Educational Path

Trying to make a great living with your photography business without becoming a “Master Marketer” is like trying to start your car without the keys. I suppose you could eventually do it – but it would take a lot of hard work and time.Most master marketers agree that it takes 5 positive impressions before someone will actually pick up the phone and call you, or will go to their computer and email you. So, unless you have an enormous marketing budget, you need effective but inexpensive ways to make those 5 positive impressions on your target market and get her to take action.There is NOTHING – not the Internet, not direct mail, not television, not radio, not referrals, not anything – that can beat exhibits of your photography all over your community, for bringing in highly qualified potential clients to your photography business. I have proven this to be true in my portrait and wedding photography business, and it will be true for you, as well.Here’s how it works: People start seeing your photography proudly displayed around the community. They see it displayed at their favorite restaurant when they go out to eat. Then they see it when they go to the movies. Then the wife sees it when she has her hair done. Then she sees it again when she does her banking. These impressions keep stacking up, until she just can’t stand it anymore. She HAS to contact you.Here’s why having exhibits around your community is such an effective marketing method – much more effective than the paid advertising most photographers do:1. Every exhibit of your photography carries with it the IMPLIED ENDORSEMENT of the place where your exhibit is located. This is totally the opposite of most advertising you do. You see, if you place an ad in the Yellow Pages, for example, everyone knows you wrote it, or hired someone to write it. It doesn’t have much credibility.But with exhibits of your photography, you are there by “invitation” – or at least that’s what most people believe to be the case. This means the location where you are exhibiting is giving their approval of, and respect for what you do. This is a very powerful psychological marketing tool.2. It’s the single most artistic way to present your photography. It’s like a “one person art show.” It speaks very highly of your artistic prowess as well as your professionalism. Just be sure you only display your best images, and be sure they are up to your finest artistic requirements.3. Exhibits of your photography allow people to closely examine and scrutinize your images with no “salesperson” or other distraction. They can “scratch and sniff it.” They can look at your photography really close up and personal. They can touch it. They can study the composition. They can scrutinize the framing. They can talk openly with their friends who are with them about what they really feel about your photography. No sales person is there. No pressure.4. Exhibits allow you to present your photography the way it should be presented – in appropriate sizes which truly show off your wonderful style. (Key point: never display any of your images without having them beautifully framed, and having them be appropriate sizes for the space they are in.) For example, I prefer to display 24 x 30′s and 30 x 40′s if at all possible.5. Since you sell what you show, by showing beautiful wall portraits around the community, you are much more likely to have your paying clients actually invest in those sizes. Wall portraits are extremely profitable, and clients love them, because they can enjoy them from across the room in their home.So think about who you know. Your friends and acquaintances who own or run local businesses. Think about the other businesses people in the community who would maybe be interested in exhibiting your photography in their business. Think about who you have photographed in the past. Do any of those people own or run a local business? Think about who your spouse knows in the community. All these people are potential exhibit locations.The true key to building the photography business of your dreams is to create a huge demand for your limited supply, and then control the volume of work you do with the price. Getting free exhibits all over town is the best, fastest, and one of the least expensive ways to create that huge demand.