How to Market Your Photography Outside of the Internet

This is not a political post, however with the recent actions of big tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and even Amazon, it reiterates my never ending advice of, don’t rely on social media to gain business.

This post contains affiliate links. You may read my affiliate disclaimer here.

I can not stress to you enough how much you can not rely on any one platform. Pinterest used to be my number one way to make affiliate sales. And now, I’m lucky to break $100 monthly with one of my accounts.

About a year ago my Google account was hacked. Or my Youtube account. Your YT and Google accounts are connected. I still haven’t been able to figure out exactly what happened. Other than the fact that because that hacker tried to use my YT account to post horrible things (I have no idea what and I don’t want to know) and now I am banned from ever having a YT account for life. 

I had a couple videos on there related to my photography business, but nothing that I was heartbroken to lose. Now if YT was a source of income and I had tons of content on there, and tons of followers, then yes, I would have been destroyed! However, it is still disheartening that I am banned. I tried everything I could to get it back. They didn’t want to hear it. Even though one customer service reps that I talked to did, in a roundabout way, admit and agree that it was not my fault and that I was hacked….nothing. 

This brings me to what happened to me 2 weeks ago. I was in the middle of creating the #MM newsletter and POOF! My screen glitched and turned to this (see image):

You have got to be kidding me! 

This time I was on the verge of tears. I have almost 5,000 subscribers. I’m not on any social media platform much so THIS one would be a HUGE loss for me. I frantically emailed Mailerlite my issue and tried to patiently wait for their response.

I tried not to panic too much, but I kept thinking if something went wrong, and this isn’t temporary like the screen says, then what am I going to do?? 

An hour went by (but it seemed like 8!) and I got a response from Mailerlite! They said it was just a glitch on my end, like the page had reloaded too many times in a period of time that triggered that screen to pop up, but everything should be back to normal. I’m still not entirely sure what they mean because I hadn’t refreshed or reloaded anything since I was just sitting there typing away. If you know, PLEASE reply and let me know! I’d love to be able to prevent that from happening again! 

So that brings me to the list I started making if I had genuinely lost my email list forever and the fact that I don’t rely on social media for anything.

How to promote/market my photography business WITHOUT the internet! I am going to start utilizing these strategies anyway because you never know! Plus, we didn’t always have the internet right! There is no reason we can’t implement these strategies anyway!

1. Business Cards. Keep them on you at all times! In your car, purse, wallet, diaper bag, back pockets. Just keep them with you as much as you can. You never know who you are going to want to hand one too! Also ask around to local businesses and see if you can leave a small stack on their counter.

2. You should always focus your efforts where your customers are. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t try out and look into low cost newspaper ads.

3. See if there is any of your photography work that you can have hung in local businesses. Even places like independent insurance agents love to have photos of nature or local landmarks.

4. Depending on your niche’, reach out to local retailers and see if you can set up a small area to do a quick shoot. Make it fun and maybe include the businesses logo. If you have the ability to print right there that would be best. If not, hand out your business card and have them contact you so that you can email them their photo.

5. Vendor shows. I know there is one huge bridal show in my area that I was going to take part in and split the booth cost with my friend, who is a wedding DJ. Then covid happened so that was canceled. 

6. Coupons/fliers to hand out

7. Create a welcome package for new clients and snail mail it to them so they have something to physically touch and experience. Maybe add in some coupons to other local businesses. 

8. Create a points program (loyalty, or rewards program). For every new client that your current clients bring to you, and book you for a session, they receive points. It is your choice on what they could use the points towards. A discount off a session, a discount off prints, or even a free session!

9. Small town events. My home town had a small fall festival one year on the town square. They asked me to set up a photo booth. I had never done one before so there was a lot I didn’t think about. Have a way to display your work! And pass out business cards!

10. Teach a photography class to moms or kids! No you do not have to worry about competition. You will be establishing your expertise by teaching and they will see YOU as the expert. Again...business cards!

I’m always talking about co-marketing with other businesses (or cross marketing). My husband ordered a sun net for our jeep and it came in the other day. It was from a company we weren’t too familiar with but won my heart because they co-marketed with a wine business! They sent a business card in a welcome envelope that had a coupon for $100! It wasn’t just one wine company though. It was several independent wine distributors around the U.S.!! How cool is that! They are helping to get the word out and bring in business to other small businesses! I’m all for that!! 

Do you do any kind of marketing outside of the internet? I would love to hear about it! Just post in the comments below!

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