I don't know really why I photographed this Sea Skate. I just found it interesting.
So now the topic at hand. The other night out of boredom I sat in my favorite recliner turned on the TV. After I had scanned all the TV channels there was nothing of interest to watch. So I sat there reclined closed my eyes and started thinking about how can I market myself. I am a Fine Art Photographer. I sell my photos at Art Festival throughout New England, but mostly in Maine. My marketing in that respect is business card, sign up for emails for e-newsletter,brochures and word of mouth. When I am not at a show I use Facebook and Twitter and my Blog and I also have a Website with Photoshelter. Like alot of photographers out there they have side jobs either regular jobs if you will or they do portraiture, weddings, or commercial work to help pay the bills. I have nothing against those fields I just don't have equipment for them and renting in Maine is a little tough. Then I realized I have my cookie business The BlackHorse Cookie Company. That is my part time job. Helping to support my photography. I sell my cookies at local Farmers Markets in Maine. That is another venue for marketing my photography since I am allowed to sell some photography at these markets. Which is a good thing. So when I am not doing Festivals or Markets January through early May, how do I market my photography?
My goal with my photography is...I really love doing the festivals and traveling to them (photo opportunities on the way), I also would love to see sales from my website. My SEO for my website is around 80 which I understand is good, but I know could be better. I admit that last year was a tough year for me and marketing was minimum. This year I am adding more to my agenda. Which in turn should be more marketing. But I feel there is more. I just can't figure out what. I am a self taught business woman and I know I have tons more to learn, I am just having a hard time finding out where or who I need to market to.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I don't know anything about marketing and I've never tried to market anything.However I have a few ideas. :)
ReplyDeleteHave you considered marketing your cookies through the blogger community?
Spend months following people and developing rapport with them.
You can use your photos in several of the weekly memes and follow and get followed by hundreds of potential customers.
It takes time but if you comment consistantly you shoud build the relationships.
After a while you might even start your own photo meme and the banner could say something like "Brought to you by The Blackhorse Cookie Company"
You cold slip in hints and brag about your cookies and even ask people to click and check out your cookie website.
If you did host a meme you could offer a small sampling of your product to the best photos perhaps on a monthly basis or just offer samples to your active followers just because or in exchange for hanging your company banner and link on their blog.
Hopefully several of the people who recieved the cookies would do posts about them and spread the word.
Another Idea is you could send some samples to some of the really famous baking blogs and if they like them and do a post about them you will be set.
Below are two of them but I'm sure you can find more. (If they do a post about your cookies be prepared for a totally honest opinion)
Cookie Madness:
http://www.cookiemadness.net/
Baking Bites:
http://bakingbites.com/
I hope this helps, good luck!
Thanks so much for the comments James, but I think I might have confused some readers. The cookie business is part time only and I wanted to focus my market on Cindi Ressler Photography, not the cookies. I have a sneaking suspicion the cookies would take over and photography would lose out. Where what I want just the opposite to happen. But I will take your comments and use them towards the photography and see how it goes. Thanks again for your input.
ReplyDeleteOops. I have a bad habit of trying to read too fast. :)
ReplyDeleteI think you are off to a great start with marketing your photography in 2011! I can see how hard you are working and I am sure it's going to pay off.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked into sites like Fine Art America or ImageKind?
Continue to do the art festivals and have fun with those. I can't stress enough how important it is to get contact information from as many people as you can, everywhere you go. I didn't see where you had started to incorporate email newsletters to your marketing efforts, but that is also something you may want to check out. Try to get snail mail addresses as well. People may not be ready to buy right there at a show, but keep your name in front of them and when they are ready, they will know where to go.
Good luck! I think you are doing great!
PS Would you be interested in being interviewed for my blog someday?
oops - just saw your newsletter signup. My bad....
ReplyDeleteThanks Dianne, I have checked into Fine Art America and was told that it is overcrowding and sales were not good, I will check into Imagekind. Thanks for your encouraging comments. They are very much appreciated and I actually feel like I am on the right track.
ReplyDeleteYes I would love to be interviewed!