event labor compared to their previous workflows.

While there are many factors that can impact your sales averages, here are some of the most important ones CCP keeps in mind at every graduation ceremony they photograph.

Key Strategies for Graduation Photography Success

Quality of Images:

Ensure each photo is properly lit and tightly cropped to create sellable images that appeal to your buyers.

Efficient Data Collection:

Utilizing Selfie Check-In with high participation rates ensures efficient data collection and marketing opportunities. Positioning staff with QR codes at strategic points, like check-in or holding areas, can streamline the process and enhance participant engagement.

Selfie Check-In in combination with using our Capture & Upload app will also allow you to sell to parents and graduates during the ceremony! In our experience and research, speed is one of the most underrated factors in increasing your sales.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, using Selfie Check-In facilitates the next item in our list in a huge way.

Volume of Images:

Using Selfie Check-In frees you from the shackles of sequencing, alignment, and keeping things in order. With it, you can be free to photograph graduates in any order, and add as many extra shots of your subjects as you can.

Beyond standard portraits and handshake moments, with Selfie Check-In enables capturing dynamic processional shots, candid buddy images before the ceremony, and family celebrations post-event.  Employing multiple photographers can facilitate comprehensive coverage.

These extra photos can significantly increase sales volume, as more photos translate to more sales opportunities. In addition to more sales opportunities, it also creates bigger personalized galleries to be marketed to your subjects! Bigger personalized galleries means bigger orders from your buyers.

Preparation is Key:

Having all necessary materials ready, such as your Event's Selfie Check-In QR code, charged batteries and backup equipment, and a clear plan for photo stations, handshake photo timings, and post-ceremony family shots, is essential. Coordination with educational institutions for logistical and promotional support can also yield better outcomes.

Graduation Success Stories from CCP

CCP’s methodical approach has been mirrored in the experiences of individuals like Jason J., Eric M., and Bruce H., whose stories of successful graduation photography projects highlight the effectiveness of these strategies.

Read more about their graduation success stories:

     -     Jason J. - Using Face Matching to its Fullest

     -     Eric M. - School’s Out, Earnings In: A Teacher's GradPics Now Success

     -     Bruce H. - How Bruce H. Used GradPics Now to Increase Sales

By adopting CCP’s proven methods, photographers can transform any graduation event into an even more lucrative opportunity.
Crowning Moments: Turning Prom Night into Profit with NowCandid
PartyPics
April 10, 2024

Crowning Moments: Turning Prom Night into Profit with NowCandid

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 minutes read
Prom night is an iconic milestone in a high schooler’s life, brimming with fashion, friendships, and unforgettable memories.

While it's true that smartphones have made "everyone a photographer", professional prom photography remains a lucrative venture. Why? The answer lies in the quality that professional photos can offer, capturing prom night with a finesse that smartphones simply can't match.

The Profitability of Prom Photography

Prom photography can be highly profitable, with a target metric of $1.50 per image being a realistic benchmark for success. However, with the right approach, this figure can soar, as evidenced by a NowCandid's users Oklahoma City Prom, which achieved $2 per image across 3000 pictures taken, totaling $6000 in sales.

The key to serious profitability lies in having quantity, quality, and variety! An effective photographer using NowCandid has the ability to quickly deliver a professional, high-quality image gallery that will capture the attention of their subjects.

Why Proms are Still Profitable

  1. Social Media Influence: Today’s high schoolers live in a social media-centric world where the quality of a photo can greatly increase the quality of a post. Professional, well-lit, and expertly framed photos are in demand for their social media feeds, making them willing to purchase digital copies for their Instagram or Facebook profiles.
  2. Parental Investment: Parents are equally important customers in the prom photography market. They cherish these milestones and are often more than willing to purchase photos that capture their child’s special night. Using Selfie Check-In allows you to collect both the subject and the parents' contact info, marketing the subject's photos to both parties!
  3. Speedy Delivery: With the help of NowCandid, images can be available for purchase instantly. Selling images right away can benefit your overall sales thanks to impulse purchases people make when they are at their most excited about the Event.
  4. Unique Print Products: Unique print products alongside desirable images is always a combination that will generate extra sales! A variety of products be purchased, in addition to the usual prints and downloads. You can even upload an Event-specific custom banner to your Events to further make your product unique compared to the images subjects can take with their own phones - turning every photo into a memento!

Keys to Successful Prom Photography

  • Quality: While taking a substantial number of photos is important, ensuring the quality of your images increases their salability. Ensure each photo is well-lit and tightly cropped!
  • 2 Pics Per Minute: Aim for 2 pictures every minute, targeting 120+ per hour. These need to be unique images too - don't count duplicates! Utilize features like NowCandid’s LiveLoop to encourage guests to seek out photographers to get on the big screen.
  • Posing: Encourage a variety of poses to maximize the number of sellable images for any group you approach. After photographing a group of four, break the group into couples, ladies only, guys only, etc.
  • Photo Stations: Establish a dedicated photo area with an attractive backdrop suitable for individuals, couples, and groups, enhancing the variety and appeal of a subject's image gallery. Props are optional, but can be a fun addition. Also, a photo station is also a good place to station your less-social photographers, as guests will come to them!
  • Selfie Check-In Mastery: Achieving high participation in Selfie Check-In not only streamlines image delivery but also ensures a direct marketing channel to both students and their parents.
  • Strategic Staffing: Align the number of photographers with the expected guest count, aiming for one photographer per 100-150 guests to ensure comprehensive coverage of the event.
  • Strategic Compensation: Many successful social photographers pay their photographers based on how many unique (no duplicates) and sellable (good quality) images they take at a party. Consider paying $0.20 per sellable image with a minimum pay of $18 an hour, guaranteeing them decent pay but giving them room to take more images to make you both more money. (Example: 120 images an hour would be $24 an hour)

NowCandid: Your Partner in Capturing the Magic of Prom Night

NowCandid software is designed to streamline the photography process, from efficient image capture and upload to simplifying sales through intuitive galleries and easy online ordering.

With NowCandid, photographers can focus on what they do best—taking stunning photos—while the platform handles the logistics, making each prom a potential goldmine of photographic opportunities.

Success Stories to Inspire

Photographers like Tosha LaForest and Eric Miller have harnessed the power of NowCandid to amplify their school dance and event photography sales. Their experiences underscore the potential of well-executed prom and dance photography to significantly boost revenue and client satisfaction.

Prom photography, powered by NowCandid, offers a great option for photographers to expand their portfolios and profit margins. By focusing on quality, variety, and quantity, photographers can tap into the lucrative prom market, turning each dance into a profitable venture (and fun) venture.

Learn more, and join the ranks of successful prom photographers with NowCandid.

Visit our success stories to learn more and get inspired to capture the vibrant energy and timeless elegance of prom night.

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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How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

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