The Ultimate Guide to Marketing for Photographers

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Marketing for photographers has been the most debated topic. Should photographer utilize marketing as a means to grow their business? Is it worth investing time and money into this?

The answer is Yes. Although photography marketing might look easy on the outside, it takes many dedicated hours to build and grow your business. It's a common misconception that marketing is a mere add-on to a photographer's skill set.

As a professional photographer, your skills behind the lens are only part of the equation for success. It's the cornerstone upon which a thriving photography business is built. Investing time and resources into effective marketing isn't just an option; it's a necessity.

The success of your business will depend on how well your marketing strategy has been built.

In this guide, we will discuss the ways you can use photography marketing and provide actionable marketing strategies to grow your business.

How to do marketing as a photographer?

Here are 12 ways to use marketing to grow your business:

1. Build an amazing website

Reports suggest that 8 out of 10 customers are likely to engage with your business if it has a website. This is because customers feel safe when interacting with businesses that have a website.

A well-designed website is essential for showcasing your portfolio, establishing your brand identity, and generating leads.

Your website is often the first impression potential clients will have of your business. So make sure your website is interactive and well-designed.

In fact, 75% of consumers admit to making judgments on a company's credibility based on the company's website design. While finding new clients for your photography business, it is important to appear credible online.

It's your opportunity to showcase your unique style, highlight your services, and build trust with potential customers. A visually appealing and user-friendly platform will encourage them to explore your work and ultimately book your services.

Here are the key elements of a successful photography website:

Strong visual appeal: High-quality images should be the focal point.
Intuitive navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find what they're looking for.
Clear call-to-actions: Guide visitors towards desired actions, such as booking a session or contacting you.
Mobile optimization: Ensure your website looks and functions flawlessly on all devices.
Fast loading times: A slow website can drive visitors away.
Social media: Make sure to connect your social media accounts to your website so potential customers can check out your work

2. Start a blog

A great way to let potential customers find your website is to start a blog. It is a strategic tool to engage with your audience, boost your online presence, and establish yourself as an authority in the field. In fact, a report found that 57% of marketers say they’ve gained customers specifically through blogging.

Do your research and find keywords that your clients are searching for. For instance, if you are a wedding photographer, you can write blogs like “How to plan your wedding”, “the ultimate wedding planning checklist”, “wedding photo inspirations” etc.

This will potentially help you find clients for your photography business. High-quality blog posts that offer useful insights and tips can enhance your reputation as a knowledgeable and skilled photographer. Potential clients are more likely to trust and hire a photographer who demonstrates expertise and professionalism through their blog.

Remember to add a call to action for every article. For you, this will be a "contact me" form. You can also utilize pop-ups to get their email which you can later nuture into a relationship. We will talk more about this later in our article.

Pro tip: Add photographs from your wedding shoots to your blogs to highlight your expertise, wedding photography editing techniques, etc. This allows you to build curiosity for the viewer interested in wedding photographers.

A blog that provides a wealth of content becomes successful when it is repurposed for social media. You can:

Share Blog Posts: Promote your blog posts on your social media channels to drive traffic back to your website.
Create Engaging Snippets: Use key points or quotes from your blog posts as engaging snippets for social media updates. You can create a short video that highlights the key points and tells viewers to learn more from your blog
Encourage Social Sharing: Make it easy for readers to share your blog posts on their social media profiles by adding buttons on your blog

3. Offer Mini sessions

One of the best marketing methods for photographers is to offer mini sessions. The demand for quick photography sessions is growing rapidly since it allows clients to get their work done faster. They're a fantastic way for photographers to attract new clients, generate income, and build their brand

Now what exactly are mini-sessions?

A mini-session is a shorter version of a regular photography session. It usually takes between 20 - 30 minutes for a session. It has fewer images as deliverables and photographers can decide a standard price based on the timer number of images.

Photographers can promote these mini-sessions on their website and social media to keep their calendars booked.

A great way to do this is to use tools like Calendly so clients can book time slots with you based on your availability. You can also offer exclusive discounts to clients who have booked more than 3 mini-sessions with you.

Additionally, they're a great way to introduce your work to potential clients. Many who book a mini-session may become full-fledged clients for future, more extensive shoots.

Remember, Mini-sessions are photography packages for clients. They are not a discounted version of your regular sessions. Mini sessions should offer shorter shooting times, a limited number of deliverables, and are priced independently of regular sessions.

4. Organize a workshop

Hosting a workshop is an excellent tactic for marketing for photographers. It positions you as an expert in your field. It gives you a platform to share your knowledge and skills with others, showcasing your mastery of photography techniques, equipment, and creative processes.

Not only do workshops allow photographers to demonstrate their expertise, but they also provide invaluable networking opportunities and enhance brand visibility.

You can use Aftershoot’s Create Together Fund to host events, workshops, and more. This fund is a $1M fund designed for photographers to build their community. Learn more about this grant program and apply today. The first cohorts are open till August 23rd, 2024.

5. Create Landing Pages

Landing pages allow you to create a clearly defined path for visitors to follow and complete an action. The purpose of a landing page is to incentivize a visitor to convert.

The conversion will depend on your goal. Are you looking to increase your client base? Are you trying to grow your email list? Book more mini sessions? Once you have a clear idea of what kind of conversion you want, you can start building it.

For instance, let's say you want to promote a Halloween themed mini session. You can create a landing page that highlights the details of the shoot, how many images are included, and the pricing along with some photographs of previously shot mini-sessions.

Finally, end the landing page with a call to action button - Book a session. The button lands on your calendar that allows your customers to book a mini session with you.

6. Join photography communities

Networking is an invaluable tool for photographers. Joining photography communities can provide you with a platform to connect with like-minded individuals, share knowledge, and expand your professional network.

Facebook groups are a great way to connect and seek professional advice, attend events in your locality, and more. We’ve put together a list of photography communities to join on Facebook.

Many photographers utilize these groups to learn from experienced photographers, share tips, and get feedback on their work.

Connections and recommendations go hand in hand. For instance, a landscape photographer could partner with a portrait photographer. The landscape specialist could offer to assist in a portrait shoot and gain valuable experience in a new genre.

In return, the portrait photographer could offer to shoot a family portrait for the landscape photographer. This mutually beneficial collaboration allows both photographers to expand their skill sets and potentially attract new clients.

7. Maintain healthy relationships with clients, vendors and peers

Building and maintaining relationships is the backbone of any successful business. When it comes to marketing for photographers, collaborating with other businesses can significantly boost your photography business. Word of mouth is the primary factor behind 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions.

If you are a wedding photographer, you can partner with the florists, caterers, etc. to recommend your services for their next event.

There’s a saying that happy clients are loyal clients. Satisfied clients are more likely to return for future services and also to recommend you to others.

In fact, a report found that word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals by previous clients account for 61 percent of their work for photographers Hence, maintaining strong relationships with past clients is crucial for building a loyal customer base and in turn, getting referrals.

Additionally, networking with other photographers can provide support, inspiration, and potential collaborations. You can read this LinkedIn guide that includes advice from professional photographers on networking with peers.

Reka Sulak, a food and product photographer organizes monthly photography challenges with free entry and offers prizes for winners. This has helped her form genuine relationships with talented creators across the globe.

Photo challenges can be a good way to collaborate and tap into each other’s audience. You can pick a particular topic to shoot and share your photos with each other’s audience.

Building a strong reputation as a supportive photographer is essential for fostering a thriving photography community. You cultivate trust and respect among your peers when you share your knowledge, offer assistance, and celebrate the successes of others.

We believe that photographers are the strongest when they come together to pursue their passion.

8. Use customer relationship management software

A CRM can be a photographer's secret weapon. As a photographer, the key to success is to be organized in order to spend more time with your camera and less on repetitive tasks. A CRM eases this entire process of managing client interactions, from initial inquiry to post-shoot follow-up.

With a CRM you can check what emails a contact has opened, what pages they’ve visited on your website, or track booking dates. Here's how a CRM can boost your photography marketing:

Client Database: You can store detailed client information, including contact details, booking history, preferences, social media profiles, and even specific photo sessions. This helps in personalizing marketing efforts. For instance, let's say a client prefers an outdoor shoot. When you have this information, you can target the client with promotions for seasonal outdoor portrait sessions or offer early-bird discounts for future sessions.

Lead Management: Track potential clients, their interests, and interactions to nurture relationships effectively.

Marketing Automation: Send personalized emails, reminders, and promotions based on client behavior and preferences. For instance, sending an automated follow-up email post booking.

Campaign Tracking: Measure the success of your marketing campaigns by analyzing data and customer responses.

Customer Segmentation: Divide clients into groups based on factors like photography style, budget, or location for targeted marketing.

Sales Pipeline: Visualize your sales process and identify opportunities for improvement.

Customer Satisfaction: Track client feedback and address issues promptly to build loyalty.

9. Grow your email list

Email marketing is an essential ingredient for photography marketing. As a brand, you want to stay connected with your potential and existing clients. It allows you to nurture relationships, promote your services, and drive sales.

An effective way to grow your email list is to offer useful freebies on your website that people can download. Once they sign up, this follow-up with an email sequence to introduce yourself along with the freebie you promised. Here are a few freebie ideas to try out:

“The ultimate wedding checklist”
“Wedding Day timeline template”
“Wedding Photography Inspiration Board”
“20 epic portrait photography locations in X”
“10 brilliant caterers that you can hire for your wedding in X location”
“Baby photoshoot checklist”
“10 tips to prepare for a boudoir photoshoot”

You can also use popups to build your email list. These pop-ups can be strategically placed throughout your website to incentivize visitors to sign up. Use FOMO so that visitors sign up. For instance, you can run pop-ups that say - sign up to get 10% off on your first portrait shoot.

You could also use these downloadables you created as pop-ups on relevant blogs. For instance, if a bride lands on a wedding blog, you could utilize the wedding checklist as a pop-up to get them to sign up.

Once you've built your email list, nurturing those relationships through effective email marketing is crucial. Remember to send welcome emails to new sign-ups.

For existing clients, you can send email check-ins, updates about your business, and even discounts. It's important to stay connected and make sure that when your clients are ready for a photography session, the first person they think of is YOU.

10. Get interviewed on a podcast

Getting interviewed on a popular podcast could be a great way to put yourself and your brand in front of a new audience. Podcasts offer a unique opportunity to build relationships with potential clients on a personal level.

When they tune in, they learn about your photography techniques and you as a professional photographer. When listeners feel a connection to your story and vision, they're more likely to see you as a perfect fit for their own photography needs.

Want to be featured on a Podcast? Check out After the Shoot, our photography podcast where we speak to professional photographers and learn from their journeys.

Simply write to us about your experience and interest and we’ll connect with you. We have also compiled a list of photography podcasts for professionals to explore. You can always reach out to these brands for a chance to get featured.

11. Pinterest marketing

Pinterest is a visual search engine and that makes it a goldmine for photographers.

It is an excellent way to reach a new and broad audience. Pinterest has over 518 million audiences, all of which are looking for photo inspiration. Here are some Pinterest marketing ideas for photographers:

a) Create inspiration boards

Consider brides looking for inspiration for their wedding dress or wedding pictures. As a photographer, you need to be where your customers are. An excellent way to let these clients find you is by creating Pinterest boards that feature your wedding photography.

Utilize the link button to help customers find your website. Make sure to optimize your website in a way that makes it easier for your clients to view your portfolio and book your services.

However, in order for Pinterest to work, you need to pin more regularly. You can use Pinterest to schedule your pins in advance. You can also use tools like Tailwind that help you schedule multiple pins in advance.

In a recent conversation on After the Shoot with Cassidy Lynne, she pointed out how important it is for photographers to utilize Pinterest. She said “I think Pinterest is a really good place to get clients. If you can get Pinterest-worthy shoots, you can have pins go viral for years. The longevity of a pin is unlike anything I've ever seen. I posted a pin six years ago and I still get a hundred repins every single day. Pinterest is very underrated and I think a lot of people can kind of hop on a new wave right now and kind of hit the viral route if you do it right.”

b) Join Group Boards

Amplify your exposure and collaborate with your peers by joining Pinterest boards. Pin high-quality images to gain more eyeballs on your work and reach potential clients who are looking for your specific skills. For more information on how to join group boards, learn more here.

12. Repurpose content

There’s no need for you to tire yourself trying to create new content every day. Utilize the power of repurposing content. For instance, a blog post can be converted into a video, 5 pins, 5 Instagram posts, and more. A video post can be converted into a blog post. There’s no end to how much you can repurpose.

Recommendations on marketing for photographers

We love helping our community. So here are some additional content that can help you ace your marketing game:

Mastering marketing for photographers

The key to successful marketing is consistency, authenticity, and a genuine connection with your audience. These relationships can transform into lifelong advocates that will help grow your business.

And if you are looking for help to improve your photography workflow, Aftershoot is here to help!

Try Aftershoot