A Success Series for Modern-Day Photographers

image courtesy of graur codrin

We’re back with more business advice for photographers.  Last week, we talked about some very basic rules, like the 80/20 rule (80% of people go with the first photographer they find), and some other simple business basics like eagerness, tone of voice and professionalism.

As we move along in the series, we’ll be getting more specific and covering some tricks to help you gain new business in out-of-the box ways.  How many of you are wedding photographers?  While this next tip will work with virtually all types of photography, it may be especially beneficial for wedding photographers.  Here’s how you can gain new eyes viewing your work, and thus more potential clients – through hair salon marketing.   Huh?  Trust me.   I’ve been telling our long time photographers this one for years with positive results.

The average couple books a photographer 2 – 2 ½ months after they get engaged.  That doesn’t leave you with a whole lot of time to nab newly engaged couples and book up your season.  Now if you think about it, who knows what’s going on in the life of a bride-to-be (especially big events like a wedding), better than her hair dresser?  They likely see her every 4-5 weeks and will be one of the first to get a time slot booked for their big day.  Hair is important on a wedding day.

If we go back to the 80/20 rule, we know that if you’ve got a high end hair salon referring you, you’re likely to get some good business from it.  So how do you get them to refer YOU.  Well, doing great work is one way, and if you’re a pro photographer then we hope that’s the case no matter what.  Another way is to get crafty, in a good way of course.  See if you can get in touch with the owner of the Salon, introduce yourself and share your experience in the photography industry.  Let them know that you’d like to work out some referral services that might be mutually beneficial to your business and the salon.  Here’s a good line that usually works:

“Since we’ve never worked together, I thought one morning I could come by the salon and take a group photo of your employees.  If you’re interested, it may be fun to even get a group shot of the employees’ kids together to show the family side of your business.  I’ll print the photos and frame them for you, and you can hang them up in the salon for the world to see your team!  If you like my work, you can recommend me to the brides, families and sports players that come into your salon.  On the same token, I’ll refer folks from event venues and bookings to you for a great salon experience.”

Sounds like a win-win right?  Another bonus is that once you establish a good working relationship, there could be all kinds of benefits.  Offer to come in and re-do the shot every year to keep it fresh in exchange for setting up  a mobile portrait studio on a busy Saturday, offering before-and-after shots for immediate purchase.  Keep this line of thinking and apply it to other related industries.  If you can hone these simple partnership marketing skills, you’ll never have a shortage of business.  Partnerships are like a garden.  Sow seeds and water them and you’ll produce fruit.

Thanks!

Mike Connors | MorePhotos| CEO