How to advertise self,confused

nathfromslg · Apr 1, 2014

Hey,
I just started out my photography business,focussing on wedding,portrait,fashion.
The problem I am facing now is that I dont have a wide portfolio in case of wedding and slowly expanding portrait and fashion portfolio.
I have assisted some photographers in their wedding assignments.

Now I am confused on how to advertise my business and my work.
SHould I opt for facebook ads or google adword?

Problem with google adword is,its too expensive for me,i can afford facebook ads.

Also it will be real nice if anyone would help me out on how to approach companies/busines entities for fashion/portfolio work.

I am working on my website and have a existing facebook page.

12sndsgood · Apr 1, 2014

Don't waste your money on Facebook just start a page and share your work and get people following you. Tag people in your work so all there friends can see your stuff. Word if mouth is the best thing in this business. Look at other options such as google plus. Twitter etc. And get your own website with your work and filter people to your site. A blog is also a good way to get people following you. Just some options.

KmH · Apr 1, 2014

Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer
Photography Business Secrets: The Savvy Photographer's Guide to Sales, Marketing, and More
Profitable Photography in Digital Age: Strategies for Success

Wedding and portrait photography is retail photography.
Fashion is commercial photography and has a business model very different than the retail photography business model.
Many commercial photographers use an artist representative with extensive industry contacts that approach companies/business entities for work. Reps get a cut of what you get paid for jobs they have arranged for you. You'll need a good portfolio to be accepted by a good rep.

If you need to build a portfolio, use aspiring models and MUA's to make portfolio images. (MUA - Make Up Artist)
Many models and MUAs will work for images they can use in their portfolio.

Derrel · Apr 1, 2014

This page has some great marketing ideas, complete with effective slogans, offers, and advertisement designs/color schemes. Now, this method is an old one--it pre-dates the internet by many years, but has STILL never been totally eliminated or discarded, so you know it still works. And that my friend, you can take to the bank!

man with sandwich board - Google Search

deeky · Apr 1, 2014

Network, network, network. Facebook is good for front of mind awareness, but face-to-face is where you really need to build relationships. Be intentional about it - you don't know who people know until you ask. As mentioned, have something of a portfolio put together, but who you know gets you in the door. What you do will keep you there.

KmH · Apr 1, 2014

That's good advice from deeky.

You have to meet people face to face.

Darkershadesofbrown · Apr 4, 2014

Facebook is really the key when starting out. Shoot for free... Tag people.... Eventually, you can start charging people for your work if you are fairly descent.

jtyson · Apr 4, 2014

I'm not a pro. Not even remotely close. However, I've got some experience marketing. With a service like photography, ultimately your marketing MUST be visual. Word of mouth will work after you've built a portfolio, but until then, your work will need to speak for itself.

As for Adwords or FB ads. Don't do it. Don't pay for anything now. Keyword marketing is far too muddied in such an overcrowded profession so that would be a waste for now. As said before, offer free shoots to build your portfolio. Offer referral rewards - Free portrait shoot if they get you a wedding. Basically, give your prospective clients a reason to show off your work.

Network with other photographers, especially those that are better than you. Not only can you learn from them, often they'd be glad to pass you the less desirable gigs - as long as you can deliver quality and not tarnish their reputation referring you.

wyogirl · Apr 4, 2014

You also need a website and you need to optomize it for search engines. Then you need to sign up with Yahoo, Google and Bing and get your business listed in the "phone directory" of those search engines.
Make sure your website has relevant text as well as images because web crawlers will be looking for text to determine if your site matches search criteria and if its worth reporting.

unpopular · Apr 6, 2014

I hear that sex sells.

gsgary · Apr 6, 2014

Do they have wedding fairs where you live ? Wedding Fairs - Wedding Fayres and Events throughout the UK - Page 1 : UKbride

imagemaker46 · Apr 8, 2014

jtyson said:
I'm not a pro. Not even remotely close. However, I've got some experience marketing. With a service like photography, ultimately your marketing MUST be visual. Word of mouth will work after you've built a portfolio, but until then, your work will need to speak for itself.

As for Adwords or FB ads. Don't do it. Don't pay for anything now. Keyword marketing is far too muddied in such an overcrowded profession so that would be a waste for now. As said before, offer free shoots to build your portfolio. Offer referral rewards - Free portrait shoot if they get you a wedding. Basically, give your prospective clients a reason to show off your work.

Network with other photographers, especially those that are better than you. Not only can you learn from them, often they'd be glad to pass you the less desirable gigs - as long as you can deliver quality and not tarnish their reputation referring you.

"I know marketing" Photography is visual? Network with better photographers? in this age of cut throat photography, very few photographers in the same business will pass on anything to the potential competition.

JoeW · Apr 8, 2014

nathfromslg said:
Hey,
I just started out my photography business,focussing on wedding,portrait,fashion.
The problem I am facing now is that I dont have a wide portfolio in case of wedding and slowly expanding portrait and fashion portfolio.
I have assisted some photographers in their wedding assignments.

Now I am confused on how to advertise my business and my work.
SHould I opt for facebook ads or google adword?

Problem with google adword is,its too expensive for me,i can afford facebook ads.

Also it will be real nice if anyone would help me out on how to approach companies/busines entities for fashion/portfolio work.

I am working on my website and have a existing facebook page.

What I'm about to say is ONLY my perspective. Feel free to disregard it.

1. I think that to be successful as a photographic business these days, you either need to be exceptionally lucky...or you need to have a niche. To say that you shoot weddings, fashion and portraits seems overly broad to me, not much of a niche there.

2. FB or Google ads? Nothing against ads. But all of the successful photographers that I know of (defining "successful" as "their business makes enough money for them to pay rent, have a family, they don't have a second job or aren't on TANF), none of them get any kind of real business via ads. A few of them have ads but none of them generate more than 5-10% of their clients from formal ads via a Facebook or Google.

3. How to market? Well, start with a niche...let's say you decide to specialize in wedding photography. So make a list of all of the wedding planners within 50 miles of you. Contact every single one of them. And no, I don't just mean sending them your business card. Get together for tea or coffee. Contact every wedding services provider (wedding saris, caterers, wedding jewelry stores, etc.) within 25 miles of you. Offer to shoot promo stuff if they allow your watermark in the photo or display your photos in their shop. Go to popular wedding destinations/locations. Scout them out, take shots there (even if no wedding is involved) and get them in your portfolio. A bride-to-be will see that photo and go "oh, I always wanted to hold my wedding at location X, this photographer knows it well--let's contact him!" Meet with people who'd officiate weddings and do trade work for them (so they know your work, they feel like they want to return the favor and will refer you to brides and families). I suspect that mothers in India have a lot of impact on the wedding planning so see if there is a way to specifically reach out to them (is there an organization or society or magazine that might focus on mothers of the bride?). If there is a wedding planner professional organization that meets monthly, offer to do a luncheon program on tips for choosing a wedding photographer (hint: do NOT make it a sales pitch...provide handouts, give lots of good tips about what to look for).