In this toolkit I will show you my top essential services and tools that you need to start a photography and grow a photography business.
Of course that are more tools, services and strategies that you need to use.
We will talk about all this in the following days.
But let’s start first with what I consider essential for growing and success.
1. You need a newsletter
This is the number one service that you need to have. Even before a website! Why?
Because a newsletter can help:
- get new potential clients – acquire leads
- convert the leads into clients
- maintain relationship with clients and fans
- grow UNLIMITED your business
The biggest mistake you can do is to have a social media account, a website and no newsletter.
The newsletter is the most important asset that you must have.
So start a newsletter NOW!
My recommended service is Aweber because is very easy to be used.
It has automation, templates and AI writing ideas. And also is cheap and reliable!
This service will help you acquire potential clients. Without it don’t expect someone to contact you via Instagram just because they liked your pictures!
➡ My first tool of choice: Aweber
I’ll give you more points how to use it in the next days.
2. You Need A Website
You need a website to establish a strong online presence and showcase your work effectively.
🎓The website will give authority! Serious photographers and videographers have a website!
Having a dedicated website is crucial for building a professional brand, portfolio and credibility for clients and partners.
Be serious about your work.
Also using a website you can create landing pages with the newsletter form.
You can have something like this: Subscribe now and receive 30% coupon code for your next photoshoot!
I hope you now realize the potential of this tools.
My recommended services and tools for building a successful site are:
- SquareSpace – indeed you have all the tools you need for hosting a website and creating portfolio pages, services pages and landing and contact pages.
- WordPress software installed on your own domain and hosting company like Hostgator or Bluehost.
- For the WordPress to work you need two tools:
- Thrive Themes – a dedicated suite for building website, landing pages just la SquareSpace but dedicated to marketing funnels.
- Generate Press Theme – a beautiful all in one theme for a clean site and easy to use administration
3. Deliver Photography The Easy Way
After editing the photos from an event or a photoshoot, you need to have a digital method of delivering them. SmugMug is an excellent opportunity to showcase edited images to couples in a beautiful gallery. The days of delivering photos on CDs or USB sticks can be forgotten.
Fortunately, nowadays there are plenty of software tools available for wedding photographers. These tools can help them manage their time better. One of my favorites is SmugMug, which allows you to upload images into a gallery that you can customize according to your preferences. Clients can then select their desired photos and download them to their devices. From the gallery, they can even order prints, although this feature might be more challenging to set up in Romania.
SmugMug is designed for the social generation, where clients can leave comments on their favorite photos. Social sharing is integrated into the platform, and the gallery can be set as visible to everyone, visible only to those with a link, or you can set a specific password. The pricing is advantageous, and SmugMug allows you to upload an unlimited number of photos to their platform.
It’s an excellent way to showcase edited images to couples in a gallery.
➡ Tools of choice: SmugSmug
Alternatives and complementary:
- Google Photos / Google Drive
- Dropbox
4. Adobe CC Suite
Adobe CC suite is one of the best, even if we like it or not. There are alternatives but none is so well thought for speed and ergonomics. Indeed Adobe may be behind the speed of Capture One or other apps, but the shortcuts and the workflow is unbeatable.
Once you’ll learn it you’ll get the job done fast without thinking.
You need to learn at least these apps:
- Adobe Lightroom Classic And Mobile
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere
➡ Check it here: click here
Alternatives: Capture One (only for editing).
5. Photo Mecanic
After capturing an event such as a wedding, baptism, or civil union, the next step is post-processing. Any wedding photographer in Bucharest is well aware that after a typical wedding day, you can end up with over 5000 RAW photos. This means that every second is crucial when it comes to sorting through the unprocessed wedding photos.
Photo Mechanic, or a similarly rapid alternative, is an indispensable software tool for any wedding photographer. With this tool, you can efficiently evaluate all the event photos and select your favorites for editing in no time. Photo Mechanic expedites the initial post-processing like never before! This gives you more time to focus on the enjoyable task of actually editing the images. It is a must-have software tool for any wedding photographer looking to save time.
Perfect for viewing, organizing, and selecting your preferred files in RAW format.
This software will save hundreds of hours and wasted time.
➡ Test here for free: click here
Alternative: XnView
Bonus tools:
6. JPEGmini
If you post a large number of photos in your portfolio, you need software to reduce the size of the images. JPEGmini allows you to compress photos to the smallest possible file size without compromising image quality. It is one of the best software tools recommended for wedding photographers.
With JPEGmini, you can reduce the size of your files by up to 80%, while maintaining almost the same resolution and quality. This means that if you have a portfolio of wedding photos, you can upload them to your website, and it will load faster for potential clients.
It is excellent for compressing images for presentation on a website.
➡ Tool of choice JPEGmini
Alternative: FILEminimizer
7. You need a CRM if you go BIG
When you have a business, you need a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The purpose of the CRM system is to help you organize and optimize everything. From the booking process and contact forms to communication with customers, contracts, and payment reminders.
Options:
8. Other Tools
9. You Need Backup
You need backup. There are expensive solution in house. Like buying SSDs, HDDs, NAS server and so on. It takes time and money. I would go for a simple backup system that has a great price (this is what I’m using and it saved my life numerous times).
➡ Tool of choice: BackBlaze
My SIMPLE Choice If You Just Starting
- get yourself a newsletter service easy to use: Aweber for the win
- make yourself a website with services, portfolio, newsletter (of course), testimonials – the simple choice is Squarespace (more pricy on the long term I think), the next choice is WordPress + Generatepress and Thrive Themes.
1. Register for Aweber and make your first landing page (you can connect it to your social media profile – video soon)
2. Get Squarespace and choose a template (If you fill more advanced choose hosting, WordPress, Generate Press and Thrive Themes)
🔥 Instantly download this as a .pdf report for feature references: click here to download.
More to come
Tudor Mateescu
(the one who grows your legit business)