Example of customer thank you card by Amber Flowers, soulgazephotography.com

As a photographer, the most important aspect is photography itself whether you are an amateur or a pro. If you are just photographing as a hobby, the business end of photography isn’t as important for you. Photographers relying on income from freelance photography or spending their free time starting or maintaining a photography business know just how essential the business end can be. Most photographers are happy with the level of income and business they have, but we all would like to earn more and grow larger. Dreaming of being a famous photographer whether locally or worldwide can become a reality by taking the time to utilize the many marketing options that currently exist.

Word of mouth: Photographers know friends, family members or coworkers that support their work. Always remember that word of mouth can either make or break your business. Take the time to send a personalized thank you card to your clients. Every photograph you take could be award winning, but if you don’t respect the people around you, your business could be closed before it even starts. Every time you meet someone, they are a potential client. Your friends and family will always be your biggest fans, but sometimes even they aren’t enough. If you strive to be professional, honest and respectful to everyone you meet, your business will get positive reviews and word of mouth will be your best friend.

Logo/Branding: One essential part of starting any business is the logo and branding used to represent you. It is important to have an effective logo that you can use on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, websites and basically every aspect of your business. A good logo can be recognized even without the words, with effective branding. As a photographer, the main reason many use logos is for watermarking photos. Watermarks help protect photographers from image theft and also provide a way to bring business back to the photographer. Keep in mind that too large or visible a watermark can ruin photos. Historically, artists have had a habit of signing paintings in the lower right corner. Their name is there, but not so large to be obtrusive and detract from their work. You want the logo or text to be visible, but not distracting. Using Photoshop or another program, place your logo or text on the image and reduce the opacity of to 50% or less. There are many ways to create a watermark depending on the program. Search online for tutorials to find the method that works best for you!

Business Cards: Everyone has seen a business card. Some contain coupon codes and others are collectable and unique. There are many different sizes and shapes such as mini-cards, folded and specialty shaped. Even paper types and material can be customized to help your card stand out. Some examples are: pearl, linen, metallic, art paper and even plastic or metal. Your business card can be your first and only impression with a potential client so it is important for them to be creative and unique. When designing a card, make sure to include: the name of your business, your name, address, phone, fax, email, website, and what you do or keep it simple. Don’t forget to utilize the space on the other side with either a coupon code or images from your portfolio. What you design is up to you, just make sure it contains the information that you want to represent your business and make it easy for clients to reach you!

Print/Media Advertisements: Prices vary depending upon whether or not it’s a multi-copy flyer or an ad in the newspaper. Advertise within the papers, phonebooks, magazines and newsletters that are in the market you wish to reach. Keep the ad as simple as possible. Research vintage ads (when space was very minimal) and learn from them. A lot can be said in only a few words. Your goal is to get your point across as quickly as possible. This not only saves you money on words, it results in a much greater chance that your potential client will read the entire advertisement. The same things hold true for television ads. You have limited time and space whether it’s a single frame or certain amount of time. Your advertisement or commercial is all the time you have to get your point across to potential clients. Make it memorable!

Internet: Almost everywhere you hear or see a reference to Facebook, Twitter or another social media website. It’s amazing how fast these companies have grown. They are great examples of why word of mouth is so important for a business’ success. The good news is you can share in their success for free. These websites are one of the greatest sources of free advertising available today and although many still use online mailing lists, social media makes the contact much more interactive. You can even hire someone to setup and customize your business website and social media sites and be trained how to do the maintenance in the future. If you are determined to do it yourself, then start with a website. A great website is easy to navigate and engages visitors with content to keep their interest. It has the best examples of your work in a fast loading easy to navigate portfolio with easy to find contact information and information about your prices and services. You don’t have to have a website, but it is easier because you can have all your information in one place. Some people prefer a blog over a website and they are great ways to share photography tips and showcase your latest work. There are many free website and blog hosts available online or you can opt to pay for a pre-designed template. You can then purchase a domain name if your website didn’t include one. When planning your website ensure that you plan for the future. For instance, you may not sell prints online to clients now, but in the future you may want to. The same applies for ways your business may grow. Your specializations and interests may change, so leave room for adjustments. Once you have your website set up how you like, then you can begin working on social network profiles.

Twitter is fast and easy to use and you can post instant updates about your business via text or web. Twitter can be set-up to stream live updates on your website, Facebook, Myspace and other profiles. You can change the theme and background to something custom to match your website/brand image. People can then ‘follow’ you on Twitter and receive real-time updates about you or your business. You can also use Twitter to post contests or discounts that are only available to Twitter followers.

Facebook has been a controversial topic lately in media discussions. The benefits far outweigh the risks along as you are cautious. Members have full control over how much of their profiles are private or not and can block anyone at anytime. To prevent anyone getting any gain from photos from being printed or stolen, only upload resized low-resolution files with watermarks. The great thing with Facebook is it takes word of mouth advertising to a whole new level! Your friends, family and former classmates and coworkers can all share links of your work with all their contacts helping improve your exposure. Many businesses utilize contests on Facebook to attract more visitors. Once you create your personal Facebook profile, you can create your business page. Anyone will be able to ‘like’ your Facebook business page whether they are a contact or not. Your contacts can invite their contacts to do the same for endless amounts of business potential. Facebook business pages can contain: business information, photos, events, discussions, reviews, links and pages can be altered enabling you to have unique content with graphics. Facebook page tutorials are available online.

The end of the year is a great time to plan for new changes to your marketing for the year ahead. Utilize as many options as you can and add the links to your website. You have to market your business in order to reap the rewards of social interaction and business contacts. By taking the time to create a profile and maintain it, you are reaching out to large numbers of potential customers that you may have otherwise not reached. Share your website address on a business card or in your email signature, and watch as your business grows.

About the Author:

About the author: Amber Flowers is a photographer, digital artist and writer most known for her infrared photography and the ‘fine art’ feel to her work. She is a member of The League of Creative Infrared Photographers and Founder of Southern Kentucky Photographer’s Club. Amber resides in Glasgow KY with her husband, two children and several pets. You can learn more about her on her website: www.soulgazephotography.com