Dear photographer,
I hear you. It feels like there are more people in photography than ever before, and because you’re landlocked (unless you’re lucky enough to be a destination photographer), you might be feeling a little, er, hungry for client leads. Enter: the lead magnet. Today we’re going to cover five lead magnet ideas specifically for photographers like you!
A lead magnet turns visitors to your website or social media page into warm(er) leads. You can use a PDF guide, a mini-course, downloadable assets or Canva templates, and more. Lead magnets are intended to help you get contact information and consent from users who may be interested in your photography but aren’t yet ready to commit to inquiring a session with you. This triggers an email automation (or at least adds the contact to your email list) so you can keep in touch. Email automation allows you to initiate intentional touchpoints with potential clients instead of hoping they’ll passively run into your most recent carousel post on Instagram.
Many clients experience anxiety about how to prepare for a photoshoot. Use a pre-photoshoot checklist to clear up any anxiety about beauty rituals or clothing choices to make before getting a photoshoot. It also gives clients an idea of your personality as you provide all the tips they didn’t know they needed! You could use a one-time PDF delivery or an entire email sequence to deliver this lead magnet idea.
A posing guide is a GREAT lead magnet idea for photographers who are niched into a particular photoshoot type, like brand photoshoots, couples, or maternity. Make sure you niche your posing guide even more by distinguishing who it’s “for,” such as “Free Posing Guide for an Engagement Session” or “10 Brand Photoshoot Pose Ideas.” If you’re a photographer also trying to attract other photographers so you can sell a Lightroom preset or other photographer tool, this doubles as a freebie for fellow photographers, too!
This might be one of my favorite lead magnet ideas for photographers because it’s such a great way to give people a preview of what it would be like to work with you. Do you have some secret sauce for helping people relax in front of the camera? Share your secrets in a PDF guide or email sequence where you coach clients-to-be through mindset shifts that will help them relax on photoshoot day.
This one is great if you are geographically-centered in your business. Are you a wedding photographer? Make a list of local wedding venues and all your favorite parts about them (with special emphasis on the photo ops at each venue). Wedding photographers can also provide a master list of their favorite vendors for different wedding needs. Do you specialize in family photography? Provide ideas on how to prepare for an in-home family shoot. Got a list of favorite local restaurants or coffeeshop spots for a couples’ shoot? Share the details! Now your lead is excited about you and all of the fun ideas you have for their shoot.
Especially if your photography business has niched down into a particular style of photography, like weddings, boudoir, or maternity, style guides make great choices for lead magnets. Use a tool like Canva to build a customizable templates for clients, OR provide a ready-made deliverable with inspiration photos, colors, and outfit ideas for different photoshoots.
A bad lead magnet is a lead magnet that 1) never comes to life and 2) has no follow up. Spend one day creating your actual lead magnet content, and spend another day or two making a plan on how you’re going to follow up with users. The easiest way to do this is typically email marketing. Email marketing platforms can feel a little expensive for very small businesses, but think of it this way: if you landed one client this year because of your lead magnet/freebie sequence, would it be worth it? Probably!
Alayna Rolling is the owner and lead designer at Chapter House Design, a website design business with a mission to create timeless, strategic websites for business that endure. When she’s not busy creating websites or blogging, you can find her reading, cooking, or spending time outdoors with her husband, Caleb.
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Alayna is a marketer, a designer, and a lover of storytelling. She reaps joy out of nothing more than helping business owners tell their story through beautiful brands and websites.