How are Professional Photographers Promoting their Business
It’s not easy these days being a professional photographer. Before the days of digital photography, Photoshop and other “apps” for adjusting and tweaking photos very few of us would have dared to take the risk of and responsibility of taking the photos on someone’s special day. After all with film based photography you pretty much had one shot to get it right and even then you wouldn’t know until the film had been developed if you’d got a series of images that would satisfy the client (assuming of course you’d remembered to put the film in!).
Today of course it’s all so different. Anyone with a smart phone has a camera and the very latest phones have some pretty good cameras that turn out some great images (to be fair though the best images do come from people with a flair and passion for photography). The cost of a good, top end “pro” camera is not that high particularly when you consider that you don’t have to pay for film and processing costs anymore! And of course easy access to a plethora of “apps” that can turn even the most basic pictures into something stunning has raised the confidence levels of everyone taking photos and has spurred on thousands to declare themselves a “professional photographer”.
If you livelihood depends on your photographic skills and it’s something you’ve worked damn hard at over the years then lots of enthusiastic amateurs entering the fray is not ideal. Of course quality rises to the top but the danger is that prices get dragged down and the market just gets muddied for everyone.
To help with their marketing and to ensure they differentiate their service many professional photographers are now embracing the web and Social Media. Website showcasing their work and featuring testimonials from their clients are now de rigueur but many are now extending this to include flckr, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. It’s no longer enough to just be a great professional photographer now you need to become a social media expert!
Alongside this the way in which the end product, the portfolio, is delivered to the client has changed. CD’s and DVD’s are considered by many as “old fashioned” and the new kid on the block is the USB Memory Stick, But, we’re not just talking about any old USB stick you might pick up at your local supermarket. No, these are beautifully crafted USB sticks that are engraved or printed and are often delivered in matching gift boxes. Even then some photographers will add their own little finishing touches to differentiate their service and personality from the next photographer – think ribbons, bows, bottles, little boxes in larger boxes.
With an estimated 50,000+ professional photographers in the UK it’s a tough market it’s not getting any easier. Core photographic skills are almost a given requirement but over and above this there is growing pressure on professional photographers to up their levels of marketing.
