If you have made the decision to turn your photography talents into a thriving business, you have also asked yourself how to get photography clients in search of your unique style. You might have friends or acquaintances knocking on your door to request your services, but chances are they don’t understand your niche or true value in the industry!

Taking the proper steps to find the best clients means greater pay and a greater sense of fulfillment for you. Consider these guidelines when thinking about how to get photography clients.

When You’re Thinking About How To Get Photography Clients, Know That Pitching Is Essential

Even though you know that you have something special to offer the photography world, how do you separate yourself from every other person with an expensive camera? You must advertise yourself to show how special and capable you are of meeting your clients’ needs.

Your pitch can contain a few things, like your specific niche, experience level, personality, and examples of your work. These are all good things to discuss when pitching to a potential client. 

You can pitch online, in person, or on a business card! Any way that you can be assertive and confident in front of your potential clients is helpful in growing your business.

You Need To Shift Your Mindset Surrounding Your Work

A shift in mindset is extremely important when thinking about how to get photography clients. You are more than just somebody with a camera! Your talents are unique and the way you discuss and sell your services needs to reflect that belief.

You might need to practice your confident voice—don’t be afraid to try it out in front of a mirror or among friends and family. Go over pricing, personal success stories, and especially difficult questions so that you can be prepared to answer them in real-time with clients. For example, nobody wants to be caught off guard with requests to adjust pricing. 

Rehearsing a firm but friendly “no” (or even better, a “no, but”) does wonders for your mindset and helps to set boundaries about what you are worth.

Related: How Changing My Mindset Helped Me Create A Successful Photography Business

There’s An Abundance Of Opportunities, Especially When You Know How To Get Photography Clients

Once you know how to get photography clients—with your confident mindset and superior sales pitch—you can rest assured that the market is actually booming. 

Getting the word out about who you are and what you can offer is the most challenging part, but made easier with so many online selling platforms, social media, and email.

Adopting a clear vision of what type of clients you want to attract and consistently advertising your work and abilities will grow your business exponentially over time. 

In addition to all of the work you will be doing to advertise your skills, you can expect that each satisfied client will be doing the same on your behalf just by sharing their experiences with friends, family, even coworkers. Word-of-mouth is a powerful thing!

How To Get Photography Clients With Five Simple Strategies

Where should you go from here? You can feel the possibilities for your business but still aren’t sure of the next step. Here is a surefire list on how to get photography clients.

1. List Out Brands You Regularly Use or Know That You’d Love To Work With

Knowing where to look for clients can be similar to any other job hunt: start with the names you know. For instance, most big-name companies require a photographer at some point or another. 

If you can identify the companies or brand names within your daily life that would benefit from your photography style, reach out to them directly with a strong sales pitch. 

Bonus Tip: Find Similar Brands Using Social Media

Leverage the internet! Those companies and brands that resonated with your unique set of skills and ambitions likely have competitors in their respective fields. 

Reach out to all of them for your best chances at taking on new clients. 

2. Look For Brands That Are Running Instagram Ads

Keeping your eyes peeled on social media is a smart strategy for any photographer—because, you know, all of those pictures are on there! 

Companies who advertise themselves on platforms like Instagram are welcoming your interactions. What’s more, Instagram is a prime way to identify companies that align with your unique interests and values because they use algorithms to remember your past searches. 

3. Google Types Of Companies You Might Want To Work With

If all else fails, use the world’s most trusted search engine. No minutes spent on Google are ever truly wasted, as it dishes out results for virtually any search you may embark on. For example, you might search for companies based on their corporate values, sizes, or areas of expertise. 

And unlike some other searching strategies, there is no true end in sight when working with a search engine. As long as you keep producing words to describe your needs, Google will continue to provide you options for how to get photography clients. 

Related: 5 Ways To Find Photography Clients

4. Consider Doing Sponsored Work and Find Opportunities By Searching Social

This may be the only time it is okay to work for less money. Landing photography work with a bigger client can sometimes be worth more than any dollar amount. This is assuming that you can knock it out of the park! 

Ask yourself if the work you are producing for the brand has any chances to be seen by Creative Directors or Advertising Agencies. If it does, then it might be a great opportunity! The opportunity to add a popular company to your portfolio is also a great perk. 

For Editorial Work, Check Out Books and Publishers

While the Internet is extremely helpful in exploring how to get photography clients, sometimes you need to look away from the screen to land the greatest opportunities. 

Check your favorite photography books and magazines that match your style and preferred content. You can reach out to those publishers and pitch your services to them, as well. 

Plus, sometimes books yield information about different industries that remain buried on the Internet. The only way to know is to read past the cover!

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The journey of learning how to get photography clients can be a fun one. Once you gather all of the right words to say about your work, you then only need to find the best places to speak up. 

Remember, behind every company on your goal list is another human being in search of a talented photographer, just like you! You have nothing to lose by offering your services in a professional, assertive way.

Another important part of bringing on new clients is developing a killer Client Proposal. My Client Proposal Kit includes professionally designed templates that will make your proposal stand out and book more clients!