There was a pretty funny movie that came out a long time ago called Rat Race. I won’t get into all the details of the movie, but at one point, a family sees a sign for a Barbie Museum. The kids, of course, bug the parents until they give in and take them to the museum. Well, turns out that’s it’s not the doll; it’s a museum devoted to a Nazi named Barbie. To make matters worse, the family is Jewish. I know that doesn’t sound funny, but there is a point to this. Not everyone is your customer! Not everyone is going to buy from you, and you shouldn’t try to sell to everyone. This is very true in photography. Not everyone is going to like your style or how you do things. Not everyone is willing to pay your prices. As I mentioned in the wedding photography business post, you need to find your ideal photography client.
How to Find Your Ideal Photography Client
The process to find your ideal photography client will take some time, some reflection, and a few different tries. It is something that I still struggle with, and I’ve been doing this for 8 years. I know that sounds a bit depressing, but it really shouldn’t take you that long to figure it out. I just went several years without knowing about this or trying.
There is no correct ideal photography client for everyone, so this process starts with you. You have to think about who you want to work with and focus on. There are some photographers that aim for the middle class, some that go after the upper class, some that go after people with tattoos or something interesting like that.
One way to decide is to think back on your past clients. Is there a certain type of client you just love? One that you got along with perfectly? One that was willing to pay your prices? You might have the same type of client show up several times a year or maybe it only happened once. Either way, this is the type of client you want.
Basic Information
Now that you have a person in mind, you need to figure out who these people are. How old are they? Male or female? Married or single? Kids or no kid? That will give you some general demographics, but you still need to go further to really find your ideal photography client.
Personality
Next, think about who they are as a person. Where do they like to shop? What do they spend their money on? What type of movies or tv shows do they watch? What type of hobbies or activities do they do?
I know that’s a lot to think about, but the more information you have, the clearer idea you will have of that ideal client. Does that mean that every client will fit perfectly into this mold? Of course not! There will be some clients that have some of these features, some with a lot, and some with very few.
I’ve got an Ideal Photography client…now what?
The point of all of this is so that you can start finding clients that you will love and will love you. Once you have an idea of your ideal photography client, you can start building your business around them. Everything you do should be based on this client. What type of shoots would they be interested in? What colors or look would they want on my website or marketing? What words would they react to? Where can I go to find them? If you do this, you’ll be booking more and more of your ideal clients.
Conclusion
All businesses focus on a type of client. My Little Pony focuses on little girls. Nike focuses on people interested in athletics or sports. You must focus on your ideal photography client. I hope this has helped you find your ideal photography client. I know how confusing it can be when you try to book everyone, but keep your ideal client in mind, make choices based on what they would want, and you’ll be amazed at how much more you’ll love your job!
