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Best return on investment for your marketing spend


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<p>Hi,<br>

I've spent the last year or so builing up a portfolio and creating a website ( <a href="http://www.andrew-mason.com">www.andrew-mason.com</a> )to show off my work and I'm now thinking about ways to market myself.<br>

I do portrait photography, and have worked with families, kids, professionals, musicians to build up my portfolio. I've already found out that families and business people are more likely to spend than musicians.<br>

I'm wondering what people have found to be the most rewarding ways of advertising, I have a fairly small budget to start with, and the options I've thought of are:<br>

Getting flyers designed and printed and delivered to affluent neighnourhoods.<br>

Google adwords and SEO.<br>

Newpaper / magazine ad.</p>

<p>What have people found has provided the best bang for their marketing buck?<br>

I'm based in the UK, but I'm sure what works in the US works here too, obviously I'm hoping word of mouth will bring me clients as well as paid advertising.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Andrew</p>

 

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<p>I am not entirely sure if the leaflets route work in this country. Go cheaper! Start a facebook group for your photography business. Have a few stunning low resolution images. Get all your friends to like it. Use the facebook adverts facility. Get on with universities and student groups. Graduation photographs make for a very good business opportunity if you have the facilities. There are so many balls these days as a result of the Americanisation of studentlife. Balls means money! When women are made up to the hilt and wanting to show off, price is no matter and they would happily work with a guy with a camera!</p>
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  • 3 weeks later...

<p>For one thing, it depends on you demographics.<br>

Another thing is your psychographics.<br>

Have I lost you yet?<br>

Another thing is that marketing is like a chain of many links - its as good as your weakest link.<br>

Further, your tech skills in photo are only one third of the total. Your skills in Marketing are one third and your management / finance skills are one third.<br>

Learn as much as you can as quickly as you can.<br>

Welcome to a lifetime of leaning - oh and I forgot, thinks keep changing.</p>

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<p>Review sites! Yelp.com is one we use in US & yellowpages etc. I get a lot from yelp. googlesearch, word of mouth, facebook and craigslist.com. Don't be afriad to hit past clients (the people in your portfolio) up about writing a review for you on a service website! Best of all - all these methods are free.<br>

I know this wasn't something you asked about but putting a good photo of yourself on your website can help your web presence tremendously. Ask to trade head shots with another photographer you know or even just asking a friend to take a couple shots of you holding your camera or mock shooting can make a big difference. People want to connect with you.<br>

Don't waste money on sites that promise leads. Half of them provide you with fake leads and charge you for it and it is really hard to get it back even if you COULD get it back. Bleh!<br>

Invest in a really nice set of business cards with one of your best photos on them. Put them whereever you can.<br>

Absorb any and all good photography books, blogs and stuff on here. When people talk about photography they talk about their business and there is a lot to learn from those who are doing it well!</p>

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  • 1 month later...

<p>I spend most of my marketing on Google, I get a 12% rate of return. Meaning all the money I put in comes 8 times back to me in revenue.<br>

I have als tried a site that sells leads. I only get a 36% rate of return.<br>

I am stopping the one, and upping the other.</p>

<p>Oh, WOM is indeed the best kind of marketing you can do. And it's free. Thanks for the tip about the service website, can you give me a link to a good one, because I am not familiar, with them.</p>

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