The other day, I asked my readers if they had any questions that they would like me to address on my blog – since winter is “the slow season” in Chicago, I have a bit of extra time to blog things I otherwise wouldn’t. I was actually a bit surprised by the questions; they had more to do with photography details and business start-up than actual services, but hey, I said I’d answer anything! If you have a question for me, head on over to the blog post and ask away!
The first question I’m going to address is from my friend and client Thao:
“Hi, Tasha! Great post; thanks for asking us for suggestions! I would personally love to know how you began building up a steady client base, especially before you had a big portfolio. Did you rely on personal recommendations? What marketing tools did you use? What do you think made you stand out from other photographers?
I know how WE (Dan and I) found (and loved!) your work, but I’m curious to know if that was an anomaly or a part of your regular business strategy.”
A bit of background – when I first started portrait and wedding photography, I ran a special where I gave away a very limited number of free sessions as a portfolio builder. Thao was one of my first clients, and found me through some retweets about that special on Twitter. We had a fantastic engagement session together (still one of my favorite sessions to this date), and I’ll be shooting her wedding this June, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Thao herself is working on starting a paper design company, so I can see how apt this question is for her. Oh, and by the way, if you’re looking for some fabulous, classy, and creative work for invitations, save the dates, etc., check her out. Here’s one of her latest projects.
