If you're new to the wedding business you may not realize that studio marketing was considerably different only a few years ago. In fact, for decades there were proven formulas that photographers would follow and they generally worked. The more marketing you did the more business you had. It was quantifiable based on how often you did what the others did, or how much you outspent each other.
Today the rules keep changing frequently, and it is important that you stay tuned not only to what successful photographers are doing, but that you even stay one step ahead of the trends. It is now particularly important to keep up with these trends because in many cases it is the clients who are setting them and demanding changes to your business model. To play only the old fashioned way will mean to be left in the dust in a very short time.
Let's briefly look at the old ways and the new ways.
The old marketing.
- Big ad in the Bell Yellow Pages (or whatever size you could afford).
- Bridal show booths several times a year, every year.
- Post cards and letters to lists of brides from bridal shows and from other vendors or magazines.
- Vendor cultivating. Relationships were based on trust and vendors were loyal and the employees stable.
- Evangelical referrals from past brides.
- Promotions with bridal shops, tuxedo shops and others.
- Hanging portraits on the walls of your referring vendors, as well as providing updated wedding albums.
- Taking your best vendors and their sales persons to lunch.
- Having open houses or happy hours in the studio for vendors.
The new marketing.
- No yellow pages ad. Take the free listing - if you still have a land line.
- Maybe one or two bridal shows when starting out. Some photographers with impressive work on display still use bridal shows, but results are marginal for most.
- No US Mail to bridal lists (too expensive, low response rate).
- Vendor relations are still good, but harder to maintain. New photographers are always working to take away your referrals from increasingly disloyal vendors, and many vendors are charging a referral fee. An ominous trend, the fee requests come primarily from some venues and wedding planners. An additional and aggravating fact of life today is that the vendor employees who refer you are changing jobs more frequently and not calling to tell you where they moved to. The relationship has to be re-established in many cases.
- While happy brides still refer their photographer, it is way too easy for their friends and bridesmaids to also search the web and be amazed by the great work of many competitors. Suddenly their friend's photographer does not seem so special. In the old days it was much easier for friends to go visit the referred photographer and sign up. Doing otherwise meant many trips to other studios.
- Promotions with shops and other vendors are still possible, but much more competitive than before.
- A web site is a must for marketing today. But it is neither easy nor inexpensive. Sure, web hosting is cheap, but the cost comes in time invested in a world class web site, its continuous maintenance, and the cost of promotion. Good organic SEO (search engine optimization) can be expensive if you hire a top notch consultant. On the other hand, doing it yourself can result in a substantial time investment, or loss of business because some competitors do it better than you. Pay Per Click advertising with Google, MSN or Yahoo! has become extremely competitive, with PPC rates running from $2 to $5 per click in some areas for certain keywords like "wedding photography" and "wedding photographer".
- Email marketing, done the right way, can generate business, but campaigns are time consuming and must avoid any perception of spamming. Bridal lists with email addresses are hard to come by, and expensive when available.
- Social media web sites are increasingly being utilized by sharp photographers to stay in touch with past clients and connect with new ones. Having refreshed images and content on Facebook means keeping your business in the minds of your past brides who are your "friends" on the service. The idea is to remind them of your existence and your great work by keeping them informed, so that they will continue to send your name or recommend to you their friends on Facebook. MySpace has similar benefits and strategies.
- Wedding planning web sites like The Knot, bride.com, and others offer the photographer a listing or an ad with sample images. These sites have been around for a few years now and reviews on their effectiveness are mixed. Some photographers seem to get business from them, while other vilify them extensively, finding that they were a substantial waste of time and money.
Sources for wedding marketing education are growing. Valuable forums abound, which provide not only a community, but the knowledge of others who are succeeding with new ideas. Notable forums for wedding photographers include ppa.com and digitalweddingforum.com
Clearly the Internet dominates today's marketing efforts, and it is likely to continue. As the Internet connects everyone more and more each day, the opportunity to be heard above the noise improves. We are in the early stages of learning creative new ways to use services like Twitter, and surely new concepts will continue to appear.
But never forget that photography is a people business. Get away from the computer and go see people.
Be known to other photographers - they will come to respect you and send you excess business. Join your local, regional and national photographer associations. Cultivate friendships in the business, not just photographers but other vendors. Invite good clients and vendors to lunch. Be seen at social events. Become a known artist in your community by showing your other work. Participate in volunteer charity organizations. There are so many things you can do if you also take time to just sit down quietly, away from it all, and write down some ideas.
Bill Hitz