3 BEST Ways to get Clients as a New Photographer in 2023!
Starting out as a photographer can be a daunting prospect for a lot of beginners.
As creatives, we often focus on the art first, and business second. Whereas in reality, you need to focus on both equally.
Now that I’ve established myself as a commercial photographer within the Cork area, I thought I would put together the 3 best ways of marketing yourself to new clients.
Just as a heads up, these tips are mostly applicable to beginner commercial photographers, but there is value for all creatives.
Number 1: Offer Pro-Bono Work to Reputable Local Businesses
As a professional photographer, relationships are everything (especially if you’re from Cork!)
When you’re starting out, it can be difficult to establish these relationships, and in turn build professional working experience.
This was certainly true for me when I started my business.
I quickly realised that if I was to be successful in the long term, then I needed to build relationships with local businesses.
So I researched and built a list of local, reputable businesses and I approached a select few with the offer of a small amount of pro-bono work (pro-bono = not getting paid). At the time I offered a handful of photos that they could publish to their social media, in return I asked that they tag & mention me whenever they used the photos.
It’s important that you treat this as a professional shoot, even though you’re not getting paid, you still want to product the best shots possible.
As a result, I gained fairly decent traction through social media, but especially through word of mouth marketing.
Other local businesses noticed these photos, and people connected to the business owner with whom I worked, reached out to get photos for their own business.
You can then quote for each new potential client that gets in touch.
Number 2: Reach Out to the Other Businesses on Your List
Now that you’ve built a bit of professional experience, I’d recommend putting together an online portfolio with a handful of images from your recent shoots.
You’ve also built a list of reputable businesses in your area that you could potentially work with.
Print out professional business cards, with your name, business email & your online portfolio.
Approach these businesses in-person (approaching online is not very personal & lacks essence), make sure to look professional, and give a genuine pitch, offering your services.
Don’t take it for granted that businesses will agree, and don’t be discouraged if they refuse!
Depending on the business they may not have the budget to spend on content. From there you will gain a few more clients as a result of the work you’ve done.
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Number 3: Attend Local Networking Events
Now that you’ve built experience, a portfolio and hopefully a small client base, I’d recommend attending local networking events.
These can exist in many different formats, so make sure to keep your ear to the ground with local events happening nearby.
It’s totally natural to feel uncomfortable putting yourself out there in person, but trust me it’s absolutely worth it, and your in-person marketing skills will blossom as a result.
Try not to just spend your time interacting with other photographers, whilst it’s great from a creative stand-point, at the end of the day, other photographers are not your clients.
Prioritise potential clients over anything else.