Although “marketing” might sound like jargon for a Business 101 class, marketing your photography business can be fun when you harness your creative powers to think outside the box. The best part is, there’s no shortage of strategies you can try. When a campaign takes off, it can bring customers to your studio, cause print sales to soar, and drive corporate clients to your lead pages.

Your strategies can be online, offline, in person, and a mix of everything in between. Many techniques are free and easy to learn, while some require a bit more skill and practice to master. Since every photography business is completely unique, with different offerings, clients, and objectives, there’s never a one-size-fits-all solution, but you can mix and match until you figure out what works for your specific photography business.

Here are 45+ ways you can market and advertise your photography business with explanations of each and tips on how to maximize effectiveness. The following advice will help bring customers to your studio, boost print sales, attract workshop attendees, sell custom editing presets, and more! Use the jump links below to skip to the section you’d like.

• Online
• Print and Offline
• In Person
• Other

Online

Harnessing the power of the internet and its endless marketing tools is the perfect way to build and grow your photography business. Many techniques don’t cost a thing, and the barriers to entry are only limited by your creativity. Luckily being a photographer means creativity is your strong suit!

1. SEO (search engine optimization) - This is the practice of optimizing your website and individual pages to show up for certain terms and phrases on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines. It can put your brand in front of a user when they are looking for photographers, art to buy, and other services you offer. Marketing directly to potential clients who are already searching for a business like yours is a golden opportunity. The idea is to optimize SEO on your photography portfolio website, and as you learn more about SEO you can grow and scale your traffic through digital PR, content writing, and by following best practices. Each web host has unique ways of handling SEO, so check with your provider on how to include SEO on your site. Research appropriate terms that will drive traffic to your site, like “Chicago wedding photographer” or “food product photographer.”

1. Stock Photography & Art Marketplaces - Some sites let you list and sell your images in a streamlined way, where they handle the marketing and hosting, and you provide the content. Buyers come to these sites looking for everything from landscape artwork to photos of animals, holiday scenes, and people working in an office. By selling through these marketplaces, you will pay a fee and lose some margin, but you can build a fan base and supplement your income with sales until your own photography website and brand takes off.

1. Social Media Paid Ads - Each social media platform offers advertising options. The important factor here is to know the demographic breakdown (age, sex, location, job, interests, etc.) of your ideal clients, so your work pops up in their feed without them having to go looking for it. Another way to use social media advertising is to post regularly and build a fanbase over time so you can stay top of mind and keep your images in front of the person until they’re ready to shop.

1. Organic Social Media - By using localized hashtags you can attract fans to your accounts. This includes #cityphotographers and #familyportraitphotographers and nicknames like #philly for Philadelphia and #htown for Houston. By building a fan base over time, you become the person they think of when they need to hire a professional photographer in a specific city or for a specific subject matter. Think about geographic hashtags as well as hobby and niche tags that fit your style and content.
2. Sponsoring Newsletters - By buying ad space or promotions inside of an organization’s existing newsletter, you get exposure to an audience that trusts the sender and reads their content. Think about your ideal client and what type of newsletters or blogs they might already subscribe to. It could be fashion designers that subscribe to a trends blog (they need product shots and lifestyle photography), or birdwatchers that belong to audubon societies and local clubs (they might collect bird art for their homes).
3. Directories - These are online listings of photographers organized by location and subject matter. Photography directories are a great way to get in front of people searching for photographers in their city or near them, and we have one here at SmugMug called ShutterScout that SmugMug Pro subscribers can list themselves on.
4. Digital PR - Much like traditional public relations (PR) , the internet offers a multitude of ways to gain exposure and bring customers to you. Digital PR is the marketing technique of being featured in a blog, on a social media account, online magazine article, or other places where the story links back to your website, which drives traffic to your portfolio and brings you leads. Unfortunately getting coverage for your photography business doesn’t just materialize out of thin air. You’ll have to pitch yourself to publications and social accounts, giving them good reasons why your story is interesting or unique to their audiences. It could be your background, your creative approach, or anything that makes you unique in the space, but think outside the box and get creative!

1. PPC (pay per click) Ads - These are short ads that appear at the top of search engines or on side banners, and when someone clicks on the link and visits your site, you pay a small fee. Each platform is different, where some let you define an audience, and others let you pick specific keywords and phrases like “Headshot photographers in Salt Lake City”.
2. Media Buying - This basically means buying ad space on the websites that your customers are visiting. When there is a community of customers you want to reach, make a list of the websites they regularly visit. You’ll see ads showing on the side, in the footer, and in between paragraphs. These can be purchased as a “media buy” through the ad network they use. They can be pricey, but well worth the investment if your client is a regular visitor to these sites.

1. Email Newsletters - You can build your own email list by having a blog with regular updates, a pop up with an offer enticing the person to subscribe (15% off your next portrait session!), or by writing a guest post for another successful blog or newsletter. (Beware of purchasing email lists; it usually doesn’t work). By sending regular emails to a subscriber that enjoys your work, you keep your brand in front of them—getting hired, making sales, and filling workshops when they’re ready to take action. Figure out a good pacing for these newsletters, where you’re not spamming your audience (which leads to an immediate unsubscribe) but you’re sending them often enough to stay top of mind. Once a month or every other month tends to be a good place to start your experiments.

1. Remarketing - Have you ever visited a website and now you see ads for the product or service on social media, in search engines, and everywhere you go online? These are remarketing ads that businesses use to show ads to people who showed interest in their product or service. This is a great way to continue marketing to a potential client who has already shown some interest in your work by visiting your portfolio or putting prints in a shopping cart.

1. Create an Online Course - If you host in-person workshops or teach photography skills like lighting and editing , consider creating an online course using videos, PDF handouts, quizzes, and instructional pages. There are several platforms that allow you to host the course on their site, and you get royalties as students on their platform take it. Online education has become really popular in recent years, and both amateur and professional photographers are always looking to level up. Another option would be to create and sell courses through your own website. The tradeoff is that you have to create and distribute everything yourself, which is a bigger technological undertaking, but you get to keep all of the profit.
2. Google My Business - Even if you don’t have a physical storefront, all businesses should be listed on Google My Business. It’s free and can help you get featured more prominently in search results. You can list your hours, services, and client reviews, which are one of the strongest forms of marketing these days!

1. Google Maps - In addition to having your website and Google Business Profile show up when someone searches for you, you can advertise your business on Google Maps to show potential customers how close they are to you. This is ideal if you have a brick-and-mortar location like a photo studio or print gallery.
2. Online Community Marketing - Look for large active groups of people in your target market on social media sites like Facebook, forums like Reddit, and photo-focused communities like Flickr. Begin participating as an active community member and when the need for a photographer arises, you have an “in” with the group. Wedding photographers could join groups for brides to be, while portrait photographers might look for school parent groups that will want senior portraits and family sessions. Event photographers might join groups for party planners or follow pages for popular local venues, and product photographers can look into small business owner, entrepreneur, and inventor groups.

1. Podcasting - Just like This Week in Photo, you can create a podcast to attract art fans, fellow photographers, and like-minded creatives This is a great way to let potential clients get to know you with no pressure on their end, and you can slowly build an audience with engaging and interesting content, which you can share across all your social platforms as bonus marketing. Eventually you might be able to attract sponsors and make some money with affiliate links for the products and services you mention. When figuring out what subjects to cover, think about what your clients might be interested in. Wedding photographers might offer tips on how to make the big day run smoothly, or easy posing suggestions for people who are uncomfortable in front of the camera. Bring on guests who are interested in reaching the same audience as you, and ideally they’ll cross-promote the content on their own channels.

1. Blogging - Perfect for photographers of all kinds, blogs drive business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! The key is to be consistent (i.e. posting regularly) and establish yourself as an authority on your subject. Whether you want to make a blog all about your photography practice (say, with tips for buying perfect prints or hiring the right photographer in your niche) or you’ve got a side passion that’s photography adjacent (like fashion, sports, or hiking), write what you know and help people learn along the way.

1. YouTube and video marketing - Similar to podcasting, creating a YouTube channel is a great way to reach audiences around the world 24/7/365. You can offer short how-to lessons on editing, posing, gear, and lighting, or you can interview fellow professionals in your space. Again, consider what your target clients might find interesting (and what you find interesting!) and tailor your content to those subjects. An always-popular topic is behind the scenes of certain shoots, so make sure to grab footage when you’re out and about shooting!

1. Streaming - As with YouTube, people love to learn and see professionals in action, like watching a photographer on location. Streaming offers a more candid experience for the viewer than the edited videos on other sites, so keep that in mind when deciding what to stream. Viewers might tune in to learn post-processing and the unique techniques that go into turning a digital image into a work of fine art, or want to see what goes on behind the scenes of a fashion shoot.

1. Reviews & Client Testimonials - Getting positive reviews and good client testimonials is the fastest way to build trust in your business. Anybody can put up a flashy website and have a good social media presence, but hearing from past clients about their wonderful experience working with you is way more effective. These reviews can be shared on your website, social media, and Google My Business profile, creating a word-of-mouth marketing campaign that’s powerful and effective.

Print and Offline

While print ads and traditional offline marketing might sound old school, they can still be some of the most effective ways to market your photography business. There are numerous opportunities to reach your target clients when they’re going about their days IRL.

1. Flyers - Similar to online community groups, think about where your chosen audience is spending time outside of the house. You can hang flyers on community bulletin boards, place them on cars at related events, and hang them at local hangouts like coffee shops and offices. Focus on quality over quantity: 20 flyers in front of the right eyes is way more valuable than 200 flyers seen by people who will never hire your photography services.
2. Newspapers - Believe it or not, people do still read newspapers! Putting an ad in the local paper can help you reach a huge audience of local clients, but keep in mind the reader demographics. They may skew older or hold certain job titles, so keep that in mind when creating your ad.
3. Vendor Directories - Phone books are not as common these days, but industry associations and unions may offer vendor directories. See how you can be listed in the directory, which will provide automatic trust in your photography business by being linked with the organization through an official channel.
4. Brochure and Program Sponsorship - Theater shows, pageants, community events, religious institutions—they all have brochures, and many feature ad space. These could provide a unique opportunity to reach an audience with a shared connection to your photography business.
5. Bus Stops and Metro Lines - Having a captive audience is a great way to get your brand out there, and people commuting to and from work are looking for something to do. Having your ads displayed while they ride can bring awareness to your brand for bookings, workshops, portrait sessions, and print sales. For example, if you teach a course about iPhone photography, let them scan a QR code, purchase, and begin taking it on their commute.
6. Magazine ads - Most major metropolitan areas have a trusted local magazine—“Washingtonian” in DC, “Boston Magazine” in Boston, and so on. Many have themed editions like the best restaurants or best in weddings. Buying ad space in these specific issues can put you right in front of readers who are actively looking to hire your services. Another option is to try and get included in the editorial space, meaning you won’t pay for coverage. Maybe the magazine is putting together a “Best of” list or doing profiles on locals involved in the scene. Check past issues and reach out to the editors and writers to see how you can be included. One thing to know is that print magazines work many months in advance, so start on this as early as possible to increase your chances.
7. Direct mail - Think postcards, letters, and even small packages. Direct mail is a great way to build business with exactly the type of clients you want to go after. If your messaging is right and it reaches a mailbox at the right time, you could fill your appointment book. Think of seasonal and annual events where people book photography services. This can work well for commercial and editorial photographers too, by sending hard-copy mailers to the business address of art buyers and photo editors at the brands and publications they want to work for.

In Person

1. Markets - All around the world you can find shopping experiences for crafts, holidays, and weekend farmers markets where you can set up a booth for the day. Many of the event goers might not be ready to hire you or sign up for a workshop on the spot, but it can be a great opportunity to hand out a business card and collect their contact information to be added to your email list. You could set up a mini studio for a quick portrait session, then ship the print or have them pick it up at your studio, which creates another contact point. It’s a great way to build a fan list, make print sales, and drive brand awareness.

1. Charity events - People are passionate about causes, and supporting the same causes can build a level of trust like nothing else. This includes firefighters and first responders, animal rescues like ASPCA and Humane Society, cancer societies, and everything in between. By sponsoring their charity events or volunteering your photography services, you create an automatic connection with fellow supporters and can collect leads from people who share your interests.

1. Expos and conferences - There are no shortage of expositions and niche conferences, including bridal, pop culture, trade shows, electronics, and everything else under the sun. They are usually annual or twice a year, and they all need event photographers to capture the moment. Reach out to the organizers and pitch yourself to shoot the event. If you get hired and attend, you’ll be able to connect with hundreds of individuals and brands who are in your target audience. Be prepared to hand out business cards and collect everyone’s information so you can reach out to them after the expo. Another option would be to have your own booth where you can display your work and meet potential clients.
2. Gallery exhibitions - Build relationships with local galleries and stay in touch about being featured in their exhibitions. Keep in mind there are plenty of other artists also trying to get featured, so make sure to stand out above the rest in unique ways. Offer to shoot an event, provide headshots of the staff, or volunteer in a helpful capacity. The relationship should be give and take, not just take and take! If you do get into a show, make sure to market the exhibition on your own channels and bring in customers.
3. Volunteering - Think about providing a photo booth at a community event or teaching a course at the local elementary school. Not only will it show you support the community, it will also get you out there meeting and building goodwill with potential clients.

1. Speak at a Conference - As soon as someone sees you on stage, it provides automatic credibility that can otherwise take years to build. You’ll be seen as a trusted expert by the in-person audience, as well as anyone who sees a photo or video of you in that position. Find events that are connected to your type of photography business, and contact the organizers about speaking or presenting your body of knowledge. While it might take some time and effort to prove yourself as the right person to be on stage, this can fast-track you to positioning yourself as an expert, which makes clients want to hire you.
2. Join the local chamber of commerce - If you offer product and corporate photography, your local chamber of commerce has business owners that need your services. Attend meetings, participate in the community, and go to networking events to get out in front of these potential customers! You’ll meet clients, build trust, and show how you work with other local business owners. You could try doing a free headshot session or offering a discount to other chamber members to generate business.
3. Utilize local influencers - People trust the local movers and shakers in their area. Invite those individuals for a fun themed session to bring awareness to your studio and the photography services you offer. Make sure to provide the best images to the subjects so they share on their channels, with the request that they tag you and share your information in relation to the work. Consider submitting the images to local websites and publications if appropriate, or post in community groups that might find the images interesting.
4. Religious events - Do a free photo session at religious group events for their important days and ceremonies, making sure to respect the particulars of the religion and the particular day. These groups might want to bring awareness to holidays and celebrations and share it with the rest of the community. You can capture a few shots they can share on social media with their congregations and fans. When the head of the institution recommends you as the official photographer, you may fill your book with sessions for baptisms, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other celebrations.
5. Host an event - Having people come to you can work wonders for your business. When they’re in your studio or at your party, they’re exposed to your brand and your services while also having fun with friends and eating and drinking for free. Plus, events are easy to market through social media, posted flyers, and word of mouth.

Other

The beauty of marketing is that it can be anything you can dream up! It doesn’t just have to be printing flyers and posting ads on websites. Your creativity can be exactly what brings new business to you, and there's no shortage of opportunities. The sky is the limit!

1. Cross promotions - Every business owner has complementary vendors, and working together to promote each other’s stores and studios benefits everyone. This includes your photography clients, because it makes it easier for them to find trusted providers. Consider doing a discount bundle for the group of vendors if the person uses multiple. Wedding photographers could partner with event venues and florists, and maternity photographers could partner with clothing and baby stores.
2. Sending Samples to Vendors - A great way to build exposure and business is to snap photos while you’re on location. If you’re doing real estate photography, get some stunning shots of the landscaping. At parties and other celebrations, capture the catering and floral arrangements. Now add your watermark and give digital and printed samples to the vendors for them to use. You’ll be exposed to their potential customers, and they might become your customer for a refreshed lookbook or website update.
3. Placing Art in Venues - Restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, doctor’s offices, etc.— they all need decorations. Why not offer them artwork for their walls and in exchange they can give out your business card? In some cases you can let customers buy the wall prints directly from the venue and do a revenue share with them. The location doesn’t have to pay for high-quality decor and they make a bit of extra income.
4. Referral programs - If you have happy customers, always ask for referrals! By incentivizing them to share on social media and through email, you’ll be creating a word-of-mouth campaign that builds immediate trust with their friends and family. This is the original (and still the most effective) marketing strategy!
5. Loyalty programs - To get repeat customers, offer a loyalty program that rewards them for hiring you multiple times. If they purchase nine prints, they get the tenth one free. Or include a magnet or small token of your appreciation with every purchase. You can do the same thing with signing up for courses, booking sessions, and pretty much any service or product you might offer
6. Become a Subject Matter Expert - Pitch your local news to be a subject matter expert on photography. They have experts for kids toys, business and operations, and everything else you can imagine, so why not photography? With so many opportunities for sharing and seeing images in modern society, creating better images is always going to be a relevant topic. As a photographer you can share posing tips and theme trends for holiday portraits, providing insights only a pro like yourself would know.
7. Trade for Ad Space - Offer stores, bakeries, and coffee shops that share your customer base a photo session so they can get pro-level images in exchange for hanging flyers in their store window or putting an ad on their website for your photography business.

1. TV ads - These can be pricey on a national level, but local ads can work well and are surprisingly affordable. If there’s a couple of shows or a local news program your audience might watch, focus on these as busy seasons approach.
2. Movie theater ads - This ad spot normally runs on a monthly basis. If there is a movie playing that is relevant to your target audience, you can try advertising your services. Try to link your subject matter with the topic of the film. For example, if you do dance photography, a movie about a ballet school for kids would be a perfect fit. If you do sports photography, the next football drama will attract the exact clients you’re looking for.

1. Giveaways - Create a giveaway during slow times, whether it's a free session for local kids’ sports teams or a day of event photography for local community groups. You’ll get contact information of potential customers so they can buy prints and might book your services in the future.

Much like mastering the art of photography, mastering the art of marketing a photography business is more of an ongoing journey than a battle to be won. The good news is that it does get easier as you start to understand your target audience, what works, and what doesn’t. As technology evolves, so will the opportunities to market your work online, but don’t forget that the old fashioned print and in-person ways can still be the most effective. As your marketing skills develop, be as creative as you want and have fun with it! Potential clients will recognize the authenticity and connect with you as a person. Hopefully this guide inspires you to think outside the box and generate more ways to bring in customers and keep your business going!