What every photographer needs to know about the psychology of buying

business

Understanding the psychology of buying as a freelance photographer is an important element to selling and marketing. The rules of purchase psychology.

Photography is essentially commercialized art, which is why it's difficult to put a price on your work. Like many other creative jobs related to design and art, pricing can be all over the map, yet there isn't a right or wrong answer.

Before we get into the psychology of buying, here’s a little reminder that you are in this field for profit!

Remember this whenever you're feeling weird about asking for money and getting paid – this is your business, and you have to make a profit. Otherwise, it's just an expensive hobby.

The perception of value

The psychology of buying refers to how people think and feel about pricing, which applies to everything.

One of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make is to charge too little. This is because the more you charge, the higher your perceived value. If you make the mistake of not charging enough, or pricing yourself too low, you risk lowering your perceived value.

A client might look at your price and think it’s really expensive, but they might also perceive that you’re worth a lot. When you price yourself too low, you’re presenting yourself as a bargain, and you’ll end up having conversations with clients who want to bargain with you.

The lesson is that higher price = higher value, and lower price = lower value.

The problem with pricing yourself too low

If you price yourself too low, you’ll be perceived as an amateur. People will doubt your quality and your services. Plus, you’ll attract problematic low-budget clients who are always looking for a bone to pick, which is associated with a lower price point.

If you want to price yourself low, you need to give a reason why. Whether it's a promotion or you're just starting out, always make it look like a special occasion to give the impression that your prices are always high – but this is a valuable opportunity to enter at a lower price point!

It's important to understand that YOU decide your worth, and HOW you communicate that will change the way your clients perceive it.

The higher your price, the more your clients will appreciate you

When you are more expensive, clients will appreciate you more – think about this in real life. Do you actually appreciate the sandals you bought for five bucks on the side of the street, or do you appreciate the $150 Nike shoes you bought at the store more? Chances are, you don't want to get your Nikes dirty and want to take care of them way more than the sandals.

Photography, pricing, and how clients perceive your value works the same way.

Why you want high-paying clients

I recently did a collaboration with a client for trade. I did a shoot in exchange for some clothes, because I liked the brand and wanted to build a relationship with them. And it has been an absolute nightmare! Every day there’s a new request or question, and the client is never satisfied.

That same week, I shot with a client that paid my full rate, and for the extra hour we went over. They gave me a discount for purchasing their goods because I really liked them, and were so stoked with the photos, they sent me a thank you note!

Now, both clients had the same amount of time on their shoot. One client paid full price, got 30 images, and is absolutely thrilled. The other paid nothing, and is still asking for more pictures after I gave her 30 edits and 100 raw images!

I can't stress this enough – the more a client pays you, the more they see your worth, the more they appreciate you, and the more they’ll respect your professional boundaries!

Also, If you charge more, you need less clients to make money. It’s much better to get a few high-paying clients than many low-paying clients. Even if you charge too much and lose clients along the way, that’s okay because you won't need them!

Value is subjective, so price accordingly

If you didn’t want to make money as a photographer, you wouldn’t be reading this post because you’d have no interest in pursuing a business out of it. But you’re here to make profit and turn your passion into business.

At the end of the day, we have the freedom to do whatever we want with our business. It’s always your choice to create your pricing. Just remember that understanding how to be profitable is the only way to be in business!