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If there was ever a time to level up your marketing - it’s now! So stay tuned for some higher level marketing ideas for your photography business. Ideas that will ensure you stand head and shoulders above your competitors…
As always you can watch the video or read the blog - whatever takes your fancy!
Marketing your photography business successfully these days is harder work than it’s ever been. Hopefully, you’re dedicating a decent portion of your time to this every single week. It really has to be part of your workflow and ideally, it should be the first thing you do each day.
There are so many ways to try to reach your dream client and I know you’ll be working hard at this on social media and maybe even publishing regular blog posts to your website. Perhaps you’re sending out some email newsletters and running some facebook ads too.
There was a time when this stuff worked really well. When I started my business in 2010 you could post to your facebook business page and ALL of your followers and their friends would see it. Engagement was through the roof and enquiries just flooded in.
But if there is one thing you can absolutely rely on in the marketing space in the 21st century, it’s this. NOTHING stays the same for long. It’s a constantly changing landscape. You can hate it and complain about it but it won’t change anything so why bother? You may as well skip to the part where you learn what’s working right now and adapt.
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what the alternative is!
You might wonder what I mean by higher level marketing. Well I’m talking about marketing that is a cut above the standard for your industry. The photography industry is bursting at the seams and most photographers are engaging in very similar marketing activities and expecting to be heard.
Sadly it just isn’t working anymore.
You have to be braver, bolder and more creative with your marketing.
Luckily for you, it’s much more fun marketing this way anyway!
Hardly any photographers are finding the time, energy and dedication for these activities so If you can incorporate them consistently into your business you can enjoy the benefits of standing out amongst all of your competitors.
I know, I know. It’s terrifying to even contemplate going live online. What if you go blank and can’t speak? What if you swear? What if you sneeze and snot all over the camera?
Yes, it’s scary going live. That’s why I called this higher level marketing, brave. In order to be brave you have to do something that scares you. And this is one of those things.
Live streaming is a great way to allow your ideal client to really get to know who you are. Your clients want a photographer they’re going to like and trust. They’ll spend more to work with someone they feel connected to.
Live video is meant to be raw and personal. There’s no need for it to be polished and rehearsed. It can be spontaneous and quick. If you choose facebook as your platform to go live you’ll benefit from the extended reach that live video posts are still getting there too.
Go live and show your potential clients behind the scenes of your business. We’re seriously nosey us humans. We love it when people pull back the curtains and let us in on the stories that we don’t usually get to hear. So share those stories and share who you really are. Do this regularly and I bet you’ll be surprised by the results…
This is something that so many photographers dream of doing but never get round to doing. Why? Because it means you being in front of the camera again! It also requires careful planning and organising, not to mention hiring and paying a videographer.
What I’m talking about is a very short, professionally put-together video that gives the viewer an awesome insight into what it would be like to work with you. You could have footage of you working with clients interspersed with some final edits of the images, you hard at work post-processing the images, a snippet of clients viewing their images at the IPS session, some client video testimonials, you talking about the passion you have, a clip showing some of the stunning wall products or albums you create. All put together with some great music.
You get the idea!
The impact of this, as long as it’s well done, can’t be underestimated. You’ll find that a video like this gives your potential client an insight into your customer experience and how you run your business in two minutes flat. Before they’ve looked at a single page on your website they’re already imagining themselves as your clients OR realising that you’re not the photographer for them (remember - that’s a GOOD thing!). Check out this great example from Lauren Marie.
Lauren Marie Photography from Jackie Palmer on Vimeo.
Just to be clear I’m not talking about a boring press release about your studio opening on the high street here. We’re talking bigger, braver, bolder - remember?
Make it part of your marketing strategy each year to get you and your business featured in your dream client’s favourite blogs, magazines, YouTube shows, Podcasts. Don’t sit and wait for this to come to you. It won’t! You need to actively pursue it!
You’ll be glad to know this shouldn’t cost you a single penny. It’s about offering value and telling great stories and, as a photographer, you have that ready made! But don’t worry, If you don’t even know where to begin with this then you need to check out Janet Murray. She has endless content for business owners like you, aimed at getting you featured in the right places. Check her out!
So many photographers I talk to have not got this amazing little pixel in place and working for them yet. So just making good use of this is going to set you apart and give you the edge.
It’s way simpler than it sounds and only takes a little bit of learning. The Facebook pixel is a little bit of code that you place on your website. Once it’s there it fires every time someone lands there or takes action there.
What you can do is create awesome content on your website and then send people to it from your social media platforms or emails. Content that your dream client will love and really want to consume. Once they land there, maybe to read an epic blog post of yours, your Facebook pixel will fire and they’ll be added to an audience that you’ve set up inside Facebook. An audience of people who you KNOW are interested in what you have to say and offer. You know, warm leads!
Then the magic part.
Now that you have this audience of people who’ve shown interest in your business you can serve up a post that’s crafted just for them on Facebook. Only they can see it. It might be your showreel video with a link to get in touch. Or maybe a special offer just for them or a link to join your mailing list. This is called facebook pixel retargeting and it’s unbelievably powerful. Don’t let a little bit of tech get in the way of you putting this into action. We have a great course on this inside the membership.
Please don’t ignore email marketing. It’s still one of the most powerful ways to market yourself and your business. It’s just that most photographers don’t understand how to send their audience great emails. Emails they actually want to receive.
Think about it. Would you want yet another email newsletter telling you all the goings-on from last month at ‘Little Star Photography’? No, me neither! Nothing makes me click the unsubscribe link faster than a ‘monthly newsletter’!
So rethink your email marketing. How could you make sure your emails are among the ones your ideal client actually enjoys receiving? What could you send them in that email that will make them appreciate and trust you?
If you’re a wedding photographer could you share a really quirky favour idea that you saw at the last wedding you covered? If you’re a children’s photographer could you be the oracle on everything child-friendly that’s going on in the local area every month? Your emails don’t have to be about photography! Neither do they have to be long - a few sentences will do. They just have to be relevant and useful or entertaining to your dream client.
Instead of being ‘open’ all the time for bookings, consider creating a waiting list for certain services that you offer and start collecting names on that waiting list way in advance.
For example, if you’re a newborn photographer you could create a waiting list for mums-to-be who’re in the early stages of their pregnancy. You could only open for newborn bookings 3 or 4 times a year. Once you have more people on that waiting list than you can actually serve you simply email them and allow them to book. Maybe with a small incentive but it’s not always necessary.
Research proves that potential clients who’ve had to add their name to a waiting list are much more likely to take immediate action when they’re finally able to purchase. Especially if they know that there is lots of interest but limited availability.
This also allows you to predict your earnings and how busy you’re going to be ahead of time. You might even be able to hand pick the clients you want to work with.
Just a warning on this though. A waiting list doesn’t just fill up on it’s own. This marketing campaign strategy requires advance planning and lots of content creation driving visitors to that waiting list of yours. It’s hard work but we’re levelling up, remember?
If these are ideas that make you feel excited then you’re going to love our membership. This is the kind of stuff that we help you take action on. Because to create marketing like this you need education, support and accountability. And that’s what the Togs in Business membership is all about. There’s a link in the description if you want to check it out.
So that’s my 6 higher level marketing ideas for your photography business. What about you? Do you have any you can add to that list? Let me know in the comments!
[…] you follow my videos here you’ll know that I think you need to level up your marketing if you want to show the world why you are the ‘go to’ photographer in your area. And part of […]