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A photography agency is a specialized company which focuses on managing and promoting the creativity and talents of the photographers that they work with. Photography agencies take a fee for their services but they can help to establish photographers in the industry, negotiate deals and contracts while increasing their income and building their brand.
Photography agencies may work in a narrow genre of photography, such as a fashion or product photography, while others take a broader approach and represent a wide range of photographers.
As a working photographer you have to learn to juggle a whole range of promotional, marketing, financial and planning jobs all while you try to keep your focus on the photos themselves! When you work with a photography agency they take a lot of the burden off your shoulders and allow you to focus on what you do best – taking photos!
What Can A Photography Agency Do For You?
Photography agencies work to promote the photographers that they represent, however, there are many different aspects of their services; each of which can be vital to your success in the industry and when taken together can be a great prospect for any working photographer.
Photo agents will work closely with you to help guide your career in the direction you want to take it. They will also give you tips and advice based on their experience in the industry.
A Photography Agency Will Act As Your Personal Sales Manager.
One of the most important things that an agency can do for you is to boost your sales of photography in all its forms; so whether that’s prints, licenses to your images or photo books and other products, they can seriously increase your reach.
Your photography agency is not only running their own business but they have partnered with you and have a seriously vested financial interest in seeing you succeed. Remember, they take fees for the sales they manage to create on your behalf so you can trust them to do their best.
A photography agency will use all their connections with publishers, galleries, businesses and clients to promote your work and help to increase your sales. You can still maintain control of your work and will always have the final say before your images are sold on license or made into photo books.
Marketing Managing Experts.
When you choose to work with a photography agency they will create a powerful marketing strategy to boost your sales. This can be a very difficult thing to do if you were working on your own while trying to handle your clients and stay up to date with the other aspects of your business.
The better agencies have dedicated staff who have the experience, insider knowledge and expertise to help your work get seen by the right people. The agency will discuss your potential budget with you and then analyze the best strategies to use in their marketing campaign on your behalf.
They will do the research, make recommendations and put together a unified marketing strategy that will encompass emails, direct mail promotional materials, portfolio exhibits and placements in the media. If it is appropriate your photography agency will also arrange unique networking opportunities for you and produce interviews for top websites.
Your Photo Agency Will Act As Your Personal Social Media Manager.
Social media has never been more important to promote your brand so having some professionals on the case for you can be a huge help. They can use your social media profile to tell the story behind your work, promote upcoming events and advertise your services – all while you work on your own photography without the headache of answering posts and keeping up to date with your followers.
Your photo agent will not only be working through your social media on your behalf but they can also teach you the most effective ways to use these powerful tools as well. They can give you guidance as to the best types of ‘voice’ to use in the posts that you do make and show you how to construct an integrated social media profile which delivers your message and increases your reach.
Can Help You Through The Hard Times.
Every photographer or creator will face tough patches during their career and when this happens there’s nobody better to speak to than your agent! They have seen it all before and will be able to give you great advice that you can act on to turn things around or get through the challenges. They will be there to listen whether you’re fretting about taking a new direction in your career or even if you just need to vent a little bit when frustration gets the better of you!
The Agency Can Assist With Editing.
When you’re putting together an exhibition, a portfolio or materials for sale or marketing, it’s always good to have a second pair of eyes to have a look over your choices. A photography agent is highly experienced in this field and has a natural feeling for what will work and what won’t. This doesn’t mean that they’ll sit in the editing suite looking over your shoulder but they can give you advice and helpful tips as to what will work in terms of marketing relevance.
Photography Agencies Are Schedulers And Project Managers.
You will be working very closely with your agent and so it’s only natural that they will help with scheduling and managing the various projects that you are currently working on.
Agents are expert planners and can help to clarify and order the things you need to do into coherent lists of priorities. This will free up more of your time and stop you feeling so overworked.
Your photography agency can help with your website, send emails, post on social media, schedule trips and events for you and make logistical arrangements on a daily basis!
Who Do Photography Agencies Work With?
As a photographer it can be difficult to land the clients you deserve because no matter how good your work is, if you don’t have the connections and networks to tap into then you may miss opportunities that you could have used to get ahead in your career.
An agency representative acts as your personal liaison between you and potential clients to open up doors and opportunities that you might not otherwise have had. Photography agencies can help you to forge vital connections that can lead to fantastic clients and career progression.
Photography agencies work with a huge range of people to match photographers with clients who need their expertise. Agencies work with, among others:
- Corporations and Businesses.
- Visual media and film studios.
- Advertising companies.
- Magazines and Newspapers.
- Celebrities.
- Music industry executives.
All of these avenues offer huge opportunities for photographers and if you find the right photography agency they can connect you with important people in these industries. This type of access is almost impossible to generate on your own, especially when you’re working hard to run your own business; and so the services of a good agency can be priceless.
What’s The Difference Between An Agency And A Photography Business?
A photography business can cover a wide range of genres but essential it is involved with producing photography for its clients. A photography business may have many photographers working for it but they work as a team to produce the results that the businesses’ clients are looking for.
For example, a photography business may specialize in wedding photography, and even though there may be a crew of people working at the events they work together to create the results. The business must handle every aspect of their work as well; so it is responsible for its own team to cover the photography, the marketing, promotion, networking, scheduling and future strategy creation.
A photography agency on the other hand, specializes in connecting photographers who have their own businesses, practices or studios, with potential clients to help them grow in their career. The agency will then take a fee for their services so you should both benefit from the relationship.
Be aware that there are many different ways that you can set up a professional working relationship with your agency so think carefully before you sign any contracts.
The Right Photography Agency Can Transform Your Career.
When the chemistry is right and you find an agency that works well with you, specializes in your niche and has great connections in the industry, it can have a massively positive effect on your career.
Your agent will be there to have your back, help you with marketing, promotion and social media branding while leaving you with more time on hands to focus on the photography itself! The photography agency can deal with a lot of your paperwork, scheduling, contract drafting and invoicing although you will still be expected to remain proactive and continue your usual networking practices.
Ultimately, when you work with an agency it is a collaborative effort and so if you put your best into the situation you can end up with some amazing results; and with some hard work, in no time you’ll find that your career is reaching new heights in the competitive photography industry.
Are you planning on hiring a photography agency?
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