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

[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!

 

[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......

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[sherim]

I'm so happy I stumbled across this posting. There are so many great tips here! I'm trying to start off as inexpensively as I can. I did several free shoots to get my name out there and am finally getting a few refferals for family portraits now. I mainly shoot outside but for Christmas got all of my off-camera flash gear to get my in-home studio setup. I'm planning on doing Valentines and Easter mini sessions for children. One of my biggest issues is trying to get people to "like" my Facebook page without being annoying or seeming desperate. haha I will probably contact my son's school about doing Easter portraits there and also take out an ad in our local paper or city magazine. Thanks for the tips and if anyone has anymore I'd love to hear them!

 

[skiboarder72]

We get a large amount of our weddings from other vendors. Impress a high end wedding planner... and get lots of referrals for free! My favorite kind of advertising!

 

[Ilovemycam]

I don't have a biz, but they find out from emails and direct mail solicitations.

 

[herrickphoto]

I like these ideas! Most of my business comes through word of mouth or via my website. I do think having one (I have 2 for the different types of portraits/headshots I do) is essential, though, and I've found it works to put a lot of the pricing/what's included in different package-type information right on the site, so people don't feel they have to call with a lot of questions.
I also do vouchers for charities to auction off. Not sure this drives people to me, but good karma?
I don't bother with phone books or print ads, though. Not sure many people still use them?

 

[rjessc]

Which of the social networks is the most effective in terms of getting clients? It seems that photo-sharing websites like Flickr are losing their popularity.