Hey, fellow photog! I’m Brent, owner of Fun Sized Photo Co., a lover of tacos, and a straight up introvert who finds himself having extrovert on the regular. I’ve been a professional photographer for over 10 years, and now that I’ve successfully grown my business into my full-time career, I’m sharing what I’ve learned with others who want to do the same.
If you’re hoping to grow or start your own photography business, I have some bad news for you introverts.
You have to put yourself out there.
Yep, I’m talking about that dirty little word: NETWORKING. Yuck!
But as introverted as I may be, I know the road to growth means getting out of my comfort zone. With as many photographers as exist in the market, you have to be willing to set yourself apart and make yourself known.
Here are some of the ways you can begin to put yourself out there in person and online:
- Get involved in your community. You can offer to shoot events, volunteer your time, help out with the PTA, etc., but find a way to be present in your neighborhood or city.
- Show your face on social media. Now to be honest, my wife typically has to force me to do this since I’d much rather hide behind a camera. But letting potential clients see you helps build trust and comfort so they’re more likely to book.
- Create blog content. This is less about physically putting yourself out there and more about being willing to share your story with others. Blogging helps with SEO and can bring more people to your site while also helping to build trust with your audience.
- Network. You can show up to small business networking events or reach out directly to other businesses you might be able to collaborate with. Either way, you’ve got to be willing to connect with others if you truly want to grow your business.
While there’s far more we could dive into on this topic, this is a great starting point for those of you that are newer to your photography business. Start with the area you’re most comfortable with and grow from there. Maybe you need to put your social media game before you’re willing to show up for a networking event – that’s fine as long as you’re making progress!
Just be brave, friend. It’s the only way to move forward.
If you haven’t read this post where I talked about investing in yourself, be sure to jump over before you go.
