When it comes to the photo industry, there are some big mistakes you can make: spending all your money on gear, neglecting your personal work, or not knowing your niche or unique selling point. These mistakes take time to correct. But there are also tiny mistakes that can be fixed in a matter of minutes. This edition of the Feature Shoot newsletter is devoted to the latter. Read on for ten little things you can do (or avoid doing) to make a big difference.
Mistake #1: Forgetting a call to action.
Your website is your business card, so make that first impression count with some sort of call to action. It can be as simple as a “Book Now” button or a pop-up form where people can subscribe to your newsletter. Maybe it’s a prompt to explore your print shop. Whatever you choose, the idea is to create something of value that will encourage people to take that next step toward becoming clients.
Mistake #2: Sending generic emails.
Most publications make it easy to find the appropriate contact person and touch base with them directly. In that case, a personally addressed email is always better than a generic “To whom it may concern.” Another thing we sometimes see are emails where multiple publications are copied in the same email thread. Please avoid doing this; it feels like a spam email. Of course, it’s okay to email a bunch of publications–just take the time to email each individually.