How to Get More Photography Clients

Online marketing gives you a wide reach, but nothing beats face-to-face interaction when it comes to creating connections with clients and getting them to like and trust you.

Volunteer to Photograph Events

Volunteering at local events is a great way of finding photography clients. The attendees will see you in action, and the event organizers will probably want to show off the photos on their website or social media. Charity events are a great option, as you’ll get to support a cause at the same time.

Once you find an upcoming event, talk to the organizers about whether they would be interested in your services. Then ask if they can promote your business when they post the photos online. They may even be willing to let you set up a display at the event to promote your business.

Alternatively, you can shoot at public events and hand out business cards, encouraging people to visit your site and order prints. For example, you could attend a youth sporting event, ask permission to shoot the players, and then offer to sell prints to the parents.

Connect with Related Businesses

Another tip for how to get more photography clients is to forge relationships with other businesses in your community. For example, if you are a wedding photographer, try to partner with hairstylists, makeup artists, DJs, and wedding venues.

Some of the ways to partner with other businesses include:

• Offering discounts for clients that get referred to you by the business.

• Taking photos for their website or promotions in exchange for promoting your business.

• Giving them some beautiful prints to display at their place of business.

• Promoting them on your website and asking them to do the same.

• Enter local art shows and craft fairs.

• Attend events, like photography conferences and industry conferences.

Use Your Network to Get More Photography Clients

Follow up with old photography school classmates and internship pals and let them know about your business. Join groups on LinkedIn, Meetup, Eventbrite, Groupspaces, DownToMeet, and other social media networks and connect with more established photographers in town. Send them a link to your online portfolio to win them over and attend group events.

People are more likely to hire and refer people they’ve met in person. So you’ve gotta go out and actually meet people in person.

Ask Current Clients for Referrals

Referrals are critical to building your business and getting more photography clients long-term. How do you get them? First of all, you need to ensure that you always produce a superior product and offer excellent customer service. Going above and beyond gives existing clients more of an incentive to refer you to others. But what about giving them the extra little push to give you a referral? Here are a few strategies you can use to snag those new clients:

• Start with the people you know. Post your online portfolio link on your social media and encourage your family, friends, and colleagues to keep you in mind if they or any of their loved ones need a photographer for something.

• When it comes to existing clients, only ask for a referral if you did a top-notch job. You want to make sure the customer is ecstatic about your work and thus in a good frame of mind to make that referral.

• Be as specific as you can in making your referral request. For example, if you just did a maternity shoot, you can say that you really enjoyed working together and were wondering if they had any expecting friends who might like a similar shoot. Then ask if they could connect the two of you.

• Ask for a testimonial. You can include it on your online portfolio, of course, but you can also share it on your social media and tag the testimonial giver in it, so any friends that see it and your gorgeous shots will hopefully be compelled to hire you, too.

• Most importantly: don’t forget to thank your clients for any referrals. You want to keep all customers happy, both old and new.