Something I have noticed much more recently, is the influx of photographers who photograph many different genres, place it all onto one website and one social media account page. Whether it is a wedding, a portrait shoot, a fashion shoot, or even a boudoir based shoot and all in between.
Now, I understand how it can be easier and less time consuming to have a one stop shop for all of the Photography genres you Photograph, but think about this for a second. Are you able to market effectively to each clientele you are trying to attract while not turning others off due to everything mashed together?
If you answered yes to that question, you MAY, be correct, or you may not be!
Some genres of Photography go hand in hand and would work well together on a same website and social media account. Take for example, weddings, engagements and bridal portraits. These 3 genres flow beautifully together. On a website and on social media, because they are telling a complete story and narrative of a couples life together. If you are the lucky Photographer to shoot all 3 of these for a couple, this will ensure that you can tell that complete story, and that will entice further potential clients who will want you to do the same for them.
However, lets say you then add fashion and beauty work into the mix on this same website and social media, you are now adding an element that potential brides and couples cannot relate to, you are breaking up the harmony of those perfect story lives you have produced. Everything is getting less warm and fuzzy and confusing and messy.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT!!!
Here is my lists of what genres fit well together on a website. Some may overlap.
Weddings, Bridal, Engagements
Boudoir (I personally feel this should be its own site, but it can be mixed with Women’s Portraiture if you specifically specialize in this, but not on a Portrait site with kids and families
Portraits (all types), Event Photography (birthdays,bridal showers, parties,etc.), Headshots
Commercial and Advertising ( fashion/beauty, editorial , product photography, celeb or influential people portraits,
Commercial Real estate, Corporate Headshots, Landscape/Architecture.
This is my list of genres that can fit well together on your website. In their own tabs of course. And most of these will also look good on the same social media accounts, but not all! In some cases, you will need to have separate social media accounts for a few of these as well.
For instance, on #4 on my list above. Fashion/Beauty and Editorial work all look fabulous together on one social media account, but what if you also photograph product work such as cosmetics and beauty products? Or food? Yes, the cosmetics and beauty products are in line with the fashion and beauty images of models, but it is still different and should be treated as such.
So your Product Photography should have its own social media account.
Now I know at this point you are silently cussing me out and going, ‘‘ Dana, are you crazy!!!
More then one website and one social media account is going to be to much for me to handle’’.
I understand. I was the same way as well, but then I started separating certain genres I shoot and found that I could better market and brand myself to clients who were looking for one specific type of Photography and not come off looking unfocused, scatterbrained, and my hand dipped in way to many different cookie jars.
You see, when a client comes to your website or social media account, they want to see exactly what they want and need from you. If they do not see that or most of that within the first 5 seconds, they will move on. And if they see too much of many different things, they will also move on.
The key is to appear laser focused, exclusive and highly specialized in 1-2 genres of Photography. Not a jack of all trades. Even if you truly are, never come off that way.
Also, when doing marketing campaigns and networking, etc. Having certain genres together and others separate, means you can hone in better on who your target demographic and client is and ONLY focus on reaching them and not everyone else. This will help save you time and money weeding through the wrong type of client for you and your business.
Yes, it can be a bit of work maintaining an extra social media account, but this is part of the job. Marketing yourself effectively for success and not deterring people away from you.
I have personally spoke to clients about this to see what they think of both ways and many preferred the Photographer who did not have many different genres of Photography on one website.
ESPECIALLY commercial clients. They do not want to see the cute little family or baby you photographed last week next to a boudoir image you did of your neighbor, right next to a fashion image. DO NOT do this.
Wrapping this up now.
Just keep in mind the client experience is what it is all about. Not you per say.
Are YOU catering to their needs from start to finish. Even before the first contact? Are YOU showing them what they need/want from you in the easiest and quickest way possible for them?
If no, then it may be time to switch things up.
I challenge you to try things a new way and see if this enhances your business and clientele for the better.
It did for me!