Stuck in a rut when it comes to marketing? The wonderful thing about promoting a photography business is that you already have visuals to use in your strategy. Here�s how to market your brand, gain fans, and sell your work.
1. Give customers a set of wallet-sized photos with their order. Print your contact information on the back. When customers hand out the small photos to friends and family members, they�ll also be doing some marketing for you.
2. Offer incentives to your VIP customers. Good customers should be rewarded with bundle deals, discounts, and other incentives. Also, consider coming up with a referral program, which will help with word-of-mouth marketing.
3. Have custom envelopes made. Every time you send a letter to a friend or promotional material to potential customers, even your envelopes will be branded. Get into the habit of sending a �thank you� card after each session.
4. Now and then, add a surprise to an order, like extra prints. This is great to do with new customers. They�ll love the special treatment, which will increase the chances of them returning.
5. After taking senior photos, give the student one or two low-res, watermarked images to share online. They�ll spread the photo around on social media. Suggest that they link back to your social media accounts, too.
6. Give each customer a magnet with your favorite shot from the session. Add your contact information to the magnet. Whenever somebody passes through your customer�s kitchen, they�ll see the magnet.
7. Attend local events and ask the organizers if you�re allowed to shoot photos. Hand out business cards with your website address at the event, then post the photos online. Not only will you network, but you’ll also quickly become known as a local photographer.
8. Have a contest for a free photo session. To enter, people will need to provide their e-mail address and agree to signup for your mailing list. This will help with e-mail marketing in the future and it will also land you a new customer.
9. Facebook ads can cost as little as $1 and they�re ideal for targeting a local market.
When coming up with a marketing strategy, be prepared for a lot of trial and error. With time, you�ll narrow down the marketing efforts that are making a difference.