So I am finally doing something I have never done much of before
And that is I finally started advertising my Photography business. When I first started photography as a hobby and people started offering to pay me I was thrilled. Because I got to take a hobby and turn it into a business. Before covid though I was just word of mouth and I stayed pretty busy then covid happened. I was shut down like every one else and work ceased.
I built my studio
In 2020 during the shut down I bought an Amish shed and turned it into a Photo studio. It isn't huge but it is mine and paid off. I started trying out some targeted advertisement on Social media and got burned. They were suppose to be showing my ad to those local near me but instead people from half way around the world was seeing my ad and no one local. So I stopped paying for advertising and would just post my special and deals in group pages on social media platforms.
I then tried advertising on place mats in restaurants
I had some mixed success with that, not as much as I hoped for but I do have some brand recognition now in my local area but not in enough of my local area. If you are in town you have seen my studio name in different places but if you are in the surrounding areas not so much.
So there is a deal magazine that goes out into our area
This deal/coupon magazine is sent out to 40,000 people in my county. But when I called I couldn't afford the advertising space. So I been brainstorming other ways to advertise that I can afford. I am starting to think yard signs all I would have to do is find people willing to allow me to place them in their yards.
Meanwhile I go out 2 or 3 times a week for breakfast
I do this to network in my town by going to small mom and pop places and avoiding chain restaurants. Because as a business owner people don't know you are there unless you network or advertise a lot. One of the mom and pop places I go to the lady from the deal magazine that sells spots was there. We got to talking and I told her how I wish I had the money to advertise in their magazine but I just can't afford it.
Then she told me something I wasn't told on the phone
They have remnant ad pricing for when they need to sell extra space because they have a 4 page min with the printer so lets say they sell 22 pages of ads but because of the 4 page min they now how 2 pages to fill up. They like to partner with small businesses like mine to give them that space. Now if they sell out of their ad space then I don't get in that month, but there are surrounding towns and counties they also have magazines in. So if I can't get in my towns magazines I can get into the surrounding town or counties magazines. And it is at a price I can afford.
So I am 3 months in
And business is picking up. I even scored a contract with a real estate investor to take photos of properties he is buying and selling in the area. But I am really excited about what is coming down the road next month, but that job booking had nothing to do with advertising, it had to do with networking and a really good childhood friend.
Said childhood friend has found a lot of success in life
Not that I haven't, I am comfortable but I want to work more I have an empty nest and find I have more down time than I would like. But she has found a level of success that many achieve for. And some of her connections for a photographer is something many wish they have. Anyways she is hosting an event and she booked a band that has a pretty big following and it is fairy themed. One of the themed shoots I offer is fairy themed. She likes my work, she showed the band, they asked her to get me as a photographer for the event.
So I am going to be a fairy photographer
Like not only am I taking photos of the event where everyone is going to be dressed up as Fairies, but I too am going to be a fairy for the event. This is going to be so much fun and the exposure my little photo studio is gonna get from this is gonna be huge for me. Could lead to me working and traveling more if I knock this out of the park. But the exposure is going to have my work credited and shared across multiple social media platforms.
I like to take and composite fairies into a magical place. The magic of Photoshop
The original
Screenshot of the outfit I bought to wear, I also ordered a blue one but the shipping is too close to the date of the event and this one arrives tomorrow, if the blue one gets here before the event I will return the green one.
Till next time
Hopefully my next blog post update won't take months to give to you. But I have been having writers block big time.
Great job building your business! The event sounds fun and exciting and I hope it's profitable for you, too!
it is going to be loads of fun and I am looking forward to it. Best part about a work trip where you get to be with friends and music is it isn't really work. Especially since I love what I do