No photographer can understand how to market their work by themselves. Almost all of us who have successfully navigated the path to making our passion a career, has done so with the help of a photography marketing consultant.
Back in the late 80's, Deanne Delbridge helped me compose my first professional-looking marketing materials. I needed promos that looked like I had a clue, and I had to learn how to prospect for leads and find potential clients. I couldn't have launched a professional photography career without her.
Every few years since I have made it a priority to check in with a pro. Over the years I've worked with Maria Piscopo, Elyse Weisberg, Bobbi Wendt and Susan Baraz. They've all been essential in their own way. Today I met with Louisa Curtis, who hosted the APA art buyers panel last night. Photographer websites were the subject of the evening―what works, what doesn't. By the end of the evening I concluded that I had a website that doesn't.
Five years ago, when I launched it, it probably did work. But five years is like a geologic epoch in this business, and it's time to move on. Louisa was useful to help me frame the next step. She said that the imagery wasn't a problem, and that I'm a better editor of my own work than most. But presentation and organization are significant barriers to getting noticed by people whom I want to notice me.
I've concluded it's time to join the Livebooks cohort. They seem the smartest outfit out there for photography websites, and they have a lot of credibility among art buyers. They have just started a monthly $39 program, a big savings over their $2,000 custom package, and if I decide I can stand their standard templates, it might be the way I'll go.
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