The key to marketing maternity photography is to cross-market in places pregnant women frequent. There are many online options as well as physical locations where expectant parents can be found. With a little creativity, any professional photographer can find plenty of prospects.
Traditional marketing is never a bad idea. Phone book, newspaper and online advertisements give basic exposure to any business. In the case of maternity photography, they can be helpful, but do not directly hit the target audience. With marketing a specialty product like maternity photography, it may be a better approach to find ways to directly market to pregnant women. In the case of advertisements, pregnancy and parenting magazines and websites would be a perfect fit.
One of the places guaranteed to have pregnant women visiting regularly is an Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) office or ultrasound office. Agreements can often be reached with doctors to place marketing materials in the welcome packet that they give their newest pregnant patients. Sometimes they will also allow brochures to be placed in their waiting area. There are many commercial ultrasound offices as three-dimensional ultrasounds have been increasing in popularity. The same approach can be taken with these businesses.
Day cares and schools are other locations that will likely have pregnant visitors. Parents of existing children sometimes become pregnant with a younger sibling or have friends who are expecting. These centers also often host tours for parents-to-be to get a look at the school before the birth of their child. A reciprocal relationship with a business can be helpful. For example, the day care center can hand out coupons for maternity photography and the photographer can give out coupons for the center or offer some other incentive for sending business their way.
Pregnant women are also found at various supply and apparel stores. Maternity clothing stores, baby supply store and baby clothing stores are all places where the retail products will draw expecting mothers. Likewise, pregnancy workout classes at the gym and pregnancy massages at the spa are sure to have some mommies-to-be in attendance. These stores also sometimes have informational sessions where expectant parents can get coupons and information on many services. A similar agreement as discussed above can sometimes be reached with these stores, occasionally even allowing the photographer access to mailing lists that they can use to send post cards or coupons on their own.
Baby fairs are another excellent marketing opportunity. They are large scale events with many vendors offering baby and child products. It is usually quite expensive to register as a vendor, so it is important to check the reputation of the fair before sending in large amounts of cash.
Finally, a website is a key ingredient to any successful business. To showcase the art that is produced during a maternity photography session is important to making other mothers want this service. Be sure to obtain permission to use any photographs placed on the website. Strategic high-quality and targeted marketing is the best way to ensure success with any specialized service like maternity photography.