If you have a love of photography, then turning it into a business can be an exciting venture. However, with so much competition out there, it will require you to have more than talent and a good camera.

You’ll need to put together a plan of action that outlines your steps to success and ensures that you’re setting achievable goals.

So, if you’re thinking of turning your passion into a business, here are just five fantastic tips to help you get started.

1. Define Your Niche
Photography is a broad art form, and defining your niche can help you build up a strong client base.

Whether you specialise in weddings or portraits, landscapes or commercial events, defining your niche early on will help to narrow down your marketing efforts and target customers that are interested in your services.

2. Build a Strong Portfolio
Your portfolio is an essential part of any photographer's arsenal, it’s something that you can lean on to not only draw in potential clients, but to help your current customers define what it is they want to achieve from their photography sessions.

For example, as a local wedding photographer, you may find that you shoot more than one wedding in a location. Having a portfolio that you can show the next couple who hire you can show them the potential photographs they can hope to achieve.

3. Improve Your Business Skills
While your creativity and technical ability is an essential part of running a photography business, it’s also important to remember that it is still a business and you’ll need to develop your business skills if you want to see success.

Taking a business course can help you gain knowledge and insights into the inner workings of business management. Of course, returning to education can be tricky for many of us, but with online degree providers such as Signum Magnum College, you can enhance your skills and learn on a schedule that suits you.

4. Enhance Your Online Presence
We live in a digital age, and this makes having an online presence essential for the success of any business.

The first step is to ensure that you have a professional and functional website, and one of the most popular platforms for businesses all over the world is Wordpress due to its extensive customisation options.

Once you have a strong website, you should focus on improving your digital marketing, this includes both the implementation of SEO, alongside other methods such as PPC and social media marketing. The combination of these marketing efforts can expand the reach of your business and help to get your photography in front of an increasing number of potential customers.

5. Request Client Reviews
One of the best ways to acquire new clients is through word of mouth reviews, as customers are more inclined to trust testimonials from previous customers than other forms of marketing.

So, after you’ve completed a photography job and have a satisfied client, be sure to ask them to post a review of your services. These reviews can then also be displayed on your website as well as your Google Business Profile to attract new customers.

Have you set up your own photography business? Share your tips in the comments below!