How Photographers Can Leverage LinkedIn to Gain More Leads

LinkedIn is often underappreciated and overlooked in the creative community as a powerful tool for generating leads and building a business. Many photographers view LinkedIn as a platform for corporate job seekers and business professionals. However, if used strategically, LinkedIn can be a highly effective tool for photographers to grow their businesses. Here's how:

1. Profile Optimization

Your LinkedIn profile is like your online CV and portfolio combined. Ensure it is well-optimized to attract potential clients. Make your headline catchy and include relevant keywords like "Professional Photographer," "Wedding Photographer," or "Event Photography Expert," depending on your specialization.

Fill out your About section with a compelling story about your journey, your photography style, and what sets you apart. Include your skills, achievements, and even your gear. A well-detailed profile helps in search optimization and attracts higher-quality leads.

Many photographers don't have a descriptive enough LinkedIn profile to stand out from the long list of photographers who use the same keyword phrases, such as "Freelance photographers, working at self-employed, capturing memories...".

The list goes on, but the point is that you're shooting yourself in the foot by not taking those extra five minutes to write something concrete. Instead, add keywords and phrases like "wedding photographer for 10 years, wildlife photographer working around the globe, or seasoned high school senior photographer."

Recruiters, clients, and businesses rely on your About Page to give them a quick, easy-to-read summary of who you are and what you do. The first line needs to be a clear and bare-bones description of who you are. 

2. Showcase Your Work

LinkedIn allows you to share images, PDFs, and presentations directly on your profile. You can effectively use this feature to showcase your portfolio or a range of your work and products that you offer. This allows visitors to your profile to instantly see your skills and the type of photography you specialize in.

If you're looking for free, ready-to-use images, we have a section in our Customer Area where you can find images of all our products. Plus, you can also create your own images using our free mockups.

Click the link and go directly to the Customer Area! From there, you'll find the Mockups and Marketing Images in the selling tools section. P.S. You'll have to sign up & log in before you can access the Customer Area.

3. Use LinkedIn Publisher

The LinkedIn Publisher feature allows you to write blog posts using a free, simple-to-use platform, and the best part is that LinkedIn doesn't affect your post's performance since the blog doesn't send viewers away from LinkedIn. (LinkedIn is picky about external links).

Any content or posts with outbound links will not be promoted as much as content that doesn't. So the rule of thumb is if you don't have to drive traffic away from LinkedIn, then don't. You'll have a higher chance of getting more impressions.

In addition, you can also post any outbound links in the comments and not the main section of your post. This also helps to ensure that LinkedIn doesn't dock you for posting external links.

What to write about on LinkedIn

You can write about different aspects of photography, share your experiences from specific projects, or provide tips and tricks related to photography. This will showcase your expertise and attract potential leads by getting to know you through your words.

Avoid sounding technical; write about your experiences and what you liked and didn't like about your photo sessions. The more real and honest you are with your clients, the more they can come to accept you as a real person.

Many times, the best way to tell potential clients what you're about is to tell them your goals. Why do you do photography? What can they expect from you?

These sorts of questions and experiences also open the floor for their comments and suggestions, which drives engagement and blog success.

However, if you already have a successful blog going and don't want to invest time into LinkedIn's blog CMS, you can also share links to your photography blog instead. This is also a great option for marketing your brand and becoming known as an expert in your photography niche.

4. Network and Engage

LinkedIn differs from other social media platforms in that it's considered a professional networking platform, meaning that it's for finding work and clients. However, most people don't use LinkedIn's most important asset, which is networking.

LinkedIn is all about building connections and engaging with your network. Join photography-related groups, contribute to discussions, and share your insights. This increases your visibility and portrays you as an active industry participant.

Commenting on posts by others in your network can also increase your visibility. Be sure to share, like, and comment on relevant content. Remember, meaningful engagement is what counts, not just idle likes.

Another idea that'll help with engagement is that photographers, such as wedding photographers, send out invitations and messages to event planners/venues.

Unlike other social media platforms where directly messaging strangers is frowned upon, LinkedIn is about meeting professionals with similar career goals and expertise. By contacting business owners about your photography services, you're also opening that person to business opportunities. 

So it's ok to message people, so long as you're clear about what you're offering. Be sure to send a warm message that creates trust and confidence. Keep in mind that you might be messaging a stranger, and so you want to seem honest and trustworthy.

Take your social media to the next level

Keep an eye out & download our free PDFs to learn skills that will have a lasting effect on your business and give you the confidence to plan ahead. We often release PDF guides to go with our seasonal offers, so check out some our latest social media posts from time to time and don't miss out!

5. Use LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn's targeted advertising platform allows you to reach specific demographics, industries, and regions, providing a high level of targeting that can be beneficial for photographers looking for a particular type of client. You can use sponsored content, InMail, or text ads to promote your services.

One of the other great tools is to use Lead Generation Forms, which is another tool available through LinkedIn. This tool gives you a quick way to prompt visitors to download, register, get free products, and fill out forms.

With Lead Gen Forms, you can quickly make attractive forms that will give your clients clear and effective CTAs, they autofill information using the lead's LinkedIn account, and they're customizable. Design them to match your ideal client's demographics and increase your chances of finding the right clients.

6. Recommendations and Endorsements

Request that your past clients and professional colleagues endorse your skills and provide recommendations on your profile. These work as testimonials and can greatly enhance your credibility on the platform.

Although this seems like a small thing, a well-written testimonial can increase your profile's appeal by showing reliable social proof.

Social proof is one of the most important factors that buyers look at when purchasing products. If your profile looks new and lacks interaction with other LinkedIn users, clients will be more hesitant to connect with you. 

7. Share Behind-The-Scenes Content

People love to see the process behind the finished product. Share behind-the-scenes content to engage your audience and make them feel part of your creative process. This can help you to build a strong relationship with your followers and potential clients.

In addition, this kind of content is super useful because people instantly get a feeling that you're an honest and legitimate photographer and business owner. If you don't have any behind-the-scenes shots, people won't be as likely to envision themselves as your client or the couple posing for a shot.

Linkedin – Final Thoughts

In conclusion, LinkedIn offers several potent tools for photographers to grow their businesses. It's about understanding the platform's potential, showcasing your work effectively, and participating actively. It may take some time to get the hang of it and make it part of your marketing strategy, but the benefits you reap from LinkedIn will be well worth your time and effort.