Cash from Your Camera – Tips to Make Money from Greetings Cards

Despite the fact that electronic cards have taken over the world, greetings cards sales are booming. There are so many holidays and occasions that require a great card. People still like to feel and write in a card. Photography greetings cards are growing in popularity with the phenomenal growth of digital photography and, high quality printers decreasing in price.

This is a corner of the photography market that is huge. There is just so much scope and room for everyone. Whether you approach greetings cards companies or go it alone you should be able to sell high quality photograph greetings cards quite easily. So what’s the route to go and what must you do to start out?

1. Do your research

Unless you get to know the market you’re about to enter you are going to get burnt if you do this without any thought or planning. People have specific tastes and if you want them to buy then you need to know what they like and more specifically what they are buying. Spend some time visiting shops that stock a range of greetings cards. If can afford it buy a card or two from each publisher in order to ascertain what the trends are and what types of cards people like and are which ones are most popular.

2. Find your subjects

This is vitally important. If you don’t have subjects that people will buy you are dead in the water before you start. Your market research will tell you what the popular items are and then you need to go out and find your subjects. In markets across the world the most popular subjects are animals, flowers and outdoor scenes. Find quirky and funny subjects that will appeal not only to a person’s sense of humour but also their emotions.

3. Create a range of photos

Once you have gained some understanding of what the market likes and what you need to produce, create a range of ideas that you can potentially market. Take a selection of the images to retailers and see if they would be interested in cards. Make sure that you come up with great packaging that gives the appearance of outstanding quality. People need to know that they are getting value for their money even if it is only perceived value. Shoddy workmanship will not sell and it all boils down to not only your skill as a photographer but your entrepreneurial ability.

4. Formulate a marketing plan

Without a plan you will fail. The old adage says, ‘those who fail to plan, plan to fail’ so sit down and work out a plan for getting your product into retail outlets. This is where some of the hard work comes in to play. You’ll need to harden yourself to rejection and keep knocking at doors. Don’t, whatever you do get discouraged because if the quality of your work is good it’s only a matter of time before you start finding outlets who will stock your products. Perseverance is key as you will never know what is just around the corner. So here’s an action plan for you to follow:

a. Do your research and find out what sells.

b. Select from your portfolio or create images that sell.

c. Find a publisher or a self-publishing company.

d. Select a range of retailers to approach.

e. Select a sample range of your final cards.

f. Start your marketing campaign to selected retailers.

Although it will take you time and effort to get into the greetings card market, in the long run it will be worth it as you make cash from your camera. Keep up the hard work, focus on quality and persevere. If you stick to this you will find success and the financial returns. Happy shooting!

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com