10 ELLIE VAYO’S GUIDE TO BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY
- Style—Your piece should convey your studio’s style. Your clients
should know right away if your studio’s style is contemporary, classic,
elegant, etc. - Professionalism—Whatever style you choose to convey, make sure your
marketing pieces appear polished and professional. If you are not an
experienced graphic designer, consider consulting with a professional.
You can also collect and use ideas from other direct marketing pieces
that you like. - Samples—Your direct mail pieces should feature portraits created using
past clients. Use your own work, not stock photography. Select your
best portraits, just make sure they are tasteful. Hire a printer to output
your high-quality mailers. The reproductions of your images should
reflect the quality clients can expect to receive in their finished portraits. - Readability—Don’t bog your audience down with too much text.
Make sure all text is easy to read and understand. Get to the point
quickly and provide readers with enough information to spark their in-
terest. Select simple fonts and make sure the text color contrasts with
the background.
Television.In addition to direct mail, I have used television as a way to
promote the boudoir/glamour photography aspects of my business. In
years past, I did a promo with a show calledCleveland Tonight with
Michael Stanley.I provided makeovers for three local women and aired the
event on Valentine’s Day. I took a “before” shot of the women in plain
clothes without makeup. Next, with the help of a local lingerie store, I
dressed them in draping lingerie, gave them a facial makeover, and pho-
tographed the women. This show generated hundreds of calls, and it all
started with one phone call. I called the television station to promote my
ideas, and they agreed to cover the story.
Radio Advertising.Recently, my studio advertised boudoir/glamour
photography on a local radio station. We produced three commercials that
ran for a total of eight weeks. The commercials were thirty-second spots
and served to introduce one of our specials. We offered a $99 session that
included enhanced makeup application, an hour-long session, twenty-four
preview images, and a framed 5x7 print. Average orders for this promotion
were between $300 and $500 each.
One of the DJs at the radio station hosts an event called “Women Who
Wine” at a local winery. Meetings are held each month, and different
speakers are given twenty minutes to promote their business. I presented
my seminar to over one hundred and fifty women. Each woman had reg-
istered online to attend the event, and I had access to their contact infor-
mation for direct marketing purposes.
Your clients should know
right away if your studio’s
style is contemporary,
classic, elegant, etc.Facing page—We created a variety of
looks for this client using a variety of
backdrops and a few clothing changes.
The “before” image is shown on the top
right.