We Go To College To Learn Photography, Where Do We Go For Marketing?

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~Attributed to Harry S. Truman

Whether you are an amateur, aspiring professional or up there with the pros; business marketing knowledge is an absolute must for successful dealings and transactions in your work. Through research and effort the process of learning begins, this is how we become better and this doesn't change when we are looking to become better photographers.

But how do we become better business men and women? The solution is convenient and simple.

The National College of Business is a vital key to success in every facet of the business world. Here are their beliefs:

NCB Intention
To increase the success of small business in Australia.

NCB Mission
To create an experience for everyone who comes in contact with us.
We do this by treating you as we would our best friend, going the extra-mile in whatever we do and adding value at every interaction.

Our Core Values
Attitude (Our people are positive, genuine and extra mile. They have great, can do attitudes)
Growth (Our people develop personally and professional, they are open to feedback and apply the principle of CANI)
Determined (Our people are up for a challenge and are competitive by nature)
Professional (Our people are well presented, organised and on time)
Others (Our people have a love for people and serve others to help them succeed)
Candour (Our people are honest and straightforward in attitude and speech)
Confident (Our people are confident because they are disciplined in their own life)
Fun (Our people are happy, enjoy a joke and create an experience)
Excellence (Our people do whatever it takes, they are committed to excellence and continually raise the bar)
Respect (Our people respect themselves and others)

What the NCB is committed to…
World class training, education and development for business owners and their teams that is street smart, practical, applicable and fun to ensure you get the results you want in your business and that you enjoy the journey along the way.
Support for business owners in managing the daily challenges of running a business…so you have a sounding board to assist you with the important decisions.
Access to professionals and resources…that give you the expertise and guidance necessary to

WIN the GAME of BUSINESS!
A positive, fun environment to train your staff in key areas so that you don’t have to do it yourself.
Providing nationally recognised qualifications in key areas of small business so that you know you are getting THE BEST information, that is real and applicable.

Classes are very detailed, friendly and well prepared with many options of achievements available at the end.

Their link is available when you click the National College of business logo.

BRIEF- Tradeshow/Seminar

Photographic Tradeshow and Seminar

Outline

Based in central Brisbane, the inaugural Photographic Tradeshow and Seminar (PTS) will be held on the weekend of Friday 23^rd October – Sunday 25^th October 2011 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane. This tradeshow will educate photographers and the broader design industry of the photographic trends of the past, present and future.

The event will draw together the beauty of the photographic art forms from all corners of the globe and throughout time. Drawing on inspiration from 1940’s Parisian street scenes, reminiscent of Coco Chanel, the event will marry in the technologies and photographic trends as they have evolved over the last 70 years.

Purpose

The purpose of the event is to draw together photographers and designers to encourage greater possible achievements with future collaborations. In the modern day, as technology advances, the photographic industry has taken on digital media as their primary source of displaying art. This event will encourage artists to explore the possible combination of modern and traditional presentations of photography. There will be new ways to encourage photographers to present their imagery on different surfaces across a broad range of media. These will encompass photography of all genres, from Commercial to portrait, through to Landscape and Fine Art.

Target Audience

The PTS will strive to bring together not only rising talent and photographic students but the entire photographic and design industry from Australia and the world around us.

Constraints

Various factors will require consideration prior to the event. The size of the venue, time frame for organization, OHS, insurance issues and technologies among others will be considerable constraints. Photographers and Technological experts will have their own constraints to consider for implementing the client’s concepts.

Location

The Tradeshow will be held at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre in the Great Hall.

Budget

The budget for the event will be unlimited, within reason. Sponsors will be a major source of funding for the tradeshow.

 

Areas of Responsibility

Marketing

-       Creation of brief

-       Sourcing of key speakers

-       Floor plan

-       Profit

-       Promotions/Advertising – Flyers, Database, Internet Marketing

-       Sourcing Sponsorship

-       Costing

 

Technology

-       Feasibility of concepts (Can it be done? How can it be done?)

-       Tradeshow exhibitors – New technologies

-       Equipment – 1940’s à Now

-       Technological forms of presentation (Projections, wallpapers etc.)

-       Costing

 

Photo imaging Trends

-       Creation of atmosphere, through imagery (What’s going to be displayed/projected to build the feel of the show – which locations of the world will need to be photographed to help build the Parisian feel)

-       Portraits – different styles and trends

-       Models dressed in styling from 1940s until today.

-       Surfaces to print on (3D printing opportunities, Sculptural prints, printing on fabric, wallpaper)

-       Projection technologies

-       Costing 

Thanks, 

Darlia Argyris, Renee Bosboom, Shaun Bedford, Nadine Mitchell, Julie Phillips

How commercial photographers market- The marketing mix

The marketing mix is essentially the different activities a business undertakes to promote their business and generate sales of their product. It could be advertising, direct marketing, sales promotions, sponsorships or other PR activities. Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing my research. I’ve talked to professional photographers, marketing managers and those good folks from the publishing industry. I’ve found out the types of promotions photographers have done and what they thought was effective. I’ve also asked the ‘art buyers’ about the types of promotions they have received from photographers and what they found effective.

Photographers

1. A killer folio
Having a strong folio of your work that shows off your skills, style, the diversity of your work, unique abilities and personality is a great starting point for a commercial photographer. This folio can be printed or displayed online. A key tip from photographers is to get help in putting together your folio. Ask peers, mentors or even a professional photo editor to cast their eyes over your work for objectivity. While difficult to do, according to both photographers and buyers, it’s very effective to deliver your printed folio directly to the decision maker and make a meeting to go through it one on one. A personal touch can help make you and your work more memorable.

2. Advertisements
Traditional advertising is pretty expensive. Advice all round on this front was if you are going to advertise then target, target, target! Make sure you pick media that is going to end up in the hands of people you want to hire you. Commercial photographers can advertise in sourcebooks or on the web in a fairly targeted way.

3. Direct marketing

This is the big one. Direct marketing activities include emails, email newsletters, printed promotions and promotional gifts. This seems to be where most commercial photographers spend the largest amount of money. (It also seems to be the approach that is most appreciated by art buyers).
There are a couple of keys to direct marketing. The first is to ensure you have a really accurate and targeted mailing list. You want to make sure your direct mail piece ends up in the hands of the person who can decide to hire you.
Second is frequency. You want to send out promotional material at a frequency that keeps you top of mind, but not annoying! The mix is different around the industry. Some photographers send out an email every month and at least two printed promos in a year, others swear by a print mailer every 4 months and an email every 2 it really depends on your budget.
Speaking of budget, direct marketing can be very expensive. For reference, Capture Magazine (Jan/Feb 2010) quotes that Melbourne based commercial photographer Jean Marc La-Roque spent approximately $22,000 producing 500 A4 books that he then sent out to prospective clients. It could have cost a lot more, La-Roque did a contra deal with his designer Richard Henderson to reduce costs.
FOLLOW UP- one of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make after sending out a direct mail piece is neglecting to follow up. It takes time and can be frustrating and even disheartening but it’s well worth adding that extra personal touch according to both the photographers and art buyers I spoke to.

4. PR activity including blogs and social media

This is really becoming a necessary evil for photographers right across the board. The best advice I’ve seen comes from American Photographer Lincoln Barbour. Who on his blog post marketing 101 says that there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. “ if you do it right, you’ll be rewarded with web traffic, great feedback, and a sense of interconnection to clients and colleagues. As a business, your social media interactions should stay on message, stay positive, and be useful to your followers.” ...when blogging “Blog about what you’re shooting. Blog about what new clients you have. Blog about anything related to your business.” http://www.lincolnbarbour.com/blog/2010/03/05/marketing-101-for-commercial-photographers/

Art buyers (marketing managers, advertising and publishing industry)

1. Folio
A strong folio is important for art buyers when choosing which photographer to hire. Most say they prefer to first see work online via a photographers website (mostly because this saves them time). A good folio, according to Capture Magazine (Jan/Feb 2010) must have ‘professional presentation with good design, concepts and images’

2. Advertisements
Art buyers say that while they may look at photographers advertisements when generating a ‘long list’ for jobs, they are more strongly influenced by the photographers folio. Personality is also important said one marketing manager. ‘We’ll end up working really long hard days so we need to make sure they are going to be a good fit personality-wise’

3. Direct marketing
Art buyers at top advertising agencies can receive up to 20 pieces of promotional material from commercial photographers a week. From my research art buyers seem to prefer receiving emails with a link to a photographers website. Having said, email promotions do run the risk of ending up as spam. One marketing manager stated that mail promotion with a personalised letter and examples of a photographers work were likely to be the most effective. “I believe mail would be the most effective as it's more likely to get read than other forms of communication. It's easy to bin emails or ignore unknown phone calls.”

In summary, again according to capture magazine, “the message in allof this seems to be that clients want to see a range of marketing activities from the photographers who want to work with them. The promos should be beautifully designed and produced. The key to marketing success is consistency. And of course your images have to be jaw dropping as well” (Julian Watt, Expose yourself to the world-legally, Capture Magazine Jan/Feb 2010)

How to market yourself within the industry?

**NETWORK**NETWORK**NETWORK**NETWORK**NETWORK**

It's all about making contacts right?

But how do we go about making these contacts?

You need to market yourself to the right people. A great place to start, Model Mayhem.

Introduction:

A site dedicated for Models, Photographers, Makeup Artists, Hair Stylists, Wardrobe Stylists, Clothing Designers and Graphic Artists to come together with one common goal.

Goal:

To meet like minded people and collaborate on projects.

Result:
Many editions to add to your portfolio and go on to market to potential clients.




Why is marketing yourself to fellow industry professionals so important?


In this line of buisness, many rely on word of mouth. If you're not known in the industry it is less likely you'll be hired for a job.

To already know people in the right places will make it easier for you down the track. If you have someone cancel last minute on you for a shoot, you'll already have a number of contacts who you know are reliable and up to the job.

To be in contact with other photographers is key when working freelance. When your gear unexpectly fails on the morning of a big shoot, where are you going to turn? A fellow photographer may not need their equipment on the day and be able to solve your problem. What goes around comes around.

- Perhaps make 2010 about marketing yourself within the industry for your future -

Marketing for Photographers - Most Valuable Tool - A Website!

One of the most valuable tools a photographer needs to promote him/herself is a website. Creating a website does not need to be a super expensive and complicated exercise. There are numerous companies on the web offering template websites specific to photographers, artists and other creatives. These templates are designed to showcase your portfolio in an attractive and professional looking way, and can be quite cost effective. They are a great idea, especially for those photographers who are just starting out. Many of the template website compaines provide a free website option. Although the free websites do not offer the same features and levels of service that a paid website does, they are a great place to start. As your business (or your confidence) grows, you can easily upgrade to the more professional templates and feature-rich options on offer.
So with the numerous template companies out there - how do you choose?

There are several things you should research and consider before making the plunge:

- Template design - there should be numerous templates, designs and colour schemes for you to choose from. You will also need to consider whether to use a HTML or flash website.

- Look for templates that offer a clean modern and stylish look, and an easy to navigate website. This point is very important. Future clients will not stay on your website for very long if it is difficult to use.

- The site should be easy for you to use also. You should be able to make changes to the template, plus content on your site quickly and easily. Files and photos should be able to be loaded quickly and easily, and the site should be well organized.

- Features. Many add on features are available such as 3D animations, music, ad banner templates, etc.

- E commerce. Investigate the ecommerce functionality on offer. You may want to sell your photos online, so look for a template that allows customers to purchase items from your site. You may also require private albums that are password protected for your clients to view and purchase their images. Also consider the order fulfillment process, and the involvement you would like to have in this. You may prefer all orders to be filled automatically, or some template companies will send you an email to advise of the customer's order, and then you are required to organize the fulfillment of that order.

- Search engine optimization. Many companies offer different levels of Search Engine Optimization. This can become quite complicated, but look for companies that offer SEO options, including key words and metatags, etc.

- Which brings us to blogs. Many templates also feature a blog option. Blogs are a great way for you to communicate and interact with your clients or future clients, letting them know what you have been up to, and allows them to get to know you. Additionally, blogs can help to attract internet traffic to your site.

- And last, but not least - look for companies that offer superior customer service and support. Ideally, they will provide email support, 24/7 email and chat support, FAQ's and tutorials.

The cost obviously will also be a consideration, but look for the templates that offer you the look, features and functionality you require. Cheapest is not always the best (or most cost effective!)

FREE business cards you say???

Welcome to Vista Print, home of the free business card.
An online site, simple to use and very generous.

http://www.vistaprint.com.au/vp/pSearch/topDeals.aspx?GP=3%2f25%2f2010+7%3a49%3a43+AM

Log on and see how simple it is to input your infomation and view a draft of your newly designed, most powerful marketing tool.
With over 40 designs to pick from, you can fit up to ELEVEN lines of information with Vista Print only taking credit with a small logo on the back.
Did I mention they're free?
Recieve 250 of your very own business cards for just the cost of postage!

If you're looking to add a little more of your own style but still on a budget, you can choose from the Advanced Editing options. Customize the font style, colour and size, as well as move text around to your liking. Will only cost you $16.99 + postage.

Looking for even more designs to choose from? There is the Premium Business Cards option. Normally pay $33.99 + postage but RIGHT NOW on special for $8.99 + postage!!!
In this category you can choose from over a thousand designs, have full creative control to customize layout and text, PLUS upload your own images!
You can search and narrow the designs down to your industry and you will find a number of photographer friendly cards.

The catch??? Yes, when you make an order you will become a member and recieve a number of promotional emails. However this is well worth it as the emails will keep you informed of new and exciting promotional material to market your business at a more than reasonable cost.

HAPPY MARKETING

Marketing and the commercial photographer

Marketing is a crucial part of any commercial photographers business. Gone are the days when ‘hanging a shingle’ would guarantee enough business to keep your family fed. In today’s busy, information fuelled and technology driven world a commercial photographer needs excellent technical skills, great networks and a strong marketing plan to get their business noticed and to generate work.

Marketing 101

Marketing begins with knowing what you want to sell and to whom. Once you know these two things it’s much easier to work out when and how to do it.

Who

Who is your audience? Who do you want to hire you? For a commercial photographer creating a list of desired and potential customers is crucial. It helps to direct your messages and avoid a scatter-gun approach.

You could choose to market yourself direct to local business and industry, to the marketing/PR departments of larger organisations, or to advertising/PR firms who hire talent for advertising and publicity campaigns.

What

By clearly defining your audience it’s easier to identify what it is about you, your business that would interest them and set you apart from the competition. It might be superior technical skill, expertise in a specific area of photography, creative flair, individual style, It could be something to do with the way you run your business, deal with your clients or even a quirk of personality. There are a lot of commercial photographers in the market giving consumers a lot of choice, setting yourself apart from the competition comes down in part to successful marketing.

When

They say timing is everything, and it couldn’t be truer with marketing. Getting the right message to the right people at the right time is the difference between the success and failure of any marketing campaign. It all depends on your audience but for example, Annual report time is potentially ideal to market direct to PR departments in large organisations when they are keen to source imagery for reports and presentations. Timing promotional activities for the start and end of the financial year when company budgets are being sorted and projects planned could also work. Targeting customers at holidays and special events eg Valentines day, April Fools day, Christmas etc can allow for a creative approach and help keep your business top of mind.

How

Firstly it’s important to remember that marketing incorporates every touch point you have with your clients and potential clients. Yaffa Publishing’s Capture Magazine has a great article titled ‘Expose yourself to the world-legally’ in the Jan/Feb 2010 edition. In the article the author Julian Watt states that professionally designed business cards, a great portfolio and an up to date website are an absolute given in the marketing mix of any professional photographer. The article then goes on to explore some of the other ways professional commercial photographers promote themselves to generate business. Including advertisements, direct mailings, promotional gifts, sourcebooks and PR activity including blogs and social media. I’ll look at each of these in a bit more detail over the next few weeks.