Upon setting up your work scheme, it’s time to consider the best way to promote and sell your business and work. Advertising is an important aspect of any business and is responsible for generating profits for your business. Aside from advertising, you also have to place importance on building your reputation as well as researching and finding possible clients for your business. You have to allot time and energy at the beginning to market and get the word out about your business.
A proper market strategy is needed to know your main objectives to create facts about your specific target market. These include market size, sales potential, assessment of your competition, information on available competitive pricing and market practices.
To cite an example, your specialty might be nature and wildlife photography. This means your client base may consist of art directors and picture editors of travel magazines, nature magazines, basically anything related to clients who require these types of content. Start by creating a list of potential clients with this precise need and decide their levels of demand.
Create a portfolio of your best work. It must cover the full range of your expertise and showcase your talent and versatility in your field. This will be the best example of your work for future clients and will be the deciding factor as to whether or not they will hire you.
Public relations and promotional strategies work hand in hand with any budding photography business. You can organize press releases to herald any significant achievement you have accomplished in your related field. Take full advantage of social network media such as Facebook or Twitter to do some self-promotion. Create a Facebook page where a large number of people can be updated about your business all at once. It would also be a great way for you to get feedback and support from your ‘followers.’
Socialize and create a network with buyers, existing clients and potential clients. You can even offer the use of your work to any local benefit for charity or non-profit organizations. Even offer your services to teach photography short courses or tutorials to get your name out in the community.
Another great way to increase publicity for your work is to give out prints of some of your images to galleries and museums. Also try to have a local establishment display your work such as a lobby or a waiting area as this would be beneficial in showcasing your talent to attract likely clients.
If your budget allows it, you can also use various advertising media to market your business. You can try direct marketing, brochures, sponsorship and the like. This way you can reach a lot more prospective clients.
But there’s no better way to promote your business than by good old fashioned word of mouth. It’s the kind of advertising that achieves far better results in building a loyal client base based on your work. It assures you that all your clients who have spread the news of your business are satisfied customers and they freely recommend you to their friends and family. This is the most effective way of spreading the word.
Tags: marketing photography business, marketing tips photography, photo business tips
1. Get your gear – the tools of your trade will always depend on your budget, amount of space available, and the types of photographs you plan to specialize in or what your clients may require from you to take. It would be wise to start cataloging your work as soon as possible before it gets to be too much for you to handle, and do the same for all your equipment. It will take you at least a year for you to complete all the gear or equipment requirements you’ll need such as lenses, tripods, filters, flash, stands, etc. Try to minimize your purchases by determining the essentials before the luxuries such as expensive equipment you will hardly ever use during your photo shoots. Also try to make use of what office equipment you already have such as a computer, fax machine, scanner, printer and furniture. What you save on what you already have can go towards funding the expenses needed for more photography equipment.
force that will keep making your customers come back. This will also make it easier for you in the future since you might be given discounts if you patronize their services on a regular basis. In the beginning of your business, first impressions often last. Good and reliable suppliers will help keep your standards high and you will never compromise your work.
