Whilst a Wedding is usually the most important day in a couple’s life, the National Wedding Show is often one of the most important days in the wedding calendar for photographers. The peak of summer wedding season may be over but now it’s time to get organised for those autumn weddings and start preparing for the next summer marital boom! First off, you need clients and whilst most photographers will already have a marketing strategy in place we’ve rounded up some top tips to help you get noticed through the veil of confetti and champagne.
Network, Network, Network
Chances are you already network at industry events or at wedding shows throughout the year but don’t give up. The trick with networking is to never stop, you never know who you’ll meet and what opportunity is around the corner. Have your business cards and portfolio ready to go, talk about your work and what you love about your job, show an interest in the client and find out what they want from their photos. Finally, be confident, if you’ve been approached then it’s more than likely a client already loves your work and don’t be afraid to approach couples either and ask them what they would like to achieve from their photos.
Show your Personality
Being a part of someone’s big day needn’t be daunting. Showcase your personality and be yourself. Getting on with your bride and groom is essential if you want to capture amazing shots, so make sure you build up a good rapport with them. If the first time you meet them is at a wedding show then allow your personality to shine from the get go and you’ll be sure to stick in their minds when they get home.
Find your USP
Many seasoned wedding photographers will have their unique style by now but make sure you know yours and shout about it. Maybe you focus on traditional wedding shots with various family members or perhaps you’re all about the dress trashing shoots? Make sure your work showcases what makes it unique, after all when bridezilla comes knocking you need to know your stuff.
Prepare your Stand
Once you’ve established your wedding photographer USP then get creating your brand and think about how you’ll showcase it at exhibitions. Your wedding brand needs to be kept consistent from shots to stand. Make your exhibit stand out, perhaps you’ll hand out freebies, or maybe provide a tester shot on a Polaroid camera and give to the couple to take away along with your contact details.
Get Social
Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years and are wondering what social media is and where to start then let us enlighten you. Before we get too hasty and imagine legions of fans all requesting your handy work, social media is hard work and not something to take lightly. Try and set up accounts across all the platforms relevant to you (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest) under one name, then when a prospective client searches for you you’re easily found. Post regularly about your own business, industry tips and tricks and other wedding related content, if you’re seen to be knowledgeable about all areas of the wedding industry clients are far more likely to trust you. The hashtag has come a long way in recent years with many a bride now inviting guests to share in their big day on social media with a custom hashtag. Create a hashtag for your business and get clients to share their photos with this too, it’ll only enhance your social media following.
Website and Blogging
You most likely already have a website but what about setting up a blog too. Domain names can be purchased for less than £10 and will give you another platform to shout about your work. If previous couples are happy to share the photos from their big day then showcase these on your blog too, or maybe do an interview with a past client and get them to talk about their wedding photography experience. Plus, why not get people to sign up to a monthly or weekly newsletter and send it out filled with your latest packages, offers and wedding ideas.
Showcase your Work
We’ve covered how to promote your work digitally but everyone loves something to have and to hold. Say hello to the USB and add it into your wedding marketing plan. Customise your USB to tie in with your wedding photography brand and hand it out at events with your contact information, wedding packages and portfolio on, chances are it’ll stand out amongst the crowd. After the wedding, why not send the happy couple all the wedding photos on a custom USB.
It’s the Little Things
We all know brides can (sometimes) be a tricky bunch so make sure you’re wedding photography packages are as thorough and detailed as possible. Include all your costs, dos and don’ts on the day, what’s included, how far you travel, photography equipment used, props provided and don’t forget a synopsis of your brand values. If you’re able to provide more than one photographer on the day then don’t forget to mention you can also include behind the scenes shots from the day, often those unstaged moments create the best wedding photographs.
Follow our tips and you’ll soon be on your way to wedding photographer success! Make sure you order your customised USBs today and start sharing your work with the wedding world.
