Starting a photography business is definitely stressful. Just think about the competition you are up against. Regardless of the type of photography that you specialize in, there will be many others that will offer the same services.
What does this mean?
It means that you can be the very best photographer in your field and not get enough clients to run a business. You need marketing strategies and tactics that put your work in front of the potential clients.
Fortunately, there are countless marketing strategies that can be used these days. We will focus on some that are particularly effective for photography-based businesses.
Create A Google Business Page
This is definitely one of the simplest things that you can do. The Google Business Page is a huge advantage because of the weight that it puts in local searches. No matter what marketing strategy you use, obtaining organic traffic from search engines and people looking for something with their phone is very beneficial.
As an example, when someone looks for a wedding photographer in Somerset, the search term used is something like “wedding photographer Somerset”. Having a page in GMB that is clearly associated with Somerset and that highlights photography services will give you a huge advantage.
Since we talk about photography, make sure that you also upload photographs, preferably some that are taken by you.
Launch A Blog And Blog Often
Google wants to see that you often upload new content to your website. This is hard to do when all you really do with the site is present it as a portfolio. This is where a blog steps in to lend a huge helping hand.
As a simple example, since we talked about wedding photography earlier, on a blog you can so easily add some wedding photo sets and write about the event and the images. You basically offer information that has a lot of value. This increases your authority.
Obviously, the blog needs to be optimized for proper appearance in search engines. Organic traffic is very valuable.
Implement A Referral System
One of the best ways to promote any service is through word of mouth advertising. This can so easily move your entire photography business forward.
A very effective way to help encourage others is to give them some sort of reward when new clients are brought in. There are many incentives that you can hand out, ranging from free prints to discounts on future packages. See what you can offer of real value and do it.
Network With The Other Photographers
It is very important for a photographer to be involved with professionals that live in the local area. They can easily end up bringing some business your way. At the same time, you can promote the business you have to other professionals in other industries that operate in the same area. This can lead to reciprocation.
When you shoot weddings (video or photo), it is very effective to network with wedding professionals. For instance, you can barter with caterers. When someone comes to you to hire you, why not recommend a caterer if the happy couple does not have one yet? The same thing can be done by the caterer.
Contact Photo Blogs To Be Featured
There are countless portrait and wedding blogs that feature really good photographs. There are also portrait blogs that often feature portrait photographers. Contact them and get featured whenever you can. This is very effective because you get to promote your photographs in places where your clients actually see them.
Give Back To Your Community
Last but not least, giving back to the community is a wonderful way to put your name out there and to get some extra business in the future. For instance, offer your photography services for free to some businesses. A free session is enough.
Endless possibilities exist when it comes to giving back to your community. You will be known by others and you never know when a client appears.
