As a professional photographer, you are a member of the gig economy. This is a difficult position to be in but can be extremely lucrative and liberating if you have the drive and passion to push you through the rough times. Having a healthy, rotating pool of clients is essential for maintaining a photography business. If you can work a few easy tips into your work-life, you’ll find yourself attracting clients like never before.
Identify Your Ideal Clients
You might be caught up in making yourself the ideal photographer, but flipping the script a bit is key. Starting from a niche makes this much easier, and allows you to have a further cut-down list of traits – do you want to photograph weddings? Professionals? Animals?
Once you have an established niche, you can further drive it down – As a couple’s photographer, maybe you’re interested in photographing older couples who need more help understanding the process.
Then, it’s all a matter of seeking out your ideal clients where they spend their time – mothers and families probably stick to the park, younger folk tend towards the trendy spots and events. It’s all a matter of tracking them down at their most likely hangouts.
Build a Website
Every business needs a website. This is just a simple fact of living in the modern world. If you aren’t the most tech-savvy, this can be intimidating, but nowadays it has never been cheaper or easier to build up a website for pulling in potential clients. This is one place where a little investment in outside help could go a long way.
Use Social Media
Much like websites, building up a solid foundation of social media is critical in today’s business world. But just having a Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest isn’t enough, you should be using your accounts with a few thoughts in mind. Consistency is very important, particularly for branding and client attraction. Not only can you display the best examples of your style and skills, but you can also display the best examples of your ‘ideal clients.’
Blog About It
This last tip is a bit outside most photographer’s wheelhouse, but on the internet content is king. Many internet professionals understand that blogging is an easy way to improve your website’s visibility, and it offers you ways to further display your thoughts, styles, and interests as a photographer. That human connection through your words is essential to building faith and interest as a small business – and as an artist.