Consider the Train

by Steve Kozak, M. Photog., Cr., PPA Certified

When you travel by train, there are no announcements telling you to, “Fasten your seatbelts for takeoff.” You do not have to put your tray tables up nor do you have to put your seat in the “full, upright position.”

A train does not “launch” from the station, but it consumes the most fuel while it is being set into motion and trying to get up to speed. It takes a lot of fuel and energy to get a train moving but, once it gets up to speed, it then has momentum to help carry it to the appointed destination.

It is kind of like this in marketing your photography business as well. If your business is at a standstill, it takes a lot of effort, tons of marketing, and effective resources to get your business up to speed – and it does not happen overnight! To get your photography business moving forward, it needs marketing more than it needs a new camera. If you quit fueling a train, it does not come to a sudden stop. It will coast along for awhile until it gradually slows down to a crawl and eventually quits moving forward. Hopefully, it is not making a steep uphill climb at the time.

If you have been in business for some time, you might be tempted to think you can cut or even cease marketing altogether. Your business will not come to a sudden halt. Instead, it will likely experience a slow, painful decline. The problem is that, once it has come to a grinding halt, your business will need to be completely refueled to get it moving forward again.

A train follows a planned course. It can only travel where someone had the foresight to lay tracks to lead it to its destination. Running your business without a business plan and a marketing strategy is like trying to guide a train without tracks. You are headed for disappointment.

I believe the number one reason photographers don’t market their business is they don’t know how. Marketing a photography business is a lot harder than taking pictures because there is no “P”, “T” or “A” on the marketing dial. One must learn how to reach a target market, turn them into clients and close sales.

One of the best opportunities to learn marketing strategies is at the Texas School of Professional Photography where successful photographers share much more than just photographic techniques. Regardless of your skill level, it is important to understand trends and concepts that will help you create your own marketing plan.

Steve Kozak is the Executive Director of the Texas Professional Photographers Association and an instructor at The Texas School of Professional Photography.

Steve has helped countless numbers of photographers turn their passion into a profession and their photography into profits. With his class, you will gain a wealth of knowledge and a unique insight into creating images at a professional level and how to price and sell your work so that you can keep on doing what you love. Learn more about his class at Texas School.