If you are an established photographer with a passion for capturing fashion shoots, sports events, landscapes, food, or just any sort of photography, then you are probably looking for ways to expand your hobby, make money out of it, and attract new clients.
Although you are really lucky to be doing something that you love for a living, making money out of photography isn’t as easy as it seems. With a saturated market, it can sometimes be very hard for a photographer to maintain his/her income. According to a study quoted on Design Hill, “nearly 60% of all small photography businesses fail in the first year, while only 25% survive the hardest competition in the second year and then fade out.”
However, photographers can make money with the right marketing methods and tools. In a digital age, everyone needs professional images, and therefore the demand for photographers is increasing. If you are a photographer who wants to attract and book new clients, here are some tips that can help you out:
1. Build a Strong Portfolio
Make sure you build a strong online portfolio that showcases your best work. You can use the available online platforms or create your own website in order to showcase your work in an attractive and appealing way. Just make sure to include your contact information. Think of turning the portfolio into a stylish magazine. Whichever method you decide to use, showcase your best work and be creative. This way, showcasing your work in an organized and appealing way will attract more clients.
2. Use Social Media
If you are looking to attract a new audience and new clients, the best way is to use social media effectively. In today’s modern world, social media is extremely important in marketing, especially when it comes to art and creative professions. Here are some channels you can use:
- Flickr
- Tumblr
- Behance
You should always make sure that you create your social media pages or profiles with the utmost creativity and effectiveness. Make sure that your social media pages stand out from those of other photographers and find ways to attract your audience to visit your accounts through great content, catchy texts, and consistent posts.
Tip: Try to post a daily photograph on Instagram. You can also dedicate a day in which you choose all your upcoming week’s posts, and then schedule them to be automatically posted. Try to know which type of posts gets the most likes, and post more of those ones!
3. Create a Strong Brand
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that photographers don’t need to invest in strong branding. Actually, good branding will help you distinguish yourself from other photographers. Find what makes you unique compared to other photographers, and make sure you reflect that in your branding. Branding, of course, includes your business name, logo, font, colors, business card… etc.
4. List Your Business Online
You can list your photography business online on several relevant websites. Professionals at https://www.1stop-photography.com/members offer a great solution for anyone working in the photography industry: members can create a portfolio and list their businesses online to get more leads and clients. By listing your business on photography platforms and websites, you can easily search for and find more job postings promote your business, find more leads, and even increase your revenues.
5. Cooperate with Influencers
A very common marketing strategy is to approach influencers in order to market your business. As influencers have a big reach and follower base, taking photos of an influencer can help you get more followers, become more known, and therefore get more clients. However, make sure that you are working with the right influencers for you, and that you approach them in the right way.
6. Volunteer to Shoot a Local Event
Offer to photograph an important or significant local event for free. This way, you will be able to show off your talents and display your work to people. If the event has a large audience, you will be able to show off your skills and business to a larger audience, and therefore have better chances of getting more clients. Consider donating a session to a cause that is important to you.
7. Network with other professionals
A great way to promote your photography business is to network with other professionals in your network or local area. If you are a food photographer, for example, getting to know similar professionals can help you get more updates to job offerings or opportunities in the food photography field; professionals can also refer you to more people and business owners who are in need of your services.
8.Start Building an Email List
Building an email list can actually become a powerful marketing tool and a method that can get you more clients. Invest in creating an outstanding newsletter than you can send out on a monthly basis, and you will see how this can massively change your business. You can build an email list by asking people to fill an email sign-up form to opt into your newsletters.
9. Run Competitions and Promotions
Through your several online channels, you can offer your followers a free photography session. For example, if you are a wedding photographer, you can run competitions and offer a free wedding photo session for the winning couple. Running competitions on social media generates a lot of interactions and spreads the word about your business. This will be your own way of giving back to the community. In the long run, this can help you gain more followers and clients.
10. Offer referral bonuses
Word of mouth advertising is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your business. You can reward people for recommending you to their friends or offer a discount on your services for those who refer you.
Applying these suggestions can help you with your photography business and help you make money out of your great talent. This way, you will be able to have a steady stream of clients who are happy to pay you, and you won’t be worried anymore about making ends meet or about your unpaid bills.
