“Where do you advertise?” Is an all too common a thread on many professional photography forums. Funnily enough I don’t think I’ve ever read a really helpful answer. It’s a simple enough question but unfortunately many photographers are unwilling to share. Hence the reason for this post.
When I first started along this journey a few years ago I spent wasted a lot of money (to the tune of £k’s) in advertising. It was money I couldn’t really afford to spend yet I persevered on the blind assumption that bookings would follow. How wrong could I have been? I landed one job as the result of a Google search and all the paid advertising got me absolutely nothing.
Where is the best place to advertise?
This is going to sound flippant but the best place to advertise is wherever your ideal client will find it.
How do you know where that is? Well, that will drop out of your analysis of the market and your understanding of who your ideal client is.
For example, if you’re a wedding photographer with, say, a 30 mile radius for your service there isn’t much point in advertising in a national photography magazine. Your target client, the bride, is unlikely to read it unless she’s into photography herself.
If you don’t know where to advertise, chances are you don’t understand your ideal client enough. This is where your client avatar comes in. It’s your own definition of who your ideal client is. It describes everything about them in as much detail as you can provide…
- their lifestyle
- their likes and dislikes
- where they live
- the car they drive
- where they go on holiday
- where they shop
- the books/newspapers/magazines they read
- …
…and this is not a definitive list. The more information you can add about your ideal, perfect client, the more likely you’ll be to find them through your advertising and once you’ve found them, book them.
Conclusion
If you want to know where the best place to advertise is, you first need to know (a) who you’re advertising to and (b) where they’re going to see your advertisement. That may sound obvious and simplistic but its true. Your prospective client won’t see your ad if its not put right in front of their nose.
As always, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment in the box below and let me know what you think. Better still if you have a friend who might benefit from my blog, please share with them.
