3 foolproof strategies for getting your wedding photography business off the ground

When a person decides to start a wedding photography business, the first thing that usually crosses their mind is to train with the best professionals in the sector, acquire high quality photographic equipment, and gain the necessary experience to capture images that really make an impact on their clients. The dream of opening their own studio is also present, as a logical step towards consolidating the business.

However, what many photographers, especially those just starting out, don’t realise is that in order for their wedding photography business to really thrive and allow them to make a living from it, it is essential that they include in their plans the creation of a digital wedding photography business. We live in a world where, while the technical quality of photographs is crucial, it is not enough on its own to stand out. The true reality of the profession today is that it is not necessarily the photographer who takes the best photos who sells the most, but the one who is best at selling his or her photos. This does not mean that you should sacrifice the quality of your photographs. On the contrary: having a solid foundation in creating exceptional images is a must. But in today’s world, where competition is fierce and technology plays a key role, being able to sell your work is what will make the difference. That’s why, in this article, we want to help you understand some of the most important tools you need to stand out in the digital world as a wedding photographer, so you can increase your online presence and, consequently, your sales.

 

To make a living from your true passion, it is essential that you learn how to build a digital wedding photography business.

 

How do you know if your wedding photography business is doing well?

 

When considering how to build or improve your wedding photography business, the first thing to do is to stop for a moment and analyse your results so far before taking any action. Without a clear understanding of how far you have come, it will be difficult to set realistic goals or exceed your current figures.

Measuring your results is not just about assessing the quality of your photography or how much you’ve made in the last year, it’s about going a step further and taking a closer look at how you’re managing your wedding photography business. This includes investigating key aspects such as client acquisition, revenue earned on each product, expenses, product types, the effectiveness of your marketing strategies, and even your positioning in the marketplace.

A detailed analysis of these factors will give you a complete picture of your current situation and allow you to identify areas in need of improvement. We know that this process can seem overwhelming at first, so we have prepared a series of practical ideas to help you carry out this analysis in a simple and effective way.

Checklist to help you analyse the state of your wedding photography business

Grab a pen and paper (or your favourite digital tool) and start answering a series of key questions about your business that we are going to share with you below. Write down everything in detail and then analyse the answers to draw clear conclusions and take action. This exercise will allow you to have a more complete picture of your current situation and will help you chart a clearer path towards your goals.

From which media do your customers come to you?

Research the main sources of your recruitment:

Do they find you through recommendations, your website, social media, informative blog articles, paid advertisements, or because they visit your studio?

Knowing which channels work best for you and which are stagnating will allow you to invest efforts and resources in the ones that are really generating good results.

What is the profile of your ideal customer?

It is important that you have clearly defined the characteristics of your most frequent customers: their age range, purchasing power, place of residence, lifestyle, and any other details that you consider relevant. This profile will help you personalise your marketing strategies and better connect with your audience.

It goes without saying that if you carry out different types of reportage, for example: weddings and communions, you will have to carry out this study for each of them.

What services are most in demand?

If you offer several types of photo shoots or have set up different packages, it is important that you analyse which ones are the most popular with your clients. What makes them stand out? or Why do your clients prefer them? These are data that, if you know them, will be very useful to improve your wedding photography business.

This will not only allow you to leverage what already works in your business strategy, but will also help you to create new services or improve the ones you already have.

How many extra photos do you sell after closing the initial budget?

Often the bride and groom, after the initial contract and once they have lived the experience of working with you or have seen a sample of your work, are willing to purchase a series of extra services (such as can be the post-wedding report) or additional products (such as buying more photos than those established in the contract). In order to get more benefits from each client it is important that you ask yourself these types of questions.

Do you offer personalised albums for the wedding couple, do you offer other types of albums, for example: for parents, mini albums for special guests, etc., do you have a system that allows you to offer, after the wedding, the purchase of more digital photos or professional prints, do your wedding couples have the opportunity to book additional sessions, do your wedding couples have the opportunity to book additional sessions, etc., do you have a system that allows you to offer, after the wedding, the purchase of more digital photos or professional prints, do your wedding couples have the opportunity to book additional sessions?

Analyse how you are taking advantage of the opportunity to generate extra income with your customers and how you can improve this type of services.

Why do some couples choose your competition?

Research what your competitors are doing and why some of the couples that match your ideal client profile are going with them.

Do they offer any type of service or product that you don’t currently have, do they have more competitive rates or packages, have they opted for more contemporary styles, do they use better marketing strategies than you do, do they have more competitive rates or packages, have they opted for more contemporary styles, do they use better marketing strategies than you do, do they use better marketing strategies than you do?

Detecting and analysing these points will help you adjust your value proposition and stand out in the wedding photography market.

What do your current clients think of your services?

If you haven’t already done so, collecting feedback from your customers will not only help other undecided customers, but will also help you to improve your marketing strategies. Reviews and real-life experiences can give you valuable information about what you are doing well and where you can improve.

Once you are clear on the answers to these questions and understand exactly where your wedding photography business is at, you will be able to define concrete objectives.

Do you want to increase your revenue, capture a more exclusive customer profile, optimise your services or reach new markets?

Commitment to digital business

The next step, if you haven’t already done so, is to  your wedding photography business digital. Having a solid online presence, through a professional photography website, well-managed social media and digital marketing strategies, will be key to scaling your business and reaching a wider audience. In today’s world, having an effective digital strategy is no longer optional, it is essential to stand out in a competitive market.

How to launch your wedding photography studio into the digital world?

We are living in the digital age, where having an online presence is essential. It is no longer enough to post a few photos on social media and hope that the bride and groom will find you. Nowadays, couples are searching for their wedding photographers and other suppliers online, and are increasingly demanding the ability to make all the arrangements from the comfort of their own home.

This represents a great opportunity, but also a challenge, as competition on the Internet can be fierce. However, the key to expanding your wedding photography business without having to invest more hours of work, apart from the time you spend on photo shoots, is to have a system that allows you to optimise all the administrative and commercial aspects. A system that offers you the ability to:

Show and explain your way of working, products and services

A professional and well-structured website allows you to offer your future clients a complete overview of your work. From a visually appealing portfolio to a clear explanation of your services, pricing and the expertise you offer. This way, couples can understand exactly what they are booking and how you can make their day even more special.

Reaching more people

Through a good digital presence, you can extend your reach far beyond your local area. You are no longer limited to word-of-mouth recommendations or clients who physically come to your studio. The Internet allows you to reach a wider audience potentially interested in your services without having to leave your office.

Doing business online

Automating certain processes such as managing bookings, payments, signing contracts and delivering additional products will allow you to focus on what really matters: the photography. With the right system in place, you can manage all of this without having to be available 24 hours a day, providing a convenient and efficient experience for your customers.

This and much more is possible with the business solutions for photographers that we offer at Arcadina, where we have been helping wedding photographers for years to manage and optimise their business with technological solutions designed to facilitate the process.

 

Before we show you some of the most recommended tools for wedding photographers, we would like to offer you an additional recommendation: if you really want to stand out in this field, you must constantly work on improving your skills and your approach. Therefore, we invite you to read our article on how to become a successful wedding photographer, in which you will discover the fundamental keys to excel in this highly competitive industry.

>> 5 keys to stand out as the best wedding photographer

Essential tools to help your digital wedding photography business thrive

 

When starting up your digital wedding photography business, one of the most important aspects is to have the right tools so that you can achieve your business goals. In an environment as competitive as the wedding industry, it is essential that you have at your disposal a series of business solutions like the ones we offer you at Arcadina that will allow you to stand out, improve your online visibility and optimise your processes.

Today we are going to focus on three of them, which if you use them effectively, can make the difference between a business that remains static and one that is growing every day. These solutions will not only improve your online presence, but also increase the additional sales you generate with each customer. Interested? read on!

The three key tools we want to highlight are the following:

• Professional photography website.

• Photography blog.

• Private photo selection galleries.

These three business tools are not only useful, but essential for any wedding photographer who wants to stand out in the digital world and manage their business more efficiently. If you make the most of them, you will not only improve your visibility on the Internet, but you will also increase your sales, build customer loyalty and facilitate the management of your business. In short, you will be taking a decisive step towards success. Let’s look at them in a little more depth.

Open your digital studio with a wedding photography website

Having a photography website is essential to get the online presence your business needs today. However, it is not enough to simply upload a few wedding photos and add a contact address. Nowadays, wedding couples are looking for something much more comprehensive and detailed. They want access to all the relevant information about the photographers they are considering for their big day, and they expect an online experience that is as close to visiting your studio as possible.

With our photography websites, you will be able to offer just that as you will have the possibility to create all the necessary content to showcase your work and facilitate the decision of your potential clients. Some of the sections you can include in your website are: portfolio, biography, services pages, dossier with packs and prices, client reviews, forms to gather information from clients, contact page, etc.

The key here is that, when a couple finishes browsing your website, they feel as if they have visited your studio in person. If you achieve this, not only will you generate more enquiries, but those enquiries will be that much closer to becoming actual hires.

At Arcadina all our websites are fully customisable, allowing you to create a wedding website in a short time or easily update its appearance from time to time, according to current trends or the evolution of your business. In addition, all our websites are specifically designed to highlight the work of photographers, so viewing your images will be a unique and attractive visual experience for your visitors.

 

Make your work in weddings visible with a photography blog

We know that keeping a blog updated can be a big challenge but if you dedicate a little time to it and create quality content, you will see how, in a short time, your visibility on the Internet will improve significantly. A well-managed blog can not only help you attract more traffic to your website, but it can also position you as an expert in the field of wedding photography.

The key is to avoid publishing generic articles about wedding sessions that bring nothing new to your future clients. Instead, focus on the common questions and doubts that couples approach you with.

What concerns do they have when they start looking for a photographer, what aspects of your work do they need to understand better, what advice and recommendations can help them organise their wedding?

Answer these and other questions through detailed and useful articles and attract a much more targeted and engaged audience. Make sure you also incorporate relevant keywords that will improve your ranking. The more relevant and useful the content, the more likely brides and grooms are to find your website when searching for answers on Google.

If you decide to go with our blog, you’ll see that its design integrates seamlessly with the rest of your website. This ensures that your brand remains consistent in all aspects of your online presence.

Not only is blogging an excellent tool for attracting traffic and improving your SEO, but it also gives you a platform to showcase your knowledge and build a closer relationship with your potential clients. As you share tips and experiences, you position yourself as a reference in wedding photography, which, in the long run, can translate into more enquiries and more contracts.

Automatically increase sales and automate processes with private galleries

Private galleries photo selection are one of the most valuable jewels of your photography business. This space allows your clients to view their wedding photographs in a completely private environment. Couples can view each image at their leisure, without pressure, and choose the photos they wish to include in their wedding album, print or download in digital format. This type of unique experience elevates your level of professionalism and offers your clients a sense of exclusivity and privacy.

What makes private galleries a powerful tool is their ability to generate revenue after you have already delivered the shoot. If you manage these galleries correctly, you will not only enhance your clients’ experience, but also keep them buying more photographs long after they have paid for their initial shoot. Many wedding photographers focus solely on selling the entire shoot, but by offering couples a private space where they can continue to purchase additional photos and products, you open up an ongoing source of revenue.

The best thing is that all this is done without your customers having to leave their home. With just a couple of clicks, they can add photos to their cart, select additional products such as prints, canvases or personalised albums, and check out quickly and easily. This convenience and simplicity increases  likelihood that your couples will make more purchases.

In addition, private galleries allow for many more options: set up special packages, multiple purchase discounts, or even last minute promotions for couples to continue purchasing photographs after the wedding. This way, you don’t just offer a photographic service, but a complete experience that continues even after the ceremony.

 

 

Learn how to set up photo selection galleries

Setting up your private photo selection galleries through the management panel will be a very simple and intuitive process. All you need to do is create a new private gallery, choose the parameters you consider appropriate for your client and, finally, upload the photos you want to make available to them. In just a few steps, you’ll be all set!

If at any point you have any questions or need guidance during the process, don’t worry, because you have a number of support options available to you. Our help section is available to guide you through every step, and you can also access a wide range of video tutorials on our YouTube channel, where you will find detailed explanations on how to set up the different options within your business and web area.

Here are some resources for you to have at your fingertips:

>> Client area – Create a private gallery of: Sample, Selection, Direct Download or Sale

>> Arcadina video tutorials on YouTube

Sale of extra photos if you select more than the indicated photos

One of the options that these selection galleries have is that if couples choose more photographs than agreed, in a couple of clicks they will be able to buy them comfortably from their computer or mobile phone. Let’s take an example to make it even clearer.

Let’s say you have agreed with your wedding couple that after their honeymoon you are going to give them 300 pictures of their wedding day in digital format. When you create their private photo selection gallery, you can upload not 300 but 600 images of their wedding day.

When the couple is making the selection at home, they will select each image they like and once they reach 300 selected photographs, they will be able to buy all the ones they select more for an extra price that you stipulate. If you see fit, you will also be able to set up a price scale where buying packs of 10 photographs at a time will be more profitable than if they buy a single image.

This type of galleries, apart from being very practical for your clients, will allow you to generate a series of very interesting extra income with each client.

Don’t wait any longer to boost your wedding photography business

When setting up a profitable digital wedding photography business it is important that you keep 3 of these fundamental pillars in mind:

• To provide as much information as possible to bridal couples looking for a wedding photographer.
• Implement actions that favour a better positioning of your website on the Internet.
• Offer your clients a private space where they can view their images and have the opportunity to purchase more wedding products and photographs.

Many of your fellow wedding photographers are already using these Arcadina business solutions and for your inspiration, here is a compilation of some of them.

>> 12 wedding photography websites you won’t want to miss out on

If you are thinking about creating a wedding photography business and you still don’t know how to start, at Arcadina we offer you the opportunity to try our services for free for 14 days. And if you then decide to stay, everything you have set up on your website and business, you will continue to keep.

 

Today we want to share with you the interview of the wedding photographer José Alarcón.

>> José Alarcón, wedding photographer in Mexico: my web site is the pillar of my business

Now tell us what do you think is the key to making a wedding photography business work? We look forward to reading your comments.

 

Arcadina goes with you

Fulfil your dreams and develop your career with us. We offer you to try our web service free for 14 days. And with no commitment of permanence.

Arcadina is much more than a website, it is business solutions for photographers.

If you have any queries, our Customer Service Team is always ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We listen to you.