How do I get this off the ground?

[Billie]

I haven't posted in a while, but here I am.

I am having difficulties having my business take off in the area I live in. I am not a life long resident in the area and I have very little network here. I have tried to access all of the people I do know and offer my sevices for nearly nothing to get my start. I am having no sucess. I have put business cards in area resturants, local dentist offices, and also ran a small add with an independent news publication. Even offered FREE sessions to neighboring seniors and FREE outdoor sessions to all 30 homes in my neighborhood.

When I visit my "hometown" in which I grew up, which is out of state, I don't have enough time in the day to shoot all the people wanting to book sessions. I get tons of compliments and calls to book sessions when I return to town. I even get calls from people who want me to fly in for special events.

I am so frustrated as to why I just can't get this going in the town I live.

Anyone out there have any advice as to what I need to do? Any tips that worked for any of you? How do you network yourself? How do you put yourself out there? What draws in that new client?

I have bought books, built a web site, recently started to work on a myspace. I send updates and special notifications to the small list I have...I am just out of answers and full of questions...

Billie

[Dermit]

You figure out the dynamics of why one social community reacts to things differently than another in terms of marketing/sales and you will be able to make a lot more money exploiting that formula than you will ever make at photography. Different community, different dynamics. Really hard to come to an answer especially not knowing your community. What mix of people are there? All retired? Young families? Business professionals? White collar? Blue? Many things come into how you should target your business. Look at the demographics and try to figure out what they might want that you are not offering, or presenting now. Maybe contrast it with your home town and it's success. Figure out the difference and try and expand on it from there.

[mlrohde]

do you only do senior portraits? i never even heard of getting them through anybody but the school before i came here. maybe it is like that in the area where you live.
melissa

[Billie]

No, I do others beside Seniors. I know seniors go to independent photographers here because last year I managed to land a whooping total of two senior sessions. And, one was a friend's son, the other was a referral from him. At that point I was just starting to go public, so I pratically gave the pictures away to get publicity.

This year a friend on mine handed free session coupons to all the seniors that came into her dental office and not a single call came in for the offer.

The neighbor kid is graduating this year, offered him a free session and he refuses to take any pictures with anyone.

My web site is not the best as I have done it myself, but I do have some pictures on it...I also have a smugmug gallery that is linked through my web site.

www.billiebrownphotography.com

Any thoughts as to how to reach clientel would be helpful.

[DreamXpert]

Billie,

I'm basically in the same position as you describe. Just opened my studio in the area in which I live but do most of my shooting in my hometown area a couple of hours away. Something I just did though might be of interest to you...My town had a festival they call the Oktoberfest. Just a gathering of vendors on the square in conjunction with a chili cookoff, games for kids, etc. I had an exhibit of my large framed portraits and had a drawing for a free portrait session. Also, I had recently purchased a wireframe shaggy pony prop that I took pictures of kids with. The parents would give me their names and contact info and I posted the kid's pics on my website in a private gallery for ordering. Both the drawing and the kid's pics gave me the beginning of a mailing list as every one who filled out the entry form had shown an interest in portraits or they wouldn't have signed up. Too early to tell yet just how much business I'll get from it, but I did book 4 family sessions at the festival. (I also gave a 20% discount on all session fees booked the day of the festival). I intend to continue to participate in all events of this type in my area, including the other small surrounding communities since I live in a mostly rural area. I will do a postcard mailing to my (hopefully) growing mailing list probably quarterly, if not bi-monthly. Can't say how it will all turn out, but all I can do is keep trying and always turn out a quality product with superior customer service.

Good luck to you and I wish you the best

[PhotosGuy]

PM IndyJeff & buy him lunch. Maybe it will put him in an expansive mood.

[OneCall]

Hi Billie,

I totally agree with DreamXpert, exposure is the key, go and do enything you can to get your name out there! Also, research "other" photographers in your area and see what they are offering, try to come up with "offer" something different! Bring something to the table that no one else does... you could also try to network with other photographers?

When I was just starting out DJing 9 yrs ago, we had the same problem as you. We were DJing a wedding for 200 bucks, STILL couldn't get gigs... I talked with a DJ friend of ours that had been in the business for over 20 years and he told me something I will never forget and continue to use with the Photography business... He told me that "I am only worth as much as I think I'm worth" ... At first I didn't understand but then he told me that in the customers eye, my "cheap" fee was refleacting on my worth to the customer... so he asked me what I felt I was worth... I told him and he said to raise my prices to MY worth price and gigs will start rolling in...

I thought, yea right, I can't even get a gig for 200 bucks, how the hell am I gonna book gigs at 500!! Well, yea know what, it worked, gigs started rolling in and by the time I decided to sell the business.. last year, (wifes health) I was one of the highest paid DJ companies in this area at 900.00 a wedding! AND WAS STILL GETTING GIGS LEFT AND RIGHT!!

So.. don't sell youself short, Charge what you think you are worth ...

On another note, you have some very good images on your site, the only downfall I can see is the google banner at the top (from free hosting with Godaddy). It is very distracting and taking away from the images you have there... I'm hosting with GoDaddy for 6.99 a month, unlimited domains, I have 5! and noooo banner

Remember, image is everything!

Hope this helps and good luck!

Dave

[cdifoto]

Sounds like it's time to move back home.

[sevillafox]

Billie,

I'm sorry I don't really have anything to offer opinion-wise as I'm just starting to get my feet wet myself. I just wanted to say that I LOVE your portrait party idea. I'd never heard of such a thing and I could see them going over fairly well in my area. I may have to borrow your idea.....

Tiffany

[rhys]

I agree with CDI. Unless there's a compelling reason to stay where you are, you might as well go where the trade is.

I left my home city because it was as dead as a dodo. Nobody had any money for anything. Nobody dressed much better than the tramps on the streets.

[Brian Austin]

Brutal honesty time:

1. Your website needs some work. As mentioned, the "free site" with Google Ads screams lack of professionalism and temporary occupancy. Find some college kid looking for $500 or so and have him/her design a NICE site. It's marketing and an investment, not a hobby.

2. Nowhere on your website do I see an address. How am I supposed to determine if you're "safe" if I don't know where you work?

3. The only place I see a phone number is on the Contact page. It should be EVERYWHERE.

4. The most successful photographers are the best businesspeople, NOT the best photographers. Learn BUSINESS, not photography studio stuff. Especially marketing.

5. Don't use Smugmug for a professional photography studio gallery. Create your own, on your website, preferably that segues nicely from your site's navigation. Again, it screams amateur.

6. If you're sensitive, you ain't gonna like this one: "Billie Brown" makes me think of some small town football hero working down at the local hardware store, NOT a pro photographer. Two options here: change the business name or start playing up the "good ole' boy, I'm your best friend and you don't even know it" angle. I've got a very successful IT company owner that has done the latter very well...but you have to have the personality for it. Back to marketing...

Good luck.

[PhotosGuy]

change the business name or start playing up the "good ole' boy, I'm your best friend and you don't even know it" angle.

Decades ago we had a character here who called himself "The Hillbilly Snapshooter" who did fairly well & dressed in bib overalls. His wife would shoot an entire roll of 36 at every possible setting just to get one right exposure.

[liza]

Originally Posted by mlrohde

do you only do senior portraits? i never even heard of getting them through anybody but the school before i came here. maybe it is like that in the area where you live.
melissa

Are you kidding? Senior portraiture is BIG business! I'm covered up right now.

As for the OP, my suggestion would be to:

1. Raise your prices in accordance with the local market. People tend not to take "cheap" or "affordable" photogs seriously.
2. Create a community presence. Become involved in community groups, church, and volunteer activities.
3. Join the local chamber of commerce. Go to their meetings.
4. For God's sake, get a professional website. Then direct all your marketing to that site.
5. Be patient. It took me four years before things really took off.
6. And always remember, it's 80% business, 20% photography.

It's not just about leaving your business card lying around. It takes many, many hours of hard work to establish oneself. I'm working 80 hour weeks right now and need to work more.

[JasonSTL739]

Regarding your website, you should immediately have your main domain www.billiebrownphotography.com land directly on your smugmug page. That will at least get rid of the ad at the top. I'd do that like, right now! At the least, pay the monthly $ to godaddy to eliminate the ad!!!

J

[JasonSTL739]

Originally Posted by Brian Austin

Brutal honesty time:

1. Your website needs some work. As mentioned, the "free site" with Google Ads screams lack of professionalism and temporary occupancy. Find some college kid looking for $500 or so and have him/her design a NICE site. It's marketing and an investment, not a hobby.

2. Nowhere on your website do I see an address. How am I supposed to determine if you're "safe" if I don't know where you work?

3. The only place I see a phone number is on the Contact page. It should be EVERYWHERE.

4. The most successful photographers are the best businesspeople, NOT the best photographers. Learn BUSINESS, not photography studio stuff. Especially marketing.

5. Don't use Smugmug for a professional photography studio gallery. Create your own, on your website, preferably that segues nicely from your site's navigation. Again, it screams amateur.

6. If you're sensitive, you ain't gonna like this one: "Billie Brown" makes me think of some small town football hero working down at the local hardware store, NOT a pro photographer. Two options here: change the business name or start playing up the "good ole' boy, I'm your best friend and you don't even know it" angle. I've got a very successful IT company owner that has done the latter very well...but you have to have the personality for it. Back to marketing...

Good luck.

Very smart on all counts... especially #6 - around here noone would take you seriously. That might not be the case where you are now, but something that simple may very well be why you are having issues now versus your previous location.