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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Starting a photography business these days is quite a challenge. It takes courage. You need to push yourself constantly to go out of your comfort zone and learn a whole pack of new things. While there are no shortcuts to success, there are accelerated ways. Read on to learn about one of them and build a photography business marketing plan Continue Reading
The post Create a Photography Business Marketing Plan in 3 Days (+ Save $ 30 Instantly) appeared first on Photodoto.
Photographers are turning to social media these days to try and get their names out there and reach their target audiences. Being active on social media is critically important for small businesses these days, but more traditional online marketing tactics, like email marketing, are still very useful. Ignoring email as a part of your marketing campaign could cost your photography Continue Reading
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After you have set up your business, made a business plan, created an attractive portfolio, and did a lot of other things, the most challenging part is still: “how to get clients”. What do you need to do to get the right people to see your website? How do you make them want to buy your services and products? These Continue Reading
The post Simple Yet Effective Marketing Efforts to Get New Clients (and Tools) appeared first on Photodoto.
Despite an emerging popularity of boudoir photography, there’s often certain confusion and misinterpretation surrounding this division of the photographic services causing many photographers to avoid it and thus, lose quite a profitable source of income. This post is going to help you define the specific nature of boudoir photography and suggest some best practices of boudoir photography marketing. The specifics Continue Reading
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While cinemagraphs are not exactly new, they are still great for advertising purposes because of their format: a GIF/video hybrid where an element of the still photo plays in never-ending loop, which results in constant motion. Created by visual artists Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg of Ann Street Studio, they can be a fun and creative way to give a Continue Reading
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Whether you already have clientele or are looking to build a client list, marketing is a never-ending task for photographers. You’ve already focused in on a target market (or two), but where to start? Are you unsure of how to get things started with a shoestring budget? Here are 10 low-cost marketing strategies for your photography business:
This biggest thing you can do to spread your name is to be out there. Finding events and activities where your target market may be is key. Meetup.com has a huge selection of groups that host events, many for no cost. While it can be overwhelming, and may take some trial and error, there are loads of opportunities on that site. Your local Chamber of Commerce also has events that are open to the public and offer networking time. They are ideal if you’re looking to connect with local small businesses that may need your services. If your target market is within a certain profession, you can look into professional organizations in your area. Most professions have local and national chapters that meet regularly, and most of these groups welcome guest speakers. Offer to speak to their members about what you do, and how it relates to their work. It’s a perfect opportunity to put yourself in front of potential clients at no cost but your preparation time.
Is there a cause that is close to your heart? How can your photo skills help them out? Maybe a local animal shelter could use professional photos of the animals to help them get adopted quickly. Maybe there is an organization that helps the homeless find work, and those folks could use headshots. Make it something that resonates with your cause, or with your target clientele.
Donated product photography for African refugee business owners
Often just telling people what you’re enthusiastic about will also get them excited and make them want to help you. By just letting people you know what you’re working on, and what you have planned, they will often make suggestions or give you leads. There’s no need to do a sales pitch to them; just tell them about your life and what you have going on.
We all have some sort of business card, so why not put a photo on there that will make people notice? It will give them something to “ooh and aah” over when they first get your card, and it will be a memorable card that they’ll recall easily.
Color photos on back side of business card
If you want to shoot large events, check local calendars or your convention center for what’s going on in your area. Contact these organizations and see if they have photography coverage booked. Sometimes all it takes is asking. Have you participated in a great event and want to be involved as a photographer? Ask them! Having someone help that has already been involved in the event will be a big bonus for them.
Write articles. Start a blog. Use Meetup.com to start a group and lead photo walks or workshops. Use social media to follow folks you admire, and connect with them. Interaction is key. If they post something of interest to you, thank them for it or ask a follow-up question. If you have a link (not necessarily your own) that relates to something they are speaking about, be a resource for them and share the link. By doing so, you build credibility and create a professional relationship, and will therefore be someone that comes to mind for future needs.
Passion is contagious and palpable. If you’re excited, others will get excited and will be more willing to help out in any way they can. It’s that simple.
The key word here is strategic. If you give away services that you would normally charge for, be sure that there is a reason for giving it away. For example, if you are looking to do more family portraits, offer a session to a well-connected friend with kids. Be sure that it’s someone who is active on social media so that they will share your work if they like it. Also, be sure to ask for a testimonial for your website.
A free sample session for marketing to families
Strategic partnerships are much better when you create something cool together that you can show off. Maybe you organize a styled wedding shoot with other wedding vendors (and then you can submit images for features in local wedding publications). For kids, maybe you put together an elaborate cake smash session with folks that do cakes, kids clothing, party decor. Not only do you have something beautiful to show from your collaboration, but these fellow vendors will be a great source for referrals as well.
Strategic collaboration with a food stylist and wine brand
You may have heard of giving incentives for referrals or to new clients, but how about giving incentives to your existing client base? If you do family sessions, you can send an email offering a small discount for booking their following year’s portrait session early. If you have wedding clients, touch base with them on their first anniversary, and then again at milestones to offer a discount for booking with you for updated portraits. If you’ve worked with a local business before, contact them periodically and offer a small discount to book for new product shots, new headshots, or photos of their new location. Be sure to put an expiration date on these discounts to encourage folks to book early.
One thing to keep in mind with any marketing tactic is that it will most likely not provide instant results, so you need to be patient and consistent. Only you can determine when it’s time to give up, and move on to something that will be a better fit for your business, but patience and consistency will help yield results.
What marketing strategies have you made that had great results? Do you have other ideas for free or low-cost marketing? Please share in the comments below.
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The post 10 Low-Cost Marketing Strategies for Your Photography Business by Natalia Robert appeared first on Digital Photography School.
A new platform called Defrozo has launched on Kickstarter. Currently in beta, it offers photographers online services needed to market and run a photography business, including an online store through which customers can purchase prints and a website to showcase one’s own work. When it fully launches in October, Defrozo will offer free and paid subscription options. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Pinterest has grabbed the attention of many social media marketers and for good reason. The image sharing site has gathered millions of fans since its debut two years ago. With Pinterest you can easily share photos you’ve found around the web and interact with people from all over the globe. I previously wrote on Photodoto about Pinterest photography boards worth Continue Reading
The post Photography Branding: Pinterest Marketing Guide for Newbies appeared first on Photodoto.
We here at Photodoto are excited to introduce you to our new awesome partner – Defrozo. Founded by Demetrio Fortman (the guy who also invented the mighty Moto CMS), Defrozo is the ultimate, online workspace enabling photographers to manage their workflow and business online, using a single login. Let’s take a closer look at this new player on the oh-so-crowded Continue Reading
The post Meet Defrozo, the Free Marketing Platform for Photographers appeared first on Photodoto.
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