Photo Promo idea
 

This is an answer to "BARRY" some posts down that turned into a different subject so I thought more folks would like to hear about this so I posted it up front. Maybe some of you "photogs" in the group can use;

One day when my wife and I were seeing someone off at the Aspen Airport...we decided to go out and stand at the end of the runway and take a photo of the plane taking off with the beautiful mountains in the background.

I was just thinking about taking a few shots of this ONE plane....and when I looked thru my viewer and this magnificent shot with the plane in midair and the mountains and deep blue sky in background I was AWED.

Then...private planes started taking off and I decided to take shots of the with this gorgeous backdrop.

THEN...an idea hit me;
Because I could trace the owners of these planes thru the numbers on their tails...why don't I send them a black & white copy with a sales letter and price list.

So....I spent the next 3 hrs taking shots of planes IN MIDAIR....which ANY plane owner would LOVE to have.

I spent the next few weekends out there taking photos and it turned into a pretty lucrative summer for me.

Also...along similar lines. A year later, I was sitting in the locals donut shop one morn in my home town of Carbondale (downvalley from Aspen) when I overheard the new Pharmacist talking to some friends about the fact that he wished he had SOME WAY of getting people INTO HIS drugstore.

THEN....I had another one of my brainstorms. I had been doing Aerial Photos for some realtors and I was just in the air the day before and remember a thought that went thru my head;

"I wonder if any of the folks who own those homes would want an Aerial of their property?"

So...I started banging away at homes at random.

Now...hers's what I decided to do;
I would go up today...take shots of as many homes in town as I could get...then...here's what I would do;

Have them developed into regular 3x5 prints... place the prints on large, free-standing screens and place the screens IN THE BACK of the drugstore...have the pharmacist run a big ad saying..."AERIAL PHOTOS OF CARBONDALE HOMES! IS YOUR HOME HERE? COME ONE DOWN FOR A FREE PHOTO OF YOUR HOME FROM THE AIR!"

Well...when I told the druggist what I had planned, he went ballistic and thought it was the greatest thing he had ever heard. And, YES...he would do it.

I told him I would ALSO offer enlargements that they would have to pay for. Which was OK by him.

So...he ran the ad...I put up the display the night the paper came out (it was an evening paper)

And...since he opened at 8:30am I thought I'd meander over to the drug store around 9 and see what was happening.

WELL....when I rounded the corner to turn onto the block the drug store was on I was SHOCKED at what I saw; Here was a LINE of people stretching all the way down the block from his store.

A HUGE crowd.

I parked and went in the back door. The pharmist saw me and came over and hugged me. He could NOT believe the traffic. Neither could I.

Anyway...sales of the enlargements were HUGE and I was very pleased with the whole thing. I probably could have carried this to other towns but...for some reason...never did.

So...knowing that people are very proud of their homes and CURIOSITY will cause them to WANT to see a shot of their home FROM THE AIR...anyone within eye distance of this COULD put a similar program together and make some BIG bux and have some FUN with it and get some traffic for a retail business. It doesn't have to be a drugstore.

Anyway...thanks for reminding me of a pleasant and profitable experience.

Don Alm

P.S. Feel free to ask me any questions about this.


$3,000/wk from Restaurants

Don, I have a couple questions....
 

Hi Don,

Thanks for posting that! You are full of INCREDIBLE ideas....

Don, I do have a couple questions - one specific, one general....

1.

First - with taking these photos, do you need any kind of specialized photographic equipment, or will any camera do?

2.

Second - Don, I've noticed that a lot of your ideas revolve around different methods of finding ways to advertise, then selling that form of advertising. (Not this recent photo idea, but many other ones, like your restaurant board idea, for example.)

Are there certain reasons you like to work with these advertising-based ideas, over other types of business opportunities?

Thanks,

Dien

Re: Don, I have a couple questions....
 

Hello Don,

Thanks for posting, that was what I was referring to, however maybe you could answer this for me.
My friend takes pictures of local outside
landmarks For example, in his town is this big
rock, which is kind of famous as a landmark.

He goes out and shoots it, frames it and put it
is a gift store...and boom, sold it within a
week for $50. Now he does it again. Simple.

I told him we should do a book of local landmarks.
Then I got to thinking, what if we joint ventured
this with an Association or large company and
took pictures of interent to them.

They could sell the book to their members or
employees, we have NO marketing costs, make a
few bucks on the book and have aviral salesman
working for us as people could order the
pictures direct out of the book.

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas as to
what group(s) would be appropriate for this
type of thing.

Thanks Don, you have some unique and creative
ideas.

Barry
PS: I'm sure someone will take this idea and
soon be selling an ebook. Seems like there is
an ebook for every trivial money making
opportunity.


http://healthybody.xtend-life.com/dist/

Re: Don, I have a couple questions....
 

> Hi Don,

ANSWERS below...

> Thanks for posting that! You are full of
> INCREDIBLE ideas....

> Don, I do have a couple questions - one
> specific, one general....

> 1.

> First - with taking these photos, do you
> need any kind of specialized photographic
> equipment, or will any camera do?

A) I used my old Minolta 35mm with a 70-210 lens. Set the speed to 500 ad F8 and opened the window of the 152 Cessna (the air current keeps the window up) leaned out so I could get beyond the wheels (the wheels on a Cessna High Wing are out beyond the fuselage) and fired away. Because the law says you MUST be 500ft above ground in a residential area...you need a telephoto lens. I prefer an adjustable one because sometimes my pilot got me closer than 500 ft and sometimes, to get in an entire ranch property you need to use the wide angle lens. But any 35 mm would do as long as it will go up to a shutter speed of 500.

> 2.

> Second - Don, I've noticed that a lot of
> your ideas revolve around different methods
> of finding ways to advertise, then selling
> that form of advertising. (Not this recent
> photo idea, but many other ones, like your
> restaurant board idea, for example.)

> Are there certain reasons you like to work
> with these advertising-based ideas, over
> other types of business opportunities?

A) Many years ago when I went thru an ugly divorce from my first wife, most of my funds were TIED UP for awhile in the legal battle. Because I am not one to just "lie around and wait" I thought about what type of business I could start that required little or no cash to begin. My thoughts went to "where could I go tomorrow morning to pick up some cash?"

I thought that most retail businesses, professionals and service people are ALWAYS in need of ways of getting new customers. I thought that if I could come up with a promotion program to help these people get new business...all I would need would be a SAMPLE of the program and a few sheets of paper in a Presentation Manual (a cheap 3-ring binder with sheet protectors)

I could walk into their business COLD...present my program to the owner and walk out with a check.

Only problem was WHAT kind of program could I offer?

So...ONE WAY I have of finding out WHAT is happening in a town is to go to the fanciest BAR in town at 3pm. There you will find "Owners" of businesses and other "affluent" types who happen to like to have a toddy before going home....and who like to meet up with other "movers and shakers".

So it was on this one find day, I happened to be sitting at the bar of the fanciest bar in town sipping on a Mick when here comes 3 guys who pull up alongside me. They are discussing getting their new radio station on the air and other matters, including HOW to get "listeners". They start discussing various radio promo programs that would possibly work in this market.

Well...I remember some years back where a station in the suburbs of Chicago had a promo that had to do with placing Bumper Stickers on cars and the radio station spotting the cars with these certain bumper stickers and reading them during a broadcast and whomever comes in first, gets the prize.

Well...I ask the bartender for a few sheets of paper. I then "pencil in" a program I called "BUMPER BUCKS". I figure out how it would work where there would be 30 merchants participating...each dispensing Bumper Bucks.

I excuse myself to the 3 guys...and ask if I could show them a promo "I" could put together for them instantly.

They look at my scribblings and say, "YEH! LET'S DO IT!" So...I go home and put together a better looking presentation in my 3-ring Binder, show it to the owners, get their OK...then proceed to sell 30 merchants on ging me $500 for a "13 week radio promo" designed to bring MORE customers to them.

Thus...from about a $5 "investment" within a few days I had collected $15,000...."like picking up dollar bills off the street".

This gave me an intro into the "IDEA" biz...and I haven't been the same since. It's a biz where, if you can create a SAMPLE of what it is you are planning to do...and you can explain how it works and what the benefits are...you can collect money from business people all day long.

PLUS the fact the "Ad Biz" is SELF-FINANCING! Meaning you collect ALL your money up front before you start producingthe program.

So...I hope that helps.

Thanks for letting me expound.

Don Alm

> Thanks,

> Dien




$3,000/wk from Restaurants

Re: Don, I have a couple questions....
 

Barry....there was a book out called, "The Castles of Ireland"...in which you could order prints of castles framed.

I had a photog buddy who was hired by a book company to take photos in Alaska so they could publish "Alaska's Inner Passage".

I'm not sure what group you could get interested in a book like this but seems to me there are a lot of "societys' in your country that you could interest. You'd need someone who could fork over the COLOR printing expense and be able to benefit from sales. Only problem is they would want most of the profits and your photog friend would just be hired to take photos. Maybe there's a way to "self-publish" a few single copies...offer those as 'samples" of what you can do to groups who would then show their members... and TAKE ORDERS for prints.

One guy took photos of Aspen, CO and turned them into some kind of Board Game with the landmarks of Aspen as part of the background. He then sold it in shops and it was a big hit. He then went to other towns. Don't knwo if he's still doing this but for him it turned into a big hitter.

Don Alm

> Hello Don,

> Thanks for posting, that was what I was
> referring to, however maybe you could answer
> this for me.
> My friend takes pictures of local outside
> landmarks For example, in his town is this
> big
> rock, which is kind of famous as a landmark.

> He goes out and shoots it, frames it and put
> it
> is a gift store...and boom, sold it within a
> week for $50. Now he does it again. Simple.

> I told him we should do a book of local
> landmarks.
> Then I got to thinking, what if we joint
> ventured
> this with an Association or large company
> and
> took pictures of interent to them.

> They could sell the book to their members or
> employees, we have NO marketing costs, make
> a
> few bucks on the book and have aviral
> salesman
> working for us as people could order the
> pictures direct out of the book.

> I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas as to
> what group(s) would be appropriate for this
> type of thing.

> Thanks Don, you have some unique and
> creative
> ideas.

> Barry
> PS: I'm sure someone will take this idea and
> soon be selling an ebook. Seems like there
> is
> an ebook for every trivial money making
> opportunity.




$3,000/wk from Restaurants

Re: Don, I have a couple questions....
 

Hi, Don - this must be the rarest of opportunities for me to return the favour to you for your generous and excellent advice. There's a company here in Scotland about to publish digital postcards of areas of the country. However, what makes this venture special, apart from the other things like screensavers, is that they are selling advertising slots on the cds to local businesses who would like to promote themselves on these cd postcards. Viral marketing gone supersonic!

Now, does that get your creative juices flowing, or what?? The sky's the limit, I would think!

Hey, Don .... do you bake/cook?? It would be an absolute blast to have you as a subscriber to my modest newsletter!!

Thanks

Margaret




Cookies, anyone??

Re: $500 with aerial photography
 

I'm a professional aerial photographer (among other things)

Aerial photography is simple but not that easy to get good photos of individual houses without practice.

-Be sure you get a good competent commercial pilot. Just because your body has a plane doesn't mean he's used to the kind of manuevering it takes.

-Cessna Skyhawks c-172 are best. They are plentiful and they are the ones with the window
will say open by just removing one screw.

-In congested areas you min. altitude is 1,000 ft.

-As Don said a simple 35mm will do to start. Shutter speed at least 1/500. Zoom lenes over 150 aren't that pratical because they pick up to much movement.

-Focus on infinity

There is more but this is the basics.

I routinely make $500 hour doing this without doing any selling. (clients call me)

If this sounds like fun way to make money to you then check out the link below.

Ron Ruiz


How I make $400/hr + with aerial photography

Already did it...
 

Hey Marg....when "Web Compilers" first came out in 1995 (a program that would compile HTML pages on your hard drive and create an EXE file which could be copied to a floppy. Then, when you double-clicked on the exe file, the program opened in the floppy drive) I put together a "Magic Floppy" of my Town...with ads of local businesses. I got 50 businesses to participate for $500 each. I made up 1,000 floppies and had the Chamber send them to inquiries.

This is mentioned in my Midas Report and I introduced it at Bill Myer's ProfitMaker Seminar in 1996.

It's a great concept AND good way to make money from local biz. I did it for 2 years. Although nowadays you can use CD's to get more stuff on.

If you like, I can email you one of my "Magic Floppies". It will take a while to download but let me know if you'd like to see one.

Thanks....Don Alm

> Hi, Don - this must be the rarest of
> opportunities for me to return the favour to
> you for your generous and excellent advice.
> There's a company here in Scotland about to
> publish digital postcards of areas of the
> country. However, what makes this venture
> special, apart from the other things like
> screensavers, is that they are selling
> advertising slots on the cds to local
> businesses who would like to promote
> themselves on these cd postcards. Viral
> marketing gone supersonic!

> Now, does that get your creative juices
> flowing, or what?? The sky's the limit, I
> would think!

> Hey, Don .... do you bake/cook?? It would be
> an absolute blast to have you as a
> subscriber to my modest newsletter!!

> Thanks

> Margaret




$3,000/wk from Restaurants

Re: OOPS! $500 PER HOUR with aerial photography (DNO)
 

Thanks Don (and Ron and Margaret too)....
 

Thanks Don (and Ron and Margaret too)....

I love planes, doing something with planes would be great, and I'm just starting to get into amateur photography too (but I don't have much equipment yet)....

> PLUS the fact the "Ad Biz" is
> SELF-FINANCING! Meaning you collect ALL your
> money up front before you start producingthe
> program.

This is the part that looks real attractive to me - you're not risking much money, yet the possible returns seems phenomenal! It seems pretty close to a "risk-free" business, since so little of your money is at risk.

Thanks Don - GREAT IDEAS! :)

- Dien