When I started my business, I knew that I wanted to photograph high school seniors. My biggest hurdle was finding seniors when I started. Being a transplant to my town, I did not know many parents of high school students. Where to start? My website was not ranking high enough on Google for clients to find me. My senior portfolio was slim since I was just starting out. I decided that print or yearbook advertising may not be the right avenue. I decided my best bet was a two month Facebook ad looking for senior models from four local high schools. I created my ad to target a specific segment from those schools: 16-17 year-old girls. I opted to try this as a test and only spend $100 to see if it was a success. After I hit my $100 limit, I had a few inquiries and one student that was ready to model for me.

I offered my senior model two sessions, one in the spring and one in the fall. Being a “model” included some bonuses. A discounted session fee, referral cards and a discount for every student she referred. I also made it a point to have her post watermarked images on her Facebook page. Read More→