Back in 2009 I’m looking so deep about what should I do to promoting photography business, I remember when Nina help me to spread all the brochure paper to luxury housing complex nearby my house or even she help me to tell her friend that her husband is a wedding photographer. Sometimes in really nice evening she ride a bicycle and I walk next to her and move around the housing complex to work together.
What I did on the past years is designing a brochure with some photos of pre wedding and wedding, give some ad-words, and printed it in an art paper for hundred of pieces and put it on every single door or the houses. Yeah…I know that this method seems ridiculous at this year but trust me I’ve been doing that together with Nina.
2010 is the beginning of my new promotional strategy cause I attending internet marketing seminar in Jakarta and continue for gathering in Singapore, those course take me burn out $600 for 2 days exclusive seminar and I don’t have money at all when I back home. I was so stress and deep sad cause I learn something that really new but if it happen again right now than I will take those seminar again and again cause I would love to tell you that those seminar, hosted by humble Singaporean guy named Fabian Lim was truly worth it!
Are You Sure Photographer Like Me Must Learn About Coding?
Nooooooooo!! that was what I’m thinking too when saw those internet marketing course, I was so afraid if someone push me to learn about coding and read binary number on black ridiculous screen monitor, Hell No for sure!
If you promoting photography business using internet marketing than it is way different than become a website programmer, you’re not concern about designing website or coding but you gonna learn how to drive as much traffic to your blog and monetize it as your customer or client, and yes it can be use for any business if it’s a question that you gonna ask after read my story.
Till now you will know that I live in Yogyakarta Indonesia but I serve various wedding photo shoot for worldwide couple both in my country and overseas for majority. So how do my couple found me? Yes….it’s on my blog, the same blog that you read my story now.
What I did on my blog Bimaadhitya.com is not designing to be great and nice but write as many articles that help my future couple to prepare their wedding and in the same story I will start to let they know that I’m a wedding photographer which is I promoting photography business using it. Today is digital era so even you got a nice studio or office in the down town than you must own a blog for sure. This not gonna make your business down but blog will help your services more famous to other potential client that live far away from your town.
How I Change My Flash Website Into Simple WordPress Blog That Bring Me Various Potential Client?
Back in 2009 using flash or cool website is a trend so I ask my friend to make over my photography website using a flash that cost $400 and spend a month for it. I know they made a great system and cool photo slideshow at that time but generally flash didn’t work great on Google search engine at all!
After I join an internet marketing course I know that you and I could change or make your own blog by using Bluehost and start online within 2 days. Through Bluehost you can buy domain (your URL brand name) and hosting (data space) together in one platform. Every domain and hosting is not one time selling cause you must extend it every year and when you taking a Bluehost package for over than 1 year than you can get promotional price for less than $5/month which is mean for all domain and hosting you just spend less than $60/year.
I sign up on Bluehost for a year and want to extend it next year so I spend around $75/year which is still cheap for running a year of photography business that bring me thousand of dollar for every single photo session deal.
I wouldn’t tell you about how to buy and made your first photography blog here cause when you sign up on Bluehost than you will get every guide in super detail even you know nothing about this before!
7 Steps That Describe How Your $60/Year WordPress Blog Work and Promoting Photography Business
I change my flash website into simple wordpress blog even I don’t buy any special template and just searching on free theme that good in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and mobile friendly, this is a MUST! But one thing that you must know here is…
Google Love Article and Blogs Cause It’s Way More Dynamic
Google love everything that dynamic and updated so no matter you using flash or blog but if you never updating than GOOGLE WOULDN’T FOUND YOU!
All you need to do is keep updating your blog and put meaningful article that help your potential client and once they know that you are the best person that could help them to solve their needs than no matter where you are, no matter how much you charge for services than they must hiring you!
Let me give you with some path how Google found your services on internet:
1 – You Start Blogging and Share Your Article on Blog
During promoting photography business using a WordPress than the only thing that you must do consistently is start blogging and share your knowledge or opinion on your blog. If you are a photographer just like me than sharing your works, preparation, and the final result are several information that you can share.
Till today I push my self to updating my blog every week and share everything that related to photography both for photographer and bride and groom to be, so if you owned a blog than you must write more and more for every week and don’t stop even you finally got a business deal.
2 – Someone Read Your Information Again and Again
After having various of articles on your blog than google will show your blog to the universe and when someone type and searching on Google than they will find yours. It’s not a short work but definitely day and night work that you must do every day.
My couple used to stumble upon my blog few times before finally send me an email and asking for some enquiry, so it works on you too, your potential couple will stumble upon your article and read again and again till they think that you are the best person who could help them providing the best photography services ever and ever.
3 – They Think That Your Article is Helping Them
When someone stumble upon your blog and feel comfort to read every words that you made, they will start thinking that you are the best person who could help them. No matter what they send an email at the same time or in the next few months but your article is already sticked on their mind. When I promoting photography business of mine, than I will deliver as many article related to photo shoot, how to get the ticket for overseas traveling, best wedding venue, healthy tips, how to choose the gown and tons more and more article that will help my client to prepare their destination wedding.
4 – They See You Offering Some Services
When you write an article, don’t forget to put some links of your work or services that you could offer. When you are a photographer than you could put some links that goest to your portfolio or previous works where potential couple could visit.
It can be vary depend on your creativity, the main will be links but you could make it better as a gif format, JPEG banner, or even just some text links but make sure you put the correct URL on it. When I wrote an article for my bride and groom to be than I will put some sentences that if they want to ask more about details or enquiry than they must go to my contact page, this is the page where they could send me an email.
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5 – Potential Client Start Send You an Email
On internet marketing strategy we will called it as a funnel system, so from hundred or thousand readers than few percents of them will become your better potential client a.k.a someone who love to your services and start sending you an email.
Let me show you something cool,
When someone starting send you and email than you will be in the next chapter to promoting photography business, do the best thing for them cause someone from the universe is already thinking that you are the best person who could help them and the most important thing is the LOVE your work!
6 – They Able to Pay Your Services and Wanna Hire You
When they receive your enquiry and think this gonna be the best package that they could afford than your next job is sending then an invoice. They Able to Pay Your Services and Wanna Hire You. Since few years ago I modify my invoice style so cool, from the most simple Ms Word and convert it into PDF till got an automatic and cool system with using the Wave Apps where you can insert your company logo and surely it can be open in mobile devices in good interface.
Since I focusing my services for worldwide couple than PayPal is the best platform that I could suggest to you. I know they charge at 4-5% from every single transaction that you’ve made but this gonna be good both for you and for your client.
7 – Business Deal is Happen
When the business deal is happen than this is the right time for you to pick up your glass and get toast with your team.
Get cheers cause finally your day and night hard work is showing the result. Before I get my first online client that goes to Maldives than I stick right in front of my computer and writing hundred to thousands of article for almost 1,5 years but trust me when the business deal is coming than you all the hardest and saddest memories from the past will gone shortly.
I remember than during Ramadhan months I got my first deal to Maldives and serving a nice and lovely couple from Hong Kong who asked us to fly thousand miles to such wonderful resort in Maldives. Now it’s your turn, go work so hard on your blog and promoting as many as services that you have and don’t stop till your business deal is coming.
Last Before I Go to Bed,
Actually these 7 steps is work as same as when someone come to your studio or office but things that your office don’t have is your blog will open and promoting photography business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days in a year. When I focusing my services into worldwide market than mostly I receive an email at 11pm to 3am which is this the best time for me to sleep here in Indonesia, I live in GMT +7 but those hours is like operational hours in other countries, this is the best part of using blog.
Remember,
Promoting photography business or any business that you have using a WordPress blog is a real business so don’t under estimate this system cause I did here in my studio and got various deal from worldwide couple for 10 years and more. Go sign up on Blueshost and start your first blog and promote your business online!