Marketing

Marketing plans must incorporate the unexpected moments of putting ourselves out there in the most natural ways. 

You look like an amateur if you don’t have an official website email address, along with a signature on the email including your web or IG link on it.

Marketing means “being remembered.” Sometimes, we spend extra money on a story or theme that identifies or connects us to our clients’ memories. Bring or show clients something specific that correlates with your work to stick in their minds and have them remember you. 

I want to change the definition of our OUTREACH. “Reach out” now means finding your way to include unknown, surprising, or unplanned approaches and constantly trying new ways.

Image-making feels like the center of the world as, of course, it has to be your pinnacle point of focus. But then there is more – the ongoing process to be findable. Clients are showing you off to their clients, meaning you must be easily found/searchable with a timely, systematic structure to your presentation. If we skip the importance of step two, we will be climbing a constant uphill battle for success.

Slow times = time to improve.

No way to say that differently, as we should all keep pushing the creative clock and get better. Why waste valuable time thinking we get time off if we aren’t on a photo job? Plain and simple- we full-time freelancers are always on our clock pushing ourselves forward, or we will lose our lead in the industry.

Q:

When you talk about the rising importance of “content,” are you referring to the necessity for photographers to post more and better content, the necessity for clients to produce more content and hence hire photographers more often, or both?

A:

When I refer to the importance of content, I am talking about both: photographers need to create more content, as do clients. We must constantly create and post content in today’s business world to make our work findable. Years ago, the marketing process was more challenging to show our work to clients, so this could actually be a win/win if we accepted it and joined the content party.

Q:

Is there a suggestion on what else to do to get blocked email promos through clients’ email filters?

A:

I don’t have the technical fix yet, but this is a numbers game for us. I send out quarterly promos knowing that most will not get seen, but if 20% get opened, that is still part of our MARKETING PLAN that has succeeded in one way: more eyes are on our work than if we didn’t send it out. I use the same theory on IG as it’s the marketing plan numbers game.

Big truth: REPS NEED MATERIAL. I always say, “Give me something to say and something to show.” 

Big Untruth: I’m a creative/artistic business owner, so I get the day off when I’m not on a paid job. 

You are your marketing department, whether you are repped or not, and just like any business owner, you must constantly feed the marketing of your business. Your growth is based on your new ideas, and this never stops! You are being hired for your ideas, and your idea-making skill-set must be seen constantly in your marketing. 

Q:

Email promos are barely working, and I hate to give them up because I don’t know what else will work better. Please advise. 

A:

Email promos may not match the exact success open rate you are going for, but we should continue sending them. We may get fewer clicks/hits/views on everything we do, but it’s still much more of a numbers game success than walking around with a portfolio in hand (which is also important to do). The marketing puzzle of what works to be seen is broad, so many potential parts require us to do them all.