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In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence and effective marketing strategies are essential for growing your photography business. That’s why I’m excited to share with you five proven tactics that will not only help you expand your email list but also elevate your brand and attract more high school seniors to your services. In this post, we’re diving into a topic that’s crucial for photographers looking to thrive in a competitive market… 

 

5 Tactics that WORK to get Seniors on Your Email List

Tip #1: Offer Irresistible Freebies

One of the best ways to entice seniors and/or parents of seniors to join your email list is by offering them something of value in return. We want their emails for future marketing efforts, follow-up, and client communication.

An attractive freebie serves as a compelling incentive for seniors and parents to join your email list which in turn gives you a chance to market your services and get booked. In a competitive market, offering an irresistible freebie sets you apart from competitors who may not provide such incentives. It distinguishes you as someone who goes above and beyond to cater to their client’s needs.

But what kind of freebies are most appealing to high school seniors?

The best thing you can do is brainstorm ideas for freebies and ask yourself three questions about your ideas…

1. Does it solve a problem for my clients?
2. Does it answer a question my potential client may have?
3. Is it extremely valuable to my ideal client?  Will they benefit from having this/using this?

If your freebie idea is a yes to all three questions, then that is a great freebie for your audience.

Be sure to cater the freebie to your specific ideal client. Use the freebie to help provide information that will answer a question, bust through a misconception, or help them overcome a pain point.

Some ideas for freebies are:

• a free style guide to help the seniors feel confident in their session
• Session planning guide
• Session packing checklist
• a posing tips guide so they can feel at ease during their shoot (which leads to great photos!), 
• or even a limited-time discount on their senior sessionBy providing something they find valuable, you’re not only incentivizing them to sign up but also showcasing your expertise and generosity.

  Through sharing your expertise and showing up consistently in their inbox with valuable content, you are staying front of mind for the subscribers on your email list.  That way when they are ready to book a senior session, who will they think of first?  YOU!!

  Sharing valuable information also enhances the perceived value of your services so that parents and seniors are more likely to share their positive experiences with friends and family, leading to word-of-mouth referrals. This organic marketing can significantly expand your client base and reputation.

Tip #2: Host an Exclusive Giveaway

Another idea to grow your email list is to host a giveaway. Make sure the prize aligns with your target audience’s interests. Then, promote it on social media, and consider collaborating with local businesses to expand its reach. Clear instructions and transparent rules are essential for maintaining credibility and trust with participants.

 

Tip #3: Create Compelling Opt-In Forms (make it easy to say “yes!” to your email list)

The design and placement of your opt-in forms can significantly impact your email sign-up rate. Make sure your forms are visually appealing, easy to find, and clearly communicate the benefits of subscribing. Use photos, your brand colors, brand fonts and speak directly to your ideal client in the copy.

Consider using an email platform that has beautiful templates for pop-up forms, slide-ins, or embedded forms to help you with stand out designs that will capture the attention of your ideal client.

A/B testing different variations can help you determine which ones resonate best with your audience by seeing which version gets more clicks or sign-ups.

And on that note, don’t be afraid to test things!  I have tried many different opt in forms as well as many different freebies to determine what works best for my audience.  If something doesn’t work, I try something else.  It’s all about being willing to look at the analytics, your specific ideal client and testing different things to find out what works best for your ideal subscriber and client.

 

Tip #4: Provide Valuable Content

In today’s digital age, people are bombarded with information. To stand out and keep subscribers engaged, it’s essential to deliver valuable content consistently. 

It’s also important to tell potential subscribers what that valuable content is so they know exactly what they are going to get by giving you their email address.  Be clear in what you will send, what your freebie will help them with and more. And most importantly, deliver this! 

The biggest mistake I made when I first started an email list was not delivering on my end.  I created a list, asked people to be a part of it and then dropped the ball when it came to sending stuff.  I only sent information when I needed something which is the worst way to use email marketing. 

You want to send out valuable information that helps your list.  You want to use this valuable information to nurture a relationship with the people on your list so that when you want to share an exciting announcement or special, they are actually interested in hearing or actually reading about it.

What do I say in my content?

Whether it’s educational blog posts, tips to help them prep for senior year, tips for senior sessions, model team information, behind-the-scenes videos, or highlights of senior photo sessions, make sure your emails provide value and resonate with your audience’s interests. And don’t forget the parents in your email content!!  You could run an entire email campaign directed specifically to the parents of a high school senior and provide valuable content for a parent!

Be sure to always include a clear call-to-action in your emails, prompting subscribers to take the next step, whether it’s reading a blog post, booking a session, visiting your website, or following you on social media. Tell them what you want them to do!

Then take a look your email performance metrics, such as open rates and click-through rates, to refine your content strategy and continually improve your email marketing efforts based on what is working.

 

Tip #5: Talk About Your Email List!

All too often I hear from photographers that no one is joining their email list or that they only have a few people on their list.  And my first question is….are you telling anyone about the freebie or the email list?? 

It’s easy to think that just because we create a great freebie, a compelling opt in form and have it on our website that surely people will enter their emails.  But unfortunately, it’s not that simple. 

As we have heard many many times, it takes someone seeing something over and over before they take action. Most of your potential clients are not going to your website every single day to see that opt in form to potentially enter their email address and get on your list.  So that means we have to consistently share about the freebie, share the benefits of being on our email list in order to get get people to join the list!  This is not a create it, post it and get results type marketing.  It is something we continually have to share about in order to grow it. 

Here are some ways to talk about your freebie and your email list:

• Social media – I know, I know I talk about social media a lot on this podcast but the reason is…because it is a great way to reach your target audience and tell them what you want them to know!  In this case, about your freebie and email list!  Or if you are doing a giveaway to get people on your email list as I mentioned above, share that on social!!  And this means at the end of your post captions, in specific reels sharing about your freebie, in your bio, in a highlight story under your bio.
• Email – in any email communication you send out have your signature share about your freebie.  
• Your website – This is obvious but have info about your freebie on your website with the email capture form.
• Pinterest –  Share it on pinterest so anyone using that as a search engine will discover your freebie, follow the link to your website, enter their email and get on your list!
• Blog Posts – add the freebie information and a link to the opt in form in all your blog posts

In a nutshell, anywhere you can advertise your freebie, gives you the potential to increase the number of potential clients that join your list!  The more that join your list, the more you can build a relationship with, nurture and convert into booked clients!!

Pro tip:  add talking about your freebie and promoting your freebie to your content calendar at least 2-3 times a week so that you don’t forget and it becomes a habit.

 

Grow Your Email List to Grow Your Photography Business

Building and growing your email list takes time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it.

Implementing these five tactics:

• offering irresistible freebies,
• hosting exclusive giveaways,
• creating compelling opt-in forms,
• providing valuable content, and
• fostering personal connections
  
  can attract more high school seniors to your email list. This will ultimately grow your photography business!