While all professional photographers know that staying in business requires continuous marketing, it can be difficult to know where and how to market yourself in a way that will not just bring attention to your brand but also new customers 
to your studio’s door. Social media has quickly become one of the most effective ways for small business owners, like professional photographers, to market the goods and services they provide, not only because it’s free, but also because of the number of people that you have the potential to reach.
With this being the year that internet gurus say will be the biggest and best for infusing your online marketing with visuals, professional photographers will have no shortage of material that they can use to appeal to the masses. Despite the fact that business owners are starting to infuse their social signalling in places like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn with images, videos and infographics, Pinterest is the social media Mecca for professional photographers.
Pinterest is a Marketing Hot Spot for Professional Photographers
Whether you’re a baby photographer or specialize in landscape photography, having a presence in Pinterest is an effective way to drive more interest and business to your studio. But, it’s not enough to just have a Pinterest account or to ‘pin’ something every now and again. You’ve got to actively use Pinterest to interact with and get to know your target market, to draw more attention to your work as a baby photographer, for instance, and to show Google and others that you’re an authority in your local market of professional photographers.
Here are some ways professional photographers can and should use Pinterest:
- showcase photos from your own portfolio
- create boards with themes that can be of use to your followers (prospective clients). A baby photographer might create boards for popular colour schemes or themes for nurseries, for instance
- take note of the things that interest the people in your target market. What are your followers pinning and how might you incorporate it into your photography?
- use your account to inform new and existing clients of what’s taking place at your studio, whether there’s a special promotion on or you’re providing a new service within your baby photography business
How a Baby Photographer Can Get More Marketing Mileage with Pinterest
Professional photographers should really maximize their use of Pinterest, not only because it’s a free marketing platform but also because it’s so perfectly suited for our craft. The following are a few ways you can ensure you’re getting the most you can out of your social signalling, or rather ‘pinning’:
- make it as easy as possible for people to ‘pin’ the photos on your website by placing the Pinterest ‘pin’ button right out in the open
- make sure the photos you include in your blog posts, etc. contain your site’s URL as well as the keyword terms you target in their descriptions. This way, when someone ‘pins’ an image, those who like it can easily find your business’ site and your search rankings will also benefit
- whether you’re a baby photographer or any other type, photo collages are a great way to show off the best of a session in one easily ‘pinned’ image
- set-up a Pinterest for Business account so that you can track your pins. If you have the resources, the social media site’s promoted pins may also be an effective way to bring more attention to your business
This is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how professional photographers can use Pinterest to market their businesses. Stay tuned for more tips on how to effectively market your photography business using other social media platforms.
Or, for any baby photographer interested in learning more about marketing and the business side of being a baby photographer, in addition to safe posing practices, please call me at 905.449.2200 for more information on the workshops offered to professional photographers at my studio.
