Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 112 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
So the first thing I want to do is thank all the people that have bought the Photoshop for Photographers course, and for all the kind comments I’ve received. It’s good to know it’s helping you.
Ok, this week’s episode is the difference between success and failure.
The first thing you need to do is treat your business like any other business out there. Whether it’s an insurance broker or a local flower shop. Just because you might only be shooting one session a week, you still need to act professionally.
To be successful you need to know your niche or niches. If you attempt to shoot anything and everything you won’t get very far with your business.
Be very specific about your niche, like kids' softball up to the age of 12.
You need to know what you are going to shoot going forward.
A successful photographer has a clear vision of who or what their target market is. If you don’t have this figured out how do you know who to market your services to?
So you have decided that your niche market is Kid’s Softball up to the age of 12. Why 12 years old? Well, the younger the child is the more the parent or grandparent is willing to spend. This is a new experience for them, but as the child gets older the less likely they are to buy photo products from events.
Ok, you now need to know where the parents hang out online. For the softball niche, you can find them at the game. But, if your niche is family portraits you need to identify where you can find them. Facebook groups for your area are a great way to find your target market.
Next, you need to have a marketing plan. It’s just a plan of how you intend to reach your ideal clients in your target market.
It doesn’t need to be a huge index, a simple list of methods available to you, and how much it is going to cost you. Like …
Facebook Groups - list each group.
Facebook Ads - where the ads will be posted and how much it will cost.
Google Ads - Which Search Words will the ads be linked to and what cost?
Google Business Listing - Free
On-site marketing - Like an A-frame to show off your posters, etc.
Banner for On-site advertising that can be tied to a fence.
Local Stores - you can partner with, EG: wedding photographers and jewelers.
The seasonality of your niche is something you need to understand. Especially if you have more than one.
This is important because it dictates when you market. If you shoot softball and the season starts in April, you need to be marketing to the league organizers months in advance.
Christmas family portrait sessions need to be advertised starting in September and October, not early December.
It’s easy to forget to market for a second niche if you are really busy with your other one. I messed this up every year. I would be busy shooting at the rink all the way through winter. Then in April when it was all over, I would have a month of panic trying to get bookings for Spring and Summer. Because I hadn’t done any marketing in advance I had a period of time I didn’t make any money.
So understand the seasonality of your niches and work your marketing plan around it.
Unsuccessful businesses get this wrong and are constantly going through a stop-start process. Successful photographers have this all figured out.
Even if you only shoot once a week, operate your side hustle like a business not a hobby.
Successful photographers don’t cancel customer appointments. They make sure that they are there for the customer on the booked date and time.
Canceling appointments doesn’t get you any referrals and only gets you a bad reputation. The result is always a downward spiral until the business closes.
If you want your business to be a success, and I hope you do, you can’t avoid communicating with your customers. They can’t have unanswered questions after they have booked you. You need to set out every step of their journey in a timeline for the session and the delivery of the products.
If something goes wrong successful photographers deal with it quickly.
Now photographers just starting out think they need all the best equipment before they can start a business. Without it, they feel like an imposter.
Successful photographers know that they need enough equipment to do the job. They understand that cameras and lenses are just tools.
The most talented and best-equipped photographer probably won’t make the most money. The best-organized photographer with the right equipment will make the most money nine times out of ten.
Your main objective is to buy the right lens for the niche you want to shoot. If you want to shoot real estate you need a 16-35mm zoom for a full frame body or a 10-18mm on a crop sensor body.
Whatever you want to shoot make sure you have the right range of focal lengths.
It’s better to buy a used professional lens from a reputable dealer than a new hobbyist lens. If you have an entry-level body, no problem. Put a pro lens on it and you’ll see a huge change in the quality of your photos.
Your first upgrade should be a lens, not a body.
The first thing a lot of new photographers do is copy another photographer's prices. This isn’t the best thing to do, because there is a very good chance that they are not making a profit.
I have a Pricing Spreadsheet you can download at PhotographySideHustle.com, which shows you how much you need to earn to cover your costs. This is your break-even point so add 10% to how much you want to earn so you can build a healthy bank account for your business.
Now if you are just looking to earn a few hundred dollars a week to cover a car payment, you don’t need to add all your living costs to the spreadsheet, just how much you want to earn.
Register for a free membership and you’ll get access to the Downloads section.
Just don't think that by offering sessions for a low price you will still be around in a year. You will wear yourself and your equipment out and have nothing to show for all your hard work.
You’ll know you are undercharging when you realize that if your camera broke today you couldn’t afford to buy a new replacement. I’ve been in that position myself and it makes you want to quit.
A properly run and profitable business has money in the bank to cover this kind of problem.
Working harder for less money per session will definitely end in failure.
Ok, I think that’s it for this episode.
If you need help with anything you can find me in the Facebook group.
Again I just want to thank everyone that bought the Photoshop for Photographers course. I can’t wait to see what you’re going to produce.
Ok, that’s enough waffling, I’ll be back next week, bye.