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More Ways to Widen Your Net Locally

Passive Advertising

This is local advertising on the local radio, and in the media. It may work for some, but for others it is not an effective a way of generating new income; because in some regions the cost is prohibitive. Don’t underestimate the areas that can give you free advertising space. The supermarket billboards, other connected businesses, such as your local developer’s. This form of passive advertisement means that the process is often more effective when it is ongoing, which only increases the expenditure. Recent marketing research has also suggested that it is better utilised with other services that use your time rather money, to keep yourself in the public eye. Get yourself in the public eye

Increase your profile

Is there a new restaurant opening near you, or one being refurbished, if so, ask them if you can provide free décor. Take photographs and frame them, making sure that you place your name and contact number within the frame. Whilst you are at it talk them into letting you take the photographs for their new menus or cocktail list, or use their cocktails as décor. Nothing tastes as good as actually looking at a cocktail with the correct lighting.

Run local seminars.

Run a local seminar for free, and get your local paper to cover it. Perhaps take the children from your local school out on a photographic field trip. It may not necessarily get your work shown, but as children are an emotive topic, it will get theirs shown. You will have the added benefit of the kudos, as the person who organised it. You may also get some commissions as a result of this.

You can always run a free seminar for adults as well, even if you do not have an office, see if a local church will donate their hall, or use a school, or college.

Charging for field trips

If you are known and respected in your area, then perhaps you can consider charging to take people out on a field rip. This is only for the gregarious, as the interest factor may be just as much in your lifestyle, as your work. Also bear in mind any additional insurance costs that you will require here.

Ask your local paper

It may be worth checking if your local paper is interested in a series of ongoing articles about photography in your area. They may be prepared to pay you for this series, as they are always looking for material of local interest. If you do not feel that you are competent to do this then ask all your local radio stations if you can give a talk, about a specialist photographic subject, or photography in your area.

Use your website as a promotional tool

If you have a web site maximize it’s potential. Set up a forum to discuss local issues, donate several pages to a local amateur sport’s team so that they can use it as bulletin board. The possibilities are absolutely endless here, focus on what would benefit your local area, and generate publicity.

If you do not have a web site get one for free with Yahoo. If you do not know how to create one then use Rent a Coder. You ask for people all over the globe to create you a site, they will send in a quote and you decide whom you would like to commission. The initial outlay is low, and also the cost of maintaining a site is getting cheaper all the time. Having your own web site also establishes that you are committed to the business of being a photographer.

If you are really smart, you can devote several pages to a local group, with member’s under twenty-five, and get them to make you a site, and you have only to pay your annual fee to host it.

Work for a non-profit organisation.

One of the challenges facing photographers in a competitive field is to find an emotive image. To work for a non-profit organization is an extremely cost effective way of allowing you to promote your work. It does not matter what cause you work for and whether it is national or local, but find something that you are really passionate about.

There are many opportunities here, as many of the non-profit organisations need your work as much as you need the publicity. It can be a local fund raising event. Other alternatives are an organization that uses plenty of images as promotion, or send out a high number of newsletters.

If you have not got an option to work for an existing organisation, then consider starting your own local campaign, about an issue that concerns you personally. Every area has a community issue that needs to be addressed. This may well be time consuming, but it will catapult you into the public eye. The Encyclopaedia of Associations lists all the major organizations in America, volunteering in Australia, is the equivalent link for Australia, these links will demonstrate the criteria you need to join. It is also useful in finding a cause that you can feel involved with. Without doubt other countries will record that information, check with your local reference library, or the Chamber of commerce.

Geography will to some extent dominate what this will be, for instance it will be time consuming to work for “save a whale”, if you are in the center of Australia, but there will be a local environmental issue that will need to be addressed. The advantage of working within your local community, are more diverse than just maintaining a high profile. If you are involved then it is feasible that you can call on local director’s, of the organization. Whilst it is unlikely that you will get a direct commission, their endorsement of your work allow you to use that as a promotional tool. It will also increase the number of people who will talk about your work. It would not be unreasonable if after completing some work that you ask for a client testimonial, you do not have to be paid to request this.

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