When starting a product photography business, it is important to define your ideal client. This will help you to focus your marketing efforts and find potential clients that are the best fit for your business.
In this article, we will discuss five reasons why you need to define your ideal product photography client and also provide actionable tips on how to do it.
Having a clear definition of who you want to work with will help you to run a successful and profitable product photography business!
What is An Ideal Photography Client?
Before we dive into the reasons why you need to define your ideal photography client, it is important to first understand what an ideal client is.
Your Ideal Photography Client Is a Customer Who:
- You enjoy working with
- Values your skills and expertise
- Is willing to pay your prices
- Understands the importance of product photography
- Appreciates your work
It is important to note that you cannot please everyone and that is why it is so important to focus on finding your ideal photography client. By definition, ideal clients will make up a small percentage of your overall customer base but they will be the most profitable and least headaches!
Why Is It Important to Define Your Ideal Photography Client?
There are a number of reasons why it is important to have a definition of your ideal photography client. Here are five of the most important ones:
It Will Help You to Focus Your Marketing Efforts
If you know who your ideal photography client is, you can focus your marketing efforts on reaching them. This will save you time and money as you will not be wasting your resources on marketing to people who are not interested in your services.
It Will Help You to Attract Better Quality Photography Clients
When you know who your ideal photography client is, you can tailor your marketing message to appeal to them. This will help you to attract higher-quality clients that are more likely to be profitable and a pleasure to work with.
It Will Improve the Quality of Your Work
You may be thinking about how defining your ideal photography client can improve the quality of your photography? The logic is quite simple – if you enjoy working with a client and you enjoy the project you are working on, it is very likely that you will be passionate about it. This in turn will have a positive effect on the quality of photography work and will help you create a stunning product photography portfolio.
It Will Help You to Close More Sales
If you know who your ideal photography client is, you can adjust your sales pitch to appeal to them. This will help you to close more sales and grow your business.
It Will Help You to Build Better Relationships With Photography Clients
When you know who your ideal photography client is, you can focus on building relationships with them. This will help you to create long-term, loyal clients who are more likely to refer others to you.
It Will Help You to Run a More Profitable Photography Business
When you know who your ideal photography client is, you can focus on providing them with the best possible service. This will lead to repeat business and referrals, which will help you to grow your business and be more profitable.
Related content: How Much to Charge for Product Photography? (Calculator)
Actionable Tips on How to Define Your Ideal Photography Client
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of defining your ideal photography client, let’s talk about how you can actually do it. Here are a few actionable tips:
Think About Who You Enjoy Working With
One of the best ways to define your ideal photography client is to think about your past clients with whom you enjoyed working with. Make a list of the characteristics that made them enjoyable to work with and use this as a starting point for defining your ideal photography client.
Here are six questions to help you define your ideal product photography client:
- Do you prefer working with a specific gender?
- Do you prefer working with clients of a certain age?
- Do you prefer working with e-commerce businesses, or small local businesses, or bigger and established brands?
- What type of product do you like photographing? (e.g. beauty products, food photography, everyday carry products, etc.)
- Do you prefer working with clients who have a very specific set of requirements for the product images, or do you prefer working with clients who give you more artistic freedom?
- What kind of product photography do you enjoy? For example, you might enjoy minimalistic and very clean product images, or maybe you like to spend time creating complex compositions using various photography props, or maybe you prefer lifestyle product photography?
After you answer these questions, you should have a good starting point for defining your ideal product photography client.
Consider Your Ideal Client’s Budget
Another important factor to consider when defining your ideal photography client is their budget. What type of budget do they have for product photography? How much are they willing to spend on each project? It is important to find clients that are willing to pay your prices in order to be profitable and be able to focus on a smaller number of projects with full dedication and passion. This will help you create better product images and become a better commercial photographer.
Think of The Clients You Didn’t Like Working With
In addition to thinking about the clients you enjoyed working with, it can also be helpful to think about the clients you didn’t like working with. Make a list of the characteristics that made them difficult to work with and use this information to create an even more specific profile of your ideal client.
Things To Avoid When Defining Your Ideal Photography Client
Creating Unrealistic Client Persona
It is important to create a realistic ideal client persona. It can be tempting to try to create an idealized version of your perfect client, but this can actually do more harm than good. When you create an idealized client, you might find yourself constantly chasing after clients that don’t actually exist. This can lead to frustration and burnout, so it’s important to create a realistic ideal client persona that you can actually find in the real world.
Being Too Restrictive
While it’s important to be specific when defining your ideal photography client, you don’t want to be too restrictive. If you are too restrictive in your definition, you might miss out on some great opportunities.
For example, let’s say that you’ve decided that your ideal client is a small local business owner who sells beauty products. But then a big established brand contacts you and wants to hire you to photograph their new line of beauty products. Even though they don’t fit your ideal client profile, this could be a great opportunity for you and your photography business.
So, when defining your ideal photography client, keep an open mind and consider all the possibilities.
Focusing Only on Demographics
When defining your ideal photography client, it is important to consider more than just demographics such as age, gender, or location. While these things can be important, it is also important to consider things like their budget, their photography needs, and their personality.
If you focus only on demographics, you might find yourself excluding potential clients that could be a great fit for you. So instead of focusing only on demographics, try to consider a range of factors that will help you find ideal clients that you will enjoy working with.
It’s an Ongoing Process
When defining your ideal photography client, it’s important to keep in mind that this is an ongoing process. As your photography business grows and changes, so will your ideal client profile. Be sure to revisit this exercise on a regular basis and update your ideal client profile as needed.
Now What?
When developing a new service, writing copy for your social media or a website, or marketing your product photography services, keep your ideal client qualities in mind.
Your copy must appeal to your ideal client persona’s needs, wants, and values in a language they connect with and comprehend.
Envisioning your ideal client persona allows you to strategically target them in a way that other product photographers might not be able to do.
Remember, when clients book you, they are not only hiring a photographer who can do product photography; they’re also hiring someone who understands their requirements, connects with them, and fulfills their needs and vision.
You won’t always land an ideal photography client, but the more time you put into learning who your ideal client is, what attracts them to your work, and how to connect with them, the more dream clients you will book.
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