Ways to Book More Gigs as a Second Wedding Shooter

Finding opportunities to work as a second wedding shooter will help you expand your portfolio and acquire much-needed experience.

That’s a wonderful opportunity for beginners and for those interested in expanding their business.

What are some of the best ways to come across reliable second photo or video shooter gigs?

Networking is as important as ever but here are some additional things you can do to get more work.

 

Use the Power of Social Media

 

Professional networking doesn’t have to happen during in-person meetings for it to be effective.

Social media give you a much broader pool of wedding professionals to network with.

Interacting with those people allows you to access information about upcoming opportunities that you would be unaware of otherwise.

One of the best networks to start using today is LinkedIn.

Before connecting to other professionals, make sure your profile is outstanding. List all of your qualifications and the projects you’ve worked on.

Add a link to your portfolio. If you’ve worked with other photographers and videographers before, ask them for an honest review.

Having testimonials featured on your LinkedIn profile builds great credibility.

The cool thing about LinkedIn is that you can create numerous publications on professional topics you enjoy.

Using this opportunity frees you from having to create a professional blog. Also, such publications can be found by the right people.

In a sense, they will be doing networking on your behalf.

Once you have all these essential elements in place, start networking. Don’t ask for second wedding shooter gigs immediately.

Tell people you’d like to be a part of their network. Interact with the content that they publish. In time, you can begin looking for actual professional opportunities and new gigs.

 

Join Local Communities and Look for Second Wedding Shooter Gigs

 

The power of internet networking extends beyond social media.

Local communities and forums are ideal for those interested in wedding gigs.

As a wedding photographer or videographer, you’re doing a job that is highly localized. Interacting with your community and being a valuable member will eventually reveal new professional opportunities.

View this is a long-term investment in the growth of your business. You may not get booked immediately but that’s to be expected.

The more vocal you are and the more professional you sound, the easier it will be for other photographers and videographers to get in touch.

There are many directories, forums and online communities that let you market your local business.

You’ll probably even find a couple of Facebook groups dedicated to your city or neighborhood. Use those opportunities but don’t overdo it.

If you do self-promotion every other day, you’ll easily get banned.

 

Let Local Businesses Know about Your Services

 

Visiting a few local wedding businesses can also pay off, especially if you play your cards right.

Some of the top places to drop by include popular restaurants and hotels, bridal shops and the offices of wedding planners.

Don’t expect anything from these visits. Use them as an opportunity to introduce yourself and leave a few business cards.

Let the business owners know what you’re good at. Let them know that you’ll also be capable of referring clients to them in the future.

B2B networking pays off a lot more than contacting clients directly when you’re looking for second wedding shooter opportunities.

Wedding businesses know photographers and videographers who may be looking for a partner.

They often interact with such professionals and if you communicate your message in the best way, they’ll think of you when an opportunity arises.

 

Make the Most of Every Second Wedding Shooter Gig That You Get

 

The best form of marketing is doing a stellar job whenever you get booked.

Once you are booked, make sure you’re very proactive. Communicate well with the other photographer or videographer. Come up with an action plan in advance. It’s very important for both of you to understand the parameters of the collaboration.

Be engaged throughout the wedding. Don’t just wait for instructions or directions.

If you spot an opportunity, let your partner know about it. If you’d like to shoot something unplanned, go for it.

Such creative liberties can enrich the end result and guarantee client satisfaction.

Being responsible, engaged and present will help you get booked time and time again.

People should see you as a reliable partner who knows what they’re doing. True, nerves can get the best of you when you’re just getting started.

Learning how to control those emotions, spot and seize opportunities, however, will build your confidence and help you establish your professional reputation.

 

Follow Up if You Haven’t Heard from a Partner in a While

 

Reminding an existing partner about your existence is a lot less challenging and much more effective than doing lead generation from the very beginning.

Have you been booked as a second shooter some time ago? If you haven’t heard from your partner since then, do follow up.

Send them a quick note to let them know you really enjoyed the opportunity. Remind them that you’re available for work if they ever need assistance.

Sometimes, people will forget about a collaboration, especially if some time has passed since the project completion.

Giving them a reminder will very often result in new work. Many creative professionals have found this approach very effective.

It only takes a minute to write a quick email. The rewards, however, can far surpass that effort.

 

Attend Industry Events

 

Industry events in the fields of wedding business, photography and videography can enrich your networking.

Join local groups online to find information about meetups, workshops, conferences, and other industry events.

Have enough business cards and promotional materials available to bring to the venue. Leaving people something tangible increases the likelihood of being contacted in the future.

Such events can expand your business network, reveal new trends and opportunities in the respective field.

They can be cumbersome to attend sometimes, especially if you’re a more introverted individual. Networking there and approaching people will be easier, however, because that’s what everyone expects from the occasion.

 

Should You Be Working for Free to Find More Second Wedding Shooter Opportunity

 

One controversial approach that you’ve probably considered is doing work for free.

Is that approach a good idea in terms of marketing and reputation establishment?

The benefit of doing work for free is that you’ll easily get booked and you’ll have an opportunity to prove your expertise. On the downside, such an approach could make you seem a bit too desperate for work.

Shooting for free can work really well for those who are making their first steps in the realm.

That’s also an opportunity for you to establish a portfolio and get better gigs in the future. You will also network extensively with the people who hire you and prove your worth.

That marketing approach, however, is one you shouldn’t be over-using. Once you have established yourself and you’ve populated your portfolio, you’ll probably do better by employing other types of marketing.

 

Make Communication and Networking Major Parts of Your Business Plan

 

Sometimes, it can be difficult to get enough gigs and enjoy being a shooter full-time. This is especially true for beginners who are trying to make it in very competitive areas.

Make communication an important part of your business strategy. Network with wedding professionals both online and in real life. Always follow up after getting an opportunity. Make yourself readily approachable and respond fast to inquiries.

Showing people that you are reliable during those early stages of communication increases the likelihood of discovering great second shooter gigs.

Once you complete a few such projects, you’ll get the ball rolling.

You will find it much easier to come across and secure professional opportunities that would have been unavailable previously.