Digital Wedding Photographer's Planner

Appendix C. Marketing your business

As wedding photographers, our work does not end when we finish shooting the wedding. There is another aspect to this business that constantly needs attention in order to be successful: marketing. In an ideal world, we would get a couple referrals after each wedding, but the reality is we need to market ourselves to our target audience and always think a few steps ahead to stay in the game.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

You can never take back your first impression. I know this seems so simple, yet many people don't take it seriously. Every time you meet with a prospective customer you need to make sure you look your best. Every time you work at a wedding or any event, you need to look and act your best. Everything you present, from how your shoes look to how your Web site looks, affects how people view you, so it is important to make a good impression.

As a general rule of thumb, when shooting a wedding, I dress in a similar fashion as the guests. This helps me fit in and makes everyone feel more comfortable with my presence. For formal events, I wear a suit. I actually custom designed a suit last year because none of the suits I purchased fit me well and I got tired of wearing things that didn't make me feel comfortable. The investment was worth it and now every time I wear the suit, I get compliments. Not only does that make me feel good, it makes the bride ...