MAKING MONEY WITH HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY
Headshot photography is a lucrative and growing market, with businesses and individuals in need of professional and engaging portraits for their websites, social media profiles, and marketing materials. Someone’e social media presence is the digital equivalent of their repuation, so a great headshot can make all the difference. Relying on a standard headshot just doesn’t cut it anymore, so developing a unique style as a headshot phogorapher is vital.
As a headshot photographer, you can leverage your skills to make a substantial income by providing high-quality headshots to actors, business people, writers, entreprenuers and many more. Below are are four tips to help you get started making money with headshot photography.
SHOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SELL
Specialising in a particular niche, or developing your own unique style is the only way to build a successful business these days. So showing what you want to shoot to your potential clients means building a unique portfolio that tells people you’re different.
CREATE A STRONG BRAND
Building a strong brand is essential for success in any business, and headshot photography is no exception. Define your style, work with interesting looking models to build your portfolio, develop a consistent “look”, and promote your brand through your website, social media accounts, and marketing materials. Make sure all your marketing materials follow the same aesthetic. It might be worth working with a designer to help you with your brand.
LEVERAGE WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING
Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool for headshot photographers. The best way to encourage clients to share their experience with friends and colleagues is through giving them an unfortgettable experience and going above and beyond to serve them. Make it so they want to refer you, and aren’t just enticed by discounts or offers. But feel free to give people a discount if they’ve come through past clients.
CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS
Attending workshops, practicing your skills, and developing your style should be something you do regularly. Education is the number one way to build your business, and having a top notch portfolio is going to get you more work than anything else. So, rememeber ABS - always be shooting. Do test shoots with models, offer freebies to people you want to connect with, if you don’t have a shoot booked in that week, go and find someone to get in the studio. Try out new lighting setups. Always keep it fresh and interesting.