Innovative marketing strategies, a solid social media presence, an outstanding portfolio – these are just some of the things you need to keep your wedding photography business running. But there’s another factor that could help you run your business seamlessly – building trust with clients. Not only can that help you meet couples that could become lifelong friends and clients, but they could also be the source for authentic testimonials and a tool for word-of-mouth marketing for your wedding photography business. Clients that trust you might come back for more sessions with you or refer their friends and family. But if all this has got you asking yourself, “How to build trust with clients?”, then this blog might give you some answers.
Tips to Build Trust With Wedding Photography Clients
1. An Impressive Digital Presence
There are high chances that before they’ve even gotten in touch with you, your potential client has already combed through your social media platforms and website. In today’s world, couples often get information about wedding vendors online. Therefore, having an aesthetically pleasing and functional website with an updated blog and portfolio section and links to your social media platforms would help in making a good impression. To achieve a higher ranking on search engines, you can use SEO tactics. For your brand to attract your ideal couples on social media, you could use the right hashtags, get on the ‘what’s trending’ bandwagon, and consistently post engaging and entertaining content. Your online presence could be your first step to getting in your potential couple’s good books.
2. Establish a Personal Relationship
Once a client does get in touch with you – be it through your social media, website’s contact form, email, or through a call – try not to jump into business directly. Try to start the conversation with the idea of trying to become friends with them and establishing a relationship first. If they ask you a question via email or the contact form, be as clear and quick as possible with your response.
If things go well, you could set up a casual meeting at a cafe or your studio and treat them to a coffee as you discuss the next steps. But even then, try not to make it all about business. Since this is the first time you’ll be meeting them, in order to build trust with your clients, try to get to know them. Ask them about who they are as individuals and also get them talking about their love story. When they are done talking, you could start the business talk by asking them about their vision for their wedding photography. If it seems practical or needs modifications, you could set up another meeting and then discuss the plan of action.
3. Educate & Guide Your Clients
Educating your couples through the ins and outs of wedding photography could help you build trust as well. Inform them about your services and if they have any questions about a service or its price tag, take out the time to help clear their confusion. Many couples may not understand the wedding photography contract, so if yours asks you about the need for it, try to clear their doubts Even before you reach the wedding day, speak to them about how the wedding photography timeline works, what you plan to include in your shot list, etc. If you are transparent about everything and keep your couple in the loop, you might just have an easier time while trying to build trust with clients.
4. Remember The Details
You will only be able to fulfill your clients’ expectations if you remember all of them. Every couple is different, and their needs and wants from you would be different too. So even though it may be challenging to remember every little detail about them, try to do so. To ensure that you don’t miss out on anything, creating a digital folder dedicated to them or using a client management software such as Honeybook or Táve might help. These will help you track your client’s journey with you even after you are done photographing their wedding. If it’s more your style, you could even add little details to a notebook that you carry with you. In the end, remembering little quirks about them or their family members could help you impress them, which might help you build trust with your clients too.
Related Read: HoneyBook: A Client Management Software That Empowers Small Businesses To Own Their Independence With Passion & Purpose
5. Be a Problem-Solver
You may not have control over everything that goes wrong at a wedding, but when you think you can do something to handle an emergency or crisis, try to step in and help your couple see the silver lining. If it happens to rain on their wedding day and they were really looking forward to taking some photos outside, just hand them an umbrella and ensure that you deliver what they dreamed of (if they are still on board, of course). Bride’s dress missing a button? If you’ve got the skills, then sew it back on! If you happen to miss a photo that they had specially requested for, then admit your error, apologize and find a way to make it up to them. If your couple sees that you are genuinely committed to making their wedding photography vision a reality, you may strengthen the relationship you share with them and build trust too.
Further Read: How To Build Trust With Wedding Vendors
Invest Your Time Into Building Trust With Clients
Building trust with clients might not be a one-day process but the time and effort you invest could turn out to be truly beneficial for you and your wedding photography business in the long run. From establishing a relationship with your couple and guiding them through the ins and outs of wedding photography to remembering all the small details about them and going the extra mile to ensure that they have a unique wedding photography experience with you – the answer to how to build trust with clients lies in giving them an experience that they had always dreamed of. And who knows, once you are done photographing their special day, they might even end up contacting you to document other milestones in their lives.
At ShootDotEdit, we love sharing tips with wedding photographers to help them and aid their business growth, but we also love offering professional photo editing services to them so that they can focus on honing their craft while we take care of the post-production. To learn more about our services, you can check out our pricing plans.