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You know how sometimes there are these questions that you keep getting asked over and over? For me, one of them is how do you find photography clients and boy, do I love answering it!

 

No, that wasn’t sarcasm just then. This question is one of my favorites for two reasons:

 

1. The person asking is ready to take the next step in their photography journey. That’s a great feeling!
2. I know exactly how to answer them!

 

The truth is, photography clients are everywhere you look. The real problem many photographers run into is that they don’t know how to engage with them. 

 

That’s why today I’m answering this question once and for all. Read on for my go-to ways to find photography clients — and how to connect with them once you do.

 

Cold pitching to potential clients

 

I placed this one in the first place for a good reason: this is the most powerful way to find photography clients! I know it can be intimidating for a lot of us, but the only thing to do is dive in! It requires some persistence and discipline, but the payoffs can sometimes be a lot bigger than with some of the other methods we’ll discuss today. 

 

Think about it for a minute: YOU get to choose who you want to work with, not the other way around. Granted, they don’t always get back to you quickly, and sometimes not at all. But, you are in control. You get to make the decision of who is right for your business. Pretty empowering, right?

 

Now here’s the trick and where a lot of photographers fall short: pitching is not a one time and down deal. You’ll need to contact potential clients several times before you hear back (if you do). Nothing personal. They just get a lot of emails like yours and they don’t have time to get back to everybody.

 

 

So plan it like a marketing campaign, and schedule it in your agenda. I send out several pitches each month and follow up on a regular schedule {I definitely recommend keeping up with your pitching schedule with a tool like Trello or Asana. Otherwise it can get away from you, fast!}

 

Here are the basic steps:

 

1. Research the brand you want to work with.
2. Reach out to the appropriate contact.
3. Follow up {rinse and repeat – you don’t want to hassle them, but you’ll need to follow-up several times}.
4. Be ready to respond when they do!

 

Not so scary, right? Well, there’s a little more to it than that. If you want more details, stay tuned as I am working on a pitching cheat sheet for food and product photographers! I’ll walk you through the whole thing step by step, including breaking down the anatomy of a successful pitch email. Sign up for my newsletter here to get the guide before everybody else!

 

What to know going in:

 

It’s super important to do your research well before reaching out. That includes making sure you’ve found the RIGHT contact to pitch! 

 

Also, make sure you’re prepared with the right templates and photography business tools to give a great customer experience when you do hear back. Don’t wait until you get an interested email before you lay the groundwork of your business!

Find photography clients on freelancing platforms

 

Freelancing platforms like Upwork, Thumbtack, and the H Hub are full of potential clients looking for photographers just like you. Once you create an account and put together your portfolio, you can start applying to jobs and writing proposals very quickly. It’s just a matter of finding the right fit and going for it!

 

What to know going in:

 

The downside of these sites is that sometimes clients will expect too much in return for too little. Go in with a firm idea of your value and pricing, knowing approximately how much time any energy you should expect to dedicate to a given project at your current skill level. 

 

If a potential client responds to your proposal with an offer that is unrealistic or just simply not worth your time, don’t be afraid to (politely) walk away. On sites like Upwork, they cannot leave you a review or rating of any kind until you actually finish a contract with them!

 

Find photography clients on social media

 

Did you ever think when you set up your Instagram account that you’d be doing business in your DMs? Neither did I! But it has been the first touchpoint with many brands I’ve worked with. 

 

Social media is where businesses share what they’re all about. You’ll get a sense of their visual style, their mission, and how they respond to inquiries and comments. That makes it one of the best ways to research brands you want to work with!

Likewise, putting yourself out there and building a following is like having a second portfolio that people can directly engage with. I like to shoot products I love and tag the brand when I’m finding photography clients, and I also regularly engage with the pages of brands I have on my radar so they’ll recognize me when the time comes to pitch them.

 

 

What to know going in:

 

Spammers are pretty easy to spot, but it’s good to stay vigilant. Also, be wary of people asking for your work in return for exposure or free product. While it’s fun to see your name associated with a favorite brand or to get some swag, it’s no way to run a business.

 

Remember that this is not your personal page, it’s the public face of your business. You’ll experience your share of trolls and tactless comments, but if you engage with them, you’re just stooping to your level. Brands notice that kind of thing.

 

Networking with other photographers (and potential clients)

 

“But I thought other photographers were supposed to be my competitors???”

 

Technically, they are. But if you don’t already know this, you’ll discover very quickly that the professional photography community is very open, accepting, and tightly-knit. We’re great about sharing resources and passing along tips when there’s a client to be had that, for whatever reason, isn’t a fit for one of us in particular.

 

Knowing other photographers is a lifeline to your business, so spend as much time participating in challenges, summits, and workshops as you can. 

 

Networking with brands you’d love to work with down the road will keep you on their radar, so make an effort to engage with their social media content in a genuine way (don’t just like and comment three heart-eye emojis on every post they make). 

 

What to know going in:

 

Instagram is a great place to “meet” and learn from other photographers. It’s also wonderful for finding about courses that are opening up and potential clients that are on the hunt. Engaging with brands in a casual but intentional way over time will build recognition between them and your brand, which will help you pitch more successfully when you’re ready.

 

Find photography clients again…returning clients are the best!

 

Turning existing clients into raving fans who keep coming back for more? That is the best way to make sure you keep your schedule full of projects you love to do. 

 

Returning clients mean:

 

• Less pitching to new clients
• Less hunting and researching to even find those new clients 
• Less of the onboarding that takes up your time on the front end of a project

 

When you work with a former client, you have a foundation of trust, understanding, and basic knowledge of that client’s needs and preferences. It’s just easier!

 

So you know what I’m going to say right now: Start building a fantastic client experience! It’s as good as writing ten cold pitches for finding photography clients!

 

What to know going in:

 

Not every client is going to be your business BFF, and that’s okay. If you find that a particular client is difficult to work with or is constantly giving you pushback on your pricing structure, despite loving everything else about working with you, it may be time to tactfully move on. 

 

A polite email thanking them for their collaboration up to this point and explaining that you will be pursuing other opportunities moving forward will do the trick. 

 

Never ghost a client…who knows if they know someone else who could click a little better with you? An ex-client might recommend you if you were a little out of their price range, but if you dropped them with no explanation? Probably not.

 

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Did you know that it can take up to five or six touchpoints before you hear back from a potential client? That’s why it’s perfectly fine to use more than one of these methods to connect when you’re finding photography clients. 

 

It’s not necessary to pester or stalk, but showing interest is a good thing. Engage with a social media presence thoughtfully before reaching out with a pitch email, for example. It will build familiarity and a comfort level.

 

So go ahead! Start creating connections now, so you can work with the brands you love later. (And write up some pitch emails while you’re at it.)

 

I love hearing your thoughts! Leave a comment here, find me on Instagram, or join my email list to talk more with me about everything food and product photography!