The 7 Keys to Success for a Photography Business

Sprout Studio is an all-in-one app to help you run your photography business and includes a CRM, studio management system, galleries & more!

Our main goal with Sprout Studio has always been, and will always be, to help photographers make a living doing what they love. And as a company built by photographers, we truly want to see you succeed.

Because of that, we are always looking for new ways to help you thrive in your photography business. This brings us to the 7 keys to success for photography businesses, a.k.a how you can optimize your profits and bring in more clients.

Important Statistics for Photographers

Sprout Studio was established 9 years ago, and throughout those 9 circles around the sun, we have been collecting data that spans all the way back to 2013.

In that data, we have identified certain trends that directly correlate:

  1. The success of photographers using Sprout Studio 
    with
  2. Specific features that are offered within the software

We want to pass this knowledge to you so you can begin maximizing your profits as a photographer and utilize Sprout Studio to its full capacity.

By collecting statistics for photographers in our software, we found that users who completed these 7 steps were 5x more likely to find success in their photography business.

The 7 Steps and Why They Matter

1. Adding a Payment Processor

The “Payment Method” that photographers choose in Sprout Studio instructs their clients on how to pay them. This helps inform their reports and keep their bookkeeping organized.

By adding a payment processor, photographers can organize expenses and get paid easier than ever before. This clears up their schedule and makes them money faster.

Clients also get a professional payment experience with convenient credit card transactions and trusted payment processors like Stripe, Paypal, and Square.

Adding a payment processor is quite literally the first step to financial success in Sprout Studio.

Our data shows that photographers who set up their Payment Processor in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 42%

Learn how to add a payment processor in Sprout School Module 02, Lesson 12.

2. Setting up Taxes for Clients

Setting up taxes in Sprout Studio is easy to do and such an integral feature for photographers running their photography business.

Pricing taxes using Sprout’s built-in pricing assistant ensures that Sprout users make the most profit for their products and services. It’s easy to set up and eliminates the stress most business owners have surrounding properly pricing themselves and managing their finances.

Once taxes are set up, photographers have more time to focus on the things they actually want to doing in their business. Plus, Sprout Studio customizes tax settings based on tax laws in your area.

Our data shows that photographers who set up their Taxes in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 40%

Learn how to add taxes in Sprout School Module 02, Lesson 09.

3. Creating a Questionnaire

Our data shows huge success rates for photographers who use questionnaires in their business.

Since we recognize how impactful questionnaires have been for Sprout users, we have built hundreds of pre-made templates to make them as simple as possible.

By including a questionnaire in a follow-up email, Sprout users gain valuable client feedback that helps them make informed decisions about growing their business. And sending questionnaires while a client is still in the booking process provides a more detailed view of their expectations for the shoot. 

Sprout even creates workflows that automatically send out questionnaires! Helping thousands of photographers a year avoid writing those time-consuming emails.

Our data shows that photographers who create questionnaires in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 40%

Learn how to add taxes in Sprout School Module 03, Lesson 15.

4. Building a Package in a Price List

A package in Sprout Studio’s price list is a collection of products and services that photographers offer as a bundle to their clients.

By offering a package, Sprout users open the door for additional upselling and marketing opportunities that, statistically, have made them more money.

Packages are a great way for photographers to clearly showcase all their offerings so their clients don’t miss a thing. Plus, their clients are more likely to purchase additional products and services because it’s all in one place.

Our data shows that photographers who build a package in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 40%

Learn how to build a package in your price lists by watching Sprout School Module 02, Lesson 07.

5. Utilizing an Email Template

There are 100’s of email templates set up for photographers in Sprout Studio, carefully crafted by business and photography expert Bryan Caporicci.

With everything from lead magnet emails that book Sprout users more clients to the difficult conversations that are hard to write, Sprout Studio helps photographers save time (and stress).

Without the need to continuously re-write the same email for different clients, Sprout users have more opportunities to automate their business and build excellent client relationships. Clients get clear and concise messaging, are kept in the loop, and receive professional yet personalized emails that enhance your brand image.

Making email templates a top contender in the keys to success for photographers.

Our data shows that photographers who apply email templates in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 40%

Learn how to utilize Sprout’s email templates by watching Sprout School Module 02, Lesson 10.

6. Adding a Lead

The next key to success in Sprout Studio is for photographers to add their first lead.

A “Lead” is a perspective client. They have reached out and are interested in booking, but they’re not quite ready to pay and sign a contract (which would then classify them as a “Shoot”).

By adding that first lead, photographers can send marketing emails, streamline their messaging, and conveniently organize their attention into the areas that will make them money.

Not to mention, adding a lead marks the beginning of every clients’ booking journey. Since that’s when they receive their customized client portal. Sending a client portal is the ultimate way for photographers to build a strong foundation and solidify their client relationships.

This key to success is the stepping stone to convert leads to paying clients.

Our data shows that photographers who add their first lead in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 37%

Learn how to add your first lead by watching Sprout School Module 02, Lesson 10.

7. Adding a Booking Proposal Template

(Pro and Studio Plan users only)

As discussed in the previous key to success, adding a lead is integral to getting business within Sprout Studio. The booking proposal is a personalized website that Sprout users send to those leads and, in most cases, is the deciding factor of whether they book.

Using a booking proposal template saves photographers time and has built-in proven marketing techniques that help leads convert to paying clients. Sprout’s templates have shown to book photographers more clients and, ultimately, increase profits.

Plus, clients get a uniform experience in cases where they re-book, a level of professionalism that creates trust, and keeps all of their booking needs in one spot so there is no need to jump from site to site or email to email.

Our data shows that photographers who add a booking proposal template in Sprout Studio increase their success rates by 37%

Learn how to add a booking proposal template by watching Sprout School Module 04, Lesson 03.

Setting Up the Features

Now that you know the importance of each of the 7 keys to success in Sprout Studio, it’s time to get set up!

Luckily, we’ve dedicated a free online course for photographers that teaches them everything they need to know, from getting started to maximizing their profits.

By gathering statistics in our software, we found that users who completed these 7 steps were 5x more likely to find success in their photography business.

Learn how to:

  1. Add a Payment Processor
  2. Set-up Taxes for clients
  3. Create a Questionnaire
  4. Build a Package in your Price Lists
  5. Utilize an Email Template
  6. Add your first Lead
  7. Add a Booking Proposal Template (Pro and Studio Plan users only)

So you can continue making a living doing what you love and find even greater success in your photography business.

Enroll in Sprout School for free today!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Sprout Studio is different because you get all the apps you need in one place. You get a CRM, invoicing, contracts, bookings, scheduling, questionnaires, galleries, email marketing, album proofing, AI tools, reports and so much more in one single, seamless platform specifically designed for photographers!

You can watch a short demo video of Sprout Studio here. Each feature page on our site also has live demos of various features in Sprout Studio. The best way for you to preview what Sprout Studio looks like is to sign up for a free trial and see it in action for yourself!

It’s not really a fair comparison (for the others) to compare us, because other CRMs are like a camera without a lens and accessory ecosystem. The camera itself may be great, but you’re forced to hunt for off-brand lenses, flashes and accessories that don’t fit and work the same as they would if they were on-brand.

The competitors do 1 thing – a CRM – for example. Or they do online galleries. Or they do email marketing. And many of them do that 1 thing really well! Sprout does those things too – a CRM, galleries and email marketing. And feature-for-feature, we’re all more-or-less comparable. The real difference is that with Sprout, you get all the tools you need in one place, so it’s better for you, your clients and your wallet! Everything works nicely together.

At Sprout Studio, you get industry-leading support from real people who show up every day to help you succeed as a photographer. They’re happy to answer your questions via email, right in your account or via phone.

There are several pricing plans and options for your Sprout Studio subscription, starting as low as $19/month USD. You can learn more on our pricing page.

Setting up Sprout Studio is straightforward. We’ve designed the platform with ease of use in mind. You first walk through Startup Wizard, which guides you through the initial setup process step by step. Additionally, you can download templates and preset workflows that make customization quick and simple, allowing you to get your CRM up and running in no time.

No, you don’t have to start from scratch with Sprout Studio. We provide 100s of customizable templates for emails, contracts, questionnaires, and more, which you can easily adapt to fit your brand and workflow. These templates are designed to save you time and effort, making it easier to maintain consistency and professionalism across all client interactions.

Migrating your existing clients to Sprout Studio is a smooth process. We offer tools that allow you to quickly enter client data directly into Sprout Studio from your existing CRM. You can also hire us to do it for you, and our concierge team will seamlessly migrate your clients for you.

Sprout AI: Questionnaires

Create questionnaires for clients in seconds.

Effortlessly design tailored client questionnaires with Sprout AI, the world’s first AI questionnaire builder for photographers. Say goodbye to the hours spent drafting and revising what to say – transform your client interactions now!

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Stop wasting your time writing emails.

Elevate your communication game with Sprout AI. Craft compelling emails in your unique brand voice, effortlessly and efficiently! With a click of a button, you can spend more time doing what you love – photography.

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