marketing

goldilocksandmy3bears

What have you found to be your best marketing technique other than word of mouth? I am having a hard time finding clients in my town.. its a small town where everyone I know to market to already uses this one photographer for everything! Its hard to get business with her around:huh HELP!:bow
Court

Snowgirl

goldilocksandmy3bears wrote:

What have you found to be your best marketing technique other than word of mouth? I am having a hard time finding clients in my town.. its a small town where everyone I know to market to already uses this one photographer for everything! Its hard to get business with her around HELP!
Court

Hi. I also live and work in a small town that has a long-established photographer in existence.

That said - what's your specialty?

Also, what are your community connections?

What type of photography do you want to do / sell?

I found two niches that work for me - one is horse photography (which is a personal passion so that helps) and the other is infants (I love babies and that helps too). Sure, I do other things like grad/senior portraits, family portraits etc. - but those are usually spinoffs of the other two.

My marketing efforts focus (bad pun I know) on those two key markets through some local advertising on-site, word of mouth, working with event organizers, and social media. It seems to be working.

Surfdog

Other than word of mouth, my two greatest source of new referrals are vendors (caterers, florists, event venues, DJ's, other photographers) with whom I have networked and developed relationships, and a website which has been tweaked so that it comes up at the top of the list when people do google searches in my area.

goldilocksandmy3bears

Snowgirl wrote:

Hi. I also live and work in a small town that has a long-established photographer in existence.

That said - what's your specialty?

Also, what are your community connections?

What type of photography do you want to do / sell?

I found two niches that work for me - one is horse photography (which is a personal passion so that helps) and the other is infants (I love babies and that helps too). Sure, I do other things like grad/senior portraits, family portraits etc. - but those are usually spinoffs of the other two.

My marketing efforts focus (bad pun I know) on those two key markets through some local advertising on-site, word of mouth, working with event organizers, and social media. It seems to be working.

My speciality is children - which also happens to be hers (the other photographer in my area- although she does everything)
I have done a wedding, graduate, and portraits and have found that I love doing children so thats what I want to sell myself as "a children's photographer".
When you said you have worked with event organizers what do you mean? Have you ever done volunteer work? If so how did that go. I had found a website a while back (can't find it again though) working with orfanages taking pictures of the kids in their homes. It was something like helping hearts.
Thanks for your help!
Court

Surfdog

goldilocksandmy3bears wrote:

My speciality is children - which also happens to be hers (the other photographer in my area- although she does everything)
I have done a wedding, graduate, and portraits and have found that I love doing children so thats what I want to sell myself as "a children's photographer".
When you said you have worked with event organizers what do you mean? Have you ever done volunteer work? If so how did that go. I had found a website a while back (can't find it again though) working with orfanages taking pictures of the kids in their homes. It was something like helping hearts.
Thanks for your help!
Court

Just a suggestion - You may want to do some networking with childrens clothing stores, hairstylists, private schools, childrens dentists, and any other businesses or organizations in your area that are exclusive to kids. Offer to take some free photos for them in exchange for posting photos and placing your cards at their businesses.

JohnBiggs

1. Focus on the fact that you only do children photography. Build it into your slogan/tag line etc. You want buyers to believe you are the best since it's all you do.

2. Don't compete on price. Have a similar pricing but different structure. I wouldn't make it easy to compare the two of you on price but I wouldn't be any lower.

3. Make yourself different. Different style? Different customer service? etc. Whatever it is, you need a reason for them to switch. #1 helps with this too.

4. Although you don't compete on price, you can offer a limited time special or sale that can get some people to try you. But before doing this I'd establish 1-3. In exchange for the introductory special, get the parents to agree for you to use the images for marketing.

goldilocksandmy3bears

Surfdog wrote:

Just a suggestion - You may want to do some networking with childrens clothing stores, hairstylists, private schools, childrens dentists, and any other businesses or organizations in your area that are exclusive to kids. Offer to take some free photos for them in exchange for posting photos and placing your cards at their businesses.

Great idea! Thanks!!

goldilocksandmy3bears

JohnBiggs wrote:

1. Focus on the fact that you only do children photography. Build it into your slogan/tag line etc. You want buyers to believe you are the best since it's all you do.

2. Don't compete on price. Have a similar pricing but different structure. I wouldn't make it easy to compare the two of you on price but I wouldn't be any lower.

3. Make yourself different. Different style? Different customer service? etc. Whatever it is, you need a reason for them to switch. #1 helps with this too.

4. Although you don't compete on price, you can offer a limited time special or sale that can get some people to try you. But before doing this I'd establish 1-3. In exchange for the introductory special, get the parents to agree for you to use the images for marketing.

I started off doing photoshoots with at least one picture of the child with a swirly lollipop.. then I started getting away from that but I think I'm going back and using your advice! Thank you!
Courtney

JohnBiggs

I disagree with Glort. Starting a new market is harder than taking something existing and making it better. Starting a new market is convincing people to pay for something they aren't paying for now. You have to sell them on the idea, then sell them on the price, and possibly still compete with the other photographer. Taking the existing and making it better is just convincing people to send the money they are already spending to you because you have a better widget.

Which is why you should not have lower prices. They are already spending that amount. Lower prices won't do anything other than hurt both businesses.

Snowgirl

goldilocksandmy3bears wrote:

My speciality is children - which also happens to be hers (the other photographer in my area- although she does everything)
I have done a wedding, graduate, and portraits and have found that I love doing children so thats what I want to sell myself as "a children's photographer".
When you said you have worked with event organizers what do you mean? Have you ever done volunteer work? If so how did that go. I had found a website a while back (can't find it again though) working with orfanages taking pictures of the kids in their homes. It was something like helping hearts.
Thanks for your help!
Court

If you are going to limit yourself to children's photography, you might want to double check the census data for your town to see what the market opportunities are. Then you'll know how much emphasis (and potential sales) there are for you. In a small town it's almost impossible to be a specialist because there just isn't enough business to make it pay.

You've been given some great advice. I do volunteer work through the Littlest Heroes program. It's international and photographers donate their time, talents and a few prints for families of critically or chronically ill children. While emotionally draining, it's also amazingly satisfying. And, it doesn't hurt your image in the community either. Plus, you don't have to select the families to receive the free service - they apply through Littlest Heroes and they assign the job to you. You might want to look into that.

Personally I love shooting newborn infants. But there isn't enough of a market here for that so I can't make that my primary business.

I work with event organizers for my horse show photography and that seems to help.

fredjclaus

JohnBiggs wrote:

1. Focus on the fact that you only do children photography. Build it into your slogan/tag line etc. You want buyers to believe you are the best since it's all you do.

2. Don't compete on price. Have a similar pricing but different structure. I wouldn't make it easy to compare the two of you on price but I wouldn't be any lower.

3. Make yourself different. Different style? Different customer service? etc. Whatever it is, you need a reason for them to switch. #1 helps with this too.

4. Although you don't compete on price, you can offer a limited time special or sale that can get some people to try you. But before doing this I'd establish 1-3. In exchange for the introductory special, get the parents to agree for you to use the images for marketing.

I agree with this. Don't compete on price, you may find that you will price yourself right out of business. Compete on other things. Like quality of your work, the way you can interact with children. Do you have a studio, or do you go to client locations? Location photography is big. Around here, I've been working out of my house becuase 99.9% of my clients want me to come to them. I have a small studio for advertising purposes, but the clients that come in only do so to set up an appointment for me to come to their home. Children feel more relaxed and it makes for a more natural image.

Try volunteering with childrens groups. Little League baseball if you have kids that are doing it. Connect with the local day care centers and apply to do the class pictures. Don't assume because the other lady does the pictures that you cant. She may be the official photographer just because no one else has applied to be. It doesn't cost much to inquire.

Also see about putting some business cards on the counter at some local children's stores. Dentist office, clothing stores, day care centers, play parks are all great places to advertise. maybe some of these locations might also let you put up a nice display. See if you can hang some of your images in the local clothing store with a sign to tell potential clients how to get a hold of you.

Art Scott

Along the lines of JB and FC.....get your name (B-cards) out to all the business that cater to kids....and also maybe large B-cards (4x5 or 4x6).....find out here model....does she offer set packages (like sears, pennys, walmart etc etc).....if so go one better have your clients build their own packages and give volume discounts.........
If sh only offers lustre prints ....then you offer metallic and metal prints also...get Samples......as stated above .....do what is already being done only better.........

msf

marketing idea - mobile home dealers
Ive got a marketing idea that I thought up the other day. If anyone is reading this from south-west virginia, please skip ahead to the next post.

Around these parts, there are a ton of trailer, double wide and modular home retailers, and the price of these can be the same as a house, except they don't come with the land or well. So the audience that look at these are not necessarily cheap or poor.

They usually furnish these places to look very nice, big screen tv's, nice living room sets, huge beds, etc. Usually the artwork is generic and not personal. No portraits.

So my idea is --- perhaps a deal can be made with them if I supply some 11x14 or 16x20 prints of family portraits *with model releases signed*, they will provide the frames and display them.

Does this seem like a good idea? I would still own the pictures, and can go in and replace/rotate the images when I want to keep things fresh.

The sort of customer im guessing this will attract is new families or families getting a bit better established and getting out of the renting phase.

Snowgirl

msf wrote:

Ive got a marketing idea that I thought up the other day. If anyone is reading this from south-west virginia, please skip ahead to the next post.

Around these parts, there are a ton of trailer, double wide and modular home retailers, and the price of these can be the same as a house, except they don't come with the land or well. So the audience that look at these are not necessarily cheap or poor.

They usually furnish these places to look very nice, big screen tv's, nice living room sets, huge beds, etc. Usually the artwork is generic and not personal. No portraits.

So my idea is --- perhaps a deal can be made with them if I supply some 11x14 or 16x20 prints of family portraits *with model releases signed*, they will provide the frames and display them.

Does this seem like a good idea? I would still own the pictures, and can go in and replace/rotate the images when I want to keep things fresh.

The sort of customer im guessing this will attract is new families or families getting a bit better established and getting out of the renting phase.

I think that's a good idea. There are 3 such retailers in my area (don't worry - thousands of miles away). One already deals with another photographer and artists; but I may approach the other two. We just bought a modular home and I got a family portrait sitting from the salesman who came to check on our home's set-up and liked what i had on my own walls - including a canvass print.

msf

Snowgirl wrote:

I think that's a good idea. There are 3 such retailers in my area (don't worry - thousands of miles away). One already deals with another photographer and artists; but I may approach the other two. We just bought a modular home and I got a family portrait sitting from the salesman who came to check on our home's set-up and liked what i had on my own walls - including a canvass print.

How does the photog that does the one retailer display their pictures? Is it obvious that they are done by a professional local photographer? This was one hindrance I thought of. How do you let the customer know who you are with out taking away from the portraits. put a business card in the corner of each frame?

Another idea.... again hopefully no one from south-west Virginia is reading this. get some cheap SD memory cards *I found a deal for 25 cent ones on a site once for 512mb* put some portfolio pieces on it, and put them in photo frames in stores like target or possibly higher end stores that also have photo frames. Problem is you probably wont get store permission for this, and if they find out you did it and they probably will, what would their reaction be? It would be a shame to get blacklisted from a store you like. But its a sneaky way to advertise.

Snowgirl

msf wrote:

How does the photog that does the one retailer display their pictures? Is it obvious that they are done by a professional local photographer? This was one hindrance I thought of. How do you let the customer know who you are with out taking away from the portraits. put a business card in the corner of each frame?

Another idea.... again hopefully no one from south-west Virginia is reading this. get some cheap SD memory cards *I found a deal for 25 cent ones on a site once for 512mb* put some portfolio pieces on it, and put them in photo frames in stores like target or possibly higher end stores that also have photo frames. Problem is you probably wont get store permission for this, and if they find out you did it and they probably will, what would their reaction be? It would be a shame to get blacklisted from a store you like. But its a sneaky way to advertise.

The photos are matted, framed and hung by the photog. There is a plate on each frame indicating photog. contact info. and the photog. signed the mats. The receptionist has some business cards to pass out if anyone inquires.

I would NOT do any 'sneaky' advertising. That's just asking for trouble.

You COULD ask permission in their photo dept. to do it, though.

Art Scott

Never ever try to be sneaky...it only gets you a bad reputation.

chrisjohnson

This is a normal marketing problem

First thing I would do is study the other photographer's business and work to see if there are obvious gaps in her service or way of doing business.

Second, I would meet-up and tell you intend to go into business in the same town. Could even be she is looking for a partner of some kind. You never know - at least you'll learn a lot about her likely reaction.

Third you need a better proposition - either lower price (not usually smart) or more service. There are a lot of possibilities, many great ideas in this thread - from T-shirt, framed prints, birthday invitations, calendars, book, web page, or just giving different results. For example, in our small town the photographer never learned photoshop; he sends images that need a tweak to an external bureau. Seems like a major hole in his skill set. His photos are all static studio shots - he does not have the gear or the track record to shoot children climbing trees or playing sports or even in their own home.

Lots of words but I'm sure you get my point. Think how you can improve the product offer in your small town - head-to-head competition is a last resort, and you need to think of something you can do that they can not easily copy. In marketing jargon this is your "value proposition".

Then you then need to advertise. Word of mouth is the best tactic AFTER you are established. Strange how people think they can rely on you after reading your name in the local paper and I'm sure you know local papers are always keen to cover stories on new businesses as long as they can see the news value.

msf

Art Scott wrote:

Never ever try to be sneaky...it only gets you a bad reputation.

I figured it would fall into the gorilla style marketing. But its worth asking the store manager I guess. : ) more boring that way *smirks*.

HarrisPhotographicArts

Goldilocks,

I agree and disagree with all of the advice you have been given. It all really lies in how small a town you are talking about. I just spent 7 years in a town of 400 that is in a county of 30,000 people. Everyone was related to one another (at least by marriage) including the photographers in the area. Then on top of that, every at home Mom with a camera decided they were a professional photographer and started shooting weddings for $300, portraits for free - you get the idea. I tried every angle - pricing correctly, dropping prices, looking for ways to be different, etc... and the bottom line was I wasn't going to get the business because I wasn't from there. They didn't accept outsiders of any kind.

We have moved back closer to Memphis to a town on the outskirts and business is booming! All the advice you have been given is great IF it is a even reasonably normal town. If not, you may have to move if you really want to make it happen.

Art Scott

msf wrote:

I figured it would fall into the gorilla style marketing. But its worth asking the store manager I guess. : ) more boring that way *smirks*.

You never know a company owner just might be agreeable to using your photos as well.....remember not all photos look good in the same situation and you probably do not shoot in the same style as this other photog......