5 Places To Look For New Photography Clients
One of the questions I get asked all the time from fellow fashion photographer is: “Where do you go to find new clients? I don’t even know where to look!” And hey, I get it. Finding new clients can feel really tough. I think actually, what stops is, is the ABUNDANCE of possibilities of clients. Honestly, there are so many possibilities out there, where do you even start? It’s almost like when you’re scrolling through Netflix, or the TV channels, and there are thousands upon thousands, so you end up spending all your time scrolling through instead of actually choosing something.
And I know what you might be thinking: “Olivia, my problem isn’t too much choice. My problem is feeling like there are NO clients out there for me.”
I’d love to challenge that. I personally believe that that is a mindset block. Logically, we know that there are billions of people on this planet, and there are millions and millions of fashion brands all over the world that need imagery. So there cannot physically be a limit to how many clients you could have.
Also, have you ever thought about how many clients you actually need? Cause it’s probably only 4-5 a month! That’s of maximum 60 clients a year (and you probably don’t even need that many if you get your pricing right, but that’s a story for another day).
So where do you actually look for new clients? Let me give you some ideas.
Instagram Suggested Brands: One thing that I like to do is train Instagram’s algorithm to serve me with potential clients. It sounds complicated, but it’s really not! All you need to do is start to enter into the search bar the kinds of brands that you’d love to work with that you already know about (ie. Chanel, Free People, H&M) and go to their profiles. Look through a few of their images, leave some comments, watch some stories. By doing that, Instagram takes note and says to itself: “Hey, this person likes fashion brands! I’m going to show her/him ads for brands similar to this.” I guarantee that you’ll start to notice ads on your Instagram which are brands you may never have heard of, but which are similar to what you’d like to shoot. The trick is to show Instagram that you like getting these ads by clicking on them. It will then continue to give you more ads similar to those, and serve you with even more ads you could reach out to. Brilliant, thanks Instagram!
Browse Fashion Retail Websites: Whenever I’m doing potential client research, I like to head to websites like ASOS, Net-A-Porter, etc and browse through their “Brands” tabs. You’ll be served with hundreds of brand names, some which you’ll recognise, some which you won’t. Click around and take a look at them, and then any brands that you like the look and feel would be a good fit for you, head to their individual websites/social media platforms and check them out! They could be a brand that you could reach out to.
Ask Around: This one sounds really obvious, but I’ve started to ask my colleagues in the industry who they think I should reach out to! Make up artists, hair stylists, fashion stylists, they all work in this industry too, and may have a really good idea of who you could try to reach out to. Next time you’re on a shoot, ask one of your colleagues: “Hey, I’m looking for new clients that I could reach out to… any ideas on who you think I’d be a good fit for?” You’ll be surprised! They’ll often have great ideas that they would have never shared unless prompted.
Read Magazines: I’m a big lover of magazines. Always have been, and always will. I buy them for myself to read and enjoy, but I also buy them as research. Fashion magazines are always sharing about new brands, up and coming brands, and brands that you may never have heard of. If I’m reading through a new issue of Elle and they mention a brand that I’d never heard of, but looks quite cool, I grab my phone and look through their website and social media. I’ll often then make a note of them and reach out in future. If you’re not already checking magazines (print or online) for inspiration, you’re missing out!
Always Be Looking: Lastly, this one is a less tactical tip, but it’s just as valid. “Always be looking” simply means, always have your eyes open and your ears pricked up waiting to hear about brands. The amount of times that I’ve been driving in the car, or watching TV, or talking to a friend, or even just sitting next to someone in a cafe and overheard someone speaking about a brand is unreal. Literally, just always be looking, and you’ll be guaranteed to find more potential clients, just be remaining open to the possibility.
