Marketing Monday - Becoming a Publicity Machine

I started this series at ShutterFest last April and then let it morph into a few blog posts. Well, it's time to hit number six on this list, "Publicity". There's so much to this topic, and it's so critical to building your business and your brand. 

"What good is working so hard if nobody knows who you are?"

Sadly, a lot of you think publicity just randomly happens. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. While there are obviously things that make it into the news on their own, they're at the extremes and usually catastrophic in nature. 

Announcements and events related to your business need to be shared manually - there is no auto or "P" mode!  For example, ever pick up the local paper or visit your community website online and see a story about one of your competitors? That story or photograph is in the news because they worked to get it there. The days of journalists driving around the community looking for things to write about died with Jimmy Olson and Superman!

The biggest challenge is always the same - looking for things that are newsworthy. Most of the time I hear photographers say, "There's nothing here to write about!" The truth is, there's always something to write about, and the odds are good that at some point, if you're patient, a local publication will pick up the story. 

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In this month's issue of Shutter Magazine I've shared a whole list of things you need to do to become a publicity machine and even several templates you're welcome to plagiarize. My article has far more content than I have room to share in a blog post. Since the online version of Shutter Magazine is FREE, just click the link below to sign up and read the full story, starting on page 134. 

With every article online there's a video supporting the theme. The video above was my way to make the point about publicity, and it's so true. If you don't make a little noise on your own, then you might as well join me in a corn field in Nebraska! Think of it as me doing my version of "Where's Waldo"! Trust me, I'm back there somewhere.

Oh, and while you're enjoying the online edition, check out the opportunity to get it in hard copy each month. It's a stunning magazine loaded with great content to help you raise the bar on the quality of every aspect of your business as a professional photographer. Plus, with an "Elite+" subscription, check out the savings from a long list of incredible vendors!

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