There’s so much information out there about starting a photography business. I’ve made a handful of videos on my channel about this exact topic in the past. But here’s the thing — you’ve probably heard the usual stuff before: that you’ll need a camera, website, portfolio, experience. Cool, got it, but what else? What about the things they don’t tell you as often?
Let’s talk about the OTHER things you need to know in order to have a photography business that lasts.
3 Things They don’t tell you about growing a photography business
When I think back on my career, there are three things that stand out that I wish I had known. Things that if I had known sooner, I probably could have grown my business even faster.
You need compelling copy in your photography business
I wish there was a way around this, but it’s true! You got into this because you want to take photos, be creative, and likely work for yourself – that’s why I did too. But now you have to learn to write too?! I get it. Depending on how you feel about writing copy you may be disappointed to read this. (Stick around because I have some great tips and tools for you to help in this area!)
You’ll need compelling copy for your website, your social media presence, and even your packages themselves.
You need searchable content (like a blog!) in your photography business
If you want to get found on Google and show up in search, you’ll need to create content. For most photographers this looks like blogging! I am so thankful that I embraced blogging in my photography business early on, because it was one of the biggest ways clients found me and booked with me. When you invest time in your content and blog, you’re investing in a piece of evergreen content that has the potential to continue to work for your business for years. I have blog posts that are 4+ years old that are still getting me consistent traffic to my website!
You need juicy packages in your photography business
Your packages are your offers. An offer is a foundational piece in your business that deserves some serious attention and curation. I wish I could go back and know this from day 1! The packages you build need to convey the value of what your clients are getting. Sometimes, when the offer is lacking, it can lead to getting ghosted, or people not understanding why “you’re so expensive.” (don’t you love when they say that?!)
Watch the video in this post for examples of what this can look like.
Each of these things has something in common…did you catch it? It’s words. The copy.
Since the copy in your business is so important to your success I want to give you a few tools to help make writing a bit easier.
Our sponsor of today’s video is Focal
Focal is the all-in-one website and booking platform for photographers. Focal was designed to help you be able to focus on the thing you love (photography and your clients!!) and not SEO, or being a professional writer or designer. You’ll be able to build an easy-to-use website, book clients, create mini session offers, schedule sessions, and more.
Don’t love writing? Focal now offers Instablogs and Ai Writing Assistant to take the guesswork out of the copy for your photography business.
Sign up to any Focal Annual Plan before November 28th to get lifetime access to Instablogs and the AI Writing Assistant, free!
Ways to make writing copy for your photography business easier
- Use an Ai tool like Focal
- Create a copy bank of the words you like (and the words you don’t!)
- Pay attention to the copy that keeps your attention
There’s no sense in starting from an empty page (unless you want to!) when you have tools like Ai to help you get things kicked off. But remember – you’ll want to adjust what it spits out. Don’t just use it exactly how it’s given to you. Tweak it to match your tone and brand.
Want more tips like this about growing your photography business?
If you’re wondering what are some things I did to find clients and grow my business in those first few years, you’ll love this video HERE.
You May Also Like:
Steps To Starting Your Photography Business Part One
Steps to Starting your Photography Business Part Two
50% Off Honeybook Your First Year
8 Ways to Make Money Quickly as a PhotographerHobby to Pro Toolkit