Networking

 Curate your relationships. 

Of course this is true for our personal lives, but also for our careers. 

Know where people are from and what they enjoy. 

Relate to people as our connections are the best public relations. 

Even if you have a rep, do this for yourself as your relationships are a part of your brand.

Right now, marketing is incredibly important to our business. It involves putting ourselves out there, bonding with others, and taking note of what’s important to them—their backgrounds and relatable topics. This approach helps us connect quickly and meaningfully. I’ve seen that today’s marketing is increasingly about personal connections, even including things like taking people to lunch. Then, when we bid on a job and start working with them, it feels more human. Marketing today is more about human connection than ever before.

Q:

What would it take to get you to rep me?

A:

It would take a powerful and compelling body of work that displays a unique, but marketable, style that brands would be willing to pay for. It also comes down to personality for me, I need to trust and enjoy the daily interactions of working with a photographer and have a compatible style of communication.

Q:

If agencies are “following” you, what, if anything, would you recommend doing?

A:

If agencies are following you on Instagram – be proactive and engage them. Follow that hot lead and make the most of it by engaging them on social media, contact them on LinkedIn, and get them on your promo list. Use them ‘following’ you as a way to get your foot in the door!!

Q:

What are some things to avoid when cold emailing?

A:

I’d say the most important part of a cold email is not to sound cold. Don’t have it sound like a mass email. Be as personable as possible. Mention something they personally may be interested in. And spell their name correctly.

Q:

How do you work with a client with little to no budget? Do you work with them at all?

A:

Budget is always the issue. Every level of photographer deals with this and it always comes back to the overall marketing plan. Where are you in your career? Will this image be helpful to you? Will it solidify a future relationship or be a good image for your portfolio? The bottom line question is: will this “lack of budget” still allow for a quality image? If the answer to that question is no, I’d suggest turning down the job.

Q:

Aside from paying lots of money for companies like Agency Access, which often don’t include smaller up and coming brands, how do you get contact info and addresses of smaller/local companies?

A:

If you can’t find them on Agency Access or Yodelist I would then most likely use LinkedIn, Agency Spy, or Adweek to see what kind of contact info I can find.

Q:

What is the difference between an Art Producer and a Print Producer? And when sending promos who precisely should I target?

A:

An art producer is the same as an art buyer, just a new term that sums up their role more accurately. If an agency has an art producer then I’d skip their print producers who often have nothing to do with choosing photographers. The only reason I’d contact a print producer is if the agency does not have an art producer, because then they are most likely doing both jobs. Definitely send promos to all levels of Art Producers (or art buyers). A print producer is the person who gets the image ready to go to print.

Q:

If I think I would be a good fit for a certain client what would be the best way to approach them? Should I be approaching them directly? Or their agency? And if I am to contact the agency how can I best reach the right person at that agency? So many companies have different agencies for different products or platforms…

A:

Yes, approach the client directly and also get in touch with their agency. Go for it in as many ways as you can think of. Get creative, innovative, discover ways to get their attention to your work. To find the right person, ask around. I highly recommend LinkedIn as people tend to respond to it. Go get ‘em!

Q:

How would I get in contact directly with brands for in house marketing? Who should I be looking for specifically and how can I find that person? Does Yodelist or Agency Access provide these contacts? Regarding Yodelist and Agency Access. Which do you use?

A:

 In today’s market we now have so many more options of finding the right people. I would definitely suggest using Agency Access or Yodelist and then using all social media and LinkedIn. Look for creative (art director), art producer, or other terms that are a part of the marketing dept. Agency Access and Yodelist often do have those contacts. I have used both of these companies and they both seem to have solid information, sometimes one is better than the other.

Q:

Do you think it’s important for a photographer to spend time assisting professional photographers before launching their own career? And if so, what kind of photographer should someone assist?

A:

This really depends on the photographer and what they need to learn. Some photographers never assist and end up wildly successful. But assisting can be extremely informative and build your confidence. If a photographer needs to learn what an editorial or commercial advertising job is like then they can assist any type of photographer in that market. If they need to learn more about the technicalities of shooting cars or people, then they should assist a photographer that does that kind of work. Figure out what you need to learn and assist in that. Or jump right in! There is no straight answer here…