***PHOTOGRAPHERS PLEASE READ!!***

WHEN TO START MARKETING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY……

Thanks for all the positive feedback and messages over the past few days, it’s good to know that my top tips are of benefit to you all.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been contacted by several photographers who are starting out on their own and it’s really surprised me how little many photographers place value on marketing, it’s as if it were a hassle or unwanted necessity and expense.

When you start to view your marketing as an investment to your business then you’ll really start to see the results come in. Marketing doesn’t have to be boring, the marketing I do for my own businesses is fun and enjoyable, nothing beats the buzz and the feeling of a marketing campaign that’s really working. Even better when you wake up in the morning to a load of enquiries and bookings through your emails and Facebook messages.

Start putting marketing as your priority and you’ll start seeing the results. I started with a new mentoring client at the beginning of this month and we launched a great interactive competition on his Business Facebook Page. I knew at first he wasn’t convinced but as the number of likes, shares and comments topped the 400 mark and he could see the value of the follow-up business it created then I knew he was converted.

Remember the latest top of the range camera is not a necessity to run a successful photography business, but sound marketing is. I’d rather own (and I do for that matter) 2 or 3 lower to mid-priced SLR’s with a range of lenses and spare flash units than the latest top spec camera.

Buy a camera you can comfortably afford today, then invest money in growing your business through marketing. Take a few courses or mentoring workshops, build a fantastic social media presence and run a few joint venture promotions. When you’ve made a bit money, buy a second reasonably priced camera and spare flash then reinvest in your marketing again.

Over the years I’ve spent ￡1,000’s and ￡1,000’s on marketing courses, just this year alone I’ve taken a further 2 courses to keep me up to date with the latest changes to SEO and Facebook Advertising, you can never learn too much.

To put things into perspective, my girlfriend lives over an hour from my home, last week I was staying at hers for a few days and all my camera kit was at my house. I received two photography jobs come in via email, but luckily for me, I had one of my older SLR’s at her house, it was a Canon 600D. This camera was more than enough to carry out both jobs that earned me over ￡700.

Don’t get into the trap of thinking you need the best kit to make the biggest amount of money, you don’t. You just need your camera you have now, your eye for detail and creative flair and a sound marketing strategy that gets you in front of the people who have the money to pay a good price for your services.

As always if you do have any questions just drop me a message, I’m only too happy to give you a bit Free advice.

Have a great day and thanks for following, Jeff