If you market yourself in the dumpster, you will get clients from the dumpster.*

And now, for the premier episode of “Saturday Snark at Six:”

So, how many of you have started marketing? You’ve probably been brain-storming like crazy and making a list of all the places you can drop off a stack of business cards. See? I KNEW buying the 1000 Vista Print business cards was a good idea, what a steal!

I bet that a number of you are marketing on Craig’s List or on Mommy groups or on Groupon.

Do I need to tell you what a Very Bad Idea this is?

Yeah, I thought so. OK, hang on – this is another soapbox subject for me.

When you market to places like the above, you are marketing to a potential client base of bargain-seekers. These folks run from bargain to bargain. They are not interested in finding a portrait photographer who fits in well with their family dynamic and style. They’re not interested in the skill level of the photographer. They’re interested in how many “sheets” they can get for $25. (By the way, if your packages contain “sheets,” we need to have a chat. Later.)

 The folks that seek out bargains are not interested in developing a relationship with you. They are interested in getting a bargain. They may come to you and be very happy with the skills and services you provide them, but if you think they’re going to come back the next time they need portraits, think again. They’ll be off chasing down the next bargain.

So, do yourself a favor and just skip marketing to the sweaty masses. Yes, I know, we all like a bargain, but these kind of sites are designed to feature the bottom of the barrel suppliers.

Craig’s List is FREE. You get what you pay for.

If you want to market to a higher end of clientele, you’re going to have to spend some cash. That’s just the way it is – so suck it up and put aside money specifically for marketing. Yes, you can probably find some low-cost marketing venues or maybe even some free ones, but they’re going to require work, research, a little bit of knowing the right person and a lot of butt-kissing. It’s not going to be easy. Swinging by Craig’s List and posting a few ads is easy. And if it doesn’t take work, there’s not going to be much reward involved.

* A High-Wootness-Five to fan Martin Galloway for this phrase!