Question: How is digital scrapbooking going to affect actual scrapbooking in terms of sales and product, as well as scrapbooking for hire?

Today technology is constantly improving and changing. For example, each year computers get faster, more memory, better processors and more advanced. You purchase a new top of line laptop and within months a faster and more advanced one is now available. With this said, I do believe digital scrapbooking will continue to gain momentum and popularity. As a traditional scrapbooker you have to cater to your customers and their needs.

Why is Walmart forcing others out of business? Walmart offers convenience, lower prices and one stop shopping. Why go the grocery store, clothing store and craft store when you can get it all in one place? Digital scrapbooking offers convenience and affordability as well. With the ability to reuse digital papers and elements, pricing is more affordable. However, scrapbooking is always changing with fads and new items. Therefore, digital scrapbookers will continue to purchase more and more. So what can you offer your customers in the form of conveniece and affordability? Conveniece in that you are scrapbooking their cherished memories for them. Affordability, may take some creativity. Try purchasing wholesale or using sketches to save time and therefore your hourly pay.

Digital photobooks are rising in popularity with the ease of inserting photos in pre-made templates. I find these to be more coffee table books or even like yearbooks. These are great for those lacking creativity, they just want their photos beautifully displayed quick and easy. Of course, as a traditional scrapbooker, you can offer the same service. You may need to rethink your business and goals to find ways to create albums quicker and less expensively as mentioned above.

While digital scrapbooking layouts are just as beautiful and with creative use of shadows and other techniques, provides the appearance of depth. However,the fact remains that the layout is still ultimately flat. Traditional scrapbooking offers dimension, texture and that “touchability”. The handmade touch provides uniqueness.

Do you know a hard-to-buy for person? In America today, if we need or want something, we buy it. Gone are the days of saving up or wishing for one thing at Christmas. Now we don’t know what to get our children or loved ones because they have everything they need. A handmade scrapbook is unique and memorable. That hard to buy person would cherish a handmade item that is preserving their memories. A handmade album means it was created especially for them.

If you are looking to the future, our children are tech-savvy. My 12 year old can swap out a hard drive and is my go to person when I can’t work the tv, my cell phone or digital camera. However, there is a still a chunk of the population that are computer illiterate and even afraid of technology (the unknown). They still appreciate the hard work gone into a hand made item. With that said, with technology and therefore digital scrapbooking increasing in popularity, traditional scrapbooking still has its place.

It might behoove you, as a scrapbooker for hire, to learn digital scrapbooking. If you are in business for long-term profits, you have to be willing to change and grow your knowledge along with offering more options. In conclusion, digital scrapbooking is affecting traditional scrapbooking. However, you can still be profitable by providing a unique service that is affordable, convenient and meets the demands of your customers.

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