Marketing your photography business is all about showing off your work to attract new customers. However, converting these leads into actual bookings can be tricky. Professional photography is an investment, so you want to show potential clients that you can deliver better products than the competition.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level in the new year, it’s important to employ some marketing best practices. Here are some marketing tips and tricks to create a steady stream of photography clients.
Social Media Automation
Since photography is a strictly visual medium, social media is the perfect place to advertise. However, you want to use these platforms as tools as Facebook and Instagram can be a distraction if you’re not careful. To avoid becoming consumed, consider automating your posts. At the start of every week, schedule several quality posts for each platform. Make sure the images you use are visually appealing in a sequence and deliver different messages.
To avoid digging through your computer’s hard drive each week, consider putting all your photos on an online picture storage platform like the ibi photo manager. This will allow you to quickly access your images to post on social media, so you can avoid tedious last-minute uploads. You can organize all of the images you want to post on social media in one place and enjoy a seamless workflow.
Referral Programs
When a client enjoys working with you, they’re likely to tell their friends. So, why not offer perks for doing so? Thanking your clients for their referrals builds loyalty, and there are plenty of ways to incentivize them to spread the word. You might offer a session credit or a certain percentage off for giving a referral. This could be a full-time program, or you could run it as a promotion. Just be sure to keep a record of how many of your clients are actually coming from referrals. These metrics will tell you whether your approach is actually building your client base.
Geofencing
As a photographer, you want to focus on local clients exclusively and this involves careful targeting. You might have success with geofencing marketing, which is a type of web advertising that targets smartphone users in your area. Geofencing programs use data like GPS locations to do this. Nearly 60 percent of searches come from mobile devices, so this type of marketing will help you reach these users and focus on your local region.
Business Partnerships
Some photographers find new clients through other small businesses in their area. Consider what other local businesses have the same customer base as you, and talk to them about a partnership. For example, if you are a newborn photographer, you might offer discounted sessions to families who purchase from a local children’s clothing store. The store owner would put out your business cards or flyers to advertise the deal. These types of community perks encourage people to shop small and builds your reputation among other business owners.
Email Marketing
Once you deliver a client’s images, it can be tricky to stay in touch. However, email marketing can bridge this gap. Start building an email list for your business and send out regular newsletters to your clients. You might advertise current promotions, partnerships, and projects you’re involved in. These emails may put you back on a client’s radar and encourage them to book. Email marketing is another area where you can automate as much as possible, making it easier to stay consistent.
Marketing your photography business is all about attracting local clients and maintaining relationships. You’ll likely experiment with various channels to achieve results, so be sure to keep track of your analytics. If you find that a certain platform isn’t converting leads, drop it and focus your attention elsewhere. Through consistency and a focus on quality, you can build your client list and enjoy a stream of new inquiries.