As a photographer, you probably spend most of your time just trying to run your business. During your busy season, you’re on the run or hard at work on editing most of the time but what happens when things slow down? The right marketing strategy can help you stay busy throughout the year with the right kind of clients. These photography marketing ideas can help you grow your business to a new level in 2019.
Set Up a Referral Program
A successful photography business thrives on referrals. With an actual referral program in place, your favorite clients, vendors, and friends will be more likely to send new business your way. The key to a great referral program is determining what sort of reward you’re willing to trade and what will offer the most value to your customer or vendor. This may be product photography, displays for their store, photos of their business, or session credits, for example.
When you photograph a client, make sure you let them know you’re grateful you had the opportunity to work together and you’d love to be the photographer they refer friends to. Mention any incentive you decide to offer. Reach out to not only photography customers but also venues you photograph and other vendors.
Invest in a Professional Website
In the beginning, you may have relied on word of mouth but that won’t work for long. Your customers are looking for you online and they will likely check out several photographers in the area. Your website doesn’t just make you easier to find; it’s your chance to make a great first impression. To get your business in front of as many eyes as possible, search engine marketing (SEO) pays off and offers one of the lowest costs per lead (CPL) in marketing. An effective SEO strategy should be comprehensive and include not only an SEO-friendly website and image SEO but paid search engine and social media ads and business listings.
Advertise Value-Added Incentives
Discounts have their place but a better option for a photography business is adding an irresistible value. Value-added incentives are great for getting new clients in your door without discounting your services and they can encourage customers to invest more than they would have otherwise. You may want to include something like wedding save-the-date cards at no cost, a Sticky Album clients can share with friends and family (and earn you more referrals!), or 30 announcements with a minimum order.
Turn to Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms can be your best friend as a photographer. Customers can share your event photos and refer friends and family to your business page and you can show off all of your hard work. With that said, social media marketing isn’t as easy as it seems. You’ll want to decide between a niche strategy and mass appeal for the best engagement. You’ll also need to stay on top of posting relatable content that goes beyond just sharing your photos. You may share tips for budding photographers, show off your photography gear, tell the story behind a great shot, or create a fun contest. Here are 5 things that should be on your social media marketing checklist.