Are you wanting to grow your photography business and book more photography clients? If so, I encourage you to keep reading because in this podcast episode, we are talking about niching down. My friend Natalie Blenkush joins me as she leads the discussion of how to define your photography niche so you can have a stand out brand.

Having a Photography Niche is Controversial

It’s no surprise that this topic of niching is controversial. There are some educators who stand by it, while others despise it. I believe having a photography niche is essential to your brand and can allow you to serve your clients better. Choosing a niche goes way deeper than choosing what you will photograph. Let’s dive into the 3 ways to nail your niche according to Natalie.

Choosing a Niche Makes Marketing Easier

Natalie says that nailing your niche will bring clarity to your business overall. She gives the analogy of driving through fog. Defining your niche in photography helps clear the fog so you can navigate and connect to future clients better.

Step 1 – Define Who You Are Talking To

The first step in this process is to define who you are talking to. When you think about the type of client you enjoy working with, can you answer these questions? What are their thoughts or stressors in life? Consider their values and what is important to them. What do they desire? What are they afraid of? Do you truly know your person inside and out?

Here are some additional tips to help you really figure out who you want to serve. What type of client do you really enjoy working with? You can brainstorm your own ideal client or you can look back on who you have worked with in the past. Make a list of qualities and specific things you loved about working with them.

Step 2 – Identify The Problem You’re Solving

Step two is to identify the problem you are solving. Another way to put it – what is the need that you are meeting? What is the tangible thing clients are going to pay you for? When you are in business, you are providing solutions. If you can’t answer this question, your target market is just viewing your photography services as a “nice to have” option. You need to be offering a solution to their desire.

No matter what niche you are serving as a photographer, there is a tangible solution you are providing for your clients. I want you think about a 7-layer dip for a minute. You are going to keep digging until you get to the bottom of the 7-layer dip.

For example, why does a mom hire a family photographer? She needs updated images. Now go deeper… she wants updated images because her kids are growing up so fast and she feels she is losing time with them. Why does she feel like she’s losing time? Because she’s a busy working mom who has very limited time to spend with her family. This causes her to feel guilty and like she’s not a good mom. So yes, a family photographer does provide tangible photographs, but she also could provide a reminder to this mom that she is not a bad mom by showcasing her connections in the photographs with her family.

Step 3 – Determine Your Unique Positioning

Step three is to determine your positioning in the market. What is your unique quirk or approach in the photography industry? Identify what you want to be known for. Figure out why clients would choose you over another photographer.

Attracting clients is very much like making friends. You are naturally going to connect over commonalities. How can you show up and be relatable to your clients? How can you share human connection? Additionally, you can also consider the way you edit, your style, your hobbies and interests, etc.

Nailing Your Photography Niche With These 3 Steps

Having a photography niche goes way deeper than just deciding on what you will photograph. It’s not enough to call yourself a ‘family photographer.’ You want to take this deeper by defining your ideal client, identifying the problem you solve, and determining your unique positioning in the market.

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