Posted by Team Aftershoot Lead Generation for Your Photography Business
Lead generation is a term used to define the process of finding new customers for your photography business.
You should not be doing lead generation as an afterthought but as part of your overall marketing and lead generation strategies.
Since most photographers are sole proprietors, having a sales team to create a sales pipeline and do lead generation for them isn't in the cards.
So, figuring out how to devise your own lead generation tools to find that target audience is critical.
What is lead generation in photography?
Lead generation in photography refers to the process of identifying and attracting potential clients who may be interested in hiring a photographer's services. This involves various marketing strategies and tactics to capture the interest of potential customers, gather their contact information, and nurture them through a series of interactions.
What are sales-qualified leads (SQL)?
The best way to generate more leads will always be through referrals from past customers and those who have seen your work. These leads are known as sales-qualified leads since these referrals are more likely to convert because a past customer recommended your services.
There are many ways to get new photography clients but referrals work like magic because they come with a built-in level of trust and credibility.
Prospective lead generation should be an ongoing process because finding new customers can be a challenge, but there are some things you can do to help ease the pain.
The "feast or famine" problem is common for professional photographers and can affect more than your bottom line. It can feel very defeating if you go from one crazy busy season to worrying about how you will pay your bills.
What you really don't want to happen is to suddenly look up and realize that you have no potential clients on the horizon.
When you implement strategies and lead generation tools, you'll be less likely to worry about where your next client comes from.
Generating leads your way
Lead generation works best when it feels natural to you, so it may take a while to tweak what works to create a sales funnel that feels good for you and your photography business.
Learn how to see what's working and what's not in your photography business.
How can I grow my business through lead generation?
Today customers have the power and knowledge to access blogs and reviews.
Because of these details, most buyers know how much money to spend before buying anything they want.
Growing the company requires reaching out to customers who do not have an informed opinion.
Marketing leads and sales effectiveness can help measure lead generation success. According to the sixth Salesforce State of Market report, 32% of new customers come from lead generation.
Marketing to qualified leads
Whether you want to hire more employees, invest in new equipment, or find ways of adding value to your existing services, lead generation is the answer to making it all happen.
We want to share some ways to do lead generation that you might not have thought of!
#1 Ask for testimonials from past clients as part of a lead generation strategy
People trust other people who have been where they are.
If you're a portrait photographer and you get a referral to a family who heard about you from friends of theirs who worked with you and loved you, that's a great referral (also called a "warm lead"), and your chances are good that you will book that client.
The couple is already coming in with an understanding of how you work, what your photo editing style is, and maybe even an approximate price point.
From there, it's just finding out if you are a good match for each other. This is a perfect example of a way to find prospective customers, also known as a "sales-qualified lead."
Happy clients are like a secret sales team you can tap into to help you with lead generation for your photography business!
By gathering testimonials that you can use from clients who love you, you'll be able to show potential clients what it was like to work with you.
Even better, the words come straight from happy clients!
Make a list of clients you have worked with within the past few years and contact them to ask if they will write a review for you. Here's a template you can use:
SWIPE THIS FOLLOW-UP EMAIL
Hi (client name),
I hope this email finds you both well! I’m stopping by your inbox because you are exactly the kind of clients I LOVED working with, and I’m hoping you can help me find more fun people like you to work with by reviewing my services.
Don’t worry about the review being long or short... that really doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the words come from your heart.
Answer one, answer a few, or answer them all. I appreciate any of your feedback so much.
- What was it about me or the photography that drew you to me?
- How did I make the process of working with you easy?
- What were some of your favorite photographs, and why?
- What did your friends and family say about your photos?
Once you’ve written these amazing words for me, all you need to do is post them on (link your Google, Facebook Page, or anywhere else you want them to post). Copy/pasting the same review is just fine!
I appreciate you SO much, and thanks for your help!
After you get some reviews back, use some of those words of love to create graphics to use on social media.
At its best, this is lead generation because you can use these graphics as part of your content marketing and your photography blog efforts.
#2 Keep in touch with past clients
Many photographers get referrals from current and past clients, but they completely drop the ball when it comes to staying in touch with them.
First of all, you should always collect email addresses and social media handles from your clients.
While we can't address client privacy concerns or what is best for the client in terms of their contact information, we can tell you that if you don't have their email addresses and social media handles, then there's no way for you to put them into your CRM system and begin nurturing them as part of a sales funnel.
So, whether it's a monthly newsletter about what is going on in your studio or a promotion you have coming up, make sure they are kept in the loop by contacting them regularly and making sure you are posting regularly on social media.
#3 Lead capture pages as part of the lead generation process
Lead capture pages are specific pages on your website where the goal is to get email addresses (and other contact information) from interested people who visit that page.
These are qualified leads because they have expressed interest in what you do.
Lead capture pages should be clearly identifiable so they are easy to find on your website.
Lead capture pages usually include images of you and your work, along with text about what sets you apart from the competition.
The people who fill out the form submissions are seen as high-quality leads, so be sure that your product or service is clear and concise.
How this type of lead generation works to convert leads
A "lead magnet" is something of value that you give away free in exchange for getting an email address.
Lead magnets can be anything from a short ebook, or guide containing information about your area of expertise, to something more specific that targets the individual visiting your page.
For instance, check out this lead generation form:
It's a clear way to show what the visitor will get in exchange for their email.
This relevant content needs to be of value to your clients, giving them insight into a product or service you provide.
If you run ads on Facebook or Google, these pages can also be instrumental in helping you determine where your ad spend is best directed.
Your ads are more likely to have a higher click rate if shown to people who have already expressed an interest in your type of photography.
You will have to do some search engine optimization to determine which ads will work best and direct you to prospective leads.
The landing page should include contact information, links to any available social media profiles, and detailed information about the services you offer.
Lead capture pages can be used on their own or can be combined with Lead Magnets.
#4 Outsource non-income-generating tasks
As a business owner, your best efforts will always be doing the things in your business that make you the most money. And for most photographers, that also means doing what they love to do – taking photos!
The problem is that it can be challenging to complete all of the various tasks you need to do in a day, especially if you have a full-time job outside of your business.
Lead generation shouldn't fall by the wayside just because there aren't enough hours in the day!
This was why we created Aftershoot, to do the repetitive (let's just say it... boring) task of culling photographs.
Aftershoot SELECTS is a software that helps photographers select the best images from a grouping of photos. Using AI technology, Aftershoot will remove duplicate images, blinks, blurred photos, or photos with poor composition to a separate folder.
Many photographers take hundreds or even thousands of photos in a day’s work, and Aftershoot saves them many hours of painstakingly selecting photos one-by-one to find the best of the series.
Aftershoot gets “smarter” the more the photographer uses it. Because the photographer sets the parameters of what they want to be selected and what to pull out, Aftershoot learns incrementally what images are acceptable and not when you review the outtakes.
Besides automating your culling process, Aftershoot EDITS (the AI photo editing app) does the same for your editing workflow, saving you hundreds of hours per year!
The AI software can edit thousands of photos in your unique editing style within minutes.
Aftershoot also provides top-notch customer service and support with this fantastic, time-saving software.
You're welcome to join the Aftershoot Facebook community for additional support and to connect with over 13.8K+ professional photographers.
#5 Work with businesses in your niche
If you're a wedding photographer, team up with other local wedding vendors, such as florists and cake bakers.
Not only does this show that you know your stuff, but it gives you access to their customers and might even help them out by sending people their way (a win-win situation).
The benefits of partnering with other businesses go beyond simply sharing your existing customer base and qualified leads.
It can be a great way to expand your knowledge, learn about new techniques, and experiment with different styles outside your comfort zone.
Working together, you can create packages that are more attractive than what either business is offering on its own.
This is a great way to increase the value of your services and make them more appealing to new customers.
How do you find people in your niche?
Look for networking opportunities in your area. Reach out to other businesses to see if they are interested in teaming up. You can also post on Facebook or Instagram with hashtags that include your target market.
Lead generation for your photography business doesn't have to be a chore
Generating new leads is an essential part of marketing for photographers. How can you expect to grow if you're not constantly putting your services in front of potential customers?
In a nutshell, we've uncovered the following:
How to get more photography clients: Leverage your past clients by getting referrals from them and showcasing good reviews and past work on social media.
How to find photography clients: Partnering with businesses in your niche, such as wedding venues and vendors, will expose your business to potential clients.
Lead generation doesn't need to feel like a chore. Instead, it can be the excuse you need to get out there and have some fun while growing your business!