6 Tips for Growing Your Photography Business

Running a photography business has several inherent advantages - you get to pick who you work with, decide what you charge clients, and, occasionally, you might even get to travel at the client's dime. And while it's not a headliner industry like tech and finance are, the photography industry has a revenue projection of close to $10 billion in 2020. Sure, your photography business won't have the lion's share of the market, but even a fraction of this revenue projection can support a successful business. If you want to grow your photography business quickly, here's six ways to do it:

Have a Unique Value Proposition

It's fairly difficult to differentiate your photography business from the dozen or so other contractors out there with an LLC to their name. But having a value proposition is an important step towards marketing yourself effectively. What do you have either as a photographer or a business owner that shouts "value" to your clientele? A value proposition in the context of a photography business can be anything as simple as having decades worth of photography experience to having the latest bleeding-edge camera lens technology.

Consider a Photo Booth

This is another example of a unique value proposition for a photography business. Modern photo booths for sale are designed to be portable, stylish, and easy to operate. In fact, you can find photo booths that are constructed with a mirror LCD, resembling a smartphone but magnitudes larger. Having a photo booth of your own opens up new doors to service larger social events. You can easily install one or multiple of these booths in an event and have dozens of people line up for a quick photoshoot, all while requiring minimal to no intervention from you.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

A common mistake made by entrepreneurs from varying industries is that they try to lower their prices in the hopes of attracting more people into their front doors. This may work for awhile but can be a detrimental mindset and marketing approach for your brand. Do some research on what the average photographer charges in your location and then use that number as your minimum, meaning the rate you charge for your services should never go below that number.

Target the Right People

Don't rely on the "it's a number's game" approach. This can yield high advertising costs with a low ROAS, short for Return on Ad Spend. Instead, find out who your ideal client is. For instance, as a wedding photographer, what age group do you want to service? Some people are more comfortable with a younger, more laid-back type of photographer doing their shoot while others prefer a veteran behind the camera. Aside from the age group, you'll also want to identify what gender, ethnicity, income bracket, and type of event your target client belongs to. Only after you've narrowed it down to a specific niche or group of people should you start pouring money on ad costs.

Have a Portfolio Website

Anyone looking to build a successful service-oriented business needs a portfolio to showcase to potential clients. Build a website and post the shots that you are most proud of. In addition, your site should have, at the very least, an About page, Contact page, and a Services + Rates page. Your portfolio website will serve as your 24/7 digital calling card that everyone and anyone can see.

Establish a Social Media Presence

Another element that goes hand in hand with a professional website is a social media presence. People in your area should know who you are. Create a business page on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram and post content that's relevant to your service. This can include helpful how-to tips concerning photography, engaging stories and latest industry trends, and your latest snapshots. Be active in updating your content and participating in group conversations that revolve around your particular space.

As a final piece of advice, continue crafting your skill. There is only one product that you sell - your skills as a photographer. Hence, your ability to consistently scale your business will rely on your ability to evolve as a photographer. Explore new angles, find new locations, experiment with colors and props, and integrate new tools and technologies in your photoshoots.