Establish Co-Marketing Partnerships for Your Pet Photography Business

As the winter months can be a slower period for portrait photographers, they present an opportunity to work more on your business, rather than in your business. One productive off-season activity for growing your pet photography business is to reach out to local retailers to create new co-marketing opportunities.

One advantage of being a pet photographer is that it’s very easy to identify potential co-marketing partners. Some examples include dog groomers, trainers, veterinarians, and boutique dog food retail stores. Nurturing relationships with local businesses is key to the growth of your business, and there are a few tips that I’ve learned over the years for establishing productive partnerships.

Help Them First

Although your end goal is to develop a mutually beneficial relationship, your initial approach to a prospective partner should be all about what you can do to promote their business. The good news is that all businesses can benefit from professional photography, whether it’s having images for their social media accounts, marketing materials, or a wall display to decorate their storefront. A groomer may wish to have “before and after” photos of some of their favorite clients’ pets. A veterinarian might jump at the chance to have their plain walls accented with some large wall portraits in the waiting area. Offering to help doesn’t need to cost you a lot of money, though it will require some investment of your time. Luckily, it’s an investment that will often pay itself off in the long run.

Start by Approaching Businesses That Have Retail Locations

Photography is a visual art, so having your photos on display at a retail location is an effective way of getting your work in front of your target audience. This isn’t to say that dog walking and sitting services aren’t able to help promote your photography business, but if your main objective is to get prospective clients seeing your images on a regular basis, a physical storefront provides space to have your images on display.

The key in offering to provide a wall display is to emphasize how the display will benefit the owner. You could offer to photograph the owner’s pets, so that they will have an emotional connection to the artwork they have hanging in their store. Alternatively, you could offer to photograph the pets of their favorite clients as a reward for their loyal business. Showcasing the pets of their best clients will get both the owners and the clients talking about you.

Plan an Event Together

Organizing an event is a great way to generate buzz in the community. Partnering with a retail location is smart if you are planning on organizing an event together. They can host the event, you will be able to introduce some of your existing clients to their business, and you will be able to meet their clients in person. Offering quick pet portrait sessions is a simple activity you can do to promote yourself at the event.

Events don’t even need to be limited to two businesses. Having a dog groomer, trainer, and dog food supplier all playing a part in the event will bring that many more pet enthusiasts under the same roof. Involving a local charity, whether it’s pet-related or not, will also help to get people talking about your event and reach more potential clients. Importantly, the event will strengthen the relationship you have with your newly established co-marketing partner and potentially lead to even more partnerships.

Get Creative

There are so many ways for pet photographers to work with other local retailers in order to grow their business. Contests, portrait days, and interactive displays can all get your work noticed. Have you done anything unique with another business that you found has brought you a lot of new clients? I would love to hear about your experiences.