I sat across from her over a margarita and listened as she told me with tears in her eyes that she was going to have to give up her photography dream and go back to her 9 to 5. I looked at her dumbfounded. She was more talented as a photographer, so why was her business failing and mine thriving?
I’ve hosted 5 live webinars this week, each with a Q&A section and the overwhelming concern I’m hearing among photographers these days is about finding and booking their ideal clients in a world full of algorithms and photography blogs shutting down that they relied upon to show and market their work.
Honestly I just want to hug each of you and tell you it’s going to be ok. There’s a more reliable and sustainable way to do business and one of the privileges of my business is to teach photographers how to do just that.
We can no longer put all our eggs in someone else’s basket. Let’s invest in ourselves and build something that is sustainable, profitable and that allows us to lead the lives we dream of.
I was able to book 25 weddings my first year (tune in on how in this podcast) which allowed me to leave my corporate job and was able to double profits and keep my calendar booked every year since. This is not meant to brag, but rather to show that there are marketing strategies that work. I truly believe that if I can do this in a town of 1,200 with a $300 Craigslist camera – you can too.
Here are 3 simple marketing hacks to fill your calendar and tune in to the webinar here if you want to go deeper on this topic.
Speak directly to your dream clients.
Who is it that you are speaking to? Are your current social media efforts trying to impress your peers? Your friends and family? Your ego? Focus on serving the people that are excited to work with you. Build connection points that creates an experience beyond what you do and share who you are. Become a trusted friend and really let them get to know the person behind the lens.
Set prices based on your needs.
Don’t make the mistake of pricing off of emotion, and instead an equation. When you know what you’re worth, you will stop discounting your services and people will see your value. Start with asking yourself: 1 – how much do you want or need to make this year? 2 – how much are you willing to work to make this happen? 3 – how can I craft an experience that’s worth the rates I want to charge in order to meet my goal?
Create an unforgettable experience that backs up those rates.
It starts from the first time someone reaches out to you, so be prepared. Set authority and showcase yourself as an expert. Attract and repel by outlining your photography style, paint a picture of what it will look like to work with you. Lastly, invite them to take it a step further and give them a way to take action and engage with you and your content further. Invite them into a deeper experience with you.
Want to tune in to the more in depth training on this topic? You can watch the replay here!
