Tips for Marketing a Photography Business on Facebook

Business  •  Photography Tips

Today, Facebook is being used as an effective marketing tool for a wide variety of businesses. It is especially effective for marketing a photography business. For most businesses, a Facebook user reads through posted product and service information, but in the final analysis must still decide whether to believe the information and testimonials as posted. However, in the case of professional photography, potential customers can experience your products firsthand by viewing sample portfolio photographs. This is a huge marketing advantage for photographers, but it needs to be tapped into properly for maximum impact. Follow these tips for marketing a photography business on Facebook.

“How to Highlight Your Facebook Photos” captured by Alex Banakas

Don’t spam.

It’s okay to send out a message to your Facebook followers once a month or at certain times of the year, perhaps twice a month. A lot of this will depend on your area of specialty and its inherent seasonality. If done correctly, your fans will find your messages helpful and informative. However, be careful to limit these messages; if you send them too often, some fans may “unlike” your page, and there is even a chance that Facebook, in an effort to police their site, will brand your efforts as spam and actually ban your Facebook page entirely.

Add photo albums.

I know that this might seem obvious, but you are running a photography business and your page should reflect that. Add selected photographs of your work and perhaps even ask your Facebook followers to vote for their favorites. Social media is about bi-directional communication.

Add videos.

Add selected videos of some of your photo sessions to your Facebook page. This will give your fans a taste of what goes on behind the scenes and is invaluable, as it lets potential clients see what they might expect from a photo session with you. Shoot the video so that it is informative, but don’t forget to also try to make it a little humorous and relaxing.

Capitalize on the About section.

All of the information included on your About section is automatically picked up by search engines, so be complete; don’t skimp when completing your information. Make your info a mix of professionalism and fun, and be sure to include some tidbit information about you as well! Don’t forget links to your website, blog, Twitter account, and Flickr account if you have them–and you definitely should.

“Facebook Page for Squashy Frog Photography” captured by Kol Tregaskes

Use a good profile and cover photo.

You are a photographer and this is an essential part of any Facebook business page. Add a nice picture of yourself with a camera. Embed your logo in the picture as well. This will let random folks visiting your page clearly identify you as a professional photographer.

“Logo Cover” captured by Prasanth Chandran

Update your content.

Keep it fresh. After most of your photo shoots, try to add one of the best images to your Facebook album. Of course, do this only after securing permission from your client. You can even send each client a personalized wall message, complimenting them on how well the shoot turned out! This is an easy way to keep your pages fresh and seasonally relevant. These simple image updates give you a continual reason to connect with your fans and encourages them to see the quality and variety that your photography provides.

Use Facebook ads.

Facebook advertisements have proven to be effective for marketing a variety of businesses. You create an ad and let Facebook place it along with profiles of people who are interested in photography. It is easy to set a daily budget limit for each campaign, where the budget limits the maximum amount that you are willing to spend for each day of advertising. Facebook’s systems will automatically stop showing your ad once your daily budget has been reached, so you will never have to worry about accruing unplanned advertising charges. Some people have had a lot of success with these ads, but I would recommend that you start slowly and see how it works out for you.

Facebook is ideal for marketing your photography, but it may take some time to build a loyal following of people interested in your photographs. It is a very effective way of marketing your photography business and reflecting your business and your brand. Keep your Facebook presence real, and you will definitely see positive results!

About the Author:
David Drum is head of Business Development at H&H Color Lab in Kansas City, Missouri. Starting his professional career as a process engineer at Xerox and Motorola, David moved to the professional imaging industry in 1993. David has worked as Technical Support Manager, Production Manager, Lean Manufacturing Manager, and IT Director before assuming his present role.