When I very first started shooting here in Brisbane I was quite lucky to be approached by The Urban List with the offering of a freelance contract. This opportunity has since allowed me to connect with over hundreds of businesses and their owners through my shoots. So, my first bit of advice - get some beautiful business cards - the kind that people admire and like to hang on to and hand those bad boys out. Everytime I went out  to shoot a new opening, or a fresh or existing venue I’d make a conscious effort to get to know people and to make connections. I’d also leave them with a business card!

So what else from here you must be wondering? Well that’s the rewarding part about being a business owner, you see - finding clients is a mixture of, let’s be honest, who you know! So networking is always crucial but work smarter not harder here and be selective about your time and where it’s going. Secondly the other piece of the puzzle is that lovely thing called marketing. Marketing your business is supercritical when starting out and a side of my business I actually enjoy executing. There’s so many ways to market your business and attract clients, a few of my main avenues would be Instagram, my website, Facebook, LinkedIn, email marketing and the good old word of mouth! More about these soon.

Unfortunately you can’t always make clients come to you but you can believe wholeheartedly in what you’re doing, generating beautiful and genuine work that people can connect with - in turn leading them to you. That’s the real golden secret. I’ve found that slowly over time as I continue to build my brand and make a conscious effort to create photos and work that I absolutely love, people relate to their depth and meaning and connections slowly grow stronger. I’m a big believer that the energy and output you put into your business or trying new things, eventually has to come back full circle. At the end of the day we’ve got nothing to lose by releasing those intentions into the universe through our actions and hoping for the best. So, to my second bit of advice, know your why and continue to create - remember Rome wasn’t built in a day!

So back to marketing, you’re creating beautiful work and you’re sharing it. My question is, are you sharing that work consistently? Consistency is  the key and is such a visual representation of legitimacy and authenticity in today's digital age. Consistency also encourages your following and potential clients to engage and connect more. The more they’re engaged, the more people are noticing your work and the higher chance those interactions are probably going to turn into jobs. So many friends always laugh at me, saying I’ve “spammed their Instagram again” - but the truth is, Instagram actually brings me in so much work. It’a a visual platform and I’m a visual creator, it’s kind of a no brainer. Also, make sure potential clients are able to contact you for enquiries easily. I have a contact form on my website that takes the brainwork out of dropping me a line - make it easy for them!! So my third bit of advice, get on Instagram, be contactable, be consistent, get your work out there and don’t fret about holding back.

Collaborating with other businesses is a marketing tool that I tap into quite frequently! Whether that’s through test shoots, events or giveaways - there’s a range of ways. Our own platforms can only get us so far - but banding together always furthers that reach. When I collaborate with creatives or brands on test shoots there’s always 5+ people on my team or that I’m working with and that’s 5 new audiences that my work now gets pushed in front of that weren’t there before. Sometimes you’ve got to think outside the box for your marketing to set yourself apart from the rest and to reap the rewards. Collaborations are crucial for brand exposure and also for building your community. I think one thing I’m grateful for when reflecting on my business is the beautiful intricate and interconnected community I have around me. Genuinely investing in people is a tool and a support system - think of your community as a small web and the more people you start to get to know and weave together, the bigger your web gets. Now, think about those people and then who they possibly know? I’ll leave you to think about that!

Lastly - at the end of the day people are going to come to you for work because they want to work with YOU. Ultimately your business is at its core a representation of yourself as a person and what you stand for. So when I think about what convinces a client to hire me - It’s not me trying to selling them my services but what they’ve heard of me from someone along the grapevine or a particular range of my work they came across and resonated with, how I stand in the world in my brand and what I know I believe I can create for them in working together. My last bit of advice is to be your own hype girl or guy and believe in yourself - you’ve got to have that confidence so when a client does come to you - you know exactly what you’re going to help give them and they absolutely believe that!

So create meaningful work, put it out into the world, market your business consistently and on a variety of platforms, buy some beautiful business cards, be patient and don’t hold back! The right clients will find you for work at the right time! Oh and start building that community web!

Hope this helps!

G x