4 Genius Ways to Market Your Wedding Photography

content marketing for photographers

The wedding photography industry is a notably noisy one, which requires prospective clients to wade through larges amounts of information and make a critical choice about an experience that’s deeply personal and emotional.  Which is why many photographers still wonder: How do I make my business, which I know to be really great for potential clients, stand out in a way that’s authentic, honest, and desirable?

The key is providing information to your clients that is valuable, well-timed, and highly personalized. When a newly-engaged couple goes Googling for wedding photographers in their area, they’re going to be looking for a lot of small deciding factors; Does this photographer’s style match my own taste? Does this seem like a good value? Do they seem like true professionals? Will they help me make the hard choices?

To answer all of those questions, you’re going to need more than contact information and a carousel of images — you need real content to help tell your story and make your case.

Not sure how to even begin? ShootDotEdit‘s free handbook, The Guide to Marketing for Wedding Photographers, provides essential tips for attracting new customers and re-engaging old customers, as well as unique and creative marketing ideas that you can implement right now — which is the best possible time to be doing it. The guide, which shares information and stories from industry’s best, includes strategies for how to create content, distribute it, and measure its success.

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Here are just a few tips from the guide that we thought were extra valuable.

Define your audience. Blogging and posting to other social media platforms is a great, largely free way to get your photos and your business out there — but do you even know who you’re trying to court?

“When creating content, the important thing is that your readers find it compelling, useful, and valuable. In order to do this, you need to know who will be reading it,” according ShootDotEdit’s guide.

To do this, consider making a Pinterest board that’s representative of your ideal clients. Pin images that you think are in line with your brand, and articles that you think might relate to your audience. Who are they? What do they like? What other brands influence them?

Then, says ShootDotEdit, “think about what it would be like to have a conversation with your target client. ” What questions will they have for you? What are their concerns? The answers to those questions make amazing blog posts, and give you a good idea of what kind of copy to include on your site and social media profiles.

wedding photographers content marketing

Think long-term. Wedding photography is a beautiful, artistic medium — which means a lot of people are interested in it even before they’re engaged. This is one of the aspects that makes content marketing such a good match for wedding photographers.

“Many of your initial, most important interactions with the pre-engaged prospect will occur on a social media outlet,” explains SDE. “Facebook and Twitter have a constant flow of posts on a user’s feed, so it is crucial that you are active on these pages. Instagram is also a popular option for image sharing between photographers and prospects.”

Creating the kind of small, low-impact content that isn’t necessarily selling something (other than you as a great wedding photographer) is a way to insert yourself into the feed (and life) of a potential client who might not come knocking for years, but know that every time you post one of your gorgeous shots, you’re leading them toward you when the time comes.

“Allow your followers to view content that will encourage them to click on your page, leading them to take an interest in your work.”

Define your goals and track your success. There are a lot of great reasons to blog. It improves your Google ranking, it can be a great way to connect with customers. But content marketing can also help attract real clients who will spend real money.

“Your content should compel your clients to get closer to you and to work with you. Content marketing is about creating trust and building a relationship, but it also has to move them closer to a profitable action,” explains SDE. “They should be prompted to click links, download content, and interact with you. Tracking and testing help you to narrow your efforts to ones focused on delivering the most impact.”

content marketing

Make a list of goals you want to achieve. Better SEO, more sales, more valuable sales, more follow-ups? Whatever you’re looking to achieve, tailor your content toward those goals. If you’ve noticed that your clients don’t often opt for, say, a follow-up or wreck-the-dress shoot, how can you illustrate that service on the blog?

Then, after you’ve pursued those goals, go back and check to see if it’s worked. Which Google keywords are people usually using to find your blog — and how can you hit on them more strongly?

Drop the idea of perfection. “Start sharing,” says SDE. “Even if it isn’t perfect, as long as it is authentic and genuine, it adds value to your brand.”

Once you know who you’re marketing to and what you’re hoping to achieve, just go for it. Consistency and authenticity are the most important elements of this pursuit. If you put the right stuff out there — the stuff that’s the most you, and the most indicative of your best work — the right clients will come.

For more essential content marketing tips for your wedding photography business, download the free manual, The Guide to Marketing for Wedding Photographers.

Legal disclaimer: By providing your email address, you consent to receiving emails from CreativeLive and our partner, ShootDotEdit. For more information on how CreativeLive collects and protects your information, please visit creativelive.com/privacy.

Hanna Brooks Olsen FOLLOW >

Hanna Brooks Olsen is a writer and editor for CreativeLive, longtime reporter, and the co-founder of Seattlish. Follow her on Twitter at @mshannabrooks or go to her website for more stuff.