Making the Case for Professional Photography: A Client Forward Approach

Sometimes we have to simply show the client why they NEED us.

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Getting work is tough.

And there are many approaches to finding work that we all must try.

One thing you can do to boost revenue is to approach companies and make your case for why they should use you. I am not talking about ad agencies or design firms, they already know. I am talking about direct-to-client approaches.

And don’t think those are small paychecks.

One of my students approached a cutlery shop online, made his case, and landed a mid-5-figure gig.

Another found herself in a situation where she was asked point-blank why she charged so much, and her answer landed her the gig. A good one.

The point is that a lot of people with businesses have heard a lot of bad information over the years.

• “Stock imagery is good enough”.

• “Professional photography costs too much”.

• “It’s cheaper to shoot it yourself”.

• “AI can make all you need”.

Such bad and unprofessional information.

Let’s discuss this using research data. Data you can use to make a case for a client to hire you, use you long-term, and build a relationship.

1. Authentic photos increase engagement: When a real photo of a client was tested against a top-performing stock photo, visitors who saw the real customer were 35% more likely to respond. This suggests that authentic, custom photography resonates more with audiences than generic stock images.

2. Professional photos outperform stock images: Marketers reported that original photography and graphics (40%) were much more effective in helping them reach their goals compared to stock photography (13%). This indicates a clear advantage for custom, professional imagery.

3. Social Media Ads containing photographs will get more engagement than videos, and up to 300% more engagement than ads without photographs. Add that to the higher engagement that professional photography brings, and you can make a real business case for your work.

4. Images boost information retention: People remember only 10% of the information three days after reading it, but adding a photo can improve recollection by 65%. This demonstrates the power of visual content in making marketing messages more memorable. Better photographs equals better retention. Better retention means more sales.

5. Professional photos, appropriate to the brand, can increase leads: In one case study, a moving company replaced generic stock photos with professional pictures of their real team and trucks. This simple change improved their conversions by 45%. This demonstrates that professional, relevant photography can substantially impact lead generation. In a good way.

6. High-quality images are crucial for websites: 67% of consumers ranked high-quality images as the most important feature of a website. This underscores the importance of investing in professional photography for online presence. And it gives you a talking point that you can drive home in your sale materials.

But how do you do this?

Small and medium businesses respond well to traditional forms of advertising and marketing. Use those methods to reach out to them with examples of what you do.

One of the strategies I use with my students is to create a PDF brochure to send by email, while also creating a large postcard (6x9) for drop-offs, and in-person visits.

An example:
(front on the left, backside on the right)

You can have a couple of hundred of these printed very nicely for less than a hundred bucks.

Then, hand them out like water.

Every shop in town should receive one. In fact, they should get one every three months. Using a nice template, you can simply replace the images and make a new set of cards.

And notice the example of the ‘bad’ photograph on the bottom of the front side of the card. It can be very useful to be able to discuss an image that is poorly made in order to contrast it with one of much higher quality.

Unsplash to the rescue.

While there is certainly a lot of wonderful, highly professional imagery on Unsplash, there are also some with far less quality than you will be presenting. The Unsplash license is absolute in your ability to use the images for commercial work, and that is exactly what you are doing.

Suggestion: If you are not a graphic designer, and don’t know anyone who could help you, try getting a template from Envato, or use a Pro template on Canva or Adobe Express.

Of course, use your own high-quality images to give the brochure more clout, this is not a place to use anything but your great imagery.

You may want to do a “food” based card as well as a “product” card. Perhaps a card for all three of your disciplines.

As to “generating” images for your client… that is your call.

But be aware that the “AI” look is wearing thin. Major ad agencies are moving away from AI imagery, as are big-name clients like Proctor & Gamble, Nike, Dove, and others.

I have no desire to speculate what the future will bring, but I know for sure that quality, real, honest, and authentic photography is going to be in demand for a long, long time.

This part of the business is based on numbers. The more potential clients you meet and talk to, the better your chances are. I think 3–4 clients per one hundred reached is a very good return.

So you have work to do, to get work to do.

I wish it were easier.

…

No, no I don’t. If it were easier everyone would be doing it, and less than 5% of photographers will work that hard.

Join the 5% and watch it make a difference.

BTW, if you want a copy of the script used for the postcards, drop me a note and I will forward a Word Doc to you.

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Making stories with photographs can transcend simple photography. From individual images to a series, the ability to tell a story - long or short - is one of the great abilities of the photographic arts.

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