This document provides guidance on branding and marketing for commercial photographers. It discusses the importance of creating a memorable photographic identity and graphic identity through branding. Photographers are encouraged to develop consistent branding across their website, blog, social media, print portfolio, mailers and other marketing materials. Both passive and active marketing strategies are covered, including the benefits of a website, blog, online directories, ads, agencies, and active prospecting through research, email campaigns, meetings and events. The overall goals of branding and marketing are to introduce the photographer's identity to appropriate clients and build a level of comfort so clients are willing to work with them.
5. Branding
PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTITY
GRAPHIC IDENTITY
Choose the right pictures
Design marketing materials
to show
to support those pictures
▹ Who you are, what you do, how you do it ▹ Consistent, intelligent and appropriate use
of type, color and graphics builds familiarity
▹ Specialties, style, audience
▹ Resonates with the right clients
▹ Not about your “favorite” pictures
▹ Communicates your level of
▹ A good portfolio looks forward, not back
professionalism
▹ Message: this is what my pictures are
▹ Message: this is what it’s going to be like to
going to look like
work with me
15. Graphic
It’s the “look” of all your marketing materials:
Identity
Website
Blog / Social Media
Print Portfolio
Mailers / Leave Behinds
Stationery
16. WEBSITE
▹ Match URL to your company name— yourname.com or yournamephotography.com
▹ Consistent use of word mark, logo, color, design
▹ Large images
▹ Logical sections with meaningful names
▹ Concise galleries < 30 images
▹ Don’t repeat pictures
▹ Intuitive navigation—show what gallery you are on, where you are in that gallery, make it
easy to move forward and back
▹ No music, no elaborate intros, no splash page, no water marks, no “recent work” section
▹ Mobile device friendly
▹ Less is more
17. WEBSITE
▹ Contact page with contact info and location (no forms to fill out)
▹ About page with short bio and picture of you
▹ Link to blog and social media
▹ If images can be dragged off your site, include metadata with your copyright & contact info
▹ Check spelling, punctuation, grammar
▹ Make sure copyright notice is current
▹ Update photos regularly
18. BLOG/SOCIAL MEDIA
▹ Coordinate with (but don’t duplicate) the look of your main website
▹ What audience are you trying to reach (clients or other photographers)?
▹ Write about your recent projects, creative process
▹ Keep it fun and informative, but always professional
19. PRINT PORTFOLIO
▹ Still important for big jobs
▹ Makes a great conversation piece for face to face meetings
▹ Make it visually consistent with your website
▹ Include your branding and contact information
▹ Pick materials that suit your pictures and your audience
▹ Update it regularly
▹ Print portfolio vs. iPad
20. MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS
Most are ignored,
so do what you can
to stand out
▹ E-Mailers
▹ Print Mailers
▹ Post cards
▹ Accordions
▹ Booklets
21. MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS
Most are ignored,
so do what you can
to stand out
▹ E-Mailers
▹ Print Mailers
▹ Post cards
▹ Accordions
▹ Booklets
22. MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS
Most are ignored,
so do what you can
to stand out
▹ E-Mailers
▹ Print Mailers
▹ Post cards
▹ Accordions
▹ Booklets
23. MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS
Most are ignored,
so do what you can
to stand out
▹ E-Mailers
▹ Print Mailers
▹ Post cards
▹ Accordions
▹ Booklets
24. MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS
Most are ignored,
so do what you can
to stand out
▹ E-Mailers
▹ Print Mailers
▹ Post cards
▹ Accordions
▹ Booklets
25. MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS
Most are ignored,
so do what you can
to stand out
▹ E-Mailers
▹ Print Mailers
▹ Post cards
▹ Accordions
▹ Booklets
26. STATIONERY
▹ Same look as your other marketing materials
▹ Design is important, but it has to be functional
▹ Business Card
▹ Letterhead
▹ #10 Envelope
▹ Crack-N-Peel Label
28. THE LITTLE THINGS
▹ What do your emails look like? Normal sized text (black or dark gray)
▹ Use branded email signature
▹ Your email address should match your url
▹ Estimates easy to understand (tc, cover letter, treatments)
▹ How do you answer the phone? What does your outgoing message say?
▹ Are you responsive to emails and phone calls?
▹ Do you know what to say on a creative call?
▹ Thank you notes, holiday gifts
▹ Are you nice? Are you easy to work with?
▹ Personality is a big factor for clients
▹ Everything you do, say and create is part of your brand
59. Marketing
PASSIVE MARKETING
ACTIVE MARKETING
Make it easy for clients
Seek out clients who are
to find you
right for you
▹ There are a lot of clients out there that you ▹ Take charge of your career path
don’t know about ▹ Get where you want to go
▹ You never know who might relate to your
work
61. Passive Website
Blog
Marketing
Social Media
Online Photographer Directories
Printed Source Books
Ads
Picture Agencies
Reps
Editorial Credits
Contests
Press Releases
SEO, SEM
62. WEBSITE
▹ The only absolutely essential marketing tool
▹ Centerpiece of every photographer’s promotional efforts
▹ Your other marketing tools should drive viewers here
63. BLOG
▹ Reveals your personality, allows clients get to know you
▹ Helps with SEO
80. SEO TIPS
▹ Avoid Flash (unless you have an HTML ghost site behind it)
▹ Tag your photos so search engines can recognize them
▹ Example: Portrait Photographer Philadelphia, PA Bill Cramer Photography
▹ Link to other relevant sites and have relevant sites link to you
▹ A blog is a great place to include lots of relevant text that search engines look for
86. PROSPECT CONTACT LISTS
▹ Agency Access, Creative Access, Bikini
Lists, File FX
▹ Find and target the right clients for you
▹ Build a list of 1000 prospects
▹ Refine and cultivate it over time
88. MASS E-MAILERS/PRINT MAILERS
▹ Spray and pray?
▹ Limit your list to relevant prospects (don’t add to the noise)
▹ Use catchy subject lines, but don’t try to fake people out
89. INDIVIDUAL EMAILS/PRINT MAILERS
▹ Personalize each email by drawing a connection between what you’re offering and what
that client needs
▹ More time consuming than mass emails, but can be more effective
90. PHONE CALLS
▹ Have a purpose
▹ Get a meeting
▹ Pitch a project
▹ Send some emailers or print mailers first to build familiarity
▹ Create a script so you know what you’re going to say
▹ Research the client before you call so you know that you’re relevant to them
91. PORTFOLIO MEETINGS
▹ Meet with clients who are
most important to you (and
the best match for you)
▹ Clients are generally
interested in meeting with
photographers who are
relevant to their needs
92. INDUSTRY EVENTS
▹ Speed-Dating (pay-to-play) style
portfolio reviews like Palm Springs
Photo Festival
▹ Art Directors Club and other
associations are opportunities to
meet clients
100. More
Resources
Go to our blog and navigate to How We Help Photographers Resources
Expert Advice Articles
Go to our blog and type in “Expert Advice:” into the search field
Print iPad Portfolios
Go to our blog and scroll down to YouTube Videos