Offering blog previews and a quick turnaround time are perhaps two of my most effective marketing strategies. The majority of wedding photographers take anywhere from eight weeks to six months to deliver images to their clients. Not only does this fail to capitalize on the lingering elation of newlyweds, it creates a climate of discord. I can’t tell you how many times a member of the bridal party has made disparaging remarks to me about his or her own wedding photographer specifically for this reason.

Immediately following each wedding event (after I have downloaded all of my memory cards and backed up all my image files), I edit three to five photographs from my bride and groom’s day and upload these “sneak peeks” to my blog. Then, I send an e-mail containing the blog link to the couple and kindly thank them for sharing their special day with me. What this accomplishes is threefold: It alleviates any concern that I might have crashed my car or been abducted by aliens. Sending a few of my best captures reassures the couple that the beauty and emotion their day has been preserved.

It conveys to my clients that I am excited about their images. Aware that I have put in a full day documenting their wedding, couples are flattered and impressed by my continued commitment to providing them with peace of mind. It drives traffic to my web site. It’s not unusual for my site’s traffic to spike by 200–300 additional visitors on the Sunday following a wedding. In addition to sending out a mass e-mail, most brides are members of Facebook or other online communities where they will post your blog link to share with others.

 

Paul D. Van Hoy II (2011). Wedding Photojournalism: The Business of Aesthetics: A Guide for Professional Digital Photographers. Amherst Media, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Tagged with: • •

Filed under: Uncategorized

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!