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8 DIY Publicity Tasks You Must Do Now

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If you are in business for yourself, you must do every task necessary for your business. That includes everything from photographing your clients to taking out the trash. You don’t get to pick and choose what you want to do; instead everything is equally important when it comes to building a success business.

Which means every business owner must be a self promoter too – unless you have the ability to pay someone else to do it. If that’s not you, spreading the word is your task. Not to be confused with marketing, publicity gets others talking about you. And while many people think publicity comes with age – only the more established, more profitable companies need to worry about publicity – in fact its great to build your PR plan as early as possible.

Here are some ideas to help you develop a strong publicity program.

1. Choose what media outlets you would like to be featured in

What do you want out of your publicity? Are you trying to prove your expertise? Or are you trying to attract new clients? People look to articles in magazines as more authoritative than those that place ads. If you’re in an article, you must have something to say. Find a few sources where you would like to be featured and start gathering contact information. In order to pitch an article, you’ll need either a writer/reporter or the editor, depending on the size of the publication. Make sure you get contact information: names, email, addresses, web addresses. In many cases if you head online, you’ll find specific information for submitting ideas. I keep an excel file filled with this information, so its easy to create things and get them into the appropriate hands immediately.

2. Use resources like HARO

Want a great way to get to reporters looking for you? Try out a service like HARO – Help A Reporter Out. Sign up for their free service and you’ll be put on the mailing list in which you’ll receive emails three times a day listing opportunities. Follow up on the ones that you connect with and will bring you in potential exposure to your client base. While you can start with their free service – I’ve been using it for years – they also have pay models in which you can build profiles, filter your alert and even get a head start on responding. [Read more...]

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5 Ways To Boost The Most Important Page On Your Site

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What’s one of the most important pages on your website?

Your home page?

Your gallery section?

While they are all important in creating your overall brand, there is one page that stands out above the rest, and has the most impact in converting a complete stranger into a potential prospect. Yet its also one of the pages we think the least about, and throw up more as an afterthought.

It’s the About Us page.

Statistics continually show your About Us page is the second most trafficked page on your site. Yet if it’s just a few bullet points, a few sentences that give basic information about you, it’s also the number one page that is holding you back.

Your About Us page should be used to sell who you are and what you can do. And while that sounds easy in theory, statistics also show its one of the most difficult pages for people to write. There’s something about “tooting your own horn” that people simply find impossible. They consider it bragging. And therefore they write up a few sentences and leave it at that.

Having trouble writing up your own About Us page?
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Adding The Pizzazz To Your About Us Page

1. Start with a story. Every business started with one late night idea that built up because of passion. Every photographer loved the art of photographing, and somewhere along the way decided to turn it into a business. People love to hear that story. They love to know what was “the moment” for you, and what persuaded you to take action and create the business you are in today.

2. Who else loves you? Over the years, you’ve accumulated awards and accolades. Now is the time to share them with the world. Whether it’s a degree in photography, finishing a week long seminar and training session in Italy, or a 1st place award from the county fair, that’s you starting point. That’s why you are doing what you do today. And someone else has appreciated what you do as well.

3. Say it with a photograph. I’m always amazed at the number of photographers who don’t like to have their personal image showcased on their websites. Why? Be creative with it. Showcase your personality. Create an image that you’ve always dreamed of creating with your clientele. And use it on your site, and throughout your social platforms.

4. Use different media tools. The great thing about the online world is you have a variety of tools available to you to enhance your look and feel. Use them all to showcase what you do. Animoto, YouTube, SlideShare, Photoshop and others offer you amazing tools to create a variety of ways to showcase your talents. Don’t be afraid to use this new technology to make them say “wow”. (example)

5. Ask for comments. Instead of telling people about you, ask your current customers what they think. Then use those in your About Us page as well. Chances are they can say it better, and your prospects will completely relate to what they have to say about who you are and what you offer.

Bottom Line: Online or off, the ultimate job of self-promotion comes down to us, the business owner. If you can’t toot your own horn and make yourself stand out from the competition, it’s that much harder to convince people to use you as their photographer. Its your time to shine. What’s holding you back?

Promote yourself with a new About Us page today >>

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3 Tips For Getting Your Photography Studio In The News

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News is changing. When was the last time you actually picked up a hard copy newspaper? And statistics show the younger you are, the less chance of that actually occurring.

Just because the method for getting the news is changing doesn’t mean the necessity for news events is changing. In fact “news” articles are needed more than ever. We no longer have one newspaper for one community. There are dozens of tools and resources that write up and look for news related content on a daily basis.

Yet if I were to ask you what you are doing to attract the attention of editors and writers for these sources, I bet your answer would be “Ummm…”

Let’s break it down, and look at ways you can start growing your business by using publicity, and find resources that will make your job even easier.

1. Know your budget.

Don’t you hate it when the first question out of a potential customer’s mouth is “How much for an 8×10?” Yet that same question is relevant in every industry.

Before you move forward and look for resources in the public relations industry, you have to know your budget. Can you afford to hire a publicity firm? Can you hire people to write press releases for you? How about hiring a virtual assistant to send things to editors and writers on a regular basis – and to keep you on track every month?

The only way to determine how much work you can have done for you is to determine how much you can spend.

You can also talk with more than one person in the industry, and get a better feeling for what is possible. Just because you can’t afford it now doesn’t mean you won’t be able to in the future. Learn what things are, discover the lingo within the industry, and research costs. Then put together a plan of things to do over the coming months.

When you are researching ideas, look for: [Read more...]

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The Perfect Press Release For Photographers

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If you are new to owning your own business, you may not have discovered the magic of press releases yet.

Every single day, media outlets around the globe are in search of news. And because news shows seem to be increasing at a significant rate, they need that much more content to fill in the time slots.

While you probably won’t get top billing on a top broadcast, there are still many other ways to gain a little exposure for your business. A 30 second mention on a morning show, or a quarter page article in the living section of your local paper can bring in a ton of business.

But before you get excited about possibilities, you have to master the creation of the perfect press release first.

How To Write Your Press Release

In general, your press release (media release) should include:

  • Your business name
  • Your contact information
  • The date
  • An attention grabbing headline
  • Your news story outlined in short paragraphs, with the most interesting up front
  • Background information about you and your company

Your press release should be about one page in length, and should summarize the overall story you are pitching to media sources. Why should the media care about what you do? You can’t go with the simple or the boring here; journalists are looking for exciting, human interest stories that will be of interest to their readers or viewers.

Journalists receive dozens of press releases a day, and as you might guess, most of them end up in the trash. Their time is short, and they are looking for something to stand out above the rest, and motivate them to take the next step. So with that in mind, frame your story around something that you would find interesting.

A new photography business starting up isn’t interesting. But a new photography business who’s main client is a local rising rock band, and the photographer has followed them to several concerts creating the perfect look for their promotional pieces may be a great human interest story.

You have to put a twist on things, and get the journalist to care about what you do, and to get them to think their readers/viewers will care about it too.

As you are writing the release, write in simple language. Read the paper, magazine, or watch the show you are pitching to. Match your release to the language they use. For instance, a business journal is going to use different language than a local, hometown paper. Give them what they use. To help you write, remember to include:

[Read more...]

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Is It Social Networking, Or Is It Publicity?

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Look up the word publicity and you’ll find:

Information that concerns a person, group, event, or product and that is disseminated through various media to attract public notice.

As a small business owner, you may not think of your business as newsworthy – could you really get an article front page of the New York Times? Yet there is so much more you can do to attract attention.

Publicity is about expanding your marketability beyond what you can do for yourself. It’s about getting others to talk about you, or to showcase what you are doing to a new audience. It doesn’t have to be millions of people, as would be the case with the New York Times. It could be a few thousand people with an influential blog in your community.

When people think “publicity”, they tend to think of traditional media sources: newspapers, television and radio. But with today’s wide array of tools, it can be so much more: [Read more...]

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What Can You Do That The Big Photo Chains Can’t?

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One of the biggest reasons a small business can succeed when a large corporation can’t is its ability to act fast, and give customers exactly what they want when they want it.

The newest Office Depot commercial showcases this well. When a new chain hair salon moves in across the street from a small barbershop, and offers a $6 haircut, the small business owner doesn’t get worried, he adjusts his marketing. With a simple sign, “We fix $6 haircuts” he soon puts the chain hair salon out of business.

Unrealistic? Maybe. But the concept is a great one to learn for your own business.

If you’ve never had your portrait taken at a chain location, I would highly suggest heading out and living the experience. Bring in a coupon from the newspaper or your mailbox, and head in for the experience. Don’t go during off hours, head in during peak time, like Saturday afternoon. Take mental notes along the way of how you do things differently, how you can improve in certain areas, and how you can market yourself to overcome the experiences at this chain location.
[Read more...]

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Want To Be A Published Photographer?

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I wandered over to the Lensbaby site today, and noticed they are having a call for submissions. Do you use Lensbaby? Have you taken a great photograph that you would like to share?

Lensbaby guru Corey Hilz is putting together a new book featuring “how to” and inspirational content, along with photos taken by some of the best Lensbaby photographers in the world.

lensbaby submission

Corey will be taking at least 12 of the submitted images to include in the book. You can submit only two images, so make sure they are your very best. Submission deadline is December 31st at 6pm PST. Popular voting will help determine the winners, so head over and take a look at some of the fantastic images already posted.

If you’re featured in the book, your photo will be credited with your name – and you’ll receive a copy of the book itself. And also the bragging rights that you are a published photographer!

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Want Free Publicity? Join American Photo Flickr

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Want to showcase your photography in a magazine? How about American Photo.

American Photo has decided to start featuring the work of up to three photographers in their bi-monthly magazine. Want to gain some free publicity? It’s easy to do.

american photo flickr

Start by joining the American Photo Flickr stream. Then post your favorite photographs. If they choose your work, you’ll be published in their next magazine.

Three ways this can help you grow your business.

[Read more...]

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Photography Business – Using PR To Your Advantage

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Good PR is a matter of taking a current news event, and turning it into a story focused on your business.

Take the recent case of Jennifer Wilbanks, the bride who disappeared from her Atlanta home days before her lavish wedding.

This is a great opportunity for all of you wedding photographers. Send a press release to the media in your area talking about the implications of having a last minute cancellation. How does that effect your business? What does it mean to the wedding industry as a whole? How do contracts protect you from situations like this?

All of this is newsworthy. The media loves relating stories to current events. Give them a story, and you’ll get the coverage!

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