Hello! Not sure if there’s some similar questions like this asked on the forum but i thought id give it a shot because I’d love to her some peoples output on this, I just started a camera and camera equipment rental buisness, Only problem is I have only 12 products so far on my website one for each major departments, Cameras, Lens, Lights, Drone etc… So i already have social media started and made posts about the current equipments i have and some other posts made about hours and what not. My issue is that i know i need to get more equipment here to cater to customers but its taking me longer than expected to gather funds for it as most of you are aware camera equipment and cameras are not so affordable lol but I don’t want my social media to die out i just don’t know what to post… does anyone have any suggestions or tactics they use or used for their small buisness? Thanks
Who is your target outside of the obvious photo professionals? I’m assuming you’d rent to anyone, but maybe consider people who might aspire to be content creators, real estate photographers, or bloggers in your area.
I think part of the problem is your solution too. Gear is expensive, so you’re feeling the same pain potential customers are as well, so exploit that in terms of “try before you buy” or “need gear, but don’t know what you need?” type content. I’d also suggest a blog on your site educating customers.
You tell people in person, but build the educational side on your site as a reference point if they’re on a gig and run into trouble. Start with the basics like the exposure triangle and move on to things like lens selection and filters. Make them dead simple for pure beginners too. There’s plenty of masterclasses and pro level content out there, but sometimes an ELI5 goes a long way.
See if there are any content creators in your area and maybe strike a rental deal. Tired of using your phone, I have better equipment for long or short term rental and I’ll show you how to use it to produce better content.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the amazing advice didn’t think about that last part partnering up with local content creator. Helps a lot thanks!
I used to own a small photo business where we rented out studios and equipment. What really helped establish the brand in the community was to provide value and show up for the community. In return they showed up for us. So a lot of our social media content revolved around education and tying it back to the equipment. For example, here is a photo shot with our 35mm Sigma art 2.0 with (these) camera settings. This lens is great for landscapes, street photography, etc. We’d give posing tips, best practices when shooting at high noon. Educational stuff. I also started doing giveaways when people tagged us in the photos they took using our studios. We’d pick our favorite once a month and announce the winner on social media. People really responded to that well. Also talk about the benefit to them. What pain point are you solving? Shooting a wedding today and your camera isn’t turning on? Give us a call (I had that happen a couple times and they came in to rent equipment). Curious to try a new focal length? Try before you buy.