Still quiet and getting quieter (Wedding Photography Business)

Wonder when things are going to turn around. I'm getting fewer and fewer hits, even though I have made updates and cleaned up/refined several things, not the least of which has been the wording on my main wedding site. Haven't booked a wedding job in a long time, all the inquiries are spam...

I've tried putting prices on my website, tried putting them in advertisements. I've tried omitting the prices altogether, and even putting a "starting at" price up. No change.

I've tried saying "affordable, reliable, quality," and any catch words that might draw in the budget-oriented clientele. Nothing. I've tried completely omitting any and all words suggesting or mentioning affordability and even quality (since it's a form of tooting one's own horn or implies that it is in question), but still no change.

Short of buying google advertisement, lying heinously and without moral considerations (as some do), offering a $25/hour deal, or getting a business degree, what am I supposed to do to draw people? I'm really out of ideas right now.

Do you actually advertise?

Have you ever promoted yourself in the local community?

Not a wedding photographer but I run a couple businesses and I will ask just one thing:

Why are you targeting people with next to no money ? If you are having issues targeting budget clients - re-gear for higher end clients. Even mid range, if you doubt your ability and experience.

Ever see an ad that says you can make 20 grand a day filling out surveys ? Its kind of the same thing...people see it and they think "thats crap, there has to be a c
catch." Maybe thats what is happening to you.

I dont get how you can consider such a low rate of 25 bucks an hour to begin with. Consider this, you can do 40 hours of work (a wedding from start to finish, lets say) and only get paid for the time that you are there shooting (5-10 hours?). Thats 150-250$ for 40 hours of work. Thats worse than minimum wage....minus paying for the actual expenses and tax...maybe you bring home 100 bucks for a weeks worth of work. Why?

You advertise high quality, but you are willing to work for nothing. That sends a message to your clients...what you need is to convince them that you are consistent - and worth it. Create that market. Make it unique..and if you cant, maybe you need to consider changing areas...like any business. I will say one thing off the bat: Increase the font on your webpage by a couple of sizes; it is very small.

How are your networking skills with other professionals and photographers in your area? Have you considered approaching other businesses relevent in your speciality (such as hair spas, bridal supply stores, magazines, stylists, spas, dress designers or whathave you).

How about marketing ? Thats what you are doing right now. Have you got a facebook? A twitter? Get on board, I have seen reports of 25-50% increase in business through networking on facebook alone. Thats huge and could be the answer you are looking for. I think your photography is just fine, you just need someone to step in and bring you up to speed with how to reach your clients.


...I am no expert, but those are my thoughts. Perhaps you need to consider a rebrand. Im not really sure. Maybe its just slow.

Though one thing to realize is..your country is in a pretty bleak economic depression maybe factors are uncontrollable.

Well, at the risk of inviting assertions that I'm making sh!t up (as expressed in another rather amusing thread), I'll tell you that I've never been busier. I'm only a P/T wedding photographer and can manage no more than 20-25 weddings/year and my 2010 is already sold out. And despite being new in the business, was able to quickly move to mid-market from a pricing perspective. In order, work is coming to me through generic searches, one paid listing, CraigsList, and word of mouth (still too new in the business to have more than just a little word of mouth happening yet).

Maybe it's just the LV economy? I agree with Karl, though, you produce some very nice imagery and the issue is almost certainly something wrong with your marketing plan; price, advertising vehicles, message, etc.

I know just what you mean Joey - the Midwest has been hit quite hard also. Other than a few last minute gigs, my calls are down also.

Have you tried putting up some of you work with "partners."? I need to do more of this myself, but what I suggest is printing some of your best work, mounting it inexpensively, and then have hotel caterers or even coordinators display them in booking areas. You can do the same in party centers and restaurants.

If not for the the fact of my regular FT job things would be quite bad. A number of regular FT photogs in my area have gone under or simply left the business.

form wrote in post #9186879
Wonder when things are going to turn around. I'm getting fewer and fewer hits, even though I have made updates and cleaned up/refined several things, not the least of which has been the wording on my main wedding site. Haven't booked a wedding job in a long time, all the inquiries are spam.........

Karl has put some great information up. I definitely have to agree with him on the social media part, most of my bookings this last few months has been from facebook, as shocking as that was. It sorta goes like one person comments, then their friends see they commented then they join and so on.

Also one more idea: BLOG. I'm finalizing on my own blog at the moment, but clients want to get to know the photographer as well as the photos, sometimes they're more interested in how well you'll fit in with them and their friends and family.

When people telephone you for information Joey, how is your voicemail message scripted. In other words, if they call and you can't always pickup, what exactly do they hear in your VM about the services you offer? Perhaps there is something in your phrasing or contact that could be tweaked for a better response? Just trying to think outside of the box here.....

Facebook. Okay, I can try that. Any suggestions of what I should put up there besides just photos?

It's not the photos, it's the tags. Put up photos of recent weddings, each in their own album. Arrange for the couple to be friends or fans of your Facebook page. Tag the couple in their pictures and all of their Facebook friends can find them. If those friends comment on the pictures, their friends' friends will see them. It's pretty amazing how much buzz a few tagged pictures can create.

The only challenge is having the couple become friends. They may not wish to. Or they may not even be on FB. Without that, the tags don't have the real power.

My website is blog-like. I would be glad to include a message-receiving section if I knew how to write it.

I have been thinking about contacting a few nearby venues and asking to be included in their preferred vendor list.

Incidentally, I am not considering the $25/hour option - it's something someone ELSE did and they ended up stealing at least one of my jobs with that advertisement (really bothered me). I also don't intentionally direct advertisements to budget shoppers right now. I have tried it, and for the first year+ of my wedding experience it worked extremely well for me, but the last time I tried it I got no results, so I have gone back to avoiding words suggesting "inexpensive."

I'm not sure I entirely follow your last paragraph, so I may be off here; nonetheless . . .

When someone gets a job at $25/hour, you absolutely can't allow yourself to think of that job has having been stolen from you. If you deserve to work at $200/hour, that person wasn't your client anyway.

Ultimately, it's what I was talking about in that PITA photobooth string; don't see the market as a whole, understand who your customer is: with whom does your photographic style connect, where do they tend to live, more importantly, where do they tend to shop, what motivates them to buy, what do they value, etc. With that in mind, hone your message, redirect your advertising budget, consider the entire sales experience that you present to them, etc.

This is all Marketing 101 kinda stuff and it sounds obvious when I say it, yet most photographers don't get more sophisticated about their marketing beyond a website and a message that tries to be all things to all people. To me, and I imagine to many clients, it reads something like, "Pliease buy from me; oh, please, PLEASE." And that's what begets price haggling.

I'm still new in this business and finding my own way, but one thing has become very clear to me; the more targeted I get about my marketing, the more I sell; and not just wedding shoots but albums, coffee table books, and more.

Identify thy customer, know thy customer.

You know... I'm reading all this facebook and twitter stuff but come on... the guy shoots in Vegas. Of all the places on the face of the earth to run a photo biz this has got to be the worst right now. If you live there, you're dealing with one of the highest unemployment areas in the country and chances are the bank has taken your home and for those that still have one the taxes are eating them up. Also, the casino economy is collapsing. And no dismal market is complete without mentioning that most of the venues there have their own approved vendors who pay their kickback fees and won't allow anybody else in. This is Las Vegas so all this ancillary nickel and dime advertising crap is sustaining and should be in place before you start failing.

I don't know what the wedding vendor market is like there but a booth at a bridal show works for many. I'm assuming you don't have the funds to invest which will bring you to the forefront of all the glitter in that town though.

You might need a day job to weather this storm. But I think you're a student and might already have one. I'm also assuming that moving is out of the question. Personally though, if I truly wanted to stay in business (i.e. I was hungry enough), I'd attach a cheap battery powered photo printer to my waist, park my ass in front of Ceaser's Palace and sell 4x6's to the tourists. (or something like that).

Not sure if you have the stomach to survive this. Only you know that. Most wedding photographers do what they do first and foremost for their egos so that helps.

But there's no silver bullet. I'm guessing that most every photographer in your market is going through this as well. I'd just do whatever it takes to outlast them and it certainly doesn't have to be wedding related.

You mean you haven't already done this and are just now considering it?

No offense but you really haven't tried to help yourself yet, have you?

Bentley & Wilson is a budget photography service in Las Vegas, and I know for a fact that they are doing extremely well right now, no matter what the economy may be like. His website is very simple by modern standards, and not showy. He has massive word-of-mouth support. The resorts are still here, and people are still coming to Vegas to get married. I am simply not getting many hits or inquiries anymore. I think it's limited to just a few of us (me and perhaps a couple of others). I also know another business out here that is doing very well consistently, but the owner has a business degree and is very oriented towards great marketing.

form wrote in post #9188961
Bentley & Wilson is a budget photography service in Las Vegas, and I know for a fact that they are doing extremely well right now, no matter what the economy may be like. His website is very simple by modern standards, and not showy.

I looked this guy up. Holy crap! He's a knottie that will shoot for as little as $300. If this is what you want then go for it but you'd make more dough sweeping the carpets at the Tropicana.

Well, why don't you have this word of mouth? It's certainly not for lack of talent.

This business requires tremendous people skills as well as a great performance (translation: arse-kissing). I don't know what kind of personality you have but believe it or not, a lot of brides refer a photographer based on how they remember their interaction with him/her throughout the day. Unless there's a high dollar coordinator involved, you're the probably the most interactive vendor the couple will ever know. Especially if you did their e-session.

And do you know how many future clients there are at every wedding watching you? Most of the bridesmaids will need you at some point. They already know the bride and will undoubtedly see your work. Many photographers offer referral compensation to brides in the form of free prints or a discounted album (which is negligible at our cost).

Sure, but most of these people are on their 2nd or 3rd marriage and are never going to pay what you're worth. You need to find local markets and stay away from the weekend bargain hunters where the wedding ceremony is only a means to hit the casinos.

So what? I have a degree in mathematics but Mrs. "M" doesn't allow me to write checks anymore.

Stop letting other people's credentials dictate your business model. And quit looking over your shoulder so much.

Do you have any of your prints displayed in vendor areas, or people you can partner with in the wedding industry? Are people having trouble getting you on the phone Joey?