Using your studio’s website for free advertising

Posted on August 28, 2007
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Advertising through links Now that you have a website, you can start making it work for you. The nice thing about having a website is that it allows you to link to other people and more importantly, they can link to you.

Setting up link exchanges on the internet is almost as old as the internet itself. As a matter of fact, this is part of what made the internet so powerful in the first place. And you should take advantage of this power.

On your site, set up an area called “Other Services You May Be Interested In”. Then set out to find those services for your customers and visitors. If your studio does bridal photography, than focus on bridal services such as catering, DJs, halls, wedding gowns and tuxedos. If you do mostly family photography, look for local sites that have activities that families would enjoy.

Now that you have this list, contact each one of the owners of each site. Tell them that you are a non-competing business in the same field and that you would like to link to their site from your site and in exchange, you would like a link from them. Not everyone will agree but some of them will. Whether or not you link to the sites that do not agree to link to you is up to you, but certainly make sure you link to the ones that do.

By doing this, you are gaining access to the other site’s visitors. It stands to reason that if someone is looking for a wedding gown, they may also be looking for wedding photographer at some point in time. If a person is visiting a family oriented establishment, like a playground or a museum, chances are they might also be interested in having a family portrait created.

Getting links from other business is not the only source of links you should consider. Do you belong to any organizations or associations or does your community have a Chamber of Commerce? Many times these organizations have a place to list their members or community businesses’ websites. Sometimes, the websites for these groups are where a potential client will start their search for a reliable service.

You can also get free local listings from search engines. Both Google and Yahoo! have local services that allow you to add your studio business and your studio’s website.

There is always the possibility that your customers have websites as well. These days, many people keep personal blogs. If your client was happy with your service, ask if they will mention you and link to you from their blog in exchange for a small free gift. Many (but not all) will be happy to do so and in doing so will be telling their friends and family about you.

If at all possible, have your link listed with some text about the services that you provide or a special offer. Consider an offer for a free framed 8×10 with every session or a complimentary print in a photomount. Incentives like this will further entice people to click on your link to learn more about your studio.

Use your website to reach as many potential customers as you can. Reach out to companies and help them do the same. Make sure your studio is well represented on the world wide web.

Do you have a website for your studio business?

Posted on August 21, 2007
Filed Under Marketing Yourself | 1 Comment

Do you have a website? That is a very important question in this internet age.

If you do, good job! You are up to speed with how customers in the 21st century are shopping and looking for services. If you do not have a website, it may be time to give some serious thought to doing so.

More and more people are using the internet to find what they are looking for. As a matter of fact, the Millennials, those born between 1980 – 2000, have probably never used a phone book to find information. The internet has been around for as long as they remember and as far as they are concerned everything worth looking at is on the internet. Since the Millennials are the age group that contains the bulk of today’s Senior and Bridal market and will soon be entering the Child and Family portrait market, the question is, are you on the internet? Are you worth looking at?

Getting a website can be overwhelming for people who are not computer savvy but it does not have to be. Getting your own domain name can be done for as little as $9 and many domain companies, such as GoDaddy, offer hosting for as little as $3.99 per month. Many times, their hosting services come with easy to use “website wizards” that allow you to create your own website with little effort or knowledge. In less than one day’s worth of work, you can have your own website. If this is still a bit too overwhelming for you, then ask around or talk to friends. Chances are someone you know, knows someone who can make you a small site for just a few hundred dollars.

So, what should be included on your website? First you will need a home page. On this page, you will want to have basic information about your studio, where you are located, what kinds of photography you specialize in and how to contact you.

Another page to consider having is a photo gallery with samples of your work. This will allow your potential clients to see ahead of time what your style is like.

Another important page to have is a list of your services, packages and pricing. What services do you offer for what kinds of photographs? What do they get with their photographs and how do you package their photographs? Are you including framing, mounting and folios or are these a separate charge or will they only be getting a CD? And how much will all of this cost?

A testimonial page is another page to consider adding. Do you have some heartfelt and positive comments about your studio from previous clients? Get their permission to use those comments on your website. Letting potential new clients know that you have satisfied clients will help them feel better about choosing you.

In the end, what you ultimately put on your website is up to you. The important thing is that you realize how powerful an advertising medium the internet can be. In the next article, we will talk about how you can use your website and the internet to spread the word about your business for little or no money.