Ways to Figure Out Who Your Ideal Wedding Clients Are (Plus How to Attract Them)

It’s not just wedding clients looking for the ideal photographer or videographer. Professionals have to go through the same process in order to book events consistently.

So, do you know who your ideal client is? Even more importantly, do you know how to reach out and engage this particular type of customer?

Many wedding photographers and videographers commit the serious mistake of casting a wide net. In that case, they communicate with many prospects but only a few of those convert.

Such problems are indicative of poor targeting and attracting the wrong kind of client.

If you’re dealing with such issues, the following guide will shed some light on a couple of vital customer acquisition strategies.

 

Think About the Perfect Past Client

 

Before doing anything else, you need to get some clarity on the profile of the perfect client. The easiest way to accomplish the goal is to think about a past interaction you enjoyed with every fiber of your being.

Take some time to go down memory lane. What was the most amazing project you participated in? How did you interact with the clients? Why did you enjoy the interaction and the shoot so much?

Answering these questions will give you some clarity on the persona that you should aim to attract in the future.

For some wedding photographers and videographers, it’s all about working with young couples who are up to any challenge. Others prefer customers who have a clear vision and a very specific idea about the outcome they’d like to get.

Some like working with those who want a classic wedding photo/video set, some prefer clients who are innovators and who like to experiment.

An interaction with a perfect client should be smooth, organic and a little bit challenging. It should give you the creative freedom to do your job and guide the process.

Effortless communication and trust will also be important to make the interaction equally beneficial for both parties involved.

 

Take a Look at Your Portfolio and the Types of Wedding Clients It Attracts

 

Most wedding clients (if not all of them) will reach out after checking your portfolio.

If you happen to be attracting the same kind of client over and over again, the portfolio will be to blame for the phenomenon.

Examples of your past work are the most powerful weapons in your arsenal. They tell the world exactly what you’re capable of.

And since most wedding photography and videography portfolios get dominated by a certain style, they engage people who are interested in this particular line of work.

So, take some time to look at the portfolio and explore it from a potential client’s perspective.

Is it delivering the message that you want to get across? Is it appealing to the people that you’d like to work with?

If the answer is no, the time has come to start thinking about some portfolio changes. Acquiring new skills and experimenting with a couple of alternative techniques can be very beneficial.

This is especially true for photographers and videographers who have an idea about the perfect customer but who simply lack the past projects to impress this kind of prospect.

 

Don’t Focus Exclusively on Demoraphics

 

Demographic characteristics are often used in marketing to come up with buyer personas. The problem with demographic profiles is that they’re often way too broad and superficial to bring in those perfect interactions.

The term demographic profile refers to age, gender, occupation, education level and income of the perfect customer. While a demographic profile is a good starting point, it leaves lots of important questions unanswered.

So, instead of just focusing on demographics, consider psychographic profiles.

Psychographic segmentation breaks down customer groups on the basis of shared psychological characteristics. Some of those could include values and beliefs, lifestyle choices, social status, priorities and motivators.

To come up with a psychographic profile, go back to interactions with your past clients. Think about a couple of favorites, five would be a good starting point. Are there some shared characteristics? What made these people a true pleasure to work with?

In the event of having a couple of good conversations with these people while doing your job, you would be in possession of enough information to determine things in common.

 

Find the Essence of Reviews and Testimonials

 

Finding information about wedding clients isn’t just about the interaction you had with them. It’s also about the experience that people had with you on that special day.

To continue narrowing down the profile, take a look at your reviews and testimonials. Examine both the positive and the negative ones to attempt coming up with common trends again.

What are some of the most positive reviews focusing on and do the people who left those have something in common?

The same questions apply to the po – a vital source of information that can help you become a better photographer or videographer in the future.

If people are unhappy with you due to missing skills and competences, the time has come to consider expanding your qualifications. How about your communication style? Your ability to meet deadlines?

By analyzing reviews, you’ll get a good idea about what you’re doing right and where you’re missing the mark.

Managing to eliminate such imperfections will improve your overall reputation and give you the opportunity of being pickier when choosing the types of clients to work with in the future.

 

Get Some More Feedback from Wedding Clients

 

Do you know what one of the strongest weapons brands have at their disposal is?

A survey form!

When in doubt, ask your former clients for some more information. You can always come up with a simple perk that will incentivize participation in the poll.

By asking questions and being open to answers, you can discover lots of important insights.

As professionals who love their job, we’re often oblivious about the things that we’re missing or we’re not delivering in the best way possible.

Having a couple of great clients highlighting those weaknesses provides enough motivation to seek change.

Ask clients about how they found you, why they choose to work with you, what they liked the most about the interaction and what they didn’t.

Getting the questions to those answers may be a bit scary. After all, nobody likes getting criticized.

Still, keeping an open mind and not taking things personally will help you become a stronger professional who knows how to attract ideal wedding clients.

 

Review Your Packages

 

While most people are looking for quality or a certain style when booking wedding photographers and videographers, budget considerations also matter.

In other words, you could be booking the wrong kind of client due to the fact your service is under or over-priced.

Selling yourself short may attract people who are seeking a bargain but who still have way too high of expectations.

Overpricing, on the other hand, limits the pool of potential customers exponentially.

Sure, being selective is a great thing. But when it’s costing you potential great projects, it can have a very limiting effect on your career.

To review your prices, ask clients for feedback and check out what the competition is doing. Your reputation and experience level change over time.

This is why you have to review and update prices periodically. If you’re not doing that, you’re definitely making a big mistake that reflects poorly on your brand.

 

Employ the Right Communication Channels to Attract Wedding Clients

 

Now that you have more clarity on the perfect wedding customer, the time has come to reach out and attract that couple.

If it were only that simple!

Many photographers and videographers are clueless about consciously communicating and reaching out in a meaningful way. Instead, they rely on chance and exclusive word of mouth promotion.

Your potential clients are looking for your website. They are on social media. Often, they attend wedding fairs and expos to get in touch with vendors.

They’re members of local communities and they interact with many businesses. All of these channels provide excellent opportunities to deliver a specific message loud and clear.

Make both digital and offline communication conscious and strategic choices. Don’t just count on luck or referrals. Having a strong online presence is a must in this day and age.

The same applies to being an active member of a local community. A good mix of offline and online efforts is the one bound to deliver the best results.

 

Conclusion

 

The ideal client is highly specific and very much dependent on your work preferences/skillset.

Don’t be afraid of being selective about the people you decide to work with. By choosing the right customers, you reduce the risk of dissatisfaction and you create the conditions for a perfect interaction.

As a professional, you have the right and the freedom to turn down clients that you simply don’t feel chemistry with.

In order to do that, however, you should be highly aware of what you’re looking for in a customer.

Finding the answer to that question will take some time and effort but the results will justify everything you’ll need to go through in order to find clarity.