The term "Investment" on websites

benji25 wrote in post #16322073
At the very basic terms an investment is when you put something in and expect to get more of something back. "I am going to invest some time in learning to speak spanish". you expect to spend 2 years learning it but know it for the rest of your life.

The plumber and the haircut are not investments as you get out what you put in - in essence an even trade. You thought the value of a new pipe was $140. So you still have your $140 just in the form of a pipe - that will now lose value over time. Same with the haircut.

You are investing $5000 in me and receiving priceless family heirlooms in the form of a wedding album and wall art that can be displayed for decades or more.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #16322133
You are investing $5000 in me and receiving priceless family heirlooms in the form of a wedding album and wall art that can be displayed for decades or more.

Yes essentially that is the point I am trying to make.

However some pictures aren't so important so I wouldn't call those an investment necessarily.

But things such as family portraits that get put into your heritage/family tree, weddings, and whatever else carries a more perennial aspect to it.

It is a sales technique. Used right it can work very well, using wrongly it can come across as being a pretentious prat.

The general rule I apply is that if a photographer on their site in any place feels the need to have to qualify their value e.g. the "I charge what I do because speech" then they shouldn't use the term investment. If you feel the need to qualify it is an investment of sorts and why that is the case it can look bad.

Alternatively if your work and site scream quality etc then using the term investment needs no explanation.

So many photographers use the term investment and then play the you should value me because/staving artist card... that is a bad look and comes across as desperation / entitlement

That is my take anyway.

Incidentally which do people think people search for more in Google?

e.g. Wedding photography investment or wedding photography price

One is much better for SEO than the other.

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #16322557
It is a sales technique. Used right it can work very well, using wrongly it can come across as being a pretentious prat.

The general rule I apply is that if a photographer on their site in any place feels the need to have to qualify their value e.g. the "I charge what I do because speech" then they shouldn't use the term investment. If you feel the need to qualify it is an investment of sorts and why that is the case it can look bad.

Alternatively if your work and site scream quality etc then using the term investment needs no explanation.

So many photographers use the term investment and then play the you should value me because/staving artist card... that is a bad look and comes across as desperation / entitlement

That is my take anyway.

So basically, if you're work warrants a heavy "investment" then it flies better than if you are a shoot & burn momtographer? That would make sense to me.

benji25 wrote in post #16321686
Actually it is an investment by definition.

The proceeds don't have to be money in order to get a return. Returns can be mental health, happiness, better quality of life, etc. By calling a persons services an investment it means that you are getting some sort of benefit (i.e. wedding day pictures that you will look at when you celebrate your 50th anniversary.) other than just the cost of the medium it comes on. The product "adds value" to your life.

You bet your ass that when I am old I hope to look back on pictures of my entire life. What else do you do when you are old?

edit: that being said i would never use it in marketing but if someone did I would not hold it against them. If I am buying services I have a price in mind and a quality in mind. If the person meets those criteria then I don't care what they use do describe their work.

per your quoted definition you are contradicting yourself.

"material result" is your argument but the definition of material as an adjective describing result is:

"denoting or consisting of physical objects rather than the mind or spirit"

in which things like happiness and peace of mind are not included.

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #16322565
Incidentally which do people think people search for more in Google?

e.g. Wedding photography investment or wedding photography price

One is much better for SEO than the other.

The people google searching wedding photography price probably aren't my target clients.

Higgs Boson wrote in post #16322770
per your quoted definition you are contradicting yourself.

"material result" is your argument but the definition of material as an adjective describing result is:

"denoting or consisting of physical objects rather than the mind or spirit"

in which things like happiness and peace of mind are not included.

This is what I was thinking as well when I posted earlier. The definition provided stated investment in terms of financial profit or material result...

benji25 wrote in post #16322073
At the very basic terms an investment is when you put something in and expect to get more of something back. "I am going to invest some time in learning to speak spanish". you expect to spend 2 years learning it but know it for the rest of your life.

The plumber and the haircut are not investments as you get out what you put in - in essence an even trade. You thought the value of a new pipe was $140. So you still have your $140 just in the form of a pipe - that will now lose value over time. Same with the haircut.

I spend time learning to speak another language, as I cannot get that time back. That doesn't mean there isn't value in doing so, but there is no 'profit' of time that is returned. Likewise, I SPEND time reading thread on this forum...

Thats bull crap. Investment is just being used as a key word tha markets have used to try make a buyer justify the expense and is usually is twice what you can get elsewhere. Universal Wiring here does the same thing on their proposals. Calling it an investment and even offering financing at 8%. when all along it was twice to 3 times the price by other electricians.
Smart people see past the Key words and scam.

Fester wrote in post #16322962
Thats bull crap. Investment is just being used as a key word tha markets have used to try make a buyer justify the expense and is usually is twice what you can get elsewhere. Universal Wiring here does the same thing on their proposals. Calling it an investment and even offering financing at 8%. when all along it was twice to 3 times the price by other electricians.
Smart people see past the Key words and scam.

You can't get my work anywhere else.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #16323026
You can't get my work anywhere else.

Agreed. That is my stock response for anyone who attempts to price shop me (which is rare).

drvnbysound wrote in post #16322918
I spend time learning to speak another language, as I cannot get that time back. That doesn't mean there isn't value in doing so, but there is no 'profit' of time that is returned. Likewise, I SPEND time reading thread on this forum...

So I make $50,000 in some career. I spend $2,000 to learn Spanish and this extra education allows me to earn $60,000 because of the demand for bilingual employees.

Had I not invested in my education I would not be making more money.

benji25 wrote in post #16323071
So I make $50,000 in some career. I spend $2,000 to learn Spanish and this extra education allows me to earn $60,000 because of the demand for bilingual employees.

Had I not invested in my education I would not be making more money.

Now you are talking in terms of financial gain, so yes, I'd consider that an investment; spending $2,000 to net $10,000 more per year is definitely an investment.

drvnbysound wrote in post #16323087
Now you are talking in terms of financial gain, so yes, I'd consider that an investment; spending $2,000 to net $10,000 more per year is definitely an investment.

Ok so now let's say you choose to get your wedding photos done as well as family portraits of your new family you are starting. Your house burns down.

What is the first thing people always say? I can replace my car, my house or my property but I can't replace the photos of my dead grandma or my newborn kid or my wedding. "

The value that you just lost is simply priceless. But as always value is subjective and I personally value irreplaceable memories more than any investment I have.