Advertising on the cheap

[misol]

I do most of my work for friends and friends of friends and I have a government contract (children in the foster care system). I would like to start getting more work out of my circle of friends and this contract which will end soon. What are some good ways to advertise with low expense?

 

[UUilliam]

Buy Flyers and hand them out
go on websites like Craig list, Gumtree etc...

Just post your name everywhere you want it to be advertised basically

 

[craig]

Take the time to research and find your target audience. Your advertising dollar will go much further when you know who to target.

Love & Bass

 

[KmH]

+1 on what Craig said.

Word of mouth is the best, and least expensive advertising.

You need bodies in front of your camera, that buy your products after the shoot, at a price that keeps you in business, and then shows and tells all their friends, and their families and just gush about how awesome you are.

Next best is networking with other businesses you can tie into what you do.

Which begs the question: what do you do?

I take you do portraiture? Do you have a studio or a portable set up? Or do you just do 'natural light'? Seniors, Engagements, Corporate?

 

[misol]

Thanks for the feedback. So far word of mouth has been my thing. I have a targeted audience. Parents with young kids, middle to upper middle class (Not being picky, thats just who uses me. Families with tighter incomes get walmart and sears portraits, families with more hire the most popular photographers in the city). I take contemporary portraits with a more photo-journalistic style (not posing).

I am getting a website and a blog, then I will be able to hand out business cards. That should go a ways.

For those who have used craigslist, did you find you just got alot of people who wanted something for nothing? Right now I am not charging a base fee and just allowing people to buy what prints they want. But I could see that MAJORLY backfiring on craigslist.

 

[Bee Bee]

I also set myself up a group on facebook - not technically advertising BUT it does allow people to see your latest work and can have a link to your website and also your base of people who know about you will widen as friends add their friends and so on - all for free! Other than that I have had postcards made and business cards xxx

 

[misol]

great idea~ I keep meaning to do that

 

[KmH]

Right now I am not charging a base fee and just allowing people to buy what prints they want.

Unfortunately, this is not a viable business model. It has been proven over and over again that it does not work, ever.

You have to get compensation for your time and talent, because not everyone will order prints.

"Best Business Practices For Photographers" John Harrington www.johnharrington.com

"Professional Business Practices in Photography" compiled by the American Society of Media Photographers www.asmp.org

www.score.org The Service Corporation of Retired Executives...a free service.

www.sba.gov U. S. Small Business Administration...also free to US citizens.

 

[misol]

Thanks for the links. I guess I should add that I do have fees, but I have been doing alot of work lately which I cant use in my portfolio so I am really trying to get more word of mouth and more for my portfolio

 

[c.cloudwalker]

For ideas about marketing on the cheap I always recommend "Guerilla Marketing" by Jay Conrad Levinson. My own book is getting pretty old but some of the ideas as still quite useful.

If I was marketing today I would get a newer one to get his ideas on marketing on the web. Here is his website:
Guerrilla Marketing Online - The Official Site of Guerrilla Marketing and Jay Conrad Levinson

 

[Jon_Are]

Church bulletins?