How To Attract Portrait Clients In The 21st Century

One in every 8 marriages today is between people that met online.

Yep, dating sites are hot. In fact if you look at the statistics, you quickly realize that this is a very good industry to be in.

Online dating is a $1.049 billion per year industry, with the average online dating user spending $239 per year.

eHarmony has over 20 million members; Match has over 15 million users.

While eHarmony and Match are the big sites in the field, hundreds of other sites exist for more specialized services.

Whether you have used dating sites or not, its easy to realize that you need two things to be successful in the online dating world:

1. A great write-up for your profile

2. A great photograph

And unfortunately, most people have trouble with two things:

1. Writing up a great profile

2. Taking a great photograph

Which is where opportunity lies for the photographer.

While other photographers are trying to ignore the online world, and keep a client from posting images on places like Facebook, eHarmony and Match, why not specialize it and make that your business?

Become A Profile Photographer

Becoming a profile photographer can give you just enough of an edge to separate you from the portrait photographers. While others are trying to sell large prints, frames and albums, you concentrate on creating the best images possible for the online world.

You can start with simple sessions – one clothing choice, a few portrait poses on a standard backdrop – and can quickly move up from there to include multiple clothing changes, hair and makeup, even multiple poses on a variety of backgrounds.

The difference between a profile photographer and a meet up or social photographer is the eye for detail. Your job extends beyond taking a few quick portraits. You also offer a service to create the best profile possible for use on dating sites, without using too much creativity or Photoshopping techniques to make the person appear differently then what they are. Put the focus on enhancing their natural beauty. Put the emphasis on letting their true personality shine through.

Join A Program

Not quite sure what to do or how to do it? Join a network of photographers.

Look Better Online is an online site dedicated to helping people look their best online. It’s gaining quite a bit of traction in the dating community, and it helps sell the idea of moving beyond the quick point-and-shoot profile images, and spending a little extra to put your best face forward.

With the marketing done for you, you can add your name to the growing list of participating photographers, and share in the traffic and profits this site makes.

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clientexperience@todaysgrowthconsultant.com' About Virtual Photography

We're the co-founders of VirtualPhotographyStudio.com and have been writing on this blog since 2004. We started Virtual as a way to help photographers stretch beyond a part time income, and develop strategies to become a Five Figure Photographer or a Six Figure Photographer. Ultimately its all about lifestyle, and if your goal is to live as a photographer 24/7, we think you should have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Welcome!