Choose the right niche for your photography business.
To start a photography business, you have to find the right niche, otherwise, you will be outcompeted by others. There are various niches for you to choose from such as wedding photography, food photography, business photography, sports photography, portrait photography, etc.
Ask yourself the following questions before making a decision to start your own photography business.
What genre are you specialized in?
I saw someone who only specializes in making cartoonized photography and they are doing well. Being more focused not only allows you to stay away from the rat race but also gives people a good point to remember your brand. Never launch your business simply because others do it well, for that simply suggests their strong suits.
Think about what are you really passionate about and what kinds of photography you did often get the most compliment from friends and family. People around you will be good judges.
Having said this, however, finding a niche does not negate the fact that only businesses with sustainable volume can support you to go long term. The best way to find a niche is to search on different search engines and forums or ask questions among some people you know.
What country/local region are you targeting?
Targeting the right locale is key. From an SEO perspective, making your business more focused on one particular area/country allows gaining more traffic locally without competing with your competitors on a global level. ( their traffic pools are different).
However, looking at the global market is also ideal if you are running a fully online business with delivery service access to many countries. Choose one as your main market and the rest as the secondary markets will be a strategy. We know countries are different when it comes to photography styles or formats. This is especially true if you are running an ID photo service platform where different countries have different formats for their CV photos, national ID photos, passports photos, etc.
Have your gear bundle ready if you are going to start your photography business.
Cameras, tripod, lighting, good lens, backdrops, and others are essential for starting a photography business. It takes amazing equipment to achieve beautiful photography. Investing in decent camera equipment has been one of the best things for your business, even if you’re just starting out. Low-quality camera accessories lead to low-quality photos that aren’t sold, so don’t make that mistake.
You may also need some software. After taking your photographs, you’ll need software to edit and refine them. Photographers can benefit from tools like Photoshop and Lightroom. Some easy-to-use software will save the effort on some basic editing tasks.
Choose the right platform.
A website is a fantastic way to promote your work and have your own unique internet area that is under your own control.
A website is a great way to advertise your business and have your own personal online presence. There are various platforms such as Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, etc. to allow you to build stunning websites at a low cost.
You may consider hiring a professional programmer and a pro web designer to create websites for you. According to some studies, UI design is very essential for customers’ buying intentions. They trust a website more if it looks more “professional”.
You may worry about how to bring traffic to your stores. If that is the case, platforms like Etsy might also be a great choice. Not only people are selling physical goods there but also a virtual commodity. The good thing about selling on a comprehensive platform is there are already potential clients there are you only need to work on the rankings of your listings. For beginners, it also saves money and gives you a low-budget beginning of selling without the hassle of setting up a website.
How to promote your photography business?
The final step is to advertise your business. Who your target audience is and where they go for photos can strongly affect how you sell your brand.
If your business is about travel photos, then you should target cities that are famous in the tourism industry and target those keywords accordingly for your SEM and SEO strategies.
You can also use Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. to bring alternatives sources of traffic to your business.