Nov 13, 2012

Tip Tuesday: Marketing Yourself

So, I don't know about you all...but I love feeling a part of something. Feeling like you are included and part of something special. This brings me to why I'm so excited today! Today I bought tickets to Taylor Swift's concert next summer in Sac. I am seriously beyond excited! I have loved her music and her for quite some time...and tickets are hard to come by...so I am stoked! I'm going with my wonderful friend and photographer, Jessie Hall of J. Hall Photography and I can't wait!

I thought to myself, this can't just be a post about how excited I am to go to Taylor Swift's concert...that would be lame, haha. Especially for those of you who don't like her very much, lol. Bare with me and I promise there will be a connection to photography. I realized today, one reason I think I like her so much, is not just her music, or her personality or how she sets a good example for younger girls. One reason I like her so much is because I feel like I KNOW her! She has done such a good job at being herself...and really marketing herself. (And trust me, I feel I can say this pretty accurately since I've watched just about every interview out there of her). To reiterate what I said, I think she has such a huge fan base, because she markets HERSELF. People (like me) feel like you know her...like you belong to something and people love feeling like they belong.

So here's where the tie in to photography comes. As a photographer, I feel it helps SO much if your clients feel like they know you. It helps them feel so comfortable around you, which creates awesome images. As photographers, it really is about marketing ourselves as well. Not in a cheesy, forced, in your face way. But in a genuine, real way...where clients really get to know you.

A few simple tips for how to accomplish this are to follow. Again, everyone does something different...this is just how I feel it works for me. Being connected on social media is super important for this. I'm sure you all already know this though! Being connected on a day to day basis where they feel part of your daily life. Consistency is this is super important. Blogging (like I'm doing here, haha) is also a great way to allow your clients to get to know you. As you blog you are able to go more in depth and share more of your work and life...which in turns allows your clients to get to know you :) Checking in with your clients, sending them emails to see how things are going, showing them you care and are involved in their lives, also helps a ton.

Of course there are many other ways to "market" yourself and allow your clients to get to know you. Those are just a few suggestions that come to mind right now. In all things it's just important to remember to be yourself (as cliche as that sounds), be genuine with people, be honest, and just share your life with them. When I first started I was very guarded with what personal info I shared with my clients/fans. I didn't want to share too much and liked to keep things private. I then realized that if I want to shoot weddings of clients who I connect with and feel comfortable with, I MUST allow them to get to know me. I must be real and open with them and share my life with them. Of course there are boundaries and you don't share everything...but just being real with them is what's important! And I can honestly tell you that since I started doing that, it really has made a huge difference in my relationships with clients and in result the images I produce.

Thanks for reading everyone! I so appreciate your support! Happy Tuesday :)

Katelyn :)

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