How to Move from Small Town Photographer to Bigger Cities
With an action plan for photographers to build out their small town business
If You’re “Stuck” in a Small Town, as a Photographer/Videographer Here’s What I would do:
Once you’ve watched the video, this is an additional set of notes for my blog readers.
Start Small: There’s no shame in the game of a small town photographer or videographer. Start small and serve your community. Whether it’s a 1000 person town or 50,000 - starting small with a strong community can help build confidence faster than a big city.
Small Town Photo Reviews: Take advantage of the community aspect of small towns. Ask for the review on Yelp, Google and anywhere else that would bolster your business. Gathering positive reviews and making sure your website is key!
Build out your site: Do you have enough images, galleries, the right “about me” page and more? You’re not ready for bigger towns/cities if your website ins’t up to par. Before you’re going to bigger markets you’re gathering reviews, building out your portfolio and learning the ropes.
Sister City Training Wheels: By now you may be growing tired of your smaller business playground and that’s understandable. I would suggest picking a sister city or some place nearby where they are familiar with your market, they are close and it’s similarly small. You’re just learning how to move to a new market but it’s still very much like what you’re accustomed to. Think of this as your training wheels.
Repeat this process: Build reviews, build relationships, serve both areas. It should be plenty of work for you. If you’ve got your eyes set on a bigger city, then keep reading.
Stay in Place: You may be tempted to add another market since you’ve done
so well. Don’t do that. Instead keep serving both markets for another one-year. A good business takes time. This is where you start increasing prices because
bigger cities charge more. Are you charging enough? Do you know your prices well? BTW, my S.T.E.P. Pricing Course is made for someone like you, probably the best photography pricing course on the market. You can find that here
Take the 40% rule: Since I said you should stay here until you’ve mastered pricing, then I’d say aim for 40% booking rate, meaning 60% of your client meetings won’t book with you. Would you say that’s bad? No it means you’re near the 50% booking rate, it means you are charging enough so not everyone can afford you yet, and you’re not priced too low. If you’re at a 60% and above rate, then you’re priced way too low. If you’re in the 30% booking rate, then you’re way too expensive. Stay between 40-50% but closer to 40%. This is why I say to stay in this stage until you master pricing.
Now you may move to the big city: As you cultivate your photography skills and build a robust portfolio in your small town, consider leveraging these assets by branching out to larger cities. When you make this move, it’s crucial to maintain humility and a strong work ethic, ensuring that you bring something unique to the table—your small town charm and a sense of community that differentiates you from urban photographers. To increase your appeal, limit your availability in the big city to create a sense of scarcity that makes your services more sought after. Continue to expand your portfolio, becoming a photographer who is in demand not just in your hometown but in metropolitan areas as well. However, while expanding your reach, never lose sight of your roots. Keep favoring your small town as both your anchor and your muse, and turn it into a destination that attracts clients from the bigger cities. By doing so, you not only pay homage to your starting ground but also create a unique niche that can significantly enhance your visibility and profitability.
As a Substack subscriber, I wanted to give you a few extra steps after the original Youtube video. I’ll create another video that highlights all of these notes and provides further detail to help with your voyage. My Youtube channel is something you should consider following for more information.