How to pr and market a photoshoot

Creating a beautiful, award-winning set of hair images is hard work but the job isn't over once you're happy with the photos - marketing your photoshoot is a job in itself but will ensure you reap the benefits of your hard work. Whether you have a PR agency or market your hair photoshoot yourself, promoting your images effectively will help you see a return on the expense involved in creating the images as well as providing you with some fantastic material to show off you skills both as a stylist and a salon. PR guru Louise Wood of LWPR, explains how you can make the most of your hairdressing images with some top PR and marketing tips. "Photography has so many PR and promotional opportunities. When we are planning a shoot alongside clients, we look at the budget and we think of all the ways that we need the photographs from that shoot to work for the business over the coming year. "Most salons don't have the luxury of doing two shoots a year - one is a stretch enough with a price tag of upwards of £8,000 for a day. "This is why we break down the usage - it's a bit like working out how many wears you're going to get from that dress and justifying the cost from the usage. "We make shots work very, very hard for the business so that you have a return on that considerable initial investment. At the initial creative mood board planning stage make certain that you are including looks that are 'aspirational' for your clients and potential clients. Choosing your target market "Directional hair can win industry awards but commercial looks that embrace blondes, brunettes and red heads should also be included for use in your salon and marketing plans. There should be an 'I want that hair!' quality about the images. "First off there'll be placement of the shots - so look at the best fit for your shots amongst the many hair specialist titles. For cover or collection use magazines will want an exclusive or 'first seen here' deal from you, so you need to be organised and make sure you are not just sending out the shots everywhere and end up losing track of them. "So, work your way through your target magazines and try to save some shots that you can take to a different magazine for a separate feature that doesn't affect your exclusive placement. After you have done this initial work, once the exclusive period has run, you can get the shots out to all press in the hair specialist sector which includes Your Hair, Hair Ideas, Blonde Hair (if relevant), Hair magazine, Love Your Hair website, etc. "There are even some consumer titles that publish commercial hair shots like Prima, and Bella etc so do your research and make sure you are sending the shots to all of the press who might use them. "Send the shots to your local press too, using them to add to your PR stories. Target them specifically for different events and features throughout the year from seasonal trends to support of general advice comments you are making. Other uses for hair shots "You can also look at ideas such as editorial competitions within the hair consumer press, or using your shots within a full page make-over. There are also categories within the trade hair awards that may be appropriate for you to enter and while you are on the award trail also look out for consumer specialist magazine awards too - both Your Hair and Hair magazine have awards. "Get your shots up on your website, Facebook and tweet about them and their success. If you are planning this route, make sure you have that usage covered in your agreements with the photographer and models, but this is where you can make prolific use. Incorporating your pictures into your marketing plan "Look at the ways that you can use your pictures within your annual marketing plan - although again you will have to make sure you have the usage rights for this. "We use the pictures within client's in-salon magazines, within the salon to support promotions or just to create impact from in-salon promotions to local press advertising. "Every month plan to use the pictures, or a key picture, for your campaign, email shots and website promotions. "Position your new images in your salon windows and salon interior and get your staff talking about them with clients. Use them on showcards and on social networking to promote blonde tones in summer, brunettes in winter, hair up services in Spring for weddings and proms or even general conditioning treatments and trends such as 'fringes'. "Use the images on your salon price lists and appointment cards so that clients have a little slice of your collection permanently in their handbag and a good visual reference for the type of hairdressing you represent. "If you make something happen with your shots in a dynamic way on both the PR and the marketing front, you'll find that you're initial investment can be turned into many more thousands of pounds worth of value for you and who can truly put a price on the value of a much seen and beautiful profile for your salon business?"