I had no idea when I launched EBM Photography that I’d be here, 10 years later, loving my job. I get to be creative every day while also helping small service-based businesses to get more visibility and stand out from their competitors through brand photography, win-win!
I fell into photography when I got a DSLR camera to take better pictures for me to then create artwork from. About a year later I was asked if I would shoot a friend’s daughter’s wedding. My immediate response was ‘No way!’, but after talking to her she said she was just after a few snaps and if I didn’t do it she’d get her mum to take some photos. I knew a wedding photographer, so I asked if I could shadow him at a wedding and see what was involved … Then I ended up being his second photographer for the next two years!
In 2014, my husband and I moved to Scotland, where I started my own business, EBM Photography. I focused primarily on weddings, but also did family portraits, events, and business photography. Three years later, in 2017, I opened my own portrait studio. After my son was born in 2018, I decided to move away from weddings and focused on studio work and brand photography, which at the time was a relatively new photography genre, experiencing promising growth in the US.
The Covid restrictions in 2020 meant I had to temporarily close my studio, and I was very close to folding my business until securing a government grant meant I was able to keep afloat!
Fast-forward to 2022 and we relocated to Worcester where I decided to focus purely on brand photography. I immersed myself into networking and promoting my brand photography business, and was delighted to find such a supportive business network in the West Midlands. It makes such a difference when you get to work with so many amazing brands!
Within 6 months of networking with Sterling and other groups, I had my best month in business ever, and am pleased to say that I now have very limited availability until September 2024. Here’s hoping the next 10 years are as much fun and will be as rewarding!
To celebrate my 10 years in my photography business, here are my top 10 tips for increasing your visibility.
- Be authentic! Don’t try to be something you’re not. It’s not only exhausting, but your audience will know as soon as they meet you that you’re not being genuine in your marketing.
- Show yourself in your marketing! Yep, you have to get in front of the camera, be it photos or video. Show yourself doing what you do in your work or free time. And don’t be afraid to let your personality and uniqueness shine through – in fact I would encourage it! This will attract those ideal clients who really get you, and lets you build real connections with your audience.
- Be consistent with what content you share and when. It doesn’t matter if you send an email to your list once a week or post to socials every day: just be consistent with when and how you’re posting.
- Speak to your ideal client. Share things that will resonate with them. You have a unique and amazing offering that will help these clients, so share how you can do this.
- Don’t just focus on social media. Get out to in-person networking groups and events, meet people, share your passion, and remember to follow up with any connections you make. Listen to them and find ways to help them.
- Make use of any PR opportunities you can, as well as any speaking slots. This really gives you a chance to show your authority within your industry.
- Use calls to action in your marketing messages. There is no point putting out content if you don’t actually tell people HOW to buy from you. Do you want them to go to a specific landing page to buy/book? Do you want them to set up a call to talk to you? Or perhaps you just want them to follow you for more tips/info so you can nurture them. Whatever it is, make sure you say it clearly.
- Share the highs AND the lows! Don’t be afraid to share when things are tough. People don’t want to see picture-perfect businesses or lives, because let’s face it, no journey is smooth sailing. Obviously only share what you’re comfortable with and don’t wallow in the negatives, but sharing when things don’t go to plan and how you learnt from it is a great way to let people get to know you better.
- Believe in yourself! Even when you get those lows, know that they are just temporary, and things will change. You’ve got this!
- And, of course, no list from me would be complete without my including a shameless plug to book a brand shoot with me. Having a library of images that are bespoke to your business and fit with your brand not only saves you time but allows you to showcase your products and services in a professional and engaging way!
To honour 10 years in business, I’m running an amazing competition, where you could win some fantastic prizes donated by local businesses, so don’t forget to enter using the following link.
https://www.ebmbrandphotography.com/ebm10
