January 15, 2025

How To Get Photography Clients

Only my oldest clients will know that I got my start in photography. Back in the day, I was the go-to photographer for weddings.

So I’ve been right where you are.

You are an amazing photographer. Your eye is second to none, and you have a knack for getting shots that no one else can seem to get.

As a great photographer, you should have no problem getting photography clients, right?

Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Just because you’re a great photographer doesn’t mean you’ll automatically attract clients.

Rather, you need to implement specific marketing strategies that will bring clients to your door. You need a plan in place for how you’re going to grow your business.

In this guide, I’ll provide you with concrete actions you can take to build your photography business starting today. By the end, you’ll have a firm idea of what you need to do to bring in new clients ASAP.

(You might Also Like My Article: How To Win In A Crowded Market)

Best Marketing Strategies to Find More Clients for Your Photography Business

Identify Your Target Client and the Right Audience

The starting point for getting more photography clients is to get clarity on exactly who you’re trying to serve. It’s essential that you niche down and get granular about who your target client is. You can’t market to everyone. You need to be very specific about the type of photography clients you’re trying to attract.

And when I talk about getting granular, I mean more than just saying that you’re a wedding photographer. That’s not specific enough.

Within “wedding photographer,” there are additional demographics and psychographics you should specify, such as:

  • Income
  • Area of town
  • Age group
  • Race
  • Wedding type
  • Wedding size
  • Style of wedding
  • Instagram accounts the bride is following

The point is that you need to know who your audience is. The more clarity you have on your audience, the more targeted you can be with your messaging. You can speak directly to the pain points and desires and goals your target clients have.

For example, say you’re a family photographer. Your messaging can talk about capturing precious family moments. Or if you’re a portrait photographer, you can speak to your clients’ desire for beautiful and flattering portraits.

If you want to grow your photography business, you have to know exactly who you’re target audience is. That’s foundational. Only then can you move on to other marketing strategies.

Build a Professional Portfolio

If you want to attract new photography clients, you need to have a professional portfolio. Something that people can look at to see your work.

My mentor knew the value of a portfolio and said that in my first year in business, I should read the E-Myth Revisited and take 100,000 photos. I took photos for vendors and venues as a way to build not only my portfolio but also my relationship network.

Ideally, you should have a portfolio website that shows the different types of photos you take and the photography services you offer. This website doesn’t need to be particularly fancy, as long as the photos look good. You don’t even need to hire a web developer if you don’t want to. You can use a website-building platform like Squarespace, which makes it incredibly easy to build an attractive portfolio.

In addition to showing off your photos, you might also want to have a blog on your website where you talk about different elements of your photography business. For example, you could take potential clients behind the scenes of different photo shoots, talking about all that goes into the shoots and giving people a sense of how you think about photography.

Create a Marketing Strategy

Having a solid marketing strategy is key to growing your photography business. You can’t just assume that people will be interested in what you have to offer. Rather, you need to get the word out about your business if you want to attract new clients.

Work to develop several concrete marketing strategies that you’ll use to connect with potential photography clients. You don’t have to do everything. Just focus on a few things that you can do well. For example, your marketing strategy might include:

  • Social media: Consistently sharing photos from shoots across your various social media profiles
  • Networking: Attending local events and networking with other professionals in your industry (such as wedding planners, event coordinators, or fellow photographers)
  • Word-of-mouth advertising: Encouraging satisfied clients to refer their friends and family
  • Online advertising: Utilizing targeted Facebook or Google ads to reach potential clients in your area

What matters is that you have a strategy in place to promote your photography services. If you don’t have a definite strategy for getting more clients, your photography business will grow stagnant.

Learn the Art of Pitching

If you want to grow your photography business, you need to learn the art of pitching. You need to learn how to get in front of potential clients and sell your services to them. You need to learn the skill of selling yourself.

You should already know your target audience. Your pitch should be tailored to that audience. To their needs, pain points, and desires. You need to prepare a pitch that effectively communicates the photography services you offer, why you’re better than other photographers, and how you can help solve their specific problems.

The better you get at pitching, the more clients you’ll land. The more clients you land, the stronger your portfolio will be. A stronger portfolio then contributes to a stronger pitch. It’s a virtuous circle.

So don’t wait for clients to come to you. Rather, identify potential customers who would be a great fit for your photography business and reach out to them individually. Tell these potential clients about the previous work you’ve done and why you’re a great fit for them. Offer to set up a meeting or have a conversation on the phone to further discuss things.

Use Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are a great place to show off your portfolio. Think about it. Photos tend to perform well on social media in general – better than text-only updates. If you share beautiful photos you have taken across your social media profiles, you’re going to get people’s attention.

So don’t be humble when it comes to sharing your work. Let the world see it. Show off your best photos.

Also, encourage your clients to share the photos you’ve taken of them on social media. The reality is that money loves speed. In other words, the faster you can get your photos to the client, the faster they’ll start sharing them on social media, and the more money you will make.

Don’t feel like you need to focus on all the social media platforms at one time. It’s better to pick one or two and really give your attention to them instead of spreading yourself too thin across a bunch of different platforms.

What platforms should you focus on? It depends on your target audience. If your target audience is Millennials or Gen Z, you might want to focus on Instagram. If you’re targeting an older audience, Facebook might be your best bet. If you target professionals and companies, you may want to focus primarily on LinkedIn.

The point is, go where your audience is. Share photos of where your audience spends their time.

Network with Other Professional Photographers

You might be thinking Wait a minute. Why would I want to network with my competitors?

But the reality is that networking with other professional photographers can actually benefit your business. By building relationships with other photographers, you may be able to refer clients to each other when one of you is unavailable or not the right fit for a project. You can also learn from each other’s experiences and techniques, improving your own skills and expanding your knowledge base.

Plus, working together rather than viewing each other as competition can create a supportive community within the photography industry. This can lead to opportunities for collaboration, joint projects, and even referrals from fellow photographers who trust and admire your work.

So, don’t shy away from connecting with others in your field. It could open up new doors for your photography business.

Find Co-Marketing Partners

Finding co-marketing partners greatly helped me when I was doing wedding photography. Generally, I received referrals from wedding venues and wedding planners who were looking for a photographer. At the same time, I gave referrals to videographers, photo booths, and DJs.

Working together with these people allowed me to get more clients and also allowed me to help them get more clients as well.

Who can you co-market with? Do you do event photography? Try to build relationships with event planners who will need photographers. Is there a marketing agency that tends to outsource a lot of their photography work? Seek to build a relationship with that agency.

Look for co-marketing partners who you can benefit from and who you can provide benefits to. The more mutual benefit there is, the better the co-marketing relationship.

Create a Professional Looking Website

I’ve touched on this already, but it’s worth discussing in a bit more detail. If you want to attract your ideal clients, you need to have a professional-looking website. Yes, it hosts your portfolio, but it goes beyond that. Your website serves as a home base for all your digital marketing operations.

Your site is one of the main ways that people find you on the internet. It’s how people contact you when they’re interested in hiring you. It’s where potential customers can find answers to their questions about your photography services.

You need a website that’s well-designed, easy to navigate, and aesthetically pleasing. A website that will instill trust in potential customers and that demonstrates your abilities and strengths as a photographer.

Improve Your Website Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a particularly powerful marketing tool that you can use to attract new photography clients. Through SEO, you can make your website appear in more Google searches, which can lead to more clients.

When I was in the photography business, half of my business was from referrals. The other half was from people searching for “name of venue + wedding photographer”.

As much as possible, optimize your website for searches. Make sure you include all relevant information on your website that people might be searching for, including:

  • Your location
  • Venues you work
  • Types of photography you offer
  • Your pricing
  • Contact info
  • Testimonials from satisfied clients

You want your website to be as searchable as possible. Whatever information people will be searching for, include that on your site.

Keep in Touch With Existing Clients

Photography shouldn’t be a one-and-done kind of thing, where you take someone’s photos, give them the prints, and then never talk to them again. As much as possible, you want to keep in touch with your existing clients. There’s a really good chance that they will need your services more than once. You want to be top of mind when they need a photographer.

Keep your existing clients in the loop about services you’re offering. For example, if you’re offering discounted fall photo shoots, share that with your past clients. Reach out to them and let them know about the special shoots and ask them if they would like to have their photos taken.

Consider Running Ads

Another effective way to get paying clients is to run online ads. The beauty of social media and search engine ads is that you can get incredibly granular with your targeting. For example, if you want to get your services in front of people who live in your city and are interested in wedding planning, you can do that. Or, if you want to show ads to people searching for “bar mitzvah photographer near me”, you can do that as well.

The more narrowly targeted your online ads, the more likely it is that you’ll attract your ideal clients. You can get your message in front of the right people at the right time, which can lead to an influx of new clients.

Offer Discounts for Your Photography Services

Discounts can be another effective way to build your photography business. Offering discounts allows people to sample your talent without having to invest a huge amount of money. This can help you attract new clients who might be hesitant to purchase from you otherwise.

You do have to be careful with discounts, however. You don’t want to become known as a low-cost photographer. You need to be strategic about when you offer discounts to maximize their effectiveness. One option is to offer discounts to new customers as a way of drawing them. For example, you could offer a discounted mini photo shoot. Once people see the quality of the photos from the mini shoot, they’ll be much more likely to invest in one of your full packages.

Encourage Testimonials and Reviews

Testimonials and reviews are some of the best types of marketing out there. People might not believe what you have to say about your services, but they’re much less likely to doubt an impartial review. As much as possible, ask clients for testimonials and reviews. Ask people to share their experiences with you on Google, Yelp, and every other review platform.

It’s also extremely valuable to share testimonials on your website. This is a form of social proof and it can go a long way in overcoming any hesitancy people might have in working with you.

Maintain an Email List

An email list is a really effective way to stay engaged with people who have interacted with your business. It allows you to keep your photography business at the forefront of their minds. When they need a photographer, they’ll immediately think of you.

How can you build your email list? One of the best ways is by giving away something free in exchange for people’s email addresses. For example, you might create an ebook titled “10 Ways To Get Great Photos With Your Smart Phone”. People can give you their email address and in exchange you’ll send them the ebook. This is a win-win for everyone involved.

What should you share with your email list? Consider sharing photography tips and tricks. Anything that will help people take better photos. And, of course, you can also share any updates from your photography business, such as new packages or offerings.

Attend Trade Shows

Trade shows are events where businesses in the same industry come together to showcase their products and services. This is a great opportunity for you to network with potential clients and showcase their work.

Before attending a trade show, make sure you have printed business cards and promotional materials to hand out. You can also create a portfolio or slideshow of your best work to display at your booth. This will give potential clients a visual representation of your skills and style as a photographer.

During the trade show, be friendly and approachable. Strike up conversations with attendees and ask them about their photography needs. Be prepared to answer any questions they may have about your services and prices.

How Can I Use Instagram to Attract New Clients?

I’ve touched on the power of social media already, but it’s worth talking about Instagram specifically since it’s designed for photographs. As such, it’s a great social media platform for attracting new clients.

Instagram Account

The starting point is to optimize your Instagram account to highlight your photography services. This means having a bio that defines exactly who you serve, the types of photography you offer, and any specialties or niches you have. Use relevant hashtags in your bio to make it easier for potential clients to find you. You also should include a link to your website in your bio for easy access.

From your bio, it should be immediately clear to people what kind of photographer you are and who your target audience is.

Instagram Feed

Your Instagram feed serves as a portfolio. It’s where you show off your photos and give people insight into your aesthetic and style. As such, it’s important to give thought to exactly how your feed looks. You don’t want to have a bunch of random photos that don’t seem to follow any specific aesthetic. Rather, you want your Instagram feed to have a cohesive feel. It should be obvious that all the photos were taken by you.

Select high-quality images that feature consistent themes and reflect your unique style. This consistency is key to establishing a distinct brand identity and personality. By curating a cohesive collection, your brand will stand out and draw clients in much more effectively than merely assembling a random selection of good photos.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories is a little different than your Instagram feed. Stories can be a bit more relaxed. While they should match your overall feel and aesthetic, they can also be a little more informal.

Instagram stories should also be more interactive and playful than the photos in your feed. For example, in stories you can include polls and give people the opportunity to provide feedback. This is a great way to engage with your audience and get valuable insights into their preferences.

Another benefit of using Instagram Stories for photographers is the ability to showcase your behind-the-scenes process. This gives clients a glimpse into the hard work and creativity that goes into creating stunning photos. This type of content can also help build a stronger connection with your audience, as they get to know you on a more personal level.

I can understand if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed after reading this guide. There’s a lot you need to do to grow your photography business.

I found that most of my clients came as referrals from my networking efforts. If you are feeling overwhelmed, start with that.

Ultimately, focus is key. Pick one thing and work on it. Maybe you build your email list. Maybe you focus on getting customer reviews. Maybe you start working on co-marketing.

The point is to start small and go from there. Once you start to get traction in an area, expand to another growth strategy. Pretty soon, you’ll have a well-rounded approach to growing your photography business.

Remember, it’s not just about taking beautiful photos but also about building relationships and marketing yourself effectively. With dedication and hard work, your photography business can thrive

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