Graham: It's Fun!

I have people asking me all of the time "Bryan, how do you get your clients?", and I think that it is a really interesting topic, and it's one that we talk a lot about in our Business of Photography seminars. There are a million different ways that we, as small business owners, can spend our money - print advertising, magazine advertising, billboards, online directories and yellow-pages, just to name a few. It seems that as every day goes by, a new company has come out with "the next best way" to market your business. I believe that having a presence in the traditional mediums of advertising is great, but it doesn't end there.

I don't personally believe that you can put "all your eggs in one basket", especially if that basket is traditional advertising. Traditional advertising has turned into what is known as interruption advertising - trying to get someone's attention as they're flipping through a magazine, or trying to throw business cards at someone as they're walking through a bridal show. I don't feel that this is the best way for me to market myself. It seems too intrusive. It seems too cold.

I prefer word-of-mouth advertising. I like to provide a phenomenal service, create outstanding images, and create lasting relationships with my clients. The next time that they need, or know someone who needs a professional photographer, my hope is that they will tell them about me. This is how I have built my business, and I am so fortunate to have the amazing clients that I do have.

There is another form of marketing that is related to word-of-mouth marketing, and it's called network marketing, or just networking. Meeting and seeing other people, explaining what it is you do, showing them that you do a great job, and hoping that next time they need my services, they will think of me. Networking is a huge part of my business, and I really do attribute a great amount of my success to it.

In light of this, I recently joined the BNI Champagne Chapter, here in Niagara. BNI is a Canada-wide networking group, with smaller chapters throughout the regions. Each chapter is allowed to have only one business representing a specific category (photography, for example), and the objective of the group is to meet and get to know other business-owners and pass around referrals. Essentially, the whole point is to build relationships. When my insurance agent, Vern Furtney, of the Co-Operators, told me about the opening in the photographer category for this BNI chapter, I was all in! I've now been a member for only a couple of months, but I am loving everything about it. I have met some really genuine and amazing business people, and I have established some relationships that are going to last a very long time.

One incredibly influential member of our BNI chapter is Graham Wilson. Graham is a lawyer out of St. Catharines, and he needed to have his business portrait updated for his new website. Graham is a commical, fun, and relaxed individual, and I really enjoyed spending some time with him on his portrait session.

I hope that you enjoy a few of these images of him and his secretary, Rachel.

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Posted January 20 2010 by Bryan Caporicci  |  Category: It's Fun!  |  View all recent posts

Previously Posted » All Categories