Learning how to grow a photography business email list is essential to growing your business. To build a loyal audience, promoting their products or services, and increase their sales; if you haven’t checked out our blog post on why you need to build an email list as a photographer, you can check that out here.

However, getting people to give you their email addresses is only the first step in email marketing success. Often leaving people needing help moving forward. Therefore, Offering a valuable freebie is an excellent incentive for people to sign up. This blog post will guide you through the process of how to create the perfect freebie to build your email list for your photography business.

What is a Freebie?

A freebie is any digital or physical product or service you offer for free in exchange for someone’s email address. Freebies can be in the form of e-books, videos, templates, checklists, webinars, or any other valuable content that your target audience will find helpful. The key to creating the perfect freebie is ensuring it aligns with your audience’s needs and interests.

How to create the perfect freebie to build your email list for your photography business

Step one: identify your audience’s pain points.

To create the perfect freebie to build your email list for your photography business that genuinely resonates with your audience. It is crucial first to identify their pain points. This requires conducting thorough market research and surveys to understand their needs and interests deeply. Therefore, By listening to your audience, you can gain valuable insights into the challenges they face and the obstacles they encounter daily. With this knowledge, you can create a freebie that addresses these pain points and provides real value and practical solutions.

Remember, the key to creating a successful freebie is to offer your audience something they genuinely want and need. And this can only be achieved by taking the time to really get to know them and their unique needs and challenges. You can gather this research by asking people on your social media, interviewing past clients. Or even looking at frequent questions you get from your clients. Have you had more than one client ask about local wedding venues in the area? There you go; they are looking for a list you can provide them in exchange for an email from your website.

Step two: Finding your format

When deciding on a format for your freebie, it is essential to consider your target audience. Think about their preferences and what they find most engaging. For example, if your audience enjoys visual content, you could create a free checklist or infographic to accompany your offer. Alternatively, if your audience is more focused on in-depth analysis, you might consider offering a white paper or e-book. Whatever format you choose, make sure it is easy to consume and aligns with your audience’s preferences. This will help ensure that your freebie successfully attracts and retains potential customers.

Step three: Clear and actionable

It’s essential to create a freebie that is not only valuable but also actionable. This means that it should provide clear and concise steps that your audience can easily follow to apply the knowledge they have learned. For instance, you can include detailed case studies, step-by-step guides, or interactive quizzes that help readers understand and implement your tips. Consider providing additional resources or tools to support their learning and growth. Doing so can create a more comprehensive and engaging experience for your audience, which can help build stronger relationships and drive more conversions in the long run.

Step four: Provide a quick win

When creating a freebie, it’s essential to consider what your audience wants and needs, returning to those pain points. By providing them with something that offers a quick win, you demonstrate your expertise and show them that you genuinely understand their pain points. Although, This can feel counterintuitive. Giving your audience free tips or tools to achieve something without having to pay you for it. But what this does is help establish trust and make them more likely to reach out to work with you in the future. Especially if they realise that they don’t want to take the time to do it themselves, but now they know (thanks to your resource) why they need it!

Some email list freebie ideas for your photography business:

If you’re a wedding photographer, here are some ideas:

A wedding planning checklist
A list of unique wedding venues in the area
A list of wedding vendors in the area
A guide to Choosing the right photographer
A list of a wedding day emergency kit essentials

Ideas for family/lifestyle photographer, here are some ideas for your email list freebie:

A guide to taking better family photos
How to plan for a family session with kids (routines, bedtimes, keeping them engaged)
A list of creative photo prop ideas for family sessions
A checklist for preparing for a family photoshoot
A What to Wear guide
A list of fun family activities to capture in photos

For an elopement photographer, here are some ideas for your email list freebie:

A Guide to Planning an Elopement
A list of unique elopement locations in the area
A list of elopement vendors in the area
A guide to getting the proper permits (make sure you say that you handle this in your sessions so they don’t have to)
If your audience is really focused on the impact of the environment, create a guide on creating a zero-trace wedding.
If your audience is ditching traditional weddings to create something more them, a guide on how to infuse their personality into their wedding
If your audience wants to elope but is worried about other family members, then a guide to ditching others’ expectations for the elopement of their dreams.
A Guide to Choosing the right elopement photographer
A list of essential items for an elopement day

If you’re a boudoir photographer, here are some ideas for your email list freebie:

A guide to preparing for a boudoir shoot
A list of creative boudoir posing ideas
A checklist for a boudoir shoot
What to wear guide for Boudoir Shoots
A list of tips for feeling confident and comfortable during a boudoir shoot
A self-love guide to a boudoir shoot (a guide talking about how a boudoir shoot can be an expression of self-love)

Step Five: Get some feedback

If you brainstorm a whole list of freebies, the next best step is to get in touch with past clients and ask them what they would have loved to have had access to before working with you. Afterwards, You can do a poll on Instagram stories or send out an email asking people to fill out a survey to help them decide what freebie would suit them the best. This way you can tailor your freebies to your target audience’s needs and preferences. Additionally, you can provide more than one freebie on your website and track which one is more effective in terms of attracting and engaging potential clients.

Creating the perfect freebie is crucial to building your email list. Therefore, By identifying your audience’s pain points, choosing the correct format, and making it valuable, you can create a freebie to entice people to sign up for your email list. Remember that your freebie represents your brand, so ensure it aligns with your brand message and values. With the right freebie, you can build a loyal email list that will help you grow your business.