Getting Customers

I have a good portfolio, and I've worked with around 50 different people on trade shoots - while I was learning portraiture.

Now, I'm trying to get customers. My method currently is periodic FB ads, which have had no interest - and follow spamming on IG.

What else should I be doing, what works in this industry for people who don't have $ to invest into advertisements? I don't mind spending money on ads - but only after I get it from a paid shoot!

Thanks.

icor1031 wrote in post #18644364
I don't mind spending money on ads - but only after I get it from a paid shoot!

You have to speculate to accumulate.

john crossley wrote in post #18644383
You have to speculate to accumulate.

I'm a turnip; I have no blood to give.

FB sucks.

Google Ad Words is much more targeted. Gotta have a good website though.

...Ideas that don't require investing cash?

doing free work for local clubs that you have interest in. Shooting some events and posting to fb.

If you want to do senior portraits, then you need to hang out with people that have senior kids.

find the right group of people, and the work will come if you do quality work, at a market rate.. but you have to get your face in front of people.

That said, portrait photography for people is pretty saturated in my area, and I don't tend to do alot of them.

But not many in my area can do the pet portraits (cat/dog/horse) to the quality I can.. so that is what I do.

Have to find a nich.. everyone can do 'portraits' with their iphone anymore, so you work has to reflect a much better quality, and your portfolio better have examples of what you want to shoot.

icor1031 wrote in post #18644573
...Ideas that don't require investing cash?

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Of course!

Word of mouth.

Making a point to get to know people and let them know that you offer photographic services. . Face to face, real life stuff, as opposed to using the internet and social media. . It's been done for thousands of years and has resulted in many very successful businesses. . It's kinda quite obvious that this is the way to get started.

People say that they are shy or lack confidence or that they aren't good at selling themselves ...... my relply to that is, "get over it and do your job".


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icor1031 wrote in post #18644573
...Ideas that don't require investing cash?

AdWords is highly customizable. I would suggest you set everything up and set some kind of absurdly low budget like 7 dollars and 48 cents a month. It will begin to give you a history, and when you are ready you can bump up the budget.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18644577
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Of course!

Word of mouth.

Making a point to get to know people and let them know that you offer photographic services. . Face to face, real life stuff, as opposed to using the internet and social media. . It's been done for thousands of years and has resulted in many very successful businesses. . It's kinda quite obvious that this is the way to get started.

People say that they are shy or lack confidence or that they aren't good at selling themselves ...... my relply to that is, "get over it and do your job".

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Let me repeat that.

I know photographers who have been caught up in the social media slavery. They work their tails off to get sufficient likes and followers in the hope of attracting customers through social media.

Here is the clue: For retail photography, you do not need a your own big social media following to get work. You want clients who have big social media followings. They will get you more work when they tag you in their displays of your work.

And getting that kind of client gets back down to the same thing Tom was talking about. Paradoxically, you can't get clients who are influential on social media by becoming influential on social media unless you're influential in real life. And they are influential on social media because they are influential in real life.

So you have to meet them in real life.

Right now I'm about to move to a new location and simultaneously make a change to both my style and business method. I'm working now to change my portfolio by selecting portrait subjects (If taking their picture is my idea, it's free--if it's their idea, they pay). I will go to the new location with my new portfolio and make a few solicitations in places that have been fruitful for me in the past.

For instance, I'll locate the top privately owned hair stylists, spas, and such and propose a display deal that will probably include me doing some limited free work for the owner in exchange for display of my work as their salon wall art. This has worked excellently for me in the past because their clients are the people I want to be my clients, and there's nothing better than a woman being a captive audience for my work while she's getting her hair styled.

Someone specializing in child photography might do the same at a pediatrician's office on the high-end side of town. Or it could be a high-end children's clothing boutique. There may be pet groomers of the same type, or a horse stable if you do animal portraits. People who own horses are often good portrait clients, and these days pet photography is as lucrative as child photography.

It's usually necessary, though, that they be privately owned, not a franchise, so that the owner or manager can make that decision. Obviously, I don't charge them a fee to display my work.

Tom's final point: Doing that face-to-face thing.

I'm an introvert, and very much so. But I don't have a problem talking about a subject I'm passionate about. That could be Star Trek or Star Wars...or my portrait work. If you're not passionate enough about your portrait work to want to evangelize about how it will change lives and save souls, you need to get that way.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18644577
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Of course!

Word of mouth.

Making a point to get to know people and let them know that you offer photographic services. . Face to face, real life stuff, as opposed to using the internet and social media. . It's been done for thousands of years and has resulted in many very successful businesses. . It's kinda quite obvious that this is the way to get started.

People say that they are shy or lack confidence or that they aren't good at selling themselves ...... my relply to that is, "get over it and do your job".

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Nah, I'm not too shy etc - I just don't know where to go. My city sucks, haven't been able to find much for social gatherings. The ones that exist tend to be too physical (I have a hip disability). But, I'll keep looking!

RDKirk wrote in post #18644712
For instance, I'll locate the top privately owned hair stylists, spas, and such and propose a display deal that will probably include me doing some limited free work for the owner in exchange for display of my work as their salon wall art. This has worked excellently for me in the past because their clients are the people I want to be my clients, and there's nothing better than a woman being a captive audience for my work while she's getting her hair styled.

Do you mind being more specific about what you offer? It sounds like a great idea.

icor1031 wrote in post #18644741
Nah, I'm not too shy etc - I just don't know where to go . . . haven't been able to find much for social gatherings.

If you really feel that way, I have to wonder how well you will be able to do in an industry that is all about working with people, networking, schmoozing, etc.

Whatever kind of stuff you're interested in, just find groups and clubs and whatnot that are related to those things. . Church. . Conservation organizations. . Art clubs or galleries. . Entertainment gatherings. . Athletic events. . Theatre. . Pinochle or poker nights. . Local Chamber of Commerce. . Volunteer groups. . Hospital booster club or school booster clubs. . Planning committees. . In any town or city in the U.S. there's so much to get involved in. . So so so so much!

Even here in my tiny little community there is so much to do that I can't possibly do it all because dates conflict and I always have to miss out on something in order to do something else. . I'm sure there are far more opportunities in a relatively big place like Rapid City.

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icor1031 wrote in post #18644741
My city sucks . . .

What???

Are you kidding? . Rapid City, SD is a great city! . I love that area. . And it's a honkin' big city, compared to where I live ..... I mean, like, literally ten times more people within your city limits than those who live in my town and the neighboring town combined.

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icor1031 wrote in post #18644741
But, I'll keep looking!

Yeah, do that!


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$7.48

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18644852
$7.48

Sorry mate, been busy today and not responding in order.

Which aspect of adwords do you expect to help me? I'm curious if I already have that data from my previous SEO work.

No worries. I've had a few beers and am feeling a little loose.

AdWords is a daunting task, it takes time and patience. The flip side is that the investment to get started is whatever you want it to be.

Get Google Analytics running and AdWords and then start figuring out what is happening on your site.

I absolutely agree that getting out and talking to people is key but if you only do that, a year from now you will wonder why you didn't get started on google. It will even help you understand your real world efforts.

Fwiw, I am not a google fan boi, it is a necessary evil so to speak. Besides, once you get started they are likely to call you, when they do, tell them you want a $100 credit. They will give it to you.