Tips to Advertise Your 360 Photo Booth Business - Part 2
In this article we will focus on ways to advertise your 360 photo booth business when you have no or few advertising dollars. Keep in mind when you have no budget, you'll normally need to involve yourself in more manual labor to bring your 360 photo booth business along, but you do have a hot product that everybody wants so this is definitely in your favor.
Google Business Profile (Formerly, Google My Biz)
Even if you can't afford a website right away, you can afford to set up an online presence with Google Business Profile. This is a free business listing from Google. It allows you to provide details and photos of your business, including your location, services, and products. It also allows you to make posts. When you create a business profile for your 360 photo booth business, you will then show up on google searches, maps and shopping.
Social Media Pages, Posts and Groups
You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish with a few well written posts across your social media networks.
Add business pages wherever you can too. In fact, a Facebook Business Page can operate as your first website if you don't have the funds to get one up.
Join like-minded groups and talk up your photo booth business, but don't violate group rules. Find out how to fit in with the group and become a recognized member and voice in the group.
Make sure you use Youtube too. Do a little homework and find out how to set up your own youtube channel and upload your party videos to it. In the description use hashtags and always include your business name, phone number, website (if you have one), or other social media links.
Precautions: Don't just advertise your 360 photo booth business on any social media platform. Mix it up and keep things interesting. Talk about lots of different things that can relate to your 360 photo booth. One example could be relaying a cute anecdote about something that happened at one of the 360 photo booth parties you had. (Keep it anonymous of course).
Don't Be Afraid to Use the Phone
People used to talk on them, now that's probably the least thing they are used for, but they're great for building a business.
But don't just cold call party planners to get your 360 photo booth included in their parties, you'll have a lot of no answers. Here's the way you do it:
- Do a search for Party Planners (or DJs, or Wedding Planners, etc.)
- Find the phone number of the company (usually it will come up on their Google My Business Page)
- Text them, "Hi there, this is (Your Name) with (Your company) Do you have time for a quick call?
- Most of them will say yes.
- Call and offer to bring your 360 photo booth by for them to see and tell them that you'd like to offer them a great deal if they include it in their parties.
- Some will say no, but others will say yes.
- Arrange a time, and go. Don't miss the appointment, don't be late. Dress professionally and be personable and pleasant . . . even if they say no, because two weeks from now they may change their mind, so don't burn a bridge.
About Those Who Say No
- Don't take it personal - it's not about you (unless you actually did do something pretty awful like try to sell them on your 360 photo booth, while eating an onion-filled burrito, chewing with your mouth full, having the food fall down the front of you, and then using their shirtsleeve to wipe it off . . . yah, then maybe it's about you.
- "No" today doesn't mean "no" tomorrow - Who knows what happened in their world today? Who knows what's going to happen in their world tomorrow? Every "no" has the potential to turn into a future "yes". Just stay in touch!
Business Cards for Your 360 Photo Booth Business
There's plenty of places on the internet (Vistaprint is one of them) where you can get business cards for hardly any dollars out of pocket. Make sure you put your picture on the card.
- Pass them out everywhere you go.
- Take a picture of one and text it to every party planner you call, even if they don't want to meet with you yet.
- If you can't afford a nice flier, put a stack of them next to your photo booth at every party you book.
Create a Business Email to Advertise Your 360 Photo Booth Business
- Create a business email at Gmail or Yahoo!, or wherever there's free email. Include a complete signature block: Your first & last name, your company name, phone (website if you have one), and your email. Your business email can be yourcompanyname@gmail.com. That signature block actually does advertise your 360 photo booth business, just like the email itself does.
- With every contact you make, get their name, phone number and email.
- Add them to your business email as a contact.
- Send them a thank you email for the time they spent with you if they didn't book, and give them a reminder of your rates. If they did book with you send them an email confirming all the details of the bookings.
- Each week, set aside a day/time when you send out an email to your contacts asking if they may have need of your services. Keep it short & sweet. Make sure the grammar and punctuation are correct.
Pound the Pavement
We can probably call in-person visits to potential clients an "ancient technique" these days, but it is one of the most effective ways to get new clients still. Probably more effective than it was before everybody relied on the social media platforms to network and make new business contacts/prospects/customers.
Don't be afraid to grab a list of party planners and go say hello to them. It's effective. You will often get a booking right there on the spot!
Just follow your basic rules: look and act like a professional, be friendly, supportive and attentive. Listen to them, don't talk at them.
Now that you have ways to advertise your 360 photo booth business for hardly any money at all, you are poised for success! So grab your 360 photo booth (if you haven't already done so) and build your dream!