Marketing my photography business must have been one of the most difficult tasks when I was starting out. Since I knew nobody in the industry, I didn’t even have the first clue about where to start. I hope this helps you.
When I first really figured out that I wanted to become a professional photographer, I knew I had to market myself. But how? I knew I didn’t have that strong of a portfolio at the time, but I knew that it was important to brand myself immediately and get my name out there within the circles that I wanted to work within. Now, as most starving artists are (hence the term), I didn’t have a ton of money to throw into a huge viral marketing campaign – and even if I did, I didn’t have the quality of book to back it up and would have started off on the wrong foot by showing sub-par work to the top Ad Directors, Creative Directors, Designers, Owners, CMO’s, etc etc etc. I scoured the Internet to find out what I should do at the beginning phases of my photography business, and here is what I found (and my opinions on them):
Model Mayhem – http://bit.ly/5KJwsm : The joke of industry professionals. You know what it is – and you’re probably a member on there. So am I – just with my abbreviations so that when clients Google my name, my Model Mayhem page won’t pop up. 
The first models I ever shot were from this site – because that’s where I figured out that I can get people to model for me for simply a disk of the images when we were all set and done. It was a great place to network with other creative artists from around Vancouver-Seattle-Portland area and I was able to find most of the teams I currently work with somehow through this site. Sure, I had to work my way through mediocre teams for awhile, but it’s all part of paying dues to be part of the industry. Right??? Haha Most of the teams I’ve connected with on there are now professionally represented and 99% of the models I work with are also represented by well-known modeling agencies from around the world. I just keep my MM account to further get my work out there and continue to build my branding.
Facebook – http://bit.ly/51Z3Ff : Personally, I love Facebook. I started the account just to keep in touch with old friends and current colleagues. It wasn’t until I started having people find me (my work) and had NO idea who they were that I realized that somehow my work and name is getting out there without me even really trying. When I first decided to utilize Facebook, everything seemed to blow up. I was getting more work routed through Facebook than any other type of media – and it’s completely free. I’ve also created a fan page (which I currently need to update) in order to further put my name and brand out there. Just try not to get distracted by all the applications on the site!
Myspace: What? What’s that? People still use that? Not me.
Twitter – http://bit.ly/8Wihom : The new fad that is here to stay. Personally, I am still getting used to it, but it seems like another great networking tool and is quite easy to update on a regular basis (almost too regular… haha). I’ve created lists of different types on my Twitter page, so please keep an eye on those and “follow” them. They should be growing fairly large over the coming months/years and will be a good way to grow your network.
Blogging: Well, obviously I use WordPress, but there are many other blogs out there that work great as well. BlogSpot and Tumblr are other blogs that are popular amongst my friends and colleagues. BRAND BRAND BRAND.
Parties, Gala Events, et al: This are phenomenal ways to grow your brand and get some crucial face-to-face time with those around your market. Get familiar with the people in your market and make sure to keep your face familiar with them as well – you have to make sure it’s a two-way street here. If you remember them – that still won’t do you any good if they have to keep trying to remember who you are. Get face time as much as you possibly can without being a nuisance. When you are at these events, talk a little business if you think it’s appropriate, but these are the times where we all want to kick back and relax with some good food, good drinks, and good people. This is the time where you are wanting to sell yourself on your personality – not your work.
Postcards, E-mailers, et al: These methods are used often for a reason, but keep in mind what I just said – they are used often. If you are wanting to sell yourself to a company who is bombarded with all these pieces of marketing materials on a daily basis, you have to make sure you stand out from the crowd. Hopefully you will be standing out based on your work and not a busy graphic. Keep it simple and let your work speak for itself. Don’t have anything distracting from it. If you think your mailers need a lot of special graphics overlayed around your imagery, you will be putting off the signal that it’s not strong enough by itself. Keep it simple.
Branding, branding, branding: I’ve said it a lot, but I will say it again – branding yourself is so incredibly important. Brand not only your logo with a certain color scheme and typeface, but brand your style of imagery. Nail down your body of work, lighting style, and post production to scream “Your Name.” If someone can’t tell that a particular photo was created by you, why are they hiring you? Ask yourself that question and you will quickly realize that it’s a good way to look at all your shoots from here on out.
In my opinion, those are the best ways to get yourself marketed in the right direction and for the least amount of money. Just remember: get your face-to-face meetings often, brand yourself, your logo, and your imagery, and keep it all updated regularly. Fashion changes quickly – and it’s your business to keep up with it.
Cheers, and happy shooting,
Kyle – http://bit.ly/5PpQpR
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