Digital marketing for photographers

As I chill here, looking back to Digital marketing for photographers in the digital world, I’m all hyped and hopeful for what’s to come. Digital marketing has totally changed the game for us shutterbugs. It’s how we show off our stuff, hook up with clients, and get our name out there. So, let’s dive into my story, and I’ll spill the tea on how I figured this whole digital marketing thing out.

Digital marketing for photographers

The Beginning: A Whole Lot of Trial and Error

When I first started my photography gig, I was basically in the dark about digital marketing. I had a website, but it was more like a glorified business card than anything that could actually get me noticed. I just hoped people would talk about me and I’d get some local love through ads. But the internet was growing, and I knew I had to keep up if I didn’t want to get left behind.

At first, I was just throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck. I tried social media and email blasts, but I had no real plan or idea who I was even trying to reach. Hours of work would go into these posts, and then… crickets. It was frustrating, but I wasn’t gonna let it beat me.

The A-ha Moment: Learning the Ropes

One day, I stumbled on a photography shindig that had a workshop on digital marketing. It was like a lightbulb went off. The speaker was this big-shot photographer who also knew his marketing stuff. He talked about having a plan for your online presence, making content that’s actually worth looking at, and using social media to get eyeballs on your work.

So, I rolled up my sleeves and got busy learning. I read books, checked out blogs, and took online classes to get the lowdown on:

– SEO: making sure my site and profiles are BFFs with Google and the other search engines.

– Content marketing: creating stuff that’s cool and interesting enough that people actually wanna click on it.

– Social media ads: putting my pics in front of the right peeps on Facebook and Insta.

– Email marketing: collecting email addresses and not spamming people with junk, but sending them stuff they’d actually wanna see.

Storytelling: The Secret Sauce

Once I started to get the hang of digital marketing, I realized that telling stories was the heart of it all. Photographers are already good at that, but we sometimes suck at sharing our vibe with others. I started playing around with different ways to tell my story, like blogs and videos, to show what makes my work tick.

When I started being real and sharing what’s important to me, people started to click with my work. My engagement went through the roof, and I started getting messages from folks who were totally into my style. It was like finding my photography soulmates.

How Digital Marketing Changed My Business

Let me tell you, the results have been nuts. My website’s traffic went up by 500%, and my social media followers quadrupled. But the best part? More jobs and more money.

This online hustle also helped me:

– Make extra cash with online classes and promoting other peoples’ stuff.

– Work with cool brands and influencers, reaching more people than ever.

– Build a community of peeps who love photography as much as I do.

The Bumps in the Road and Lessons I’ve Learned

But let’s keep it real, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I had to juggle managing my online life with actually running a business. Plus, algorithms are fickle, and you can’t ignore the haters out there.

But every time I hit a snag, I saw it as a chance to learn and get better. And you know what? It totally paid off.

So, for any photographers out there feeling overwhelmed by all this digital jazz, here’s what I’d say: take it slow, learn the ropes, and stick to what you love.

And if you’re just starting out, here’s some advice from me to you:

– Make a plan for your online presence: know who you wanna reach and what makes you special.

– Get cozy with SEO: make it easy for people to find you online.

– Create content that’s fire: show your work and give folks