Marketing Training
for Photographers

Whether you are just starting out as a budding photographer, or an established photographic studio owner, investing in marketing training for photographers can be the best money you ever spend.

The photography industry is a perfect example of the ‘e-myth’ as coined by Michael Gerber.

You are creative, inspired, excited and inquisitive.

You love the creativity of using your camera, family and friends love your pictures, then boom you decide one day to turn your hobby into a business.

Friends, family, work colleagues all become your first clients and your new business is born.

I’ll let you into an industry secret.

We focus (forgive the pun) on our images, spend fortunes on photographic training, chase styles and fashions, and think that our work will sell it self.

It doesn’t matter whether you want to become a leading wedding photographer, dog photographer or family photographer, the secret to your success is creating a demand for your service and products.

And the answer to that is getting great at marketing, fast.

But how do you market your photography business effectively?

What should you do?

Do you join a networking group?

What marketing is best for your business right now?

Websites, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, SEO, Google Ads – there’s always something new…

It’s almost the perfect storm that afflicts so many businesses.

Four things are true:

Effective marketing is now more complex than ever;
Effective marketing requires specialist knowledge and understanding (that most business owners dont’ have because they are practitioners of their craft, not marketers);
Effective marketing requires a high proficiency of execution to work well;
Effective marketing is harder to achieve than ever before;

The result of this perfect storm is devastating for most business owners. Some are paralysed by indecision, unsure what to do so they do nothing.

Others chase the latest bright shiny thing, but their results are poor or non existent because there is no plan, no system or strategy behind their actions.

When photographers are successful, the results can become short lived because the business owner becomes too busy shooting and fulfilling orders to continue with the marketing, quotes and customer service.

So the old rollercoaster of feast and famine becomes the norm.

But there is another way.

When you have a marketing and sales system in place in your photographic business, you can predictably and consistently bring in the right flow of new customers every month, like clockwork, taking the stress out of running a business.

The flip side of the coin, not having a system, leads to an unpredictable, unreliable and incredibly stressful business that compromises the financial future of the business owner.

Where you are today, doesn’t have to be where you are tomorrow.

But for things to change in our business, and our life, we have to make an investment in ourselves – whether that’s getting business and marketing books from the library, or engaging the services of someone who has been there before as a trainer, business coach or mentor.

We all have different needs at different times in our business life.

So we’ve structured three levels of marketing training for photographers, and their budgets.

From a Private Group Coaching for those that just need a little help along the way, workshops and business builder sessions, to a one-to-one hand holding business mentoring programme for those wanting to create an effective and profitable business.

Photography Marketing
Group
Coaching

Photography Business Builder Sessions

Photography Business Mentoring Programme

Helping photographers learn business & marketing skills to create profitable businesses

1– Photography Marketing Group. The perfect low-cost way to get a marketing expert on your team. Access to a private Facebook group, Q&A sessions, Live How to’s and group accountability sessions and challenges.

2– Photography Business Builder Sessions. Attend training seminars and never get around to doing it? These themed sessions help you set business goals, plan and deliver your marketing. We’ll cover SEO, Facebook Ads, Google Ads and much more. Group and one-to-one marketing training sessions.

3 – Photography Business Mentoring Programme. A one-to-one structured mentoring programme to help photographic business owners develop their business and marketing skills. In many cases, your marketing will require little additional budget. The whole point is we market your marketing more effective and will soon be paying for itself.

Marketing Training for Photographers by a Professional Photographer

When I entered the photography industry almost a decade ago, I loved the opportunity to be creative.

It was the ying and yang to my background in running businesses.

My career in electrical and fire safety consultancy, owning a business, managing staff – had all been about adhering to the rules, whereas photography was all about playing, having fun and exploring ideas.

Like you, I spent fortunes on sparkly kit, tonnes of things I didn’t need and I followed the fashions in photography. I’ve trained with some of the greatest photographers in the industry all in an effort to find my photographic style.

Over the last 6 years, I’ve had the opportunity to help, support and inspire some of the most incredible photographers in the industry, through my roles in the Master Photographers Association and as Regional Chair of the British Institute of Professional Photography.

Across the country I’ve driven, to give talks on social media, marketing and the Art & Business of Dog Photography. I reviewed hundreds of photographers websites, social media and marketing pieces, and given guidance to help them become more effective at marketing their photographic studios.

After two years at the BIPP, as a Marketing Manager helping members through a global pandemic, it soon struck me, that there just isn’t great business education for photographers.

So I set about creating a structured programme of training classes and business coaching for photographers. It’s a mix of 20 years of small business ownership along with thought leadership from the worlds of business, marketing and coaching.

In March 2020, amidst the pandemic, we achieved Approved Academy status with the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepereneurs.

With over 20 years of experience at management level in small business, Jamie’s photographic achievements are highlighted below.:

Past Social Media and Marketing Manager at the British Institute of Professional Photography
Past South East Regional Chairman at the British Institute of Professional Photography
Past Regional Treasurer at The Master Photographers Association
Qualified Professional Photographer - Guild of Photographers
Qualified Master Photographer - Licentiate
Qualified Photographer with the Societies of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP)
Qualified Photographer with the British Institute of Professional Photography
Qualified Business Coach with EC and APC
Fellow of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs
Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing

Looking for an engaging speaker to talk to your group or association about business, marketing or professional photography?

Jamie is an experienced speaker from small groups to the main stage at events such as The Photography Show held at the Birmingham NEC.