Marketing Your Business and Staying in Business

Before you take the leap and start your own photography business, you need to consider three very important questions and know how you’ll use different marketing techniques to help maintain a sustainable business.

From naming your company to designing your website, Karl looks at the various marketing materials you could use to draw attention to your business. Using examples from his own work, he covers identifying your market and reaching potential clients, defining your brand, building a portfolio, tackling social media and website design and much more.

In this class:

  • What to think about before starting a business
  • Understand how to market your business
  • How to build your brand
  • Different materials to market your business
  • How to use social media to market your business
  • Working with agents

Questions? Please post them in the comments section below.

Marketing your business

Marketing your business is key to success.

Comments

  1. Daugirdas

    Hi Karl,

    Many thanks for the business videos – they are very useful.

    In 2026, is it still optimal to be snail-mailing out brochures and other printed material? Marketing cold calls?
    How do you get through to trade shows where they may at least on the surface want some industry credentials for registration?

    My primary goal is to sign up a few national level architects and interior designers so I can finally have sustainable pay for my work and obviously help them stand out in a major (and obviously positive) way.

    Thank you.

    1. Hi, yes I think snail mail done well is very effective in an ever increasing digital/email only world. It’s about standing out and being seen, it’s as simple as that – if you find the way to be seen then that the first part of the battle won. For tradeshows as an exhibitor the show organisers are mostly interested in your money so if you can pay for the space that’s all they care about. For tradeshows as a visitor that’s not difficult at all. Figure out your objectives, work out your strategy to meet those objectives and then follow it through.

  2. David Tramontan

    Hello Karl,

    Thank you very much this is incredibly helpful.

    You mentioned databases, and I was wondering whether there are any database companies you have used which you would recommend?

    I am a commercial photographer based in Cambridge and I am already using a database company to identify key people at Ad Agencies, but I am also looking for a reliable database company to help me identify key decision makers at local companies (mainly tech and healthcare companies).

    Thanks,
    David

    1. Hi David, yes there are lists you can buy in but I haven’t used these for many years. I do remember one called Bikini Lists but again I can’t vouch for the accuracy of these? Also it’s important to build your own databases, simply call the companies you want to work for and say to reception that you’re a photographer wish to send your portfolio to the head of marketing, do you have their name please and can you confirm that your address is such and such. Linked in is another good place to confirm names and look people up. Also after you’ve worked for ANY client add their details to your database so you have it for the future. Art Directors often move agencies but if you have their name you can follow them around and also find out who has replaced them etc etc.

      1. David Tramontan

        Hello Karl,

        Thank you very much, that is incredibly helpful. I am currently using Agency Access and I have already booked a demo of Bikini Lists.

        I will also continue building my own list as you have recommended and see if I can find some trade events to network in person as well. Slow grind but it has to be done.

        Thanks again and keep up the good work.

        Best,
        David

  3. At 5m52, you reference letterhead for sending out letters and invoices. I note that this video is around ten years old. Instagram, for example, was not even on the scene and is not listed among the social media. How important is printed letterhead to have anymore? Many companies I deal with (e.g., Google, Amazon, etc.) all send their invoices and receipts by email. Is printed stationery still relevant in this context?

    1. Hi, yes correct some companies don’t require physical paper invoices anymore. Some do though and many households still receive paper invoices for their electricity and other utility bills. The physical letter might not be as relevant anymore if the company you are invoicing is happy to accept an electronic version but the electronic version will still require it on a ‘letter head’ format with your company name and address/logo on the PDF. In one of the other marketing section of this series of videos I mention how old school printed marketing can still get you more noticed through the noise of thousands of daily digital noise that people receive.

  4. At 2m30, you mention that one should be able to determine how much is being charged/earned by the various photographers working a particular market. Certainly, I don’t find this on their websites. I imagine I could ring them up, but they would not necessarily be inclined to be open and honest with me about that. How else could I find this out?

    1. Hi, in a later class on pricing your photography we give you an indication of the range of prices for different types of photographers. I also mention how you can find out prices through other businesses.

  5. Hello,
    I am also interested in how should I register myself as a photographer/business. Should I be self employed or company, tax-wise, insurances and what can I deduct from taxes (as business expanse).

    BTW Glenfiddich 18 yr. is in my humble opinion best whisky.

    1. Hi Nick, the Glenfiddich 18 is very very nice but I’d say my favourite is the McCallan. For your business it shouldn’t make a great deal of difference, even as a self employed sole trader you can still deduct your expenses etc. A limited company setup is better from a legal point of view and you then can be an ’employee’ of the company on a salary with the option for bonuses and you can even take loans from the company if funds provide but there is more cost involved in accounting and setup for a limited company than a sole trader. My guide would be based on revenue, if you’re only a small business then sole trader is fine but if you’re expecting to turn over a lot then limited company would be better. Remember (here in the UK anyway) that you can be a sole trader and change to a limited company later.

  6. Hi Karl!
    Thanks a lot for the business videos. They are very helpful.
    I am having a bit of a silly question really.
    One of the questions to ask ourselves is “Is there demand?”. But how can I figure it out without a super expensive marketing research?
    I would like to photograph for cafes and restaurants. Food, meals and drinks.
    Obviously, here are plenty of pubs, posh restaurants, small artesian cafes and tiny take-aways: so all range of clientele in this sector (I live in outskirts of Oxford) . But how can I figure out if the food photography market is saturated?
    For example, I googled “Food photographer Oxford” and went through all the websites on the first 2 pages. It showed the only one photographer with a high quality good food imagery (subjectively, just my opinion). This equally can mean a high demand in food photographers, or opposite: dead market.
    How do I know which is which?
    Many thanks
    Kseniia

    1. Hi Kseniia, thank you. Well the first thing I would explore is all of the businesses that you mentioned that have photography is where are they getting it from? You could simply ask them in passing as it is not too personal a question. If you can discover that then you can move on to how much they might be paying for it by looking up there suppliers and doing some digging. If as you say there is only one good food photographer in Oxford then it doesn’t sound like there is a great deal of competition but it may be that the businesses you are wanting to target on are not getting there photography from Oxford or using stock images? Start making a list or a spreadsheet and getting facts down on paper. When it comes to business getting facts is very important as too many ‘creatives’ try to run a business on a hunch or gut feeling and are then surprised to discover there isn’t enough work or that the work is all done by a few other excellent companies etc etc. So you will have to persist with your research. The other thing is it’s not often commercial photographers just survive doing one things such as food photography, only when you’re at the top of your game do you make a living specialising in just one things so you need to look at other commercial photographers in the area and see if they are also doing some food, architecture, people etc. Most companies such as a restaurant don’t just need food photos, they also need the building, the location, the interiors, the staff etc etc and for this they often go to more general commercial photographers to do the whole project. When I was a much younger commercial photographer that’s the sort of thing I was doing, a bit of everything commercial, but to a high standard and then as my career developed I became more known for a certain thing and began to specialise in that. I hope this information helps and good luck!

      1. Hi Karl.

        Thank you for your advice which I followed. I did some work on this and emailed a number of local businesses (tried to avoid large chains). Response was quite poor but those who came back to me all said roughly the same thing: “We use our family friend”, “One of our employees doing it for us”, “We use what customer shoot and what is left from the previous owner”.

        This made me think that not only there is no market for food photography in Oxford, that local businesses do not see the value in professional photography and not ready to pay for it, despite a few websites demonstrate really poor visual content. And I feel that I cannot approach large chain as they would want big names in my portfolio.

        So I am at the square one: I have no idea how to enter the market. My photography is decent and I have occasional orders (lately mostly corporate photography: headshots, photo journalism) and this is because of the old connection. And I cannot use any of that work for my portfolio either. I’ve been studying extensively for the past 3 years and polishing my skills thinking that that’s all I need. In reality, it’s all useless without marketing plan.

        Karl, could you tell more about your customers at the early stages in your career, please? How did you get orders? And would you think that cold approach (emailing, posting) would have any effect? I think nowadays people are snowed under spam and this will take a lot of work and will have a very effect (like my marketing research: I spent at least 4-5 hours finding contacts and sending personalised emails to have 4 responses back).

        Many thanks
        Kseniia

        1. Hi Kseniia, yes that sounds disappointing of course and things have changed since when I started out, people are busier and pay less attention. But I also don’t know what level of marketing you are putting in? You said you emailed a number of local clients? You emailed them? No one looks at emails or replies to cold call emails! Also how many did you email? 10, 100, 1000? A return response on a direct mail marketing campaign will be less than 3%. When I used to market myself to new businesses it was done by direct mail with brochures, postcards, or printed sheets (that cost money to produce) I would then spend a week creating mailing labels and packing them into envelopes, the post and envelopes would cost many hundreds. I would then send out to around 1000 business and I might get 10 positive inquiries back that would turn into 4 actual jobs and then I would chase many of the other key prospects by telephone asking them if they had received my brochure etc etc and it was an ongoing campaign that lasted for months. If I managed to bring in 10 clients from 1000 mailshots then the money earned from those 10 clients would recoup the money I had spent and make a profit. I also kept a detailed database spreadsheet of everyone I sent to and who I’d called and who had responded etc etc.

          I also don’t know the standard of your work so it’s hard to say what reaction it might get compared to others in the market. From your email though it doesn’t sound like you have really conducted a proper marketing campaign because in your own words you say you’ve just ’emailed a number of local businesses’ that in itself sounds like a waste of time. I get businesses email me everyday and they all end up in my spam and I barely pay any of them any attention even if they do end up in my inbox.

          Also if you’re targeting companies that can rely solely on friends and staff photos then they don’t sound like credible businesses that would even need photography. It’s obviously very hard for me to ascertain your situation but my questions would be 1. How good are you really? 2. If you are good and your work is good then credible customers would be able to see that (regardless of whether you had shot for big brands), I won some big brands before I’d shot for big brands. 3. Are you really putting enough effort into your marketing as it doesn’t sound like it based on what you have described. 4. Is there a market for what you are trying to achieve in your area (supply and demand), maybe there isn’t and you need to look elsewhere? Send me a link to your website/portfolio please.

          1. Hi Karl.

            Thank you for coming back to me. Apologies, I was not exactly clear in my last message: it was the response to your previous advice to me how to figure out demand in Oxford.
            This is why it was “I sent a few emails (I think around 30)”, because it was not a service offer, just a question about who does photography for them.
            It was very helpful as looks like there is no much demand for photo work (at least among the companies I was targeting).
            I am very grateful for your advice about the demand: it was an eye-opener (as well your info about the scale of the marketing one should expect to do!). I think I never realised how much marketing work needs to be done and focusing only on polishing photo skills.
            It’s a lot to think about and definitely will try to find niches with a higher demand.

            I am happy to share my website once it is ready and would appreciate your critique. I am bulging it myself and it’s a bit of a mess right now to be honest. Also, I was told before that product photographer should never have headshots on the website and vice versa. So I was torn about what to choose as the main direction for the website (lately did mostly headshots and conferences, but want to do product and/or food). It seams from your message, that all what can be useful for the companies of my target should be fine.

  7. mgilvey

    Hello Karl,

    Before COVID, I was doing well for five years, shooting for an international plumbing product manufacturer. Then COVID, then crickets. They have renewed my contract each year, but since COVID, I haven’t received a thing to photograph. I’ve tried searching in my local library for manufacturers in my area, going about 100miles but didn’t find anything; I think they exist; I’m just not targeting the right keywords, I guess. I’m trying to find companies that manufacture some kind of product to photograph—where should I look? I’m in the Washington, DC, area. The company I was shooting for actually found me, not the other way around. They found me because, at the time, I was doing SEO work when most photographers were just putting photos on their home pages, so I ranked higher than them.

    1. Hi, it’s a tough one. Your SEO strategy worked so hopefully you can regroup and keep that running effectively. If it was me (and this was before the internet as I actually did this) I would be setting aside 3 days of driving and visiting industrial business parks, industrial zones etc that you’ve identified from Google maps satellite view or listings. For example most companies that make stuff need pretty big premises so can usually be found together on large industrial parks. A drive around these or using google maps can help you name plate and identify lots of them. Make a note on the map of who is who and what they do and then target them with the appropriate marketing material and follow up meetings.

  8. Hi Karl,

    As an entrepreneur I am a newbie, although over the years some of my photos have been published via a stock photography agency, among others in textbooks and a well-known British daily newspaper (thus meeting their standards).

    In two months time I will be traveling to Thailand for a few weeks, and of course taking a lot of photos in that exotic location. Speculatively, I would like to offer my best travel shots for sale, for example for the travel industry or any suitable publications. I will surely apply what I have learned from KTE.

    Suppose I come back with a number of good photos. What advice can you give me business-wise, in making the most of such an opportunity, to get some sales, market my services, and network with useful people – starting from not being known in the field?

    Best regards,
    Hannu

    1. Hi Hannu, I’m afraid the competition in this area is very fierce and it will mostly come from the established stock libraries. I would first review all the stock images you can to assess the standard and then see if you can bring something new to the market, new point of view, updated images, more interest etc etc and then those images will give editors browsing stock libraries more choice.

  9. Hi Karl. I want to start building my product portfolio on my website. Are there any copyright issues with photographing branded products and displaying them on my website?

    1. Hi Will, generally this isn’t a problem as long as you don’t put the brand name as a separate layer on top of the photo to make it look like it was an official advert. The only thing of course is that if the brand is made to look bad then it could be asked to be removed but if the standard of photography is good then it is just free exposure for the brand.

  10. Hi, Karl!

    I’m rewatching this and trying to focus on doing a business plan of some sort. These are amazing tips.

    I feel like I do and have done a lot of these things that you mention, which is probably why I stay somewhat steady with work.

    I also feel, however, that it seems to be getting harder and harder to get or maintain work. There are a few reasons that I see first hand, one is that the market seems to be flooding with food and product photographers. I’ve noticed some of them actually market that they are ‘iPhone Photographers’, which I don’t know how to feel about… but, it seems that the market has been a bit watered down and devalued.

    It also seems that certain clients have become very reluctant to spend money on photography since the pandemic. That could just be where I am in Texas, but, I’m definitely noticing it.

    Are you seeing these trends as well?

    Do you have any tips or ideas that you might add to what you’ve already mentioned here, if so?

    Thank you as always for your guidance!

  11. Levision

    Hi Karl!

    After I watched this video I decided to go to the nearest pastry shop. I asked for the newest cake which has never been photographed. Also I asked for the owner mobil and email address.

    I’ve never shoot food so I watched your video about “Dessert Photography: Raspberry Dessert Photoshoot” then I took few photos of the cake I bought. I sent it to the owner with a little message, how importan is to have good photo and etc… . I allowed her to put the photo on their social platforms and it went really well, She liked it and asked me to take photos of all the cakes they have :))

    It wouldn’t happen if I don’t see your videos. 🙂

    Thanks a lot!
    Levi from Hungary

  12. Hi, Karl,

    I love this segment! I am wondering how relevant you think that actual brochures still are. I have one I designed and was planning to potentially order and send out to lots of places (restaurants, ad agencies, food brands, catering companies, etc…), but, also, not sure if you think a paper brochure is outdated at this point?

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Allison, I actually think in a world awash with digital noise, emails, facebook ads, online marketing that it’s very refreshing to receive something tangible in the mail. I know personally I get lots of photographers or assistants applying for work every year most of them by email with links or photos but when you receive a well presented letter with a book/portfolio it gets your attention and you usually keep it kicking around in your office for a while whereas digital is lost in the inbox within 48 hours. The only problem is that it is a more expensive marketing method.

      1. Hi, Karl,

        That was pretty much exactly my thought process on it, and so glad you validated it. Refreshing, and also a chance to do something a bit different and not get lost in the ethers of the digital world.

        Thank you!

  13. Gary Stasiuk

    Hey Karl,
    I’m at a point where I need to decide on a plan for marketing. But the budget is slim. I’m thinking local market product photography, with possible corporate work, portraits, environmental profession depending of the business. My list includes business cards, website, postcards and a physical portfolio. I get the feeling I must visit many potential clients to provide a face and a personal touch and leave behind postcards as opposed to just a business card. All marketing media funnelled back to the website of course. Concerning the spec work, which in my case is a viable opportunity and I have been working with this model in mind. I have only sent images to one client without success, but I believe I’ve learned from my mistakes, and that potential client was just a growing phase possibility. But I want to revisit this form of marketing.

    Size of file. Are you sending the full size image? I was sending a reasonable large file (2000px min), but not full size. I’ve sent high quality jpg mostly because I am never sure how savvy they are at viewing a tiff or even a png. Full size files cans be substantial attachments and anything large as an attachment can be a concern to some people. Last thing I want to happen in the file is binned without even a single view. I also think it is important to target the marketing department. To find the right person with the right pair of eyes. Any additional words of advice in these areas?

    1. Hi Gary, all of the top paragraph of what you say is correct in your approach but in the second paragraph I’ve never sent a speculative image in digital form I’ve always sent them a physical print along with a card and a letter.

  14. Hi Karl,

    thank you for this video.
    Would you prior call a client or send an e-mail before sending a brochure?
    I am targeting the beauty sector and just launched a new website, printed new business cards etc, but I am not sure how to begin now. Until today the clients I got are mostly local fashion clients (and I am a Master Photography student) but I tried to build up my beauty portfolio during the last months because I want to get bigger and different clients.

    Thank you in advance and regards
    Christin

    1. Hi Cristin, for me it’s best to send the brochure/portfolio of your images to them first because it then gives a purpose to the call and if they like your work they are going to be happier to speak to you and hopefully recognise your name and take the call. If you just call them out of the blue with no reference then I think it’s going to be too difficult to generate a conversation where they actually believe in you.

      1. Shimmy

        Hi Karl,

        First of all, thank you again for this amazing website ana an even better value it provides.
        I have a question about speculating part and sending images to the clients you wish to win. You said to send them a free photo with an example of what you can do. Would you send them this photograph in full resolution and no watermarks/logos, basically a photo that they can immediately use if they wish to (or maybe they can not anyway? I am not sure about that part) or would you kind of “protect” your work and kind of show them what you offer but without the possibility that they can use it? I hope you understand what I mean.

        Regards,
        Vanya

        1. Hi Vanya, thank you for your comments much appreciated. If you send them a print there isn’t much they can do with it because it is difficult to copy a print to use it for anything commercial and I would put my name small in the corner like I do on my website images https://karltaylor.com/ But it depends on your marketing strategy, if the image is of no use to you commercially, for example you took a picture of a bottle of their wine and sent it to them, then it might be useful foot in the door to say ‘hey if you like this image you can use it for free but please come and speak to me about your next shoot!’

  15. Hi Karl,
    I’d like to use my name for branding but my last name is what the young folks would refer to as a “dumpster fire.” What would be your advice in this situation?

    Thanks for all the time and effort you put in on your coursework.

    1. Hi Josh, that’s an interesting one and I’m sure there are many people with names or surnames that don’t have the right ring to them to be used as a business title. But you can still be creative with your first name alone….. josh.com, joshvisuals, joshimages, etc and develop your brand just on that in some ways it could be quite novel and simple and be easy for people to remember.

  16. Hi Karl,

    I’m just about to set up my website and so this video was very useful, thank you. I’m interested in what medium you use to transfer images to clients. There are many website providers that include a facility for photographs to be downloaded on payment, but I’m just interested in whether this is the best option. Thank you.

    2. Hi Karl,

      Thank you for a very useful course . My work is based mostly in tourism agencies ,magazines, brochures , etc. ( travel & landscape )

      Due to the pandemic , I had to open my ratio of work , doing portrait and some small entrepreneurs shops photos, but , all my social media and my website is focused on landscape and travel .

      Should I create a new Instagram account for this type of work ? or Just a little section called ” portraits” in my website would be enough?

      Everybody knows me for my “travel and landscape ” so, I dont know how to face a new line of work just because , travelling is suspended.

      Thank you so much ! A Hug From Patagonia.

      1. Hi, I personally don’t think it’s necessary unless you are concerned that you need to market yourself solely as a travel photographer?

  17. Hello from good ol boy world.

    How do you combat the quality dosent matter but its who you know? I live in an area where i am the only one shooting sports. I donate photos to the news paper when they cannot attend a game. With that i still dont get the team photos. The same person gets all those and yet the parents hate the pics every year. I dont even get asked if i will do it, What I charge anything. I am lucky to shoot 3 kids all year for senior pics. Im traveling as far as 100 miles for that. The coment I get is I didnt know you shot portraits. Yet the portrait photos are all over my facebook and instagram. No real way to not see my work if you seen my sports photos.

    1. Hi Norm, thanks for your question. I have a live show next Thursday ‘Business Advice for Photographers’ so I’m going to bring your question up then and answer it on the show.

  18. Greetings Karl. This course is so very informative as I explore getting started in the photography business. Regarding speculating, if I send a photo to a company of one of their products and they wish to use that photo in a campaign, should I then expect them to pay for the photo or should I consider that photo as a ‘gift’ to the company and hope that they send work my way in future?

    1. Hi Darrien, that’s a good question and it depends on the amount of usage and the size of the company etc. Letting them use it can be a good building block to a future relationship but on the other hand if they are Gucci and want to use it on a campaign all over the world then you should consider negotiating a fee! 😊 – They don’t have the right to use it, it is still your image but you will have to weigh up the future value of either option.

  19. i lean many things from every video you you post , i have a question is it ok to photograph brands and post it in your website and social media ( i mean even if you didn’t actually worked with them)

    1. Hi Fadi, yes many photographers do this. Brands generally won’t have a problem as long as you don’t overlay their logo on top and the picture is good and doesn’t represent them in a bad way.

  20. Do I need a very strong portfolio to get hired by the agencies? Or do I to hire a marketing person who can get some leads for the business? This makes me frustrated sometimes, even if I can do better product photography then many other competitors, I don’t get many clients. Can you please guide me with this?

    Thanks in anticipation.
    -Bhavyesh

    1. Hi.

      1. Yes, without doubt a photographers agency is never going to hire anyone without the strongest of portfolios – I talked about that in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_17IIVoZ5c
      2. Only you can answer whether you get a marketing person
      3. It sounds like you have uncertainty; either in the standard of your own work or the ability to market yourself. Watch the video I’ve given you the link to.

  21. Hello Karl,
    when you send those postcards, do you wait for an occasion? what do you write on them? do they recieve it well? wish we can see a sample of that

    1. Hi, know there is no occassion they were just nicely designed cards that had an introduction message and a striking image on one side. Then follow that with a phone call a week later.

  22. Hi Karl, thank you and your team for the awesome course, finally something helpful about the business in photography! My girlfriend and I are started a business in product photography, and still wondering about what name should we use. you said in the video that the first and last name is the best choice, but as we are 2 peoplem it would be way too long… so we were thinking about a more generic name related to photography, or just our initials (MD Photography). For me it’s a bit too basic, but do you think this would be the best choice anyway ? Thanks a lot again for all the infos and the document to downloads! Can’t wait to watch your next videos !
    Max.

    1. Hi, I once nearly went into business with another photographer and we were going to use both our last names as the business name. I guess if that doesn’t work for you then you will have to consider your alternatives.

      1. Thank you Karl for your reply. Well, it’s gonna be quite complicated to remember if we both use our polish names and really long for a logo. (Tabol – Tuczapski) haha.
        Would you rather use the initials instead of a generic name like “Lightbox” (just an example) ? Or the opposite ?
        Have a great day!

  23. Hello Karl Sir, Your tutorials are absolutely wonderful but i have a question that why would a client give a commerical job to a photographer who doesn’t has his/her own studio vs where there would be other photographers who got their own studios & the studio rental part would be saved by the client. What are your views on it?

    1. Hi I think most clients base their decision on the quality of the work that the see from a potential photographer, their level of experience and responsibility and how well they think that photographer will match what they want to achieve. With commercial clients they are only interested in one thing; will this photographers work help make me more money.

    1. Hi William, I’m afraid I’ve got no idea as the one I’ve got was made in London more than 15 years ago. I’d search for acrylic and leather personalised photographers printed portfolios and see what comes up.

  25. Hello Karl,

    Very helpful and informative videos as always.

    Quick question. Do you have a plan for when you retire?

    A business with a generic name could be sold, but maybe a bit tricker as a photographer. I understand you can build wealth throughout your career and you could sell your assets, but I guess not the business its self?

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Matt, Thankyou. I don’t think I want to stop shooting as it’s my passion so i’ll probably reduce my workload and maybe run a few workshops and continue with some consultancy work. It’s very hard for photographers to sell a business that is ‘them’ or under their name but sometimes they can train another photographer to take over the business and introduce them to the clients etc etc and sell it as a business with equipment and good will. The business in most cases is the years of building relationships and keeping clients and if you can introduce those clients to another photographer over time that they can come to trust then you have something to sell to that photographer.

  26. Hi Karl,

    I’ve been getting on the phone working down my long list of Ad agencies. Generally speaking I’m finding that the receptionists will tend to ask me to send an email with my information and I wont get put through to anyone. Is this just par for the course or is there a way round this? Also, if I know the name of the CD for that company is it worth asking to speak directly with them?

    Many thanks.

    Best wishes
    Will

    1. Hi Will, yes that is just par for the course, if you have the name of the CD or an art director then that will help and try and get through to them especially if that is the one you sent the direct mail to.

  27. Hello Karl

    Have finally signed up with your course and can’t wait to get started.

    I have a Photoshelter template website and looking at either having a stand alone site or look at squarespace ? Whilst i’m happy with the way the site looks, its getting little traffic,and in turn few leads. With the squarespace site you use how do you optimise/ promote to get more traffic ?

    Regards

    David

    1. Hi David, thanks for signing up but the honest answer is I’ve never relied on SEO as I’ve done all my business through my own marketing. I believe Squarespace has some tutorials on it on their own website.

  28. Thanks Karl, that’s good to know, I’ll be sure to get on the phone to them this week then. Best wishes Will

  29. Hi Karl,

    I’ve just done my first direct mailout to the ad agencies with an A5 flyer/cover letter etc., and I was wondering what the best follow up plan would be, I was thinking maybe contacting them again by email in a month or so?

    Also, do you think paid google ads are a good idea for a product photographer, or is it better just putting money into B2B direct mailing?

    Many thanks.

    Best wishes
    Will

    1. Hi Will, you have to be a bit bolder, one month is way to long. If a person receives the mailer on their desk, they would have forgotten about it within 2 weeks. I’d also pick up the phone and ask to speak to them in person while they likely still have it on their desk. This is often difficult to do, I remember worrying about it back 20 years ago but I just did it and it open many more opportunities just getting to speak to someone personally.

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