Michelle Seigerman is a mover and a shaker. While moving comes with the territory of being a military wife, shaking things up is what she does naturally. Seigerman, owner of Ages and Stages Photography, shook up her own life while living in England a few years ago.

“It began as a hobby,” Seigerman said. “After having my son I needed to do something for myself, something creative.” Living the military lifestyle, far away from home, families are constantly trying to keep in touch. Kids are growing up fast, away from relatives, and sending photos to loved ones back home becomes a priority.  Seigerman had an epiphany.

“It’s hard to afford things off base,” Seigerman said. “I’ve always loved photography and I thought it would be great to offer our troops an affordable option for family photos.” Working with military regulations means you have to be resourceful when it comes to marketing. “You can’t advertise on a military installation but you can set up as a vendor when thereare Bazaars on base,” she said. Seigerman went to work.

She created business cards, got on the Internet to figure out pricing and set up a package deal for her photographs. “ I set up a cute fall scene with a backdrop and thought maybe I’d get a few people. I ended up swamped the whole weekend!”

Seigerman was off and running.

Business was booming and she had a steady clientele. Of course the life of a military wife is always in transition and in 2009, the family moved again.  Seigerman is now shaking things up in San Antonio, Texas!

“There’s a lot more competition,” Seigerman said. However, a whole new world of marketing opportunities opened up because they were no longer living on a military base.  “I initially tried mailing out postcards and putting them at local businesses but did not get an overwhelming response,” she said. Next came an ad in a neighborhood mailer and a small response. Seigerman started thinking.  She’d joined Facebook in England but once back in America realized the value of social media as a great business marketing tool. “I’m a big fan of Groupon,” she said.  “So I did an ad with them and that really got my name out there. People responded right away.  Once you get a client base, word of mouth goes a long way.”

Seigerman also offers deals and discounts and holds contests. “People really respond to contests,” she said.   You always have to be thinking when you move around. It’s all working for Seigerman. “Business is right where I want it to be now,” she said.

Seigerman is always thinking about the next marketing plan but she has found balance in her life.

With two children and a full time career that may sound impossible but she has it figured out.  “I shoot when my kids are in school and I don’t work every weekend. We need family time.” Being a parent and a former teacher has actually helped Seigerman with her work. “I’ve got more patience,” she said. “I love children and that shows. I love the art and creativity of photography and capturing a family naturally. I shoot in a photojournalistic style and people respond to that, it’s the way we like to see ourselves.”

So what happens when duty calls the family to another destination ? “Have camera, will travel, “ Seigerman said. “That’s the way it’s got to be!”

Photography is a highly competitive industry. Marketing has changed drastically over the past few years. We’ve shifted from the traditional marketing model of sending out printed promotional pieces, buying ads in magazines and advertising on radio or television. The old promotional avenues are cost prohibitive and really no one is paying attention to them anymore.

Think about it. Today everyone has DVR, so they don’t have to view commercials. The advent of iPods has turned people away from the radio. No one has time to read the newspaper anymore so ads there are not going to bring you customers.  Traditional avenues of reaching potential clients have dried up.

What has replaced those avenues is a whole new series of marketing channels.

Every professional now has a website. That is your calling card; the place people turn to make sure you are legitimate. A website is the most vital piece of your marketing puzzle.  What else do you need?

BLOG IT
Create a blog. A blog is essentially your voice. You can educate your clients, post new photos and include links to great information.

More importantly, a blog creates an instant feeling of friendship. It draws people to you and your business. Creating content for your blog is another way to be found on the web. People will p ass your posts on to their friends cre ating a deeper and wider visibility for your company. A recent webinar on HubSpot, a web based company specializing in inbound marketing software, revealed that companies who blog have 55% more visitors to their websites. You don’t have to post every day. Post once a week, even once a month, but develop that presence. Have a look at WordPress or Blogspot and get started!

FACEBOOK IT
Facebook is a phenomenon. Never before has anything captured such universal, global attention. If you don’t have an account, get one. It’s important and it’s easy. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2u5yd6 for the complete lowdown.

TWITTER IT
Social media is the new buzz term. It includes Facebook, Linked In, and a host of other outlets. One of the most influential of these is Twitter. Think about Twitter as the Readers Digest version of Facebook, without the quizzes! Short, sweet and to the point. Type in the keywords for your industry. Look at “wedding photographers in Dallas” (or your particular area) or “sports photographers in Houston”. If you are not showing up on the first page, then you need to Twitter! There is already a conversationabout your industry going on. Join that conversation.

LINK IT IN!
Linked In is probably the most seriously regarded of the social media. This is definitely a business resource. There are 48 million users. Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are on Linked In. You can find and be introduced to the professionals you need to work with to accomplish your goals.

It’s a terrific avenue to drive business back to your website. Take a look at this link, which includes a step-by-step video: http://learn.linkedin.com/what-is-linkedin/

Don’t let any of these new tools overwhelm you. The best news is that they are free. Decide how much time you can devote to social network marketing each week. It shouldn’t take up more than 10% of your time. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and get started!