In week 4 of the module, the challenge was to “create a marketing plan for your practice which covers the next 10 weeks. Think about what you want to achieve with your photography during that time, and how you will make it happen. Your plan should include your objectives and weekly actions.” (Flex.falmouth.ac.uk, 2017)
I have decided to build on the work in the previous weeks, to concentrate much of my marketing around social media platforms. Below are my initial thoughts:
Goal
Over the next 10 weeks, my goal is to increase knowledge and appreciation of my practice as a means to drive engagement with my work and to increase my potential for earning money for my work.
Objectives
My objectives are:
To raise the profile of my practice in both the photography industry and the local area.
To increase my Instagram following from currently 231 (as at 20:00 on 15/10/17) to 277 (a 20% increase)
To develop my skills and knowledge with regard to the psychology behind selfies and other forms of self-portrait
Strategy
To connect with professionals in the photographic industry through Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These professionals include curators, agents, and other photographers.
To update my social media pages daily with at least 2 posts of new work. The posts will be scheduled using Buffer.com.
To run caption competitions via the social media platforms. I aim to run 3 competitions over the next 10 weeks.
To create an Instagram account, Twitter account, Facebook page and website for the project ‘Behind the Mask’. Actively seek crowdsourced images to include in the project.
To introduce a monthly newsletter to send to contacts who have previously engaged with my website or social media sites.
To edit and update my portfolio and email it to at least 3 agencies or galleries.
Conduct market research via a questionnaire to gauge interest in different aspects of my practice.
Evaluation and Monitoring of Progress
Output Measures:
Successfully post to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ at 7.30pm and 8.30pm each day
Successfully post caption competitions to social media platforms on the following dates/times:-
9pm on 18/10/17
9pm on 09/11/17
9pm on 30/11/17
Send out newsletters on the following dates:-
23/10/17
23/11/17
Number of questionnaires completed
To create an Instagram account, Twitter account, Facebook page and website for the project ‘Behind the Mask’ by 22/10/17.
Other Measures:
Monitor ‘Followers’ for each social media account, especially Instagram. Starting points for followers at 20:00 on 15/10/17:-
Instagram = 231
Facebook Page = 665
Twitter = 140
LinkedIn = 112
Number of engagements and crowdsourced images for the project ‘Behind the Mask’.
Number of engagements with posted content on Facebook.
Connections made with industry professionals
Updated portfolio and associated emails sent to agencies and galleries.
All results will be collated and analysed within a blog post. A further marketing plan will be developed from there.
REFERENCES
Flex.falmouth.ac.uk. (2017). Log in to canvas. [online] Available at: https://flex.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/84/discussion_topics/2797 [Accessed 15 Oct. 2017].