As a photographer’s career progresses they must continue to reinvent themselves. A photographer must explore and grow to show what they can bring to the job. This is a young-person’s career unless photographers of every age commit to staying hungry for fresh inspiration and new ways to communicate their vision.
As business owners, we must get our Marketing Plan in place to direct all the potential areas we should spend our time and budget on. Know all available options for crystal clear analysis of what is working, what to try, and what needs our attention. You are a business, so have a plan.
https://asksternrep.com/download-pdf-files-for-market-strategies/
We hear a lot about marketing budgets, and yes, they’re important, but even more crucial is having a marketing plan. That plan needs to adapt, shift, and constantly change with the times. The one constant truth about our business is that it’s always evolving, so we have to stay on top of that. I suggest checking in with your marketing efforts about four times a year or so.
Look at what you’re learning from your Google Analytics, SEO, and methods for getting email promos out there—it’s really challenging. Consider the effectiveness of sites like LinkedIn and Instagram, and whether you’re engaging and connecting with people. All of these aspects are part of your marketing plan.
Also, know what you are best at. Is it presenting to clients one-on-one in person, or is it sending them a printed portfolio? Whatever your strength is, master it, and then make sure to analyze and refine all the other parts of your marketing plan. Stay proactive and keep evolving your strategies.
Stay strong in your style. Don’t compromise your voice to be everything to everyone or you will get lost in the mix. It is your unique vision and execution which will set you apart from the pack and get you the job!
What is the trick to Marketing? Quick answer: Relationships.
How to do this: Try everything, see what sticks, but only base some of your future marketing on what you learned in the past. I know this is tricky; we must try it all, keep experimenting, and DO NOT LIMIT OURSELVES only to what has worked in the past.
We all know how important marketing is in our business—it’s everything. Yet, there is no set plan for it; there is no absolute, definite “this must happen.” Of course, your website needs to be correct and up-to-date, but marketing as a whole has to be more experimental. I see it as throwing spaghetti against a wall and seeing what sticks. However, we can’t rely on just one approach over time; we have to continuously try new things.
Marketing is heavily based on relationships. I often get calls from clients I didn’t even know would remember my name, but we had a nice connection a year ago or even three years ago. When you get yourself on a list, clients remember you and want to stay in touch. The more we put ourselves out there, the better. We need to try everything, see what sticks, and not solely rely on what’s worked before. Do more of what works, but also explore every possible avenue to connect with clients.
When things are difficult, find a way through. Throwing your hands in the air or collapsing in frustration, these things do not move you forward. Pause, collect yourself and then take an action to move forward.
Bidding on a job requires fact-checking client answers. Often they are slow to come in or don’t get responded to. What do we do? Try a new way – make your questions form a cohesive list to be answered by attention-getting dashes, bullet points, or (my fave) numbers.
You know when you’re bidding on a job and the contact at the agency or client isn’t responding to your questions? It seems like they’re missing something. I assume they’re rushed and don’t have time to go through a full email, or maybe there’s too much chatter instead of getting to the point. We need to make our emails extremely clear and concise. Don’t be afraid to keep asking the same questions until they get answered.
I know we don’t want to make the person uncomfortable or make the communication awkward, but you have to keep asking. Try doing it in a different style; perhaps they’ll understand better if we lay it out differently, using bullet points, dashes, or numbers—numbers are very helpful in an email. If that doesn’t work, consider trying a phone call; maybe they’re not into emails, and that’s why it’s not working. The important thing is to keep trying, even if it feels awkward.
This is YOUR business. Do you have insurance? Are you tracking expenses and income? Do you have a business license? You are not just an artist anymore, you are a business owner, so take control and handle all necessary details.
Learning why we DID NOT get the job can be the most value-packed free resource, and I’m surprised by how available it is to us if we ask. With a bit of timely follow-through, we could potentially receive the clear strategic feedback every business needs.
I’m finding that we can get more information about why we didn’t get certain jobs if we put some effort into asking. It’s strange, but for some reason, clients seem more open to sharing the specific reasons why we weren’t selected. We just have to ask them and make sure we pose the question. It’s not that hard; we just need to put ourselves out there.
Test with purpose.
When things are challenging, find a way through. Giving up during difficult or slow times means you are only involved in half of your business. When it’s not easy, take a moment to dig deeper to know where you want to go and if any shifts are needed. Be wise and make critical decisions out of proactive action instead of reactive inclinations.
