Mockup Magic with Katie Brockmeyer

Kirsten 0:00

you're listening to the creative teacher podcast, a show for busy teachers looking for ways to engage, inspire and make an impact in their teacher businesses. I'm Kiersten, a teacher business owner who is all about simple and actionable tips, strategies and resources that result in wins, big or small. If you're looking for that extra spark of creativity, you've come to the right place. Let's dive in together.

Hey there and welcome to another episode of the creative teacher podcast. Today's episode is really special because we've got a guest. And her name is Katie brockmeyer, you may have heard this name around the TPT space, because she offers awesome product photography and mock ups in her TPT store and on our website and services. So I wanted to have her on the podcast to talk a little bit about mock ups and why they're so beneficial. And a lot of great tips are shared throughout the interview. So I cannot wait for you to listen. All right, we've got a special guest on the podcast. This is Katie brockmeyer.

Katie 2:21

Hello. So excited to be here.

Kirsten 2:23

Yes, I'm excited to have you. So tell us about a little bit about yourself and what you did in the classroom and kind of what you're doing now, in the present day.

Katie 2:36

rgarten. And so in January of: 2021

Kirsten 4:09

year that you're referring to: 2020

Katie 4:34

they were face to face the entire time but we were masked up and we were distanced and I honestly just found it extremely challenging where it was like our district was like, Well, you have to be doing small groups. You have to be meeting with kids but also don't meet with kids for too long because you can't be around more than like so many minutes. Like if they got sick, you know, and they were out I was like trying to teach like I would bring my home computer and like get on zoom so that I could teach them but also still teach from like my work computer. I was like that, like it was just, it was very difficult, but also doing all of it in a mask, you know? Yes, it was so hard.

Kirsten 5:14

Very challenging time. Yeah, for sure. But I love how, like you kind of took, you know, the, I guess there were negative aspects of what was going on with teaching. But you were able to find something that you are good at and enjoy, and kind of able to transition out of the classroom into what you're doing today, which is creating product photography, and all of that kind of stuff. So that's really cool. How, you know, even though it started as like, a bad thing, like I gotta get out of here, but it kind of ended up better in the long run, I'm assuming.

Katie 5:49

Yeah, so and I do I do product photography, I do videography. And then I also sell mockups for sellers. But I do feel like I do have a little bit of an advantage because I did already have a love for photography and already knew how to work a camera. And that's actually what a lot of those people who are coaching people to, you know, maybe leave the classroom to do something else they they say, you find something that you're already good at, and then build on it from there. And I was like, Okay, well, I wasn't sure that I actually wanted to do photography. But then I was like, Well, I'm already good at it. Let me just give it a go. And yeah, turns out I love it.

Kirsten 6:23

So yes, and you do a very great job at it, too.

Katie 6:27

Thank you.

Kirsten 6:29

So today's topic, we're mainly focusing on markup, and all of that stuff that good stuff with that comes with markups. So I know that you create a lot of mock ups for teacher sellers. But just go in and talk about what mock ups are. For those who may not know, the beauty of mock ups, the awesomeness of mock ups and all that stuff.

Katie 6:54

Okay, yeah, so mock ups in the TPT space. I mean, there's, first off, there's a lot of different types of mock ups. If you just Google like a mock up, you're gonna see that people use mock ups in multiple facets of business. So I'm talking specifically about mock ups in the TPT space. Essentially, what it is, is it's a fake product photo. So it's like, I'm going to take a product photo, except there's no product there. So I've staged a photo essentially, with no product on it. And it allows a seller to insert screenshots of their product onto the photo to create an image that they can use for marketing. So it's basically a staged image where they can place screenshots on. And there's a few different types of mock ups. So what I like to specialize in are just what I'm going to call realistic mock ups. It's an actual photo. Some people like to sell mock ups that are what I call like a digital mock up where they've found digital items, and they've pieced them together to make an image. And then there are some people who also sell movable pieces. Like I know, one of my dear friends, Kelly Harville, she does a lot of movable pieces. And that's so great. Because I that's just not something that I specialize in. And I do have a lot of people that ask for it. And I'm like, it's just not my thing, right? I'm gonna make this kind. And I love that. There's different people that offer the different types of mockups. So, yes, yeah, a few different types like realistic digital, movable pieces. Those are a lot of what I'm seeing out there.

Kirsten 8:31

And it's great to kind of have options for sellers. Like two years ago, this was not even like nearly as prevalent as it is now.

Katie 8:42

What's really cool is we actually Kelly and I have seen a lot of people using both her products and my product. So they'll use mine for the photo, but then they'll put like some of her, you know, movable hands or whatever on the photo. And I'm like, that's perfect. Yes. Can you get us the best of both worlds?

Kirsten 8:56

So right, and it kind of gets a mix your out like your mock up turns out to be unique in some way if you're combining different things. So yes, definitely. I'll make sure also the link because I know some people are if they like movable pieces, I'll make sure to link. Kelly Harvey sells what she sells as

Katie 9:14

a store. Yeah, yeah. She's got some great she has some great stuff too. But like the benefits of mockups, I mean, honestly, I never want to push people this way. Because I do offer product photography, but mockups save you so much time and money, like those are the two huge benefits of using mockups. So I know that a lot of sellers, they may not have the time or the materials to photograph their own resources, right. So like, you know, we can always get the best lighting so I have to use artificial lighting in addition to natural lighting and I have a nice camera and I have all the props, but some people may not have all that handy in order to get the photos done themselves. And then also the time a lot of People think like, Oh, I'm just gonna whip it out and take a few photos. But it takes harder than it seems. It's harder than it seems. Right? Yeah. So yeah, so time and money. And then also, I know that a lot of newer sellers, they maybe haven't gotten to a place where they feel like they can afford to pay someone to do product photography. And I shouldn't even say just newer sellers, like, there are some sellers who that's just not an expense that's in their budget, and that's okay. But mock ups allow you to immediately create photos of your product. So like, you don't have to wait, you don't have to set anything up, you just have to do a little bit of work on the computer and right, but, I mean, I think just knowing that it saves you a lot of time in that aspect is really beneficial. And then as far as cost, there's a couple of different things like I've charged right now, of course, my prices will probably change. But as of right now, like I charge $125, just to photograph one resource, but you can buy a set of mock ups for like 10 bucks. Right and, and use them on multiple products. So not just like one product. So it really is cost efficient.

Kirsten: 11:09

Yes, that's that's one of the definitely one of the things because I mean, I am not going to say I'm like the best photographer, that's not my skill. That's not my expertise. And so like sometimes when I'm like, I really need to update this resource, but I'm not going to like print out and take photos and all of that. So being able to use mockups is a really great fast way to update your product and make it look marketable and make it look, you know a lot better than if I were to just try to take a few pictures and try to edit it and take it's just so much it's less time, it's more convenient. And it is a lot more, you know, less expensive to have to do that. So, yeah, for sure. So what are some faux pas or things to avoid when we're trying to find or use mock ups? Because I will, I don't want to say that there's like a wrong way to have a mock up. But what are some, you know, common, I guess, misguided steps people might take? Maybe like when they're just starting off? Or, you know, just, you know, that kind of thing.

Katie: 12:20

Okay, yeah. So a couple of things that I've noticed, that I think our best to just be careful of is the number one thing is probably I would say like your sizing, this the scale of the objects that you're placing on the photo, sometimes I'll see people put a screenshot of their paper, but the paper is larger than the materials in the photos. So for example, if I have like markers laying around, but the paper is like, you can just tell the, the scales off, right? Sometimes perspective, like, depending some people might think, Oh, well, if I tilt this or do that, and you can change the perspective, I think those things, you just have to be careful of like, you want it to look natural to the eyes. So like, lay your stuff out, but then, you know, step away from it and go back and look at it and do something that seemed off to you. Because I think that that's how we can catch like, oh, that paper looks really big compared to the hand or, you know, whatever is on the photo. And then the other thing that I noticed is that people sometimes overdo it. So I've seen people that are that will layer multiple parts of their product. And it's so busy, right? So I've seen like an iPad, and multiple sheets and some task cards and all in one image. And it's like that might be a little too much. It can just kind of be overstimulating. So those are the two things that I would say, just to be careful of. And then, as far as like creating mock ups for your store, I think or like using mock ups for your store. I've noticed some people trying to use mock ups as their cover image, which let's I mean, let's be honest, the mock ups look great, and they are eye catching. But I don't know that actually mock ups for the covers are the best use for them, if I'm being honest, and I would love to hear your thoughts on that too. But I feel like the mock ups are best used for the thumbnails after the cover. And then also in the preview, because the cover needs to have information on it like the title and, you know, I think that can take up space. And so then the mock up can end up being kind of small, and I just see, I don't know, I just think that they're better used. Maybe females are previews.

Kirsten: 14:37

I definitely would agree on that as far as like the covers because, you know, I've tried using a couple of mock ups. And really I'm trying to highlight the title like I want it that's really the forefront as well as a couple of pages. So usually I ended up cropping a lot of the mock up out so you can't even really see the whole photo. So In my opinion, I would agree with you as far as like, have a couple of screenshots on your cover and maybe like, show a little bit of the mock up. But as far as like having the whole photo featured with pencils and the crayons and the, you know, markers and all of that, it's kind of hard, it kind of makes it look the cover a little bit busier. And it kind of detracts away from like, what you're actually what you know, what the actual product is, and the title of the product. Exactly, yeah. And I was actually just updating, like, one of my resources with some of your mockups. And I was like thinking like, you can't even really see this mock up anyway, you know, because I had chromed it so much, but at least, you know, like, so that's something to consider as well, as far as you know, not overdoing it on the mockups, and even having like, that's why I really like your mock ups and Kelly's mock ups, as far as like, it's very simplistic. Like, it's not super busy. You know, there are some mock ups that are like, there's pencils ever, it's like, you know, are you really going to have all those pencils and paper with your one piece of paper? If that makes sense.

Katie: 16:09

That's actually I mean, that's funny that you said that, because I'm considering maybe doing a course one day about product photography, but that's one of the tips is that think about what's actually going to be there, you know, like in front of a student and that sheet there? Like, are you really going to have all those things? Are you really going to have those paper clips in those push pins in this, like, just bring it in a little and make the focus on the product? And so I yeah, I agree, sometimes they it can be too much going on. But, um, but yes, that's I was gonna say just really, those are the things that I've noticed, as far as just being careful of is just going to be like that sizing and perspective. Not overlaying too much of your product in one image. And then also, maybe not using mock ups all the time for covers and just using them for the thumbnails. And then like the previews,

Kirsten: 17:01

great tips, any additional tips to like stage and create mock ups for even not just TPT, but like, maybe social media, or even you know, like, when you have some images that you want to put in your email? What are some tips on that? So like, I guess, with not only your product listings, but also like as you're marketing your resources with social media or ads and stuff like that.

Katie: 17:28

So I like I do have outside of mock ups, I have things called stock photos, which I know a lot of people can purchase on like different stock photo websites. I think that stock photos are really great to use for social media, and then also emails and blogs, or you know, just on your website, where maybe it's just eye catching is attractive, it matches your brand, it kind of all like ties everything together. I love stock photos for that reason. But I also think you can even use mockups for social media. And I do I actually had people ask all the time, like, Oh, do you offer that in a reals size or like, you know, or story size. And I don't, you can just alter the size, you know, you can zoom in. And I've seen people use them not to necessarily showcase a product, but like, make their to do list and share it in their story for the day or just lists and bullet points on like one of my clipboard mockups like lists and bullet points and put that as a post on social media. It doesn't always have to be featuring a product unnecessarily. So I don't know, I like them, because I think they can be used for multiple things, not just for products.

Kirsten: 18:40

Yeah, I would definitely agree that they're very versatile. So I like I mean, I of course, as you know, I use your mock ups a lot in a lot of different ways. And like on my website, I'll have it as a background, and I'll have something, you know, some text over it. So yeah, it's really mock ups can be used not just for TPT products, but for like pretty much any part of your business that requires a visual look. So that's why I say mock ups are magical.

Katie: 19:12

They really are and they can't they like you said it doesn't have to be your product. So I'm just thinking, even if I was just the VA and didn't have a TPT store, but I say just a VA sorry if I was a VA only. And I was offering a service like you can still use mock ups and stock photos in in all of your areas of your business as well. So it doesn't have to just be for if you're selling a product, but

Kirsten: 19:36

yes, of course. Definitely. Well, this was really great to hear from you as far as like some tips on mock ups and why they're so beneficial. Hopefully, if you haven't started mockups, this will help you like get started because it's awesome. But where can we learn more information about mockups and and even product photography from you.

Katie: 20:02

Yeah, so listeners can join my email list. From my website. It's www dot Kati brockmeyer.com. And then there's like a little pop up where you can join my email list. I offer freebies in my to my email list, and I also offer freebies that are exclusive to my email list. So not just freebies that I have listed on TPT. But freebies, specifically for my email list is just like a thank you for being you know, a follower. Also, I like to send out information I usually do like a product update once a month. But I also like this past summer, I did a series I did a two week long series where I shared information about how to use mock ups mostly through Canva. But how to use mock ups and and did little videos each day. And so I love to share tips and tricks. For my email list as well. Instagram is the same. It's Katy brockmeyer creative and that's also the same as my TPT store, which is Katy brockmeyer creatives. So awesome.

Kirsten: 21:04

Well, thank you for being a guest here on the show.

Katie: 21:08

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I love your podcast. And so I was so excited when he asked me to come on and share some tips. So yeah, that's good to hear.

Kirsten: 21:31

Thanks for tuning in to the creative teacher podcast. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review. I'd love to hear your feedback. You can also find me on Instagram at the southern teach. I cannot wait for you to join me in the next episode for more tips and inspiration. Have an amazing day.