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6 Ways To Market Your Photography Business

There is no one size fits all tool for marketing that applies to all photography businesses. Marketing works best when it is personalized to you. Still, there are tips and tricks all photographers can utilize in order to get their name out and build a bigger clientele. Here are 6 of the greatest ways you can successfully grow your photography business.

1. Create a Website

If you don’t already have a high quality website, this is the first step you should take to improve your marketing. It’s adamant that photographers have a good website to display work, offer contact information, and explain who you are as a professional. Having your website set up with good SEO is also important because this puts your site on search engines. That way, when potential clients
search for local photographers, you will appear as a result in the search engine.

2. Engage With Social Media

Social media is easy to link up with your website and makes it easier than ever to network and find new clients. When you take photos at an event for someone they are going to share these images on their Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets. You can even share some of these photos for them, with permission of course, and your link will show up on all of their friends’ news feeds. While social media takes time to set up and keep up with, it will provide hundreds and thousands of new client opportunities.

3. Say Thank You With Underhanded Advertisements

The best way to get new clients is by word of mouth. While social media sites do a great job helping with that, there are other ways you can promote yourself through word of mouth too. A great way to do so is to give your clients each a thank you of some sort after a photo session.

What you send to them is entirely up to you. For example you could send a magnet that includes a beautiful photograph from their session on it, along with your name, number and address. This magnet will likely end up somewhere such as the fridge, where visitors can notice it and think—I want a photographer that does that for me. When the time arrives and they need a photographer, you just might be the one they think of. Thank you gifts also increase costumer satisfaction and make your clients more likely to return.

4. Pro-Bono Pays Off

Check out some events going on in your area and call ahead to get permission to attend, with camera in hand of course. Here you can snap photos and converse with people, handing out your business card with a link to your website where they can see pictures taken at the event the following day. This is a great way to make a personal connection with people and solidify they will actually look at your card AND visit your website, after all everyone wants to see their photograph!

5. Identify Your Ideal Client

Everyone who takes on clients has a particular ‘type’ they prefer. What is your ideal client? For instance, if your client partakes in action sports you can actively work to peruse this type of client by using the right type of marketing. By focusing on a niche area you can better serve your clients because you tailor the entire experience to fit their needs better than someone who serves a world of different clients. Your website, social media posts, and even thank you gifts can then be further altered to meet your target audience’s needs and wants.

6. Send Out Postcard Mailers

Another way you can boost your photography business is by sending out postcard mailers. Since visual images are processed more efficiently and are more likely to be looked at, you are already one step ahead of the game. Not only do photographers have loads of great photos to pick from, but these photos help tell a story about you without using any words at all.

You can also use postcard mailers to offer specials, like the first 30 minutes of any 1-hour session is free, or extra prints free of charge. Notice a pattern with the word ‘free?’ Free is the number one term that catches attention. Just because you give away a few services for free does not mean you will be losing money. This helps capture the attention of new clients, who then open up a world of more new clients through their friends and family.

Who Are You As A Photographer?

Photographers range wildly when it comes to different niches and styles. Are you a wedding photographer? Or do you prefer to shot nature scenes for magazines and other publications? Depending on your personal interests, experience and photographic niche your marketing plan of action will vary, along with the audience you aim to target.