Marketing on the cheap...

[ChristopherCoy]

For those of you who do market, I'd like to hear some of your cheap, creative, but EFFECTIVE marketing ideas, NOT including social media or word of mouth.

Have you set up a mall display?
Do you put flyers out on the windshields of cars?
Do you have picture books out in waiting rooms?
Have you done cross promotions with other businesses?
Do you have your car wrapped with your logo?
Do you have baby 'care packages' with your logo on them?
Have you put playing cards with your logo out at the local senior center?

When you were on a strict budget, what was your most creative marketing idea, that worked?

[hue-e]

I buy ad space in a number of places for work... and I usually have to do it on a budget. Things like your local talk radio station ads (npr), cap metro bus interior bus cards and most of the smallest newspapers/newsletters are usually very cheap and pretty effective.

I might also consider banner ads at your local baseball/football fields. I did a senior shoot yesterday at a football field that had a few of them up... not sure on pricing, but I can't imagine it would be crazy expensive.

[Tom]

Do you put flyers out on the windshields of cars?

Good way to get a littering ticket or tick people off at you.

Do you have your car wrapped with your logo?

Get in an accident, and you are a business vehicle. You may be dealing with more than you care to deal with on that. Plus, I think it looks tacky, which is why you mainly see beer and energy drinks do it.


Chris - are you trying to market your dog business or your portrait business? I think you would target each one differently.

For the dogs, go to the higher-end groomers and take them out. Wine and dine them. Talk about having a package deal available where the god gets groomed and photographed. Go to the higher end kennels/doggie day care/whatever and do the same thing. Ask them if you can print out your work and hang it in their offices. Give them a selection of pics to choose from for each room.

[bryanlindsey]

In my experience you can have "cheap" or "effective." Not both.

[darrenwilson]

"NOT including social media or word of mouth."

Just curious as to why you specifically deleted these as options. Are you already doing them effectively and don't need any more ideas or are you not planning on pursuing them.

From all of the items you've listed, I think that word of mouth referrals via social networking has the most potential for conversion. I don't have any experience to back this up, but 'll bet someone else does.

Good thread.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

Chris - are you trying to market your dog business or your portrait business? I think you would target each one differently.

Both. I'm searching for ideas that have the least amount of cost, with the most amount of return.

I was talking to the WHCC guy at After Dark and I picked up a 4x6 proof book. He said, "print out a few books of your watermarked images, put a few coupons in the back that people can rip out, and put them in a few waiting areas of local salons etc." This really struck me as interesting and really disappointed me because I hadn't thought of it before, especially because its rather affordable.

When I think of cheap marketing, I generally think of word of mouth, or social media - both of which have been large amounts of work, with not much return... for me at least. They've worked, dont get me wrong - I'd just like to try something different.

I'm just trying to come up with other creative ideas, such as the one above, that I can try out. I'm already working on getting some canvases displayed in at least one local vet clinic, and I have cards/brochures out at other local pet businesses.

Originally Posted by darrenwilson

"NOT including social media or word of mouth."
Just curious as to why you specifically deleted these as options.

Because anytime 'cheap marketing' is mentioned, these two are the first mentioned. Additionally, they are like 'beating a dead horse' so to speak. This is the most common, and is always the first suggested. I'm looking for something different.

[YvetteH]

Taking pictures for rescue groups has certainly helped and it doesn't really cost me much, except my time to edit the pictures. They are all dogs that are in foster homes so they bring the dogs to me. I have drummed up quite a few clients through this.

I recently spoke with a local business that does canine swimming, dock jumping etc and she invited me to spend a whole day photographing her clients. In return I will enlarge some of the pictures and display them in her place of business. Hopefully this will lead some more people to me.

I really like the idea of the 4 x 6 proof book. I made calendars and handed them out to various business's but half of them have not really displayed it so it doesn't help me.

[Ernst-Ulrich Schafer]

An old photographer friend of mine said it best " All of the business you need is right in front of you" Get your face in front of as many people as you can on a regular basis.
It does cost you in time.

[Crashoran]

commercial/editorial shooters have it the worst.

[Howard Barlow]

I used to be able to set up mall displays. However, after a couple of years, the paying tenants complained I was getting a free ride. I was. They finally cut me off, wouldn't even let me rent space, unless it was a long term kiosk with a person onsite during biz hours. Sweet while it lasted.

As for windshield flyers, you would never gain my business.

[hue-e]

what exactly do you consider as "cheap."

while printing costs have gone down over the years, something like a book, is NOT cheap to produce, that is if you want it to look any good and represent your photos in the best manor.

keep in mind that if you print offset, short runs tend to keep the per-unit cost pretty high. Large quantities will bring the unit cost down... I'm talking 1000 or more. and all that depends on how many pages, type of paper (you'll want a nice coated stock), bindry, etc etc. bottom line... printing books are not cheap no matter how you slice it.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by hue-e

while printing costs have gone down over the years, something like a book, is NOT cheap to produce, that is if you want it to look any good and represent your photos in the best manor.

I priced it out. To print a 4x6 proofbook, that is spiral bound, and printed at my pro lab of choice, is approximately $11-$13. This includes 25 images, and a few 'tear out' coupons in the back. 8X8, 10 page, 20 sides leather cover albums are around $40, depending on your paper choice and binding options.

[hue-e]

wait, $11 to $13 per book? I hope you're not doing more than a dozen or so cause that's a pretty obserd price in the offset printing world.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by YvetteH

Taking pictures for rescue groups has certainly helped and it doesn't really cost me much, except my time to edit the pictures. They are all dogs that are in foster homes so they bring the dogs to me. I have drummed up quite a few clients through this.

I've tried this as well, and drummed up 'a few' clients too. The problem that I have with offering services to rescue groups is that 1. They are busy spending money on the rehabilitation of animals, so most people can't fathom spending $500+ on pet portraits, and 2. Everyone who owns a digital camera and thinks they are a 'pet photographer' is at the shelter on Saturday trying to 'help'. Because there are so many 'photographers', I've gotten the cold shoulder multiple times.


I'm working up a program for next year, where each month will be a special on certain breeds. I'll be sending letters to all the different rescues letting them know of the specials for their own dogs, as well as offering free services for the dogs awaiting adoption.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by hue-e

wait, $11 to $13 per book? I hope you're not doing more than a dozen or so cause that's a pretty obserd price in the offset printing world.

Its a spiral bound PROOF BOOK. Its basically 4x6 prints that are $.25 each, and are printed with a white or black border. They are then spiral bound on one edge or another.