If you ask me, it’s a perfect time to look ahead to the future and determine what can be done to ensure the future is as prosperous for your photography business as possible.
For some photographers, they might need to focus on improving the marketing plan. For others, a review of your website situation might be in order. For still others, it might be an ideal time to develop stronger bonds with other local businesses to expand the footprint of your own business.
Whatever the case, don’t let another year slide by without addressing the needs of your business! Let’s take a deeper look at three photography business tips that will help you improve your photography business sooner rather than later.
Editor’s Tip: You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your business shine. Get a photography-only domain name without breaking the bank.
Market, Market, Market
Marketing probably isn’t every photographer’s strong suit, nor is it something that every photographer enjoys. However, it is a crucial component to the success of your business. After all, if no one knows about you, it’ll be hard to book clients and pay the bills!
The chances are that you’re already doing some sort of marketing. You should have a website (more on that in a bit). You should also have a strong social media presence (at least on the heavy hitters like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). But beyond that, there are a couple of ways you can expand your online and offline footprint to get more eyes on your work and get more people in the door.
For starters, if you don’t have a blog, think strongly about creating one. A blog is a great way to reach a larger audience with valuable posts about everything from how to pick a photographer to the differences between glossy and matte finishes on prints. Avoid making your blog into a sales-fest. Instead, offer educational posts that inform your clients about all things photography. Doing so communicates your expertise in the area while also demonstrating a commitment to helping others understand the process.
Another fruitful marketing strategy is to offer your services to local clubs, organizations, and charities for free. This doesn’t mean you need to spend every free weekend working for free; instead, seek out opportunities two or three times a year to donate your time to a good cause. Not only is contributing to charities a good thing to do, but it’s also an ideal opportunity to get your name out there, get eyes on the work you create, and build rapport with people in the community. That’s great marketing!
Learn More:
- 3 Ways to Make More Money as a Photographer
- Advantages and Disadvantages of a Home-Based Photography Business
Get Your Website in Order
I have a friend that’s a photographer, and when he started his business, he had a free Wordpress site as his host. That means that clients had to go to a website with .wordpress in the URL. Talk about unprofessional!
If you want to make the most of your photography business, you need to have a professional website. And I don’t just mean a website that looks professional, either. It also needs to sound professional.
To sound professional, you need a domain name that screams “I’m a photographer!” And there’s no better domain to do that than .photo or .pics.
These domains are reserved for photographers, so you have a professional-looking domain that tells your prospective clients exactly who you are and what you do. What’s more, since these domains are new, you’ll likely find just the name you want without much fuss.
On top of that, Uniregistry serves these domains, so you know you get the best product for the best price. That means you get a professional web presence without spending a ton of money!
Learn More:
- I Was With GoDaddy for 15 Years - Here's Why I Switched to Uniregistry
- How to Set Up a Photography Business Step-by-Step
Get Top-of-the-Line Hosting
Of course, you can have an awesome website all you want, but if you don't have reliable hosting to ensure your site is up and available for all to see, there's not much point in spending your time and energy getting your website in order.
I should know...I've had some awful hosting experiences over my 20 years in the photography industry. It's really hard to build something successful without a website that's got good uptime.
About three years ago I came across OVH, and I was so impressed with their operation that I immediately switched my hosting over to them.
I've not had any problems since...
Not only has OVH provided PhotographyTalk with 99.9% uptime, but they also manage to treat you as if you're the only customer they have.
Whenever I've had a question, I've been helped by someone that not just knows what they're talking about but also seems to genuinely care about how my business is doing.
That's tough to pull off when you're a multi-national company that's got customers all over the world, yet OVH manages to do it very well.
With affordable service, reliable uptime, and excellent customer service, OVH is a great partner to have as you build your photography business!
Get Local
As a small business owner, you know how valuable shopping local is to your business, so why not spread the love and shop local yourself?
Doing so has a number of benefits. First, and most obviously, you help support other small business owners in your area. Rather than going to a big box store to buy a lawnmower, head to the local shop to get the lawn equipment you need. Rather than boosting that ad on Facebook, think about placing an ad in the local newspaper instead.
Second, as a consequence of shopping local, you get your name and face out in the community. For a self-employed photographer, that kind of exposure is invaluable. And, because you’re shopping local, the businesses that you support are more likely to support your business as well. So, the newspaper editor might see that you’ve started advertising with them and instead of going to the mall to get holiday pictures of the family, maybe they’ll come see you.
Lastly, as alluded to above, going local can help drum up business. You never know when you’ll be standing in line at the grocery store and hear the person in front of you talking about needing a photographer for an upcoming anniversary party. You never know when the bagel you buy at the local coffee shop will lead to you hanging some of your photos inside the shop. The point is that your presence at businesses around town can lead to opportunities to show off your work, and can lead to direct referrals too. It’s about the easiest marketing there is!
So, in the coming months, endeavor to address some of the weak spots in your business. Whether that’s marketing, your website, going local, or something else entirely, make the next year or two the period of time in which you take your business to a whole other level.