At ShootDotEdit, we know how precious time is for wedding photographers. You don’t just have weddings and engagement and proposals to photograph, but you also have queries to answer, clients to onboard, make contracts, post on social media, stay on top of your marketing strategies, etc. There’s a lot on your TDL every single day. And when there’s so much to do on a daily basis, adopting the right automation strategies can help get things done and make them seem less daunting too. From automating client communication to your Instagram posts – there are various aspects of your wedding photography business that you can set and forget. Just invest that little time to set things on your choice of a customer relationship management software and voila! You then get more time to actually book and photograph more clients.
Automation Strategies That Can Improve Your Efficiency
1. Automate Answering FAQs
From replying to questions about your wedding photography packages to sending out the wedding photography questionnaire, most of the emails that you send to your clients can be made into templates and triggered to be sent automatically. Like we said earlier, you just have to take some time out to create these templates and set your preferred send dates and timings. The best way to come up with these templates is by thinking about questions that you have to answer again and again. This could include queries about your price plans, where you are based, what kind of events you photograph, etc. However, try to keep the human connection alive even when you automate your responses. Essentially, your clients shouldn’t feel like they are talking to a machine. Personalize your emails and try to make sure that they don’t read robotic.
2. Automate Post-Event Communication
Client communication doesn’t end when you are done photographing the event. From thank you and ‘your photos are ready’ emails to festive and anniversary wishes and special discount emails, you can keep previous clients in your current client list when you make them a part of your current communication strategies as well. Communicating with your clients after you are done working with them is a great way to not only show your appreciation but it’s also what will help your couples remember you. Also, you can use these emails to ask your clients to send you testimonials about their experience with your brand. While this may be an extra task on your TDL, automating it will need you to only dedicate a few minutes to it and then leave it to auto pilot mode.
Suggested Read: 5 Effective Communication Tips For Wedding Photographers
3. Automate Invoicing
One of the many amazing benefits of getting a client management software is automated invoicing. Sending invoices is a part of the job with every single client you sign, so automating this is going to save you a TON of time in the long run. You can create invoices, enable payment schedules for your clients, set automatic follow-ups to remind them to pay, add tax and discount details, as well as the option for customers to add a tip to their payment. Not only will using automation for your invoicing save you time, but it will also help you collect your payments faster and ensure that they have a simple and easy process when trying to make their payment.
Suggested Read: Handling Late Payments As A Wedding Photographer
4. Photo Editing Automation
Whether you choose to outsource your photo editing to experts or use AI tools in photo editing software to help speed up your post-production workflow, automating your photo editing process has multiple benefits for your wedding photography business. It can ensure that you deliver photos to your clients on time, reduce your turnaround time, help you make more time for photographing weddings or interacting with your clients, focus on upscaling your business, etc. Like we said – multiple benefits. Losing creative control over your images or the fear of not getting the editing style right might keep you from outsourcing or using AI tools, but you can try out different options until you find the one that’s your perfect fit. Like invoicing, photo editing is also a part of your journey with every client you book, so using automation tools for this task is a no-brainer. It helps you save time and offers a great product to your clients.
5. Automate Instagram Posts
Instagram is crucial for your wedding photography business. Besides your actual portfolio, it’s another virtual portfolio that gives your clients and potential clients a glimpse of your work and perhaps even your personality. While you can always post your content on the day of the event, a lot of wedding photographers plan and schedule Instagram posts in advance (and we highly recommend this strategy too!). Scheduling in advance helps you save time and keep you from going through the trouble of planning your posts on a daily basis. How do you do it? Various software like Planoly, Sprout Social, etc., can help you plan your Instagram grid months in advance.
Suggested Read: 5 Instagram Reels Ideas For Wedding Photographers
Put Your Wedding Photography Business On Autopilot
You might think that automation tools require too much time to set up, and in some cases, you might even be right, but think about all the time you’d be saving by using those tools. Instead of taking out time to answer the same questions again and again, think about how much time you’d save – time that you can use to do other, more important tasks – when you automate those responses. This implies to the communication that happens before you even book your couple to after you are done photographing their event. Don’t hesitate to automate because the initial stages take your time, do it because the automation tools you choose will give you your time back. Set it, and forget it!
Further Read: Honeybook: A Client Management Software That Empowers Small Businesses To Own Their Independence With Passion & Purpose
At ShootDotEdit, we are passionate about helping you grow as a wedding photographer. We understand the importance of time in your business and we help free up your time by lessening your post-production workload with our photo editing services. To learn more about how we can help, check out our pricing plans.