Do you feel the insecurity when you are just starting a photography business? Like when will those clients finally call on me? Or how can I differentiate myself from all those photographers out there?
Read first: 3 Things I Would Do When Starting Out As A Photographer
When starting a photography business it can be hard to focus on the things that matter.
As a sequel on the previous blog, I really couldn’t stop there. After all, as soon as the first clients are starting to book you, you need a few different things.
These 3 things are all dedicated to bringing in the revenues in your business in the fastest way possible while also preparing your business for a continuous stream of clients.
3 Things You Need When Starting A Photography Business
1. Create your email list
Yes, you heard me right, not just a website, but an email list. You want to grow your email list from day 1. Your email list will stay with you and will be a free marketing channel. That will be a great asset in a time where all the social media channels ask you for your money to show your work to more people.
And did you know you can actually start your email list without a website? All you need is a page where people can drop their email address and you’re set. Mailerlite is a company that makes that possible and it’s free for up to 2000 subscribers! MailChimp is also a good bet if you do have a website already.
2. Set up your sales systems
When you start out, you may not be fully booked yet and therefore you still have time available to set up your systems. Take that time and use it. Not by spending it on Facebook, comparing yourself with others and getting totally insecure… But by actually documenting a product sales workflow.
How can you prepare customers to get into the mindset of buying gorgeous albums and wall-art with you? Investigate your album vendors and chose your selection. Create your sample albums. Prepare your clients for the sales session by sending them relevant emails before and after the photo session. All that good stuff. Now you have the time, use it wisely. As soon as your calendar is fully booked, product sales are the first scalable way to increase your revenue.
3. Create a workflow
Related to the second one, make everything you do a process. As soon as you figure out a good sequence of getting people from inquiry to a meeting, to booking you, to the photo shoot, to the sales session and then to the final delivery of your products, create a workflow for those events. You will improve on it with every photo shoot, especially in the beginning, and it will guarantee a consistently good experience for your clients.
Also, it has the priceless benefit of giving you immediate peace of mind and saving you from inventing the wheel with every client. Instead, you can test and improve with every client but you know they already get a good experience! If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say workflow, check out the free workflow chart download below!
These were my three tips that will set you up for continued success when starting a photography business. If you need more, check out the link below:
The definitive guide to starting your photography business
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