Do you dream of a flourishing photography business with a calendar filled to the brim with photoshoots for months ahead? If you just enthusiastically nodded yes, then you’re in the right place—read on for tried-and-true tips to stay booked and busy in 2024!
Build a Beautiful Business.
Build a personal brand
In a world increasingly driven by technology and AI (send help…the robots are taking over), one of the foremost effective ways to secure more photography bookings is by building a solid personal brand. Put simply, a personal brand is the unique combination of your experience, personality, and story that sets you apart in a saturated market of photographers offering the same or similar services. It’s your edge—your secret sauce. Or, as Conversion Copywriter and Brand & Launch Strategist Ashlyn Carter so brilliantly put it, it’s your “unfair advantage card.”
Now, like an onion (just trust me on the veggie analogy), let’s peel back the layers and explore the elements that make up a compelling personal brand.
First things first, you’ll want to start by defining your unique value proposition—essentially, your “why,” and the reason clients should pick you over your competitors. From there, it’s time to weave in elements of your story and facets of your personality: whether it’s your one-of-a-kind creative process, your quirky sense of humor, or your affinity for 90’s rom-coms, honing in on these elements makes for memorable messaging that humanizes your brand.
To once again echo Ashlyn, “You own the monopoly on your story.”
So capitalize, baby, capitalize!
Get in the room and network
It’s one of the oldest strategies in the book, but setting apart time for in-person connection still works like a charm when it comes to earning business. If you want to stay booked and busy, consider adding monthly networking opportunities—where you can meet and mingle with potential clients—into your marketing strategy.
When determining which events and spaces are worth leaning into, think about where your ideal clients might hang out. If you’re a wedding photographer for cool and contemporary couples, that might be at the upcoming bridal dress trunk show in your city.
Get clients. Get paid. Get happy.
If you’re a family portrait photographer in the countryside, you may want to hit up a local festival where families bring their kiddos. Whatever your strategy looks like, the key is to intentionally mark dates on your calendar to get out there and network!
Incentivize your existing clients with a referral program
Another strategy for securing consistent photography bookings—that’s often underestimated, if I might add—is offering a referral program that rewards returning clients for their loyalty. Referral programs are golden because they rely on the trust you’ve already built with existing clients to do the heavy lifting.
As if that benefit isn’t already great enough, they also usually require little to no financial investment, unlike most marketing strategies out there. Here’s looking at you, Facebook ads. When brainstorming ways to bring in those referrals, these are a few pointers to keep in mind.
First, you’ll want to ask for recs when your client is most excited about your work—AKA, when they’re gushing over the stunning shots you captured at their dog’s birthday party and are flooding your inbox with heart-eye emojis. Once they’ve expressed how thrilled they are with your work, go ahead and pose the question, phrasing it something like this:
“Hey (client’s name)!
I’m so thrilled to hear you loved the shots from Sammy’s paw-tastic party! I had such a blast shooting it and you were truly a joy to work with. So much so that I was wondering…might you know of any other dog moms who could benefit from portraits of their pups?
If you do and are willing to make an introduction, I’d be so grateful! And as a thank you for your time and willingness to share, I’d be more than happy to gift you [insert benefit, like bonus prints or a gift card]—on the house.
Let me know what you think. Thanks so much!
Talk soon,
Your name”
See how your client’s excitement sets up the perfect moment to request a referral. Feel free to use this as a template when kindly asking clients for a recommendation!
Create more opportunities for clients to book you
When it comes to keeping your photography bookings flowing, sometimes it’s not a matter of needing new clients—but creating more opportunities for current clients to invest in your services! Ever heard the saying, “It’s easier to retain an existing client than it is to find a new one?”
That’s sage wisdom alright, and you can leverage it by ensuring your value ladder (a fancy marketing term for a sequence of products or services you sell) gives clients a reason to keep coming back to work with you.
When dreaming up new offers, a great question to ask yourself is: “How can I continue adding value to my current clients, the people already in my corner?” Maybe that looks like offering mini sessions in between higher-ticket shoots, creating ongoing packages, or even digital products.
Whatever it looks like for you and your business, the aim is to keep your services fresh and dynamic, creating an easy pathway for your clients to keep choosing you over and over. It’s all about making it easy-peasy for them to say, “Omg, let’s do this again!”
Keep showing up!
And there you have it! Be sure to leverage these tried and true strategies as you work to fill up the rest of your 2024 calendar, and 2025, too. And remember—every photographer’s business and audience requires a unique marketing strategy, so let your creative juices flow, and don’t be afraid to experiment.
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Most importantly, just keep showing up. That calendar will fill up before you know it.
Written by Lauren Alexis | Photographs by Lumière de Soi Weddings and Portraits
