5 Tips to Boost your Photography Business

We wanted to give you 5 of our TOP tips we’ve used in our businesses to BOOST our photography businesses. Honestly, these are tried and true by 5 professional photographers from across the nation. From Idaho, Arizona, Mississippi and the East Coast. If you even just took one of these this year and took it to heart, we hope it helps you, your business and helps your clients!!

TIP 1: Don’t feel overwhelmed by everything you think you need to purchase!

Explanation: As a beginner, I felt I needed to buy everything I saw online or heard another photographer mention! I had hot lights, backdrops, lenses, filters etc. As the years went on, I realized the less I owned, the more professional I felt and the better my images looked. I now have 2 basic backdrops, 2 lenses and I use natural light. All the money I save on buying too much “stuff” goes back into my business and lets me buy better things and invest in my education more!

Erin Blackwell

TIP 2: Pursue Education

Explanation: I know it’s what you hear day in and day out in the photography industry. I don’t think it could resonate anymore truth than just that…pursue education in the field of photography. There is a lot of free education and some you pay for. I have done both and the ones I have invested my money in have been more beneficial to me than I could ever imagine. I have seen the results years down the road. Don’t overwhelm yourself and think you have to jump into every course you could dream of. Choose one this year. Maybe you want to learn more in the editing realm- then pursue that this year. Maybe it’s finding a mentor to help guide you along in your business growth and to cultivate ideas from. Whatever it is invest…education will only foster many avenues of growth for you, your business and your clients!

Erin Rachel Photography

TIP 3: You can’t do it all AND do it all well.

Explanation: I’ll say that again, you [alone] can’t do it all (meaning, run every detail of your business) and do it all WELL (to an excellent degree). There may be an exception for photographers with a fewer number of clients, but most of us who are juggling all aspects of a business find ourselves burning out and becoming overwhelmed. If there is one thing that 2015 has taught me, it’s that it’s ok to ask for help. It’s OK! Asking for help can come in different forms for different photographers, but here are a few ideas:

-session assistant
-outsourcing major edits
-outsourcing full session editing
-blogging assistant
-outsourcing album/product design
-hire a website designer
-ordering/packaging assistant

Just cutting back in one or two areas can free up time for you to focus more intensely on areas that are suffering or that you may have slacked in. This will greatly improve your confidence in your business, as well as help you keep your sanity!

Megan Bryant Photos

TIP 4: Understand Your Target Client

Explanation: The best advice I can give to anyone starting a business is to really take the time to try to define and understand your target market. An easy way to do this is to create your own fictional ideal customer, and create a profile of them! Think about gender, age, place of work, family, education, where they live, income, where they socialise, what they do during the day and so on – if you are not sure, go and do some market research and find out! This research will pay off in every area of your business, from knowing what to charge, what packages to offer, and even where and when to advertise.

Audrey at Live Snap Love

TIP 5: Grow your photography business through word of mouth marketing.

Explanation: Word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective methods of gaining new clients. When your clients tell their friends about you it (a) cuts out the search for these new potential clients (b) comes from a source they would normally trust and (c) reduces any risk in the potential clients’ mind. Providing great customer service will usually help get the word out. Make sure your clients have such a positive experience with you that they will want to go out and tell their friends. You could also create and implement a referral program to build up customer loyalty with your existing clients. Offer a discount on their next photo session or a print credit for each new client they refer.

Cindy- Magazine Mama

A collaborated article written by 5 photographers (mentioned under each tip) organized by:

Hi I’m Erin a Southern girl from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom a blog helping mom-tographers as well as up and coming photographers become successful! You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our new little addition Miss Elle in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres! We are blessed beyond measure, love to travel, involved in ministry at our church and in between all of that I run three successful businesses!