If you're anything like I used to be, photography marketing ideas come few and far between. It's a struggle to compete in an industry with such stout competition and creative talent. Don't fret though, if you stick to your guns, follow through, and be consistent, you too can build your own photography empire.
1. Got Business Cards? - I sure hope so because you'll need to drop your business card off in as many places as you can think of. Some ideas are coffee shops, restaurants, local businesses, community message boards, and the like. As far as a marketing tool is concerned, a business card is one of the cheapest ways to blast your name out to prospects.
2. Make a list - If you haven't already done so, please open a database program of your choice (MS Excel for example) and start entering every single person you know. Copy your phone book, your myspace friends list, your blackberry, or whatever medium you currently use, into this database. Now call every single person and tell them that you're doing great and photography business is picking up. Ask if they know anyone looking to have photos taken.
3. Display your work - Many photographers are either too intimidated by showcasing their work, or they just don't know how simple it can be. Local businesses are constantly on the look out for traffic driving techniques. Ask a local coffee house if they'll sponsor an art exhibition and team up with a local painter or sculptor. This is a win-win, you get exposure and the possibility of selling some prints, and the business gets thirsty customers!
4. Decorate offices - Along the same lines as above, you could offer to furnish small local businesses with art for their walls. Feel free to price your prints and offer a commission to the business if one of your prints sells.
5. Piggyback marketing/Joint Ventures - Target specific companies and feed off of their client lists. If you're trying to break into the wedding photography business, team up with a wedding decorator and split the cost of the mailer. This benefits you by exposing your photography to their clients, who are obviously in need of your services.
6. Offer coupons - Who isn't a sucker for a sale? I've personally seen huge increases in business when I use the back of my cards as a coupon. This technique helps to keep your card hot and ready in a prospects hands rather than ending up in a trash can, and it also instills a little more value to the card.
7. Collect testimonials - After you've done a few photo gigs, solicit for testimonials by using a follow up survey. Disclose that some statements may be used as testimonials for marketing purposes. Then, follow through and USE THEM!
8. ASK for referrals - Every single client you shoot will probably know of at least one person that has mentioned at one time that they'd like some photos taken. Harness those leads by asking every client to write down three of their closest friends names and phone numbers. Then, call them and let them know that you and "Mary" had a great photoshoot and she recommended they give you a try.
9. Write for clients - Start a newsletter for clients. This is a powerful tool that few photographers actually use. A newsletter can be used to update clients and prospects on local issues and things that you'll be involved in, like....
10. Help Charities - Organize, or help promote events for local charities. Even offer to shoot the event for free and use it in your portfolio. The exposure that you'll receive with these events can be nothing but positive. Don't spend much time "marketing" concentrate on what you're there to do and build relationships. About the only thing that you need to accomplish for your own business is to capture the contact information of as many people as you can. Feel free to pass out business cards, so long as you're discreet about it.
11. Get Involved - Get involved with local networking groups and/or student organizations. Offer discounted services to shoot their events and use the referral trick from number 8 to help harvest leads from this healthy prospect source.
12. Hold photo classes - Know more about photography that most newbies? Then you know enough about photography to teach a small class. A popular class that I like to teach is Real Estate Photography Basics. I teach it as an hour long class and offer it for free to real estate agencies around town. Realtors love it, and I gain an element of expertise in the industry. You're probably wondering how that generates business for me though. More times that not, an agent will call me after being frustrated in not getting the results they want, at that point I'm a shoe in. It's important to note that you shouldn't be selling your services in a direct manner in these classes, instead offer subtle tips and just pass out a credential page with your information on it.
13. Give a seminar - This is the same basic principle as holding a photo class, the difference is that you can offer it to a wider variety of people and talk on about any subject you'd like. Also, selling is more accepted in a seminar format than an education format, especially if it's free. Your target market should be someone that is interested in your service i.e. for aspiring models you could hold a posing seminar and offer headshots on location!
14. Use the web - The all mighty Internet. This could turn into an entire article in its self, but the basics are this: Post on free classified ad sites, social networking sites, and blogs that target your specific demographic. Use mediums like myspace, facebook, youtube, flickr, pbase, etc. to build an on line presence. Start a website with your portfolio and promote that with your offline marketing efforts as well.
15. Offer incentives - When all else fails, use incentives. What types of incentives? Coupons and Referral bonuses (when a clients referral comes in give the referrer a free 8X10 print or something).
That's just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to great photography marketing ideas. Armed with this knowledge alone could drastically improve your photography business. But why stop there?
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