Senior portraits - when and how?

[klynam]

Mid summer is nigh upon us, when and how do you plan to start actively marketing to the 2008-09 seniors?

[toverman]

Two months ago, when they were still in school. But now isn't a bad time, either, if you can reach them (and their moms, who usually foot the bill).

I use word-of-mouth advertising and classmate buzz to get a few clients. I don't specialize in seniors, so you may get better info from someone who does.

[CobyPhoto]

My Senior mailings go out three times a year. Once before school is over, again right when they go back and then a late special flyer.

CJ

[klynam]

CobyPhoto and toverman - where do you purchase your mailing lists from?


(ps CobyPhoto: I don't know the original source of the "convince a fool..." quote, but the most poetic and cadent version I've found is "A fool convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." Just fyi in case you're interested...)

[toverman]

You can do a public information request directly from school districts. I've never bought a list from a service yet.

[klynam]

Originally Posted by toverman

You can do a public information request directly from school districts. I've never bought a list from a service yet.

Interesting, but I can't find anything like this on my local school district website. Any suggestions on who to direct this type of thing???

Edit - nevermind I found it. $40 for my school district...

[klynam]

Looks like the public records from my school district are only available as paper copies (or scanned images on CD) so I'd have to have them all scanned and converted to data for a mailing list. Bummer...

[toverman]

Originally Posted by klynam

Interesting, but I can't find anything like this on my local school district website. Any suggestions on who to direct this type of thing???

Edit - nevermind I found it. $40 for my school district...

Two suggestions: the district's communications office (public relations) or the superintendent's office (sometimes superintendent's staff handles public info requests, but most often it's the communications office. It isn't always free, but sometimes you only have to pay a per-page cost, and they'll tell you what it is before fulfilling your request.

Several larger studios around here obtain the senior mailing lists (usually when they are juniors), but if you've evaluated your competition you might be ahead of the game.

[CobyPhoto]

I don't buy lists. I get the from the individual schools, as I am vested in alot of the sports programs and do alot of work for them. They just e-mail me a copy of the list with name and address when I ask.

CJ

[HDKat]

Where do you get the list? I cant find it in my district.

[bondarnes]

Most of Double Oak and The Colony are both in the Lewisville School district. They are not nice to work with. First you have to go to the School District office and fill out a form and pay a fee for each high school you want a list from. Then after you are approved they send an e-mail to the registrar in that school giving them permission to give you the list. Then when the registrar gets around to it they will print the list. Lewisville High School is the worst about never getting around to it. I had a studio in Flower Mound for 15 years and I hated having to work with them.

[klynam]

Thanks for the insight Don - I was kinda getting that feeling about schools in this area. Hope you've been doing well...

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by klynam

Thanks for the insight Don - I was kinda getting that feeling about schools in this area. Hope you've been doing well...

The last time I bought a list from LISD it was $35.00 per school and it was a printed list. I just started buying the list from American Student List Co. It was almost as accurate and was 0 hassle. On the other hand to get the list from Denton ISD I fill out a form for all three high schools, pay a processing fee and pick up a formatted CD in about a week. What LISD is doing was actually illegal. The law says that they cannot charge you more than it costs them to print the list, but I never pressed the issue.

[bthompson]

Whew.. Is this kind of direct marketing the only way to be successful? I am really wanting to get into Senior shoots.. I was hoping for more Word of Mouth..