Get More Bookings: How to Get Photography Clients Fast

Get More Bookings: How to Get Photography Clients Fast

Having amazing photography skills isn’t enough to be a successful photographer these days. You can create a website to show off your work, network with people in your local area, and more. In this article, we’ll cover these methods and more so you can unlock new photography clients, fast! And in the spirit of being fast, let’s get to the point.

Create a Website

It’s the 2020s – there’s no excuse for not having your own website. With services like Wix, it’s simple to create a free photography website. Your website, at a minimum, needs a few key things:

  • Choose a layout that supports your goal – portfolio, getting clients, or a bit of both
  • Information on how to contact you or book a session
  • Portfolio of your work, showing a variety of different types of photos
  • Connect your social channels
  • Optimize for mobile viewing (Wix will do this by default!)
  • Optimize SEO through page copy and blogs

Websites are one of the most useful tools in a photographer’s arsenal. Make it easy to follow and it can help you book new clients while you sleep, by showing off your portfolio and services in a beautiful layout.

Strategic Networking to Find Photography Clients

Tell everyone that you’re a photographer. Everyone! You never know who is going to be looking for someone to take photos, and chances are that someone you know knows someone who is going to have a wedding, have a child graduate, needs new family photos, or has another upcoming engagement. If people don’t know you’re a photographer, they can’t ask you to cover their event! Tell friends, family, teachers, coworkers, and more.

Networking also extends beyond friends and family. If you can get on the vendor list of a wedding venue or other event space, you might find yourself getting plenty of calls. Local social media groups and other online spaces will also help you be in the right place at the right time.

photographer taking event photos for photography clients

Set an Appropriate Price

Pricing can be challenging. You don’t want to set your rates too high, or you risk alienating potential clients. You also don’t want to set your rates too low, or clients will view you as the budget option and not think highly of your work. Instead, you want to find a happy medium, where you’re able to still land plenty of clients while also not only getting clients that will refuse to accept any increase in rates. When you price your work appropriately, you’ll book clients who appreciate and value your professional work and will share their good experiences with their friends and family. Detailed packages, clear deadlines for the final photos, and a contract will help potential clients feel more at ease and like you’re a real professional and not just any other person with a camera.

Become an Instagram Master

Social media has long been a great place for creatives to expand their reach. Instagram is a photographer’s paradise, as it’s a great way to share your portfolio and drive clients to your photography website. You can also connect directly with people to set up discovery meetings or test shoots.

Hashtags are great for discoverability, both across Instagram and locally. A few general hashtags per photo is fine, but you really want to focus on local hashtags so that clients can find you. You never know where you might find a new client, and Instagram is the perfect place to try.

You can connect your Instagram and website together so that viewers can easily go from one to the other, and you can schedule Instagram posts through Facebook Business so that you can have posts go live even when you’re busy at a shoot.

Build Your Brand Beyond Just Photos

If you have spare time in between client projects, there are a few extra things you can do to potentially increase your discoverability. The first is a blog. Wix’s free websites let you create a blog, and you should take advantage of that. You can write about various topics that will attract clients to your website through SEO and relevant topics. But don’t write about photography! Writing about photography will attract other photographers, not new clients. You need to instead write about the kinds of things that clients care about. This will include what to look for in a photographer, why certain life events should be photographed, or what to wear during certain photoshoots.

You can also start an email newsletter with a subscription list. If any readers like your blog, they can sign up for your email newsletter, or you can offer discounts on services in exchange for signing up. An email list is great because you control it, and you can make sure you’re top-of-mind whenever you feel like you need to be. As part of creating a photography website with Wix, you can integrate email marketing with ease.

photographer crouching and taking photo at event

Specialize in a Type of Photography

It’s good to have a variety of photography skills, however you may find more success if you’re well-known for something. This can be weddings, family portraits, concerts, or something else. Be the person that everyone calls for a wedding, or that regular concert-goers will see covering every local show. When it comes to getting more photography clients, being the best in your category will tend to attract more clients looking for that specific kind of work. Just be sure that you enjoy it, or you’ll regret your self-limiting brand.

Create Special Offers for Photography Clients

You don’t want to rely on special offers to get business, but you can use them sparingly to attract new clients or get old clients back. One of the most popular ways is through a refer-a-friend program. You can offer clients a discount on their next photoshoot if they refer a friend who buys a package. Or you could offer a temporary discount on a certain package during the off season. Offering additional perks for buying a larger package can also help. This could include extra prints or a discounted mini-session (such as engagement photos for a wedding package). Remember, these discounts are part of your marketing budget, not a hit to your profits. If you’ve priced your services properly, these discounts will make you money, not make you lose money!

Well, what are you waiting for?! The time to start getting new clients is right now. Put these tips into practice and get booking new clients as soon as possible. If you market yourself right, you’ll soon have all of the clients you need.

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