Marketing for the small photography business owner can be overwhelming. You have a limited budget and limited time. There are so many marketing activities out there: Email, Direct Mail, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Directories, SEO, and all the other acronyms.
Which ones are the right activities for your business? How often should you do these things to grow your business? Establishing your photography businesses goals, determining how much time and budget you have and then creating a marketing plan to meet those goals will answer these questions.
Marketing Plan Ideas For Photographers
Letʼs get you started. I will share with you six sample marketing plans for six different time/ budget/growth factors. As we go through find one that is close to your business and use it as a guide to build your plan that facilitates your marketing goals.
Remember, marketing is an investment in your company and takes consistent hard work, but if you stick to a plan you will see the results you want. Your marketing plan will evolve as your goals change and your business grows. You should update it periodically as you start engaging in more marketing activities and measuring your results.
Just as every business is different, its marketing should be unique as well. These samples are simply a starting point, for you to adapt to your own needs, constraints, and goals. Use the questions below to find the sample plan that best fits your business at this time:
Are you a new business? If you are a young company that is getting started, you need to determine how much budget and time you can put into your marketing.
Which One Is You? I have significan time, but no budget. Go to Plan 1
I have some time and some budget. Go to Plan 2
I have significant time and budget. Go to Plan 3
Are you an established business? If you are an established business, you need to determine what marketing goals are realistic for your business. Which one is you? Iʼd like to get started with markteting. Go to Plan 4
I want to supplement my steady growth with additional marketing. Go to Plan 5
Iʼm ready to grow aggressively through marketing. Go to Plan 6
Find the plan that is the best starting point for your business, and modify it to make your own.
MARKETING PLAN ONE
For A New Business Significant Time and Zero Budget Goal: Launch and Grow with Minimal Budget
TOP 3 MARKETING TO-DOʼS
• Set up tracking
• Establish digital foundation
• Initiate engagement
Tracking
Put tracking in place for your new marketing activities
• Get a website. Rather than simply putting your email address on your site replace it with contact forms on your website. Make it easier for the visitor to your website to contact you.
Digital Foundation
Establish a online presence
• Submit online directory listings – Provide accurate, complete, and consistent information for Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Local, etc.
• Launch a website
• Start a blog
• Create accounts for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn Social Media Build an audience and perform market research
• Pay attention to who your audience is and the leaders in the field of photography on social media to familiarize and learn. Who is your audience and what is your competition doing? • Post twice daily, engage with followers, join and participate in local and photography groups • Use local and photography hashtags to increase your reach
Search Engine Optimization
Optimize website to improve organic search rankings
• Identify keywords that are relevant to your photography business • Add keywords to your website content, headings, image tags, and metadata
• Post to blog twice a week to increase your site traffic Promotion Drive traffic and awareness to generate new leads
• Start an email newsletter with updates, products, and tips.
• Identify and
establish relationships with partners and complimentary businesses with whom you can cross promote
• Host an answer and question session where interested people can stop by, learn about your business, and sign up for your email list
• Attend 3 community events per month
MARKETING PLAN TWO For A New Business Some Time and Some Budget Goal:
Launch and Grow with Small budget
TOP 3 MARKETING TO-DOʼS
• Enhance tracking
• Increase online presence
• Generate leads
Tracking
Use tracking of new and existing marketing to determine what is and is not effective
• Donʼt just put your email address on your website but instead replace with contact forms on your website
Digital Foundation
Increase and enhance your online presence
• Submit online directory listings–Provide accurate, complete, and consistent information with a tracked phone number for Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Local, etc. • Launch a website
• Start a blog
• Create a Facebook business page, and Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Social Media
Use social media to enhance engagement and brand awareness
• Post 1x daily to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Offer discounts and coupons for customers who like your page or follow your accounts.
• Create and start using a custom company hashtag.
• Post behind the scenes pictures of your photography business and what you do on a daily basis - a day in the life of a photographer.
Search Engine Optimization
Optimize website to improve organic search rankings
• Put keywords into site content, headings photo tags, meta data.
• Post to blog twice a month.
Lead Generation
Generate prospective customers, online and off
• Contact partners or complimentary businesses with whom you can cross promote (try 2 per month).
• Host a local event, promote social media accounts and collect email sign-ups.
MARKETING PLAN THREE For A New Business With Significant Time and Budget Goal: Launch and Grow Aggressively with Significant Budget
TOP 3 MARKETING TO-DOʼS
• Set up tracking
• Drive website traffic
• Convert leads
Tracking
Enhance the tracking of existing marketing to better determine what is and is not effective
• Begin using Contact Us (web forms) to monitor the performance of your offline and online marketing
Digital Foundation
Establish a comprehensive online presence, become an online resource
• Submit online directory listings–Provide accurate, complete, and consistent information with a tracked phone number for Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Local, etc.
• Start a blog
• Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat
• Add a promotional video to your homepage, upload it to YouTube, and promote on social media channels.
Social Media
Establish regular communication to maximize repeat and referral business
• Post twice daily, engage with followers.
• Promote offers, products, and blog posts
• Run a social media contest/giveaway
• Start engaging with micro-influencers
• Use hashtags to expand your reach
Search Engine Optimization
Optimize website to improve organic search rankings
• Add relevant keywords to site content, headings, tags, meta data
• Post to blog twice a week
• Obtain high quality backlinks to your website (one per week). Conversions Increase the number of leads who become customers.
• Include a prominent call to action (CTA) on every page of your website (i.e. “Click Here to Schedule a Free Consultation”, or Click here to receive a free 20% off coupon”)
• Offer mini sessions, discounts for initial signups, and time limited sales
• Create unique landing pages for products and promotions
Promotions
• Run a targeted and tracked email campaign.
• Run a direct mail campaign with promotional postcards.
• Partner with local or complimentary business to run a promotion or sale.
• Host an event, hand out branded swag in exchange for signing up for your email list.
MARKETING PLAN FOUR
For an Established Business Looking to Start Marketing Goal: Start Marketing and Grow Leads
TOP 3 MARKETING TO-DOʼS
• Setup tracking
• Clean up online presence
• Generate leads
Tracking
Apply tracking to your existing marketing activities
• Eliminate placing your email address on your site, and replace with contact forms on your website
Digital Foundation
Polish up your online presence
• Review and update listings on Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Local with accurate, complete, and consistent information
• Start a blog
• Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Engagement
Establish regular communication with existing customers
• Start a monthly email newsletter with news, offers, and new products or services
• Use social media to build a fan base. Engage with and inform customers and followers daily to build relationships and stay top of mind
• Create rewards or promotions for repeat or referral business
Search Engine Optimization
Optimize website to improve organic search rankings
• Add relevant keywords to site content, headings, image tags, and metadata
• Post to blog once a week
Promotion
Get more interested people to learn about your business
• Promote social media accounts on printed postcards
• Partner with a neighboring business to host a community event
• Include a prominent call to action (CTA) on every page of your website (i.e. “Click Here to Schedule a Free Consultation”)
MARKETING PLAN FIVE
For an Established Business Looking to Steadily Grow Goal: Steadily Grow with Modest Budget
TOP 3 MARKETING TO-DOʼS
• Track marketing
• Build online presence
• Generate leads
Enhance Tracking of Your Marketing
Start tracking existing and new marketing activities to identify what is most effective
• Eliminate public facing email addresses, and replace with contact forms on your website.
Digital Foundation
Establish a comprehensive online presence
• Review and update listings on Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Local with accurate, complete, and consistent information.
• Start a blog.
• Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.
• Build online reviews on Yelp and Google
Increase Engagement
Communicate regularly with past, present, and potential customers
• Start an email newsletter and encourage sign ups on social media and website.
• Promote blog posts across social media and in email newsletters.
• Use social media to express company culture.
• Reach out to with customers and followers daily, with engaging and informative posts, encourage them to use your hashtag and share your posts.
Search Engine Optimization
Optimize website to improve organic search rankings
• Add relevant keywords to site content, headings, image tags, and metadata.
• Post to blog twice a week.
• Start building back links to your site.
Generate Leads
Get more people to find and engage with your business
• Place at least one relevant call to action on every page of your site
• Create free eBooks and guides, and offer in exchange for contact information
• Run a sale, promote on social media and printed postcards.
• Run a social media contest
• Partner with a neighboring business to host a community event
MARKETING PLAN SIX
For an Established Business Looking to Aggressively Grow Goal: Aggressively Grow with Significant Budget
TOP 3 MARKETING TO-DOʼS
• Track marketing
• Improve online visibility
• Increase conversions
Enhance Tracking of Your Marketing Track existing and new marketing activities to determine what works
• Eliminate public facing email addresses, and replace with contact forms on your website
Digital Foundation
Establish a comprehensive online presence
• Review and update listings on Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Local with accurate, complete, and consistent information
• Start a blog
• Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat
• Ask customers to submit online reviews on Yelp, Google, and Facebook
• Add testimonials and case studies to your website
• Create a promotional video for your homepage, upload to YouTube, promote across social media channels
Engagement
Establish regular communication with past, present, and potential customers
• Start an email newsletter and encourage sign ups on social media and website
• Post daily to social media with engaging and informative content; use hashtags
• Use social media to show behind the scenes of the life of a photographer.
• Share micro- influencersʼ posts, contact them on their preferred platform.
Search Engine Optimization
Optimize website to improve search rankings
• Add relevant keywords to site content, headings, image tags, and metadata.
• Post to blog 2–3 times a week.
• Obtain high quality back links to your site.
Lead Generation
Increase the number of visitors who convert to a lead
• Promote blog posts with social media and email newsletters.
• Run contests or giveaways, promote sales on social media
• Add calls to action for website (free consultation, subscribe to blog, download content.
• Run an email campaign offering valuable content in exchange for contact info.
• Offer free trials, discounts for initial signups, and time limited sales.
• Host community, industry, or networking events with a place to sign up for your email list.
Over the course of time, many additional posts will be added which will cover the importance of marketing and self-promotion for photographers. Additionally, and more importantly, marketing strategies and cool promotion ideas will run throughout this blog.
Photography is an extremely competitive business. I fully expect the photography business to become more competitive in the coming years given the situation we're living with in our world. So, it's doubly important to think outside the proverbial box to garner the attention you are your photography deserve.
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