Holiday Wish List for Marketers, Part 1

Camera, 6 meg What do you hope to find under your tree next week? Fun new toys and gadgets are always great to receive. It’s not too late to share your wishes with loved ones, although they may not be keen on braving the stores at this time.

One item for small and solo marketers to consider is a new camera, one with more megapixels to capture higher-quality images to share in print and on your Web site.

Today’s cameras are so compact that you can carry one with you wherever you go. Never again should you miss the opportunity to capture a picture with a well-known person (other than you) or of marketing ideas you want to remember.

Camera, 8 meg Here are photos of two cameras I own. One is 6 meg and the other is 8 meg. I’m not recommending this particular brand; it just so happens that I own three (the other is 4 meg) in the same family because I like working with a good product that uses the same memory stick.

What happens to the old camera when your holiday wish comes true? Loan it to another person (someone in the audience, etc.) to take photos of you while you speak, perform on stage, work a trade show booth, or do whatever you do to sell.

Give the person something of value in exchange for their help after they return your camera. If you don’t have a book or other product, give them $10 or $20 depending on the number of pictures they capture. That’s much less expensive than hiring a professional photographer to follow you for the day. Such a service has its place, but it’s not always the right option.

What’s next? Organize and share the images to market your product or service on your Web site. Flora Brown uses Flickr, and so do I at the top of another blog.

Monica Ricci uses Slide Show. There’s also FilmLoop which I just discovered through another site.

Check out Microsoft’s Photo Story 3, a product I recommend in my upcoming solo marketing book and have used in the past on my self-named site. Like Slide Show, it allows you to show numerous photographs one after the other, but Photo Story 3 lets you add your voice for narration.

All of these photo image-sharing options are free, the favorite cost of marketers worldwide.

A good or just decent compact camera brings your marketing options to life. Is it on your wish list, or is there a camera accessory you’re hoping for?

Technorati Tags: Flickr, Slide Show, FilmLoop, Photo Story 3, camera, small business marketing, solo business marketing, wish list