The absolute beginner who knows how to use social media to bring awareness to their photography business is going to crush it if you let them.

With this wonderful thing called the internet anyone can market themselves to be an expert as a Photographer. Meaning the kid that has an iphone but knows how to use Instagram (or any social media platform) can build a following and then post out to their followers.

It's kind of a joke.

I'm going to rant for a second because I want you to think about this for a second... since marketing is just a numbers game and some kid has 10,000 followers on Instagram what are the odds if he posts some picture with a caption saying "I'm doing family portraits now" he would get someone messaging him.

Well... It's pretty good.

Even though it is such a joke.

Your followers, the people that like you are very likely to use you. What do you think it would be 1 out 1000, 1 out of 5000. Who knows.

What I'm getting at with this is that a bad photographer may have an edge if this bad photographer knows how to market themselves.

Honestly, it doesn't matter how good you are at something if no one knows who you are. It's kind of like going to a job interview.

For instance, this one time I applied for this position that I was over qualified to get. I knew the questions that I was going to be asked before the interview.

Didn't matter though.

I didn't sell myself enough. Unless I went in for an interview with the boss I was working for at that time there was no way I was going to get that job.

With photography you are competing with everyone. The good photographers, and the bad.

The bad photographers that are good marketers, the good photographers who are bad marketers and every skill level in between.

I want you to be a great photographer and a great marketer.

Let's try that. How could you be stopped?

So yes, bad photographers are thriving because there are not enough good photographers that are good marketers. You may be asking what can I do to start standing out amongst my peers and get the sales I deserve?

The best way is to provide value to people using a social media network that your perfect clients hangout in. Teach people why they should use you when they want family portraits. Why they would be making a mistake if they chose someone else.

Just like the referral method of getting photography sales, people like buying from people they know.