to think that at least one person could have turned up?

[pamelat]

My SIL had an event today, she and her friend run a small photography business (weddings and children). They hired the village hall and spent £100's on promotional leaflets and no one turned up.

It was a free photo shoot (I know a lot of people offer this now a days) and they thought it was good timing for Christmas.

They were offering no obligation photos with framed prints starting from £25.

I had got my antenatal friend to sell her books there too and a large provider of childrens toys was also there selling things for Christmas.

Do you think this is the credit crunch? or would you not have gone regardless?

It was 10am - 3pm and I left at 2pm and not one person had turned up, other than our friends to have a cup of tea with us.

I know big photography companies (won't name names) are very popular at the moment but she really is as good as those

shame pileto but I think astropup is right,people are jaded by the venture marketing

wherabouts are you btw

I'd come tomorrow if you were near

is Venture that one with all action shots and white backgrounds?
If so I detest them, really stilted, fake and trying too hard.

would not have gone in a million years - sorry

reasons:

1. I associate free photoshoots with scams

2. wrong location - would be concerned that it was a suck-people-in ploy by god-botherers

rather than getting people to come to her (cause they wont) maybe she should go to them

i.e. local marets / fayres / events / shops etc - take a free pic and give them a link and password so they can look and see if they want to buy it

200 leaflets is actually not much. A friend in marketing told me once that a 1-2% return on flyers is actually a good result. So if you dished out 200, at best you could expect 2 - 4 people. Add in the other factors - e.g. bad weather, people's suspicions about 'free' photo shoots, an unfamiliar/ out of the way venue with no passing 'traffic' (e.g. shoppers) and it looks like it was doomed to failure, sorry!

Also how many of those local houses you leafleted actually had kids? Your marketing wasn't particularly well targeted.

There are some great suggestions in the posts above. But FWIW here's my two-pence worth ...

1. If people are suspicious of the large agencies, then the fact that your SIL's business is a small, local family-friendly business should be a selling point, and it would be a good idea to mention this in the marketing. Do your SIL or kids have kids? If so maybe mention this too, to reinforce the idea it's family-friendly.

1. Do some market research. You say "We had asked about 20 friends with children to come along too but they weren't very interested." If you think they will be honest with you, and you can cope with the harsh truth - whatever it is - then ask your friends to tell you honestly what stopped them going, make sure they know you won;t get offended, and LISTEN to them! (Or perhaps get someone more neutral to do it?) |If you want to take it further, go to public places and speak to people about your business ideas - do they think it's a good idea, would they come? (While handing out contact details, and taking their details if trhey are interested).

1. The flyers route seems expensive. You've aleady spent hundreds, but it looks like you'd need to hand out thousands to get a result. Have a think about cheaper, better targeted ways of getting a result. Can you make use of any organisations who already know you / your SIL?

1. Your SIL should learn more about marketing a small business. Get a book. Look at Business Link www.businesslink.gov.uk they give loads of practical advice for small businesses including marketing stuff.

1. If you do do it again, what about offering a range of products designed to be Christmas gifts (it's the right time of year!)

Companies like www.photobox.co.uk make all sorts of things with your photos, like Christmas cards, diaries, calendars, photos on canvas, etc. (I know these can look quite tacky when done with non-professional pics, but when done with good quality pics they can look great). This might create some more orders (once you've cracked getting the people to turn up!) by tapping into the Christmas market, without any outlay, as you only order what you want from the website, when you want it.

1. Offer pics without frames. People will have different taste in frames, and also if you are only making a fiver from the framed pics, why not sell unframed for 7 (or 10) thus making more profit while also offering a lower priced option?

Phew! I think I got a bit carried away there

"200 leaflets is actually not much. A friend in marketing told me once that a 1-2% return on flyers is actually a good result."

I thought this too - my FIL leaflets for his painting and decorating business and gets one, maybe 2 clients from 500ish leaflets. He knows this and ropes everyone in when he does it, its a dusk till dawn all hands on desk operation for him to get enough clients to keep him goin for a while.

all hands on deck not desk
bloody pregnancy brain

I would have thought that something in the Church newsletter aimed at Grandparents would have been more use than 200 leaflets.

And deffo getting people to make appointments - probably another reason that people didn't bother is because they thought they would have to wait.

Donating some money to the charity (even if in reality it was only the money to hire the room) is always a good way to make it look unscam like.

I probably would have gone along to something like this if it was clear that it was a small business/no pressure etc. Venture are a complete pain in the arse, I had gazillions of phonecalls from them offering me a "free photo shoot". They were quite incredulous that I didn't want to take them up on it, yes because being rude and obnoxious in the daily bloody phonecalls I got was a very effective selling technique I eventually told them to fuck right off glad I sensed the con from the start.

I think that your SIL were charging too much for one photo. I am not sure that it was mentioned on the flyers but most of the portable photographers will do a 10 x 8 now for £10.00 and that includes the background lighting etc.

Also, I think that photography is most available to people these days. Every portrait on my walls are those I took myself. If you buy a good camera etc. you expect to get good results.

Sorry. If they had done a mini bonfire night disco and provided santa hats etc for the children maybe.

It's so hard trying to start up a business, sympathy! I do think that prices "starting from 25 pounds" would have put people off though. Most people wouldn't have thought about the cost of the frame as you can pick them up really cheap. I just paid $49 (about 22 pounds) for photos taken at DD's pre-school. That was one group photo, one 10x8 and one 9x7; they were really lovely. I certainly wouldn't have paid $180 for them though, framed or not.

I think most people would prefer to buy the photo for £5 and then choose their own frame.

Also a clear price list.

Any NCT sales on nearby - go & leaflet the queue??

The local soft play place here has a photographer in once a month.

I think by doing the FREE Offer it put people off.
The starting price of £25 I also feel is too high to attract people in. Why not charge £5 and not do the frame. Then frames can be sold separately.

How much would someone pay for one picture (which comes say as a 4x6 Print, plus a screen-res JPG for e-mail purposes)? I'd want it copyright free, so I could use the JPG as I liked. Higher res JPG would be the photographer's, which they can then use for producing larger prints, mugs, t-shirts, etc.

Think about what other services they could offer... taking pictures of children is one thing, what about adults? What about products (for those selling on e-bay for example).

It's a shame that the event didn't go well. However I feel that credit crunch will affect this kind of thing, venue may have been wrong, publicity may have been too little (leaflets in my experience - I market childcare - don't get anywhere near the response rate they did 10 years ago. Back then response rate was around 5%. These days I don't get any response... so expect it must be less than 0.5%)

How much was the tea out of interest? Drinks sales can be quite profitable... a cup/mug of tea can cost less than 20p, but sell at anything from 50p-£1.50 Coffee sells even higher, especially Latte type.

Hi all, tea was just a donation to a childrens charity, as were fairy cakes but literally no one went so there was a lot of cake to eat.

The leaflets did make reference to "non scarey female photographers" and had their website information (don't think I can post it here without it becoming an advert). Their website shows that they are a small local business.

I think lessons have been learnt

I want to see the website- I've no need for any photos now, so you wouldn't be advertising to me - and then we can tell you truthfully what we think.

Aww - go on!

I run a photo business with my DH and we tried something very similar in Sep. We sent out 800 leaflets via local childminders, so the target audience (families) was right for our photo style. Also we though that coming from childminders it would seem more trustworthy. The result, 6 families turned up, 2 were the organisers, 1 was a friend so 3 actually responded to the leaflets, 3 out of 800!!. Not even 1%.

Our next slant on this is to go via schools, show off the work before hand, the school makes on the booking fee and a commission on each sale. Also to print straight there and then, makes use of today?s "instant" approach to everything.

If you want to have a chat maybe we can exchange ideas.

Our web site needs updating; no examples of our white backdrop family style but have a look and see what you think.

www.stephenparkinson.com

Sorry your day wasn't what you hoped for; it does get rather depressing, especially when honest, fair business get tarred with the "Venture" brush. Though I totally understand why people are wary of ?free? stuff.

Go on, show us the site!

How was today?

Heck , last post may look like I'm advertising our web site, I'm not, really not, no spaces before Xmas as it is anyway.

Sorry if I've caused offence

Hiya kitty4paws do you know that your site doesn't work in Firefox?

I feel sorry no-one came but It is abit unreasonable to expect people to want a service/goods without a target market being there for it. 200 leaflets is not enough, especially if not targetted. I also am suspicious of free offers (have done some where they give you an awful one free and the best ones have to be paid for). It's also not a good time for people to be spending on non neccesities due to finances/economy. Many people are cutting back on even school photos which are alot cheaper (packs start at £9 ish usually).

Okay I work on a slightly different take.. ( portrait artist rather than photographer).

The thing IME is to get the word of mouth going.. do a few cheaper jobs..and passing you ful price price list and contact details to them for friends.

Also working with children.. get a CRB check and advertise that you have one.

Look on the web for different competitions and enter everything you can. Local and national.

Have a chat with local hotels who hold weddings etc and ask them if they will recommend you.

And lastly get yourselves ( your friends in this case) in the local press.. whether it be for offers.. or competiotins you have won etc.. because it's about getting yourself known.

I love looking at photographer's websites so go on Pamelat link (unless you rather not, of course )

Yours are fab kitty4paws , I love the pg & newborn shots and that one of the girl by the pond. Hereford unfortunately not my neck of the woods.

Thanks for the heads up Lowrib , I'll get DH to have a look at it .

Hi all

Sunday was slightly better (2 people turned up)

I have asked mumsnet if I can post the website address and have been told no. I have however asked SIL if she will pay £30 to advertise it

By the way, I'm nothing to do with her business other than being a free support function. Its ideal because I have a 10 month old and she doesn't have children yet.

Have seen MIL today and she says that she "knew" this would happen. Oooopps, bet she will tell SIL that too. Glad I wont be there for that conversation.