| Let's face it, most of us do photography on the side. | | | | are limited to selling basketball shots. This is only to get |
| Our dream or goal may be to make a living at it, at | | | | you in the minds of others as a photographer. Once |
| some point in time. But to do that, we have to make a | | | | you start handing out those business cards that will |
| lot more sales. To make the sales we need more | | | | lead them to your website. Your website can show all |
| customers. To get more customers, we need to | | | | the different types of photography that youcan do. |
| promote ourselves. | | | | 4. Write Photo Articles. Write about what you know |
| I'm going to go out on a limb, and make some | | | | best. If you love taking pictures of horses, write about |
| assumptions. First, I'm going to assume that money is | | | | that. Write about the equipment needed. Write about |
| an issue. We can't all afford to run Google Adwords | | | | going to horse shows. Write about how to contact |
| or even take out an ad in the local newspaper. | | | | horse owners. There are literately hundreds of Article |
| Second, I'm going to assume that your work is really | | | | directories on line that would love to have your articles. |
| good. I don't mean good, because your family and | | | | Let's say you write 20 articles and submit them to 100 |
| friends say so. I mean your work has to impress other | | | | Article Directories, that's like handing out 2000 business |
| photographers (people who know what it takes.) That | | | | cards! This not only gets you more traffic to your |
| being said; here are five key ways to promote | | | | website, but it establishes you as an expert in that |
| yourself, (that doesn't cost a fortune.) | | | | area of photography! |
| 1. Business Cards. This is NOT an option. You have to | | | | 5. Enter Photo Contests. If you submit one picture to a |
| have them. Ideally, they should have your name, your | | | | photo contest per week for one full year, you may or |
| picture, the word "Photography" or "Photographer", | | | | may not make any money, but... you will have publicity. |
| your web address and your phone number. Notice, I | | | | Even if you only win one or two out of your fifty two |
| did not say your street address or a list a mile long of | | | | entries, you are now an award winning photographer! |
| every type of photography you have ever done. | | | | You can use that on your website, on your business |
| When I say: "Your Picture", I mean just that; it must be | | | | card, or even just talking to potential customers. A |
| a picture of you. If you're shy sorry but you're in the | | | | word of caution, some contests have one purpose in |
| wrong business. If you want people to recognize you | | | | mind and that is NOT to promote you. Some photo |
| as a photographer, they need to remember you not | | | | contests will try to sell you photo related items again |
| one of your great shots. | | | | and again. In other words, this may end up putting your |
| 2. A Web Site. In today's High Tech world this is also | | | | name on a mailing list that you had not planned on. If it |
| NOT an option. In the old days, if I did "Weddings" | | | | is an email list you should be able to unsubscribe from |
| forexample, I created a portfolio that showed my best | | | | most of these. |
| work and would show it to potential customers one at | | | | Obviously, making a thousand business cards and |
| a time. The problem was only one customer could | | | | setting them on a shelf is not going to help you. But on |
| view the work at a time and often you would have to | | | | the other hand, if every sale you make you give that |
| wait to get it back, to show someone else. With a | | | | customer 10 business cards and tell them (don't ask) to |
| web site, you can show off your work and promote | | | | let their friends know, you will be surprised at how fast |
| yourself 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You don't | | | | the word can get around. If you are trying to show |
| have to spend a fortune. There are still sites out there | | | | your work to a crowd that is not into the whole |
| that will give you space for free (if you don't mind their | | | | internet scene, remind them that most public libraries |
| advertisements.) Or . . . very cheaply, I pay $4.95 per | | | | now have internet access. If they themselves don't |
| month for 50,000 Megabytes of space! | | | | have internet access, the odds are in your favor that |
| 3. Photograph Reoccurring Events. Ok, let me define a | | | | someone they know does. One of the advantages for |
| reoccurring event. Sports and Drama productions | | | | you having your own website is that your can update |
| come to mind. You want to be able to shoot | | | | it whenever you please. One advantage for your |
| something that people will see you shooting again and | | | | customer is that they can view it whenever they |
| again. If you take pictures at the Rodeo every | | | | please. |
| Saturday afternoon, people will notice. If you shoot a | | | | Each of these suggestions is only a tool. No one tool is |
| wedding, some of the guest may see you at several | | | | going to necessarily make you rich and famous, but as |
| weddings, but that does not make the same impact. If | | | | you start putting some of these things together, you |
| you shoot all 24 games of a basketball season, that | | | | might be surprised at the photography business that |
| will stick in peoples memories. That doesn't mean you | | | | you can build. |