How Do You Promote?

[neil poulsen]

I imagine a lot of us sell our photographs in one way or another, ranging from selling occassional photographs to being full-time photography professionals.

I'm interested in hearing how people promote themselves, their work, and their photography businesses. How do you promote now, and how did you promote when you started? What lessons have you learned?

This is an important aspect of how any artisan can help themselves earn a living. Maybe some of us can get some fresh ideas, based on what others have experienced.

[Walter Calahan]

http://www.adbase.com/

[ignatiusjk]

I've just started taking some of my 4x5 images and making 16x20's and taking them to restaurants,hospitals,doctors offices etc. It's nice to see a mounted 20x24 ready to hang on the wall. You can even let them try it out for a week or two just to see what happens. What you sell them for is your choice. 150.00 for a ready to hang on the wall 20x24 doesn't seem to expensive.

[Richard M. Coda]

$150 to own? Or to rent?

[Frank Petronio]

$150 for a framed 20x24 is really working for nothing.

I don't know how to successfully promote photography... and I've worked in photography, marketing, and advertising for almost 25 years. I've been using AdBase and I sent 18,000 postcards out in six rounds in 08. I also use email bursts, enter competitions, participate in forums, and cultivate individual, high value prospects one on one (this is by far the best technique).

There is very little new professional photography work.

Why is that? See my first sentence.

[Kirk Gittings]

Well for this season, I have gone to every good and lame party that my clientele has thrown. It has led to allot of potential projects in the new year from clients I had not heard from in awhile. It is easier to suck up after a few glasses of wine.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Kirk, I agree! One needs wine, then we start to believe the stuff we say! Gotta suck up!

Jim

[Mike Putnam]

Ignatius, I hope you were kidding about the framed 20x24 print for $150. You're probably losing money at that price when you tally all your expenses. Granted, you may love the process, as I do, but financially I doubt that sort of price structure will work long term. I do some focused direct mailings, a few shows per year, I try to display work at appropriate businesses. High end outdoor shops, swanky coffee shops, and micro-breweries have worked pretty well for me. Recently I've started a blog which has been beneficial in two ways. First, it's given me more internet traffic and several stock/licensing gigs and secondly it has forced me to get out and shoot more often giving me more images and new blog entries. Kirk, wine is also my ally!
Mike

Mike Putnam Photography

[neil poulsen]

Clearly, the answer is more wine!

. . . and cultivate individual, high value prospects one on one (this is by far the best technique). . .

Frank, Can I ask about how you do this? What would you recommend?

[Frank Petronio]

Selling prints versus assignments versus other photo opportunities are all a bit different... I found a couple of serious potential clients from friends of friends on Linkin and Facebook, people in publishing and advertising. Frequenting and participating in blogs and forums visited by design and ad professionals is a good idea too.

In upstate NY there are very few ad or editorial clients that would use my work, but thanks to the Eastman House and RIT people in the photo industry pass through. If I went to more parties and academic events (guest lectures, etc.) I know it would help. I've met a photo apprasier and a book publisher just through random sort of things. And of course it helps to go to the occasional opening or places that art patrons frequent.

Now if I lived in Santa Fe like Kirk it would be a full-time job. All those retired computer geeks -- those men with clip-on pony tails and air ties -- need a nice big B&W landscape for the living room to complete their persona.