Starting A Photography Business: A Structured Approach For Success

Beginning a photography-related business can be straightforward to begin. All you require is a quality camera and an understanding of the techniques of photography, as well as a passion for photography in general and the drive to transform a passion into a lucrative business.

It’s just not relatively as easy as that!

When a skilled amateur photographer takes the decision to go professional to make income from their photos and sell their work, they cease being a photographer but instead become a marketing professional and photographer.

The distinction between a photographer and a businessperson is vital, and understanding this is vital if the prospective professional is looking to succeed in selling their photography.

In simple terms, photography is not a business. Photographers do not earn profits from taking photos. They earn money by selling their photographs.

Unfortunately, the ease of getting into the photography industry is so effortless that many photographers end up looking for answers to the question “how can I begin my own photography business” after having discovered that it’s not as straightforward as they imagined it would. Be!

If you’re new to photography or contemplating the transition from an amateur photographer to a professional photographer, there’s an organized approach that can be a lifesaver later down the road. This methodological approach is known as “The Six Pillars Of Success” and is applicable to virtually any small-sized company.

The six pillars of the ten are:

Mindset
Positioning
Marketing
SEO
Sales
Client relations

Mindset

The business world isn’t for the weak-hearted or thin-skinned. It’s vital to keep an optimistic outlook and keep your goals for business clear. The importance of commitment is paramount in this regard, and it’s crucial to be wholly dedicated to your goals regardless of your current situation. This includes investing in your ongoing education in business and having an optimistic mindset that’s dedicated to your growth in the coming years.

Positioning

The ability to determine where one should position oneself on the market is something that will help set the new professional photographer from others. Finding a photography genre that is an area of specialization, along with the demographics and character of the perfect client, is an excellent place to begin. A pricing model can help to identify which of the potential clients would be most interested in investing in the products and services of photography that are available.

Marketing

In its simplest form, Marketing is the process of gaining and competing for the attention of your ideal clients. Marketing that is effective helps inform your potential clients about your personal characteristics, beliefs, and values, how you conduct your business, and how your customer will benefit the most from working with you.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for the growth of every business in today’s world. Photographers may be the most friendly and welcoming people on earth and can create the most amazing photographs their customers can imagine, but it won’t even matter if people can locate them online. Even with the most stunning-looking photography website, it’s crucial to ensure that search engines have a clear understanding of what the site is really about.

Sales

Nobody wants to be perceived as the stereotypical used car salesman or a salesperson, and if the buyer feels that the photographer maybe not be comfortable with his price or even concerned about asking for a purchase, they’ll naturally resist the selling process, making selling more difficult. The best way to overcome this is to understand how to approach selling from an ethical viewpoint, with the needs of the customer in mind.

Client Relations

This is where professional photographers get themselves into trouble! They can attract clients and create stunning images for them, and do an excellent job of selling it, only to never contact the client for the next time! This is a big mistake and could mean that the photographer is in an endless search to find new customers. The solution is to remain in contact with your family of clients. It’s simple to mail them periodic cards via mail or a mailer, email, or contact them by phone to find out what they’re up to.

A Spiral Upward To Success

When you’ve reached the final one of these six foundations, you’ll realize that having a happy family of clients naturally leads you to be more satisfied as a businessperson. This will help to build a more robust positive outlook.

It also helps you learn to understand your customers more in-depth, which can help you in positioning your company and yourself in the market.

Marketing is more simple and cheaper, as you’ll get more significant positive results from word-of-mouth marketing.

The SEO of your photography site is simplified because your blog content, for instance, assists search engines to see you as an authority in your area.

The process of selling becomes simpler to manage since you’ve earned a positive reputation in the community.

Your family of satisfied clients will be more loyal to you because your photo business gets more established.

About The Author

Nigel Merrick is a professional photographer writer, blogger, as well as a business mentor for photographers who are working. Find out more about how you can start your own photography business on the Zenologue photography marketing and business site.