Are you a creative person, love to take pictures, with photography equipment on your "you" and have come to the understanding that you want to make money on it? Here are some tips to help you start your own business in this industry.
How to stand out against the background of numerous offers and ads that fill all social networks and various message boards, among photographers and companies advertising themselves with all kinds of discounts and promotions, offering a decent high-quality product? The answer is very simple - the price! If your offer differs favorably in price category, then they will definitely pay attention to you, if only out of curiosity. It is absolutely normal practice for novice photographers to set a price for their services slightly below the market value, especially in regions where the desire to save money can be a decisive factor when choosing a specialist. You can always increase the amount later, having recruited a certain customer base and when your own advertising will work for you, which we will touch on a little later, and the famous word of mouth, and it is inevitable, if the work is done in good faith, believe me.
There is one more important point regarding the point of formation of the cost of services - the price should always be fixed. If it suddenly became clear when communicating with a client that he does not save and you want to hit the jackpot, do not overcharge the price just for him one-time. There is a possibility that he will find out about this and it will become at least incomprehensible to him why you name the price for him higher than for others. And if this happens before the deal, then it may not take place, and if after the deal, then the person will have a sediment, why do you need it? Better make a flexible pricing system, for example, make a discount on a photo service if a client orders a large volume - 7 or more hours of shooting. Always be honest.
It is also worth "fixing" the result of your service. The client must understand exactly what he will receive. Set a certain number of photos per hour of shooting, the type of photo processing, be it color correction or retouching. Be sure to talk to the client about all these points, even if he did not ask you about it, this will emphasize your interest in him and eliminate any possible misunderstanding. Always follow this rule, even if you get more photos than you promised, give the amount that was announced by you during the consultation. If the client is given more than was promised, more often he does not appreciate it, unfortunately practice shows this. This fact is often taken for granted, and sometimes it raises additional questions that can bring you an extra headache. Plus, there is a chance that other customers will also find out about this and will consider themselves left out. Or you will fall into the trap in which you will always have to give more than you promised, and extra work is completely useless. If you want to pleasantly surprise your customers, it is better to give the result a little earlier than promised, such a feature is always perceived with a bang.
For a beginner photographer, advertising is a key factor for successful work, and for the “old man” as well, but there is simply no or very little money for it, as a rule, at the beginning of a career. And here the rule helps - “a little bit everywhere”. You should not spend money on various pro-accounts, especially now who you don’t point to, you will definitely get to some pro or top specialist, everyone loves to praise themselves. Which is exactly right, why not show the potential client everything you can. But you can advertise yourself on free sites too. And a great solution here is to register and publish your ads wherever possible. This is a common sales funnel, the more customers you offer, the more you will sell.
Of course, this takes a lot of time, because it is necessary not only to create your own pages, but also to maintain them, communicate with subscribers, answer questions and comments, and from time to time make new posts and publications so as not to go into oblivion. Plus, the more often and more you post your work and suggestions, the more confidence your clients will have in you as a sought-after and reliable specialist in the photography industry. In the beginning it will take a lot of time, but later it will gradually become a systematic and moderate occupation, the main thing is not to get scared at the beginning of your career and not give up.
Even if you understand that you have made a very large discount, or even work for free for a promotion, for a friend or relatives, always do your work responsibly! This is your face, your product. Do not shirk and do not be lazy, it is better to delay the work in time, but do it well. For many, this point is obvious, but believe me, every photographer has such a temptation during his work, do not give in to him, then you will always be in demand.
Develop and do not dwell on the same thing. Improve your services, be interested in the latest in the field, look at the work of popular and expensive photographers, and feel free to borrow their ideas. There is a great formula: someone else's creative + another someone else's creative = your creative. Use it. Your development will give you confidence.
By following these tips, you will easily enter the world of photography services business, and very soon you will begin to understand what you need to add to these rules for successful work.
