How to deal with advertising

[andreasphotography]

Hi there all, I host my own website and have all so advertised online on google , and lots of local places, this is Essex etc.

Just recently though i have been bombarded with companies promising me more work if i advertise with them, some charity phoned me had seen my ad in the Guardian newspaper How i dont advertise there???

Obviously i would like more work wouldnt we all, but i dont want to spend £300 on advertising, I feel horrid do i just say a firm NO

I only started getting these calls when i dropped my 0845 number as we thought they may make people not ring so now i use a standard BT number

I am only a small one woman set up, just photographing small weddings /civil ceremony, lifestyle portraits and pets. I dont want to do huge weddings as i know i would end up stressed

I also dont want my photography to just become work i want to continue to enjoy it as a hobby as well

does anyone else get bombarded from companys and whats the best way to deal with them

[Treehugga]

Yeah we get them quite a lot. Now I just say we have no advertising budget. I try to be polite but if they continue after I have said it 3 times I hang up. Sometimes they just don't listen

[OldBoy]

Most, if not all of them, are scams for taking money off small business. The adverts will appear in calendars, wallplanners and such, which may only have a small print run or may even not be printed at all. If you say yes, then your details are passed to other such companies who will call you as well. Some who claim to be charities only give a small sum to the charity like £1 out of the three hundred you pay them as the rest will go on expenses. Stay well clear of them all.

I'll just add, don't give any of them your bank details.

[flake]

Tell them that you make the decisions on where to advertise based on research and as their name hasn't come up you have no money to place advertising with them. Create a new email account something like info@ or similar and ask them to send written information for you to consider when you have time 99.9% won't bother, the .1% who do might just be worth considering advertising with!

The point of this is making you the one in control - you have the money and they're the ones who want it. If you do want to place any advertising you need to know it's going to the right place make sure it does.