Taking Your Camera on the Road

Okay, I'm about to brag. I just wanted to warn you.
As a long time public speaker and public figure, I've been honored to receive a lot of standing ovations. There is nothing like the first couple of times when people suddenly jump to their feet, hands clapping or waving over their heads, and shouts and [...]

Effective marketing memes focus on a specific clientele and a solution, or better yet a common client problem. For example, "I help independent professionals attract more clients," identifies a market and a client problem. It also invites the follow up question "How?" FedEx grew their now billion dollar business with the meme, "When it absolutely, [...]

When it comes to marketing yourself and your business, thinking outside of the box helps. In this article from SCORE, Six Steps to Get "Slightly Famous", the author covers topics similar to the ones we cover in our articles on networking. The key is to rethink your marketing and networking stradegies to be known for [...]

Casting your net-work is critical to developing a successful business, no matter what the business. It is all about how you relate to others and promote your business by your social interaction. It's about how you describe what you do when talking to others and how to build casual meetings into business opportunities. We examine methods to expand your social network and increase your business contacts and business.

Ten words or less form for developing positive communication skills for developing social networks and contacts for the professional business person, especially nature photographers. The idea is that if you can describe what you do in ten words or less, those ten words are very powerful. Call it a mission statement or statement of purpose, either way, it is your card-carrying tool set of words to let people know what you do, how you do it, and help them determine if your business suits their needs. It is the essential marketing tool for networking and advertising.

Networking techniques for nature photographers includes knowing that it's not what you do but who you are that makes a difference. It means getting involved with organizations, associations, and clubs. Being recognized as "someone" doesn't happen by accident. You get "famous" for what you do with your life and business and how it impacts others. You get known not for your nature photography but for how your work is tied up with projects such as the preservation of a natural area, association with a magazine as a writer or columnist, or being a member of an association. Involvement in a specific project brings together people with similar interests who are involved with other projects. This creates a link with you and these other groups. If you earn their respect and appreciation, they may bring you in on their other projects. This form of networking gets you through the inside doors to all kinds of contacts and work which might be closed to you otherwise.

Carded: May I have your card, please? Without a doubt, one of the most effective marketing tools to invest in is a business card. When you make those networking connections, your business cards become road maps for people to track you down. It's amazing what impact a 3 1/2 x 2 inch card can have. It's a tiny billboard, and an amazingly small space for promoting your business. It's important that your business card does three things: Tells who you are, what you are willing to do, and how to find you. Networking for nature photographers includes creating a business image to help you market yourself and your work.

Designing business cards for nature photographers is an art. Business cards come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are the regular single-sided cards. A two-sided business card allows more space to get it all in. Fold-over cards provide the space of four cards in one. When considering a format for your business card, think about your "audience." How will they use and store your card? People with a library of contacts will store business cards in rolodexes or on their computer, throwing the card away once the info is entered. Some people keep plastic sleeved notebooks. Others toss their collection of cards into a drawer to dig through on occasion. Most people start by shoving them into wallets or purses where they can collect for ages. When designing a card consider how it will be used. If you are serious about your photography business, you need a card that will help you guarantee your contacts will remember you. We have some tips to help you get started.