Over the years, we’ve received a ton of questions on our Facebook page from photographers who have relocated to a new town for one reason or another, and they are now having a hard time finding clients in their new area. This can be heartbreaking for photographers who have already established their network of clients in their hometown.
Alas, we have some tips to help you get your name out in your new area, build your network, and pick up right where you left off. Whether you’re just starting out in general, or trying to rebuild from scratch in a new area, these tips will help immensely.
1. Please make sure you change location on your personal and business Facebook and Instagram pages, your blog and website, and any other site you may have your location information for your business on.
A lot of times this can be overlooked. You don’t want clients to see your old location and want to book you, then be disappointed to find out you’re no longer located there. Also, you don’t want new potential clients to see your site and wonder if that is the right business because it’s not registering in your new area.
2. Change your phone number.
These first two steps seem obvious, but before we can talk about marketing in a new area, we have to talk about being ready to market in a new area. An out-of-area area code may confuse clients and also may shake their confidence with putting money down on someone they don’t know and since you already don’t have a base in your new town, there is nobody to ensure them that you’re a legit company.
If you would like to keep your old number, ask the phone company if you can forward another number to your phone line.
3. Network with local realtors.
Go to local realtor offices and ask if they need update head shots, photos of their listings, or their offices. Providing a realtor photos for their head shots and listings is a great networking strategy because who do realtors know? Everyone in their area, and other realtors from surrounding cities.
This is great because the people who realtors are working with are going to likely be someone in your niche market. Most often, the people who are looking for and buying for houses are going through some sort of life change – either they are getting married and buying a house together or they are a family who is outgrowing their old house and looking for a bigger home. So, they will either be looking for a wedding photographer or a family or newborn portrait photographer.
Please trust me when it comes to working with realtors. The couples who are working with realtors trust them with one of the biggest purchases of their entire life. They trust that the realtors know the area front and back and everything about everyone in town. If a realtor makes a credible referral to your studio, chances are the family will trust you off of that recommendation. Meet every realtor that you can.
Not only will they help you find new clients, but you’ll also have the opportunity to take numerous head shots for portfolio building, and make quick cash doing it. It is also a great source of networking, and you will expand your niche by taking photos of the property listings.
4. Join the Chamber of Commerce and other professional organizations in your new area.
Your goal when you move to a new location is to build trust with the community so your clients will trust you enough to book a session with you. Also, by joining the Chamber of Commerce, you have to pay to join, so that shows another step in your professionalism.
I’d also join any professional business organizations in your area for businesses to start establishing that trust and start networking with other businesses in the community. For example, in our town, we have a group for professional women small business owners.
We also have an organization specifically for wedding vendors to come together and network. There are also photographer groups who meet up for shoot outs and to help each other grow and learn together. Networking with other photography vendors is great because it can be a constant source of referrals. (Check out Pictage User Groups – aka PUGs – for quick access to some awesome photography groups by region!)
You can also join other photographers and let them know you’d be available to be their back up in case they ever have to cancel due to illness or other unforeseen events. Let them know they can call you and you have their back. On second thought, contact every photographer in the area and offer backup services. This is a fantastic networking opportunity!
5. Reach out to local organizations such as boy scouts and girl scouts and offer a fundraising service for them to help promote your company.
Talk to the scout/organization leader and tell them about your company. Give them some marketing materials and tell them if they sell a session, they get a portion of the proceeds. The more sessions they book, the more profit they make for their organization. The more people they talk to about your company, the more exposure you get. It’s a win-win.
6. If you are specifically targeting wedding photography in a new area, seek out jewelry shops, travel agents, dress and tux shops, bakeries, florists, etc.
Advertise your engagement and wedding photography, as well as your proposal sessions. You want to target the places brides are going to be. The more places you can network with, the more the brides will see your name and the greater chance you will book them.
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