This is how you earn a full-time income as a photographer
Marketing is the key to finding your ideal client - and thus to generating enough income so that you earn a full-time income with photography. In the beginning, you may have acquaintances from your surroundings as clients, but that is not enough to bring in sufficient assignments in the long term. That's why you will need to distinguish yourself from your competitors and become findable. And that takes time and effort.
That's why we have gathered 10 tips that will help you earn a full-time income as a photographer in no time!
- Distinguish yourself from the rest
The competition within the market keeps increasing, because it is relatively easy to start as a photographer. After all, you need very little besides a camera, a computer and a passion for taking photos. That's why it is extremely important to be distinctive and to create your own image.
By developing your own style in the way you photograph and in editing your photos, you can leave your mark. How cool would it be if people immediately recognize you by your photos?
- Make sure you are findable online
Google is your best friend. With no less than 92% market share, Google is the number one search engine. It is therefore extremely important that your website is easy to find on Google.
It pays off to delve into SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and to use the right keywords on your website. Because if you rank number one for a certain keyword (which is of course relevant to your work), it means that Google considers you the most valuable. That's why it is extremely important that you use written text on your website and, for example, don't create templates in Canva, because Google cannot read them.
- Make sure your website looks and works well
In addition to SEO, it is important that your website works and looks good for your visitors. So have your website tested regularly by friends and acquaintances and keep making it a little more user-friendly. You'll never get a second chance to make a great first impression!
- Make use of your social media channels
Your image and brand awareness on social media are indispensable in this digital age. It is the way to show yourself, how you work and the results. Conversations become a lot easier when your client can already see what you are currently working on.
Social media sparks curiosity and makes your clients unconsciously build a connection with you, even though they don't know you at all yet. Finally, it significantly lowers the threshold for booking you, and they will also think of you sooner in the future!
- Send a monthly newsletter or build an email funnel
Website and social media: check? Next, collect email addresses of friends, acquaintances and (potential) clients in a list, so you can send them a monthly newsletter with updates. That way, you stay in touch with your existing clients. Keep in mind that you don't want to spam; your newsletter should contain valuable content.
Do you offer one or more products or services as a photographer? Then you can also choose to build an email funnel, by first offering clients something for free and then making sure they end up in an (automated) flow of emails, so you create a specific upsell. A handy marketing tool for this is Mailchimp.
- Collect reviews
Word of mouth is still the best advertising, so always ask your client to write a review. This can be on LinkedIn, or better yet: on Google. So first make sure that your business is registered on Google. Leaving a business card is still very effective too, by the way!
- Give your clients a physical product
A physical product lets your client relive the moment again and again. When you deliver your photo shoots in a beautiful album, your client walks around with your business card. There is no better way of advertising!
- Lower your costs
Of course, high revenue is nice, but in the end it's about how much profit you make. The simplest way to increase it is by lowering your costs. You can quickly save on (expensive) subscriptions from Adobe or on accounting software. Tip: Canva is a wonderful and free program to design your entire website (or other marketing materials) with!
For designing albums you also need software, and there are great alternatives that don't come with monthly costs. AlbumStomp is a good example of this. Yellow Rebel can also be found in this program, so you can design an album quickly and easily.- Stay up to date on trends and developments
You never stop learning, even once you have been working as a photographer for a while. That's why it is important to stay up to date on trends and developments in your field. Of course, it is important to stay true to your style. Consider for yourself to what extent you can apply trends in your way of working without losing your own signature.
Developments in software and equipment can also help you make your workflow easier. For example, Yellow Rebel has an ordering guide for choosing albums that you can share with your clients. There is a personalized version and a free version available.
- Earn a passive income
As a photographer, you of course don't have to earn your entire income from photographing alone. You can also give photography workshops or courses (online or from home) if you are good at teaching or like to share your knowledge. Or maybe you excel at editing software, so you can help other photographers with editing (for a fee).
Another option is to offer your photos on stock platforms, such as EyeEm, Pexels or Unsplash. The income from these kinds of platforms can add up considerably and is a nice addition to your income.