 Christine |
What else can I do to get customers? I have tried everything for advertising in my small town that I moved to a few month ago. I have made contacts with people who make wedding cakes to people who book the hall's for the weddings. Tried the paper and my business cards... I have a web site aswell. What else can I do to get noticed?
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Rhonda L. Tolar |
I am not a professional, but here are a couple of ideas: Go to all of the ball games, and just take pictures, parents will start coming to you to get you to take pictures of their child. Find out who is in charge of the team photos, offer your services to them. Or just approach the coaches or team moms, they are always glad not to have to look someone up to take the pictures. Go to any dance studios and advertise to do their recital pictures. Go to any scrapbooking stores, talk to the owners, leave them your cards, leave them some photos to use in their displays. Check with the churches, there is probably someone there that can recommend you to their members, for weddings and gatherings. Hope this helps some.
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Christine |
Thank you so much for responding Rhonda. I will give it a try!
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ken |
Keep your ears oopen at all times no matter where you are. I just picked up a modeling job for tommrow at the library. I was over hearing a couple who need a model portfolio shot talked to them and am suppose to get to do it wednesday. I asked what they paid before and said taht would be fine an I have no studio it will be out doors. what luck I was pretty broke this week so it fell into my lap by over hearing. 'keep on looking listing and advertising and attending events shoot a lot and be not overly obvious but noticed,polite and business like offer quick returns and get model and releases for the children and you keep the negatives and good files on everyhthihng times date places people and ask for referrals to other they know who might need photo work done in the futre word of mouth spreads if yhour work is good and your professional in your work. Thinkk of yhour self as the customer and what they want and you succede. Keep it up.
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Christine |
Thanks Ken, I'll keep that in mind.
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Nick Milton |
you sound like me,having exact same problem,sometimes just feel like giving up,then someone buys a print for $8.00!!!!and I think well another 10 every day will be ok!!!! keep going,get something else to make your bread though use photography for the jam on top. www.nickmilton.tk
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Cindy K. Bracken |
Hi Christine, I have created a program that keeps my home-based studio very busy! You can read more about it at www.shuttermom.com Thanks and good luck!
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ken |
hi christy-the job ii had from the library bombed no show-waited all day-now lesson always have a contract with you and have them sign date time and what the sdhot is suppose to be and fill in the blanks as to where what when and who and some pay in advance to cover your expenses 180.00 for a model portfolio is what I was told he paid so see what the going rate is for that stuff. go to models on the internet and see what there is for poses-also check out poses for black modes and caucausion models as well-casual and formal styles in doors and outdoors-hope this helps-ken-you migfht join IFPO check out their web site and also the lady woh repsonded her site is wonderful abgout her home business.
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John A. Lind |
Christine, If you're in a "small town" you have a small customer base. How much competition is there already, and how well established is it? Build four similar restaurants on four corners of an intersection, and usually at least one of them (if not two) dies from lack of business after a few years . . . unless there's sufficient "traffic" to support all of them. If you can find out who your competition is, and what they specialize in, you can look for a "niche" that they don't cover and work on that. Keep one eye on your back though . . . aggressive competition doesn't sit still and could easily come after any market you start covering that they are not. Going head-to-head with a well-established studio that has a good reputation and competitive pricing is very, very difficult . . . unless there's clearly more business locally than they can handle. One of the major events here are bridal shows, usually in the Fall or at the very tail end of Winter. They typically have booths for businesses and vendors. You must pay for a booth and need to have a portfolio, typically a sample wedding album and a couple proof books showing your best work . . . and a very large, high quality framed bridal portrait helps attract attention too (16x20). Although the focus is wedding work, have a few things showing what else you can do also (senior portraits, family portraits, etc.). To use photos like this, you *must* have a clause in your client contract stipulating that you may use any or all of the photos you shoot of them for advertising your studio. This is a de facto, limited model release, and it's pretty simple. Otherwise the subjects in them *could* make a case against you regarding commercial use. Bridal shows are a business in their own right . . . not a non-profit public service . . . they generate profit for the organizers/promoters. That's why they charge a fee for a booth or any other type of advertising at the show. You have to weigh these costs against the amount of business it will generate . . . the business it brings in must be able to pay for it and leave you with sufficient profit afterward. When you find the cost of participating in one of these, do some simple calculations *before* signing up and paying using your normal profit margin to figure out how much business you would have to create from it to break even. If it's unrealistically high, don't do it. Breaking even, or very little profit on it could get your name out, and in small towns don't underestimate the power of "word of mouth" advertising . . . but that needs to be a careful decision . . . business booked from it ties up dates that cannot be used for business generated at much lower cost. In business circles, the reduced profit is called "cost of opportunity lost" because you couldn't take it on. -- John Lind
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