So, your photography business just isn’t growing. Whether it’s been months or years, or you’ve seen some growth but just can’t get to where you want, this is a super discouraging place to be. You’ve likely seen a lot of other photographers who seem booked and busy, and now you’re asking “how do I grow my photography business”? Well, it takes work.

So many of us photographers go into this job thinking it’ll be easy – just offering our services and photographing clients, having them refer friends to us, posting to social media once in a while. A creative, flexible, simple job to make us some income. It doesn’t take long before we realize that it’s a lot more work than we think if you want to actually grow your photography business into a thriving career.

I’ve been doing this for 6+ years now. I started my business just like that, thinking it would be a fun , flexible way to make income when my daughter was 18 months. I started out just like others with my similar thinking – under priced, posting on social media sites.

I’ve worked hard over those 6+ years to run my business like a business (this is key!) and learn new skills such as digital marketing, blog writing and SEO. I now make $2.5k+ per client selling high end artwork, with photography as my main source of income alongside teaching other photographers how to earn more in their business. If you’re looking to grow your business, no matter where you’re at, here’s my best advice:

To grow your photography business, you have to be willing to learn

This is the biggest thing that helped me in my photography career and was a stepping stone to becoming a profitable photographer. It’s very hard to hear criticism on our work as creatives, as it’s so close to our heart. But there’s nothing more important than leaving your pride at the door and listening to other people’s feedback. It can be hard, but it’s also the best thing for honing your craft and getting your photography up to a level that you can do the next things.

If you aren’t already, join some Facebook groups for photographers. Come join my own Facebook Group for a community of photographers who are aiming to be high earners and willing to learn!

Get profitable

This can be a hard one for photographers who aren’t seeing the bookings they want. Raising your prices when you’re already slow feels counterintuitive. However, if you want to actually grow your business, it’s important you’re set up for that growth. You don’t want to be overworked and unable to keep up with the amount of clients you need to make ends meet later.

Also, low pricing can be a huge red flag for clients. If your work is good and your prices are low, you could be scaring people off who are wondering what the problem is.

If you’re unsure how to get started, check out my blog post on How to make a lot of money as a photographer, or my mini course “How to Price your Products for Profit”.

Focus on marketing

This is a huge one and goes hand-in-hand with getting profitable. You can’t just raise prices and hope people come pouring in. More often then not, when photographers aren’t getting enough clients, it’s a reflection of their marketing. Many photographers think posting to Facebook and Instagram is all the marketing they need, and then are flabbergasted that they aren’t growing.

A robust marketing strategy includes many of these things:

• Social Media
• Email Campaign
• Business relationships
• Networking
• SEO
• Videos
• Podcasts

…And so much more.

Seek a Mentor or Coach to help grow your business

All of my biggest business growth happened when I sought help from someone who knew more than me about the industry. Find an expert who can help you figure out a strategy and roadmap to give your business some forward motion.

I offer mini courses, resources, my free Facebook Community, as well as my Group Coaching Program if you’re looking for someone to help you reach profitability and offer an amazing client experience that allows you to earn more, without sacrificing all your time, but there are plenty of educators and mentors out there who can help you! Do your research, talk to their past students and spend some time consuming their content to ensure they’re a good fit for what you’re looking for.