New ideas for new clients!
Grow your photo business with Design Thinking

As a photographer, you are often looking for new or "better" clients, right? You know the usual methods of acquisition, from cold calling to referral marketing. While these are important, sometimes they are not enough to ensure lasting success. You are missing that special something in your customer structure. What about using an innovative method? This is where Design Thinking comes in!

Design Thinking is an ingenious method for systematically tackling complex problems and issues that affect your customers. It involves putting the needs and wants of your potential customers at the center of your solution-finding process. You try to see the world through their eyes to understand their perspective. This method allows you to develop new products or services that will better reach and appeal to your target audience. Best of all, Design Thinking works especially well in a team, because you work together to find creative solutions. So maybe you have a colleague or assistant you can work with?

You want to get new customers - fantastic! Before you start, ask yourself what kind of people or businesses you want to attract as customers. Although customers are often difficult to understand, use your imagination to create a vivid picture of them: What is their education, personality, values, and environment? How does your persona like to spend his or her free time? Is he or she a numbers person or creative, does he or she prefer to drive a car or ride a bike? Dive deep into the details and write everything down. The more specific you are, the better.

Next, think about the needs of your target audience. Sure, you want to sell your photography, but it's important to understand what kind of services or products they really need in their business. What are their challenges and problems? What is your persona dealing with in their (daily) business right now, and what do they need? Exactly, it's about the real business need. And remember, if you want to sell post-production and visual design, your customer may just want a recognizable look for their business. As you can see, how you frame the conversation is critical to getting a positive response from your client. Take the time to document this important information in writing and write down everything you can think of - let your creativity flow.

Now let's talk about your portfolio and the services you offer as a photographer. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and describe your services as thoroughly and in as much detail as possible. Avoid vague terms like "reliable" or "creative portraits". Instead, focus on the specific benefits your clients will experience as a result of your services and the value you add to their lives through your work.

You've come a long way! To find out if your persona will respond positively to your portfolio and if your acquisition strategy can be successful, compare your detailed services to the needs of your target audience. To do this, change your perspective, put yourself in your persona's shoes, and look at your work through their eyes. Do you meet their requirements? Are you meeting their needs and solving their visual problems? If so, you're on the right track! If not, use these insights to further optimize your portfolio.

By going through these steps thoroughly, you will get much closer to your potential customers. You will understand their needs and be able to tailor your portfolio accordingly. It is well worth your while to do this role play. And once you have done it, regularly check that your target customers are still the same ones with the same problems and repeat the change of perspective. Use Design Thinking to discover new opportunities and become even more successful - right now!