Hi guys!! Welcome back to my channel. I'm Joy - founder of Joy Michelle Photography-
a fine art wedding and lifestyle photography company here on the East Coast. And today I'm really excited because I'm going
to be sharing with you guys some of my tips for finding your very first wedding photography
clients. In your first year of business.
When I was first starting out, uh- let me
tell you...I didn't have a lot of gear. I didn't have any experience, and I had no
idea what I was doing- especially on the business side of things. My first paid photo session...I actually used
a borrowed lens, you guys. Like I didn't even have a prime lens that
I owned.
I only had the kit lens that came with my
camera. So I was taking a film photography course
at the time, and my professor let me borrow the lens that I wanted for this session. And I used a borrowed lens for my first session. I had no idea what I was doing, but I went
from that (borrowed gear) to being a full time Fine Art wedding photographer.
So I want to give you guys a little insight
into what I did to get here and some things that didn't work as well. So let's dive in! The first tip that I have for you guys is
to simply start putting it out there! And namely, putting it out there before you
are ready. Because I can't tell you how many times I
talk to photographers and they say "Well, I'm working on my website" or "I'm, not quite
there yet..." "I'm still working on things" GUYS, done is
better than perfect. So please - start putting your work out there.
Start sharing it. And start talking about
yourself like a photographer. My first bride- my actual first booked wedding
was a friend of mine from college who was seeing my work on Facebook. And I was sharing
and I thought nobody was seeing what I was sharing.
And she ended up booking me because
I was putting it out there and no body was liking my posts, nobody was commenting, it
was just crickets on the internet. But it worked! And it's why she knew that
I was doing what I was doing. So my first tip for you is- GO- put it out
there and start talking about yourself like a photographer. The second thing I want to share with you
is the value of social media.
I mean, 10-20 years ago, we didn't have any
of the social media platforms that we know today. So we have a huge leg up on what used to be
a slow climb for a lot of businesses. So there are an amazing amount of platforms
out there and I know it can be overwhelming....So I'm going to summarize this into two points. Point number 1, Choose your favorite 3 platforms,
or even 2 , and stick to what you know.
Stick to what you're strengths are honestly. Because if you're better and great at 1 platform,
it's better than just being mediocre at everything. The second tip I have for you guys for social
media is to know your WHAT and your WHY before you even start. Know what you're offering and your story and
why you're offering it and who you hope to connect with BEFORE you start sharing.
Because you may end up doing what I did, Just
copying what a lot of other people were doing when I was first starting out, because I had
no idea what I was about in those first few months, and honestly I was spinning my wheels. I was wasting my time. So the sooner you can find out your story
and your why and who you are, the sooner thats going to shape what content you put out there. I've got 2 words for you - Styled shoots! When I photographed my first styled shoot,
I gained 3 amazing things in my business.
I created valuable connections and friends
within my industry, I grew my portfolio, and I got published. These things are pillars within my business. This is networking, marketing, and advertising. And also, it's all free! So I hope between these three reasons alone,
you understand the value in styled shoots.
The fourth tip that I have for you today is
to second shoot. Now, if you're interested in photographing
weddings and being a wedding photographer, in any capacity, even if you have experience
in other areas of photography...I still strong recommend second shooting. The next tip I have for you guys is to collect
reviews ASAP. Brides love reviews.
Which makes sense. Because they want to make sure they're getting
the best possible product, and also research shows that a client, or prospective client,
is 63% more likely to buy from a website where they can read reviews. Which is phenomenal! So, make reviews a top
priority as soon as you possibly can. One more bonus tip in the whole world or reviews! Once you get some reviews, be sure that you
show them off.
Put them on your website, add them to the
side bar of your blog maybe, make sure that they are somewhere really easy to find and
super visible so that your brides can find them and prospective clients can read them. Alright! We're on our last tip! The very last tip that I have for you guys
today is to make your brand clear. Now, the way I see it, our websites and brand,
are essentially the digital equivalent to a store front. So what used to be somebody walking in front
of your store and kind of seeing what you're about, that's really your website.
So you need to make sure that your brand and
your story and who you are and what you offer is very clear to those who visit your store
- or your website. Maybe you're not sure if your website really
speaks to your brand, or if it's sending the right message. I really suggest - ask a friend or a family
member to go on your website and give them a list of kind of specific questions that
you want to have answered as to what impression you're giving off. So that you can make sure that what you're
putting out there is the same as how you're being perceived.
I also highly recommend hiring a professional
graphic designer to accomplish your website or your blog. Just to make sure that all those colors and
fonts are cohesive and that you're being consistent online. And there you have it! Those are our 6 tips for Finding Wedding photography
clients in your first year of business. If you liked this content and you want to
read more and get more bonuses, and find out ways to implement this into your business
today, I actually wrote a 10 page course on this very topic! It's free! You can grab it in the information
section below and start reading more in-depth about how I grew my Wedding photography business
from the ground up.
So I hope that you enjoyed this video! If
you did, please like it and subscribe, and I'll see you guys next time. Bye!.
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