Staying ahead of the competition
There are many ways to promote yourself, but without doubt, winning a ‘prestigious’ competition will give you the greatest promotional potential for your business
If you are a virgin at competitions (or have not had much success in contests in the past) it might be time to take a fresh look at the competitions that are out there and redefine your strategy. Firstly, ask yourself why you want to win a particular competition or award? If your motive is to simply benefit from the cash or other prizes, then you are really underestimating the true value of winning competitions. Or if your reason is to obtain more work, please remember that simply winning a competition does not automatically guarantee you new and exciting commissions. But if your answer is to obtain a very useful promotional tool, then you are on your way to understanding what competitions are all about.
Becoming a winner
To reap the rewards of competitions, you must be organised and committed. Find out about forthcoming events by checking out the photographic press, trade organisations, various websites etc. Create a master list and table of events, so that you can see, at a glance, which competitions suit you and are worth entering.
Ideally, enter more than one competition. Not only will this increase your chances of winning, but it will also offer ‘economies of scale’, eg. producing multiple sets or prints and biographical information should save time and money. At least one competition should be directly linked to the area of photography which is most important to you, for example, portraiture. And take into account that entering competitions requires time and money, so don’t forget to estimate likely entry costs (they might just be prohibitive for you this year).
When choosing which events to target, try putting the prizes aside, and shift your focus as to which competitions receive the most promotion: the ones which receive extensive PR before, during and after the event! These are the competitions, which will offer you the most in the long run.
Being a winner
When you eventually win a competition, which will happen eventually, don’t sit around and bask in your own glory. Instead make sure you know exactly how and when the organiser is going to promote you as the winner. Then bearing this PR campaign in mind, immediately embark on your own. This should include letting your clients, your trade organisation and the UK photographic press all know of your success. Post news of your win on your website and email signature – you can now describe yourself as an ‘award-winning photographer’.
And if you don’t win straight away, don’t feel rejected. Get as much feedback from the organisers as you can. To learn from our mistakes, we must first understand them. And good luck!
To see Contact details go to the Directory
