If you self-identify as an introvert, am I right to guess that you regularly talk yourself OUT of promoting yourself and your photography?
Perhaps you can recall a time when you’ve gone to share an image you’ve taken or some brilliant feedback from a client on your social channels, and then something stopped you.
You hesitated, you doubted yourself, you procrastinated. I bet that you didn’t end up hitting ‘publish’. Am I right?
Well, if so, you’re not alone! I’ve been there too and, for sure, there are many other photographers who consider themselves introverted and who struggle to put themselves ‘out there’.
But you don’t have to be an extrovert to be good at self-promotion! I’m here to remind you that even as an introverted photographer, there are still ways that you can successfully promote yourself without selling out!
An introvert’s guide to promoting your photography business
Both you and I know that to attract more clients to your photography business, you need to be showing up, being visible and standing out from the crowd.
Yes, I’m afraid, self-promotion is essential if you’re an independent photographer.
- You need to be promoting yourself so that the people you’re trying to attract know that you exist!
- You need to reveal enough about you so that your target audience feels they know you a little and can trust you. Aiming to become known, liked and trusted is a great strategy and will help convince prospects to buy.
- You’ll also need to be consistently popping up in places where your ideal clients spend time. Clients usually aren’t ready to buy the first time they hear of you, so having that consistent presence and staying top-of-mind is crucial.
But I know self-promotion and all of the above can sometimes feel like the hardest thing ever!
Self-promotion is essential to grow your photography business
Remember this though, unless you completely outsource your marketing and PR, there’s no-one but you to promote your photography business. And even if you have outsourced aspects of your marketing, you’re still the face of your brand and need to show up like the CEO you are.
There’s no getting away with it! Sitting around waiting for the phone to ring isn’t a marketing strategy that works! So, let’s dig into what can you do instead.
Related reading: How to feel good about photography self-promotion
Self-promotion tips for introverted photographers
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Embrace your introversion
Remember I mentioned the know, like and trust factor? Well, getting potential clients to like and trust you will be easier if you reveal a little about your personality in the marketing content that you create.
Yes, you’re an introvert, but so what? That’s nothing to be ashamed of and by making that known in your marketing, you’ll probably attract people who are similar to you – those who’ll click with you more easily – rather than over-confident people who may make you feel uncomfortable. So, it’s a winning strategy all round!
Remember success in business, in a large part, is down to our mindset so feel proud of who you are! Embrace your introversion and how that shows up in your life and photography business.
Talk about this unapologetically in your marketing content such as your social media posts. If you do, you might well find that attracting the photography clients you love working with becomes even easier!
Related reading: How to attract more of your ideal photography clients
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Do more of the marketing that feels good to you!
There are hundreds of different ways to promote your photography business.
If the idea of doing Facebook Lives or attending in-person networking events makes you want to drag your fingernails down a blackboard, then don’t do it!
Choose other ways of marketing that you do feel you can manage and stay true to yourself.
For example, as an introvert, you may prefer to network and prospect for new business online rather than in person. The good news is that there are tons of online communities and groups where you can connect with ideal clients (as well as fellow photographers and peers – you know about my ‘PR-Savvy Photographers’ Facebook group, right?), all from the comfort of your home and at a time that suits you.
There’s no need to worry about what you’re wearing, who might be there or how on earth to approach people. You pick and choose the conversations you want to get involved in and network in a way that comes naturally to you.
If you prefer to listen and support others rather than talk about yourself, then do that. By showing up as an empathetic person who cares and is trying to help, rather than as a bullish and over-confident self-promoter, you’re far more likely to win more kudos and forge positive connections with others anyway. No-one loves a self-promoting bore!
Remember, if you feel that you are terrible at self-promotion, you’ve probably been trying to do things that aren’t in alignment with your introverted ways. No wonder it feels like hard work and you feel like a failure when it doesn’t work out! Look for ways to market yourself that feel good and make self-promotion easier for yourself!
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Remember that your service helps your clients, and they need you!
No matter how you feel about marketing, at its core it’s simply about communicating your expertise to an audience who might find your services and products useful.
There are people out there who need your photography service, some of whom are desperately looking for what you offer. So, don’t listen to the ‘mindset monkeys’ and convince yourself that what you’re sharing is unwelcome, unnecessary or embarrassing obvious.
You ARE an expert in photography and you have lots of knowledge and skill that your ideal clients want and need!
If you approach your marketing with energy and remind yourself that what you’re sharing and selling is exactly what your ideal clients are after, then you will feel more confident marketing your photography business. That, in itself, will attract more people to you.
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Stop comparing yourself to more ‘extroverted’ photographers and just do you!
Continuing on from my last point, don’t try to market your photography business like other photographers, especially those who are more overtly confident. What works for them probably isn’t going to work for you, so don’t bother wasting your time watching what they’re up to!
You’ll only go and get yourself all worked up and convince yourself that you’re doing a terrible job in comparison to them (which isn’t true anyway!). So, keep your social media feeds free of competitors and stick to your own lane.
If you must follow others, find other introverted creatives who are doing a great job of self-promotion and emulate what they do instead. For example, check out Stacie Swift on Instagram here – a self-confessed overthinker.
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Stop overthinking or worrying about what others might think
Finally, if you let your fear of how you may be perceived by others control how and how often you market yourself, then you’re definitely holding yourself back.
Try not to worry about what others may think of what you’re doing to promote your photography business. If they aren’t a client or potential client, then your marketing is not for them and so they’re not someone whose reaction you should concern yourself about anyway!
Try not to let the judgement of others, or even just the fear of judgement, stop you from taking the brave but necessary action that you know would help grow your photography business.
I hope these self-promotion tips have helped you and that you’re feeling ready to face your marketing with new-found confidence even if you are the world’s most introverted photographer!
Introducing my group mentoring service for photographers
If you’re struggling to feel confident about your marketing and would like further support from me, then my group mentoring programme could be ideal for you.
This is an opportunity to work closely with me and to upskill yourself so that you can confidently create marketing content this year and beyond.
In a small group of other professional photographers, I’ll help you develop a more strategic and streamlined approach to your marketing content to help you become more confident and more consistent than ever before.
I would love to hear from you if you would like more information about how I can help you finally achieve your marketing goals by providing expert training, mentoring and accountability.
The Photographer’s Visibility Blueprint is a programme designed to help you develop a marketing system based on leveraging the combined power of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Blogging and PR to make more impact and attract more clients to your photography business. Request the details and get in touch if you’d like to discuss joining the next cohort!
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