Marketing and Advertising

A little photo biz talk for this post... Today I'm going to talk about marketing and advertising, and what I know about each.

Most people put marketing and advertising on the same line, and for good reason. But it is also important to understand the differences between the two. Marketing is getting people to your door or site or phone. Many forms of marketing are free. Advertising is a paid channel for promoting your business name. Advertising is anything you do to sell yourself that you have to pay for. Most people like marketing because it is free. However, it can also be intimidating is you are challenged for ideas, or don't know where to start. Many forms of marketing (that are free) you are more than likely doing already. Your meeting new people, networking, talking yourself up, and showing off your latest work. It doesn't matter who as much because word-of-mouth travels fast.

Word-of-mouth can be your biggest asset or can ruin you quickly. WOM is known by most to be the best form of advertising, and the easiest form of marketing. People trust their friends opinion infinitely more than a sales pitch from a stranger, so potential clients take it to heart. It is the easiest marketing tactics because you don't have to do anything buy please your clients in the first place. Of course, you have to have clients for WOM to work.

As I am starting to rejuvinate my business, I see how it is important to get your name out there. People have to remember your name. You have to stand out. You have to offer something that is so different or unique that makes people want to at least check you out. Getting people to see your work is hard. But once they do, make sure that you leave a good impression. A big mistake I have made in the past is not balancing everything out. What I mean by that is I would try really hard to get people to check out my portfolio, and not so much making sure that my portfolio was where I wanted it to be. Sure people came to the site, or saw my port, but then what.

Speaking of balance, online and local advertising and marketing should be kept separate as well. You will be working with a potential for two very different demographics. Yes, there will be overlap or course as people who surf the net looking for photographers are also sometimes the same ones who look in the yellow pages. It is important to not treat them that way because you have (we all do) a tight budget, and you need to make sure that your dollars are working for you. Balance that budget to your needs based on what you know about your local demographic.

I once learned in a workshop to learn from the big guys. The idea in the workshop was upselling, but the technique can be applied to marketing as well. My favorite example was McDonald's and their "Would you like fries with that?". Seek out success from the heavy hitters and copy it! Find what works - ask questions, do research on your own, pose as a client, etc. See what attracts you to different businesses and ask yourself why.

Right up there with first impressions is your businesses (and personal) marketability. Your products and services won't be able to sell themselves, because you are selling your personality as well. Some photographers I know use their personality as their big competitive advantage. They were able to take a big step back and see things from a detracted perspective. Many people struggle with that, but if you can, taking a look at your big picture can help you evaluate what you need to focus on when marketing yourself.