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Marketing with other Vendors – Speak to their Local Groups
Local Austin Photographers drool over some Jones & Joe Simon-y goodness!!!
When it comes to marketing one’s self within the wedding industry, the more touches you can make with those that refer you, the better. And if you can put your work in front of those same people, even better!!! And if you can communicate to them how your services add value/sell what they do, well, that’s the BEST!!!
Most wedding vendors have local gatherings in which they socialize and educate, much like videographers do with their PVA’s. These groups are always on the lookout for fresh content to fill their meeting times, and YOU are just the person to give it to ‘em!
Talk to vendors in your area about their local groups, find out who is in charge, then shoot them an e-mail volunteering to present at an upcoming monthly meeting. It’s that simple! They will probably gobble you up fast!
For most groups, you should avoid developing a presentation laced with industry jargon or explaining the latest technologies – only photographers will be able to fully appreciate (and somewhat understand) that side of your brain!
Instead, communicate the emotion of what you do, and how that emotion can be ascribed to their product when your videos are placed on their sites
For your presentation
- Start by showing your best highlights clip.
- Introduce yourself and tell about your journey into the industry.
- Tell and show them how your work benefits them! Get them thinking about how every time they refer you, you are building their stock library for promo videos and blog content.
- Show a vendor promo – if you don’t have an official one, you can cut one together from some of your past wedding shoots. Nothing will make them want to use you more than to see a competitor with a snappy commercial!
- Take Q&A throughout – the photographer groups will certainly have a lot to ask.
- Emphasize that the best way for them to get a promo done is to refer you for their gigs!
Pass out your business cards and collect the cards of those in attendance to write follow up e-mails and place them on your newsletter list (even if you don’t have a newsletter, yet). Do this the next day while the presentation is still hot on their minds!
Who to pursue first?
I recommend getting your feet wet with a local photographers group (pictured above). Not only are they the ones who can ‘get you’ the easiest, they can also provide great promotional photos (like the ones you see in this post). With those photos, create your own blog post about your “fantastic presentation,” and as you approach other groups, direct them to your blog entry! This will give you an added dose of legitimacy and authority and make the other groups want you more (Thanks to Eric Hegwar for these shots).
Pictage User Groups (PUG’s) meet in several major cities nationwide. Find the city closest to you, click on the city, and get the contact info of the person in charge. I even approve you to show them Eric’s full blog entry about our presentation to their group in Austin to show them that a precedent has been set and that it is content of value to them.
After you get the first one under your belt, contact other groups in your area. For Wedding Coordinators/Event Planners, find the nearest chapter of ISES, the ACPWC, and the ABC. Click here to download the outline I created for an hour-long presentation to the Austin Wedding and Event Coordinators group last year.
You are responsible for your destiny!
While most of us are pinching our pennies during uncertain economic times, it becomes even more critical to market our businesses consistently. What better way to do so with old fashioned pressing-the-flesh. It costs you little to nothing, and even in these days of social networking and web 2.0, I still believe it to be the most effective way of promoting your studio.
Let me know how it goes!
jones
