Marketing is one of those topics that can be overwhelming. There are lots of thoughts behind it BUT I don’t think it needs to be as complicated as we make it out to be. Maybe you’re wondering how to book out your calendar with dream brides or you aren’t sure what platform you want to spend the majority of your time in. Whatever the case may be, in this video, I’m going to walk you through 5 steps or areas you need to be thinking about in order to have more successful marketing.
How To Book More Weddings As A Photographer
Area #1: Know Your Goals
In order to have more successful marketing, before you even begin jumping into creating content and posting on the variety of platforms, you need to first know your goals. Who are you trying to reach, where are you trying to reach them, and exactly why. Before you do all the things everywhere, this will help you bring clarity to your business. You need to have exactly an idea of who you are trying to reach and who your ideal client is. This will help you determine where you need to be hanging out online and in person so you can reach them more effectively.
Establish your goals and your marketing BEFORE you do anything else first. Knowing your goals and the outcomes you want from your marketing is so important but too often this comes later on and we get the steps backwards. Thinking about these things first will help you determine your message and what avenues you take to be most effective with that message.
Area #2: Stop Selling & Calling It Marketing
A lot of times people think they are “marketing” when they are actually promoting or selling. This is a very small piece to marketing and should not be your overall approach. While selling has its place in your marketing plan, it’s the very last step. Before you can sell you have to build trust, and before you build trust, you have to get in front of people with exposure, and before you can get exposure, you have to have amazing and valuable content.
So, before you start to sell, think about how you can bring value to your client and don’t think so much about the conversion of the sale because that will come later. You need to give before you ask. Give value, give help, and give solutions before you ask for the sale. You’re not going to get the sale until you’ve built the trust, and trust comes through delivering consistent value.
Area #3: Create a plan and stick to it
So often you hear people saying, “I’ve posted to Instagram and it’s not doing anything” or they might say, “I tried to create an email list with email marketing and nobody opened my emails.” Come to find out if you dig a little deeper, most people don’t stick to it. Not only were they not consistent but they gave up after a few weeks. The problem with that is that you have to do something for a considerable amount of time, at least a good 6-8 weeks before you know if your marketing is working and if you need to change.
A lot of times we quit just as we’re about to get results. We’re so close to seeing results and we give up because we don’t see it as quickly as we hoped. But, when you are sowing those seeds and providing that value, eventually you will see the harvest. Because of that, you need to stick to the plan even when it gets hard and even when you hear nothing but crickets, keep going!
Area #4: Don’t Forget About Your Brand
Your brand is so much more than a logo. Many times we get caught up in the aesthetics and we think it doesn’t matter that much. Think beyond just the visuals of your brand for a moment and think about what makes you different? What makes your experience with your clients absolutely exceptional? Why would they want to refer you in the future? This is going to be the lifeblood of your business. Your brand is what weaves YOU into your business and it’s what makes you different.
The photography world is a very competitive one so your brand is really the only differentiating factor when you really think about it.
Area #5: Establishing Authority Through Professionalism
What this ultimately comes down to is the tiny little details. Your website, your email, and your headshot should all look professional. If you are out there marketing yourself and trying to drive traffic to your website, but you are inconsistent and unprofessional, it’s going to be hard for you to convert and make the most for all the effort you have made. Your website especially needs to be easy to navigate and professional. It does not have to be a custom design from a designer but could just as easily be a template that is affordable and you can get online.
Your email address should be professional as well. If you are using a Gmail or another domain site instead of your own business website like info@businessname.com, it does not look as professional. These are the small details that communicate to your prospective clients whether or not you are legitimate and have built authority behind your business.
The final element you should be thinking about is your headshot. Your headshot should be a good representation of your current brand. This is going to be great for both your website and your social media so make sure it’s something you can be proud of.
If you find you’re having a hard times booking clients or you’re wanting to find more ideal clients, walk through this list and see where you might be able to improve in your own business. Take things one step at a time, begin implementing one small change, and be consistent. You will reap the benefits of consistency and making these small but might tweaks in your marketing plan.
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