As evidenced by just walking down a busy street and looking around, everyone has smart phones, and many like my daughters spend hours per day on them. As a photographer looking to grow and publicise the business the question is how do I reach prospective clients who in the main want to make their choice on-line. Be it ordering food, clothes or reading a magazine many now do that on their phone. So we photographers need to be available and visible to our potential clients in the same way. 

Like many I use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter as well as having my website visible to Google and Bing search engines. But is this enough?

I do find it easier to post stories around an image on Instagram and then share it on Facebook and Twitter. I get lots of "Likes" and slowly I am building a following. I have also invested in Facebook and used that to build my "Likes". I have not spent much time this year on my website Blog. Mainly because its not as easy and convenient for me, but perhaps I should. All the marketing gurus say the same thing; you must invest time in social media and keep investing time, be consistent, post regularly, be current, be interesting. Yes, but this takes up a lot of time.

Most clients find me via the website, one this week said they found me on Instagram; thats the first, some find me on Facebook. I have recently updated my website for search engine optimisation but I expect that could be better. Time will tell if more potential clients are directed to me when they search for photographers in SW France. I could do with a marketing buddy to help out and to do all these things but that has a cost. But is it a cost I should endure to help me with this conundrum?

Someone once said "if you keep on doing what you did you will get continue to get what you got". This is very apt and I recognise the way consumers buy is changing and I too need to change.  I accept if I am to increase my social media exposure to enable potential clients to find me I need to invest more time in social media. Sounds like less time relaxing to me, but hay ho needs must and here I am writing a blog.

Smart phones are everywhere.Rachael and Neil's walk down the aisle was photographed by by many.