MARKETING TIPS YOU MAY NOT BE DOING yet…
As the generation on social media becomes the major buying power, is the way of high production and big campaign work going away?
High production and big campaign work have gone down, but mostly it’s changed into more content per photoshoot. High-quality production still happens, but the number of shots has increased because they need more social media assets. The more assets you can deliver through production ideas, equipment versatility, and motion, the better. They need more content, so find ways that you will be the one to give them even more than they are asking for.
I am in the process of launching a new website which has a different front and color of font than my print promo and business card. It is not ideal. Do I create an interim solution or am I overthinking branding?
You are not overthinking branding because your look and vibe should remain consistent. Then again, if you are the start of your career and have not cemented your look + feel then you are more free to explore. We all have to keep revising our look but hopefully there is a consistency to it that continues to grow. The worst part is that your printed promos and business cards should not be used anymore and right now, during this Covid time, that is just fine.
Navigating the Unknown Episode 12 is now live on YouTube! This week we speak to photography consultants Amy V. Cooper and Julie Skarwecki about designing a website and discussing marketing strategies for your brand.
Guests:
Amy V. Cooper – Photography Consultant https://www.amyvcooper.com/
Julie Skarwecki – Photography Consultant https://www.julieskarwecki.com/
Navigating the Unknown is a Q&A series in collaboration with APA-LA where we speak to different members of the photo community about all aspects of the commercial photography business. https://la.apanational.org/
With Co-Host: Photographer Hugh Kretschmer https://www.hughkretschmer.net/
What is your advice to best utilize IG Stories? Especially for creatives who don’t shoot moving images.
IG Stories are the way to go! They are what people are watching now. The feed posts are important, but those are more of a backup portfolio that gets checked out when you are up for a job. Stories are how you stay in front of people and start engaging with those you want to be working with by showing who you are and what makes you tick. People want to get a sense of you, where you live, what you do, what you are up to, behind the scenes on a shoot, where you are going and what kind of life you have. I know you can’t show it all, but branding your IG Stories is just as important as the branding on your website.
How do we reach clients?
LinkedIn is my #1 answer.
The only way I tend to get the answers like email address + IG handle is to ask in several personalized follow-up notes instead of asking all in one message. It takes patience and follow through but hey, that’s called “marketing.”
One of our biggest challenges is figuring out who our clients are and how to reach them. The best way we have found is LinkedIn. Never ask for contact information without a note. Make it a quick note, introduce your name and who you are in two quick sentences. Ask for their email by asking if you can send your promo along with a link to your website. From there you can create a list of emails. We will also add these emails to our Agency Access list. It takes a lot of time and patience to create these lists. It’s very repetitive and it takes a lot of work.
I see marketing myself as a finesse trait. Being aggressive doesn’t work 24/7. How do you find the balance? What’s a good rate of popping up on somebody’s radar?
I relate to your question as I have to restrain myself from being too pushy. I want to be in touch 24/7 but that really can hurt us and close some doors. The main point about popping up on someone’s radar is having something to say. Get to know people and find interesting genuine topics to bring up or really have some new relatable images to show off. The most annoying contact would have nothing to say and sound like “sales”. The general # of email promos for a photographer should be once per month, but again, only if you really have something to show that they haven’t seen.
Navigating the Unknown Episode 9 is now live on YouTube! This week we speak to photographer Chris Burkard about his success as a photographer and influencer.
Guests: Photographer – Chris Burkard https://www.chrisburkard.com/
Navigating the Unknown is a Q&A series in collaboration with APA-LA where we speak to different members of the photo community about all aspects of the commercial photography business. https://la.apanational.org/
With Co-Host: Photographer Hugh Kretschmer https://www.hughkretschmer.net/
I’ve reached a point in my photography where I don’t know how to price and market myself, also I don’t know how to find the right representation. I was wondering how that process works?
These areas are what all photographers are dealing with, even those who have been working for a while because times change. In general though, we do have some solid support in our industry like all the great webinars happening, Wonderful Machine, Amy V Cooper Consulting (www.amyvcooper.com) and my temp rep services to name a few. The most important part to this answer is to build your system and keep growing.
What is “Marketing” these days? One way it is different is that we are all feeling more human right now. I’m having an easier time reaching clients and building my email promo lists. People are responding, so say hello.
This is a time when I’m noticing some photographers being very proactive in reaching out and communicating, which is essentially what marketing is. It can look quite different from how it used to, and we’re currently creating new ways to engage. Whether it’s on Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other platform, it’s important to keep yourself visible and active.
Right now, amidst this calm in the storm, take the opportunity to put yourself out there. Get creative, rediscover, reform, and reinvent your own marketing plan. Whether you have a rep or not, seize this moment of openness in the industry. Jump in, find your way, and let your voice be heard. It can be as simple as a friendly hello—just get yourself out there.
