As photographers, marketing is a huge piece of what we do in business. We’re always looking at new and creative ways to get photography clients. From my experience, if you can set up a system that works and has shown to bring in new clients, capitalize on those efforts. Ensure you double and triple your dedication to the things that work. Try some of these strategies and see what people in your area best respond to.

Here’s a list of 20 great ideas to get you started!

ONE social proof

Social proof is a powerful way to get inquiries. These are testimonials that you can use on social media and in print to help potential clients decide to book you. Create a system where you ask current clients for a testimonial that you can use at the end of services.

TWO about page

Put together an amazing About page on your website. Be personable and include both things about yourself and address why your ideal client needs you. This is your chance to show your dream client that you’re the one they want to book. Need some help with the About page? Check out the blog post on Upgrading your Website here.

THREE reminder

Remind your followers that you are booking. It might sound like a no brainer, but people need to be constantly reminded. Every week or two on social media, put up a post stating that you are taking on bookings for the current/next season.

FOUR engagement

Create engagement online on social media. Ask your followers questions that are not related to photography but are either related to the local market or niche you’re in. And don’t forget to respond to comments. Go a step further and comment on other people’s feeds and get your name known that way.

FIVE business cards

Do a business card challenge: Give out your business card to 10 people each day for a week. Include local shops and areas that have a lot of traffic.

SIX seo

Upgrade your SEO strategies. Are you skimping out on your blog post and only posting images? People looking for photographers in your area search for the city or well known parks and landmarks. Try updating your blog posts to include location details, vendors and anything else that is unique to your area so that you can be found.

SEVEN local charity

Team up with a local charity that resonates with you and donate a photoshoot. You are likely opening yourself up to a new segment of the population otherwise unavailable to you. The great part about this is that the charity will often do some marketing for you by letting their community know.

EIGHT client gift

Incorporate a small gift at some point in the process for your clients. I like to gift clients either during the session or at the in person sales session, and then again upon delivering items. Sometimes I can only manage to do one of these things, but it’s a nice gesture that clients remember. We all love surprises! It also encourages clients to gush about you to others.

NINE call to action

Ensure your website has more than 1 place where clients can contact you. Place a number of call to action buttons around your site in different widget areas. Make it super simple for people to reach out.

TEN email list

Start an email list. Create a free freebie download on something that potential clients would want from you, in exchange for their email address. You can then start building a list of people to contact when sessions open up.

ELEVEN gallery display

Create and install a free gallery display for a local organization or office where your ideal client would notice. Include a small plaque with your business information. Lots of businesses will take you up on free art if it fits their messaging and niche.

TWELVE styled shoot

Seek out a styled shoot with a team of designers and vendors. Use this opportunity to create a network and continue engaging with these professionals. Create a system when you refer clients to each other’s businesses.

THIRTEEN giveaway

Do a shoot giveaway but be very intentional and strategic about what you want for outcomes. Create giveaway entry rules that enable you to hit targets such as more social media followers or increase email list subscribers.

FOURTEEN content calendar

Create a 30 day social media content calendar for your top social media platform, and sit down to create and schedule the content in a day. This helps to ensure that your social media account is not forgotten!

FIFTEEN portfolio

Update your portfolio with fresh images of your target market. If you photograph newborns only, don’t have images of weddings in your portfolio.

SIXTEEN retargetting

Create Facebook ads to a fun and unique landing page promoting session openings. Create a Facebook Pixel to that page and retarget your audience with a new creative ad.

SEVENTEEN relationships

Start relationships with 3 other photographers in your area. Look for people you can really build a long term connection with – photographers who are like you and in a similar place in their business. Use this to create a referral network later on where you can refer clients to each other. This way you open yourself up to referrals from other photographers when they are booked for specific dates.

EIGHTEEN snail mail

Try some old fashion snail mail marketing. Create an irresistible double sided postcard and spend some marketing dollars to have it distributed in your local area, or where your dream clients live.

NINETEEN blog submission

Submit your images to an online blog for exposure. Find a blog in your niche that accepts submissions. Aim to submit two recent sessions you are proud of. This will create back links to your website and social media accounts.

TWENTY special offer

Create a special offer for past clients within the last two years and send it out via email or mail. Time this promotion with a business milestone and say it’s a little thank you for their past business. This encourages repeat bookings for clients who already know you and have worked with you.

Want to keep reading?

If you didn’t catch our post here on finding photography clients, take a look for more inspiration!!