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Pet photography is a fun and profitable photography business niche that lets you to combine a love of photography with a love of animals.
Are you thinking about starting a pet photography business but wondering if it's a profitable venture?
First, let's define what we mean by "profitable." In the context of a business, profitability refers to the ability to generate revenue that exceeds the costs of running the business. In other words, a profitable business is one that generates a positive net income.
So, is pet photography a profitable business? The short answer is yes, but it depends on a variety of factors. Here are a few key considerations:
Location: The demand for pet photography can vary depending on where your photography business is located. If you are in an area with a high concentration of pet owners, there may be more demand for your services.
Experience and skill: Like any photography business, the more experience and skill you have, the more likely you are to attract clients that will pay you what you're worth. If you are just starting out, it may take some time to build up a portfolio and establish yourself as a trusted pet photographer.
Marketing and pricing: Marketing is key to attracting clients and building a successful business. You can market your pet photography services through social media, local advertising, and partnerships with local pet-related businesses. Your pricing strategy will also play a role in your profitability. It's important to understand the market and set competitive prices that reflect the value of your photography.
Starting a pet photography business requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some key steps to follow as you develop your pet photography business plan:
Define your target market: Who are your ideal clients? Are you targeting pet owners in general, or are you focusing on a specific niche, such as dog or cat owners? Or are you going even deeper specializing in small pets vs. larger pets. Understanding your target market will help you tailor your marketing efforts and pricing strategy.
Develop a marketing plan: How will you get clients and promote your photography? Below are some additional marketing tips, but you can consider using social media, local advertising, and partnerships with local pet-related businesses to spread the word about your pet photography business.
Determine your pricing: How much will you charge for your services? It's important to research the market and understand what other pet photographers in your area are charging. You'll also need to factor in the cost of your equipment and any other expenses to ensure that you are pricing your services appropriately.
Create a portfolio: A portfolio is a crucial tool for showcasing your work and attracting clients. As you start your pet photography business, be sure build up a diverse portfolio that showcases your skills and style.
Set up your business infrastructure: In order to run a successful pet photography business, you'll need to set up the necessary infrastructure, such as a website, email account, and payment system. You may also want to consider hiring an accountant or financial advisor to help you manage your finances and keep track of your expenses.
Network and build relationships: Building relationships with local pet-related businesses, such as pet stores and veterinary clinics, can be a great way to generate leads and build your client base. Consider attending local events and networking with other pet professionals to get your name out there and build relationships in the community.
Pets are an important part of over 79 million households in the United States, that's over 60 percent of households in the U.S. If you are a pet photography business owner and want to know how to get clients or how to offer pet photography as part of your photography business, here are some marketing tips.
Photography magazine templates are not just for our human clients. Customize a magazine template to build your pet photography business. Everyone loves a furry photo. Mailboxes are full of greeting cards featuring pet photos during the holidays. Tap into the crowd who foregoes kids for a pack of furry friends and expand your photography business.
(photo courtesy City Dog Photography)
If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Haute dog magazine template. It’s filled with pre-written articles content and ads to maximize your photography marketing efforts. Take for example the article inside titled, "The Top 10 Tips for a Pawsitive Photo Session". It's perfect to use as something to entice pet owners to sign up for your e-mail list. Just isolate these template pages and turn them into a .pdf. Offer prospects the article as a free digital download in exchange for an e-mail address sign up. Once they opt-in, segment your email database to place the opt-ins from this download onto a “pet friendly” email marketing list. Build an email campaign for your pet photography business. That way, these interested pet owners are only receiving content that is relevant and interesting to them.
This pet photography magazine template also has a section called "refurrals". It’s specifically designed to help you cross promote with other pet related businesses. Do you have colleagues who own doggie daycares, groomers/spas, are pet sitters/walkers, own pet fashion boutiques and health and wellness services? No?! Then start networking. A great way to build your client base is with businesses with the same client base who offer a different service.
Building relationships with local pet-related businesses, such as pet stores and veterinary clinics, can be a great way to generate leads and build your client base. Consider offering promotions to these businesses in exchange for referrals or promoting your services to their customers.
If you have a contact who owns a boutique pet store specializing in doggie apparel and grooming – do a makeover special. Clients purchase an outfit or a spa treatment at the pet boutique and get a percentage off a pet photo shoot.
This is where the photography magazine template comes in. Use it to promote the partnership! The Pet Photography Welcome Guide lets you customize the content, contact info, the ads and the portfolio of images. You can’t sell what prospects can’t see. Print them out and set them in your office, in the various boutiques and don’t forget to promote it on your website and in your email marketing campaign that you created just for pet owners!
Tip: Don’t print out 500 copies (unless you’ve managed to secure that many partnerships – go you!) Start with a handful of magazines printed at a lab like McKenna Pro where you can print a batch of 10 or 20 at a time.
Do the ASPCA commercials make you shed a tear? Do you find yourself reaching for the phone and your wallet? There’s another way for photographers to give to shelters and animals rescues all while building your business. A lot of non-profits stay afloat by utilizing the experience and services of volunteers. They need photographers who provide creative ideas for their marketing campaigns, materials and websites. How can you volunteer? Ask if they have a special fundraising event coming up. Offer to use your photography magazine template to create a newsletter to promote it. Take photos of the animals at the shelter and put your logo on the back cover. It’s indirectly advertising to the exact market you want and you get to give back.
You could also create a magazine that features a pet for adoption or create a guide to parenting for new pet owners that the shelter can include in their adoption welcome packets. If you are volunteering, donating your time or resources to animal non-profit organizations be sure to let you clients know... they will love you even more for it!
The Pets Photography Welcome Guide template includes a pre-written text section to get your started! All those loving families and couples that you took portraits of this year who brought their dog along are going to come in handy. Use those photos in client guide. You can sell the client on your services and offer to create a magazine of your clients’ dog. A thoughtful bonus is to use one image from their photo session and create an 8”x10” cover photo from the front of the magazine as an unexpected gift with their print order. It could be the easy gift that sways them to order more or book another session!
On the back, include a section on “giving back.” Let your clients know that a portion of your photo session will go to the rescue charity or shelter that you volunteer at. They may be inclined to increase an order if they know a portion of their purchase benefits a cause.
Use search engine optimization (SEO): Make sure your website and online profiles are optimized for search engines so that potential clients can easily find you online. Use relevant keywords and tags in your website content and social media posts to increase your visibility in search results.
Participating in local events, such as pet festivals or dog shows, can be a great way to get your name out there and meet potential clients in person. Consider setting up a booth or offering mini-sessions at these events to showcase your work and make connections.
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