Helpful Marketing Ideas for Photographers: Part 1
With the over abundance of photographers today, ranging from amateur to seasoned professional, classic to contemporary, studio to landscape, you need something to set yourself apart from the pack. The most effective way that you can do this is by properly branding your business.
What is a brand?
A brand is more than a logo, a font, a color, or a style – it’s all of those and much more. It’s a message of value that only your business offers to its clientele.
As we tell our branding clients, a brand will create a lasting impression in the consumer’s mind and it should be based on the unique, proverbial “image” of your business, which includes the features, benefits and overall value that you have to offer.
Some might say, “I’ll just let my work speak for itself,” but the problem with that is that your image is visible to your clients in several ways, and many times your actual work might be one of the last things that they see. For example, if a photographer were to hand me a business card I would have to make assumptions, having not yet viewed their work, of their style and quality based on the way they present themselves in print.
Another important thing to consider, especially for those specializing in custom contemporary and lifestyle photography, is that clients care about more than just getting good pictures taken; they care about the experience as a whole. Brides are looking for someone who is able to take charge and alleviate some of their stress on the big day, while mothers are looking for someone who easy-going and puts their children at ease. How does a photographer communicate that he or she offers these sorts of experiences?
Through their brand.
So, if photography is more than just a hobby for you and something that you hope to make a long-term lucrative career in, investing in the development of your brand is a definite must.
Photo Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/59950
