The first photo booth was developed in 1925 by a man named Anatol Josepho. And even though photo booths have been around for nearly a century, their popularity is not slowing down any time soon.
Photo booths offer people control and a sense of whimsy that they love. This makes it a great natural add-on for any event photography business. But adding a new piece to your business or starting a business altogether can be overwhelming.
Don't worry, in this guide, we'll go over the biggest benefits of adding a photo booth business and the process for using it to scale your revenue.
Keep reading to learn more.
Benefits
The fact that people love photo booths and that they easily integrate with a photography business are not the only benefits. Adding a photo booth business can help breathe new life into your existing business while helping you to scale your revenue with little extra effort.
Increase Your Revenue
As already mentioned, a photo booth business fits seamlessly with an established event photography business. A photo booth add-on package is a relatively easy upsell to clients that requires little extra effort from you.
If you choose a photo booth type that has an easy setup and doesn't need to be closely monitored, you can earn significant additional revenue without too many extra costs.
Additionally, having a photo booth add-on to offer can be helpful for winning new contracts for events. It also gives you access to events that you may not have had before. This is because while for some events people might not want a photographer, they might be interested in a photo booth set up.
Marketing
Adding a photo booth business is an excellent marketing move. Whether you provide print-out photos from the booth or digital copies, you can add your branding and logo to the final product.
These photos are likely to be shared broadly by the guests of the event. This means a lot of extra exposure (pun intended) for you and your business.
Different Types of Photo Booths
Once you've decided to start a photo booth business, you'll need to decide on what kind of photo booth to use. You may be surprised at the amount of options. These are some of the most popular.
Classic Photo Booth
The classic photo booth is what you probably think of when you hear the words photo booth. It's a closed booth with a curtain that only fits a couple of people and then prints out photo strips.
While this type can be fun and nostalgic, it's also usually pretty heavy, expensive, and time-consuming to transport and set up.
GIF Photo Booth
GIF photo booths are a newer option that allows guests to set up their photos using different filters, digital props, and photo types. Usually, an iPad or similar device is used to make this possible.
The photos or gifs that are made then get sent digitally right to the guest's phones.
These photo booths are lightweight, easy to set up, and an overall low-maintenance option.
Mirror Photo Booth
Mirror photo booths use a mirror that has a touch screen and a camera that allows guests to look in the mirror and see exactly how the photo will come out.
These are a fun, unique option for a photo booth business, but they can be very expensive and quite fragile. Not to mention, they are incredibly heavy and cumbersome to move around. They can also be quite complicated to set up.
360 Photo Booth
A 360 photo booth is a very trendy option. It is a slow motion video booth that rotates 360 degrees to create a fun, moving photograph.
However, 360 photo booths require specialized equipment, a lot of space, and processing equipment. They also tend to be fragile and don’t offer an easy way to deliver images to clients.
Start Your Business
After you've decided which type of photo booth is right for you and your business, it's time to make a plan and put it into action. It may take a little time and courage, but you can successfully integrate this into your business and scale your revenue.
Make a Plan
Every new business should start with a solid, well-thought-out business plan, even if you're already an established event photographer.
In this plan, you'll need to have a budget and be sure that the costs associated with the photo booth business fit within it. Consider costs such as:
- The photo booth itself
- Relevant props or backgrounds
- Software
- Complementary equipment
- Startup costs
- Marketing costs
The plan will also need to include what your goals are for this business. Do you have a goal revenue amount in mind or do you want to be able to take more time off, they can be anything. But knowing these will help you stay on target once the business is up and running.
If you don't already know your target market, now is the time to define it. Casting a wide net can be good, but specific, targeted marketing is more effective.
Purchase the Necessary Equipment
The next step is, of course, to purchase the equipment you need for the business. Do your research and try to find the best equipment for the best price, but don't get stuck in analysis paralysis because of all of the options.
If you're going to offer your services for specific types of events, then be sure to buy accessories that are relevant to that type of event. But try not to go overboard.
Make sure you have everything you need for transporting the photo booth, as well as any additional equipment or software to go with it.
Market, Market, Market
No one will have the opportunity to hire you if no one knows about your business. Your marketing can make or break your new business.
This is where knowing your target market is the most important. Because you know exactly who you're trying to sell to, you can figure out what they care about and what will get their attention. Create content that is valuable and relevant to that market and post it on your site and social media to increase your web presence.
Don't forget to include your branding and logo somewhere on the photos that your clients take with the photo booth to gain that free exposure.
Provide Excellent Service
The final step for any new business is to make sure you provide excellent service to your clients. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, especially in an industry such as this. By making sure your clients are happy, you can potentially earn even more revenue through their referrals.
Gifyyy has a community group of current users that can help with suggestions, ideas, and support. This is a great way to keep your clients, and yourself, happy!
Start Your Photo Booth Business Today
Adding a photo booth business to your event photography business is a great way to diversify and scale your revenue. Follow this guide and you will be well on your way to success.
If you're ready to move forward and are interested in a GIF photo booth, we're here to help you get started. Contact us today!