3 quotes from Seth Godin on Marketing your Photography Business

Here at Fotoskribe, we peruse content of all kinds, and lately I have been on a Podcast listening binge. Because we cater to photographers and other creative professionals, I tend to listen to business podcasts focusing on entrepreneurship and marketing. My new favorite is the Startup Podcast from Alex Blumberg of NPR Fame, I caught up with the 5 episodes quickly and now I eagerly wait for Tuesdays. So while I waited, I found Seth Godin’s Startup School, and right from the first episode “Freelancer or Entrepreneur?” I was hooked. He explains the process of starting a business – any business – very clearly and succinctly.

Then Seth got to talking about marketing, and really broke it down. You see, for photographers, blogging is free marketing. But marketing can be a really scary term. For me – it evokes images of teams of marketers working for big fortune 500 companies. While those teams do exist, photographers as soloprenuers can be marketers too, especially the way Seth Godin describes it. So I’ve included 3 quotes from him on marketing and how you can apply it to your photography business.

“Marketing is telling a story about your value that resonates enough with people that they want to give you money.”

Why should a bride or a mother choose your photography services rather than someone elses to capture their memories and events? Because they perceive value in you. How do you add value to your services? Blogging offers you an opportunity to showcase your images and discuss your feelings about those images. If gives you a chance to tell the story in your own words. When you share those blogs on social media, the conversation continues as your clients and perspective clients have an opportunity to add their thoughts. The more your images are shared and discussed, the more your perceived value increases.

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make but about the stories you tell.”

What better stories than the ones your images create? By blogging those stories, you are sharing them with your existing clients – making them feel loved and appreciated, and you are sharing them with your potential clients – showcasing the moments that you capture in the hopes that it will resonate with them so that they want you to capture their memories.

“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic.”

This one is my favorite, and is especially applicable to photographers. You are not just selling pictures, you are selling memories. And with the help of Photoshop, sometimes a little magic. What you do is so valuable. The moments you capture become precious memories. Don’t be afraid to romance that! Make sure you blog about it so that you can share these memories, stories and magic with the world.

I hope these marketing quotes inspire you to tell your stories on your blog, and use them as part of a full marketing plan. If you need help sharing these testimonies of your work on a regular and consistent basis, contact us to let us blog with you.