Welcome to another exciting episode of "It Starts With A Click," your trusted resource for fashion photographers striving to build a profitable, creative, and holistic business. I'm your host, Olivia Bossert, and today, we're diving into a treasure trove of questions from our followers, all about pitching to brands. I'll provide insights, strategies, and answers to help you navigate the world of pitching effectively.
Question 1: Getting Started with Brand Collaborations
Q: "I've never had the chance to create an advertising campaign or paid content for brands yet. Who should I contact to propose myself as a photographer? Who are the figures who choose the photographers to hire for their productions?"
Question 2: Crafting Persuasive Pitch Emails
Q: "How do I convince, through an email, that I am the right person to hire as a photographer?"
Question 3: Dealing with Non-Responsive Brands
Q: "How do you handle situations where brands don't respond, even when your portfolio aligns with their style? And what do you do when they don't even reply to your offers for free collaborations?"
Question 4: Local vs. Global Brand Targeting
Q: "Should I stick to brands in my area or is it realistic to target brands from different countries? Even world-wide brands?"
Question 5: Protecting Your Pitch Ideas
Q: "Ever had the problem that a client used your pitch but gave it to another photographer, who basically did the same style/location/mood? Is there a way to avoid this? How do you deal with this scenario?"
Question 6: Assessing Your Pitch-Readiness
Q: "How do I know my work is good enough for pitching?"
Question 7: Pitching Frequency and Approach
Q: "What is a good average amount of emails to send a week? Is it different for brands and magazines?"
Question 8: Breaking Into Magazine Shoots
Q: "I pitched a few shooting concepts to magazines this year, but I have a feeling that they don't take me seriously because I haven't shot for any magazine before. How can I land a shoot with a mag, if no one hires me?"
Question 9: Overcoming Initial Resistance
Q: "But no one wants even a free shoot with me, not even after a follow-up mail. How can I get some names in my brand list if they don't even want a free shoot?"
Question 10: Timing Your Pitches
Q: "Are there best months to pitch?"
Question 11: Standing Out Amongst Competition
Q: "How do you show your value and stand out to fashion brands that already have an arsenal of photographers on payroll or contracts?"
Question 12: Pitching via Instagram Messages
Q: "Is it okay to use the same email pitch to a brand via Instagram message? (if the brand was a small business) or should it be shorter than an email pitch?"
In this episode, I tackle these burning questions, providing actionable advice and strategies to help you become a pitching pro. Whether you're just starting or looking to enhance your pitching game, you'll find valuable insights to kickstart your journey. Stay tuned and keep those questions coming!
If you found this Q&A session helpful, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow photographers. For more resources and updates, visit my website (www.oliviabosserteducation.com), follow me on Instagram (@oliviabosserteducation), and TikTok (@oliviabosserteducation). Your journey to successful brand collaborations begins here.