Spreading the word...how do people find your business?

[Christie Photo]

OK... these were part of my bank display. Now, go easy on me... this was some time ago (more than 15 years) and the work looks pretty dated. Check out the hair! I think there were 10 prints in all for this display.

 

[Sharkbait]

Love the 80s look!! Rockin'!

 

[JodieO]

HOw do people find my business?

Website and word-of-mouth. I do a few art shows here and there but what I mentioned first is the ultimate

 

[bethany138]

Why don't you move this over to the business forum?

 

[Alison]

Why don't you move this over to the business forum?

I plan on doing that this weekend, along with any other business related topics from this forum.

 

[ZyxKor]

While I'm new to photography I'm not new to business. Some advice is to contact SCORE (http://www.score.org/) or your local SBA (www.sba.gov). Ask them for help with marketing issues. I think that's key to what most of what you guys need. In business it's called the "technician's problem" - You have a great product but no one knows about it. Both SCORE and the SBA will be able to help with free or low cost marketing classes or to help recommend other avenues to help you out.

Here's a free thing from SCORE about promoting businesses:
http://www.va-interactive.com/score/promotingbusiness/promotingbusiness.html


Also there is one author that I recommend to people: Jeffery Gitomer. He offers a free weekly email with ideas as well as several books that are great. I highly recommend "The Sales Bible". [SIZE=-1]www.gitomer.com


Just remember that you are running a business, businesses are about making money and without money there is no business. Get in that mindset. Seperate your hobby/art from the business.
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[DeepSpring]

Can I ask what about someone who isn't trying to do event or portrait photography so much but more just trying to sell prints?

 

[David]

Most of my enquiries are from word of mouth, and I like it that way, but I too recently tried something like Pete (Christie Photo) suggested. I spent some time taking photos of the local area, some quite common views and other more unique images. I then created an album from these images and went round the local area offering them at no cost in frames, with the understanding that there would be details of me and my website on the mount in small lettering.

As a result I now have seven images in two local businesses and a restaurant, and have also approached a local hotel which I happened to notice was in the process of refurbishing. I am hoping to provide images for several of the bedrooms, and some communal areas. As yet no enquiries or referrals from them, but it's not costing me anything other than the price of a few frames as I mount all the work myself.

As Pete said, I was surprised at how easy it was to find interested parties, but keep your eye out for new businesses and restaurants, or those being refurbished.

DeepSpring, the principles behind this are sound whatever you're trying to achieve. The restaurant in which I have three images were happy to have a card with them stating something to effect of, "To purchase this image or other's like it, please contact......" Each of the three I have up has a price with it, and the restaurant have agreed that if necessary they'll take the money and pass it on. This can work for unique images or a run of prints. I decided to try this tack because I saw a restaurant doing something similar whilst on holiday, and noticed over the two weeks several images being taken down and replaced.

I am now considering taking this a step further and approaching businesses with a portfolio showing images that I've taken, across a range of subjects, and offering to provide them with new images, commissioned by them, to hang on their walls. Whether they choose to purchase them from me, or I provide them for free, subject to having a small advertising blurb on each, it matters not. Definitely cheaper than renting gallery space.

David

 

[Amper]

I have not done done this myself, as I'm not up to that standard yet, but I've seen photographers who good to great business out of photographing businesses and surrounding areas or connected themes (especially local ones) and then framing it and giving it to the bussiness. The places love having it and often want to purchase more shoots for everything from establishment display to website images. And I know one lady who took photos of our historical areas and donated them to the museum. Now she's getting paid for their use on greeting cards, post cards etc. Just what I've seen that works for those who prefer landscape, architecture and nature. Thought it might be useful. And I've thought about donating photos of pets to local grooming, training and vet facilities. (Once I'm more experienced)

 

[Alpha]

My forte is search engine optimization. Nuff said.

 

[Normann Photo]

The biggest challenge for photographers is managing their business. That's where we get the term "starving artist." I graduated with my degree in Business and my minor in Art just so I would know first off how to be profitable. If you have any chances to take marketing classes directed for the photography industry... Take it! The #1 marketing tool is the business card! Regardless of industry this is true. I go through about 1,000/year. Focus on making one that is really good and professional. Don't print them yourself on your own printer. The second thing I recommend is offer free sitting fees for babies 2 weeks old and younger. This is how you build a relationship and get them back. Families don't spend a lot of money on children's portraits once they are getting them done in school. Because word of mouth is one of the best (and cheapest) marketing tools, make sure EVERY customer is 100% satisfied. You need to exceed their expectations when starting and one of the best ways to do that is give them a little something extra, something free such as a simple DVD slideshow from their shoot. The funny thing is that you can typically get more work by not being the cheapest but rather charge enough to make a modest amount. You need to keep the perceived value of your work high and your expenses low. Sorry for the long post but I love business.

 

[fluidphoto]

I am a retouching studio, any idea's for promoting this

 

[Normann Photo]

To market your services as a retouching studio your cliants are 95% of the time going to be photographers or business, So you are looking at business to business sales which have to me treated differently than dealing with the general public. When dealing with business they tend to mark up all of their costs by double, (this is called keystone retailing.) You need to keep your prices in a range that you can be profitable yourself and still be competative. As far as gaining cliants I would recomend marketing directly to photographers or professional photo finishing labs. You can access them through different trade organizations and trade shows. To extend your cliant base you will need FTP or some sort of order submision on your website for clients to send in files to be worked on. Turn around has to be fast so mailing files back and forth won't work. I hope this is of some help.
Matt

 

[skieur]

I am a retouching studio, any idea's for promoting this

Before and after shots, even if they are humourous and extreme, will display your talent and be memorable.

I remember one example where a heavy lady was changed into super model. Almost all viewers realized it was not to be taken seriously, but it still generated a lot of "visibility" and work for the retoucher.

Emphasize also, that there are none of the problems such as picture noise, artifacts, colour loss etc. that go along with amateur retouching using PhotoShop.

skieur

 

[GabrielVillnius]

It's been my experience in the photography industry that most photographers are looking for one the major way to market their studiosand are not realizing that it takes multiple means, in order to be successful.



The best ways that I've found to market a portrait and wedding studio are:

Exhibits and display is in your community. This is such a powerful means of marketing your studio. By having multiple exhibits and displays throughout your community people see you just about everywhere, and it is a sense of community involvement.

A web site designed to capture names and e-mail addresses. This puts the responsibility of continued contact on you, instead of your prospect. This is so important because we want to make sure it's up to us to continue contact, rather than waiting for the prospect to contact us. Life gets busy, and our prospects have many things going on in their lives, so the more we can take the initiative to contact them as follow-ups, the better off we are.

The use of powerful testimonials throughout all marketing. I've found that people tend to respond to testimonials much stronger than anything we would say about ourselves. It lends a level of credibility to what we say, and people are always wondering what others think of us and our work. In my opinion, most photographers under use testimonials.

Multi-step marketing. The old idea of sending out one the marketing piece and having that do the job is an old-fashioned way of thinking. I have found that doing multi-step marketing can be so much more effective, because you get people to take action better. When using multiple steps. There are many people who may not respond to the first mailing, but may respond to the second or third. We don't want to lose those people as clients, by not properly following up with them.

OK, that's all for now. Let the feedback fly!