Give it Away! - charitable giving to grow your business
Monday, September 28th 2009 @ 9:49 AM (not yet rated)
How can I get started in a photography business?
Give it away.
Nope, I’m not talking about your prices. THOSE should be reasonable, at least $50 for an 8x10. (See You Should Be a Professional for more discussion about pricing.) Don’t ever give away studio photography.
I’m talking about charitable giving. I believe that we receive as we give, so I look for opportunities to gift my photography to deserving groups. When I started my business, I asked myself who my target market would be. The answer: Those who appreciate fine art and have shown a willingness to invest time and money into it.
Where would I find those people?
Our community has a strong music focus. We have several audition-only community music groups, including two choirs and three orchestras. I called them up and offered my services. They all accepted! So, for five years, I’ve been the ‘official’ photographer for groups comprised of hundreds of people in my target market.
Of course, I’m not completely giving it away. I have a program. Here’s how it works:
I volunteer up to three hours of my time to photograph an event (or create a studio shoot), and they receive a CD of my images to use in their marketing. (Value: about $1000.) Note: one mistake I made in the beginning was that I did not provide them an invoice. They looked at me as free, and valued me accordingly. That led to an uncomfortable conversation with one of my groups, who one year did not want to recognize me in any way, but wanted me to provide about $2500 worth of goods and services. It was completely my fault. If I had correctly valued my gift in their mind to begin with, this would never have occurred. Now, my groups receive an invoice with the total value of my services, including a ‘discount’ gift of 100%. I find that they are VERY appreciative of me now!
In return for my time and art, I receive advertising in their programs, extending my target-market reach into the audience, who also obviously appreciates fine art and is willing to invest at least the cost of their time and a ticket. I also forward my newsletters to the contact person for each group, who forwards them to group members. I also get free tickets to the concerts. 
Music is a passion of mine, so it’s a win-win!
The music community is close-knit, so my ad in five different programs is seen multiple times by chorus and audience members. Staying ‘top of mind’ is important in this business, as in any other. It’s been a very successful strategy, and I love being affiliated with these fine groups.
Another example: I know a hairdresser whose passion is race-car driving. Her business is called Hot Rod Hair, and she advertises heavily in the local race-car circuit. Her salons are decorated thematically, as well. Who do you think all those women who attend the races will go to for their hair care? She uses her passion to define her business!
If you’re not a music buff, you aren’t going to be very excited about sitting through a classical concert. If you’re not a race-car fanatic, going to the races is going to be uneventful. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun.) What is your passion? How can you use your photography skills to be helpful to organized groups who share your passion? Call them. Give it away!