Rebranding Tips for Photographers

Business trends are always evolving and while it’s important to keep up with them, keeping a brand feeling and looking modern can be difficult. This is especially true for photographers who have to constantly find new ways of marketing their photography business and engaging with their audience while staying ahead of the competition.

Navigating a rebrand can feel overwhelming and come with a ton of questions, including “How do I brand my photography in a new, eye-catching way?” and “What should be kept in mind when rebranding?”

Here are some of our favorite tips for rebranding a professional photography business.

5 REBRANDING TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

HAVE A FIRM GRASP ON WHY YOU’RE REBRANDING

Rebranding isn’t something that can be done overnight — a rebrand involves refreshing your web presence, mission and values, and more. That’s why, before you begin the process of rebranding, you need to know why you’re rebranding.

There are plenty of reasons to rebrand, including:

Your business model or strategy has changed
You’re announcing new products and services
You’ve outgrown your existing brand
Your company needs a reputation boost
You’re failing to stand out among competitors

Whatever the reason, the overarching driver behind a rebrand is change. At its core, something about your business has changed, and the brand identity needs to evolve as well.

PREPARE YOUR CURRENT CUSTOMERS FOR CHANGES

One of the biggest challenges company owners face is figuring out how to rebrand without losing customers they have worked with or are currently working with. Communication is key in maintaining those long-term relationships.

Remember, rebrands are massive undertakings — and for a client who doesn’t know it’s coming (or why), it may be a jarring change. When clients aren’t adequately prepared, it may result in a loss of trust and drop in business.

That’s why it’s important to keep your clients clued into the process with straightforward communication that acknowledges company changes — and the potential for client concerns. Offer honest explanations and reassurance and provide a line of communication for any additional questions they might have.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

One of the most exciting parts of rebranding is getting to reintroduce yourself as a professional photographer in a voice aligned with the changes you’ve made. In addition to your professional background, achievements, and mission, feel free to include personal information such as lifestyle or hobbies. After all, the more connected to a photographer a subject is, the more comfortable they feel.

Another great way to let your clients get to know you is by starting a blog that lets them in on the behind-the-scenes process and any insights you have to share. You don’t need to write much, but do be sure to showcase your work and talk about the experience.

Doing so will help you build an online presence and provide a great way to expand your business, reach your target audience, and reconnect with those you’ve worked with before. Plus, writing relevant blog posts about things like photography tips and taking a great picture allows you to position yourself as a photography expert and support your SEO efforts.

UPDATE YOUR PORTFOLIO AND FEATURE CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

An updated portfolio and a collection of client testimonials within reach are two of the most important marketing materials you have! Without them, how can you expect to drive business? When selecting the work to showcase in your portfolio, think about every part of your business:

Who is your ideal client?
What are your strengths?
What is the best work you’ve ever done?

Choose only work samples that reflect the answers to questions like these. Moreover, make sure the work you decide to include is some of your best and reflects your updated brand. By doing so, you’ll create a portfolio that’s relevant and brings in more of the work you’d like to do.

Finally, don’t forget to showcase client reviews. Client testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing strategies because people trust other people. They don’t need to be long (or perfect, as authenticity is key): just one or two sentences about a client’s experience with you is enough to get the ball rolling.

Don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials. Once you have them, use them everywhere, including social media, marketing collateral, and blog posts.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POWER OF THE INTERNET

We can’t overestimate the reach of the internet, but there are two key areas to focus on for marketing your photography business’ rebrand.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Visually-driven social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are a dream come true for photographers, even those without thousands of followers. Eliciting engagement such as comments and shares is more important than amassing followers and likes, so be careful to follow trends and come up with unique ways to make them work for you to increase exposure.

Giveaways are great, too. Running a contest will generate new leads and followers while increasing brand awareness. Prizes can be anything from prints to a free photoshoot — the sky’s the limit. You might also consider paid campaigns to increase your views or reach specific audiences relevant to your business.

Pinterest has been a staple for over a decade for a reason: It’s one of the most powerful search engines for creatives and can introduce you to thousands of future clients with a single pin.

Remember that while you are a user, you’re not the user. Your boards aren’t for your viewing pleasure, but rather your audience’s. Focus on your niche and include relevant tags and descriptions, but only link back to your site.

Some apps will manage this for you, such as Hootsuite, Tailwind, and Buffer, to optimize your posting.

Don’t let the time and effort of a rebrand scare you away from doing it – it’s essential to growing your business. Be purposeful and conscious in your rebrand approach and you’ll see your efforts pay off and successfully rebranded business thrive in no time.