5 Ways To Stand Out In A Saturated Market As A Photographer

It’s no secret that there are a lot of other people who do what you do. In business, we call this the saturated market complex. Regardless of the industry you’re in, there are simply going to be others doing the same thing. 

As a business owner, this can feel scary, because let’s be honest – we want people to choose US.

We want to be the person that people think of when they need XYZ. 

For example, as a copywriter, I want to be the person that people run to when they need to write copy for their website. 

If you’re a photographer, you probably want to be the person that people think of when they want to book family photos in your city. 

This is natural! 

So, how exactly do you become that go-to person in a market that’s ever so saturated?

While there are of course some tangible things you can do – and yes, I’m going to get to those – I believe there’s also a mindset shift that needs to happen, so that you stop feeling so pressured to attract EVERYONE and instead put your energy and focus into attracting more of the right people.

Before I dive into HOW you can stand out and be chosen in a sea of people doing similar things as you, I want to offer this perspective shift that I’ve personally had to learn and adopt that’s really helped me in my business!

The Mindset Shift That Helps You Thrive In A Saturated Market

When you’re first starting out in business, it’s so easy to become a “yes” person. Any opportunity, lead, or client that comes your way, you find yourself screaming, “YES” as your answer. 

And while this might be necessary in the beginning of your business journey in order to establish some experience in your market and really even figure out what exactly it is that you want to do, being a “yes” woman as your business grows and evolves isn’t going to serve you.

As your business grows and you gain more clarity around what you want to do and who you want to serve, it’s important to consider where your “yeses” are going. 

And this is where that mindset shift comes into play. 🧠

As you start to establish who you are, what you do, and most importantly, what you value in the marketplace, it’s so important to change your mindset from, “I want to work with everyone” to “I’m NOT for everyone.”

The truth is, it’s IMPOSSIBLE for you to be the right person for every single person that’s looking to hire in your industry. 

As humans, we all value different things, we want different things, and we need different things. 

The KEY is that you figure out who exactly it is that you want in your bubble. 

What type of person are they? What do they do? What do they value? 

When you know those answers, you’re able to shift your focus to attracting more of those people and not worry about the rest. 

You can rest easy knowing there’s a place for them somewhere else. 

There’s so much freedom that happens when you’re able to say, “I don’t want or need to serve everyone.”

So, the FIRST step to thriving in a saturated market, regardless of your industry, is adopting this mindset shift and recognizing that you aren’t for everyone and everyone isn’t for you. 

That doesn’t make you less than anyone else doing something similar to you. It simply means that you know who and what you’re for and you’re spending your time and energy focusing on that.

With that in mind, I acknowledge that a saturated market is still a very real thing and sometimes it’s still hard to attract the RIGHT people to you.

So, what are some tangible things you can do? Here are my top 5 tips for standing out in a saturated market. ⬇️

5 Ways To Stand Out (And Be Chosen) In A Saturated Market

1) Identify and speak to your niche

I know, I know… you hear the advice of “niching down” from everyone and their mother on the internet. And while this advice might seem SO overused and obvious, it really is key to standing out in a market that’s filled with so many other people doing the same or similar things as you. 

Here’s why: by focusing on a specific niche, you cater directly to a smaller, more defined audience which allows you to tailor your offers to meet their specific needs and preferences. 

Niching down also allows you to become an authority in that particular area of your industry, which builds your credibility and trust – both of which are required to convert leads into paying clients!

When it comes to niching, there’s two ways you can do it. 

You’re probably more familiar with the first way, which is industry niching – meaning the type of client that you serve. 

For example, as a female owned business, you may decide that you’re only going to work with women. Another way to do this is to say that you only work with those in XYZ industry.

But the second way to niche down is through your services. 

You often see this in the photography world where people niche down to the TYPE of photography that they offer, such as a wedding photographer or a newborn photographer. 

However you decide to do it is up to you, but the point is that you have some sort of niche, so that you can stand out in the market as a go-to for something specific. 

Which brings me to the second way to stand out…

2) Become a specialist, not a generalist

Similar to niching down, one of the BEST ways to stand out in a saturated market is to become a specialist in something, not a generalist. 

Think about it like this: if you experienced a health concern and needed to undergo brain surgery, who would you go to? A brain surgeon or a general surgeon?

We both know the answer!

While most of us aren’t performing brain surgery, the principle remains true!

Specialists have a deep understanding of a certain content area, while generalists have a more broad scope of knowledge.

Your audience is going to connect better when you speak to the specialty that they are interested in. 

This is how your content starts to stand out in a saturated market and you truly become a go-to for something very specific. 

3) Fine-tune your messaging

Once you know your niche and have defined your specialty, it’s time to fine-tune your messaging and make sure that both of those things are included throughout all of it. 

When someone is consuming content, they want to feel seen, heard, and understood.

The only way you can do any of those things is when you KNOW who your ideal audience is and speak to their specific pain points and problems and offer unique solutions that they’ve maybe never heard of before. 

This goes for ALL of your copy and content – on your website, on social media, in your emails, etc.

4) Utilize storytelling

Speaking of messaging, one of the most unique ways to stand out in your content specifically is by utilizing storytelling.

And I know… storytelling is one of those hot topics in the online business world right now, but it’s for good reason!

IT WORKS. And there’s a few reasons why:

• Stories evoke emotion.

When you tell a compelling story, it engages your audience on an emotional level, making your message more memorable and relatable.

And when it comes to sales, people BUY emotionally, and justify logically. So when you hook them in with emotion from the start, they’re more inclined to buy right away.

• Stories capture attention. 

In saturated markets, it’s no secret that you have to learn  how to create content in a way that stands out from your competitors.

Anyone can post on Instagram or write an email using the same hook formula as the next person, but stories infused with your personal experience capture attention in a way that other content simply can’t, which keeps your audience engaged and more likely to consume the entirety of your message!

• Stories humanize your brand. 

With the boom of online business, people are craving connection more than ever. When you use storytelling in your marketing, you’re building trust by showing up with authenticity and vulnerability.

This naturally establishes a stronger connection with your audience, thus creating a deeper relationship with them.

5) Show up consistently

Who do you think someone is going to remember most: the person who shows up on Instagram stories only when they’re trying to sell something or the person who is consistent in everything that they do?

Standing out in a saturated market truly comes down to the simple things like showing up consistently.

Your audience will notice when you show up in their inbox weekly. They’ll notice when you’re creating consistent, VALUABLE content for your blog or social media platforms. 

And… they’ll notice when you’re not. 

I don’t know about you, but I want to work with people that I know are consistent in what they do, because how they do one thing, is how they’ll do everything. 

Meaning, how they show up for their audience is how they’ll show up for ME as their client!

And trust me, I get it. Sometimes showing up is hard to do and it can be easy to fall into burn out as a business owner – here are a few tips for how I try to avoid that!

Ready To Market Your Magic? ✨

I truly believe that you have the power to stand out from the crowd and be chosen as the go-to in your industry despite any saturation that might exist. And as a copywriter, I believe that a lot of that stems from the words that you use. 

The words on your website. The words in your emails. The words on your social media posts.

Really, the words ANYWHERE pertaining to your business can be the thing that makes or breaks someone choosing to work with you. 

If you’ve yet to figure out the right words to use and feel like your messaging is lacking, now is the time to fine-tune all of that and start feeling confident.

And how can you do it? Allow me to introduce you to Storysale – a 3-month group coaching program for creatives to market their magic ✨

With Storysale, you’ll receive:

✔️ Three months of weekly, 60-minute group coaching calls with me and guest experts

✔️ Weekly 1:1 Voxer access to ask any questions you have about marketing your services, creating offers that your clients will love, brand messaging, and more

✔️ 1:1 Intensives – every month of our program, students will schedule 1:1 intensives with me to put your website copy, SEO page titles and meta descriptions, and email copy to work for YOUR business and your ideal client

The cool part? Everything that you learn in Storysale can be applied to ANY part of your business!

CLICK HERE to get all enrollment details and be on your way to becoming the stand-out business owner that you were created to be. 🎉