Expanding my photography business.

[Pepper44]

I really want to grow my children and family photography business and I need some good ideas for advertising and attracting clients. I'm kind of stumped.

I live in a medium sized town, it has about 350,000 people I think. Our town is mainly made up of suburbs with a university downtown. Our downtown isn't exactly hopping, I hardly ever go there because there's terrible traffic and not really much to do. I'm having trouble finding any place to hang an advertisement where it might be seen by families...

Craigslist is free, but photographers that post on Craigslist tend to be...unprofessional.

There are a couple of local free newspapers that offer advertising and would probably be seen by many, but the advertising is expensive. $450 a month for the most popular one. I definitely cannot afford that.

I have business cards, but I don't know what to do with them.

Anyone have good ideas or advice?

I'd like to share my site here, but I'm not sure if that's allowed?

[Kristine233]

You can certainly share your site here in your signature if you purchase signature advertising. And I think it gets you a post in the WAHMmarket too? Its well worth it, IMO.

As far as where to put your information, you could offer some sort of discount and have flyers made up and distribute to places like childcare centers, early learning places, and family freindly businesses. I found people are more likely to allow you to give away "coupons" than just flyers or such. Also get a digital portfolio and put your work on it, use keywords that will make you easier for peopel to find on the internet. Most people look up services online now so its pretty important to make sure at least your contact information is available online for your small business. Even use Facebook to get locals to see you as well. Have your local friends "friend" you and post comments and thier friends, and thier friends etc will start to see that as well and it spreads.

The local photographers that I know here don't advertise much (if at all). They just go do stuff in the community. Be visible. Offer your services to places like the local YMCA, I know ours has a photographer come in for each sport and do pictures and the parents can order them from her. Another one I know does pictures at events and then offers prints online. They are informal (these are public events) and mostly candids but people love that sort of thing and checking out if they have any pictures there. Both of these photographers get called to do other work and sittings based on being seen at events and meeting people. Of course we live in a small town, like 9,000 people, so it may be a bit different.

[Callimom]

I would think out of the box and start to figure out some ways to barter and get exposure as well as build your portfolio.

Does your city have a parenting/kids magazine? You could advertise, and or offer to write an article about photographing your kids, and/or offer them photos to run in their pub in exchange for credit and advertising.

You could find some moms groups, LLL, etc and offer a free session as a prize for their Christmas parties, offer a free session to a local school (choose the demographics wisely) for some kind of fundraiser/prize or better yet offer to take pics of their "kid of the month" program with a print for the school to hang in the hall and a smaller copy for the parents.

Post flyers and business cards in upscale kids clothing, toy and book shops. Or do some cross promo stuff - you take their advertising shots in exchange for being able to display the work in store in frames with your contact info.

good luck
Karen

[baileyann3]

I don't own a business- but I do work at a restaurant. Is your business card like a post card with a piece of your work on the front? We have 2 tables, one by the front desk an another in the bathroom where business leave their cards or announcements. Also, we display a local photographers work on our walls. Maybe you can show a restaurant or other retail store owner your work and see if they would like to show you.

[JennD]

I know you said you weren't interested in Craigslist, but as a fellow photographer, and a good friend that is a veteran professional photographer, we both use Craigslist. The key is to make a portfolio and post it on sites just as Flikr, or Photobucket, and link it to your Craigslist ad. Offer discounts, or specials if they book a certain type of shoot, refer a friend, or are a first time customer. Things like this will generate business, and having the portfolio will set you above "the rest". Customers can tell by work examples if a photographer is truly any good or not, and they will be the judge! Also if you can use photoshop and lightroom you should advertise this as well. Customers love to know that a photographer can add all the different effects that they like, and offer a discount such as 5 free edits if you book a 1 hour shoot, etc..

Good luck!

[texmati]

My ob's office has huge gorgeous mat. and newborn pics up on the walls, with the photographers name prominently displayed. I'm sure they would put out brochures as well.

Perhaps you could contact the 5 biggest, busiest ped and ob offices in your area? I would focus on local advertising and having a really great website that would 'sell' for you.

ETA: oops! I just saw that karenwith4 had better suggestions along the same lines.