Are you working hard to find photography clients? The world is a big, big place and it is full of food and product photographers just like you and me. It’s easy to feel like a little fish in a big pond. Sometimes you may even feel like there just aren’t enough photography clients for all of us, but that is absolutely not true. 

In the last post, we talked about where to find potential clients. If you’re struggling to stand out (or keep their interest after one or two projects), this is the blog post for you! Today I will share three ways you can increase interactions with your brand: email marketing, social media, and cold outreach. This marketing triangle will continually bring clients in and keep them engaged with your brand, even when you’re not actively collaborating. 

Email Marketing

An often underestimated way of connecting with clients is through their email. We’re so used to the instant gratification of real-time messaging that email just feels slower, less efficient somehow. I promise you, it is not! 

Starting a newsletter is not the time-suck that people view it to be, especially if you have the right tool. If you don’t want to send out a blog-length diatribe once a week, then don’t! Do what works for you and the content you do create will automatically be more authentic and relatable.

First Things First: Flodesk

Flodesk is a new platform to manage email marketing. They have a ton of templates that allow you to create beautiful, on-brand emails in just a few clicks. It is super easy to set up and the automations are really easy to put together. It elevated the look of my email marketing right away!

Which brings me to a lesson I hope you learn a lot earlier than I did: make sure you do your research properly before choosing a platform. I originally chose MailChimp because it was free – you can’t beat that, right?. Well…I found out (the hard way) that I would rather pay and have a tool that’s geared toward a workflow that’s natural to me than settle for something free but confusing to me.

Flodesk is still a little new on the market but is already making a lot of noise in the world of creatives. It doesn’t (yet) have all the bells and whistles, but it has the essentials: templates, automations, analytics. Most importantly for photographers, they make it easy to create beautiful, visual emails that your subscribers will love. They are currently building new features and their customer service is amazing, so you can actually request features! The pricing is a flat $38 per month, reduced to $19 if you use this link!

Now for Content Creation

Enough talk about the tools (you know I could talk about them all day). Let’s chat about content. The most important thing here is not to consider your newsletters a one-way conversation. You’re not just throwing a bunch of flyers off the balcony and hoping a few get picked up; you’re informing your audience of things that actually interest them. This creates an ongoing dialogue about your services. Keeping this in mind, remember a few things:

• Your subject line is everything. You know how quickly an inbox can fill up! Your clients only have time for content that is actually interesting and useful to them, so getting them to open that email is half the battle. Start off with your most exciting point, and make it snappy!
  
• Respect your readers. The quickest way to end up in the spam folder is to actually be spammy. Don’t beat your audience over the head with sales pitches and don’t sign them up for ongoing communication without their permission. 
• Incentivize! Give clients a reason to be on your email list. You can send out promotions and offer sneak peeks to your newsletter crowd. You want them to look forward to hearing from you.

• Stay on brand. Looks matter in a newsletter, just like they do on your website. Using brand-specific coloring, images, and your logo or signature will make your emails stand out from other text-heavy communication. 

• Ask them what they think! Include questions and calls to action in your newsletters. Your readership may not even realize that they can respond! Initiate a conversation and create a sense of belonging. You may even learn a few things from your readers!
  

Social Media

It’s no secret that social media is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs, especially those of us in the visual arts. If you are on Instagram, you know I am a big fan. Clients are right there, signed into their accounts and ripe for the picking. But what a lot of people don’t realize is, finding photography clients through social media is actually quite a lot of work. It also requires no small amount of know-how. Here’s how to build a presence that really resonates with your audience:

Post Regularly

Frequent posting keeps you in front of your audience and fresh on their minds. That means when past clients find they’re in need of new work, your name is front and center! It will, however, require an investment of your time to consistently offer useful, original content. 

I recommend that you plan your posts at least a week in advance (I like to keep track of mine on Trello boards with the calendar power-up). This gives you the added advantage of seeing how your different ideas fit together. There are several services that can help you visually plan your Instagram posts, so that your gallery has a cohesive look over time. I personally use Planoly, which I use to schedule all my posts, save some captions (to keep hashtag lists) and even create and schedule some cool Stories! Automation is such a huge time saver!

Join in the Discussion

Sure, you want to demonstrate your authority on all things photography, but remember to step back and engage. It’s non-negotiable if you’re serious about making strong connections. Join (or start) groups and contribute regularly to their discussions. You’ll meet potential clients, spread the word about your brand, and talk about your passion: photography! 

Gear some of your posts toward trending hashtags to start conversations about current photography events. Potential clients and casual followers alike want to see that you’re aware of trends and new techniques. Show them that you know your stuff!

Another great way to find photography clients is to create content using products from a brand you want to work with. Create gorgeous photos, share them on social media, and tag the brand. This is actually my favorite way to use social media to find clients!

Call Your Followers to Action

Want your clients to read a blog post or download that shiny new resource you just spent hours creating? There’s no way for them to know unless you tell them! A call to action (CTA) is a good note to end a post on. It’s one of the best ways to communicate your business plans to your followers. 

A lot of your followers probably want to engage but don’t know how to find their “in” to the conversation. Asking questions of your followers not only gives them a springboard into the group, it helps you learn about them. What makes them tick? What kind of topics can you explore that will enrich their photography journey? Clients can tell when you’re being real with them and when you just want something, so talk about things you can honestly be enthusiastic about. 

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You know what they say about first impressions? Well as a photographer, sometimes your portfolio is that first impression. Chances are good that your clients will "meet" you for the very first time online, through your galleries! That means it is extra important to put your best foot forward and show your abilities off to their very best advantage, right there where your potential clients first encounter them. You don't want the perfect customer to click right past your page. Check out my blog post on creating a killer online portfolio to see what I recommend! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #frenchlyphotography #foodiesfeed #huntgramfood #foodsii #onthetable #foodstyling #foodie #foodphotography #beautifulcuisines #instagood #feedfeed #lifeandthyme #WTFoodies #yum #food #dcfoodporn #foodpic #dessert #foodblogfeed #gloobyfood #momentsofmine #bhgfood #fwx #abmfoodie #heresmyfood #thechalkboardeats #foodbeast #eeeeeats @foodbeast @foodbites #foodblogger @eater_dc @eater #eater

A post shared by Fanette Rickert (@frenchlyphotography) on Aug 8, 2019 at 11:00am PDT

Cold Outreach 

Now is not the time to be shy! Part of getting regular work in the crowded field of photography is going out to find it for yourself. Not all potential clients realize they need your services so it’s good to always be on the lookout. 

Maybe you notice that the food photography at a restaurant or in a local magazine could use an update. Well, you’re a photographer, right? Go for it! But remember: the pitch should be cold for the client, not for you. 

Research before making contact and follow these guidelines:

• Find out who to talk to. Check websites and social media to see if there’s a point person for creative inquiries. You’re more likely to get a foot in the door if you’re talking to the right person. 

• Know the client’s needs. Look for cues on the volume of work they might need, the clientele they’re shooting for, and the style they prefer. 

• Be prepared to educate. You are the professional here, and your potential client may not even realize that what they already have isn’t working for them. Explain why your services are a good business decision.

• Be tactful when you do make contact. Don’t start off on the wrong foot by criticizing their current imagery. You never know if they shot it themselves, or had a close friend do it for them. Talk about how you can elevate, don’t dwell on what’s not working right now. 

Above all, start developing a thick skin. Don’t let the word “no” get you down when it comes to cold outreach. You might hear it a lot! Sometimes clients will change their minds and sometimes they won’t, but if you stay confident in your abilities and do your very best work, the right projects are sure to follow!

Finding photography clients doesn’t have to be hard, you just have to know where to connect with them. Some of my most loyal customers and dedicated followers are the result of email marketing, social media, and cold pitching. If you’re on the hunt for new clients and see something in this article you haven’t tried, I hope you’ll give it a shot! 

Ready to take marketing to the next level?

Check out my 3 favorite tried and true {free} marketing tactics to get clients. I used those tactics when I got started and they helped me get my first jobs. Some of them became regular clients and now bring in several thousand dollars every year! So hop on and get my super ninja tactics!!

While you’re starting up, be sure check in with me on Instagram. I’d love to hear about your progress!