Whether you’re in it for the money, or for personal satisfaction it’s a good idea to let people know what sort of photographer you are. To do that you need to create a brand. It’s not as hard as it seems. Here’s the third part of our series on developing on a path to being a semi-professional photographer. It’s about being clear on who you are and what you do.

To differentiate yourself as a photographer in a very crowded market you need a consistent and clear identity which is strongly defined to reflect you and your photography. If you have a clear identity it will enable potential clients to quickly see what you do and what they will be buying into. If your identity is not clear, working with you will be perceived as a risk because it is harder to ascertain what you are about.

The good news is that you don’t need a massive marketing budget to create your brand. A few simple but effective things can be done:

Start by thinking about what makes your photography different from everyone else. Include things like your style of photography, the things you photograph, your personality, your relationship to potential clients, price, location, and experience. Then clearly communicate this in all of your promotions materials including your website, social media channels and emails. You can communicate it througjh your images and in writing.

Then consider creating a brand name and strap-line:
e.g.:
Emily Smith, Photography for Rockers. Yo know what Emily does from that one line, and you know who her customers are. Her tone of communication would match this strap line.
Gorgeous Gardens Captured on Camera by RHS Member Dave Richardson would be a different photographer altogether, but you’d still know what to expect.

Make sure your written an visual communication is consistent with your brand across all of your channels from website to business cards.

Make sure your brand, services, and pricing match your target market. Reflect your level of quality in your brand, especially if you want high end clients. If you are trying to attract a budget audience, think about how you can achieve this.