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pachyderm
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 11:18:46 PM
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| Should a photographer have a marketing plan? I was listening to a local radio show on Sunday night, called "The Business of the Arts", where they discuss various business subjects for artists. This Sunday, they discussed marketing plans for photographers. The question came up about having written marketing plans. I know that I don't, although I do have an idea of what my target audience is. So, do you have a written marketing plan, and have you found doing so to be a valuable asset to your business?
Robert M. Teague---------------------------------------------
Website: www.visionlandscapes.com
Blog: visionlandscapes.spaces.live.com
"Fujifilm remains true to its heritage and to the acknowledged superior image quality delivered by professional photographic film products." -- Fuji Press Release
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tiger
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Last Login: 2/26/2008 11:31:12 PM
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Yes and no.
My (professional) photography is divided in two areas, the commercial part and the more personal art photography (print sales).
For my commercial activity I made a business plan when I started. I got good help from a business consultant that didn´t now anything about photography, but he sure knew how to run a business in general. But I must admit as the years passed the plan is in the bottom of the big pile of paper on my desk. I don´t use it actively anymore, and then of course it is no longer a businnes plan but a piece of paper.
For my personal "art" photography I don´t have any plan at all. I just make the best prints I can and sell them via local galleries and my website. I don´t sell a lot and that is most likely due to poor marketing. I am fairly new to this so this is still a work in progress. So, of course now is the time that I really should have a market plan. 
Best regards,
Eirik Berger
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Just recently launched:
www.monochrome.no
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lion
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Last Login: 6/7/2008 2:49:31 PM
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I thought of doing one, but then it seemed it would be a waste of time for me. With commercial photography it is easy to identify your target audience, with decorative art it is not so easy. Unfortunately it seems the old way of contacting galleries and trying to get representation is the only way.. 
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pachyderm
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 11:18:46 PM
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| I would think that the issue of personality would come into play when it comes to developing a marketing plan. Some people are much more comfortable writing things down than others. Although, when I read the literature of people like Zig Ziglar and Jack Canfield they consider writing down goals to be of vital importance. At what is a marketing plan really, but a goal. Doing a quick Google search, I've come up with a couple of interesting articles: http://www.danheller.com/biz-marketing.html
http://www.marketing-for-photographers-and-photography.com/ I'll have to think of this a bit further.
Robert M. Teague---------------------------------------------
Website: www.visionlandscapes.com
Blog: visionlandscapes.spaces.live.com
"Fujifilm remains true to its heritage and to the acknowledged superior image quality delivered by professional photographic film products." -- Fuji Press Release
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lion
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Last Login: 6/7/2008 2:49:31 PM
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I have seen both guides and I found them of little use, or at least they did not have anything that I had not read in books and magazines before.
One thing you might want to is to contact art consultants, specially you Robert, I think you have a good chance on selling a lot fo color work this way.
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