At first, learning how to get photography clients may seem overwhelming. Photography services have exploded over the last decade, and there is no better time than now to try new marketing strategies to help you target both potential and existing clients.
With increased demand, more experienced photographers have entered the photography small business world. But don’t worry; these top ten secret strategies will put you ahead of the competition when it comes to new customers and photography marketing. So let’s get started!
Identify Your Dream Client
If you want to get more photography clients, this is where you should start. Your ideal clients are waiting to give you money all over the world! But how can you begin to capture their attention if you don’t know who you’re aiming for? Most photographers overlook this crucial first step and instead try to sell to anyone who looks their way. However, if you make connections and learn who your target clients are, you will not only find more clients, but also more paying clients who are willing to pay more because you are the solution they have been looking for.
When determining your ideal client, ask yourself the following questions:
– Where does my ideal client do their shopping?
– What are some of their concerns when looking for a photographer?
– How can I be the answer to those problems?
– Where do my prospective clients go to find photographers?
– What is the income level of my potential client?
When identifying your ideal client, be as specific as possible. Give them a name and a place to live! Sue from San Francisco is a stay-at-home mom with a $100,000 disposable income who is obsessed with Pinterest. Once you’ve identified this family member, keep them in mind whenever you’re writing on your website, creating ads, or creating social media.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
Network
Take a break from your computer and go outside! One of the best ways to get more photography clients is to go out and talk about your business. Bring a stack of business cards with you and distribute them to local businesses with which you can network. As an example, suppose you are a wedding photographer. Distribute your business cards to local florists, wedding planners, local events, caterers, wedding venues, and other photographers with whom you want to collaborate.
Also, keep an eye out for Facebook groups where your ideal clients may congregate, such as mom groups or wedding planning groups.
These marketing efforts will help your new business connections with other business owners who will cross-promote you. Offering a free session for a local company you need to work with, such as the best wedding planners in town, is another great networking tool for building relationships. They will recommend you to their current clients as your business grows if they fall in love with your personality and work.
Give Incentive for Referrals
In today’s competitive photography market, taking amazing photographs isn’t enough. This is where you should think about incentives for current and potential clients. Giving a discount to a returning customer is a great idea, but you can go even further and give them free prints for every new customer they refer to you.
If you want to attract new customers, you must first give them a reason to believe in you. This is why referrals are so valuable; if their friends and family members trust you, they will trust you as well. Give your photography clients a reason to remember and appreciate your work by providing them with any special promotions that fit within your budget.
Use Freelancing Websites to Gain New Clients
Join freelancing websites if you want to get more photography clients. There are numerous online gigs available on sites such as Freelancer.com, Upwork.com, and Fiverr.com, as well as Airbnb.com. Everything from photo editing to photography. Many photographers also offer mini sessions through freelancing websites.
If you want your marketing to go further in attracting photography clients, you should add yourself to larger websites with a larger audience than your own blog. Websites such as airbnb.com provide both virtual and in-person experiences. These are ideal for offering photoshoots to locals and tourists, as well as teaching photography online.
Guest Blog Posting
Consider expanding your photography business beyond your personal blog if you want it to grow faster. New clients are more likely to find you on larger, more reputable websites such as Business Insider and Elle Magazine. These well-known websites are always looking for new content and frequently accept articles from guest writers. Every website has a page dedicated to guest posts where you can pitch ideas and articles to their editors.
There are numerous topics to choose from. Consider topics such as “How to Choose the Best Lens” or “How to Take Better Travel Photos.” Your own photography website has a much lower chance of being discovered. When using this type of online marketing, every website will allow you to include an author bio that will link to your online portfolio and bring you more clients.
Narrow Down your Niche
When given too many options to choose from, photography clients can become overwhelmed. You must narrow your niche if you want more clients. It’s not a good idea to be the go-to person for food, weddings, and baby photoshoots. Instead, demonstrate your expertise in one type of photography so that your target audience will recognize you as an industry leader in whatever genre you select. If new clients believe they are getting the best of the best, they are more likely to pay full price.
You may be wondering how to define your niche. When deciding on which type of photography to specialize in, there are a few key things to consider.
Define your interests. Do you prefer to be outside? Do you enjoy working with children? Food?
– Do you perform well under pressure? If you enjoy a challenge and working at a fast pace, wedding photography may be for you. Consider food or product photography if you prefer a slower pace and more detailed photography.
– Look for local photographers in the niches you’re interested in and ask if they’d be willing to mentor you. Many times, the best photographers require the assistance of a second shooter. You can work for free or at a reduced rate to see if you like the genre of photography you want to pursue.
Create Targeted Ads
If you want to grow your photography business, you must create targeted ads on your social media accounts. Ads function differently on each social media platform. We do, however, recommend that you begin with Facebook ads. They remain very affordable in relation to the number of potential customers they reach.
They are simple to set up and even allow you to fill in all of your target market’s information. For example, if I only want to target moms between the ages of 35 and 40 who live in NYC and have interests in family portraits, I can easily do so and set a daily budget of $20 to reach them.
– When practicing the niche, work for free for friends and family. You can freely try different genres and see which ones you enjoy the most if there is no added stress of being paid.
Keep the following tools in mind when creating Facebook ads:
– Your marketing should be clear and concise, with no more than two to three sentences.
– Select a photograph in which the subject makes eye contact with the camera and expresses emotion.
– Provide a discount to a new customer.
– Keep your ideal client in mind; remember to address their concerns and offer a solution.
Guest Speaking
Speaking at public events as a guest speaker is an excellent way to gain traction in photography marketing. A potential client may be in the audience or a friend may recommend you.
When it comes to deciding who to contact, the possibilities are endless, but try these organizations first:
– Your local church group
– The local chamber of commerce
– Local Library
– Local universities and schools
– Parent-teacher associations
When it comes to topics, these can vary depending on the needs of the organization, but here are some suggestions:
– Tips for Taking Better Photographs of Your Children
– How to Make the Perfect Business Headshot
– Photographers who changed the world throughout history
After you’ve presented these topic ideas, make sure to incorporate your company’s information in some way. For example, if you speak about how to take the perfect headshot, you can leave business cards with a special discount for you to take their headshot as a portrait photographer who specializes in LinkedIn headshots. Alternatively, if you’re talking about how to photograph children, offer a mini session a few weeks later where you can book multiple families back to back at a discounted rate. Give your previous and potential clients something to look forward to.
Grow Your Online Presence
Connecting with new clients requires a large number of social media followers. Even if your followers are not all from your current city, they will begin to trust and love your work and will remember you when recommending a photographer in the area or traveling themselves. If you want to book a photo session through social media, follow these simple steps:
– Make sure your company information is clear and visible in your bio on all accounts.
– Develop automated responses across platforms that respond to inquiries immediately.
– Provide useful content, such as the best places to eat in your city when visiting.
– Demonstrate your personality and what distinguishes you from other photographers.
– Use platforms such as Later.com to auto-post for you so that you are sure to post every day.
Streamline Your Workflow with SmugMug
Finally, we recommend SmugMug as the best option for gaining new clients! You want to streamline your workflow and upload photos online as your client relationships grow. Our favorite is SmugMug’s simple contact form, which integrates with your portfolio and landing page on their website. You don’t need to learn to code or hire a graphic designer. It’s a one-stop-shop for selling and sharing photos, showcasing your work, and developing a client persona.
When doing business, clients are constantly looking for a sense of comfort. SmugMug also allows you to create Facebook ads and email campaigns with the click of a button. Even better, you can sell prints and offer discounts to existing customers during the holiday season, so they will return to buy more from you long after your session is over.
Signing up for SmugMug may be the most important way for your company to gain more clients. If you want to give them a try right now, you can do so for free by clicking this link, and you can even get a 15% discount if you decide to buy later by clicking the same link.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
Conclusion
We hope this article helped you figure out how to get photography clients. Marketing is a necessary evil, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable and creative! Your business will grow exponentially and easily if you use powerful tools like SmugMug, Facebook Ads, Social Media, and Networking.
The most important thing to remember is that clients want your services, and you can help them find you and pay you by using the right marketing tools. Starting with defining your brand and target audience is one of the first key steps to success, so begin there and then use the workflow methods listed above to keep growing and earning. The only limit is your imagination!
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