Graduate photos can be a lucrative business for a professional photographer. Many photographers know this business niche exists, but have trouble finding a way to effectively market their services to high school seniors and their parents. In order to effectively expand your photography business into the graduate picture market, you must be able to create buzz and excitement among high school seniors with your marketing efforts.
Let’s discuss a few ways to ensure you make the connection with high schools and graduates.
Get Your Work Out There
Go to schools, talk to those in charge, make appointments and show off your previous work with Professional Photo Books. Nothing stands out more in someone’s mind than an image, so wow them with your work, and they’ll sure remember you.
Make Potential Customers Work for You
Marketing experts have shown that one of the most effective marketing strategies is through word of mouth. So what reason can we give high school seniors to talk about you? Give students an incentive to spread the word about you and your work. A discount, special package or a referral program that may include extra prints, digital negatives or additional poses. Waive the sitting fee if a student refers five other seniors who purchase prints. The variety of incentive programs are endless, just make sure you create a program that will increase the bottom line for your photography business. Word of mouth between different schools is also a great tactic, high school seniors typically have friends at different schools, so your talent can be spread through the gift of gab to other high schools as well.
Get on the Inside
The most effective marketing efforts focus on forming relationships with people in close contact with your target audience. When it comes to marketing senior picture services, groups like yearbook club and the photography club will be able to promote your services the most effectively. Form a relationship with the yearbook editor and create incentives for the yearbook team to promote your business. This may include a special shoot at an event like a dance or sporting event. These types of student groups have a large influence on their peer’s decisions when it comes to photos.
Launch a Social Media Campaign
Social media is one of the most effective marketing strategies for any small business, including photography. Create a Facebook fan page, Twitter account and MySpace account to promote your senior picture campaign. Almost every high school student is involved in social media in one way or another, so it is a great way to reach out to them. One way to create hype within your social media network is to sponsor a photo competition. Promote the competition with prizes, like a free senior photo sitting for the winner, and require participants to become your friend. Once you have created your social media network, you will find that there are many ways to network with potential customers and other professionals in the photography industry.
These are just a few ways that you can begin to capture the senior picture market with high schools in your area. You will find that schools often talk, and if you devote time and energy to developing solid relationships with you clients; schools will begin to call you, instead of having to market to them!
Tags: Photo Book Marketing by Embassy Pro Books
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