4 Ways to Find & Book New Boudoir Photography Clients

Finding and booking new boudoir photography clients doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. Does it take work? Of course! Most things in business do. But it’s not impossible, and it doesn’t have to be something you constantly lose sleep over.

It just takes a little bit of creativity in your marketing strategy — which sometimes calls us to go back to the basics. That’s right; I’m talking about face-to-face marketing!

I know it’s scary, but know that when I’m saying “face-to-face,” I don’t just mean showing up in person on someone’s doorstep like a salesman. This can be in the form of emails and DMs, too! It’s really just a way of saying…you need to reach out and make connections with other people.

Whether you’re in the midst of a slow season and you need new clients ASAP, or you’re prepping your roster in case you do experience a slow season, the four tips I’m sharing with you today can help you find new boudoir photography clients.

Let’s get you the confidence to get in front of folks who can help you out and find quality clients you’ll love working with! 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Episode 57: 5 Must-Haves On Your Boudoir Photography Price List (The 2023 Beginner Guide)
• 5 Tips to Book Photography Clients Without Facebook Ads

#1: Make a List of 10-15 Businesses That Serve Your Ideal Boudoir Photography Clients

You’re probably so tired of hearing about ideal clients. I know I was early on in my business too. But it’s said so often because it’s HUGE. Every decision you make in your business should be based on your ideal client, no matter what. 

So getting in front of them is KEY. 

How do you do that?

Let’s say brides are your ideal client. Make a list of local wedding planners, venues, hair and makeup artists, and anyone else you can think of who is serving your ideal client — the bride. 

Or maybe your ideal clients are women around the age of 45, who typically book you for an anniversary gift. For this ideal client, make a list of fitness coaches, nurse injectors, LOCAL lingerie stores, etc. 

You need to be visible where they’re hanging out or spending their time. Staying visible is how you get booked. 

If you’re not really sure what a good starting point is, ask yourself: 

• Who is my ideal client? 
• What’s her career?
• Where does she spend her weekends? 
• Where does she like to shop?
• Where’s she spending her money (locally)?

When you know the answers to these questions, it makes it so much easier to start scoping out businesses that can potentially help you out. 

#2: Introduce Yourself to Each Business in a Way That Suits Them

I’m not saying you have to change your personality or brand to fit the businesses you could potentially find your clients at. But you do need to establish a face-to-face rapport, in a sense (basically — introduce yourself, whether virtually or FTF). 

I know, I know, it’s scary. But you want a successful business, right? To do that,  you have to put yourself out there. And sometimes that requires you to do it scared. 

The thing is, it’s just a few interactions, and after you built the relationships, they’re so easy to maintain. Speaking from experience, it’s hardly ever as bad as it seems.

And the trick to hitting it off is that there’s no trick at all. You just have to play it by ear with each client. Some will do better with meeting for coffee. With some, you can walk right into their business and introduce yourself. It all depends, and you’re just going to have to feel each different business out. 

But be aware that there will be businesses that may not want to meet with you simply because you’re a boudoir photographer. Others may ghost you totally. Don’t take that personally!

It happens, and some relationships take time to build. But you’re going for both quantity and quality here. You want to work with amazing businesses who also want to work with you. Keep going.

#3: Ask Those Businesses to Give Out Your Gift Cards

The third thing I want you to do is to ask the businesses you’ve met with to give gift cards to their clients after you meet with them — the clients who they think would book a session with you.

If each of those 10-15 businesses gives out 10 each, that’s anywhere from 100-150 potential leads for YOU. It may not always happen right away or in that high of a number, but it’s a great start to finding new boudoir photography clients. 

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A BUSINESS WITH GIFT CARDS?

Explain your business — what you do, why you do it, and what you want to offer the business’s clients.

This is why I like to offer a session at no charge to the business owner (if it makes sense and fits the “vibe”) and include some images when pitching myself. That way, they know exactly what they are gifting to their clients and can speak on experience. 

Just ensure they understand the monetary value of what you’re gifting them vs. what they are getting. That will help them gauge who to give the gift cards to. Basically, they’re pre-qualifying clients FOR you.

I usually offer these business owners a free session (one valued at $299), but you can do whatever makes the most sense for you financially and what will resonate most with potential partnerships. 

#4: Prepare For a Slew of New Bookings!

As I said, this system can, in theory, land you 100-150 potential new boudoir photography clients. This means you need to make sure your business foundations are in place. Otherwise, it’s going to turn into total chaos. 

First, you need to have your goals set. How much do you actually want to work? How much time do you have to work or take on new clients? How much money do you need to bring in? Things like that. 

Then, set your pricing based on those goals. I do this by setting a sales average goal based on my personal and business goals. And setting the prices this way also keeps you from being too salesy. The price is what it is, take it or leave it, but there are several options they can choose from so they feel comfortable.

Finally. lay out your session experience from start to finish so that it’s super streamlined, and so you don’t miss anything. Set up your workflows so that you don’t miss anything. This will set you apart from other photographers because YOU are thinking of every step, start to finish.

Not everyone is willing to go above and beyond for their clients like that. 

Even if you’re really busy, set this up BEFORE you ever start reaching out to other businesses for partnerships. That’s going to make your life so much easier because you’ll just have one thing to focus on — providing an amazing client experience!

Don’t Wait for a Slowdown; Drive Leads Year-round!

If you only get one thing from reading this, I want you to understand you HAVE to get out from behind your computer screen and meet new people. Meet other business owners. Meet your boudoir photography clients where they are so that you can get in front of a NEW crowd.

I’ve said this before, but it takes a thousand visitors to your website to book just ten clients. I know we’re not talking about a website right now, but that puts into perspective how many people you need to get in front of to book the number of clients you want/need.

That’s the most important thing I want you to understand. You have to get in front of these new people. 

If this episode resonated with you, then I’ve got something else I think you’ll love. My free one-page guide, 5 Tips to Book Photography Clients Without Facebook Ads, takes you through a few different ways to drive organic traffic. 

All laid out on one page, so it’s easy to follow. No expensive ads or complicated marketing here!

If you’re interested, be sure to grab your copy here!