Your Advertising Strategies when starting up...?

[ChrisAdval]

After knowing which target demographic you want to focus mostly, how did (or would) you go about it if you had a shoe string budget? Word of mouth/networking with potential clients? or postcards, flyers, etc.?

(when I say shoe string I mean under $50)

I looked into postcards and for 1000 postcards (color both sides, standard size) I could get it for $30 (with shipping maybe $40~), but as for flyers (color both sides, standard 8.5x11 size) would cost for about 250 prints about $100-$.59 each print. And if I wanted to get full color both sides on that size I could just buy a laser printer for about $150 instead but I'll save that for later in 2012.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

After knowing which target demographic you want to focus mostly, how did (or would) you go about it if you had a shoe string budget? Word of mouth/networking with potential clients? or postcards, flyers, etc.?

(when I say shoe string I mean under $50)

I looked into postcards and for 1000 postcards (color both sides, standard size) I could get it for $30 (with shipping maybe $40~), but as for flyers (color both sides, standard 8.5x11 size) would cost for about 250 prints about $100-$.59 each print. And if I wanted to get full color both sides on that size I could just buy a laser printer for about $150 instead but I'll save that for later in 2012.

Start doing shoots for free indicate ist for a limited time. And if they like your quality they will spread the word and build your client base.

[andyw]

Originally Posted by bhursey

Start doing shoots for free indicate ist for a limited time.

AAARRRGGGHHHHH NEVER.

Originally Posted by bhursey

And if they like your quality they will spread the word and build your client base.

Yeah, build into a client base who think they can always get you for free or cheap.

Sorry, but starting off "doing it for free" is the worst advice I ever see on here or anywhere else.
The same as the client saying "oh we have no budget this time but next time we will pay you". NO they won't because there won't be a next time unless they can get it for free again.


It depends on what your target clientele is. If it is commercial photography aiming at local businesses then a lot of legwork with your book and leaving a decent brochure with all your details.

If it is portraits/weddings then there are loads of places you can leave your details from the local maternity hospital through to church groups, supermarkets and even sticking a flyer on windscreens if necessary (something which I absolutely hate)

Mind you, if your budget for marketing is $50 then you are going to struggle and TBH maybe if your budget is that low then you are jumping the gun a bit.

[CarlyRocksPhotos]

Rather than just work for free willy nilly (a bad idea!!! NO! Once you work for free, you will always be expected to work for free.)....

Do Charity. It gives you a chance to meet/reach a very large audience, get press, do a good deed, get a tax write off and really put your values out there, which will naturally attract an audience. When you do what you love you win.

When you do what you love you win.

When you do what you love you win.

So do charity. Shoot the soon-to-bes at the SPCA, work with Home - Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, find small locally run businesses on small locally run budgets, and do some in-stores for them... etc.

There's a lot of great sites out there:

http://www.photovoice.org/

Hope it helps!
Remember: When you do what you love you win. When we win individually, we win as a whole.

[Rentham]

Originally Posted by andyw

maybe if your budget is that low then you are jumping the gun a bit.

Agreed. Especially considering Chris is looking at an advertising method that generally has a very low return rate. Just get out there where your clients are and start having conversations. To paraphrase Zack Arias, people can't hire you if they don't know you exist.

[Jim Bryant]

Never work for free! Make contacts...attend Business meetings, Toaster Master's, Lions Club, and Rotary meetings and leave your business cards. Normally, you don't have to pay to attending the first ones.

[Biomech]

There's nothing wrong with doing it for free or at cost .... IF you choose the right time.

If someone asked me to do my photo booth at cost for a local business fundraiser; then I'd probably do it (depending on time of year etc). because while I wouldn't make money on that gig, I'd be showcasing my work to X amount of local businesses who could then book me for their xmas parties. I was actually approached by Cancer Research UK the other month who "didn't have a budget", it would have been in a key location so I was prepared to do it at cost - they still didn't go for it :P Never mind, their loss.

When I shoot grad balls I do it for free. There's no turning up charge, guests just pay per print on the night. That can be a winner because it costs the organisers nothing yet greatly enhances their event.

But I think it really depends on what service you intend to provide. I wouldn't do a product shoot for free.

At the start, I saw events in the paper, approached the organisers and asked if I could pimp myself through the crowd taking shots, just gain some exposure.

What has worked well for the photo booth has been wedding fayres. It costs me like $30-$50 to get a spot (now they ring me up and ask me to come free of charge ), if I get just one booking my return on investment is around ... $875, the first 3 I did I walked away with 3-4 bookings. So that worked well.

What if you setup in the mall, take shots, hand out some flyers and tell people they can find them on you facebook and website later that day with an option to buy? (or print on the spot). What doesn't work, is just giving people bits of paper, if you get the involved and trying you out, that'll work a lot better. Is that a possibility? I mean think about, the mall might charge you $50-$100 a day for some floor space, you setup, print on demand at maybe $15 / 9x6. Sell 5 of those and you've covered your costs. My print on demand sales conversion is probably 99.9% - 99.9% of the people I shoot buy at least one print. I can only think of one person who didn't like any, even she came back for another go and bought.

maybe if your budget is that low then you are jumping the gun a bit.

Agree +1
$50 seems a little low.. very low. I'll literally spend that on a chinese for dinner tonight.

[Hill Country Hack]

I agree one should not work for free.

Biomech has a good plan/thing going on.

I was just at a car show this past weekend shooting as a hobbist as I am not ready/willing/able to charge for services. There was one pro out there with two staff members trying to sellhis services. He had a book in hand hawking HDR conversions. His model was to get the shots, do the PP and send the images later (I'm guessing on the sending of prints vs electronic file). He was offering to do the work for $75 US per image. I didn't see him get any sales while I was wandering around. I did leave rather early to go to a parade.

But he was pounding the pavement.

[andyw]

Originally Posted by Biomech

There's nothing wrong with doing it for free or at cost .... IF you choose the right time.

Absolutely but free is a lot different than at cost.

Originally Posted by Biomech

If someone asked me to do my photo booth at cost for a local business fundraiser; then I'd probably do it (depending on time of year etc). because while I wouldn't make money on that gig, I'd be showcasing my work to X amount of local businesses who could then book me for their xmas parties. I was actually approached by Cancer Research UK the other month who "didn't have a budget", it would have been in a key location so I was prepared to do it at cost - they still didn't go for it :P Never mind, their loss.

There is a difference in doing that at "cost" and doing a shoot for "free". i.e. where you get absolutely no return even your costs. In effect that sort of shoot is done at your own expense with no guarantee of a return now or in the future, Whereas if you are doing it at cost then at least you are not out of pocket in any major way.
I actually do tell people that the very least they should be doing is charging their costs.

Originally Posted by Biomech

When I shoot grad balls I do it for free. There's no turning up charge, guests just pay per print on the night. That can be a winner because it costs the organisers nothing yet greatly enhances their event.

Again, you are not strictly doing it for free are you. You are planning/hoping to make an overall profit from the sale of prints.
Would you do these balls if you had to give away the prints at your cost. I somehow doubt it.

Originally Posted by Biomech

But I think it really depends on what service you intend to provide. I wouldn't do a product shoot for free.

Absolutely. Events photography is a lot different than doing weddings/portraits or commercial work where "free" means totally at your cost.
At least with events - even those that you may have to pay to set up in, you are banking on making a profit from the sale of prints.
There is nothing wrong with that whatsoever and it is a business model that many businesses (not just photography) use sometimes.

What I get annoyed at is those who advocate doing free work for magazines or commercial customers because it will get your foot in the door or get you exposure. It very very rarely gets you any repeat work or decent exposure.

If someone is going to do a freebie for a charity that they support then that is fine. (plus you can get a write off on taxes so it is not really a freebie), I support a couple of charities and have done photographic work for them.

[andyw]

Originally Posted by Biomech

What has worked well for the photo booth has been wedding fayres. It costs me like $30-$50 to get a spot (now they ring me up and ask me to come free of charge ), if I get just one booking my return on investment is around ... $875, the first 3 I did I walked away with 3-4 bookings. So that worked well.

What if you setup in the mall, take shots, hand out some flyers and tell people they can find them on you facebook and website later that day with an option to buy? (or print on the spot). What doesn't work, is just giving people bits of paper, if you get the involved and trying you out, that'll work a lot better. Is that a possibility? I mean think about, the mall might charge you $50-$100 a day for some floor space, you setup, print on demand at maybe $15 / 9x6. Sell 5 of those and you've covered your costs. My print on demand sales conversion is probably 99.9% - 99.9% of the people I shoot buy at least one print. I can only think of one person who didn't like any, even she came back for another go and bought.

All that is really just part of your overall marketing plan and budget.
The old "you have to spend money to make money" adage.

The handing out leaflets at the mall works for a number of studios, as long as you are taking the bookings at the time (with a small deposit).
Obviously printing on the spot is better but many of the kids photographers which are in the stores (mothercare and the like) or the malls work on the shoot now and come back in a week to pick up the photos and they do ok.

They are the bucket shops of kids portraits but the model works for some.