If you’re consistently failing to focus on marketing your photography products and services, it might be time to outsource.
Marketing and promoting your photography is a non-negotiable part of running your business. But it can prove to be a struggle to focus on marketing when you are already so busy managing the other aspects of your work and life.
I can help though! I work exclusively with professional photographers, helping them with their PR and content marketing.
Is outsourcing right for you?
If you’re feeling exhausted trying to keep on top of everything and are perhaps fearful that you are missing out on marketing opportunities because you’re not in a marketing frame of mind much of the time, perhaps it’s time you should consider outsourcing.
Although you might want to try to do everything yourself – for one, to keep costs down – it can get to the point in your photography business when you literally cannot do everything and do it well.
As my photography clients‘ trusted marketing sidekick, my 1-2-1 help frees them up to focus on other aspects of their business which they either enjoy more or which are the income-generating activities (ie, the photography) that only they can do.
Five signs you should consider outsourcing your photography marketing
I’ve already established that marketing is non-negotiable. Yes, sorry about that! You do need to be promoting and marketing yourself and your business so that people know of you, develop an understanding of what it is you offer and consider you in a favourable light.
Building the know-like-trust factor is crucial when building your photography brand. It will help to ensure that you are top of mind and are considered by your ideal clients when they are in the market for your services.
You could potentially benefit from outsourcing certain PR and marketing activities if you can relate to any of the following:
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You don’t enjoy marketing
If you really don’t enjoy marketing, the truth is that you’ll likely end up procrastinating on it. It either won’t get done at all or you’ll do things reluctantly or in a half-arsed way.
Ultimately, you’ll not be giving it the attention it deserves and likely won’t be doing a great job as a result.
Outsourcing the marketing tasks that you don’t enjoy, to someone who loves this work, would be a way of ensuring that the work gets done. It would also relieve you of the burden of having to complete the tasks you’d rather not. Sounds good, right?
I believe that life’s too short to be spending your days begrudgingly doing things you hate. If the thought of writing blogs or setting up Facebook Ads makes you feel like scraping your fingernails down a blackboard, get someone else to help!
Outsource what you don’t enjoy and spend your time doing the work that you do.
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You don’t know how to do certain marketing tasks
Marketing is an all-encompassing term that includes:
- social media marketing
- blogging
- guest blogging
- video/podcast content creation
- social media marketing
- email marketing and newsletters
- online and offline networking
- attending/organising industry events and local/community events
- direct marketing
- and, more!
There is literally so much marketing work that you could be doing to promote your photography business. So, it stands to reason that you won’t be an expert in everything!
Photography is presumably your main area of expertise, yes? And. while there are many marketing-savvy photographers out there (perhaps you’re one of them?), not everyone is a skilled and experienced marketer. But that’s ok! You cannot be an expert in photography AND in all aspects of marketing.
There is little point in struggling on alone when there are people out there (like me) who would be delighted to do the work for you, and who can potentially do it far more efficiently and effectively than you ever could.
You absolutely can choose to outsource the work that you feel you can’t do that well yourself. In fact, by doing so you’ll probably find that you come to enjoy your business more and you’ll banish that dreaded feeling of marketing overwhelm.
Related reading: How to love your photography business again in ten simple steps
When time is such a limited and precious resource, if you’re struggling, outsourcing is a great way to go.
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You’re not familiar with modern ways to market your photography
If you aren’t marketing and promoting your business enough or are just doing the same-old-same-old, the things that you’ve done for years, then chances are you’re not moving forward as much as you could be.
As time moves on, so does marketing. You need to keep up with the latest marketing trends and maximise the opportunities that new marketing channels offer in order to keep up and stay relevant.
Working with a professional, who is up-to-speed on the latest tools, tactics and methods for promoting and marketing your photography business is a sound choice if you’re finding that keeping abreast of everything is an ongoing challenge.
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You’ve reached a plateau in your business
Outsourcing your photography marketing is also a great move if you’re feeling stuck in your business and have seen your sales and profitability plateau.
It’s highly likely that you don’t want to just tick over in your business. I imagine that you’re ambitious and want to maximise sales and achieve more each year, yes? But if you don’t know what marketing you could or should be doing, failing to reach out to others for help could mean that you’ll stay stuck and won’t move forward.
Marketing consultants, like myself, work day-in-day-out doing marketing on behalf of others. In my own case, I’ve 20 years of practical experience in PR and communications and since 2015, I’ve been working exclusively with professional photographers. Plus, as a small business owner myself, I also promote and market my own business, so I’m well placed to help you.
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You’re open to the idea of outsourcing and are prepared to let go of certain tasks
Outsourcing aspects of your photography PR and marketing will only work if you are truly prepared to relinquish control. Some people do struggle with this, and it’s only natural to want to retain control over every aspect of your small business – it’s your baby after all!
But if you are genuinely prepared to let go of certain tasks outsourcing could be a good option for you.
You can start small with outsourcing and build up gradually if you find that it works for you. Or, if you end up finding that outsourcing doesn’t work for you, of course, just cancel the arrangement, use an alternative supplier or take the work on yourself again.
A reluctance to let go and a desire for perfectionism could be holding you back and stopping you from outsourcing those marketing tasks you don’t enjoy or want to do. But, if you can, resist it!
While outsourcing your photography marketing will obviously cost you money, you could actually end up making far more than you spend on marketing help because you’ve upped your marketing game and are getting more visible!
Are you ready to outsource your photography marketing?
While it’s vital that you proactively market your photography business, it isn’t the case that you need to do it all yourself.
Outsourcing your photography marketing isn’t something to fear and could well be a game-changer for your business, offering you more time freedom and making your work more enjoyable.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how I can help you with your photography PR and marketing, discover my services here. You can also check out my client testimonials or get in touch to request more information.
Related reading: Content and PR Services for Photographers
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