1. Have a 30 second elevator speech - think of it as your 30-second commercial for example what do you tell someone who asks what do in 30 seconds or less? Example of a good elevator speech could be, "I'm a wedding photographer who specializes in destination weddings" -or- "I'm a travel photographer who specializes in island paradises and exotic locations". The key here is never to just say, "I'm a photographer". Tell curious inquires what kind of photography you do or your specialty and most importantly your ideal client or who you cater too.
2. Under promise and over deliver - never promise anything that you aren't absolutely certain you can make good on. But think of ways you can make your clients experience extraordinary, something that they could really use but wouldn't typically expect to receive. This is a great way to out shine your competitors.
3. Use photo competitions as a marketing tool - Anything that you can do to do your name out in front of people you should jump on. Photo competitions are not the sole domain of fine art photographers, commercial photographers can profit greatly from participation in competitions. Competitions can expose your work to new potential clients whether your win or not.
4. Make marketing a habit - Marketing in whatever form you take will only improve more you commit to it. The key here is not to wait until you've "figured it all out". You won't know what will or won't work for your particular business until you commit to doing something. Starting today make a commitment to consistently market your work and services as much a habit as learning about lighting and camera equipment and you can't help but notice an increase in your income.
5. Bill board yourself - I don't mean leasing out roadside billboard space but I'm not ruling it out either. No, I mean not being shy about placing signage on your car; you can do this on the side doors and on the window in the back. Bumpers are generally too low. Your signage should be in places that are easily seen by other drivers.
Think about it, your car is often times more seen than you. Placing signage on it can be great and inexpensive tool to promote your photography services 24-hours a day, whether parked at a shopping mall, on the freeway, or just tooling about town. Consider hiring a graphic designer to create a nice logo for you and be sure to use your 30-second elevator speech from the first tip in this article as your slogan and you're good to go.
Check with your local printer to find out the best places to get your signage created and applied. In addition you could possibly write off part of your automobiles expenses off your taxes because it is a marketing vehicle "literally", but check with your accountant to be certain.
No comments:
Post a Comment