http://whimsydigitalphoto.blogspot.com/
I am a picture taking addict, I take millions and get quite a few really great ones. And when my baby looked great but the background was boring I started subtracting and adding and changing lighting, turning my little princess into my little fairy princess or whatever else I imagined... I just started creating really. I had lots of fun and liked what I was making, and I did a few for my cousin's kids too, but just recently everyone else staring telling me how much they liked what I was making and said I should earn money doing it for other people. So I'm giving that a try.
But my problem is, how do I describe this to market it to the right kind of people. I've never run a business of any kind before. I've been an illustrator, a dental hygienist, and a mommy - business is quite new to me :) I mean, what kind of keywords would you use? What kind of places would you go to get the word out? What exactly would you call what I do? put more content on your site discribing your business, learn seo and get listed on the search engines.
http://www.girder.ca Call Network Solutions. We use one particular person there. She has done a fantastic job! If you'd like her name and number please email me. BTW this is our site.
www.jollieprimitives.com
Network Solutions has been a big part of keeping our business visible. Love your concept, it's very cute and hopefully marketable! Good Luck! Dear Sand,
You mentioned being new to business--BY ALL MEANS handle this as a BUSINESS not a hobby--any longer.
As a marketer, I regularly help people with such a request. But this approach (turning a hobby into a business--sort of) is rather fraught with disasters. That doesn't mean there aren't people who stumble backwards, blindly into more lucrative business than they can manage, but they are a true rarity.
The Internet world is LOADED with excellent photographers. Most are doing digital with a lot of sophisticated editing software.
Do not say, "I want to do this or that." Instead, find out what the people with the money to spend and the willingness to do so are buying. This requires a good bit of research.
First determine PRECISELY what you want to do, i.e., what specific photography niche to you wish to inhabit. Be very specific. Do you want to deliver only digital products or do ou want to deliver prints, too? Do you want to focus on the "scrapbookers," etc., etc.?
Then, define the ideal customer you wish to serve.
THEN, see what that type of customer is purchasing on the Internet. Google, Yahoo, and MSN searches should give you more information than you can digest.
Check on eBay and Amazon to see what is selling. You will need to watch some things for a while to see what is selling and what is simply being posted for sale.
Go to photography forums and see what other photographers have to say about the niche in which you wish to reside. You may find several in your niche are disparing for lack of business. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but you should listen to what they have to say before committing.
Next, you should write a simple business plan (BP). There are many books written on how to write your BP. If you wish to email me I can give you a person who will write one for you with all the elements for about $500.
Your BP is an essential guide for you, and you should always consult it before deciding to do something different than it calls for. If a new idea comes along but doesn't fit into your plan, either alter your plan or don't pursue the new direction. This will force you to think carefully before making changes.
Your BP is "living document." This means it is designed to be changed as you decide to expand your business but it offers a disciplined structure for your operations.
Any BP should have a Marketing Section to include a market analysis (see above) and a plan for marketing your business. There will also be a Finance Section where you will analyze how you will spend your money, both initially and as you grow. There will also be other important sections.
Once you have done these things, you should develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Your USP is the element of your business that defines you and sets you apart from all the competition in your market place.
You DO want some competition. That reveals that there are other providers "swimming in the same water." That is important. You rarely want to be the only provider in a market. There is probably a VERY GOOD reason you are the only one--it may not work! On the other hand, you don't want to get buried by huge numbers.
If you'd rather have someone else do your BP for you, email me, as I mentioned above. I've written a number of BPs, but I know an excellent source who has helped me with mine. I consulted her because I didn't have the time to do it.
AFTER ALL OF THIS, you want to look at such things as your web site details.
I know it may seem like a lot of work. It sounds like you are truly interested in a business. Any good business is work. There are ways to do them with less work, but it's work all the same.
Right now you have a hobby and it sounds like you are enjoying it. Please DO NOT call a hobby a business.
If you want a hobby that may not break even feel free to wing it. I've seen many hobbies become real burdens financially and in every other way. That will certainly destroy your enjoyment of your hobby.
A business can be just as enjoyable or more so, but please do the business with a true business purpose.
Oh, yes, organize your web site so it will be a separate profit center in your business.
You can get a free copy of my "88 Marketing Tips That Will Change Your Life!" by going and signing up for it at my web site--
www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog
While some of them will seem very simplistic, they will powerfully redirect your marketing thinking, if you permit it.
May best to you in your new venture.
Paul
Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees! |
