There are two important things most photographers forget to do when coming up with their business plan, designing their website and other promotional materials. Actually, I couldn’t find a single photographers portfolio I felt was doing a good job addressing both these issues. They forget to define their USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and they forget to tell their potential customers what their USP is.

When potential clients are deciding whether or not they should do business with you, it is very likely that they are also considering your competitors offerings. If neither one of you provide the client hunting for a good photographer with a good reason to pick you, it will all come down to price, and you don’t want that, do you?

In short, your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, is what clearly answers the question everyone shopping for a photographer would like the answer to, “Why should I pick you as my photographer instead of your competitors?”. Your USP should be the basis of all your marketing and promotional efforts. It should be clearly stated within seconds after looking at your website, your hard-copy portfolio or promotional brochure.

Developing Your USP

So how do you determine what your USP is? First you have to look at what separates you from your competitors. The fact that you consider yourself a better photographer than your competitors is all relative, as the potential clients might see you all as the same. You need to offer something else.

• Do you offer in-house printing?
• Fast turn-around on delivering final images?
• State of the art studio?
• Professional make-up services included in the price?

It might be the case that all the other photographers offer the same, but if you’re the only one advertising it, your one step ahead.

Take Your USP One Step Further

Your USP is not very good if your competitors can easily copy it. Many prefer to call it their Sustainable Competitive Advantage. This is the one reason why it doesn’t work to position your business to compete on price – it can be so easily copied.

With so many photographers entering the market these days, it is important for your business to define a position and own it in the mind of the consumers. This doesn’t of course mean that you can’ do anything else, you just specialize in one thing. For example, if you live in a fairly big city, rather than doing portraiture, focus on doing stunning executive director portraitures, ready to go into whatever business magazine people are reading these days, to make that specific executive look like one hell of a guy.

“Don’t try to be a jack-of-all-trades; you’ll end up a master of none. Define your sustainable competitive advantage and give it a great tagline” – Sarah Petty.

Using Your USP

The final step once you have a clear USP is to make sure that everything you do to promote your business is working around your USP. If you’re into some children photography niche, have a colourful website and studio with lots of happy smiles all over the place, make sure you mention the word fun and smile all over the place and always push your USP – that you’re the number one person in child photography (but, you can also do other things if they take the time to explore).

Remember, if you can’t find out what sets you apart from your competitors, it is very unlike that your potential clients will.

6 Tips For Brainstorming

1. Always carry around a creative journal. You never know what might come up, that you should be writing down.
2. Ask your friend and family, what sets you apart.
3. Ask previous clients.
4. Find out where you do your best creative thinking. Me personally have the best ideas when I’m in the shower or jogging. What about you?
5. Read magazines and photography blogs. What sets other photographers apart?
6. Subscribe to this blog – we keep serving you great tips to improve your photography.

Now a little challenge for everyone. What sets you apart as a photographer? If you’re not at the point where you offer your services yet, what do you wish to set yourself apart with the day you go professional?

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