Stand Out (and Feel Empowered) in a Saturated Photography Market
Standing out in a saturated photography market can seem like a daunting task. With these tips, you’ll get noticed without lowering your prices!
5 ways to stand out in a saturated photography market without lowering your prices
Sometimes it feels like everyone in the photography industry is just the same! You’ve got the same camera and lenses as your competitors. You’ve got similar editing styles and are applying the same presets. You’re posting at the same time and may even use the same hashtags.
You feel like a needle in a haystack.
How are clients ever going to find you?
Read on to pick up on some great tips on how to not only stand out in a saturated photography market but be the first photographer that comes to your target clients’ minds!
Jocelyn Bravo
First, don’t panic…
It’s been a minute since a new inquiry has come in. You’re seeing your fellow photography business owners shooting up a storm. The niggling doubts start flooding in, and you consider lowering your prices!
But before you rework your business model and cut into your profit margins, take a deep breath and start focusing on how you can increase your value as you work through these steps of how to compete in saturated markets.
#1: Stand out by showing up
Let’s get real. Your clients are hiring you for you! Give them a peek into your life by showing up in your stories. Finding alternative ways to reach out and connect further with your target clients creates a bond more substantial than any stop-the-scroll image.
#ShootProofPRO Tip
Don’t be shy, show up in your stories!
Are you a destination photographer that gets to travel to exotic locations? Chances are, your customer base loves to travel, too! Show more than the fantastic photo shoots you’re doing in these gorgeous locations. Take them on your trips with you!
Are you a foodie? Show the fab restaurants you love and dishes to die for! Don’t forget to be featured in a video or two. Your clients want to see your face as you experience these delights!
Jocelyn Bravo
#2: Stand out with words of praise
Want to know how you are different? Why not go right to the source and ask your past clients? Testimonials can be so much more than a beautiful quote from your favorite clients thrown all over your website!
#ShootProofPRO Tip
Don’t be afraid, ask for solid testimonials!
Now’s the time to reach out to your past clients with an offering (be it an exclusive discount or a print) in exchange for a video message of them answering these three key questions:
- What was their biggest fear when looking for a photographer, and how did you solve it?
- Why did they decide to hire you?
- Would they hire you again, and why?
As these videos pour in, share them on your social and then save them as highlights that future clients can visit again and again! You can even create a wonderful montage of their answers combined with the pictures you took for them and add it as an even better feature on your site!
Jocelyn Bravo
#3: Stand out by solving problems
You bring so much more to the table than beautiful pictures! And the good news is, unless you’re marketing yourself to other photographers, most clients won’t necessarily appreciate digging into the details of your gear. So no boring lessons are necessary!
#ShootProofPRO Tip
Don’t tell, SHOW how you’re the authority!
Now’s the time to dig into your true value: what makes you shine?
Explore your clients’ specific pain points (hint: look at what past clients answered in the first question of your testimonial campaign) and highlight how amazing you are at solving their problems every time!
Bonus points for putting together BTS videos that you can employ for various marketing strategies!
Jocelyn Bravo
#4: Stand out by getting out there
Forget signing up for the next wedding fair, connect with your ideal client for free online! Have you already created an avatar of your target client? If so, you know where they love to shop, eat, and travel. You know where they go on date nights, their favorite sports teams.
#ShootProofPRO Tip
Don’t wait for them to come to you, go out and find them!
Why not do a little digging on social media and find them yourself? Like and comment on one of their pictures. Strike up a conversation and get to know them! Take control of the situation and create relationships that build a solid foundation for a long-term client.
Because tackling market saturation won’t happen overnight!
Jocelyn Bravo
#5: Stand out with interaction
If you’re employing these great tactics, you’ll have a flood of new potential clients following you. Now you’re ready to take the next step in creating rock-solid relationships with them!
#ShootProofPRO Tip
Don’t be passive; reach out and make contact!
You know you’ve always got to respond to every comment, but have you taken the extra step to follow them? Are you liking and commenting on their posts? Responding to their stories?
Jocelyn Bravo
Get to know them and create a fantastic relationship with them before you try to sell them anything! Show them how you value them as the individual they are, business aside! And when the time comes for them to hire a photographer, their new best friend photographer (YOU) will be at the forefront of their mind!
Written by RACHAEL LAPORTE | Photographs by JOCELYN BRAVO of UNDERSTICH PHOTOGRAPHY via Two Bright Lights
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