Using Postcards for Marketing

I'm trying a new marketing campaign for senior portraits. Has anyone ever used postcards to market their studio? Here are a couple of rough examples of what I'm talking about:

#1

first thing - for postcards, you might want to look into WHCC (white house clearning house, I think...) you have to be approved, but it's not that hard.

okay - don't take this the wrong way - but I think you should use difference pictures. I know you said they're rough drafts, and they're good pictures, but I think your talent could take your further. They're both great models, but if you're making advertisments for people to SELL your business, and essecntiall yourself, then you have the BEST POSSIBLE photo on your ads. I'd recommend finding someone you know with a highschool senior, or even younger or older, few people who you hand out the ads to will know that they're not seniors! Make sure they are the cutest person you have ever seen - and that any guy or girl would be like - dang, she takes great pictures! (not that you don't) but as you know, it's hard to mess up a shoot when you have a great subject. make sure their stance and everything is perfect. for example, the first picture of the guy, he looks disheveled, he looks like he's at a weird angle and looks very uncomfortable. the second one, her hair is all out of whack - a gorgeous model, just not a perfect picture. so before you spend a lot of money on ads, make sure that they're really going to represnt YOU and what you stand for.

just my thoughts. I wish you luck.

- RE

Thanks for your input. I'm just going to take the inexpensive route with Vista Print for the time being. I use Miller's for pro work, as I've heard a number of pros comment on color issues with WHCC.

As for seniors, I have a number of them to choose from, since I'm a high school teacher.

hmmm...I haven't had many problems with WHCC, but I guess sometimes it occurs to people, I know. I've heard some crazy things about vista print, too. so who knows.

you're in a good position, since you're a teacher! lucky!!!



- RE

Some of the members on DWF have complained recently about a color cast appearing in their images. I've always had good luck with Mpix/Miller's, so I just use them. Vista has issues, too, but their pricing is great for mass mailings since I have to pay 26 cents per postcard for postage.

And for what it's worth, I put that image of the boy on my My Space page and received a veritable flood of positive comments from high school girls. That "disheveled" look translates to "hot" with teenagers. The shot of the girl always elicits a "wow" when people see it. If you knew the girl, you'd understand. She was just voted "Most Shy" by her peers and isn't flashy or flamboyant at all. The tousled look is a real departure for her. Kids these days want to look like Abercrombie models instead of having boring headshots taken, so I try to accommodate them.

I'm 18

I understand the vista print thing, I ordered my business cards from there! I got like 1000 for only $75!!!!!

- RE

If you're looking for a campaign that would get some dynamite feedback; I would suggest to get in touch with your LOCAL newspaper (5000 Circulation or less). Often times, the newspaper will run a special edition congragulating their seniors/etc.

The trick is to find out when the newspaper will run this secial edition and make sure you have an strong, decent size advertisement as close to that section as possible. You may even be able to get a small advertisement within the Seniors section.

When advertising in a newspaper, color advertisements can get quite expensive. Your best bet is to build a strong spot color layout (With the savings in choosing spot over color, you could use that money for a larger advertisement.) Also, give them an incentive to call you...via a coupon, discount, etc.. and put in the bottom of the layout "Must mention and bring in this ad in order to receive ....." That way, you would get direct feedback on your advertising.

If considering a mass mailing campaign...I gotta ask, how many people in this forum ACTUALLY READ their junk mail??? To be honest, there is a good chance that your layout would be thrown away along with the stack.You may want to invest your campaign in other marketing mediums, not necesseraly mass mailing IMO.

If you get a 4% return on the number of cards sent out then you hit a homer. Usually it is considerably less. I have done 3 card campaigns for commercial work and yet to meet cost in less than 6 months.

Well placed ads in the year book, school newspaper or the local rag will net more of a targeted ad. The extra expense will be offset new customers. Make sure that you use a customer info card with a models release built in if you decide to give a discount. That way you can target the customer even better for siblings in the future.

Customer lists are far more effective than any broad ad campaign. If you can target the audience effectivlly and cut down on the discarded ad products then you will be in the catbird seat.

i have a friend on the east coast that sponsors little leage and senior league teams for baseball soccer and football. He does not do any teams per se but the repeat business is off the hook some years.

My fav form of undirected advertising? Magnetic business cards. I go through about 2k a year and find them or leave them all over town.

Les

Chris-
I'm already in touch with the local paper. I work for them and trade images for ads. It's a nice relationship that gets my name out there. Unfortunately, it's a small town paper and they don't do color.

Les-

I already get at least 4% of the Senior class just by being at the high school. I'm looking to expand This campaign is only going to cost me 50 bucks, so there won't be a real loss so to speak. I'm the yearbook adviser, so the half page ad I get is free, and I have a targeted customer list already, since I have access to that as adviser. Unfortunately, we don't have a school newspaper, but we do have bulletin boards. I also have a website that every kid in school visits on a regular basis. My Prom gallery had thousands of unique hits in just a couple of weeks. I also use My Space as a draw for the kids and have lots and lots of them as contacts. I put a Slide.com gallery on the page and change it fairly frequently so they don't lose interest.

I'll try the magnets, though. Vista has free offers for them all the time, and I could use something tangible to give away at home shows and bridal shows.

Thanks for the input, guys! I'll let you know how the postcard thing goes. They have a coupon on the back, so I'll know if it was the postcard that brought them to me.

What are the ethical implications of using your position as a teacher to obtain student mailing info for personal gain? Just wondering......

I haven't used cards, but several of the local senior photographers sent us cards during my daughter's senior year. I thought they were very well done and had I wanted a senior session I would have called them to check them out.

dekalbSTEEL wrote in post #3313526
What are the ethical implications of using your position as a teacher to obtain student mailing info for personal gain? Just wondering......

Unethical? You make me laugh.

I look at it this way. They pay me a paltry 2500 bucks to do a 120 page yearbook. My duties include:

1. Putting up with a staff comprised of homonal teenagers who rarely work on the yearbook. They'd rather socialize instead.

2. Last year my staff left 80 pages unfinished. This year it was 94. Needless to say, my 9 month job always seems to become a 12 month one.

3. Attending every home game for every sport, all music programs, prom, baccalaureate, graduation, and all other school dances and functions.

4.Taking the majority of the images that go in the book, since my staff is usually "too busy" to do it.

5. Processing all the images. For hours and hours.

6. Fundraising all year long. We usually raise 6 to 8K each year. Since I took over, the account is always in the black. This is a rare occurrence for yearbook accounts nationwide according to my Josten's rep.

In addition to this, let me add that I use MY equipment most of the time, MY computer, and MY software. The school tech coordinator refuses to network the yearbook computer so it's useless for online book creation. The classroom computer I have is inadequate and does not have Photoshop, even though we paid the coordinator for it and have been asking for the program for four years. The school does not pay me to be a photographer. Instead they allow me to "use my position" as a teacher to make up for the thousand of dollars worth of time and images that I donate to the school, not to mention for the final product which is one of the best damned yearbooks in the freaking state.

Unethical? Nah, I don't think so.

Great stuff and I love the idea.

Edge, yeah and a smart use of it! Unethical no way.

dekalbSTEEL wrote in post #3313526
What are the ethical implications of using your position as a teacher to obtain student mailing info for personal gain? Just wondering......

I would imagine that there are a great percentage of persons that have started doing paid work that some of their first jobs were via their full time employer. I know that mine were as far as commercial work. My first wedding came via a co worker.

I don't see a big issue with this as long as you conduct yourself as a ethical business person. Taking a list (such as a students) and then reselling this would be unethical. I am not suggesting that you would do this Liza, I am only using this as an example. I would have never considered taking my employers customer database and try selling it. I did however contact several of their corporate customers to further my photography career.

Some people may view this sort of thing as unethical, which I am assuming you do as you posted as such. There are marketing lists available to buy. What is the difference if you attain one without paying for it. It is how you handle the use of them that makes it ethical.

I'd never sell a list of names. They are solely for my own business use. The principal and superintendent have gone out of their way to be accommodating and have also given me next year's prom, homecoming, NHS, and formal graduation image contracts as well. I've worked my a$$ off for four years to get where I am, so I don't feel bad about it. At all.