JOURNALISM VS BLOGGING
journalism vs Blogging
Guide to free marketing of Photographers
All companies say their friends and family are the first step to infamy, and this is no different. Everyone knows someone and that someone may know a friend or colleague who needs a photographer. It's called networking. We would all like to have a friend who knows a plumber, especially when his radiator spring a leak. It's the same when someone is engaged, or when they have a baby or any occasion where you need a photographer. First ask your friends ... "Do you know a photographer?".
Free Advertising
Recommendation is the best form of free advertising (and flattery), but must first have a lot of people who know you as a photographer. You must begin to roll the ball into net counting all who know you are a photographer, and are available for rent. Talk is cheap, so talkative.
Monkey See Monkey Do
Telling people you are a photographer is one thing, but was not convinced until they see their work, which is fine if in the next street, or nearby. You can take your wallet and show them. However, is much better (and more convenient) if you just can tell looking at your site. This instantly gives you additional credibility, and a means to provide all information potential customers need. Only serious photographers have a website, so if you have one, you should take their job seriously. This is the impression a good website that will give your potential customers, so your portfolio on display in a good quality website.
For your portfolio on-line
Get a website is easy but getting a good one is the primary key. You need a website that is low cost but comprehensive, so you can grow with your business. You do not want a cheap place that has a limited capacity, limited pages or limited features. This will only stunt the growth of its business as you ago, forcing it to start all again after you "overcome" their website.
The system provided by the website Click-IT target = "_blank" title = "www.photographers-portfolio.co.uk"> www.photographers-portfolio.co.uk will give you a professional website with all the services they need during the short as £ 49 per year or unlimited web space (and features) for only £ 149 per year.
Remember, your website is your shop window and "exhibition gallery. A cheap looking website or poor quality photographer will suggest a cheap and miserable, and win a few friends and fewer customers. Remember, the three most important considerations when choosing and creating your website are, presentation, presentation and filing!
Expand your horizons
Once you've exhausted your friends and family contacts, needs to broaden its horizons to attract more business. Marketing is all about quantity. The largest number who see their work, the more chance they have of getting new business regular. Given that television advertising is out of the question, we must seek other (and much cheaper, ie free) forms of advertising.
SEO - Web Marketing
Needless to say, if you have a website, then you have the potential to generate free publicity to get registered in a search page of the main engines. If you do not know anyone who is a photographer then The first step is often seek in Google (which have more than 80% of the market for search engines, so Google is king).
You could do this if you know how to optimize your website, or if your web agency will do it for you. This issue is so specialized that many web agencies charge good Money to optimize your site web, and rarely included in the price of standard web hosting. Click-IT are the exception, and they will help you optimize your website for best opportunity to appear on a page of Google, all included in the annual hosting fee. That is worth more than its share of housing alone, so this is a bonus mass.
Negotiate & Appreciate
Once you have acquired good search results on Google that should start generating demand for information their visitors, so make sure that follow-up immediately and be prepared to negotiate on their prices and tariffs. Everyone likes to receive good treatment, especially more these days. Many retailers would never sell a sausage unless they have a sale. Can you imagine if you buy a sofa at the full price of certain establishments advertised on television?
It is always a good idea to offer a discount if they spend more than a certain number of print orders. This will encouraged to pick up more orders from family and friends to ensure that they qualify for the discount. If only they offered a free 10x8 print with each order, then that is exactly what you get. A basic low-end value with a request to free writing.
A low seating position
There are many well-known studies portrait sessions that offer very cheap (around £ 25) to attracting new business, then charge for prints fantastic prices and credit usage options payment (and difficult to sell) to buy the most expensive printing options available. The logic is sound common sense. If you charge a fee to be expensive, then there is always a perceived risk that the photos can not be as good as the customer was waiting, and will not be too pleased after spending so much Money and get a poor result. But if you only have to pay £ 25 for the session, then there is no great loss if you are dissatisfied with the shooting. There are never guarantees with picture, so that people can be nervous if you charge a fee expensive session.
Snob Appeal
If you are a well known photographer with a large national reputation, then the opposite is often true. Phenomenal prices they can charge and still get the job. This is because high value is always associated with high price, and some people even get discouraged if their rates were reduced. Strange, but true.
If Aston Martin never reduced their car prices to the price of a average family car, not celebrity (or soccer) will buy more. It is a good place to be, but if you're a relatively unknown photographer, then you have Be prepared to negotiate the price.
Building relationships
Remember when I said .. on the principle "everything about their systems? Well, now is the time to do some more networking with other companies that have a "service connected" to his. Everyone in business is doing just like you, looking for more business. So if you can help them be happy to help.
For example, when a couple decides to marry will approach many different services and providers (besides you, as photographer) ...
- Rental Wedding Dress
- Hotels and Restaurants for the reception
- Limousine Hire
- Wedding Cake Specialists
- Catering
- Stationery for invitations
- Shop for bouquets flowers
- Videographers
- Hairdressers
- Beauticians
- Etc etc
If you have a portfolio of wedding photographs (in his book and on its website), then in contact with all suppliers and local services that deal with weddings and arrange to visit them to show their work.
The treatment offered to them is double sided. You say you will pass your contact details to their customers in return for them to pass their contact details to their customers. They, of course, want to be sure that their work is of high enough quality before it is offered to recommend.
Order Back Links
Before visiting to check whether you have a website, and if you have included all the links with other providers. If they do then remember to ask them if they will add a link to your website. This is called a "link back", and is very valuable to you in building your "page rank in Google. This is the level of the importance of your site achieves in terms of number of other websites (for a related service) who link to you. If you are willing, even if nothing else, then it will be worth the visit.
Alternative
You may be asked to respond and add a link to your site on yours. This is called a "reciprocal link" (a two-way link). These are not as valuable as links back, but we do not accept their offer and be sure to make a link to your website (to implement the agreement).
Once you've established a relationship with these suppliers to ensure that actually pass your details to anyone who may be interested, and then (very important), the provider will send an email with contact details. This sets it was you who made the recommendation in case the customer forgets to mention his name. It also gives the provider a qualified lead they can follow up. Soon will thank you for it, ensuring that their data is passed to customers.
'Take one' Brochures
If you can afford 100 x 210mm double sided printed brochures, then these are an essential tool of low cost that can help spread the word through their newly established business relationships. Just add a couple of his stunning photographs in front and your contact information and the types of shows on the back. Then get a few take plexiglass price one "boxes (available in any store installers) and put them in counters and waiting rooms of suppliers. Your visitors can not give a" home to show your partner. This method produces better results than spamming because people only showing an interest 'Take one'.
Review of relations
This works on two levels. That gives your customers something to take with them, with all its data, plus it gives you an excuse to return suppliers on a regular basis to "fill" the boxes, which keeps you fresh in their memory. Otherwise They may forget you and then forget to recommend their services. Do not expect (or ask) to fill the boxes for you. This is something you should do for you to ensure a correct and boxes are clearly visible. Leave them and that can ensure that the finished boxes under the counter or tossed in the back.
This is called 'merchandising'. All chocolate manufacturers do this way when visiting retailers regularly to ensure that their screens are topped up the chocolate and orderly.
Special Offers Bonuses vs.
Everyone loves a special offer, and photography is no different. However, we must be careful not to look too desperate, which may suggest that your company not doing too well. Make a genuine offer and creative, rather than offering a blanket 50% discount on print prices, etc.
Vouchers
A bond is like printing Money. It has a value that can be used to purchase their services, but only if they have the title. This gives the owner a sense of privilege. If were to announce that is currently offering portrait sessions for only € 10 (when they were normally £ 25) then can generate some business. However, if you were to give a few people special bonus limited edition entitled them aa a photo shoot for 10 pounds, and had an expiration date, then it is more likely to take up the offer, or even go to a friend.
The announcement was seen once and soon forgotten, but a bond is more personal and direct. Few people jump into a bond that has a value, and if you can not use they will get someone to do so. How many times have you received money from a ticket for something that usually can not be bought and then went out and bought it?
People just can not bear the thought of losing a bond. It's like throwing money away.
Distribution
So how do you go about distributing their coupons? Do you give them on every door in your town or are on the street? No, because that would only devalue the bond. If you make the bond available to all, then they will see no privilege to have him. To reduce its value, like advertising in the newspaper.
Limited Distribution
Consider the following example as a starting point. Contact your local hair dresser or beauty, and show your portfolio (this establish their credibility and experience as a photographer). Then he shows an example of your coupon printed proposal (which you can easily create on your personal computer at 100 x 210mm). The voucher will entitle customers to a special session photo portrait only € 10 (or whatever price you choose to offer). Clearly that should show the value of the coupon, and that includes, besides the name of the seller (which makes it even more exclusive), and do not forget an expiration date. Make it attractive, and add a couple of your best photos. If the bond is high quality, then it adds more value and prestige.
As an added bonus (ie, incentives) for the seller, you can offer them 10% of print sales back of the photo shoot. This makes the offer of a collaborative effort, rather than you asking for more work.
You could take this extra level by creating an A4 or A3 posters announcing the special offer only is available from this supplier. This then should be displayed in the window to attract passing trade. This generates new business for the seller and you, who will be greatly appreciated by the owner.
Substitute Store Windows
If you do not have a photography studio from the main street with the advantage of the constant "that passing trade ', then you will be one of the great majority of photographers who Work From Home or in a trade study on a heritage. You may have the advantage lower overall costs but also the clear disadvantage of zero passing trade. This means you need to use some lateral thinking to get your photos seen of public purchasing.
Creating a special offer as the bond and the poster above scheme provides a means of getting your work exposed in a public place for free. This is free advertising. Let me repeat that ... FREE ADVERTISING.
Once you have established special arrangement "with that of a supplier, then go and repeat the process with another ... and another. While the seller also see a benefit, then it may fail. If that provider is in the main street of the city, or if they have a high footprint (a large number of people passing through its doors), then we have established not one but several windows, all sales of their work for free. Just be sure to review each provider regularly to discuss any comments and replenish it's taking a ' boxes.
Photography exhibitions
People always want to see before buying, so no one will hire you as a photographer unless have seen (and liked) their work. Get a website is the first objective, which allows web visitors to view their work, but what about all the people who do not can search the web for a photographer?
We have seen how you can make your work seen in some windows of the shop vendors, and this is a very valuable free exposure. But where else can you get your work shown for free?
Well, I just leave that behind?
I remember once when he worked briefly as a known distributor of health food company, some of the most creative people are proud to explain sales how he had attracted some of its new business of 'negligence' leaving behind one of their cards calls the strangest places.
In the frozen food compartment in a supermarket, the chair of each café and restaurant stopped within each magazine or book are ready, while the newsagents, doctors and dentists in the table in the waiting room in the reception rooms, trains and buses ... etc, etc
I am not advocating that should fall calling cards like confetti at every opportunity, but only to say that it can work if you choose the locations carefully, and not keep repeating the "accident" in the same place. Otherwise you could get a few calls from angry managers asked to stop. However, the concept was original and funny enough to be worthy of mention.
Gifts may be worth a fortune
Sometimes it pays to be very generous with space in order to gain free exposure. Consider the possibility of any place in your local town that enjoys a high footfall (or passing trade). Here are just a few examples to get started ...
- Centers sports
- Health Clubs
- Cafes and restaurants
- Banks and Building Societies
- Supermarkets
- Department Stores
- Garden centers
- Business Receptions
Asking any of these places if they could hang some of the photographs on their walls for free will guarantee at best a laugh. Unless you're a famous photographer who also could forget. Without But there is a way to turn around.
Everyone likes something for nothing, not even the big companies and corporations. It is in the nature of the world to turn down a freebie. If you approach the administrators of any of these places with an offer that provides free services in exchange for space photography free exposure, then you will be guaranteed to have a better response. It at least ask you to visit them to show their work. Once your domain then can discuss terms.
Every company and organization needs photographs for advertising, internal promotion and use, and each company will like getting a discount on everything they buy, so if you approach them and offer their services for free, guess what? They like you ... a lot!
At best, the deal was negotiated for an exhibition unlimited (as long as you want), or it could be for an agreed period, eg 3 months. All exposure is better than no exposure, so be prepared to compromise. If your work is of a high level, then it is more valuable to them.
Being social and commercial
If your portfolio consists only of pictures, then still can offer photographic portraits of staff for advertising and promotion of fire. You may even have the opportunity to do some internal news or photos of products, opening an extra market for you, and give you valuable experience worth thousands to your business. Whatever your specialty, that can still be of value to the company, organization or its personnel.
Guarantee Quality Assurance
They offer their services for free is a great way to get free exhibition space, but if their work is below standard to Free is too expensive then. This is obvious, but it has to be said. You do not want someone playing with his central heating boiler if you are not an experienced plumber, although offers its services for free. Make sure that your portfolio contains a high level of work before coming to any place with a freebie, otherwise no I want to take pictures of them at any price.
Position, Position, Position.
Once you have negotiated an agreement, and you has its exhibition space free (and not forgetting the importance for the whole area of 'Take one' box) and make sure that the space is being given is the space to do their jobs better care. It makes no sense to have a free exhibit space if the wall is on the back, where only the staff ve. If no suitable wall space available, consider purchasing or making a simple 3 panel stand can be located in a public area.
Designed for Impress
What should you choose to display in its exhibition space free? Did you put in as many pictures as possible? Do you frame them or just paste some marks on the wall? This is its exhibition space, the window of his shop. How do you show your work you talk a lot about the photographer.
Check out any window of one of the main high street brands and compare them with some of the cheapest independent offering cheap goods to detach from the prices. That shows the window you think will be the most impressive? Exactly. So, will you give the impression that you have to offer is cheap and tacky? Of course not. So make sure your exposure (the window of his shop) is presented with the highest quality.
Photo frame and secure to the wall screws or accessories that guarantee can not be removed from the lineup. There is nothing worse than an exhibition of framed photographs that are twisted. They are messy, and also suggests that artists do not care about the presentation.
If you add any other title or titles to your photos, print them perfectly encapsulate your printer and prevent stains. It is this attention to detail that adds value to their services.
Do not try to show too many photos. It is often much more impressive to see a large framed photograph impressive than a dozen small tables and random. Be selective and make a great impression, and leave your audience wanting more. Here are more inclined to take one of their brochures and checking their website to see more of his work.
Manage your exhibition
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Back its exhibition space regularly to make sure that taking a "boxes are refilled. The place do it for you. Use this time to reconnect with the site manager and discuss any comments, and potential new business.
Remember, each new contact you make on its growing network of associates eventually generate new contacts and opportunities. This is the game of numbers. The more people who know you and work you do, the more work you will ... Simple!
Photo Galleries
It is worth mentioning about specialist photo galleries presented by selected photographers. This may be worth considering once you have built a solid reputation, and preferably also an agent. It may be a useful source-book in the elite photographers published, but expect to be snubbed if you do not have "letters" after his name.
This can be daunting for photographers of genuine talent, no hope of being exposed, simply because they have not "bothered" to become a member of any organization national. This is understandable from the viewpoint of private gallery. There are thousands of talented photographers out there, and very limited wall space to exhibit, so they have to use some kind of filtering to rank and file "worthy" artists.
Be comforted by the fact that all the benefits of get regular work through trade associations and networks that you set. These are the actual exposures that are viewed by the people who pay for their photographs, instead of writing about them in some magazine or blog.
Abstract
I hope you have encouraged me to see the "big picture" when considering how to market your photography. There are many opportunities that can give you free advertising and exhibition space if you just spread its wings of influence around its immediate vicinity.
Networking is the oldest sales technique in existence. In its most basic form, simply involves talking to people who then tell others about you. Start with your friends and family and expands its local business partners. In short, each in their area knows his name and the work you do.
Some companies spend a fortune on advertising and spam to try to spread his name and services, as many of its competitors. But I beat all the customer's door, because you're the only photographer who was recommended by a friend of a friend who saw her picture on the wall of a shop in the local shopping mall ...
Journalism Fast Forward's Introduction to New Media Part I - Reading Blogs
