Marketing Tactics For Photographers

The word “tactic” can have such negative connotations to it, but all that a tactic really is, is a clever way of doing something effectively. Marketing is always one of the trickiest, and most stressful jobs any photographer has to do, so hopefully these marketing tactics will help you to grow your photography business even further.

Referrals

One of the best ways that I find I get work is through referrals. Often, someone emails me because someone that they know, or something they've worked with, has recommended me. It can be really random people sometimes, and I'm often shocked by how someone I knew vaguely three years ago can recommend me for things still today! 

This happened just a few months ago, when an email came in from a company looking for an event photographer. Now, I'm obviously not an event photographer, but I'd just started working again after having broken my wrist, and I needed some extra cash. The job was easy, and the money was good, so I agreed to do it. 

I later found out that I got the job because a lady I'd taken headshots of literally three years prior had been working with the company, and recommended me as a photographer.

This experience reminded me just how important it is to treat absolutely everyone I meet in a kind, polite and professional matter. You literally just do not know who they'll go on to meet, and recommend you to!  

Task: Think of ways that you can make your current/future clients' experience of shooting with you even more amazing, so that you remain front of mind to them as the photographer they'd always recommend. 

Networking Events

I know, every time I mention networking events, eyes glaze over, people's faces drop, they hide behind chairs.... going to networking events terrifies people! But guess what, they really do work. 

When I first began shooting in Cornwall, I knew no one. I didn't have any connections, and had literally zero work as a photographer. So in a bid to expand my circle, I began to attend networking events. At first, they were general business events, wedding events, literally anything that involved business - because I needed to meet as many people as I could, and tell them about my work! 

And guess what... it worked. Little by little, over time, (and through maintaining the relationships I'd made at those events) people began to contact me to shoot for them, or reffered me to their friends. 

As I currently work on building my profile in London, I'm doing LOADS of this. I'm attending as many networking events as I can, and trying to be as brave as I can each time to meet lots of people. 

The more people who know your name, the better chances you'll have of getting lots of work :) 

Task: Find a networking event local to you, and go to it! 

Email Pitches

I've told my story about how I got into pitching many times, but in case you're new here, or just want a reminder, here it is again. 

A few years ago, I had an idea for a shoot that I wanted to create. Till that point, I'd always either borrowed clothes from friends, my wardrobe, or actually bought clothes in stores for my shoots. However, one day, I remembered that I'd been given the email address to someone working at a brand that I really liked. So on a whim, I sent her my moodboard, and asked her if she'd like to send me some clothes to use in my shoot. In exchange, I offered them the images to use on their social media.

To my amazement, she replied and said yes! 

That was the moment that I realised that pitching was a thing and that all I had to do if I wanted to work with a brand, was email them.

 Of course, there is so much more that goes into pitching than just sending an email (I've learnt that in the last few days!) but if you want to learn how to build a really solid, effective pitching strategy, I do have a free email course you can sign up for, and learn all about pitching!

Task: Make a list of the brands that you'd love to work with, and begin to research the person you'd need to email to work with them. Hint: it's usually the creative director, or head of marketing. Also, sign up for my free pitching email course for further tips and strategy.

Instagram Marketing

I've been on Instagram for YEARS. Like, too long. But I still love it! It's genuinely the social platform that I think is the funnest to be on, and most effective from a marketing point of view for my photography. 

The way I use Instagram now has changed a lot. It used to be all about posting every day (if not multiple times a day), and using tonnes of hashtag. These days though, I tend to use Stories a lot more than I post on the grid, and I try to make sure my grid is very curated, with only examples of my very best work. I treat my Instagram grid like I would my website portfolio. 

One of the best ways that I've found that I get work from Instagram is by using location specific hashtags. In every single post that I do, I make sure that I tag #londonfashionphotographer or #cornwallphotographer. 

I've genuinely had people contact me (big brands included) saying that they found me via Instagram on a hashtag like that. So if you do anything on Instagram, make sure that you use location specific, business specific hashtags. It really does work! 

Task: Start to use location specific hashtags on your grid posts.