A practical framework for setting photography business goals

Growing your photography business can feel like a lofty objective—especially during times when you’re swamped with the daily hustle of running your studio. 

But by creating a small, focused set of business goals, you can translate your ambitious aims into steps that feel doable. To create your plan, consult this list of photography business goals for solo shooters and small teams with tips on how to tackle them successfully. 

How setting goals benefits your photography business

The routine duties of managing a photography business can monopolize your time. Every day, you may be responding to piled-up messages, shooting back-to-back sessions, and editing photos into polished final products. 

You might end up putting your long-term business plan on the back burner in an effort to complete every urgent task. Deliberately setting goals is a way to make sure you’re always looking toward the future, helping you prioritize your limited time. 

8 goals to set for your photography business

To push toward a thriving photography business, you can focus on core goal-setting areas, including bookings, client profiles, content targets, and operational workflows. 

These eight goals and objectives of photography businesses can be useful, but tackling all of them simultaneously may not be feasible. For your specific goal map, pick one or two per quarter to keep your plan achievable. 

1. Set a clear booking or revenue target 

Independent photographers need financial goals that are realistic and measurable. For example, set a clear goal for the number of sessions you want to book per month, or aim to increase revenue by a certain percentage or amount. 

For revenue goals, it’s helpful to work back from your annual target. Say you want to earn a total of $60,000 per year. You can calculate how many portrait sessions per month this entails by dividing your annual goal by 12 (for each month) and then by your session rate. For this example, say your session rate is $250. 

$60,000 / 12 = $5,000 per month

$5,000 / $250 = 20 portrait sessions per month

The takeaway: You need to book at least 20 portrait sessions per month to meet your new revenue goal. 

2. Define your ideal photography client

When you’re first starting out, you may take on any client who comes through your door. But as you grow your photography business, it’s helpful to narrow down your ideal client profile, focusing on the sessions that truly pay off. 

Take on a dedicated niche and define your target client’s budget, core values, and ideal in-session experience. Doing so helps you use your marketing spend wisely, and set a pricing strategy that attracts your target clients as your business grows. 

3. Strengthen your photography marketing reach

You may have already set a general intention to post more on your blog or social media channels based on general photography business tips. But you can set more concrete marketing targets to actually get results.

Set a realistic cadence defining how many posts you want to go up per week. Photographers often have a wealth of visual materials that go unused. Repurpose (with permission) any behind-the-scenes moments or progress shots that may speak to your audience.

4. Build automated systems 

Growing your photography business doesn’t necessarily mean inviting chaos. Building automated systems allows you to respond to messages and complete basic tasks more efficiently. With HoneyBook automations, you can set up automations for processes such as session bookings, inquiry follow-ups, and payment reminders. 

Pro tip: You can break this goal down into smaller milestones, as automated workflows can take some initial time to properly set up and test. 

5. Create a content or blogging goal

Your digital presence can help you attract clients. Within your marketing strategy, define a sustainable blog publishing cadence that covers your most urgent keywords and client questions. 

Determine up front what every post cycle should include. For example, perhaps you want to create one monthly SEO-driven blog post and one relevant photography case study in addition to 10 social media posts that push this content. 

6. Set a newsletter goal

Newsletters are another opportunity for engaging with past and potential clients by providing educational content showcasing your portfolio. Instead of using your newsletter as a traditional sales channel, you can feature compelling, brand-led content such as session stories or technique and tool breakdowns.

The exact cadence should reflect your bandwidth, whether you want to aim for weekly sends or more long-form quarterly updates. 

7. Reinvest in your photography skills and equipment

As an independent photographer, you can continuously hone your craft. This can mean setting a goal to attend at least one class or workshop or invest in at least one new piece of equipment.

If you have a limited learning budget, self-study is an option. For example, you might follow fellow photographers on Instagram or Pinterest and analyze your favorite shots. Set a specific goal so you don’t skip it, such as blocking off a 15-minute weekly photo analysis session. 

8. Set legal and financial photography goals

It can be tempting to put off the business side of your photography studio, but many of these goals are quite impactful. Consider setting the following goals to boost your business professionalism and protection:

• Formalize and brand your contracts, proposals, and invoices.
• Form an LLC in your state of business.
• Get business insurance.
• Open a separate business bank account.

For newer photography businesses or those adding team members, these types of goals are especially relevant. 

Achieve your goals with HoneyBook

Each of these photography business goals can act as a springboard for your specific business vision. Focus on the areas that are most important to you and break each goal down into actionable steps. 

With HoneyBook, you can easily act on your goals. You get a robust library of photography templates, resources for small business owners, and automated workflows to support your efforts, as well as a community of independent creatives working toward their own goals. 

Gain the tools to make all of your goals feel attainable. Explore HoneyBook’s resources.

Book clients faster, get paid sooner, and deliver stunning galleries.

Our CRM, scheduler, invoicing, and gallery site are now one login.

Explore HoneyBook for Photographers