Marketing tips and tricks

[steve_white7]

This subject has been touched on before, but I was wondering if anyone had

any clever marketing ideas that they'd like to share.

 

I've just gotten started offering pet photography in a city where there are lots of

photographers, lots of obsessive pet owners, but no real pet photographers.

I'd like to get a number of clients early to get some working capital, but don't

have a lot to begin with. I'm looking for something unique that might have

worked for someone in the past.

 

I'm currently putting together a package to send to retailers in the area with

coupons that I've printed on heavy weight paper. Each retailer, groomer etc

will get a unique number on all their coupons and will receive $15

commission on any sales refered. I'm hoping they'll leave them on their

counter or put them in the bag during a sale. Hopefully this'll draw some

interest.

 

Does anyone else have any ideas? We've touched on the flyers, postcard

mailers, and displays at stores. There are a few heavy trendy areas where

pets are considered family members and I'd like to target these areas with

something that they won't dismiss as a gimick.

 

Also I'd like some feedback if possible on how my website displays on your

monitor. It looks good on an emac screen, but a friend says the graphics get

blown up a bit on his Dell. Any comments? www.pawprintsphotography.ca

 

Thanks,

Steve

[sabrina_h.]

Hello Steve,

 

I dont do pet photography; just portraits for people. I advertise in about 3-4 locations

and have a few repeat clients plus word of mouth. I've been at it for about a year and

business seems steady.

 

I noticed you only have one portrait in your gallery. I think you will have to show more to

get people to pay for your services. People want to see what you can do and your

flexibility. I'd round up your family memeber's or friend''s pets to take photos.

 

Other than that, I'd sit and wait for about one month to see if your ads are working. If not,

I'd look into other sources.

 

 

good-luck

[art_haykin]

Try vet's offices, local TV and radio ads, local papers and penny saver type ads, flyers on telephone poles, in store windows, and under windshield wipers, etc.

[J.W. Wall]

Steve - I suggest that you walk in and speak with the managers, give your best 20 or 30 second talk and ask if you can leave your materials for distribution at the counter, etc. Personal contact is worth $$$. Without it, your mailer might be treated as junk mail and not even opened or not retained. Go back in a month and chat about how things are going, maybe leave another offer for distribution. Definitely refresh the display/flyer/business cards regularly.

 

Oh, and don't forget the Humane Society (and the like). Lots of folks who adopt there, are in the upscale groups you probably are targeting. And, if there are dog shows and such in your area (and similar for other animals), there's another avenue for merchandising. Just my two cents. Good Luck! - John

[Jerry_]

Folks that 'care' about their mutts take the animals to 'pet groomers,' so that would be the place to start. But you may 'brain-storm' the owner of the pet grooming service to 'begin' offering pet photos as part of their service. (One local pet grooming service annuals offers 'photos for Christmas' [done in-house by the way] as part of their operation. Strange as none of the local photographers offer dog grooming during the year....)

[steve_white7]

Thanks for the advice. We're still a few months away from the big cat and dog

show. I was hoping to get a few clients so I'd be able to get a booth. I'm much

better with people approaching me than vice versa.

 

As for my gallery there are 11 photos available right now. When you enter the

gallery area you need to click on the photo to view the samples. Perhaps I'll

take that step out if it's confussing.

 

Thanks all.

steve

[dave_nelson___atlanta__ga]

You web site needs some real text. The hidden text at the bottom is worthless in every way.

 

The navigation is hidden with yellow on orange. Some real contrast would make it easier to follow. The home page looks like a splash page with no navigation.

 

The slide show does not let you know what image you are looking at. Users need a way to tell others how to look at a particular image.

 

Contact Us should lead to a web page or be renamed Email Us.

 

I like your photos. Very nice.

[jennea]

I tried your website on both a Mac and PC. Worked great on the Mac. On my PC, which has an 800x600 display, I found the gallery frustrating to look at because I had to scroll down to see the bottom of the photos. Would it be possible to scale down the size just a hair? Nothing drastic, just a wee bit smaller will do it. Looks visually appealing overall.

 

When it comes to marketing, I'd stay away from mailers, tv and radio ads, flyers posted on phone poles, etc. Your product is a unique one and therefore it is of paramount importance that your marketing be unique as well. I like the idea of relationship marketing--with a dog groomer or any other high end pet-related store. Your target audience is well-off pet owners, for they are the ones with excess money to spend on photos of a pet. These same people dress their pets in sweaters, etc. and you need to cater to this type of person. Using typical marketing will not set you apart and might even damage your reputation in their circles. Someone in this target audience would probably shun the idea of using a photographer whose name and number appeared on a utility pole. These people are typically not coupon cutters, so if you offer coupons you need to make them look unique. Trick them into wanting to use a coupon. Once you can impress a few of these people they will carry your business through word of mouth, not that you should then stop marketing your product. The dog show idea is a good one. I work with a woman who shows and breeds dogs and she would love your product. (She actually asked if you were local when I showed her your website, but I regretfully had to tell her no.) I'll keep thinking of ideas for you, and run it by my husband who is a marketing person, and I'll let you know if we come up with any concrete ideas for you. Good luck!