Niche.

It’s one of those lovely little words that’s funny in almost every accent.

But whether you say it neesh (Hey, Brits!) or nitch (Whaddup, America!) matters not. What matters is that you find yours.

Why?

Well, let’s face it — you can’t be everything to everyone. Nor should you want to be!

Trying to appeal to every newly engaged couple out there would be exhausting and, honestly, not a good use of your time. But targeting a specific type of clientele? Now that’s where the money is.

Being able to find your photography niche is one of the most important lessons you’ll learn whilst establishing your business. That applies whether you’re a newbie professional photographer or already well on your way to a successful wedding photography offer.

In marketing speak, a niche is an opportunity; a space where your business can really make waves.

When you have a really clear idea of exactly who you want to market your photography service to   your business will become more effective. Simple.

Have you ever had to buy a Secret Santa present for someone you don’t really know? You have to take a bit of a stab in the dark, even with the best of intentions. So there’s a chance they’ll love what you get them, but there’s also a chance it’ll fall flat. Hello Christmas socks.

But, buying a Christmas present for a dear friend: that can be such a joy!

You have so many inside jokes, you know what color suits them, you remember that just the other week they mentioned how they had post-holiday blues after their trip to Mexico. You know them.

Suddenly, all this intimate knowledge opens up a huge opportunity space for you to work with. The ideas will come pouring in.

It’s exactly the same when it comes to marketing your business.

The more you know about who your end user will be (i.e. your photography niche), the more opportunities you have to nail it.

So, if you think that honing in on a photography niche will narrow your chances for success… then think again!

If done right, identifying specific photography niche will get you more followers on social media, more bookings in the calendar and more money in the bank.

Sound good?

Let’s see what you need to do to get there…

If businesses didn’t adopt unique selling points, every brand would be trying to attract the same customers.

It would be a mess.

So, first thing’s first, you need to work out what is special about your wedding photography brand.

One way to do this is to look at your core competencies; things that you can do better than other wedding photographers out there.

Are you willing to road-trip for bookings? Do you have a camper van you can drive across the States, slinging all your kit in the back to shoot in far-flung, remote locations? If so, this could be your USP. After all, not every other photographer will do this.

Let’s now imagine your USP is to be ‘the road-trippin’ wedding photographer’. Why should your potential customers care about this?

Well, for starters, you’f immediately appeal to a specific demographic of soon-to-be-weds. You’d be speaking directly to those who also have adventurous spirits, who are on the search for unusual experiences and memorable stories to tell. You may go so far as to target couples who want to elope.

Can you see how what you have to offer can lead you to a more specific audience of consumers?

Here’s another example: who do you have access to? If many of your friends work in a certain industry — fashion, for example — or are part of the LGBTQ+ community, this could be a very interesting place to start.

There’s few things more powerful than client referral in the world of weddings, so get your name out there as the wedding photographer for fashionistas or same-sex ceremonies, and you’ll know not only what you’re offering, but who in particular you are offering it to.

Once you’ve identified who you want to appeal to, you should draw up a consumer pen portrait, detailing who they are, what they want from their wedding day, how they are likely to feel during the organization and preparation phase for their big day, and so on.

Just like with the Secret Santa gift: the more you know about them, the better you’ll be able to produce a service they want and need. You can then use this pen portrait as the basis of all marketing messaging you then use to bring them in.

But before you go much further, you need to do a sense check, to make sure there aren’t already a ton of other photographers also targeting the same market.

How? Just head to Google.

Google’s External Keyword Tool gives you the power to search the web for niche ideas and keywords and see how many searches a certain term’s received in recent months.

Ideally, you want a keyword or phrase that has a minimum of 1000-4000 searches a month; not too many, but not too few either.

So, if you plug in your wedding photography core competency or network, say “LGBT wedding photographer” and it’s got a history of somewhere in the region of 2000 searches… then you’re in business!

That tells us there’s an interested audience. Now you just need to check how many other photographers are also vying for this photography niche.

You can also use Google to see this. Simply type your photography niche keyword or phrase in and note how many results are brought back.

If there’s over a million, that isn’t to say you’ve picked a nogoer. You just may have to find some additional attention-grabbing keywords to carve your unique space in the market.

So, let’s talk marketing…

Today most new business owners will go straight for social — and it’s a wise choice.

With 3.48 billion people now using social media, there’s a very good chance your niche clientele is on there too.

Breaking it down, here’s a checklist of how to use social media to attract a certain audience:

Use Keywords in Your Profile To Get The Right Attention

First things first, have you got a name and bio that clearly signals your USP?

Even if you’ve chosen to name your photography brand after yourself, you should still use keywords and relevant hashtags in your social media bio. This will make sure you appear in the right searches.

For example: if you’re looking to get into super high-end weddings, what words might those brides-and-grooms-to-be be using to look for inspiration online? Maybe #luxurywedding?

Using hashtags in your bio copy and social media posts is a great way to get in front of your photography nice. So, don’t ignore it.

Shape Your Posting Strategy Around Your Photography Niche’s Needs

Every post you upload should educate, empower and entertain your target market.

Education can be based around your offer. It could be an announcement of a new product launch, for instance — or anything from the world of weddings.

Remember who your specific photography nice is though: will they find this post interesting?

Why does it speak to them in particular, versus another type of clientele? And if it doesn’t speak to them, then why are you posting it?

Another benefit of really understanding your specific target audience is that you can empathize with them. What’s going on in their head right now? What are their biggest wedding day worries; what are they looking forward to the most about married life?

All of this minutia information will help you empower your target audience. This will then help to build an emotional rapport between the two of you. You can post inspirational quotes, share your professional wedding experience, help them shake off their worries.

As always, double-check with yourself that this particular style of storytelling will be appropriate for your photography niche.

You’ve also got license to entertain on your social media. At the end of the day, social media was built for people to connect on a human level. Don’t forget that! Posts which make your followers smile or laugh will not only show a human side to your business (a tactic that’s invaluable for building value) but will keep them coming back for more.

Use Targeted Ads and Other Promotions to Reach Your Photography Niche

Sometimes, there’s a shortcut worth taking.

And in digital and social media marketing, that can be partnering for affiliate posts with other brands appealing to the same niche. They needn’t even be other wedding vendors, although that can help too.

So, do you know any other brands targeted at your client base? Drop them an email today to suggest a co-marketing partnership!

Last but not least, it is sometimes worth investing in paid advertising through platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Giving a post a little extra boost can help extend your reach. These platforms are so sophisticated in terms of sales, you can now narrow down the exact audience you’d like to target, right down to interests and behaviors.

So, there you have it: why you should and how you can market towards specific photography niche as a wedding photographer.

If you’re looking for more business-boosting tips, check out our article on how to create an amazing relationship with your clients. A happy client leaves a great review, and great reviews bring in more business!

Best of luck!