Multiple business names for different types of photography?

[CallMeAl]

What is your opinion on different business names for different types of photography? For example, you shoot portraits under a different business name than you shoot action sports. I understand the advantages of keeping it all the same and seperating them, especially if having different pricing structures and possibly ordering systems. What do you think?

[J Eddington]

This was discussed at Imaging USA last week. The general opinion was to have the same name for all but different divisions. Different names lead to confusion and make it harder to get known. Pick Sports and Portrait work will come. You can have the same name but put different images on your business card.

[HotHolly]

I know some photogs who have split their names - one for weddings, and one for everything else. That was on the premise that brides want to only see weddings and not all the other stuff mixed in. Some other photogs have also sliced off their boudoir sites/ names.

I personally think that it is so hard to brand yourself, that doing it 2x seems like a lot of extra work.

I wouldnt do it unless you HAD to. eg, moms may not like a baby photographer who also does boudoir. Weird split b/t client bases. Then I may consider it.

We are strong with wedding and bridal. I have a following of baby clients (not sure why, I keep telling them I shoot brides). And Im picking up boudoir clients. Go figure.

To me, boudoir and babies dont go together, but brides and boudoir do. So that was the really long way of saying, dont put the Tampax next to the Tuna. Merchandising your brand is important, but dont make it more complicated as it is already hard enough. ;o)

[toverman]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

To me, boudoir and babies dont go together, but brides and boudoir do. So that was the really long way of saying, dont put the Tampax next to the Tuna. Merchandising your brand is important, but dont make it more complicated as it is already hard enough. ;o)

I think marriage and boudoir photos can both lead to babies in similar ways!

Completely agree that one name is best. This was also discussed in this thread.

My opinion is that it's also a pretty good strategy to use your own name for the business, but that's far from necessary (see all the successful people with differing names on this very forum). I like to keep it really simple, so that people know my name when they see my business name and make an instant connection. It's also easier because I'll say my name when I answer my phone.

[brad]

I originally split weddings off from my regular portrait business for a different reason than Holly mentioned... because Actors didn't want to come see a Wedding Photographer for headshots.

I have since split the headshot website off from the portrait website for the same basic reason.. that and the pricing models (and service offerings) are going to be very different... then, of course, split of the boudoir stuff to a fourth website because no one wants a family or senior photographer who has pictures of half naked women on their website.

So yes... that means I have four (EEK!) websites to maintain... but honestly, right now I am only pushing one on a regular basis (the headshot business, which is doing well)... as soon as I finish fixing my pricing on my portrait site, I'll start pushing that as well. The wedding and boudoir stuff will be kept, but I won't be actively pursuing those markets.. at least not in the short term.

Holly's right about brand. Its extremely important - and extremely difficult - to have and promote. Name recognition means a lot in any business.

(Oh, and none of that even talks about my personal site, which hosts my blog and art pieces... who knows, I may promote that someday, too. LOL)

[HeatherLou]

Brad and I were just discussing this, and its one of the few things we disagree on. I really feel that one *Brand* is the way to go. If you look at the major players in photography, they all have one brand, and can do several types of photography under that brand. TriCoast I have noticed has TriCoast Photography and TriCoast Seniors. Two types of photography, but the TriCoast brand.

[CaptainTom]

I'm with you on this Heather. My PR advisor has convinced me that the brand is very important. Hence, the T3 Studios name. I'm still working out some of the sub-structure, but it is a major move away from simply Tom Thompson Photography.

[brad]

Well, its important to note that I am talking about multiple websites... all of my sites clearly state my name on them... so in a way, that is the *brand* .. the website names are not hooked into that name. It works for me, but YMMV.

[CallMeAl]

I used to shoot a lot of sports and while shooting sports used Tag Team Photo (We'll Shoot Your Kid). It was catchy and memorable for sports related stuff, but when I started focusing on families and children portraits, I thought that it might be harder to attract the clientele that I was hoping to attract and at the price point I was wanting to move towards. The other thing was that with the sports biz, I had a partner. He has no interest in portrait work, so it was a little easier to branch out with my "other" business.

It looks like I might be able to get back to shooting some sports soon and wasn't sure if I should use only my portrait business or promote the sports site as well. We liked the name and slogan so we've kept the site and DBA in case we ever wanted to use it again.

I do agree that total branding is the way to go when possible and is hard enough as it is without trying to do it twice.

[tresorph]

Originally Posted by toverman

My opinion is that it's also a pretty good strategy to use your own name for the business, but that's far from necessary (see all the successful people with differing names on this very forum). I like to keep it really simple, so that people know my name when they see my business name and make an instant connection. It's also easier because I'll say my name when I answer my phone.

unless your name is a mouthful like mine, and your mother decided to be original with the spelling. ugh.

[brad]

Originally Posted by tresorph

unless your name is a mouthful like mine, and your mother decided to be original with the spelling. ugh.

Heh, I feel your pain.. my parents actually thought there wasn't an 'e' in Bradly.

[RubenZamora]

I dont like the idea of having 1 for all. For example I have valleysportspics.com and rubenzamora.com

When I started to do things for clients and family I hated having them go to a site with like 20 galleries worth of Football pictures. Yes I can divide the site a little better but I liked my Domains to be separate as well. For my sports a name like valleysportspics in my area is easy to remember and they associate it with sports pictures. Its also easier on the google bots as well. Its easier on analytics as well etc.

[Tom]

I wouldnt do it unless you HAD to. eg, moms may not like a baby photographer who also does boudoir. Weird split b/t client bases. Then I may consider it.

I don't know. You often shoot babies in nothing but a diaper. That's not that different from a woman in nothing but her skivvies.

[Norma_S]

I have my regular photography business (weddings, portraits, family, senior, etc.) under my name, www.NormaSchutt.com. I have a second website for my boudoir stuff, www.HoustonBoudoir.com. Each site links to the other and I do get crossover clients but at least the potential clients only see what they are expecting to see when they first visit my sites. So far, it's working OK.

Norma