1. Don't make money as a goal
You should never have money in the forefront. First, personal development, finding yourself, and only then - money, as a reward for your efforts and love for the work. Consider every new shoot as a chance to become even better, to try new things in photography, to find your own style. You will see that financial success will come with your development in photography.
2. Be open
Your photos, information about you and your life, interviews, portfolios, prices - everything should be in the public domain. Be as transparent as possible, become "your" for the client. This also applies to the issue of closed social media profiles. If you choose to be a public person, you cannot close yourself. Meet your clients on social networks, tell about yourself, and then it will be much easier for people to work with you.
3. Remind about yourself
Constantly create an informational occasion around you. Let it be thoughts, ideas, a new interesting photo, news from your life. Make a plan for yourself: At least three posts a week. If you are always in sight, your life is bright and interesting, then you will be remembered and often recommended.
4. Find your style
There is no need to imitate someone and copy your colleagues and competitors. Do not borrow other people's texts, clients notice it. Get inspired by the ideas of your colleagues, but think about how to make it so that you do not repeat it, but find your solution and make it better.
5. Be sincere
Photography is a profession of the soul. Everything that is in our souls, we reflect in the photo. And if you sincerely treat your work, your clients, then word of mouth will win over any marketing tools.
6. Develop and inspire
If your audience doesn't see your growth, they will stop being inspired by you and will leave to draw energy and ideas from others. Growth can be in other areas of life, do not be afraid to show yourself from different sides. After all, people are interested in multifaceted personalities.
7. Be close to your customers
The values you advocate should be relevant to your target audience. If you are a family photographer, children, family, and the health of babies are important to your clients. If you shoot fashion, then this is knowledge and your opinion about the world of fashion and beauty. Besides values, there are other common interests. Visit the places your clients visit, get involved in something in parallel, find a hobby. Talk about your hobbies, share your life experiences to show that the same thing is important to you as your clients.
8. Set goals
Set big goals. For example, go to a higher level and start working with a better-off audience. Think about what you need to achieve this goal - expensive equipment, useful contacts, work on your appearance. If you want to win a prize in the photography competition, find out the requirements for the competition photos, meet the winners of past years, seek your unique vision and experiment to become the best. Be purposeful and go step by step towards your goal.
9. Be an opinion leader
Tell not only about yourself, but also about your achievements, finds, professional secrets. Donate free utility. To sell something, no matter in what area, the service or product must be necessary and useful. But people look closely, study, imagine whether they are ready to confide in you for a very long time. And here it is important to show yourself from a professional side. Help your followers and friends on social networks learn more about the world of photography. After all, we, photographers, are now forming this direction ourselves, with our works and advice.
10. Watch yourself
Try to create a pleasant impression of yourself. Neatness, well-groomed appearance, openness, good manners, politeness, gratitude, clean speech without jargon and parasitic words are also important in the work of a photographer.
Finally, I would like to say that in our business you cannot impose yourself. Create your own look and then be careful about it. And never let people understand that you have no business: do not shout that you are looking for orders for shooting, that you have cheap, do not offer big discounts. Your photos and clients will tell a lot more about you. Love your business and people, and you will not be afraid of any crises.