Marketing for Senior Portraiture

In the spirit of the 'Sharing Knowhow' section can anyone recommend some approaches I could take to market senior portraits? For example, if I want to do a direct mail piece, how can I obtain a mailing list?

Just to clarify, I am not looking to get a contract with a school for their yearbook photos. This is strictly casual portraits that are done outside of school.

Any tips on how I can tackle this step are appreciated.

This is something I tried.......and it worked well enough

Like you I dont have contracts with my local high schools so I ran a simple ad in the local newspapers classified looking for three kids to be "agents" at each school who would recommend us to their friends. They were offered free sessions/prints on a sliding scale for the number of their friends that booked with us - a very simple more that booked, the more the "agent kids" got.

The prints were kept at a low price so no-one felt uncomfortable with this. Except the contracted photographer - and thats not my problem

Kids read ads in the local newspapers? I'd find out where they go for lunch or after school & just ask them.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #2906175
Kids read ads in the local newspapers?

Brit Kids can

And there parents do. I'm too busy during the day to be hanging round looking for people.

Run an ad in the school newspaper or ask the principal for permission to post flyers in the school. The bulk of my work is senior portraiture, but I'm a teacher at the school and have access to the kids. I also run ads in the local paper and in the high school yearbook (for which I serve as adviser). Having a My Space site and a high school sports photography site has been beneficial as well.

Would a school give out mailing address of their seniors and juniors to a photography studio?

Also, who would be my first point of contact in high school to get access to the school newspaper for advertising?

No, the school will not give you a list of names in an effort to protect the privacy of the students. As for contacting the school, I'd just call the office and make an inquiry.

Does anyone have any experience with buying a mailing list for direct mail promotion?

You need to market to the kids, not the parents. Ultimately, it's the student who picks the photographer, even though mom and dad pay the bill. That's how I've gotten every one of my bookings thus far. Direct your marketing toward teenagers. If you get one or two bookings and do a good job with them, the kid will show his/her friends, and the rest will fall into your lap. If there's a teen center in your town, post flyers or posters. Make yourself visible to them.

SirBrontes wrote in post #2906813
Would a school give out mailing address of their seniors and juniors to a photography studio?

No but you get a degree from a university and they'll sell your name to any and everyone. I had my name removed from that list while I was a student. When it came time to graduate I rec'd a letter stating that my name was on the "do not sell list" and if I didn't remove it they would be unable to confirm my degree from there. I get credit card offers with my alma matter name all time. And don't forget about the "please send us more money, your tuition didn't cover all of expenses for the next 1000 years" letters too.

Anyways back to the OP.

I've thought about doing senior portraits and how to break in. Here are my ideas:
1. Advertise in the school newspaper.
2. Buy a spot on the football schedule.
3. Call the sports director and ask if you can do the team shots.
4. Newspaper.
5. Referral discounts. Put ad in #4 and #1 and when you get some calls pass out business cards so they can refer their friends.
6. Going off of #5 you could do friend shots. High School is all about friends (that you won't see ever again). Offer to take a group shot for free if they all schedule during the same time and buy their pictures/files from you.

HS Seniors are going to want to see your portfolio. So borrow some friends' kids and take a bunch of shots (with model releases) and 1) get good and 2)start that portfolio.

I have two business degrees: Bachelor of Accountancy and an MBA. It is handy to understand the ins and outs of business. But more than anything you have to be a salesman. Just part of the business. I love sales and miss it a lot but I like a steady paycheck. Marketing class was nothing more than vocabulary. I didn't really learn a darn thing. What you need to write is a business plan. It will take a long time but might wind you up on The Apprentice with Donald Trump. Okay, maybe not.

Use "The Google" to search for senior portraits. You'll get some ideas on marketing, tips to give the students, and tons of ideas for your own webpage.

How about using Marathon Press for direct mail advertising? Does anyone have any stories to tell about using them either for senior photography or some other service?

Any reviews on using Marathon Press?