Finding your ideal client can be one of the most rewarding things in your photography business. After feeling stagnant and unsure of what to do next, determining who your ideal client is can feel like a weight off your shoulders and like you have hope for what will come next for you.
So, now that you have this valuable information, it’s time to use it! And by that, I mean – it’s time to learn how to attract wedding clients that fit your ideal photography client avatar.
By the way, if you’re wondering what I’m talking about, read all about finding your ideal photography client HERE!
Once I determined who my ideal client was I knew things would have to change– the pictures I shared, the way I pitched myself and the work I took on. I wanted every single thing I did to ooze the language of my ideal client. I wanted them to not be able to deny themselves the desire to work with me when they came across my website or my Instagram page. There had to be an instant spark. With that in mind, I started implementing my knowledge of my ideal client into everything I did.
Let’s take a look at what you can do with this information to apply it to your business and begin seeing the results.
How to Use Your Ideal Photography Client Avatar to Attract Wedding Clients:
1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS YOUR CLIENT HAS & THE SOLUTIONS YOU PROVIDE
Every single service or product in the world is designed to meet a need. What you offer as a photographer is no different. Take some time and list out what your ideal clients’ needs are and the problems they often face, especially when it comes to choosing a wedding photographer. Then, list out the solution you, their potential wedding photographer, can solve for them.
For example, if your ideal client is a newly engaged couple who loves adventure and wants a destination wedding, they may be facing hurdles of knowing how to even begin the destination wedding process. How do they find a venue? Do they work with a local wedding planner? How early before the wedding should they go to the destination?
There are so many questions that you can help answer since this is your expertise! An even bigger question they may have: do photographers even travel to destinations for weddings? Your answer, YES! You can begin to share all this information so when your ideal client finds you, they find answers to all their questions making you the person they want to have by their side for this experience.
Knowing what problems your ideal photography client faces, and how you can solve them, makes coming up with content ideas so much easier!
2. CRAFT YOUR WEBSITE CONTENT AND COPYWRITING
There are two major elements of your website you’ll want to focus on with your ideal client avatar in your hand – your website content and copywriting.
Content includes all of the images you publish on your site. Everything from the destination weddings you showcase in your portfolio to your blog posts and even the photos you share on your home and about pages are considered content.
Copywriting is the messaging and words you use to explain who you are, who you help, and how you help them.
Both your content and your copywriting should always tie into your ideal client so you’re attracting the right wedding clients to your inquiry form!
How to Use Website Content to Attract Your Ideal Wedding Photography Clients:
The photos on your website should align with the sessions you desire to do more of. These are the images your ideal client wants to see that will make their jaws drop and contact you without hesitation. It’s the key when it comes to how to attract wedding clients. When you showcase that you can do what they’re looking for, they won’t want to see anyone else!
So what does that look like on your website? Let’s take this as an example:
If your ideal clients are engaged couples who love the great outdoors, why is your website full of family studio work?
Do an audit of your website and make sure the images you’re showing align with the type of work that you want to be producing. Not only is showing the type of imagery on your site important, but make sure that that type of content is easy to find on your website. Make sure the first option on your website shows the primary work you’re going after. Remember that user behavior goes to the first and easiest option to find when arriving on your homepage! Adjust accordingly and set the tone for potential clients.
How to Write Website Copy to Appeal to Your Ideal Wedding Photography Clients:
Similar to the images you share on your website, your copywriting (AKA – the words you write) should work to attract wedding clients, too.
So think of the problems and solutions you’ve already identified. Speak directly to those! If your ideal client is looking for destination wedding photography in the Caribbean, then you don’t need to add in, “family photography based in central Oklahoma.”
That’s one surefire way for your ideal client to click right off of your website!
You can take your website copywriting to the next level by using language and references that your ideal wedding client resonates with. For example, are they never seen without a Starbucks coffee? Do they love re-watching episodes of a particular TV show? Find relatable language to incorporate in your website copy. When you do that, you’re building a stronger relationship with them (without having even talked in person yet!).
3. CREATE A COMPLETE MARKETING STRATEGY
You’re probably thinking that it’s sounding like knowing who your ideal client is impacts EVERYTHING. Yep, you’re right!
Your entire marketing strategy from what you’re posting on social media to where you’re advertising with paid ads must take into consideration your ideal client. When you’re posting on social media ask yourself, could my ideal client see themselves in these images? When you’re creating ads, think about if your ideal client would even be on the website or platform.
Creating a full marketing strategy can sound technical and too overwhelming or complicated for you to even start. But I promise it doesn’t have to be that way! Your marketing strategy can actually make showing up online (and in front of your favorite kind of people) so much simpler.
Think of the entire marketing strategy as a roadmap. It’ll tell you exactly where to go, what to do, and when to do it! And that’ll take the guesswork out of arriving at your destination.
And along the way, I like to think that every time I post something, I’m introducing myself to my ideal client. Try viewing it that way. Make a great first impression and you’ll see what happens next!
A marketing strategy can include:
What You’re Marketing:
- The service(s) you’re offering
- The price point(s) at which you’re offering them
- Where you’re offering them (if you’re a destination wedding photographer, be sure to say where you will and won’t travel to!)
- Where you’re promoting these services (go back to your ideal client! Where are they showing up online?)
Your Marketing Goals:
- What do you want out of this marketing strategy?
- More traffic to your website?
- More engagement on your social media?
- More leads in your inbox?
- When you have the basic goals outlined, you can get more specific:
- If you want more leads, where do you want them to come from? Your blog? Instagram?
- If you want more leads, how many more do you want? 10% increase? 20%?
- If you want more leads, what time frame is attainable? In a month? Six months?
- If you want more leads, what kind do you want / how do they relate to your ideal client? Do you want destination wedding photography leads in a specific area? Do you want destination wedding photography leads with a certain wedding budget?
What Content You’ll Post to Promote:
- What kind of content (and where) resonates most with your ideal wedding photography client?
- Carousels or Reels on Instagram?
- Videos on TikTok?
- Updates on Facebook?
- Pins on Pinterest?
- What topics are most important to your favorite kind of client?
- Guides to different locations for destination wedding photography?
- Portfolio pieces that showcase your work (and that give them the chance to imagine them in the photos)?
- Tips or advice for planning a wedding in general?
- Fashion and styling advice for the couple?
You can see how all of this, even though it’s more work upfront, can help take the stress and guesswork out of promoting yourself and attracting wedding clients!
And I’ll walk you through all of this in my brand new destination wedding photography course. Get your spot on the waitlist here!
4. SUBMIT YOUR BEST WORK TO PUBLICATIONS TO ATTRACT WEDDING CLIENTS
Being published is a great way to get discovered by your ideal client and get your name out there! If you want to shoot for a specific magazine, for example, find their media kit online. It will not only break down what the magazine is all about, but there may also be an editorial calendar that shows you what they need for future issues.
You can capitalize on the sessions you have booked and on styled sessions to get in. If you dream of working for a specific brand, you can do a Google search to find the brand’s strategy, which will be full of information about what they are trying to accomplish through their advertising. Finding these resources will help you think through how your own work can address their needs.
The key here, though, is to find magazines and publications that your (you guessed it!) ideal client views or reads. Otherwise, you may never get in front of them! So, figure out what your favorite type of client looks at to get inspired for their wedding. Then, be sure to submit your best work (that also resonates with your ideal client) to the publication.
Plus, having a feature in a magazine (whether it’s online or physical) or publication opens the door for another way to promote your brand on social media and your website. By saying something like, “As seen in,” or “Featured in,” followed by the name or logo of the publication, you’ll create a new way for your ideal client to trust you to provide the most amazing photos of their wedding day.
Using your ideal client avatar to attract wedding clients is about so much more than booking the next session. It’s about becoming known for the work you want to create and having clients who believe in you and your work, reaching new clients in unique ways and continuing to grow and evolve as an artist.
Taking the knowledge of your ideal client and harnessing it in everything you do is going to make a profound impact on all you do. And, my friend, we are just scratching the surface!
Let’s dive more into who your Ideal Client is and how you can attract and serve them in our upcoming course.
