As professional photographers, clients are our business. How to find photography clients and how to get more photography clients are ongoing questions for pros either just starting out or pros in business for decades.
Besides the issue of how to get photography clients in the first place, there is the related concern of how to keep clients coming back to us and perhaps even referring us and our work to others. This is the rub we all experience.
Some pieces of this puzzle are where to look for work, how professional our manner (not just our image quality) is, and how we present ourselves and our images to people. Let’s discuss each of these topics in depth to answer the question of how to get photography clients.
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How to Find Photography Clients
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The first step to getting more photography clients is to find a method to get photography clients in the first place.
Primarily, this is the job of an advertising budget and our ability to network and sell ourselves. Although a photographer may be just starting out in this business, an approach to advertising and learning how to sell is as vital to them as it is to a major firm with a significant advertising budget.
Many beginner pros turn to social media, but that isn’t always as lucrative as some helpful services like to project. Though social media advertising does work when done well, it’s simply that there is no “one-click gets clients” that realistically provides us with clients.
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A targeted approach can be very effective. Signing up for websites with people actively looking for photographers is simple, but the payout and fee structure certainly won’t make us rich quickly. Still, it can be a fine way to start out and gain experience and referrals.
Real-world snail mail campaigns can also yield acceptable results, though there is some heavy lifting involved with that (think designing mailers, stuffing envelopes, and physically mailing them). Another idea is to get out and make some visits to places that might be open to referral partnerships, such as networking with florists or wedding planners if you’re doing wedding photography.
In the end, the term “pounding the pavement” should be at the forefront of your mind regarding how to get more clients. You have to work for their clientele – now and throughout your career.
How to Get More Photography Clients
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Now that you have some happy clients and a portfolio of images to show, we can go to work on finding how to get more photography clients. We can make this happen by asking for referrals, targeting advertising with a more focused approach, and displaying eye-catching physical enlargements.
Referrals
Getting referrals as a professional photographer runs from as simple as handing out business cards to your existing clients upon delivery of your images to asking for promotional use of your work images in your contracts. Happy clients mean you get more referrals, so getting more photography clients means you have to ensure your current clients are happy.
Target Advertising
Target advertising as a way to get more photography clients means tailoring our advertising copy and the delivery to those who have a higher likelihood of responding.
This will require some research on our part, such as an insurance agent would try to target a specific age group. There are numerous subscription services that can provide lists broken down by demographics.
Display Enlargements
There are two ways to try this approach. One, display eye-catching images in your home office or studio, and two, ask others to display them in their stores, beauty salons, offices, and so forth. Both methods have a proven track record of enabling us to get more photography clients.
You will want to display only your best work, obviously. The method of display can also make a huge difference. A large physical print made as a metal or acrylic print or as a canvas wrap typically gets more attention than a comparable paper print matted and framed.
Artbeat Studios is constantly at or near the top of many photographer’s lists when it comes to making high-quality prints of our photographic images. In fact, Artbeat Studios is a multiple-year winner of our metal print shootout, which just goes to show that these folks know what they’re doing.
It’s important to work with a printing company that has the acumen to create beautiful prints. After all, it isn’t just the quality of your photographic skills that will lure new clients; it’s also the presentation of that work. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that Artbeat’s prints do the job and do it well. See what I mean in my video below!
But Artbeat Studios doesn’t just impress with their metal prints. I’ve gotten canvas, paper, and acrylic prints from them over the years, and each has been a beautiful representation of my work. These folks are artisans and their expertise and dedication to quality shows.
Don’t forget that when you use this method, be sure to include a way to contact you so that you actually get more photography clients from these shared displays. Whether it’s a placard next to the print on the wall, a bundle of business cards nearby, or something in between, make it as easy as possible for potential clients to check out your work and get in touch.
Beware that using these methods may not guarantee success or actually get more photography clients to come to you without making an effort to be as engaging as possible and learn some sales techniques. Your work is already outstanding; leverage it professionally and get more photography clients who want to hire you or buy your images.
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Learn More:
- Do These Things if Your Photography Business is Slow
- Cinematic Photography: How to Create Still Images That Tell a Story
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