I love being a photographer. Photography and delivering beautiful images after each shoot or session is beyond fulfilling to me and I could talk about it endlessly! Today I thought I’d try something unique on the blog and share some of my best recommendations to other photographers in terms of ways you can grow your photography business through marketing.

There are lots of ways to invest in your business to grow it, but when you’re starting small, it can feel overwhelming to hear all the different options of places to throw your money at. If you’re wanting to start slow as a side hustle or don’t want to spend a ton to invest right off the bat, this post is for you! All the marketing tips I’m sharing today are FREE strategies to market your business. All you need is time.

big option one: blogging

This is hands-down the most impactful way you can market your business online. While you do need a website, the actual strategy of regularly publishing new, high-quality content for your audience is free and will signal to search engines that you’re a valid, currently operating company and that you mean business. The more it reads fresh content on your site, and the better the quality of the content, the more likely Google and other search engines will be to promote your blog posts by ranking them high in search engines.

To make the most of this benefit, you should optimize your website and blog posts with plenty of keywords to indicate to Google which searches you’d like to show up for. For example, you could use lots of local cities or landmarks in your blog posts to signal a local significance so that when people in your area are searching for photography, Google already knows you’re close and likely relevant to rank you higher for their query. You can also include strings of keywords that match phrases users might search for, like “wedding photographer in st. louis missouri” or “light and airy wedding photos in tampa”.

There is no magic guideline to follow in terms of blogging frequency or length, other than more content = more chances to rank. So I’d recommend developing a routine schedule with as many posts publishing as regularly as you think you can do them. If it gets to be too much, consider outsourcing it or scaling back on the posting frequency.

big option two: Pinterest

I’m surprised to learn how many photographers discount the value of Pinterest for attracting new clients. You may think Pinterest is a social media platform of your high school and college years, but in actuality, this is one of the most highly-trafficked search engines. That’s right: it’s not just a place to connect with friends — users actually turn to Pinterest to search for specific things because it’s a visual feed and easy to browse related content!

If you’re a wedding photographer, think about your target client. Is she planning her wedding using a Pinterest board to organize different ideas? Why not do all you can to show up right there in her feed so when she’s inundated with all your beautiful images in her inspiration boards, she realizes she just can’t turn you away.

Even family or commercial photographers can find value in marketing on Pinterest — how often do you think your clients turn to Pinterest for outfit or posing ideas? Pin your images to the social search platform frequently and share diverse content on your profile to attract a larger audience of potential clients.

other options

An online marketing strategy that combines blogging + Pinterest is, in my opinion, going to be your best chance for online domination. However, I have a few more suggestions of ways you can network and grow your business without spending a penny, for all you frugally-minded business owners who can’t get enough of this kind of stuff!

Develop an Instagram strategy that endears your audience to you, not merely to share photos from recent sessions. Treat it like a portfolio page with all your best work and engage with your followers to develop personal connections.
Utilize a word-of-mouth marketing strategy like offering referral rewards or encouraging your followers to share your feed with their friends.
Offer email campaigns for followers to subscribe to that include plenty of high-value, informative content on topics related to their photography needs. Emails are easy to read or access on the run, and they’re also easy to forward on to a friend!

I’d love to hear from you, fellow photography business owner! Let’s connect!