Photography Marketing With Exhibits Works Like Magic
How’s your photography business doing? Is the telephone ringing as much as you want it to?
Most Photographers Don’t Understand That The Backbone To The Photography Business, The “Engine” If You Will, That Drives The Photo Business, Is Getting Lots And Lots Of Qualified People To Know You Exist, And To Call You Now.
And the single, most effective way to market your photography business is through EXHIBITS of your photography throughout the community where your target market lives, shops, eats, has her hair done, etc.
You see, the “job” of your photo marketing is not to get the phone to ring a lot. It’s to get the phone to ring with QUALIFIED, EDUCATED prospects who like your work and honestly feel they just might want to work with you. It makes your sales work on the telephone much easier! And it saves you a lot of time on the telephone, talking with people who end up not being qualified at all.
Here’s 8 steps to getting FREE exhibits of your photography all over town:
Step #1. Order the least expensive 16×20’s of your best work. I recommend you order two or three of each image, as the duplicates are less costly. Many times I use the same portrait in several of my exhibits around town. No problem. (Start with 16×20′s. You can go up in size later as cash flow allows.)
Step #2. Travel around town and make a list of at least 20-25 places where you would LIKE to have an exhibit. I recommend you not waste your time, at least not to start, with franchises. Look for locally owned and operated businesses.
Here’s the most effective places I have found work the best:
Malls
Movie Theaters
Restaurants
Hair Salons
Office Buildings with high traffic
Children’s clothing stores
Bridal Stores
Banks
Performance Halls
Book stores
Step #3. Next, begin by picking the top 5 places on your list where you really want an exhibit, and put on your calendar what day you are going out to talk with them within the next week. It must be in your schedule, or you won’t do it.
Step #4. Suggestion: Don’t call ahead. Just walk in, unannounced, carrying two 16×20 framed portraits under your arms. One of a child, and one of a bride. I never call ahead of time. Just walk in and ask for the owner.
Step #5. Talk in terms of how they can benefit. You are NOT asking for a favor. Not at all. What you are doing is presenting a “Joint Venture” marketing plan for both of you. And be ENTHUSIASTIC about this! (More on exactly how to do this in an upcoming article!)
Step #6. When they say yes, let them know you will be back in a few days to put the exhibit up. You are going to custom make it for them, to go with their decor, etc.
Step #7. Put the exhibit up either on the walls, or on easels. If you use easels, use different heights, some high, and some low, and be sure to use several rather large baskets of silk flowers mixed in with the easels, to add to the beautify of it, and to help hide some of the legs of the taller easels.
Step #8. On the day you put the exhibit up, be sure to take some high quality ambient light photos of the exhibit, so you can add them to your portfolio of displays, and show them to everyone else you talk to about getting exhibits. (More on this in my next article, too.)
Your key to success lies within the actions you take. You need to do the right things – those things that are PROVEN to work – and you DO HAVE TO TAKE ACTION! You can do this!
All the best,
Charles J. Lewis
