We live in a world where recommendations carry a lot of weight and are almost everywhere – Amazon, price comparison sites or “offline” recommendations from your friends. For wedding services, it’s no different. It’s usually a big day for the bride and groom. If they make the wrong choice, a poorly done job – a photo or video of the wedding will haunt them for years.
And you don’t want that, do you?
Exceed their expectations
There are many quality photographers and videographers. But if you want to make a strong mark in your customers’ minds you need to differentiate yourself and the best way to do that is to exceed their expectations.
You can do this in a number of ways and you can combine them in any way you like. For example:
– extra fast delivery
– special artwork
– superior advice
– a friendly approach where they feel you want to help them and don’t see them as walking wallets
– extra service (come up with something others don’t do and often people ask for drone shots or face retouching for example – we’re happy to help with that 😊 )
- Surprise clients with extra edits, a highlight reel, or a printed photo.
- Offer a free anniversary shoot for top referrers.
- Provide a seamless and enjoyable experience they can’t stop talking about.
Build a relationship with the client
Related to the previous point, if you have a friendly approach it’s much easier to build a relationship with a client. Of course you still have to be professional, the client is not your beer buddy.
What can you do to improve your client relationship?
– You can send a thank you note
– You can send a card for Christmas or a wedding anniversary (even better)
– With the client’s permission, make moments from the wedding visible on Facebook, Instragram, etc.
– Don’t try to sell the client something they don’t want or need at any cost (don’t just do a pressure sale)
Ask for recommendations at the right time
- After delivering the final wedding photos and videos, ask if they know someone who might need your services.
- Include a subtle referral request in your thank-you email.
- Offer an incentive, like a small discount on future shoots or a free print for successful referrals.
Offer a Referral Program
- Create a structured referral program with rewards for clients who refer new couples.
- Offer incentives like gift cards, discounts on prints/albums, or free mini-shoots.
- Promote the referral program on your website and social media.
Use recommendations from different channels and don’t be afraid to experiment
Nowadays it’s not enough to have nice recommendations on your own page, people are not stupid and they know that you can easily write them yourself. Invite your clients to write you a review on Google my business, Facebook, or tag you.
If you have a closer relationship with them or you just think they would agree ask them to do a video review which is especially powerful because people want to see other people – happy customers and not read fiction (long rants).
Make it easy for customers to leave a review
For example, create a sub-page on your website where it is easy to create a review of your services and recommend them to other people.
Don’t add too many options so that you don’t confuse people – no more than 5 clearly distinguishable options, ideally in one click. I.e. so that the customer can write a review and possibly recommend you straight away with two clicks at most. At the same time, make sure it is easy and clear on mobile.
Stay Connected on Social Media
- Tag clients in wedding posts and encourage them to share.
- Post wedding sneak peeks to keep them excited and engaged.
- Create a hashtag for your brand so couples can tag and promote your work.
Build Relationships with Wedding Vendors
- Partner with wedding planners, venues, florists, and DJs for cross-promotion.
- Refer other wedding vendors to clients, and they’ll likely return the favor.
- Collaborate on styled shoots to showcase your work to new audiences.
Conclusion
Recommendations are very important and so are reviews. Without them it is very difficult to be successful in a business that requires contact with people