Spreading the word...how do people find your business?

[FattyMcJ]

WOW - so many people started the same way that I did. I also used local areas around town to showcase my portfolio - hospitals are an amazing place to showcase. I have received so many bookings through them it's amazing. Just think of the amount of people who are in and out or there for a long haul that have visitors and need a place to take their mind off reality for a moment. I would use my childrens showcase and my families showcase portfolios. Makes people feel good and gives you exposure at the same time. A lot of hospitals will allow you to showcase for a few hours for no charge - but it depends on affiliation. Good Luck!

Wait, so you stand there at the hospital...like at a booth with a table set up...for a few hours letting people look at your portfolio? Or you set up a table with the photos spread out and come back in a few hours? Or...hang prints in the waiting areas? I'm confused.

[TPF Sponsor]

[AnthonyRyanPhoto]

So it seems as if social media is a great place to start.

I just launched my website two weeks ago. We have a facebook presence. My question is 1. How do I get "likes" and 2. What ads have you ran that were successful

[msuggs]

Yeah, I tried Craigslist for selling other stuff and 1 out of 10 might be an acutal response of interest.

[msuggs]

Get friendly with a real estate agent and do shoots for houses. The better agents don;t mind paying for good photos.
Agents can also be good for leads to other jobs since they know everyone just about.
I'm going to try this once I'm ready to give it a go. Don't have the nerve just yet.

[bluebendphoto]

I think it's a combination of all these things. Meeting people (networking), doing a good job for referrals, advertising on the internet and print... IMO there is no one 'silver bullet'

[Diddy2theJJ]

Great thread. My main source of advertising is Facebook. I become friends with the couple who I photograph (wedding, portraits etc) and then tag their images on there. That way, ALL of their friends see them and know where to find me. I also designed a website for myself with an ordering system called PhotoCart that was a one time fee and free after it's setup. I've been very happy with that.

I've had weddings come from referrals, which I believe is the highest form of compliment you can get. But the majority of my wedding bookings have come from two wedding shows that I do in January. I have a little booth/table space to set up my photos for display and give out flyers with my prices on there and what you get with each package. This also gives me some one on one time with the clients, usually the brides, to talk and listen to what they are looking for.

The shows are $300 a piece, but get me really great exposure.

I work full time, so I don't want to be too busy...but I did book 9 weddings this year and some events and t-ball photos....so I've been crazy busy this summer!

[photosneak]

I'd have to agree that there isn't "one silver bullet" but aside from word of mouth referrals which are difficult to come by when first starting out, social media sites like flickr, twitter, facebook, linkedin, etc are the biggest resources for unestablished photographers looking to break into the business imo. it's a game of numbers really - how many people can you reach? there are other sites that provide listing services as well like Weddings, Wedding Venues - WeddingWire.com, Find Local Businesses | Get Matched to Local Businesses | Respond.com, and a this new one I just found Taproll: Find Local Photographers in Your City and in Your Budget. Taproll is pretty cool and is worth checking out imo.

[dnavarrojr]

We tried Craigslist and were overwhelmed with spam.

It depends on where you live I guess... Topeka is a "small town" in the grand scheme of things, so I don't get much spam from CL ads.

[JohnHendry]

Some great advice guys and girls....now where did I put my Facebook login details......

[P.D.P.]

Do a good job and your reputation will spread by word of mouth.

[Ian Kirkland Isaac]

For me, we use facebook and twitter to promote our business along with word of mouth and business cards. We are building our web site to help further our interaction.

[rustic2728]

Is there a place on here for photographers to add their contact information? I'm just a hobbyist, but my family is all getting together for x-mas this year...all 5 generations and we need to find a photographer in an area that none of us know anyone to take a family photo session. Not sure if this is the right place to post, but maybe someone can point me in the right direction since I am new to the forum.

Thanks,
Emily

[PDP]

Your website is your 'shop window', so should be an important part of your marketing strategy.
People will find your website from other forms of advertising, word of mouth, or via search engines.

There are millions of articles on the web about search engine optimization, so I won't go into detail here, but one important factor is that there are links to your website from other related sites.
Now for the blatant plug - One way of doing this is by submitting your website to relevant directories. See my signature below of one example of a Photography directory you can submit your site to for Free.

[photoentrepreneur]

Before I had a portrait studio, I went around my area and got chummy with independent shops, playgroups and tourist attractions. I ran did free shoots in parks and made some great contacts. Eight years later I have returning customers who first met me from those meetings.

Now word of mouth is king. To encourage it I give away a free 7x5 72 dpi of any print paid for. This gets show around on facebook and mobile phones. Just had a booking in London from a client who has been to me twice over 5 years, because all her friends have seen here facebook page and want my portraits.

The other thing to do is make sure you are offering a better service each time someone comes. I change something every year. Even though I was doing well over the last few years, I have just ditched my old shooting style and have started offering a brand new look. More old clients are coming back to experience it.