Being a photographer is amazing, and though several photographers consider their passion as just a mere hobby, some take their limits up and beyond the maximum. Showcasing captured memories or aesthetic imaginations on social media can not only help increase a photographer’s fan base but also enables him to develop a portfolio. One can compete in Facebook groups or gain followers on Instagram, but is it worth the effort?
Yes! Every digital skill pays off in the 21st century, so if you know you have the talent, you can start cashing your photos right away. Despite the fact that some digital skills are comparatively more saturated in the market than others, it is equally harder to hunt opportunities. Photography, being one such skill, has a lot of competition. Every other person with a slightly better mobile camera is competing in this race.
But here’s the catch; it’s not about how many competitors you have, but how many of them have the same grip on their skill as you. So, instead of going about the traditional ways of earning money, such as becoming a wedding photographer, try some of the emerging ways, like printing posters, phone cases or mugs, or even shirts.
Why is it important to build a strong brand and logo for a photographer?
Moreover, building a strong brand identity is essential for photographers because it helps them differentiate themselves in a highly competitive industry. Unique style, professionalism and vision to potential visitors of a photographer can be communicated through applicable logo or branding that doesn’t lack consistency, but the best would be to have both combined. Sound compacted? With today’s technology, it is not hard at all.
For instance, to create your own unique logo, use a photography logo maker. You can easily customize it to make it your own and build a strong brand. Reliability and consistency is the key for clients who hires photographers, that shows how credible and trustworthy the person is.
Awareness and recognition of a brand can be strengthened and referrals to repeat the business might increase.
Don’t forget to invest in your brand and logo, it is going to help you achieving success in your business.
So how can you make money with photography? Let’s find out.
Print on Demand Photography Explained
Print on demand photography is a service that allows photographers to sell their images as prints without having to keep physical copies of the prints on hand. Photographer simply has to upload his images to a platform of a print on demand provider that he picked. The images are being printed and shipped to clients of photographer.
Photographer really don’t have to overthink all logistics, shipping and storing when working with print on demand. Apart from that they can focus on other things as marketing, brand image or making the images that are going to be sold.
While working with print on demand, you don’t have to buy equipment to print, handle all the shipping and stress about logistics. It can also be a convenient option for customers who want to purchase high-quality prints of their favorite photographs or merchandise, such as custom hoodies, without having to visit a physical store.
Print on demand is not just limited to photography, but also a range of art that can be transferred such as lino printing or paintings allowing a wide range of media to be shared with your customers.
How to Start Selling Print on Demand Photography
Now that we’ve covered the basic information of print on demand photography, you may have understood why this method works much better than the rest of the ways. The main flow of what should you do is pretty simple and easy, so here’s our list for you:
Do Competitors’ Analysis
Nothing works out if you have no clue what your competitors are on to and how they are strategizing their marketing plans. It will be easier for you to understand the market you are working in by knowing who your competitors are and how they appear to their target audience. It is important to know not only their but your strong and weak points and how you can use them to perfect the services that you offer.
That’s how you can stay ahead of the competition by monitoring competitors’ activities, such as marketing campaigns, product launches, pricing strategies, and new customer service initiatives.
Create Your Online Store
Various different platforms can be used to create online stores, and you most definitely need to set up your online store to sell your art. You can choose the theme of your choice and design your website any way you want. Besides that, the website has its challenges as well, such as investing in SEO (Search Engine Optimization), choosing appropriate keywords, managing your site blogs, and paying hosting charges before you even make your first sale.
On the other hand, you can set up an Etsy shop, customize your storefront and list your products there easily. Though there are a few ways that you need to follow when selling on Etsy, it can be a better option since the expenses of selling on Etsy are cheaper, and you can have lesser competition in terms of traffic and customer base.
Pick a Print on Demand Platform to Sell
Choose a print-on-demand platform that meets your needs and goals. Consider factors such as product selection, pricing, integrations, and customer support when making your decision. Once you’ve made up your decision, the rest of the work is pretty simple. Simply create an account and start uploading your designs and products before setting up the prices. We also recommend exploring print-on-demand services that provide dropshipping capabilities, alleviating concerns related to inventory management and shipping procedures.
For example, imagine you are offering t-shirt printing, your customers can pick a design that they want, or they can pick the ones that you listed.
Now it’s time for marketing! Don’t be afraid to use social media as a place of promoting, it is very easy to run ads and campaigns by a few clicks – that’s how your clients to be will see you and your products. Other ways of marketing may include influencer marketing, Google Ads, email marketing, or optimization of your store using appropriate keywords.
Select Your Products and Designs
Some products sell faster, while some don’t sell at all, which is why the most important part of selling online is choosing the right product. For print on demand products, the most selling items are custom t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, cushions, water bottles, phone cases, backpacks or wall art, etc.
However, equally important is the variety of designs that you offer. Even though the best option is to allow the customers to bring whatever design they like and get it printed, that does not eradicate the fact that customers are highly attracted to the amazing imagination that you have used already to list a number of designs on your store. You can try out a design tool like Colorcinch -upload real-life photos and instantly convert them into sketches, paintings or cartoon graphics – making for some great prints.
A good combination of the diversity of products and designs results in a profitable business.
Create Your Marketing Strategy
After arranging first things first, we are down to the last and the very necessary step that guarantees your success, second to the quality of your products and designs. Creating a marketing strategy for a print on demand business involves several key steps.
Don’t know your target audience? That’s it! It is your first task to figure out everything about it – what they like, don’t like, how often they buy and what they buy, you should know all of that. Conduct market research to gather insights about your competition, market trends, and customer behavior.
What is your point for selling what you sell? What do you want to tell the audience with your work? Build your brand identity around that so it will be easier for your target audience to accept your product and see why they should buy it. Use all the channels that you can and have to reach your audience with your products. After a while of running your business, try to include different options to increase visibility of your brand, such as partnerships with influencers or other brands, discounts for your products. Continuously track and analyze your marketing efforts to identify what works and doesn’t and make adjustments accordingly.
By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that helps your print on demand business grow and succeed.
More Tips to Sell Your Best Shots
Other ways you can earn through photography are:
- Starting a photography tutorial channel on YouTube
- Creating a personal blog
- Monetizing your Instagram
- Holding exhibitions
- Creating an online photography course
- Selling designs and prints
- Monetizing your shots to print magazines
- Selling on Stock Photo platforms such as Zedge or Unsplash
Conclusion
Every skill has a value of its own, and when it comes to business, these skills are highly in demand. As simple as photography can help you earn through multiple channels, not just limited to print on demand, but several others as well. It is very important to love your job, and also important what impact it brings to you. Don’t be scared to use your talent to the fullest, let your passion bring you fulfilment to the maximum.
