You’ve decided you want to start your own Private Photo Editing business. Maybe you’ve already begun to book clients, but they don’t seem to exactly align with the vision you had for your ideal clients. Today, I’ll be sharing 4 steps to attracting your dream photography client, so you can begin building a business, and a client list, you’re proud of.
Step 1: Define Your Dreamy
Your “Dreamy” is your dream client. I was first introduced to this term at the Pursuit Conference in Rome, GA when I listened to the talented Erin Youngren speak.
Your goal is to have a very clear vision of what your Dreamy looks like. What do they do? Where do they shop? What are you their interests? What do they value the most?
Get very specific. Saying that your ideal client is a “successful full-time photographer” isn’t going to cut it.
Here’s an example of a very specific definition for your Dreamy:
“My ideal client is a young (mid-20’s to mid-30’s), full-time, career-driven woman who provides her couples with high-quality, editorial-style wedding photography, and finds value in creating extra space in her life to make time for family by outsourcing her editing.”
You see what a difference defining your Dreamy can make? When you are forced to get specific, it begins to outline a very obvious pathway toward pursuing the right people.
Step 2: A Professional Online Presence
Your online presence as a Private Photo Editor, or any business for that matter, will make or break your success. Your website and your social media are your first impression platforms.
Think about it. How often do you go to scroll endlessly through someone’s Instagram when they have low-quality selfies of themselves scattered throughout random quote blocks that were copy and pasted from Google? I know I wouldn’t stay on that feed very long at all.
Now think about how you feel when you visit someone’s Instagram feed and all you want to do is scroll and scroll and scroll? You typically know exactly what they are about. Their business is clear. And most importantly, their brand is clear. Their photos are high-quality. And all images follow the same basic color palette.
You want your brand to attract your dream client. That is why defining your Dreamy is so important. If you want to work with high-end photographers, your website should reflect that through your brand.
One of my favorite places to snag professional, high-quality stock images for my social media and website is Social Squares.
Social Squares is a monthly subscription service, and was created by the sweetest person ever, Shay Cochrane. For just $25 a month, you get unlimited downloads each month. You can even set up your account to show only images that match your brand!
And if you’re thinking, “Man, $25 a month is a little out of my budget,” I would encourage you to think about how much time you would spend planning, photographing, and editing your own photos. For me, the time saved far exceeds the money I spend on my Social Squares subscription.
Step 3: Build Relationships
Building relationships as a Private Photo Editor is so important. You’re basically a virtual business. Right? Being virtual makes it all the harder to create genuine relationships.
So, how do you go about building relationships in an online world? Think about where your dream client spends the most time for their business, and you be there, too!
Instagram is that platform for me. Instagram makes it really easy for me to find and connect with my dream clients. I use my business account to follow other photographers that I admire. I spend a little bit of time each day being present on Instagram, liking and commenting on pictures and stories.
Little by little, you begin to build relationships with these photographers. Sometimes I message them personally just to say hello and comment about something they posted about. Maybe it’s something I can relate to them with. Try to find things that you have in common, and use that to start conversation.
Step 4: Show Up
Similar to what we talked about in Step 3, you have to be where your dream clients are. Consistency is key. Attracting your dream client takes more than just a comment or a like here and there. It takes showing up “face-to-face.”
Instagram makes this easy, too. Showing up on Instagram means taking advantage of Instagram stories. Creating video content of YOU speaking to your audience. Show your face. Show off your personality. This is the perfect space for you to really show your dream clients who you are as a person and give them a way to relate to you.
Now, with IGTV, you have even more options for showing up. Video content will get you further than posting a pretty picture. Videos offer more interaction. They allow the viewer to feel as though they’re experiencing what you’re experiencing right along with you.
Show them who you really are. Don’t have your hair done or makeup on? That’s okay! Instagram Stories are created to be a “come as you are” platform. It’s less formal than your actual Instagram feed. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It just has to be you.
I hope these tips were helpful to you as you begin to get more specific about who your dream client is and how to attract them.
Want a complete business plan? Email me to ask about our 1-on-1 Private Photo Editing Mentorships! I’ll create a personalized plan and have you building a business of your dreams in less than two months time!
Leave a Reply