While photography as a craft drifts within the borders of the art world, photography as a way to earn a living extends beyond them into business waters. You will have to devote your efforts to get your name out there and attract as many clients as you can. In other words, you will have to market both yourself and your services as a photographer.
The most fruitful marketing method for photographers is networking, as it can put you in a position to meet a lot of people, collect contacts and get referrals from clients. If you are sitting there wondering what you can do, we are here to help you with that. Here are 5 ways to do proper networking as a photographer.
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Contests
The online digital landscape always deserves to be explored as it offers amazing networking opportunities for photographers. And, no, we are not talking about social media platforms and forums. We are referring to online contests specifically designed for photographers, such as the GuruShots contest.
The whole idea behind GuruShots’ daily photo contests is to help photographers build a name for themselves in the world of photography, improve their skills, and meet their colleagues from around the world. The gamification moment, introduced to this online contest, keeps photographers interested in the contest by giving them an opportunity to “level up” with badges and achievements.
Conferences & Workshops
While conferences & workshops are offline, legacy networking methods, in the photography niche, they are still quite valuable simply because they put you in a position to meet your small demographic, exchange ideas, get feedback, and build up your contact list.
If you are going to attend these types of events, you should increase your chances of getting noticed. The better you prepare, the better the impression you will leave. The first two things you have to establish are what makes you different and what is your style precisely. If you go through these before the event, you can streamline the conversation with your peers more easily and show how dedicated and thorough you are.
The third important thing you should do is research the conference or workshop you are going to attend. When you find out who else is going to attend it, you can build a list of people you want to speak with. Knowing your whens, whys, and hows will help you make the most of any networking event! That’s why you should never go unprepared.
Collaborations
Collaborations provide an amazing opportunity for photographers to speed up their careers, build their contact lists, and earn some cash while doing so. More importantly, if you collaborate with the right people, it will also spark up your personal development. At this point, it is important to appreciate all aspects of what collaboration might mean.
For you, it might mean collaborating with someone who has greater skills than you, so that you can learn a lot. Or maybe with someone who has a huge client base, so that you can land more gigs. But what about the other side of the same coin? What about the cool tips your colleagues can learn from you? Make sure to share your knowledge and skills with your less experienced colleagues. This is one of the most efficient ways to build contact lists and leave good impressions.
Online Presence
Your online presence is a must-have in today’s world. With more and more people searching the web to find and hire photographers, you have to do your best to leave a digital footprint, one that is very easy to follow. We are talking about social media, your personal website, popular photography forums, and so on.
One of the great marketing methods that can help you position yourself online as an expert is thought leadership. Building credibility and trust via thought leadership marketing is a process. Use all your knowledge and skills to create powerful and valuable content for your blog.
Share your insights, ideas, guides, address the pain points of young photographers in the industry, and offer them a few possible solutions. Among other things, writing guides for clients is also a viable way to build a name as a trustworthy photographer.
Local Meetups
Local meetups are the best places to meet your colleagues who are very passionate about photography and learning how to become better at it. If you want to learn all about composition, depth of field, or lighting, and use the opportunity to reevaluate and rethink your process, local meetups are your next stop.
Furthermore, local meetups are visited by regulars. This is a great chance to build long-lasting relationships with your colleagues. There isn’t one in your area? Then you should definitely start one!
Hopefully, we have helped you identify how to do proper networking in your industry. If you want to maximize the results of your networking efforts, try to diversify your approach.
