You’re here – again ­– burning time trying to figure out what to say.

You love photography and communicating through images. The words alongside your images are usually a second thought, though. The swiftly-typed icing on the post before you publish.

But sometimes, you really need your words to do something besides be the pretty, swirly frosting.

You need them to be all lined up like a little marketing army, finding clients and persuading them to book you without you lifting another finger. You want the writing to just be done already, so you can feel satisfied your message is getting across – and so you can get back to shooting.

Here are three tricks to help make your writing do just that.

Take the words right out of your client’s mouth
Slash out the word “fun” and replace it with “pinwheel picnic.”
Don’t pretend you’re foolproof if you’re not.
Learn how to write more effectively

Take the words right out of your client’s mouth

You might find yourself creating a marketing flyer, unsure what to say. You find yourself typing – then deleting – the same phrases you’ve seen everyone else use:
“Book now! Capture precious memories today! Have gorgeous images for your home!”

Your client ignores a few thousand messages just like that every day. So let’s sit in their computer chair for a moment.

What goes on in their head when they’re deciding whether or not to hire a photographer? Maybe:

1. My husband will hate every second. There’s no way he’d support this.
2. My kids won’t cooperate – they don’t even let me take pictures of them, for crying out loud.
3. I think my business needs to hire a social media strategist – there won’t be room in the budget for a photographer.  

Look at your client’s internal dialogue – then steal from it, word for word, when you’re writing headlines for your marketing pieces.

Call out exactly what they’re worried about, right in the headline, and show them how you’re actually poised to solve those problems. For example:

1. “The photo session even your husband will want to do again.”
2. “Happy Toddlers Photography: Cheerio-proof, meltdown-resistant, and 100% organic fun.”
3. “Photos get 53% more likes and 104% more comments on Facebook. Still think a photographer can’t do anything for your business?”

To that client, with those concerns? These words will spring off the page.

People are highly concerned with their own problems. Concerns, objections and “what-ifs” are at the forefront of their minds when they’re making decisions, because they’re trying to avoid losses at all costs.

So meet that concern head on. Speak it out loud. They’ll feel like you’re reading their mind – like you really get where they’re coming from.

The trouble is, when you sit there trying to make your photos sound beautiful enough to pay for, you sometimes spend a lot of time trying to convince people of something on grounds they’re not even concerned about. They probably already love your photos – it’s the hubby/toddler/business strategy they’re worried about.

So stop them in their tracks. Don’t try to pull words from the air – take the words out of their mouth and put them at the top of the page. Address the grumpy husband. Talk about the worries with kids. Prove the business case for hiring you.

They’ll think: This is exactly what I’m looking for. They get it. They know what I’m dealing with. I need them to fix this!

Slash out the word “fun” and replace it with “pinwheel picnic.”

The advantage you have as a photographer is that you’re selling emotion. The big things in life. Relationships, memories, connection – reflections of the only things that truly matter.

So you might be tempted to use words like “fun and memorable!” to describe your session.

But just because it will BE fun and memorable does not mean you should use those words to explain it to someone else.

The fact is, “fun and memorable” can sound kind of ho-hum and vague.

Different things are “fun and memorable” to different people. Skydiving. A Superbowl party. A quiet afternoon in the library with a friend. Painting a new house. Brushing your fingertips across the down-soft hair of a sleeping newborn.

“Fun and memorable” can cover any number of dissimilar things. How are they supposed to know what kind of “fun and memorable” you’re referring to, and whether or not that would actually be fun and memorable for them?

Here you are trying to sell them on a $1500 “fun and memorable experience” when they still don’t know anything about what it’ll be like.

So don’t just slap on the emotional labels – describe what actually happens, then let them draw the “fun and memorable!” conclusion.

How do you do this?

Cross out “fun” and give them an example of fun, instead. Like pinwheel picnics. Face painting. An hour with a glam hair and makeup artist, followed by an hour under flashing lights with their friends. Running on the beach. Tackling mommy and daddy from behind. Whatever concrete event your client can imagine themselves relishing.

If something truly is fun and memorable, that will be self-evident if you describe it well enough. Don’t force the emotional label upon them – let the emotion and anticipation fill them up by simply showing them what, concretely, they’ll experience.

But don’t pretend you’re foolproof if you’re not.

One thing that kills persuasion right out of the gate? Distrust.

No one on this planet has a product that is ideal for everyone, everywhere, all the time. And anyone who claims their service is flawless will be met with some level of suspicion. We know no one is perfect. If they pretend to be? We’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Acknowledging imperfection or circumstances beyond your control does not necessarily cast doubts on your professionalism. When done delicately, it increases trust by showing that you’re being completely up front with them:

“We’re not the right photographers for every business – we don’t produce traditional portraits for suits in front of bookcases. We’re too busy showing off everything else you do.”  

“Independence Day mini sessions, July 3^rd in the park! And if it quite literally rains on our parade? Well, we’ll reschedule for July 11^th. Hey, we’ll still be Independent then, won’t we?”  

Having a sense of humor about potential problems or areas where you can’t serve a client does more than just “manage expectations.”

By pre-emptively mentioning concerns a client might have (“what if we want a traditional portrait? what if it rains?) and redirecting their attention back to what you CAN do (create awesome environmental portraits, keep a reserved rainy-day date), you relieve them of the pressure of searching for the potential problems.

They drop their guard a little. “Whew, they got it covered. They thought about that already.”

By admitting you’re not bulletproof or that you can’t do everything, the client feels like they can trust you to give it to them straight. You’re not just a marketing huckster – you’re truly prioritizing their interests.

Use their own words to show them how you’ll solve their problems. Add concrete examples in lieu of vague words. Concede non-omnipotence to build trust.

Do these three things and not only will you “know what to say” more easily, you’ll also create a word cocktail that draws in clients – and their trust. Try it out!

Learn how to write more effectively

Did you enjoy these tips? You’d probably love Irresistible Words – a new course from Psychology for Photographers.

Irresistible Words is dedicated to ending head-banging among photographers everywhere by teaching them how to write more effectively.

Good writing makes marketing, blogging, website-making, Facebooking, emailing, networking, and nearly every other business task faster and easier.

The right words, when laid on the table with confidence, can do the heavy lifting for you – so you can focus on what you really want to be doing.

The first half of Irresistible Words shows you how to connect more deeply with your audience, enriching the trust and connection they feel with you. (Oh, and did I mention it shows you how to write a blog post in 20 minutes flat?)

The second half of Irresistible Words teaches you the nuts and bolts of persuasive writing, showing you exactly how to build information pages and pricing pages from scratch – without making you feel like you just swallowed an infomercial.

Wait… there’s more. Jenika, the author, has mentored dozens of photographers with their writing. She has coached successful job, grant, and Ivy League university applicants through high-stakes writing situations where standing out was a must. Irresistible Words basically hands you her toolbox so you can use it to achieve whatever you need with your business.

“How can I even start to sum up how amazing this course was – thank to you I have completely rewritten and renovated my website. Since then every single one of my inquiries has turned in to a booking.
-Caitlin McColl

Learn more at Psychology for Photographers.

Photo credit: Spencer Lum

1. Get a canvas.
2. Get some high-quality paint and a few brushes.
3. Dip the brushes in the paint and apply it to the canvas.
4. Repeat until the canvas is full.
5. Hang it up for people to see.

Rather, the conversation would probably center around discovering the answers to questions like: What ideas do you want the painting to express? What emotions do you want the viewer to feel, and what techniques will create that impact?

Of course, at some point, creating a painting requires getting some paint and applying it to a surface. But even decisions about tools and techniques are made simpler when you know exactly what goals you are trying to accomplish.

Similarly, when people ask, “How do I make a good photography website?” my answer is not going to be something like this:

1. Register a domain name.
2. Get a web host.
3. Choose a template.
4. Upload photos and add text.
5. Launch and invite people to look at it.

Yes, these steps are important eventualities. Yet many photography websites that stick closely to these five misguided steps will fail right out of the gate. The real questions that need to be examined in detail — what the website needs to express, and what specific emotions it needs to elicit  often are merely guessed at or skipped altogether.

Unlike a painting (or your photography), which may be enjoyed for purely aesthetic reasons, your website has a clear, actionable goal: to turn viewers into clients.

Visitors need to not just enjoy the site, they need to do something (i.e., book you) afterward. Therefore, much ground needs to be covered before you start talking about color schemes and logos.

Before you jump into the world of templates and web hosts, there are three major, well-researched decisions you should make. The answers may change over time, but skipping these steps is the surest way to end up with a confused, underperforming web presence.

#1: Who exactly are you talking to?

How many sessions can you photograph in one week? Multiply that by 52, and that’s how many portrait clients you can possibly serve in one year. For most photographers, this number will be 100 or less.

Whatever yours is, I’m guessing this number is far lower than the number of people who live in your town.

Don’t build your website as if you’re trying to attract everyone in the tri-state area. Build it for the 100 people who you would most love to work with.

Drill down and speak, with exquisite precision, to their exact questions, concerns and fears. If you do that, your website will convert visitors into clients at a much faster rate.

To actually do that, you need to know exactly who those 100 people are.

If you’re giving a speech at a physics convention, you might start by telling a joke that starts: “So a quark and a neutron walk into a bar … .” and the audience will respond with hearty guffaws, and then settle in with rapt attention.

Try that same joke at a high school assembly? Crickets. Followed by boredom.

Your website is essentially giving a speech on your behalf, but you don’t have a captive audience. If someone feels bored or uninspired, they can click away in a flash. You need to capture their attention by showing them immediately that you understand who they are and why they came to you.

As you get ready to build your site, don’t waste time looking at other photographers’ websites and don’t copy what you see them doing. Create a profile of your target client:

• Where do they hang out?
• What books do they read?
• Where do they want to be five years from now?
• What are they pinning on Pinterest?

Refer to someone who represents the 100 people you most want to hire you, and get to know them extremely well. No detail is unimportant.

Lululemon clothing company places employee stations strategically next to fitting rooms so they can eavesdrop for customer preferences.

If you understand who you’re working with, overhear what they like and what they don’t like, and know how they respond and what language they use with their friends, it enables you to present products and services that are exactly what they’re looking for — using language they understand, in a way that solves their problems. That combination is irresistible. When applied correctly, it results in better profits and happier clients.

If you need help creating your own target client profile, keep reading. There’s a great resource I recommend at the end of this post.

#2: What are that target client’s needs, and …

#3: How can you describe what you’re selling in terms of those needs?

Don’t sell yourself short by simply thinking, “Clients need beautiful pictures.” Nope, that’s why you need them. Take a step back and look at the wider picture of their life.

Let’s say you complete your target client profile, and find that she’s a 36-year-old woman named Lynda. She has a corporate job and two kids she feels like she doesn’t get to see enough of. Lynda drives to work and picks her kids up in a Prius, does all her holiday shopping on Amazon (she pays them to handle the gift wrap), and subscribes to Atlantic Monthly.

Or maybe your target client is Suzanne, a 27-year-old graphic designer who left her job last year to stay at home with two kids. Suzanne gets a lot of time with her kids and regularly posts blog updates for their grandparents. But she also craves peace, quiet and adult interaction.

She spends her spare time trying out DIY home decor crafts she pulled from Pinterest, subscribes to Real Simple magazine, and feels slightly guilty about how much time she spends on Facebook.

Even though both women are loving mothers who want pictures of their two children, you can tell from just a handful of facts that they’re going to express their immediate needs and pressing concerns differently. And you could attract one or the other simply by shifting how you describe your services.

Lynda craves downtime with her kids (see: corporate job); Suzanne needs a chance to get in front of the camera instead of always being the one holding the camera (see: mommy blogger).

Lynda needs you to handle all the session details (see: paying Amazon for gift wrap), while Suzanne would eagerly discuss every aspect of the shoot with you (see: looks forward to adult interaction, loves Pinterest).

Lynda wants to align her spending with her values, and will spend extra money on a photographer who uses sustainably sourced paper and eco-friendly packaging (see: Prius), whereas Suzanne is frugal, but will start making plans immediately when she sees a list of crafty ways she can use your images as she decorates her home (see: DIY crafts).

Even the exact same product can be framed differently depending on who you’re targeting. If you offer metal prints, you could showcase them to Lynda as a tasteful, subtle way to display her images at the office.

Suzanne, on the other hand, might be more excited if you showed her a picture of metal prints hanging in the bathroom above each kid’s towel hook  both decorating the bathroom and eliminating arguments about whose hook is whose.

Clients’ reactions to your website should be “this person totally gets me” rather than “oh look, another photographer.”

If clients see that you understand their life, anticipate their worries, share the same interests, and serve other people just like them, you’re going to immediately stand apart from everyone else. By presenting your services in their words and addressing their exact needs, in one fell swoop you will increase excitement and eliminate barriers to booking.

As you create a profile of a target client and tailor your website to them, don’t worry about excluding anyone. Chances are, if you create a photography experience just for Lynda that is time-efficient, family-focused, and eco-friendly, this will also appeal to a lot of other people. But focusing in and exploring the life of just one person gives you access to the kind of detail that helps you craft a stronger marketing message.

Think of it this way: The TV show The Office exaggerates all the loony, exasperating, funny things that happen when you work in an office. By narrowing down and exploring that universe, the creators were able to find gems of humor.

But the audience they attracted wasn’t just people who worked in offices; the characters were popular among all kinds of people. In the specific, you will find the universal. Zero in and study the exact person you most want to work with, and in the process you’ll naturally attract a wider circle.

So whether you’re grabbing a canvas and paintbrush, or a domain name and WordPress, take some time and think about what you’re trying to say with your work, and to whom you want your work to speak to.

Answering the three questions above will make downstream decisions about your website much easier, with the result speaking directly and powerfully to your ideal client.

How To Build An Absolutely Irresistible Photography Website

Want step-by-step help creating a thorough target client profile? And additional know-how about how to translate that into a fantastic, client-booking web presence?

That’s exactly what we’ll do together in How To Build An Absolutely Irresistible Photography Website (affiliate). This workshop in e-book form walks you through the exact information you should gather about your target clients, and helps you summarize it into an actionable website road map.

This e-book does not provide a cookie cutter template. Instead, it outlines the process for taking your business and tailoring your own website to match the desires of your target client.

As you walk through this e-book, you’ll learn:

• How to write and arrange your website so people take action
• Exactly how to talk online about your pricing
• How humans naturally view a screen — and how to use it to your advantage
• How to disguise key information in delightful ways
• What content people share with friends
• What memory research says about your navigation bar
• Unexpected ways to use galleries to show more than your portfolio

See What’s Inside