Marketing Your Photography Studio Virtually
By Lori Osterberg of Virtual Photography Studio

Have you ever printed 1,000 brochures, only to find an error the minute you receive them back from the printer? Or decide to change your pricing – and have to throw 800 unused copies away?

That’s the frustration with using more traditional forms of marketing.

While you may need to have some more traditional pieces for face-to-face networking, there are ways to eliminate the need for hard copy promotional materials, and use greener, online methods for all of your marketing needs.

The key is to learn how to approach your prospects and clients with minimal hard copy items, and have your thoughts ready when someone asks, “Do you have a brochure?”

Voice Message. Instead of saying, “leave your name and number and we’ll return your call” or “leave your address and we’ll mail you out a brochure”, motivate your callers to view your online portfolio. “If you’ve received this message, we’re helping other clients at the moment. Please visit my online portfolio at ABCPhotography.com to view over 1,000 images, and to discover the details of my wedding and event photography”. It’s simple, effective, and begins orienting your potential customers to doing business with you online.

Printed Marketing Materials. If you’re out networking in person, you may need a variety of tools to help you reach out to potential customers. Keep in mind your website is your best tool for showing what you do, and you can easily have a laptop and show a prospect around your site. But when you do need things to mail or hand out, think green. Instead of having a brochure for each type of photography you do, consider keeping it simple. Create postcards with a single image on the front, along with your website address. Use the back for handwriting notes, or send it through the printer for a professional look. With only a photograph on the front, you can use these cards for a variety of functions, and you’ll never have to throw one away because it’s out of date. It also directs people back to your website, where they can see your complete portfolio.

Websites and blogs. Your website and your blog are your true marketing tools. Using both, you can have a dynamite sales presence that easily allows you to sell 24/7. Build your site to fully describe your business. Think of your website as your sales team, and include what you go over in a face to face meeting. Content is king online – you can never say too much about you or about your business. People will read what they are interested in, so the more options you have for them, the longer they’ll stay on your site. Also include a complete gallery of images. Think about what you would have on display if a client walks into your studio. They may see a dozen images on the wall, and several hundred images in the albums you have on display. The more you put on your site, the easier it will be for a potential client to fully see what you do.

Forms, Lists, Contracts and Marketing Kits. Chances are you have a variety of things to share with your clients. It doesn’t all have to be linked to your website navigation, or be viewable by the general public. Place things like contracts and order forms on your site for your clients to download and email back to you.

Sample Albums.  If you do meet with prospects regularly, and they want to see samples of your albums, you still have options. Create one small album to showcase the quality. Then put all of your other sample albums online. You can show them a virtual album if you’re meeting in person, or provide web addresses via email for long distance clients. You can also take photographs of each of your clients’ albums, and place them on your site to give your clients ideas of the selections.

The more you place online, the less tied down you’ll be to a studio location. You can be anywhere in the world and easily work with a prospect or client. It only takes a bit of thought, and the time it takes to convert from traditional to online sources.