How to Start a Successful Photography Business in 10 Steps Point, shoot, filter, post. With today’s tech, everyone’s a photographer! But it takes more to start […] The post <strong>How to Start a Successful Photography Business in 10 Steps</strong>...
How to Start a Successful Photography Business
in 10 Steps
Point, shoot, filter, post. With today’s tech, everyone’s a photographer!
But it takes more to start a successful photography business than pointing an iPhone and beautifying an image.
Like the principal subject and elements in a perfect photograph, your passion for photography and business skills must balance. And when they do, like shooting in the golden hour, magic can happen.
So, you bring the passion, and I’ll tell you the steps you must take to start a successful photography business.
Find your photography nicheLearn your competitionCreate a business planBuild your budgetAcquire your photography equipmentHone your skill Set up your website and social business pagesStart word-of-mouth marketingFind your first gigMarket and grow your brandWhy open a photography business?
Photography freezes time, creating memories that last forever. And for many of us, photographs are our most precious processions.
With affordable camera gear, studio equipment, and free social media marketing, there are many reasons now is the perfect time to open a photography business.
And they’re not all tech; there are plenty of lifestyle ones, too.
But to live a photographer’s life, you must break new ground personally and professionally, learn new skills, and follow specific steps for starting a new business.
The first is finding your niche.
Step # 1. Find your photography niche
A photography niche is a small segment of the overall marketplace, like wedding photography, product images, or portraits.
Most successful photographers specialize in one niche or an area of photography that combines several. This focus enables them to accumulate a portfolio that showcases their abilities and build a reputation and sustainable career.
Your niche also determines what you’ll earn. A wedding photographer can charge $2000-plus per gig, while a portrait photographer around $400-$600.
And it’ll affect your work/social life, as some niches are local and weekend orientated (weddings). In contrast, others allow you to roam the world (travel and nature), working flexible hours.
9 common photography niches to consider:
But to become the go-to photographer in any niche, you must provide extra value to your target audience, and that’s where your competitors can help you.
Step # 2. Learn your competition
Niche in hand, focus on your competitors to see what they do, how they do it, and why it’s unique. Then look for what they’re missing so you can provide extra value to your ideal clients.
For example:
How to find your competitors
Your direct competitors provide a similar service to your target audience and engage them using identical marketing strategies, like a website, social media, and local business listings.
Here’s how you find them:
When you find your competitors, study their websites and social media platforms to see which services they offer, their marketing strategies, pricing, how they engage their audience, and why they’re successful.
Reading their recent reviews, you can see what’s unique about their work. Then use this information to design your service.
Step # 3. Create a business plan for your photography business
Most start-ups need significant time and money to compete, and any market worth entering is competitive. Photography is no exception!
To make a living, you must take advantage of every opportunity. A business plan makes you focus on every detail, ensuring they’re perfectly placed, enabling you to get the absolute most out of what’s available.
Award-winning panoramic landscape photographer Destin Sparks said-
“Photography is the art of making memories tangible.”
Your business plan is how you make your photography business tangible. It answers the who, what, where, and why by asking the following questions:
Is there a market need?How will you solve the need?Which services will you offer?What business model will you use?Who’s your competition, and what’s your competitive advantage?Who’s your target market?What marketing strategies will you use?How will you cover your costs?
If you don’t know the answers to those questions, don’t worry. I explain everything in my one-page business plan post. Check it out after this one.
Step # 4. Build your budget
Starting any business takes money. Okay, no surprise there. But you must build your budget to know how much you’ll need.
Your budget helps you in 3 ways:
It tells you how much cash you need to set up and run your business You then know if you can afford your chosen niche and equipment.Or must source cheaper alternatives or get a business loan.
You build your budget by calculating your start-up and running costs. Start-up costs include the essentials, like:
Running costs are your outgoings and include fixed and variable. Fixed stay the same regardless of how much business you generate; variables go up and down relative to your output. And both depend on your business set-up, like renting a studio or working from home.
For photographers renting a commercial space, fixed and variable costs might be:
Fixed costs:
Variable:
Once you calculate your set-up, fixed, and variable costs, you’ll know what’s left to spend on photography equipment, so let’s look at your options:
Step # 5. Acquire your photography equipment
Your niche determines your equipment; for example, a portrait or fashion photography studio requires lights, backgrounds, reflectors, cameras, and tripods.
In contrast, a wedding/nature photographer will need an ultra-high-quality camera and various lenses to capture their subject’s spontaneous movements.
Regardless of your niche, photographers need a powerful computer and photo editing software to process and send their images to clients.
Here’s an industry average of everything you might need to start your photography business, not including a studio/office:
But your budget says what you can afford, right?
What if $10,000 to $15,000 to start your photography business is beyond your budget? Simple buy used.
Quick question, have you heard the saying, “All the gear but no idea?”
I’ll explain next:
Step # 6. Hone your skill
Photography is like any art; mastering it takes time, dedication, experience, and skill.
You must learn to capture and create balance, pattern, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, unity, and movement. And understand the 3 variables of photography, light, subject, and composition.
And there’s the technical side, such as the various photography techniques, working with multiple cameras and lenses, and using software to edit and process your images.
The saying “All the gear but no idea” is crucial because even a Lecia S3 camera at $19,995 won’t make you a skilled photographer.
Pioneer of street photography Henri Cartier-Bresson put it this way –
“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
You must practice learning your craft and hone your skills; consider working with a professional photographer for free to gain from their experience. Or take one or more of the many free online photography courses available, like:
Step # 7. Set up your website and social business pages
Every photography business needs a social media presence to show people what they do and engage their imagination.
Which you focus on depends on your goals, for example.
Facebook might not jump out as the go-to platform for photographers, but having a Facebook business page is great for building your online presence and connecting with groups relevant to your niche.
And while Facebook interactions aren’t as high as Instagram, those who follow you are likelier to want and book your services.
Also, Facebook advertisements enable you to target specific demographics, ensuring you get the most out of what you invest.
Instagram was the first to allow image sharing on phones and is now the world’s leading visual social media platform.
And with the ability to sell products from the app and link to your website makes it a popular platform for photographers. You can also use Instagram for inspiration by following the best Instagram photographers.
Exposure lets you tell the stories behind your photographs, which is great for engaging people’s interest.
The layout is like a high-quality magazine; it looks clean and professional, with large pictures and beautiful fonts.
So, if Instagram captains don’t allow you to express yourself, use Exposure to sell your story.
Tumbler lets users re-blog your content with a single click, increasing the eyes on your work, making it an excellent platform to create and show your portfolio.
Pinterest differs from other platforms, as it doesn’t matter how many likes you have.
The power of Pinterest is showcasing your photographs to your target audience through backlinks, leading users to your photography website.
Speaking of which!
Setting up your photography website
While a social media presence is helpful, building your business website is essential.
With a website, you can connect all your other marketing strategies (like social media), making it easy for prospective clients to view your work and book a gig.
Also, a dedicated business domain name adds a professional flair to your brand and gives you an invaluable presence on Google.
6 best website options for photographers:
Step # 8. Start word-of-mouth marketing
Keeping clients is easier than landing new ones. When you go above and beyond to provide value and solve their problems, they’ll keep coming back to you.
View every project you undertake as a stepping stone in your freelance journey, be patient and keep your eye on the end goal, focus on productivity, and always keep moving forward.
And remember, you’re starting your freelance business intending to stay in business, and when you build client relationships at every opportunity and are consistently professional, the results will come.
Making word-of-mouth marketing priceless, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.
When you start your photography business, focus on encouraging clients to refer you to others and encourage them to leave glowing reviews on your online platforms.
WOMM and referral strategies to use:
The last one might seem obvious, but research shows that while 83% of people say they’re happy to refer a business to friends after a positive experience, only 29% do!
Source-Advisor Impact.
The takeaway:
Even when clients love your brand and service, you must encourage reviews and referrals by making it worth their while.
Step # 9. Find your first gig
Most new photographers have the same problem: how to land their first gig without a portfolio!
Fortunately, there’s a way around it. You just need creative strategies.
Shoot for free:
For photographers without a comprehensive portfolio, contact friends, family, neighbors, workmates, and group members and offer free photo shoots. In return, you get free models, build your experience, and create a portfolio to market to future paying clients.
Display your work:
Enter every local art show in your state and get your images, name, and contact details front and center so prospective clients see your skills.
Partner with other businesses:
Contact local event planners, show them your recent images via your online presence, and offer your service at a competitive price.
Work as a professional photographer’s assistant:
Ask in local camera shops and find someone who works in your niche. Sure, you’re giving your time away, but the experience could be priceless.
More tips on getting your first gig: