| Trying to make a great living with your photography | | | | psychological marketing tool. |
| business without becoming a "Master Marketer" is like | | | | 2. It's the single most artistic way to present your |
| trying to start your car without the keys. I suppose | | | | photography. It's like a "one person art show." It |
| you could eventually do it - but it would take a lot of | | | | speaks very highly of your artistic prowess as well as |
| hard work and time. | | | | your professionalism. Just be sure you only display |
| Most master marketers agree that it takes 5 positive | | | | your best images, and be sure they are up to your |
| impressions before someone will actually pick up the | | | | finest artistic requirements. |
| phone and call you, or will go to their computer and | | | | 3. Exhibits of your photography allow people to |
| email you. So, unless you have an enormous | | | | closely examine and scrutinize your images with no |
| marketing budget, you need effective but | | | | "salesperson" or other distraction. They can "scratch |
| inexpensive ways to make those 5 positive | | | | and sniff it." They can look at your photography |
| impressions on your target market and get her to | | | | really close up and personal. They can touch it. They |
| take action. | | | | can study the composition. They can scrutinize the |
| There is NOTHING - not the Internet, not direct mail, | | | | framing. They can talk openly with their friends who |
| not television, not radio, not referrals, not anything - | | | | are with them about what they really feel about |
| that can beat exhibits of your photography all over | | | | your photography. No sales person is there. No |
| your community, for bringing in highly qualified | | | | pressure. |
| potential clients to your photography business. I have | | | | 4. Exhibits allow you to present your photography |
| proven this to be true in my portrait and wedding | | | | the way it should be presented - in appropriate sizes |
| photography business, and it will be true for you, as | | | | which truly show off your wonderful style. (Key |
| well. | | | | point: never display any of your images without |
| Here's how it works: People start seeing your | | | | having them beautifully framed, and having them be |
| photography proudly displayed around the community. | | | | appropriate sizes for the space they are in.) For |
| They see it displayed at their favorite restaurant | | | | example, I prefer to display 24 x 30's and 30 x 40's |
| when they go out to eat. Then they see it when | | | | if at all possible. |
| they go to the movies. Then the wife sees it when | | | | 5. Since you sell what you show, by showing beautiful |
| she has her hair done. Then she sees it again when | | | | wall portraits around the community, you are much |
| she does her banking. These impressions keep | | | | more likely to have your paying clients actually invest |
| stacking up, until she just can't stand it anymore. She | | | | in those sizes. Wall portraits are extremely profitable, |
| HAS to contact you. | | | | and clients love them, because they can enjoy them |
| Here's why having exhibits around your community is | | | | from across the room in their home. |
| such an effective marketing method - much more | | | | So think about who you know. Your friends and |
| effective than the paid advertising most | | | | acquaintances who own or run local businesses. Think |
| photographers do: | | | | about the other businesses people in the community |
| 1. Every exhibit of your photography carries with it | | | | who would maybe be interested in exhibiting your |
| the IMPLIED ENDORSEMENT of the place where | | | | photography in their business. Think about who you |
| your exhibit is located. This is totally the opposite of | | | | have photographed in the past. Do any of those |
| most advertising you do. You see, if you place an ad | | | | people own or run a local business? Think about who |
| in the Yellow Pages, for example, everyone knows | | | | your spouse knows in the community. All these |
| you wrote it, or hired someone to write it. It doesn't | | | | people are potential exhibit locations. |
| have much credibility. | | | | The true key to building the photography business of |
| But with exhibits of your photography, you are there | | | | your dreams is to create a huge demand for your |
| by "invitation" - or at least that's what most people | | | | limited supply, and then control the volume of work |
| believe to be the case. This means the location | | | | you do with the price. Getting free exhibits all over |
| where you are exhibiting is giving their approval of, | | | | town is the best, fastest, and one of the least |
| and respect for what you do. This is a very powerful | | | | expensive ways to create that huge demand. |