Posted by Contributor 9 Photography Marketing Ideas to Book Clients & Grow Organically
If you want to grow your photography business, making use of the right photography marketing ideas is key.
Knowing which ideas can bring you the highest return on your investment can help you channel your energy into what needs to be done to grow your business to new heights.
The ultimate goal for most professional photographers is to find a way to market their services and showcase their work to attract new clients – and it’s a huge bonus if it feels easy to implement.
There are, of course, a plethora of marketing tips on how to grow your photography business. But with so many different photography marketing ideas out there, it can be difficult to know where to start.
In this article, we'll explore some organic marketing ideas for photographers that can help you reach a wider audience and grow your business so you can reach the level of success you really desire.
What is organic marketing?
If you understand what marketing methods are, but you’re wondering what makes a marketing strategy organic, don’t worry – we’re going to break it down into the simplest of terms for you.
“Organic marketing” essentially refers to everything outside of paid ads.
Organic marketing methods are especially enticing because they are generally more affordable or free.
They bring you a higher return on your investment because you can gain significantly more leads without introducing paid ads or promotions.
Lead generation is an important part of building and growing any business, so let’s dive into how you can bring them in organically.
9 Best Marketing Ideas to Get Clients
So which marketing strategies are most worth your while?
Keep reading to discover examples of different marketing tactics for photographers – specifically, the ones we know suit a creative business like yours best.
1. Build an amazing website
You are amazing when it comes to photography but to really get photography clients, you need to have a stunning website that tells the client whatever they need to know. Your homepage should have all the information on what kind of photography you do, what is the price for services, how they can contact you etc.
Once you are website is built, you need people to find you organically. It is the most important part of your photography marketing strategy. This is where Search Engine Optimization works. You need to establish your own photography blog where you talk about your experiences and share your insights while keeping SEO in mind.
2. Create and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP)
If you haven’t created a Google Business Profile (GBP) for your business, it’s absolutely essential that you do this ASAP.
Your GBP can be an incredible tool for helping ideal clients in your local area find you – especially when it is set up correctly.
Your Google Business Profile helps potential leads in your area connect with you. You have likely seen these profiles before when looking for a local business.
For example, “brow studio” or “massage therapy” or “pepperoni pizza in XYZ” – and you probably clicked on the businesses that ranked within the top three.
So how can you ensure you rank closer to the top and get more eyeballs on your photography services? You need to optimize your profile.
An optimized profile is firstly one that is filled out properly, including:
- Your business name
- Business description
- Website link
- Logo, and
- Cover image
You can add even more photos for the viewer to flip through.
Next, you’ll also need to add services and service descriptions. Mention the types of photography you offer and your location in these descriptions.
Lastly, the more positive Google reviews you can gather from past clients, the higher likelihood you will be recommended to right-fit leads.
3. Get Client Testimonials
If your clients are raving about your photography, then you don’t need to show that off. A great strategy for photography marketing is to collect testimonials from your clients. Showcase it on your amazing website as proof of all the incredible work you’ve done and build trust among potential clients. We’ve prepared a client survey template that you can use to get testimonials and understand your clients better. Download it now
4. Build relationships with local vendors and businesses
Connecting with local businesses and vendors can support your photography business in so many ways.
One of the greatest benefits is expanding your referral network. Connecting authentically with florists, caterers, and venues could have a significant ripple effect on the referrals in your business.
You could also consider collaborating with local businesses on styled shoots. This allows you to showcase your work while making space for cross-promotion, which can help increase brand visibility for your photography business.
Plus, it’s easy to get the other party to buy in when it's a mutually beneficial agreement.
5. Utilize search engine optimized (SEO) blogs
Are you familiar with SEO blogs? SEO blogging refers to blog content that is optimized for search engines like Google.
They are created with a strategy designed to drive more relevant traffic to your website. SEO blogs can increase your traffic by attracting viewers by implementing keywords or search terms.
By utilizing these search terms and other SEO strategies for photographers, your pages and the overall site can rank higher (show up closer to the top) in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
These types of photography blogs can also help you gain authority.
By consistently creating high-quality, informative content that addresses the needs of your target audience, you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
Plus, you can also repurpose this blog content across platforms to promote your business and increase brand awareness.
If you’re interested in harnessing the power of a great blog but lack the desire to start chipping away at one, Meet Pepper has just the solution for you: The Blog Generator.
The Blog Generator is a Pepper-powered blog creation system that frees you from the shackles of your keyboard by allowing you to outsource your blogs.
The result? An amazing blog that will feel authentic to you.
Social media can be a powerful tool for your photography business – the key is to go into it with the right mindset.
While it can be draining to doom scroll or play the comparison game, it can be empowering to go in knowing exactly how to position your reels and posts to generate the greatest amount of leads.
Instagram is functioning more like a search engine now than ever before, which means including keywords like your services and locations in your caption (yup!) and hashtags can help bring you more local business.
Keeping your content authentic to you and offering value to the viewer can help turn new and existing followers into right-fit clients seamlessly.
7. Add value in exchange for referrals
Word-of-mouth is a powerful and underrated marketing tool, and offering referral deals can encourage your current clients to refer new businesses to you.
Here’s how you should use them:
Offer an incentive, or added value to your service, for clients who refer a friend or family member.
For example, you can add additional time or a number of edited images to your shoot.
You must navigate this wisely, though. Don’t offer straight-up discounts on your primary services, as it can reduce the perceived value of your amazing work!
Stick to offers that add to the shoot or overall service in some way, rather than offering a percentage or monetary value off the price.
Clients who had a great experience being captured by you won’t think twice about recommending you anyway, but offering them something special may be just the nudge they need to be intentional about it.
The best part is that you’ll be incentivizing the clients you love working with, or the amazing people in their lives, to work with you, which is something worth putting a little effort into.
8. Set up your CRM
Picture this – now that clients have started to land on your website and enquiring about you, it is essential to set up your client management system to keep track and manage your clients efficiently. You can keep track of inquiries, set up auto-replies, and more with CRMs. You can read all about CRM in this article where we have listed 12 of the best CRMs out there. We’ve also talked about it in depth on this YouTube video for you to help pick the right software for your business.
9. Join Facebook groups and communities
We all know networking is everything. To grow your client base organically, you need to find fellow photographers to learn and collaborate with. Facebook groups are an excellent way to ask for advice, give recommendations, and even collaborate on projects. You can join Aftershoot’s Facebook group where you can ask questions, advice, or even share your experiences. We’ve also created a list of photography communities you can join to start building your network!
Make the most of these photography marketing ideas
Hopefully, these marketing ideas have inspired you to take action on growing your business in an empowered way. When it comes to photography marketing, there’s no single approach that works for everyone. The key is to experiment with different tactics—be it social media campaigns, SEO strategies, or word-of-mouth referrals—and track what resonates with your audience. Each trial will teach you something new about your business and your clients.
Don’t hesitate to learn from others in the industry, too. Observe what successful photographers are doing, join professional communities, and stay updated on the latest trends. These insights can spark fresh ideas and help you refine your strategy.
And if you ever need help with saving more time to grow your business, you can always count on Aftershoot to make your post-production easier! Claim your 30 trial for FREE and see the difference.