The Art of Pregnancy Photography (20 page)

If advertising seems like a lot of work, remember the words of Edward Weston (“Shall I Turn Professional?”
American Photography
6 [Nov. 1912], 620–24): “Photography to the amateur is recreation; to the professional it is work and hard work too, no matter how pleasurable it may be.” Producing artistic, sensational photographs and soliciting clients to photograph is hard work. You must develop a good marketing strategy and must devote a great deal of attention to efficiently carrying it out.

YOUR WEBSITE

A website is a critical component of an effective marketing plan, and having one is just as important as having a business card. Anyone with expendable income will likely have access to a computer—and, of course, anyone with expendable income may be willing to spend that cash on your services.

A photographer’s website is a virtual portfolio. It should demonstrate your photographic style, should contain powerful, current images and must appeal to the demographic you wish to target.

Preselling
. Before my website was up and running, clients called my studio and left a message asking me to call them back with prices for my work. It took a great deal of sales training for me to change the course of that conversation from their first question on price to a focus on their portrait desires and needs. My website changed all of this. When clients get my machine, they hear a message containing my web address—and often hang up. When I listen to my messages, a hang-up is generally followed by a message from an enthusiastic woman, asking if I could create for her and her family images like the ones shown on my website, and telling me that price is not a factor. My website is designed to look like an artist’s site—it doesn’t resemble those used by most family photographers. It immediately creates an impression in the prospective clients’ minds that they can work with an artist, not just a photographer who documents a moment. I now book portrait sessions for 100 percent of visitors to my website.

Images displaying your unique style not only help draw new business but can distinguish your studio from other photographers’ studios.

Professional Help
. A quality website is a critical component of your marketing strategy. This is not the place to take a do-it-yourself stance. Though hiring a web designer can seem a sizable expense, the rewards are worth it. A custom-designed site can help you to position yourself in the market in terms of portrait style and price and will help you stand apart from your competitors. If hiring a professional designer is cost prohibitive, consider using a web design template. Before committing to a given template, though, research your competitors’ sites to be sure you won’t be using the same design.

Your website’s home page will either inspire your client to use your services or turn them away. The page should portray your signature style and entice the viewer to want to see more images. Once inside your site, your images will inspire the client to book a session.

Use a strong image on your enter page. This page will help set your studio name, logo, and portrait style firmly in your client’s mind. Website by
www.bcre8ive.com
.

A good website is easy to navigate, wilh all elements a client may want to investigate clearly labeled. Your images should be the most eyecatching feature of your site, but be sure that your contact information is clearly visible. Also, be sure to provide a direct link to your e-mail address. Website by
www.bcre8ive.com
.

Key Elements
. No matter who designs your site, you will want to ensure that it features some critical elements.

First, make sure your images are fast-loading. Your potential clients are not going to want to sit for a long time in front of their monitor waiting for your images to load. Featuring a high-impact static image can be enough to lure viewers to enter your site. You can also consider using a loading bar along with a static image; that gives viewers an idea as to how long it will take for remaining images to load.

Choose to showcase only your very best images. Padding the site with extra images will draw attention away from your strongest portraits and can steer viewers away from your site. Less is more, and it will only take clients a few minutes to decide they like your work and want to hire you.

Make sure that the name of the studio, your address, city, and state, and phone number are easy to find and are legible.

Online Proofing
. Successful photographers know that selling your images in a face-to-face meeting yields happier clients and bigger sales. After taking the time to develop a rapport with your clients, you owe it to them to create an evocative, emotional presentation in which you can answer questions, explain options, and share in their joy. Post your images online only once you’ve held an in-studio consultation—and for a limited time only. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages friends and family to place orders, even if they live across the country. Who knows? This option may also help you to win more clients.

You might also consider offering online proofing if your pricing is structured in such a way so that the client has prepaid most of her costs prior to buying the prints (e.g., by paying a higher session fee, prepurchasing an album, etc.).

TELEVISION ADS

Television advertising is cost prohibitive for most photographers. An excellent way to take advantage of the reach of television is to join with other businesses or to partner with a television station to raise money for a nonprofit organization. By taking on this task, you’re likely to leave viewers with a favorable impression too.

WORD OF MOUTH

Word-of-mouth advertising is your best ally. A satisfied customer will tell others about their experience, building your client base at no cost to you.

You can offer existing clients a fabulous price break on their pregnancy portrait or a great discount on their next session for referring an expecting friend or family member to your studio.

KEEP THEM COMING BACK FOR MORE

Perhaps the easiest way to generate pregnancy portrait business is to get past clients back into the studio. Make sure that all of your clients are aware of every type of service you offer. Your wedding clients can be great repeat clients when they decide to start a family. A first-time family portrait client may also benefit from some pregnancy portrait information; you never know when her family will grow. Always tell your clients about the array of services you offer. They are your walking billboards.

PORTRAIT DISPLAYS

Because pregnancy photography is such a specialized area of photography, you cannot rely on all of the avenues you might employ to market your services to your general portrait population. One approach that works particularly well is to ask local businesses that cater to your prospective clients if they can devote a little of their wall space to a portrait display.

The best places to set up displays are in obstetrics and gynecology offices, fertility clinics, maternity shops, and any other business that caters to babies. Some practitioners and business owners will provide the opportunity without requiring any compensation, as your portraits can add to their decor. Others may want to strike a trade agreement: one of my associates allows me to show my portraits in her office in exchange for a yearly portrait session and framed prints of her three children (you might consider offering gift certificates for free portrait sessions that the business owners can give to loyal clients). This particular display has brought me some of my best clients.

Creating large displays in local shopping centers or malls is another means to marketing your work. You can rent window space from other businesses with the same clientele or can even seek to display you work inside the store.

Do a little research to ensure that you are displaying your work in businesses frequented by your desired demographic. Renting display space can be expensive, so you’ll want to do all you can to attract higher-end clients with discretionary income that they are willing to spend on your portraits.

Your unique imagery is a powerful motivator for prospective clients to book your services. Be sure to include some signature pieces in your product displays.