“I am a big believer in education.”
Vicki Taufer has been in the photography business for 20 years. She’s found that relationships are of the utmost importance both with your clients and with other business owners who you can team up with from a marketing standpoint.
“For the photographer that doesn’t have a studio or a space, (relationship marketing) is a fantastic way to have a space that you don’t pay for.”
0:42 Who is Vicki Taufer?
1:50 Marketing in the Early Years
4:02 The Importance of Relationships in Photography
5:27 Relationship Marketing Risks and Rewards
10:13 Potential Partners
11:29 Happy Hour and Headshots
14:09 Other Options
17:23 Approaching Potential Vendors
20:49 Working with the Right People
22:55 What hasn’t worked?
24:18 A Call to Action
25:42 Is it harder to do this today?
29:24 Start Small
“It’s not being afraid to ask. It’s not being afraid to be rejected.”
Jed and Vicki Taufer have been involved in the photography industry for almost 20 years. They co-founded their studio, V Gallery, in Morton, IL in 1998. With a focus on artistic portraiture, Vicki specializes in photographing people, pets, and commercial shoots. V Gallery has been everything from a small home based studio, to a large storefront with multiple employees, and everything in between. Vicki has a passion for people. Her journey with a camera has taken her and Jed around the world. They have been recognized internationally through their teaching, awards, and publications. Vicki’s goal is a healthy work/life balance. At work, she focuses on photography, marketing, and sales. Jed’s focus is technology, workflow, and educating other photographers. Over the last several years, Jed and Vicki have also had the opportunity to work for their favorite lab, White House Custom Colour.
photo credit: Indra Leonardi