Tips to Get More Photography Clients That Can Actually Afford You

What to charge for your photography services is often a difficult decision to make. If you undercharge you risk not attracting the right clients, overcharging and you constantly worry that you are chasing potential clients away. So how can you set up your price list to not only reflect your experience but also attract the clients that will pay for your expertise? It doesn’t have to be a daunting or difficult task. Refer to the tips below and you'll be able to bring in photography clients that can not only afford your photography pricing but are willing to pay that price based on your professionalism.

4 Ways to Get More Photography Clients that Can Actually Afford You

1) Client profile.

The first thing you need to sit down and focus on is the clients you want to attract. While you know that you want clients that have a bigger budget you need to dive deeper into the type of person this is. Just because your ideal client might have a higher income level doesn't mean they will pay a higher price for your services. Think about what their hobbies, likes, dislikes are, where they live, shop, what is there family life like and social life? Narrowing in on these specifics about your ideal client will allow you to better market, advertise and attract them. Keep in mind that you want to attract people who value photography. These individuals are one's who want to have beautiful images of their family hanging on their walls in their home for years.

2) Marketing plan.

Once you have a clear idea of who your client is, you want to know the best way to capture their attention. Where do they spend their time online? Knowing where to focus your marketing efforts so that your ideal clients are going to see you is a process you don't want to rush through. Create a marketing plan that you can follow that includes social media advertising and marketing, word of mouth, special offers, a blog or any other way you will be able to speak directly to your ideal clients. Be sure all your marketing as well as what you already have in place, such as your website, is designed to speak directly to your ideal clients using words, graphics and images that will resonate with them.

3) Build up your portfolio.

Sometimes you have to start with lower rates to build up your portfolio, every photographer has done this. You get testimonials, referrals and you add to your portfolio. When you are at this stage you still want to be careful about what you include in your portfolio. Remember who your ideal clients are and be sure that your portfolio reflects what they would be looking for. If you want to shoot small intimate weddings then you want your portfolio to showcase more small intimate settings. It is also wise to capture images that feature your ideal client. You want your clients to be able to see themselves in the images so investing in hiring models that fit the age, style, gender, location and personality as you ideal client will better attract the type of clients you desire.

4) Price like a professional.

If you are going to price at a lower rate then you are going to be looked at as an amateur. If you want to bring in clients that will pay for your experience, creativity, and expertise then you want to consider raising your rates. Many photographers become intimidated at the thought of increasing their rates because they don't want to scare off potential customers, but keeping your rates too low doesn't attract the clients that will pay a higher rate and may even have the opposite effect of landing you no clients at all. So keep this in mind.

Finally, one thing that I want to point out is how feelings of worthiness also get factored in to attracting the right clients. It’s easy enough to think positively in order to attract the right people and situations into your life but you won’t get very far if you don’t feel like you deserve those things. Keep in mind that boundaries and limitations are key to attracting what you feel you deserve, so when you have a client who doesn’t want to pay the prices you’ve set for your photography services, it’s best to let them go. There are customers out there who will be willing to pay your prices. Know your worth and don’t settle for second best.