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For many years, Joshua Bright covered a wide range of assignments as a freelance photographer for The New York Times. He has documented historic moments and iconic people, breaking news, and has worked across the paper’s Arts, Lifestyle, and Travel sections, and more. His striking images have been seen by people the world over. Joshua recently moved back to the UK with his family with the intention to enter a new phase in his career. In returning to his home country, he wanted to focus more, whether for commercial or editorial clients, on storytelling with a purpose. He signed up for our Marketing Partner service to help him determine who those clients are, develop a strategy to connect with them, and build the foundation for the next chapter in his career.
I have been working in the photo community for over 25 years, with the majority of that time at National Geographic. I have always supported photographers in this difficult industry through introductions or mentoring, and was eager to accompany Joshua through a crucial moment in his career. Joshua is passionate about using photography to have a positive impact. It’s what drives him personally and professionally. I wanted specifically to turn Joshua’s attention to non-profit organizations and B-Corporations. These were markets that Joshua hadn’t worked in yet, but would play to his strengths and align with his ethos.
Effective marketing requires consistency and a long-term approach. As a marketing partner, I work closely with photographers in a sustained effort to develop their business as quickly as possible through targeted client research and outreach. Our goal is to determine the ideal target markets, find the right people to contact, and consistently get the photographer’s best work in front of them. Throughout the process, we develop the photographer’s business by refining the vision and presentation of the photographer’s brand, developing marketing materials, building verified contact lists, and, finally, consistently marketing to clients in their target market. Many photographers either lack the time or expertise to develop effective marketing campaigns independently. This service is designed to alleviate that burden and get photographers on the right track with their marketing.
In our first month working together, Joshua and I got to know each other. I learned about his process, the work he creates, his previous marketing efforts, and, importantly, the kinds of clients he wants to work with going forward. He wanted to focus on marketing to editorial publications, commercial clients, and nonprofits in the UK. As much as possible, Joshua wanted to focus on ethical or meaningful projects. He had in mind editorial clients like NYT, Observer Magazine, and The New Yorker Magazine, and NGOs like Medecins Sans Frontieres, Greenpeace, and Oxfam, but was also open to more straightforward commercial work.
During our meetings, we talked extensively about how to bridge editorial, commercial, and nonprofit work. I suggested we focus on marketing to B-corporations as a way to incorporate aspects of each. Before we could begin marketing, however, we first had to improve some aspects of his website. When beginning a new marketing campaign, it’s essential that new clients see a brand consistent with the photographer’s business objectives. To ensure we were starting on the right foot, we made some crucial updates to his contact and biographical information, along with targeted gallery edits that tightened up the overall presentation.
Going forward, Joshua and I devoted each month to one specific target market. Using Wonderful Machine’s extensive database, I researched potential clients and developed a list of 25 contacts to connect with. Once Joshua approved the list, I began to market to these clients using his digital promo and an introductory text we worked on together. Each month, we focused on a specific type of client — NGOs, publications, and B-Corporations — during which, we reviewed analytics to incorporate the most effective techniques into the next month’s campaign.
By the end of our work together, I had provided Joshua with a list of 125 verified contacts at editorial publications, organizations, and companies that most interested him. We also made targeted improvements to his website that would promote user engagement and tighten up the gallery presentation. Once our collaboration had concluded, Joshua had the tools to continue promoting his work to these contacts independently. The goal was to keep his most current work in front of them so they have him in mind for the right production. Marketing, after all, is about planting the right seeds and doing the regular work of building relationships.
When I met Joshua, I felt he had an impressive body of work but lacked the marketing structure and clear brand identity to truly thrive in the commercial market. I needed to help him navigate a complicated period moving back to the UK after many years abroad in New York, and help him get established in new markets. Over the course of our collaboration, Joshua and I developed a great working relationship. He was enthusiastic about his work and meeting new clients. Through his dedication to the process, he was able to get the most out of our time together.
Gina did an amazing job of really listening to me where I was at. I felt comfortable being totally genuine and sharing my professional hopes and fears with her. She then used that info to build a great and actionable plan for me to market myself to just the right people in a direct and effective way. I was really impressed and came away from our time together with new contacts, new jobs and even better, the skills and belief to continue the growth by myself. I am deeply grateful to her.
Joshua always made the necessary effort to get his website and digital promos to the level needed for marketing to clients. He also showed he was open to thinking outside the box with marketing. Joshua now has a structure to guide his future marketing efforts and a clearer idea of the way he wants to market himself. With new tools and perspectives, Joshua will continue to grow and learn in ways that will benefit him in the long-term. He is focused, organized, and driven, and I can’t wait to see his byline in the near future.
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Further Reading
Case Studies: Marketing Partner
Expert Advice: Marketing Misconceptions
Expert Advice: Email Marketing Services