Wedding Photographers typically work hard or pay substantial amounts to generate wedding leads; however, after obtaining the lead, many photographers simply shoot off an email response with a few prices attached. Taking the effort to send an effective response will increase substantially the response rate of these leads and improve the profitability of the business.
To see why this is the case, calculate the true cost of generating that lead. If it was through your website, you likely had to perform (or pay someone to perform) some search engine optimization work. If the lead came from a wedding project bidding site, you likely had to pay the site for each lead or a monthly fee. However you get your leads, calculate the amount of time you spend and the hard dollars going out to generate that lead. For most the cost is significant. Increasing the conversion rate of the lead will significantly boost your rate of return on these expenses.
Most inquiries for wedding photographers are fairly standard - how much do you charge for covering X amount of hours and how many prints do I get for that price. By standardizing your reply to this inquiry you can spend less time responding to each inquiry and your response will be more effective. What should be in your response?
1. A wedding related attention grabbing statement. Most brides will investigate several photographers before deciding on you. Your response needs to catch her attention. One that I like to use is - FREE ENGAGEMENT SESSION! Often a bride searches for photographers shortly after getting engaged so this statement will get her attention since it is a subject that is already on her mind.
2. Add pictures to your response. You are after all a photographer. An email response with a stunning portrait inside will set you apart from all of the other photographers who simply send a text message which includes prices. Remember all of your communications with her should be used to persuade her that you are a talented photographer who can meet her wedding needs.
3. Make sure your response is clear and portrays your offer in the most positive light possible.
4. Extend an invitation to respond in a specific way that will lead her towards booking you as the photographer. This could include sending a deposit, sending you back the day they would like to reserve, or calling you back to reserve a day.
While adding these things seems basic, many photographers do not take the time to do these steps. Performing these simple steps will put you ahead of a large share of the competition.
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