How to Start Getting Clients as a Beginner Photographer
So you’ve been dabbling in photography for a while now and you’ve been getting a lot of compliments on your work. You decide that you are ready to start taking on clients.
But where do you start?
This article will help you to start picking up clients and get you started on your photography business adventure!
These are the things that worked for me when I started out, and I wasn’t even trying to start a photography business! 😆
Don’t Tell Them, Show Them
Just telling someone you are a good photographer is not enough, you have to show them.
You will need some good examples of your work. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT EVER use someone else’s work to promote your own.
I have had countless amateur photographers still my images and pass them off as their own to promote their business. This is not only lying and stealing but being very deceiving to your clients.
Getting clients is all about relationship, and first impressions are everything in a relationship. Believe me, it will have the opposite effect.
Instead, offer a few free or very cheap sessions with the agreement that you can use those images to promote your work.
After you have a nice portfolio you can start promoting your work with your own images.
Start Promoting
Now that you have some great images in your portfolio, put it up online somewhere. Start a simple website, open a Facebook page or Instagram account, anything you can share with people so they can see your work.
Look up local Facebook groups that will allow you to share your work. Also, keep an eye on those groups, people frequently post that they are looking for a photographer.
Word of Mouth
Once you pick up a few sessions, do your obsolete best! Be charismatic, be fun, make new friends. This isn’t just about doing someone’s photos, it’s also about building relationships.
Clients will typically be nervous going in, make it your job to make this the best experience of their week! When they go home they won’t be able to help not talking about it and telling their friends!
By far, word of mouth has been the best promotion for me. At least 50% of the time I do a session, another session will come out of it. Sometimes many sessions will come out of one.
Beware though, just like I mentioned earlier about first impressions, word of mouth is just as powerful in the opposit way.
If you do a very poor job and the client was not happy or had a bad experience, they will also tell their friends about that. And in a small community, that can put you out of business overnight! Don’t do it!
Stand Out
As a bonus, here’s an extra tip!
As a photographer, you should make it your goal to ALWAYS be improving your work. Never stop learning! Make it your goal to make your work stand out SO far above the competition that they don’t even stand a chance!
There is an unlimited amount of information out there just waiting to be learned. Just search this website for example. If you haven’t taken my free course yet, sign up HERE! If you have, consider taking my ‘All Things Manual’ course to truly master the art of shooting in manual. Probably something your competition knows nothing about! ;)
