Copywriter for Photographers

While word-of-mouth brings you clients, a quality website that ranks high on Google can deliver even more.

If you’re like most photographers, your best sources of new business are friends, family and your prior/existing clients. They’re the ones giving your name to the people they know and praising the quality of your work. You probably also keep a stack of business cards in your wallet and don’t hesitate to pass them out when you’re out on a shoot.

That’s been an effective way to operate your business. But as competition in the photography market grows, is it enough? What if you could make your business grow faster? Would you like to have more gigs and be able to attract a higher caliber client with a bigger budget?

Looking for a copywriter to write your website, blog or sales letter? Get a free quote here.

Grow Your Photography Business

In 2023, there are an estimated 34,301 professional photographers employed in the United States. That means a lot of competition. Word-of-mouth referrals are critical for a photography business. But to sustain and grow your company to the level you desire, they may not be sufficient. So how do you make that leap?

How do you get from where you are in your photography business to where you’d like to be?

Ready to take your photography business up a notch? Marketing can be the key.

The Value of Marketing

Marketing is the key to taking your business to the next level. Does the idea of promoting your photography services make you that uncomfortable?

It shouldn’t. Marketing doesn’t have to be used-car-salesman sleazy or over-the-top-pushy. No doubt you’d rather be taking pictures. But marketing is a critical part of every successful photography business. Even the best photographers in the world wouldn’t get work if nobody knew their name.

Marketing doesn’t have to be pushy. Instead, write informational copy that answers the questions prospects might have.

Marketing can be informative and tactful. You provide a service people need. You do good work. You are the solution to a problem the customer has. Now you just need to get the word out.

It Starts with a Quality Website

Most people start their search for service providers, such as photographers, on Google, and then, assuming your website comes up in search results, look at your website. Your website is your best marketing tool.

Fair or not, visitors will judge the quality of your photography business by the professionalism displayed on your website. Its overall look and feel as well as the information you provide will help them decide whether you’re the solution they’re seeking.

Looking for a copywriter to write your website? Get a free quote here.

Pretty pictures are not enough, even for a website selling photography services. Copy matters too.

A quality website has more than pretty pictures. It also needs good copy. “Copywriting utilizes an understanding of buyer psychology to craft a message that entices your unique audience to take action. Great copy can make all the difference when it comes to persuading visitors to opt into your offer, buy a product, or pick up the phone,” according to Matt Diggity, diggitymarketing.com.

Consider these questions:

• What story does the copy on your website tell?
• Is it attracting enough clients?
• Is it bringing in the right kinds of clients, those with substantial budgets?
• Is it an accurate representation of who you are and what you do?

A good copywriter knows how to write copy that doesn’t only convey information; it builds your brand, engages your visitors, and gets prospects to contact you for an appointment.

If your current website isn’t attracting visitors or converting those visitors into qualified prospects, you need to make some changes.

Pictures can tell a story, but there’s no reason not to also tell it in words.

Pictures and Words, a Dynamic Duo

A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but that’s no reason to forego the powerful benefit of combining beautiful photos with compelling copy. Your online photo gallery or portfolio lets people see your talent. Add words of explanation about your services, experience and unique capabilities for an even more potent effect. Expert tip — explaining how you’re different than other photographers can also help you avoid price resistance and charge premium rates.

A copywriter for photographers can help you:

• Keep your message clear, simple and to-the-point.
• Tell your story, weaving facts and emotion into a tidy package.
• Reach out to the client and let them know you care.
• Make it personal. Hit the right buttons to help them feel a connection with you.

Whether you’re a wedding photographer or more of a product-advertising shooter or fashion photog, the information on your website must complement the images you display in your portfolio and answer the questions most visitors have. The copy can be as important as your portfolio when a client is deciding which photographer to book.

Need help writing your website? Get a free quote here.

Use well-written copy to tell visitors to your website what kind of photographer you are and why they should hire you.

Hire a Professional Copywriter to Promote Your Business

Just about anyone with a Smartphone can now snap a photo, but you know the difference a professional makes. You can have the best photography equipment in the world, but it’s still no substitute for years of professional training and boots-on-the-ground experience.

The same is true for copywriters. Anyone can sit down at their computer and pound out a few sentences. But a professional copywriter, someone with marketing experience and thousands of hours spent polishing their craft, can do it so much better.

Consider hiring a professional copywriter to help you create effective content.

Turn Your Website into a Client Magnet

Consider hiring a professional copywriter if you’re a photographer who wants to:

• Establish an online presence that’s as impressive and professional as the photos you create
• Receive more new business inquiries so you can fill all your billable hours with quality assignments
• Generate more business so you can be selective, choosing the clients you WANT to work with rather than clients you HAVE TO work with.
• Set yourself apart from the crowd of hungry photographers in your area, many of whom are willing to underbid you for work

A copywriter can help you create a compelling website and also assist you with other marketing materials such as a blog, email campaign, brochure, sales letter and social media posts.

A copywriter can do more than write your website. Consider a pro for writing sales letters, brochures, ads and more.

Every type of photographer can benefit from marketing activities:

• Wedding photographers
• Event photographers
• Fashion photographers
• Pet photographers
• Product photographers
• Portrait photographers
• Real estate photographers
• Sports & fitness product photographers
• Aerial photographers
• Newborn photographers
• School photographers
• Medical photographers
• Stock photographers
• And more!

Use Videos to Market Your Photography Business

In 2023, video has become one of the most popular marketing tools for building an audience. Short-form video content on platforms like TikTok, Youtube shorts, Instagram and Facebook Reels is an affordable way to gain a following and attract potential clients.

Use videos posted on social media to showcase your work as well as increase your visibility and name recognition. For content, share galleries of your work, give tips for posing, and share behind-the-scenes stories about your photo shoots. To avoid being overwhelmed, focus on one or two social media sites when getting started. You can expand to other sites as you create more videos and become more comfortable with posting.

Use Landing Pages to Target Niches

Because the photography field is crowded, look for opportunities to target specific demographics that may differentiate you from competitors. For example, you may be a wedding photographer. In addition to working on traditional weddings, perhaps target same-sex weddings or military weddings as specialties you offer.

Create a landing page on your website that speaks to that unique niche. Keep SEO best practices in mind so that your landing page is likely to come up when someone searches for relevant keyword phrases like “gay weddings” and “military weddings.”

You can even consider offering a freebie in return for visitors’ email addresses. Write a free report such as, “10 Best Tips for Spectacular Same-Sex Wedding Photos” or “How to Plan Your Military Wedding Photos.” To get the report, the visitor provides their email address. Once you have a way to contact them, you can send them marketing materials about your services.

Start Marketing Today

If you’re thinking it’s too late for you to start promoting your photography business just because you’ve already been in existence for a while, that’s not a valid excuse.

There’s a Chinese proverb that says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. The same is true for marketing your photography services.

Don’t make the task bigger or more intimidating than it needs to be. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To quote another proverb, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Don’t be overwhelmed by the thought of rewriting your entire website. Start small with a page or two and grow from there.

The same can be applied to promoting your photography business. You don’t have to rewrite every page of your website and invest in brochures and email marketing all at the same time. Start small, even with one page of your website, and then build. Little accomplishments add up to become big achievements, and cumulatively, they translate into business growth. Get the picture?

So plant that tree. Take a bite out of the elephant. Contact a professional copywriter for photographers who can help you increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and grow your business to its true potential.

Looking for a copywriter to write your website, blog posts or sales letters? Get a free quote here.

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