talenthouse - ALL CREATIVE

Here are some tips for getting the word out about your photography business from PhotoMint. Whether you’ve just hit the market or simply want to expand your client base, there’s a chance that there’s something new in here that could give you the boost your business needs.

Note: one of the tips involves a retreat, which is definitely something we can jibe with

1. Go paperless

The more rapidly technology improves upon itself, the more options there are for photographers. Remember when getting a Kodak CD at Walmart was kind of a big deal? Now you can e-mail it, USB stick it, Powerpoint present it, saute it, broil it, deep-fry it. You get the gist.

2. Pre-design albums

While PhotoMint applies this to wedding albums, it can also be used for other events. We realize that not everyone is a wedding photographer. While it’s a process that can be time-consuming at first, and yes, you will get turned down sometimes, the effort versus the profit you’ll turn will eventually pay off.

3. Retreat! In a business-like way

Whether or not you pack a cooler full of Jim Bean is your call, but an annual business retreat (if your photography business is more than a one-man operation) can be an excellent way to throw together goals and ideas in order to focus on business expansion.

Examine how each project will help your business accomplish its goals. Prioritize your list of goals and keep it as a reference for the rest of the year.

4. Establish a client referral program

This may seem like the oldest trick in the book, but it works. Incentives like print credits make for win-win situations.

5. Play nice with the other kids

Don’t view other vendors as nothing but your competition. Treat them with kindness and build positive relationships, because you never know where referrals are going to come from.

6. Give add-ons a shot

Add-on products can be anything from DVD slideshows to coffee mugs. Have a chat with each client before their session so that you can produce images based on what they’re interested in.
You can find some great advice on pitching add-on products here.

7. Don’t give too much away for free

Definitely, absolutely give some things away for free – that’s how you bring in new business. But by giving too much away for free you also risk letting that new business walk away without giving your business a cent.

A lesson from PhotoMint goes like this: when they included digital negatives and packages with a free session, they took in zero dollars. Making the sessions free but the extras a la carte made their average sale $1000.

8. Outsource

Outsourcing doesn’t mean you can’t handle every aspect of the business, it just means you want to focus on what’s important. If you don’t feel comfortable outsourcing the post-production work, there’s still printing and book keeping – things that won’t compromise any form of artistic integrity.

It’ll keep you from becoming too stressed (well, as much as it can) and free you to work on those mad skills.

Photographers, any additional marketing tips to add? We’d love to hear from you.