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After many years as a photojournalist in Bowling Green, Kentucky, focused on the daily lives of people in his community, Austin Anthony is transitioning into the commercial sector of the photography industry. His focus on authentic portraiture and humanity continues to inform the advertising imagery he has been creating for local, regional, and national brands. To help build his client base and network of contacts during this transition process, he signed up for our Client Introductions service to receive a list of 100 verified contacts.
As I got to know Austin through his questionnaire answers and our initial meeting, I recognized many similarities in how we found our niches within the photography industry. We both approach storytelling through the lens of experience and understanding. Although I entered the industry as a documentarian and journalist, professionally, I was a commercial photographer for over fifteen years, working with clients including NBC Universal, Comcast, and the University of Pennsylvania. As an experienced freelance photographer, I personally encountered many of the issues facing photographers at all stages of their careers, from production and brand development to marketing and growth.
The typical Client Introductions process involves reading through the photographer’s initial questionnaire to discover their goals from the introductions and where they are in their career, then using that information to craft a list of possible companies. The benefits are getting an outsider’s perspective, as well as an unbiased view of what’s possible. By freeing themselves from the need to research and crawl through websites and LinkedIn, they can focus on being creative, which is their strongest skill.
Austin has a good understanding of his local network and his capabilities. He’s ready to expand his business and just needed assistance getting to the right path. His goals with this project were client outreach and communication, and broadening his network to larger, national brands. He also expressed interest in experimenting with cold calls from someone other than himself.
In my research, I focused on the geographic areas: Bowling Green, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Louisville. Within that area, I refined our focus specifically on Industrial contacts. Our database uncovered many companies that fit well with Austin’s characteristics, including brands like Stansell Electric, Black Diamond Equipment, Doe-Anderson, and Red Kap. Overall, Austin felt good about the list of 100 contacts and only made some minor adjustments to the first draft I sent.
Next, I sent an outreach email to every contact on the list. This included a brief introduction to the photographer, a link to his portfolio, and asked if they would be interested in a call with the photographer. We keep our emails short and concise, often with a graphic or image to showcase the photographer’s skills.
Then, we send out follow-up emails to any contact who doesn’t open the email within five days, gently inquiring whether they had an opportunity to see the photographer’s portfolio. Most of the time, our client contacts are just busy and forget to look. Anytime a contact expressed interest in seeing more work or meeting the photographer, I copied Austin on the reply for a proper introduction. At that point, it’s up to the photographer to continue the conversation.
Lou was great to work with, he was responsive and flexible and sent the emails in a timely manner. The revising of the list went smoothly and the replacement clients he picked were good choices.
Overall, the campaign did well, with a 21.6% open rate and several interested responses. The list build was a good start for Austin to continue outreach on his own. It helped him see what’s possible by breaking through barriers. There may not have been an immediate success in the form of a new assignment, but this project helped Austin get his portfolio in front of new eyes, which is every photographer’s goal. Ultimately, we were able to reach out to 100 new contacts for Austin’s photography business. He now has those contacts in his network, even if they move on to other companies and industries.
See more tips from the experts @wonderful_at_work
Further Reading
Case Studies: Client Introductions
Expert Advice: Marketing Misconceptions
Specialty: Brand Narrative Photography