Streamlining My Photography Business with ChatGPT:
5 Essential Tools for Efficiency

Imagine you complete six hours’ worth of work in just 30 minutes—no strings attached (okay, maybe a couple of caveats, which I’ll cover below)! Streamlining my photography business with ChatGPT has transformed my approach to daily tasks. Running a photography business requires juggling many to-do list items, including client acquisition, project management, photo shoots, editing, marketing, blogging, and more. Fortunately, custom ChatGPTs have revolutionized my workflow. These tools are invaluable, especially when you’re a solo entrepreneur managing everything yourself. In this blog post, I’ll take you through five of my favorite GPTs and how each of them enhances different parts of my business.

And did I mention, these are FREE to use?! As of now, ChatGPT is available at no cost, though there’s a daily limit on the number of requests. For unlimited access, upgrading to Plus is $20 a month, which is still a pretty affordable investment in efficiency.

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: “Isn’t ChatGPT just a glorified Google search, spitting out random info and talking like a robot?” But let’s give AI juuuust a bit more credit than that! When ChatGPT first launched back in 2022, it certainly had its quirks, and while it’s not perfect, it’s come a long way. Today, it’s smarter, more adaptable, and can handle complex tasks such as generating spreadsheets and templates or even monthly business plans.

Those of us who’ve integrated it into our business workflows are experiencing new levels of efficiency, while those wary of AI might still be caught up doing everything manually — missing out on valuable time and even money! AI-powered tools are opening doors to a world of possibilities, making it an exciting time to explore and embrace what’s possible.

Disclaimer

While ChatGPT can offer valuable support, ideas, and efficiency in your photography business, it’s important to recognize the ethical concerns and accuracy limitations that come with using AI. AI-generated content can be an excellent starting point for brainstorming or quick responses; however, it often lacks the nuance, knowledge, and personalization of human insight.

Always proofread, verify facts, and adjust tone to ensure that the final product truly reflects your brand voice and professionalism.

I fully believe that investing in human expertise — especially from fellow small business owners — adds a depth of understanding and authenticity that is irreplaceable!

Plus, it feels good to support other entrepreneurs and know that they are just as excited about the work they’re doing for you as you are about hiring them. For example, I have worked directly with a talented brand designer, copywriter, website designer, and photographer before launching the current version of my website.

But not everyone has thousands of dollars to invest when they’re first trying out entrepreneurship, and I think that’s where AI tools and DIY projects come in handy. We all have to start somewhere (you would absolutely cringe if you saw the first version of my logo and color palette I made in Canva in 5 minutes…)!

Now, let’s dive into some powerful GPTs to help make your workflow more efficient and boost your productivity!

1. Yoast SEO Optimized Blog Writer

The Yoast SEO Optimized Blog Writer is the best (and arguably my favorite) tool in my arsenal for streamlining my photography business with ChatGPT. Blogging is great for driving traffic to your website, but writing SEO-friendly posts can be time-consuming and complex. This custom GPT helps me create long-form, optimized blog posts that not only engage readers but also rank well on search engines like Google. It includes focus keyword suggestions, ensures that the keyword is used appropriately, and checks for readability metrics, all critical components for SEO success. It even creates relevant FAQ questions and recommends inbound and outbound link examples I can add to enhance my blogs even more.

Let’s say I just finished a brand photo shoot and I’m ready to create a blog post about it.

Using the Yoast SEO Optimized Blog Writer, I enter some details: basic information about the client or business, notes from our session, how I felt while photographing it, maybe even the editing techniques I used or the benefits of my services that I want to communicate to readers.

Then, ChatGPT then drafts a well-structured, keyword-rich post with headings, subheadings, and SEO tips integrated into the content. It even suggests meta descriptions and URL slug ideas, helping me save a ton of time. Then I go through the draft, make some tweaks for clarity and personal tone, and it’s ready to publish!

See It In Action:

2. Alt-Text Generator Assistant

Next up is the Alt-Text Generator Assistant, which has been a game-changer for adding alt text to the images I use on my website and blog. Alt text is critical for accessibility and SEO, as it helps describe an image for visually impaired users and search engines. Many photographers overlook alt text, but it’s one of the simplest ways to improve a website’s SEO while being inclusive. You can even add alt text to your Instagram posts! This GPT generates descriptive, concise, and SEO-friendly alt text based on the image content.

I’m passionate about accessibility and committed to integrating it into my business as I move forward. While I’m always learning new ways to be inclusive, I’ve started by making small but meaningful changes such as adjusting my color palette for better contrast and adding alt text to images. These are simple steps that help make my content more readable and accessible for everyone.

After uploading the images I want to include in my blog, I turn to this GPT to create alt text for each image.

For example, if I upload a photo of a military promotion ceremony, the GPT might suggest: “Military service members in uniform stand in formation during a formal ceremony, with flags waving in the background, honoring their commitment and service.”

I make sure the description is clear, and then paste the alt text onto the image on my website or blog post. It’s an effortless way to ensure my images are optimized without having to think too hard about the wording.

3. Pinterest Optimization GPT

Pinterest has become an excellent platform for photographers to showcase their portfolios, attract new clients, and drive traffic to their websites. People often consider Pinterest to be a social media platform, but it’s actually a search engine. And YOUR content can appear in the results when people search for a local photographer!

The Pinterest Optimization GPT helps me create optimized Pinterest pins for each blog post, maximizing the reach and engagement of my content. By generating unique and compelling pin titles, descriptions, and even suggesting ideal hashtags, this GPT ensures my pins get noticed and shared.

Once I’ve published a blog post, like a brand photography recap for a jewelry line, I use the Pinterest Optimization GPT to create the perfect pin for it. I paste the published blog link, and this GPT generates unique and captivating pin titles like “Elegant Jewelry Brand Photoshoot | Timeless & Modern Accessories” and keyword-optimized descriptions that draw in Pinterest users looking for jewelry inspiration. It even suggests relevant hashtags, such as #handmadejewelry or #brandphotography, to help make my pin more discoverable.

See It In Action:

4. Image Caption Generator

Writing engaging captions for social media posts can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to balance authenticity with brand messaging. Even though it’s necessary evil, I personally hate language that sounds too sales-y, so I try to maintain a friendly and approachable vibe.

The Image Caption Generator is helpful for creating captions for Instagram, Facebook, and other social platform posts. I’ll admit, this GPT won’t create any mind-blowing content, but it is good when you are feeling stuck with writer’s block and need something simple. You can upload an image by itself for a short caption that generally just describes the image, or you can give it context for a more detailed response.

I gave this GPT the prompt: “Create a friendly instagram caption to accompany a series of personal brand photos from a photo session for a virtual assistant. Mention that I have availability for new brand photo projects in January.”

It generated: “New brand photos are in, and I couldn’t be more excited to share! 🎉 Capturing these fun moments reminds me just how much I love helping businesses shine online. If you’re ready to elevate your brand, I have some availability for new projects starting in January! Let’s make your vision come to life 💻✨

#VirtualAssistant #BrandingPhotography #PersonalBrand #NewYearNewYou #BusinessSupport”

The beauty of this tool is its ability to cater to different tones—whether I want something playful, sentimental, or professional, it adjusts based on my input. It helps keep my social media posts consistent and saves me from spending hours thinking of the perfect caption. Just add some personal touches like tagging your client and adding hashtags specific to your location, and you’re good to go.

5. Idea Echo Custom GPT

Idea Echo Custom GPT is a specialized ChatGPT designed to help brainstorm, organize, and refine creative ideas. As a photographer, staying inspired and having a steady stream of fresh ideas for shoots, blogs, and marketing can be challenging. Idea Echo helps me spark new concepts and organize them into actionable plans that keep my photography business dynamic and engaging.

I can enter a sentence or two about what I’m hoping to create, and Idea Echo responds with theme suggestions, prop ideas, color palettes, and even background or lighting concepts that match the vibe I want. It can then take that information and generate a mood board image, incorporating all of the details into a visual aid.

I mainly wanted to test the image generation capabilities of this GPT, so I gave Idea Echo the following prompt using a few different client types: “Can you generate a mood board for a photo shoot? The client is a _______.”

Copywriter, Hot Sauce Brand, Newborn Photographer, Candle Brand

We’ve all spent hours searching and saving images on Instagram or Pinterest to create the perfect mood board for a photo session. I don’t think this tool should fully replace that practice, as the images are AI-generated and not always realistic looking, but it can supplement your creative process and add new inspiration to the mix.

“Done” is better than “perfect”

Should you use ChatGPT in your own business?

Each of these ChatGPTs plays a role in different aspects of my photography business. By leveraging them, I’ve been able to optimize processes and automate repetitive tasks that would typically take up several hours of my time. Whether it’s drafting blog posts, adding alt text for accessibility and SEO, optimizing social media content, or developing creative concepts, these tools allow me to focus on what I love most — taking stunning photos and delivering an unforgettable experience to my clients.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s AI-powered software for culling and editing images, automatically generating responses to client emails, developing custom spreadsheet formulas or website code, and so much more. You have the power to infuse as much or as little of these tools into your work as you’d like.

For anyone interested in streamlining their photography business with ChatGPT, these custom GPTs offer an ideal starting point and definitely worth considering for their ability to boost productivity, improve SEO, and enhance your overall workflow.

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