As a wedding photographer, working on honing your skills is a never-ending process. And while improving and enhancing your skills is essential in the photography industry, working on getting new clients is equally important to keep your business running. Creating a strong online presence, impressing your couples with your work and personality, sending prompt replies to their queries, etc. – there are multiple ways you can go about it. So if you are currently in the phase where you are brainstorming about how to get photography clients fast, this blog might help you plan some strategies for your wedding photography business.
How to Get Photography Clients Fast
1. Build a Strong Online Presence
In the 21st century, having a solid online presence for your wedding photography brand is a no-brainer. Many couples start their wedding planning through online platforms (think Pinterest boards), and they might even do the research for their ideal wedding photographer online. Plus, with your website and your social media channels displaying your work, your online presence is like your virtual portfolio and address. It’s a place where potential clients can familiarize themselves with you and your work. Do your research about the different social media platforms and create and post content based on what works for each platform. When it comes to social media, consistency is key, so try to plan your posts well in advance.
Suggested Read: Digital Advertising For Wedding Photography – Is It Worth It?
2. Aim to Impress From the Get-Go
Whether it’s through a phone call, email, video call, or in-person meeting, first-time connections could be the stepping stone to turning a potential couple into a new booking. Go into a conversation with casual greetings and talk to the couple about their wedding planning status, how they met, their love story, etc. You could also ask them if they already have a vision for their wedding photography. This information could sometimes make way for you to market some of your other products/services too. As the conversation shifts, ask them if they have any specific questions for you and take on these questions.
Remember to make your conversations – via any mode – personal. If you are sending them an email, try not to make it sound like a generic mass email you would send all your clients. Your potential couple should feel like you are giving them your undivided attention and you are genuinely interested in being their wedding photographer.
3. Automate Responses
Responding promptly and clearly in today’s world is crucial for creating a good first impression on a potential couple. If a couple asks a question, try to answer it as soon as possible. They might not wait on you to respond, and sometimes, a couple might even move on to another wedding photographer before you have even sent them a response. One way to reply as quickly as possible without being tied down to your desk or constantly being on your phone and replying to emails is to automate your responses.
There are software that can help you create an email template that could automatically be sent to the couple once they send their query. However, it’s important to remember that even these responses should not feel like they are coming from a bot. Try to make them as personal as possible. That human touch is necessary to establish a relationship.
Suggested Read: 5 Wedding Photography Email Templates You Need
4. Give Special Discounts
Strategically giving special discounts could also be a helpful tool you could use to get new clients fast. However, you don’t have to introduce discounts randomly. You could pitch them during in-person sales, pre-wedding sales, or around holidays. Besides offering discounts on photo shoots, you could also provide discounts for album design, albums, prints, etc.
5. Create Lead Generation Content
Creating and sharing lead generation content is all about raising awareness about your brand. One of the best ways to make this strategy works is by adding a lead magnet to your website. You could offer free resources, discounted services, free subscriptions, etc. And in return, you must ask your visitor to fill in their email address so that you can send them this free information. If you can get people to share their contact information, you could send them a monthly newsletter, information about upcoming mini sessions or seasonal discounts, or simply talk more about your services.
You Can’t Book Them All
While these tips may seem practical, no matter how good your skills are, no matter how amazing you are at marketing your services, you can’t book everybody that walks your way. And that’s okay. What you can do, however, is focus on your target client. Try your best to impress them with what you’ve got without appearing too pushy, and ensure that they get to talk about their stories and their vision boards before you start marketing your services. Being a good listener and giving your undivided attention to potential clients is more likely to work in your favor than being a disadvantage.
At ShootDotEdit, we understand that growing as a professional wedding photographer takes time, and we look forward to being a part of that journey by providing useful tips such as these. Another way we can help is by taking care of your photo editing. Learn more about our pricing plans here.