During tough economic times, it’s easy to get discouraged by poor sales. Below is the seventh of ten specific things you can do starting today that will give your business the boost it needs to survive:

Click here if you missed part 1 , part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 or part 6

Take advantage of viral marketing

Viral marketing is the new online term for word of mouth. A unique product or service is “discovered” online, people write and talk about it, and some call to place an order. Multiply this by a hundred or a thousand, and viral marketing can be the most cost-effective marketing you can accomplish.

Two good examples of viral marketing in the photographic industry are Trash the Dress and Urban Grunge senior portraits. Because of the Internet, thousands of people saw examples of these new styles of photography, resulting in new products that lead to increased sales.

How can you use viral marketing?

• Create your own buzz. Recently I learned about a photographer who was able to get the Main Street in their home town closed off so it could be used as a backdrop for the high school cheerleader’s photo shoot. The entire community started talking and got involved: police, fire, and downtown businesses. I read about another photographer who took photos of Iraqi soldiers, printed them as life-sized cardboard cutouts, and gave them away to the soldier’s children. The local newspaper found out about it, and the story (and photos) appeared nationwide.
• Find a parade and get in front of it. We’ve all met part-time photographers who volunteer to take publicity shots for the local theatre group or sports team for free. If these are opportunities for viral marketing, volunteer for them yourself. A local group will always chose a talented professional photographer like you. You’re not giving your work away for free if you trade it for marketing that creates a “buzz” and is guaranteed to be seen by potential customers.
• Let your passion lead you. If you have a passion on a subject, figure out how to tie it to your business. For example, if you love animals, offer to photograph abandoned pets for your local animal shelter. Then take portrait-quality photographs of the animals for use online. Let the shelter sell the limited edition prints as a fundraiser. Not only will your work be seen by potential customers, but a portion of it can be written off as a charitable contribution.
• Watch for new trends. Even if you aren’t ready to invent the latest trend in photography, you can still attach yourself to the latest trends offered by photographers in larger metro markets. This means reading online blogs, subscribing to photography magazines, and watching for new trends. When a new trend comes along, don’t wait to see if it works for somebody else before you’re willing to try it. Here’s a tip: if you can take a class on a new technique, chances are that your competitors started offering it last year. The buzz is over.

It is not enough to hold an event that has viral marketing potential. You need to publicize before and after the event, attach your name to it, and encourage others to talk about it. Even then, not every viral marketing strategy will be successful. But consider this: one great viral marketing idea can make your reputation as a photographer for years to come.

Tags: marketing in tough times

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 21st, 2009 at 12:57 pm and is filed under marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.