Make Money with your Digital Photography

Chapter 9. marketing

At this point you should have a fairly clear idea on the kind of photography you want to do and the equipment you need; the next step is marketing your business. Photography requires creativity and a technical understanding of your equipment. Similarly, marketing requires creative thought and a willingness to embrace the technology essential to reaching your market. Simplified, marketing is the act of buying or selling in a marketplace. What does that mean to you as a photographer? Once you indentify the kind of photography you want to specialize in, you need to determine who your potential customers are, and what they want, and then figure out how to attract them. This chapter guides you through the various marketing modes you need to consider.

• 200 research the market

• 201 develop your brand

• 205 marketing tools

RESEARCH THE MARKET

Before embarking on any marketing effort for your digital-photography business, you must have a clear understanding of what your market is. Who are your potential customers? What do they want? Is your market local or global? You must also be keenly aware of your competition. Who are the other photographers in your area? What do they do well? What do they do poorly? How difficult will it be for you to lure customers away from them?

LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS

If you live in a small town in Iowa, you probably don't want to launch a photography business ...