Marketing with Business Cards

[photosbyrowell]

Has anyone talked with another business about putting out business cards on their counters? For example, leaving business cards near the cashier at a wedding dress store. If you have, how do you go about bringing the topic up?

[bobbyz]

I never done this but why not just go and ask directly. At worst they will say "no".

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by photosbyrowell

Has anyone talked with another business about putting out business cards on their counters? For example, leaving business cards near the cashier at a wedding dress store. If you have, how do you go about bringing the topic up?

"Hi, my name is Fred and I'm a wedding photographer. Here is some of my work. (open the nice portfolio you brought along) I've heard some nice things about your shop and wondered if you might consider a business card exchange? I'll hand out some of your cards if you keep some cards of mine on your counter." Big smile while exuding charm and personality.

Two possible outcomes:

Yes = "Great! Here are some of my cards. Let me have some of yours. Thank you!"

No = "I'm sorry to take your time. Have a nice day!"

Easy stuff.

[Unkl Buck]

Why stop with business cards? Ask to leave a sample book. Or even some framed collage prints.

[photosbyrowell]

Those are definitely good ideas

[Mark McCall]

Approach the dress shop with this idea...

Offer to put large framed prints in the dressing rooms of brides wearing the shop's gowns. (with your logo, slightly larger than usual, in the corner).
Give the proprietor a large print to hang in their office.

Do this to the cake decorator too....a full album of her cakes.
Works great for the florist too. They get a showpiece of their work, you get the referral.

Wedding vendors do not recommend the most talented photographers....they recommend the ones they like. Get them on your side.
Butter up to the employees of the shop especially. It's they who deal directly with the brides.
Give them all a free session, or drop off gifts when resupplying the business card holder. Trust me...that will put your name on their tongue when speaking to a prospective client.

If a bride hears your name from at least 2 vendors, your golden.

Once a year at Christmas we give a bottle of wine to every employee of every wedding vendor in our market. The boss gets one too, but the employees are the real miracle workers.
A local award winning winery is the source of the wine. If purchased by the case, they will put a label on the bottle from YOUR studio. At $8 a bottle, it's not expensive, but the return on investment is huge.

[AndrewE]

What Mark said. Most of my local wedding shops will allow business cards, but I prefer to use a pamphlet instead to try and stand out from the others.

[opusofid]

Well I shoot a lot of photos for the gym my daughter cheers at and I asked if it was ok to leave my cards and in return I'd let them use a few of my photos on there web site for a reduced price. Notice I did not say for free although they pick three or four and I deliver ten just to keep them happy and the parents love being able to pick up a card look at my web site for pictures.

Alan

[photosbyrowell]

I have done a couple of shoots for my brothers hockey team and I may try to sell some portraits to their parents and hopefully get new clients

[Mark McCall]

Originally Posted by opusofid

Notice I did not say for free although they pick three or four and I deliver ten just to keep them happy and the parents love being able to pick up a card look at my web site for pictures.

Alan,
I did notice you did not use the word free.
Charging anyone who is in a position to recommend you, regardless of the amount, can backfire on you.
The real magic in a referral based business is that the best or most talented photographer isn't necessarily the one who gets hyped. They recommend the one they like the best.

People are in love with the word FREE. Use that to your advantage.

If your on their good side, the gym would go far beyond allowing you to put out cards.
Ask for an area to hang a full blown advertisement in poster form, using images shot at the gym, and their logo.
I'd even ask to hang a 16x20 in the bathroom of a team at competition, or during a workout.

[opusofid]

Well your right free does do wonders for bringing in business, but does hurt the bottom line. Now I do provide the gym with a cd of all the photos I take at compitions for there use but money does change hands not much its more of a good faith issue. The gym did make all the teams sign a model release so as I could sell the photos to other parents if there child was in the background and also maybe some stock later.

But it is my common practice not to give away very much because others will expect it for free all the time.

Alan

[Mark McCall]

Originally Posted by opusofid

Well your right free does do wonders for bringing in business, but does hurt the bottom line......
But it is my common practice not to give away very much because others will expect it for free all the time.

Alan,
Your saying two different things.
#1. It hurts the bottom line #2. It brings in business.
Only one of these statements can be correct, but not both.
If it brings in business, it helps your bottom line.

Agreed, it costs money to give away free prints. But how much of that is returned to you in referrals?
That's the cost of doing business. Prints are the cheapest thing you can give, especially if it's on CD.

Ever heard the term; "it cost money to make money"?

You are right...others will expect it all the time.
My answer to that is....."so what"?? It's MAKING you money.

Let me put another spin on this.
What would you do if another parent did the same thing you did?
Gave prints or CD's to the gym free of charge, while your giving them just a few.

The gym will be more likely to recommend the other guy over you.
Why?
Because they like him better. ...he gives more free stuff. It matters none that your images are better than his. I guarantee it.
As I said before, vendors don't recommend the best or most talented photographers...they recommend the ones they like.

Referral based businesses are more profitable, regardless of the type of business.
Vendors are your best friend in this business. Treat them like gold, you'll get paid with green.

ps. I recently gave a 30x40 canvas print of a wedding cake, mounted on masonite, to a local wedding cake decorator. It's hanging in the foyer of her bakery.
I framed in an extravagant frame from Burns. My logo is slightly larger than normal in the corner. That image/frame cost me about $120.
I also have a Bon Match 11x14 album with 30 11x14's in her shop.
For comparison, several other photographers have 16x20's scattered about the bakery's walls.

So, you tell me....what photographer does Vida recommend to her clients?
It's not rocket science.

Is $120 expensive? or is it a bargain?
I think it's the best money you can spend on any type of advertising.

[photosbyrowell]

I've read from another forum about the power of ten.

Find 10 different vendors that you think will help provide some leads for you.. cater to them and have lunch with them.. shmooze them.

So the idea I have in my area is to hit up the flower shops and ask if I could leave my business cards or a brochure. I even bought a few flowers from one shop and I'm about to take photos of them and offer them an 8x10 to hang on their walls since they have nothing hanging around.