Analysis

[storm7]

Here goes

Web Site 60%
Yellow Pages 3%
Referalls 20%
Martin Stembridge 0.75% :rolleyes:
Associate / Friend 10%
Trade Alliances 6.25%

[Stemmy]

I find that really odd. Maybe your yellow pages doesnt get used as much as mine but 3% seems really low.

I would say I get about 20% from the yellow pages. I have just placed larger ads in the Bolton and Bury magazines.

I would say around 50% now come from recomendations.

And the rest from the website and other forms of advertising.

Craig Cooke referal rate - 0% (I can hear that noise from Family Fortunes).

[storm7]

I've had about two telephone calls in 6 months :eek: - both starting with -'Whats your cheapest wedding photography please' -

Me - 'I'm booked, sorry'

[Stemmy]

I probably get 5 to 10 phonecalls a week. I agree with what you say there are a few "Tyre Kickers" who are just shopping for the cheapest photographer they can find. I do the same as you "Already Booked", a couple of times even before they have told me the date :eek: .

I do get quite a few jobs from it though. I am currently going to push more the criminal injuries photography. No stress good money.

Just increased my ad in Bolton and Bury. Bury mag came out last week and i have had about ten calls so far. I think it is worth the money as one wedding booking pays for the advert for the year.

[Matt Needham]

I've had about two telephone calls in 6 months :eek: - both starting with -'Whats your cheapest wedding photography please'

Talking to some other local photographers they have similar experiences; the only people looking through the phone book are looking for the cheapest photographer they can get. There are at least 6 different phone books used in my area, and each one costs several times what my website costs. All of my customers in the last 2 years have come through my website or word or mouth.

[tonymidd]

This may work for some of you, I used to say something like ' we offer quality and value for money not the lowest prices' this discourages the 'tyre kickers'.

[Gadget]

Guess I'm slightly different in that all my work is business to business, as a result i don't do very much advertising at all but do a lot a of networking....the trick is not to sell to the person in front of you but get them to open up there custmoer list without them realising they are doing it.
I've got an optimised website for the area I live in.....p1 pos1 on google for a uk search on photogs in northampton.
i regularly harass the business editor of the local paper, welli did used to work with him, and have had regular articles in the local business magazines.

Yellow pages....bugger all
online directories.....the odd sniff
stratigic partners (printers, webdesign, event orgs).....pretty good
referrals and recommendation......loads and loads and loads....of course they don't all turn into work

[Wineman]

My bride on Friday stated within 2 mins of me arriving that "there is a couple here getting married in October so they are very keen to see what you do today" Lovely jubbly! I picked out who they where and made sure I got some really nice shots of them.

Have to wait and see now!