Last month I discussed the benefits of choosing a photography specialty. And while locking yourself into a few photography genres can ultimately help you direct your energy to a specific client base, it doesn’t mean you can’t expand.

Recently, I made the decision to expand my service offerings, specifically into video production. For the past year I had gotten several e-mails and calls about whether I offered videography services, and I would always have to turn them down.

By expanding your service line, but keeping your specialty within a few photography genres, you expand the possibility for income as well as marketability.

Look at Opportunities in Your Area

For me, it was clear that my clientele wanted me to offer videography services. Them contacting me directly about that told me it was an important expansion for me to make.

But sometimes it’s not so clear. That’s when you need to look at your local competition, and see what they offer…and what they don’t.

For you, it might be offering expanded print options, consultation services or gift product offerings. What isn’t being offered by your competition that you could potentially offer?

If you aren’t sure, reach out to your current clients, and ask them if there’s anything they wish you offered. If you aren’t getting any specific feedback, tell them what you’ve been thinking.

Research and Decide

When you ultimately choose to further look into offering a new product or service, you need to look at how feasible it is. What will it take for you to offer it? What new skills do you need to pick up?

Furthermore, what’s the cost associated with you offering these new products or services?

For videography, I knew there’d be an up-front cost. But I knew I could recoup that cost very quickly.

Do You Have the Capacity?

While you might want to become more marketable and offer something new, you have to look at whether or not you have the time or so to do it.

Maybe bringing on a second person to your team would work best, allowing you to offer your new service right away.

You also might consider partnering with another photographer, if you complement each other well. You could offer a certain service they don’t provide, and they could offer the service you want to provide.

Or, you might have the time to develop and hone your skills, and be able to offer the new service within a few weeks or months.

Conclusion

Every photographer who wants to make a living off of photography will ultimately experience some growing pains. You might be steady and retaining clients, but you want to take that next step. Offering a new service will allow you the opportunity to further work with your clientele, and potentially bring new opportunities to your photography business.

 

For more on Photography Marketing, see my weekly column.