Top 4 Skills you need to make money (besides photography)!

Using ‘Skill stacking’ to have a money making photography business

There are a lot of broke photographers who think they just need to get better at photography. But there are actually other skills you need to make money as a photographer and grow your business!

Chris Pieta shares how you can add skills to your tool belt as a photographer such as sales, marketing and videography to actually make money with your business.

Skills you need to take your photography from art to business!

If your photogaphy is more about art for you, then spend more time on crafting and improving your skills!

But if you’re more interested in photography as business, you should focus more time on developing other skills that will help you be more successful in creative business.

Use Skill Stacking, starting with your Photography skills

After learning how to use your camera, lighting principles, composition, posing and styling, you would at least be a decent photographer.

There are other skills after photography needed to do it as a successful business, and if you stack these skills you will add more value and more income for yourself each time!

Skill Stack #1 Learn sales

Learning how to sell is a great skill if you want to make your photography succeed as a business. Even an introvert can do it! 

Sales is not about pushing your services. It’s actually about making matches and solving problems. 

Your clients and potential clients have needs, and all you need to do is show them how you can meet that need. Show them how you have done this before, and the quality of your work.

Skill Stack #2 Learn Marketing

Start learning social content platforms and channels. Target your posts on these platforms and websites towards your ‘dream customer’.

You can also us email marketing by collecting email addresses using a value lead magnet on your website. Such as “Enter your email address and receive this FREE editing guide!” You get emails to market to and they get value in return.

Skill Stack #3 Learn Video

You already have skills as a photographer, so it might be easy to pick up videography as well. You probably also have the gear and editing software which will make adding video to your skills simple and straightforward. 

So take some video for your portfolio and start selling this skill!

Adding video to the services you can offer to clients is a new revenue stream and skill that will help to bring in more income.

Skill stack #4 Learn Business Operations

Business operations includes learning how to add systems to your business to make it run more efficiently. You can try using different software that will save you time, like client management, budgeting, and project planning.

It won’t hurt you to understand the basics of how businesses operate and there are plenty of online business tutorials you can take advantage of to learn this skill. 

As your business is making more money, you can hire out some of these administrative tasks or even outsource your editing.

This will allow you to spend more time on your clients and projects to bring in money.

Being a good photographer won’t make you money on it’s own

But by stacking different skills on top of your photography skills, you open yourself up to adding a lot more value to your business and making more money!

Which of the skills above will you start learning TODAY to make more money?