As a business owner in the wedding photography sector, one needs to juggle between several duties, and marketing is fundamental, as everyone wants to keep those wedding bookings coming.
If there`s a team involved behind the business, it would be somewhat easier to achieve good marketing, although it is not always straight forward. However, for a sole trader it will be harder to focus on various aspects of the business at once.
Business tactics and strategies will surely assist in avoiding stress. Here are some marketing tips for wedding photographers, to grow their business both digitally and offline.
Keep in touch with your past clients
It stands to reason that regular meetings between the photographer and the engaged couple, are ongoing for an upcoming wedding. However, all this interaction must not end when the wedding is over.
Our first tip for photographers is to keep in touch regularly with present, but also past clients.
Simple follow ups, like an email checking how the honeymoon went, or if that home upgrade they mentioned had a positive outcome, can pleasantly surprise them.
Also, although we are surrounded by technology, the old word-of-mouth marketing strategy still applies today, and your past clients are key to push this, as they are testimonials or speakers for your brand. If they were satisfied or even impressed by your work, they will most certainly recommend your name out there with family and friends alike.
Strategies which can be utilised are a weekly/monthly newsletter, keeping clients up to date with what is going on with your brand, even season/festive greetings and small gifts/discounts/offers for anniversaries. These are winners to keep even your past clients engaged, pun intended.
Social Media
Another excellent approach is to be active on social media, by not only interacting with your clients` posts, and sharing their anticipation to the wedding, but also going live on Facebook or Instagram and answer frequently asked questions, for example. Paid advertising such as Facebook ads and Instagram ads is also a great marketing tool.
All this is great to show them the face behind your brand, who you are as a person, even mentioning a couple of funny wedding anecdotes, why you got in the business, and what your brand and couples mean to you.
Reaching out to wedding vendors
Couples, even indirectly, could provide valuable referrals. They will surely have already booked a wedding planner and a venue, or someone from their families had worked with wedding planners and booked magical venues, and that info could be precious for you as a photographer.
The idea here is to reach out to these wedding vendors, by presenting your work, and leaving your contact, trying to place your brand on their preferred list of wedding photographers. In exchange you could offer them free photo services and even promise to refer them to your clients.
Moreover, the business owner could contact other professional photographers either directly or through the wedding vendors aforementioned. Avoid any aggressive or persistent methods, as it will most probably work the opposite way and tarnish your reputation. Always make sure that both parties will benefit from any possible collaborations.
Excellent networking and camaraderie could result in photographers referring other photographers for weddings which they can`t make up to or are unable to shoot, either because of their busy schedule or travelling/logistics issues.
Alternatively, you could take part in the annual wedding fair, even with a small stall, and apart from the usual business cards, showcase your work on monitors while having a chat with potential clients.
Also, check out any contests or competitions, in which you could take part to showcase your work, and demonstrate your potential. If you win, make sure to show it off on your website, as it will add to your credibility and professionalism.
Content Marketing and SEO
Needless to say, in this day and age, digital marketing is key to reach your existing clients, while targeting the wedding industry niche to entice potential new couples to your brand.
A functional website is a must, and with it comes the regular maintenance, any updates and dedicating time replying emails or online chats. Content media, either in writing like blogs or articles, and a curated display of your shoots, must be detailed, sharp and eye-catching, while the pricing page must show competitive packages.
The photographer should use SEO services in such a way as to increase the visibility of the site and the brand on search engines when users search for his services.
By implementing excellent content marketing, your brand could even be mentioned and discussed in other similar blogs, who knows you could even get published on popular bridal photography magazines or websites, and that would do marvels for your business.
Keep Learning
Never stop when it comes to educating yourself as a wedding photographer. Get abreast of any new gear which could simplify your job, any new shooting styles and what`s trending.
Enrol in online courses, there are even free ones, and/or attend photography workshops, brainstorm the current industry with other colleagues in the sector.
Keep experimenting with various strategies of shooting, to diversify and provide unique work.
We recommend learning about sales, copywriting, advertising and marketing amongst others, that is if you`re not hiring third parties, in which case you will focus (last pun promise) solely on photography.
Concluding
Remember to always treat clients the way you want to be treated. Avoid jargon or technical explanations, since what your clients want is for you to reassure them that everything will work out perfectly, while their special day will be immortalised for them to cherish forever.
Finally, for potential clients, there is no better way to be noticed than proper outstanding digital marketing. So, choose your marketing team or content creator wisely, as this together with effective networking will open more doors and divert clients to your brand.