Here at ShootDotEdit, we provide professional photographers with wedding photography editing services, and understand the importance of a streamlined workflow. Because there are many things you are responsible for in your business, using helpful tools is the perfect way to save time on the tasks you have. As an expert in all things systems, Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers uses top tools and apps to maintain a fast workflow. Today, she’s sharing her must-have tools every photography business needs.
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1. Táve
Running a business requires you to have an organized workflow, so you can maintain your tasks and stay on top of communication with clients. Leeann uses Táve, which is a business management app for creative professionals. Táve allows you to manage your client information, invoices, reports, and more. Plus, you can use the app on your desktop or mobile device, which helps you when you are on-the-go.
“It’s the best studio management software, hands down.” – Leeann Marie
2. Lightroom
Another way to maintain a streamlined workflow is to use Lightroom, which Leeann uses to speed up her post-wedding workflow and to keep her images organized. As a ShootDotEdit Wedding Pro, Leeann uses Lightroom to create a seamless upload process to outsource the color correction of her photos. When you incorporate Lightroom into your workflow, and learn how to use it, you save time and become more efficient.
Related: How do you know when to use Lightroom vs. Photoshop?
3. Blogstomp
Because blogging is vital to your growth as a wedding photographer, having tools that help you prep your blog posts can be essential to speeding up your process. Leeann uses BlogStomp, which helps her quickly resize, crop, or watermark her images for multiple platforms. Not only does BlogStomp allow her to process images for her blog, Leeann can also make adjustments to images on her website and social platforms. Rather than working on them individually, she can do them all at once to save time.
Related: How can consistent blogging help your photography business rank on search engines?
4. Instagram
As a wedding photographer, Leeann knows the importance of using social media as a tool. On her Instagram account, Leeann shares photos from her past weddings and more to connect with ideal clients. She uses relevant hashtags, tags clients and vendors, and uses geotags for the venues she shoots at. With all the new features on Instagram, Leeann uses them as a tool to excite her audience and keep them coming back to her account.
5. Voxer
Even if you do not count it as a tool in your business, your phone is something you use on a daily basis to accomplish tasks for your business. Whether you text, call, email, or use apps, using your phone is essential to help you while you are off shooting weddings and meeting clients. Leeann uses an app on her phone called Voxer, which helps her stay in constant communication with fellow wedding photographers and vendors.
“[It has a feature] that is just like a walkie talkie, and I use it to communicate with my colleagues.” – Leeann Marie
6. Gmail
As well as using Táve for templated emails to send, Leeann uses Gmail to manage communication and other tasks for her photography business. Gmail has great features for business owners, like canned responses for emails outside of regular client communication. When you have a Gmail account, you can also use Google Docs, Sheets, and more to ensure your business stays organized and your workflow remains streamlined.[ninja-inline id= 19673]
7. WordPress
Since your website and blog are essential aspects to keep up with to book ideal clients, you should have a program that allows you to maximize your clients’ experience. For her website, Leeann uses WordPress, which allows her to adjust and manage her website in a way that represents her brand. WordPress has various plugins that help you expand your reach, such as the Yoast SEO plugin (which helps you use SEO techniques to rank on search engines).
8. CoSchedule
Because you should constantly share your unique brand message, you should use programs and apps that allow you to build a cohesive sharing schedule. Leeann creates her editorial calendar with CoSchedule, which is also a great resource to use to create a schedule for her blog. CoSchedule gives you the opportunity to build a calendar for your content marketing, social media marketing, blog management, and more.
9. Facebook
Similar to having a presence on Instagram, Leeann Marie uses Facebook as a tool to expand her reach with ideal clients. On her business page, Leeann shares images and relevant content, links back to her website and blog, and builds connections with clients. Facebook provides advanced targeting options and more to help you place the necessary content in front of your target market. As a part of her marketing strategy, Leeann uses Facebook to ensure she stays top of mind.
10. Photo Mechanic
Culling after the wedding day can be a long and time-consuming process, but is necessary to deliver the best images to your clients. In her workflow, Leeann uses Photo Mechanic to cull through her images before she sends them out to a photo editing company. The program provides you with the ability to quickly cull, sort, tag, and prep your photos. When you speed up the culling process, you save time in your post-wedding workflow.
11. Pinterest
A final business tool Leeann uses for her photography business is Pinterest. Pinterest is an ideal platform for you as a wedding photographer because it allows you to share your images with ideal clients. On her Pinterest page, Leeann creates individual boards for her clients to look at venues where she shoots and her past images. Clients who want to know what their images would look like with Leeann as their photographer can get a clear idea on her page.
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Having helpful tools in your workflow is ideal for your wedding photography business. When you implement the correct tools into your workflow, you save time and become more efficient. Discover additional tools and apps for your business when you download our free Guide: 27 Ridiculously Simple Hacks to Transform your Wedding Photography Business!