The Three Things You Must have to Build a Six-Figure Photography Business
Hi, I’m Sandra Coan.
I’m an award-winning photographer, industry educator and best-selling author obsessed with helping other artists build profitable photography businesses.
You see, when I started my photography business back in 1999, I had NO idea what I was doing, and I had no one to ask for help.
I knew I was a good photographer, but I didn’t know the first thing about running a business.
As a result, I made a lot of mistakes. And those mistakes almost cost me my career.
By 2007 I was frustrated, burnt out, and broke.
In fact, I almost quit.
But instead of quitting, I decided to educate myself.
I learned about branding.
I learned about marketing.
And based on what I learned, I created a framework that I used to save my business and grow it into the multiple six-figure career I have today.
I want to share that exact framework with you! So keep reading!
Let’s be honest
Photographers love to talk about how saturated the photography industry is.
And they believe that because there are SO many other photographers, it’s hard for them and their business to stand out.
Well, guess what?
They’re right!
Right now, there are about a million other photographers all trying to do the exact same thing as you. And most of them are going about it in the exact same way:
Without a plan.
Here’s the truth
It doesn’t matter how saturated the industry is. It doesn’t matter how many other photographers are doing what you want to do.
And it doesn’t matter that many of those photographers charge less than you.
Building a profitable photography business is absolutely possible, BUT it requires strategy.
And you are not going to learn this strategy by crowdsourcing business advice from strangers on the Internet or spying on your competition.
In my intro, I mentioned that I developed a system for my business that helped me go from broke and burnt out to multiple six-figures.
And that’s what I want to share with you today.
Now listen, these are simple concepts, but just because they are simple, doesn’t mean they are easy!
So if you need help or have any questions, please ask!
You can find me on Instagram @sandracoan. Send me a DM!
Clarity
Clarity is the first step to building a six-figure business.
Why? Because having CLARITY is how you build a strong brand. And having a strong brand is the foundation for having a profitable business.
You can not have one without the other.
To gain clarity in your brand, start by asking yourself, what makes you and your work unique? What passions and special talents do you bring to your photography? What makes you different from the rest? What do YOU do that no one else does?
And before you tell me that there is nothing about you and your work that is unique or special, let me remind you there is not another person on the ENTIRE PLANET that can see something the exact same way that you do.
We all have unique ways of seeing the world.
And capturing YOUR way was probably what inspired you to pick up your camera in the first place.
So lean into it!
Communication
When running your own business, good communication is what will make or break your marketing efforts.
Good communication enables you to share your unique point of view as an artist with your potential clients in a clear and straightforward way.
It’s how people learn about your brand and it assists you in building a marketing strategy that converts those people into paying clients.
Good communications start with knowing who you serve and creating a strategy that helps you speak directly to them on all platforms, including your website, your social media, and in your email marketing campaigns.
Most importantly, good communication requires a plan. Which is exactly what I teach the photographers I coach in my Six-Figure Studio program.
Without a plan, your messaging gets lost and your marketing efforts will fall flat.
Consistency
If clarity is the foundation of building a strong brand and business, then consistency is the cornerstone.
Without it, everything else falls apart.
Consistency in your marketing, your work, your session flows, your client onboarding and your post-production routine help with efficiency.
And when you run your own business, efficiency is the key to profitability.
Consistency also positions you and your business as trustworthy in the eyes of your clients.
And people like doing business with brands they trust.
Building systems to maintain consistency in all areas of my photography business is what helps me build it to multiple six-figures! And again, this is what I teach inside of The Six-Figure Studio.
Ready to learn more?
The doors to my FREE 60-minute training, "3 Steps to a 6-Figure Photography Business" are now open!
In this training, you will learn the most common business mistakes photographers make and how to avoid them. And I’ll go into detail about the Six-Figure Photography Framework that I outlined above.
I also share information on my group coaching program The Six-Figure Studio!
Sign up today while the doors are open by clicking on the button below!
