The Invisible Touch wrote:
Because I have 10 years of experience and I know some really respectable retouchers that have never used your approach.. this is the first time I heard it and in my opinion based on the interaction with my clients and my experience I can tell you that is simply not going to work.

The number of years of doing things in a certain way does not make them universally true. The workers paint walls or put floor tiles like to say "I have been doing this for N years" and their paint still keeps peeling on the next year. For them this is the universal truth and they will never change their approach as they are always right for themselves as long as there are fools to pay.

Those who need to advertise with google ads is due to the fact that aren't getting enough clients. A professional/big client has request so frequently that they don't need to and to me it cheapens your work as you come accross a bit desperate... "Hey this is me, I exist and I don't have a lot of work" that's what reads to me.

All advertisers are desperately fighting for more. But that doesn't mean they have no work. Direct marketing is not the only approach and it is well know that it rarely works. There are all the complexities involved in online marketing and it doesn't look you are the least familiar with them. So it hardly makes any sense to try to call others amateurish for having online forms. Your own site doesn't even say who you are (pretty anonymous and fishy). If you are using it only in a way of directly sending it to people with "Hey, this is my site, I can do work for you, we can start with a free sample" it is not a website receiving any traffic but more like a private show with a private client list. And obviously this is the same message, you are just not paying for it (perhaps because you can't afford it). It may work for your particular situation but it is definitely not the way high traffic marketing works. (those who get 200-300+ email requests monthly)

Show me please big/professional photographers/retouchers using google ads.. lets analyse them! :-)

iStockphoto, Getty, Shutterstock, Fotolia, Dreamstime etc.

The more they sell, the more they advertise. I don't think that a multi billion dollar company is desperate just because it is not in a freelancer's personal client list. Being a single small freelancer is much different from being a business company.

anchev wrote:
Your own site doesn't even say who you are (pretty anonymous and fishy). If you are using it only in a way of directly sending it to people with "Hey, this is my site, I can do work for you, we can start with a free sample" it is not a website receiving any traffic but more like a private show with a private client list. And obviously this is the same message, you are just not paying for it (perhaps because you can't afford it). It may work for your particular situation but it is definitely not the way high traffic marketing works. (those who get 200-300+ email requests monthly

Is that not an official personal attack?? :-) I don't think that's allowed in this forum mate!!

The Invisible Touch wrote:
Because I have 10 years of experience and I know some really respectable retouchers that have never used your approach.. this is the first time I heard it and in my opinion based on the interaction with my clients and my experience I can tell you that is simply not going to work.

Ok, I understand you.
But do you speak about market when you clean blemishes on skin and paint pixels with 50% soft light layer over basic solid white/grey studio portaits of nice girls or playing with blue and green curves over street fashion files with no budgets and working with some photographers who make this and that periodically, who make free/low paid submission to magazines with hope in the future paid job or you speak about real business?

Have you ever been involved as a part of some team in any serious photo/video production and post production business to see how "forms" work when you apply for services or when you bid the job?
Have you ever seen real commercial retouching instruction task and forms for commercial composite&CGI work when you have in front of you 30-60 tasks and when you need half day just to answer with email on client's demand with explanations what you can do or what you can not do with tasks ?
Have you ever been in some team and project where 4-5 independent retouchers work on just one file?
One who specializes in 3D modeling, one who specializes in 3D rendering, one who specializes in composite retouching,one who specialize in skin retouching etc, and when you need 2-3 weeks to finish just one file?

The Invisible Touch wrote:
Those who need to advertise with google ads is due to the fact that aren't getting enough clients. A professional/big client has request so frequently that they don't need to and to me it cheapens your work as you come accross a bit desperate... "Hey this is me, I exist and I don't have a lot of work" that's what reads to me.

Show me please big/professional photographers/retouchers using google ads.. lets analyse them! :-)

It is quite opposite , when you send desperately  email with offering free test sample it looks like you wrote "Hey this is me, I exist and I don't have a lot of work"
Google Ads or other Ads bring your potential customers directly in front of your door, that's the main power of Ads.
It is not necessary to send offers or to contact potential clients.
Main thing in any business :
Never send offers to potential clients , let them come themselves.
When you are the first one who sends offer it looks like you don't have job and you are desperately seeking for job.
When you are the first one who asks for job ( with the worst scenario with offering of free test sample ) , you are not "the boss" in situation and in negotiation, you look just a guy who looks for job.
"The Boss" is someone who received your desperately email with free test sample .

But If your  potential customer is the first one who sends inquire for job, on that way you are "the boss" in situation and negotiation.
You are "the boss" with your rates and with your conditions in business.
That's the main difference.

I hope so that finally you understood how Ads work and why Ads exist.
Ads are professional way to bring real customers in front of your door , and your way with sending desperately offers around  with free test samples is not a professional way of doing business.

So, are you sure that those who need to advertise with Google ads or any other Ads is due to the fact that aren't getting enough clients?
Are you sure that you know that those who need to advertise don't already have a job, maybe a lot of job?

Ads cost , very often cost a lot,  and usually Ads can afford only those who have serious jobs .

Are you sure that you know how real business works ?