Ready to scale your photography business? Here’s why niching down matters, plus tips to help you find your unique niche.
When you’re trying to grow and scale your photography business, the pressure to “niche down” seems to be everywhere. Everyone and their mother is talking about how finding your unique photography niche is the key to success. While there is truth in that, how and when you choose your niche can make all the difference. And if the idea of narrowing your focus feels a little terrifying? You’re not alone.
As an experienced photography business owner, I remember how scary the idea of niching down felt in the beginning. The thought of being “picky” about which sessions to book and potentially turning away paying clients that didn’t align with my niche seemed risky and felt totally terrifying.
When I was first starting out, I did it all: weddings, newborns, seniors, families, you name it. But over time, I realized I was most drawn to the newborn and family side of photography. So I began slowly shifting my focus. It wasn’t easy, but looking back now, choosing a unique niche was hands down the best decision I ever made to grow my business. Now I am continuing to grow in my unique niche as a Minnesota/Wisconsin Newborn & Family photographer with a classic minimal studio photography style. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made the difficult decision to move away from wedding photography!
If you’re debating whether or not to niche down, keep reading. In this post I share why niching down matters, as well as tips to help you know when the timing is right, and tips for finding a successful and unique photography niche.
Why Finding Your Unique Niche Matters
You’ve probably heard this before, but when you try to be a jack-of-all-trades and cater to everyone, your business ends up becoming less visible and memorable. The goal with niching down is to help you stand out in a crowded market. By shifting your focus to a specific style and clientele or session type, you’re able to build a brand that is recognizable and uniquely you. By focusing on a specific niche within the world of photography, you’ll get to become an expert at what you do, which will start attracting your ideal clients!
5 Tips to Help You Choose Your Unique Photography Niche:
1. Timing Matters
You don’t want to limit yourself by choosing a niche too early into starting your photography business. When first starting out, I recommend taking your time exploring it all to figure out what you enjoy most. Take whatever business comes your way so that you can gain experience and continue to grow!
Once your business is steadily growing and you’re booking sessions more regularly is the best time to start thinking about narrowing your focus. Take your time to really get a feel for the type of work you’re loving most. Remember, there’s no pressure to figure it all out overnight! And you can always shift your niche again in the future if need be.
2. Focus on What You Love
What sessions are you loving the most? Who do you get most excited about working with? Do you prefer weekday studio sessions, weekend mini sessions, or weekends spent capturing couples on their wedding day? Take time to think through what is bringing you the most joy in your business. This will be the foundation for determining the direction you should go. (because obviously you want to be doing what you love when it comes to your business!)
3. Analyze Your Strengths and Style
Take a moment to review your portfolio. What stands out to you? Which galleries do you feel the most over-the-moon obsessed with? Is there a certain vibe that keeps showing up? Consider leaning into that style more!
You can also ask your family or fellow photographer friends what they feel stands out about your work. What words would they use to describe your photography style or key demographic? This can help provide you with more clarity of what your strengths might be.
4. Define Your Ideal Client or Audience
Think about who you love working with most. Who do you feel most passionate about serving? Do you love supporting couples on their wedding day? Or do you prefer supporting parents as they welcome their newborns? Do you have a blast working with high school seniors? Reflect on the people and stories that inspire your best work. Those are often the clients you’re meant to serve!
Once you’ve identified your target audience, you can take it a step further by creating an ideal client persona. This is a detailed profile of your dream client: someone who not only values your work but also connects with your style, process, and personality. Think about their age, interests, lifestyle, challenges, and what motivates them to book your services. The clearer you are about who this person is, the more focused and effective your marketing will be. This process will help you to tailor your messaging, visuals, and client experience to speak directly to the people who are the best fit for you! If you don’t follow me yet, take a peek at my instagram to see how I tailor my marketing towards moms in the busiest season of life by embracing the chaos and letting them know they’re not alone!
5. Look for the Unique Need in Your Area
One of the best ways to decide what direction to go with your business is by figuring out your target market’s need. What are the niches that are most in demand in your area? Are there a billion newborn photographers where you live but they all specialize in the classic posed studio sessions? Start offering in-home lifestyle newborn sessions!
The magic really happens when you find the overlap between what you are loving and skilled at, AND what is needed in your area. This is what will really help your unique brand stand out so that you start finding your ideal clients.
You’ve Got This!
Hopefully this blog post helped you feel a little bit less overwhelmed at the thought of narrowing your focus and choosing a niche. Remember, your niche isn’t something you have to figure out once and stick with forever. It’s totally normal for it to change and evolve as you and your business grow. Seriously, that’s part of the fun! Stay open, keep experimenting, and don’t forget to follow what actually lights you up.
Finding your unique photography niche takes time, so try not to stress or rush it. Focus on exploring different directions, figuring out what feels right, and letting things evolve naturally. And when you do make a shift, remember do it slowly. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. Building a photography business you love is all about the journey!
Have more questions about how to decide on a niche for your photography business? I would love to help! Book one of my FREE 15 minute mentor sessions where I go over anything and everything you’re interested in!
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