Sue Bryce on Targeting Your Marketing to a Specific Audience

Renowned portrait photographer Sue Bryce has one piece of advice for photographers marketing with video: “It doesn’t matter what kind of photographer you are — you need to know your audience so you can market to them.”

And, as she pointed out in a post about video marketing, for many photographers, that audience is female. “The newborn mother, the bride, the mom, the grandmother — are you speaking to these women? Which of these demographics do you want to attract and speak to?”

Knowing your demographic can help you decide what kind of video to create, and frame the story you’d like to tell. Take a look at some of Sue’s videos and see how she matches the photography with a message for her audience.

Nicole and Coz: Celebrating Friendship

Sue conveys a message about the importance of friendship, and how shared experiences — like a photoshoot — can create a beautiful memory. She reaches out to women over 30 with her choice of client, and includes mothers in her messaging. Though the story she tells is about the friendship between the two women, it’s really peripheral marketing for her portrait sessions.

A Mother’s Worth

This video focuses on mothers or any person prioritizing family. Its message indicates a portrait session’s purpose is to preserve the memory of you for your family. And by including the client’s daughter in the session, Sue is show her audience that portraits can be a beautiful way to connect with a child in the present while safeguarding the memory of the day for the future.

Jana Behind the Scenes

Targeting younger clients, this video shows how a photoshoot can make you feel (and look) like a model. Its fast-paced music and behind-the-scenes footage lets viewers know how much fun a portrait session can be. Though she doesn’t have voiceover or an overt message, Sue still manages to make a point about the type of client she can serve and why she’s the best at what she does.

So which demographic fits your business? Sue breaks down potential clients into four categories:

• Girl power: These clients are aged 18 – 32 and don’t have children. This category includes high school senior and graduation photography, 21st birthdays, not to mention a sizable chunk of the wedding market.
• Independent woman over 32: Without children, these women have large incomes and spend more than other groups. Boudoir and glamour photographers can market to this group either alone or by promoting a “Girls’ Day Out.”
• Family first: Women with children don’t have much time, but they’ll do their research, so good marketing materials are a must. This is your market for children’s and family photography, as well as glamour, portrait and boudoir, especially if you follow Sue’s rules: “connect with her online, and make it fast and fabulous.”
• 50 plus: Why focus on this demographic? Sue says, “Senior women aged 50 and older control net worth of $19 trillion and own more than three-fourths of the nation’s financial wealth.” Translation: If you haven’t been marketing to this demographic as a portrait photographer, you should definitely start.

Knowing your target audience can help focus your marketing efforts and make them more effective. Then you can make sure your message reaches the right audience with a meaningful marketing video.

Do you already have a fabulous marketing video with a message? Let us know in the comments or join the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community and share your insights with other professional photographers and video marketers.