Marketing is a topic that creates anxiety and discomfort for many professional photographers and ultimately affects their ability to grow their business. As a business development specialist for professional photographers, I have found photographers struggle with “where” to market, “how” to market, “when” to market, and finally, “what” products and services to market.

To assist in getting you more comfortable with marketing, I comprised a list of “twelve marketing mindsets.” These mindsets are best practices gained from some of the most successful studio owners in the country. Begin implementing these into your business, and you will gain some marketing momentum!

Key Marketing Mindsets and Motivators:

1. Marketing is a significant moneymaker in your photography business. If you don’t market your business correctly, you won’t stay at the forefront of your prospects’ minds. You have to become well known in your community and show potential prospects that you are an expert in what you do.
2. Marketing is an ongoing process. You must drive traffic to your website and stay in touch with your clients. I find that most photographers do not continue to market their products and services to their existing client base. You should begin to focus a portion of your marketing efforts to staying in touch with past clients. Newsletters, blog posts, post cards and special offers are an excellent way to do this. If you have already provided an excellent product and service to your existing clients, marketing them for new business is key to extra revenue. You have heard this before – it is much easier and cheaper to sell to an existing client then it is to a brand new prospect. Begin reaching out to your existing client base now!
3. Marketing begins with understanding your customers’ wants and needs. Ask your clients what they need. Survey your customers; show them products that you are thinking of implementing in your studio. Do these products match your brand? Is there a buying interest from your client base? Asking your client’s opinion enhances your relationship with them and helps build trust and loyalty to you and your studio.
4. People love to buy but hate the feeling of being sold. We express our value through our purchases. Provide an excellent client experience, create a unique and remarkable product, and clients will gladly pay your prices! So what can you do to improve the client experience?
5. Marketing is about triggering ACTION. Your marketing needs to reach people at an emotional level and get them to see the benefits of your photography products and service. Remember, the purpose of marketing is to get people to contact you to inquire about your services. The ACTION piece helps move their decision forward. 
6. Everything is a test – everything. You don’t know how it’s going to work until you put it out there. Create your marketing pieces and test the market. Over time you will see what is giving you the best return for your investment, and you will be able to incorporate that into your marketing calendar year after year. The critical point here is always be testing!
7. Run your marketing like a business! Measure the results of your marketing. Track your return on investment and develop a system for doing so. One question I always ask my prospects is, “How did you hear about us?” When they respond, write it down, so you know what marketing strategy is bearing the most fruit. It may take time with certain marketing strategies before you see prospects take action. For example, if you have a “lift card” next to any image you have on display in your community, it may be months before a prospect calls you. But when they say they picked up your card at your exhibit, you will know that the display was what drove them to you. Plant marketing seeds and track those seeds!
8. Understand your prospective clients better than they understand themselves. It takes time, but when you know your niche thoroughly, you can market in areas where they go. Think of them when writing offers. What do they would want from you, and how can you deliver it?
9. Successful marketing is ultimately a successful marketing system and sequence. How you move a prospect down the path, so they eventually decide to hire you must be systemized and tracked. Many photographers do one mailing, or one Facebook ad and quit. Effective marketing requires multiple touches to your prospects and mailing list. Think of marketing as a marathon versus a sprint.
10. The success of your marketing is in proportion to the perceived value you create for your clients. This point is crucial. Ensure what you do and sell provides excellent value to your clients and that THEY can see that. When you accomplish it, your sales averages will sore, and you will begin to build a loyal client base.
11. You are NOT a photographer. You are a business owner who markets and sells photographic products and services! See the difference? Photography is the means to the end, but you have to think of yourself as the CEO of your studio if you want to be successful in today’s marketplace.
12. Find prospects where they are, not where you are or where you want them to be. You will have better luck going to where they are versus waiting for them to find you. If you hope people find you through a GOOGLE search, you won’t be in business long. Get out in your community and begin to make a name for yourself. 

Does all of this take time and effort on your part? Absolutely! Decide if you are serious about your photography business or are doing it as a hobby. Being a business owner requires hard work, dedication, and drive. You can do anything you put your mind to. Start right now!

Tips and Secrets that will shift your thinking from being just a photographer, to becoming the CEO of a highly successful company!