Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 97 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
This week’s episode comes courtesy of Facebook group members Katherine Austin and Jacob Spiekermeier (Speaker Myer). Jacob asked me about posting in Facebook groups, and Katherine posted three photos of Seattle and asked which one we preferred. That got everyone commenting and she got lots of feedback.
So this week’s episode is …
Build Trust and get more CustomersSo I’m going to go through some examples of what you can do to gain the trust of potential customers.
Join local Facebook groups
Now I don’t mean groups for local photographers. You are a good photographer, but you’re not going to be hired by another photographer. I want you to join regular Facebook groups for your town and any surrounding towns in the area you want to get booked.
You don’t want to go on these groups and start telling everyone about how good you are. If Mrs. Jones posts a photo of her cat, Fluffy, tell her how cute Fluffy is, and like her post. When someone asks for the name of a good roofing company and you know one, mention it. This is simple networking with the local population that are all potential customers.
Now it’s important to not mention to anyone that you are a photographer unless they ask. So after about 2 weeks of chatting, liking, and helping people, you are going to ask these people to help you.
You are going to post 2 or 3 images and ask the people in these groups which one they like the best. Say you are editing these photos and can’t decide which one you prefer, the color or the B&W. Just make sure you have your logo somewhere on the photos. Then just sit back and wait.
If your photos are of good quality you’ll get lots of feedback. The fact that you have your logo on display should tell everyone you are a pro. This is extremely powerful if you shoot weddings, portraits, pets, or anything to do with kids.
When someone takes the time to give you their opinion and help you, you need to reply to each person and say thank you.
When you ask someone for advice and they give it, they buy into you. By replying and saying thank you, you strengthen that new bond. The next time someone on Facebook or in the grocery store asks if they know a good photographer, they’ll mention your name and promote you. They might even decide to book you for their family portraits.
Have a professional website
Your website needs to be helpful, well-designed, and professional-looking. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and includes all the information potential customers need. If your site looks like it was made 20 years ago, what will potential customers expect your photos to look like?
Showcase your portfolio
It is really important that you only show your very best work and only photos that show what you sell. It’s no good showing photos of Mrs. Jones's cat Fluffy if you are a wedding photographer.
Your portfolio is an ever-changing thing and needs constant work.
Provide testimonials
You might not think so, but testimonials are one of the most powerful tools you can use to make potential customers trust you. They are messages from past customers telling anyone that interested that this business is safe to use.
Now testimonials will work for any type of business, I’ll give you an example.
Last year Anna and I started a new family business. I made up some Facebook Ads and we got a few customers. A few of those customers raved about the business in the comments under the Ad. The problem was that I changed the ad every month to try out a different copy. When I did that the comments were lost.
So now the ad hasn’t changed in 6 months and the comments are multiplying. I realized the wording in the ad mattered less than the comments or testimonials. Customers say they came to us because of all the great testimonials they read. It is really powerful. They trust us.
Offer a satisfaction guarantee
This is another thing that can make customers feel safer. All you need to do is offer to return their deposit or session fee if they are not happy with the images you produce.
Now you know that they will love the photos you take, and no one is going to walk away from professional photos of their little kids.
The satisfaction guarantee is just a warm security blanket to make them feel safe and trust you.
Be transparent
Be transparent about your pricing, policies, and processes. You need to clearly communicate what is included in your packages and sessions and what customers can expect from you. This information needs to be on your website and in any literature, you hand out.
I guarantee that if you’re not transparent and add hidden charges after the shoot you will not get any testimonials. Customers will tell people what happened and potential customers will avoid you. The end result will be a shrinking business.
Communicate clearly
Respond promptly to inquiries and communicate clearly with potential customers. Taking 3 days to get back to someone that wants to book you isn’t going to make them trust you.
Be upfront about any limitations or restrictions you have. If you have a full-time job and you don’t know whether you can do a mid-week shoot at noon tell them, be honest. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver.
If editing is going to take you a week tell them two weeks. Then when you finish editing in one week they will be happy. If they’re happy they will give you a testimonial and your business will grow.
Use contracts
Now having a contract is a good thing to do from a legal point of view, for you and your customer. It’s also something that makes the customer feel safe and more likely to trust you.
Having contracts and looking professional makes you trustworthy.
Social Media
A strong social media presence can help you build credibility with potential customers. Sharing your work, engaging with your followers, and responding quickly to comments and inquiries are going to show that you can be trusted.
Don’t post anything you don’t want your customers to see. Whether it’s stuff from your personal life, poor-quality images, or photos not related to what you sell. If you shoot weddings don’t post cat photos, especially Mrs. Jones’s cat Fluffy.
Ok, I think that’s it for this episode.
I’m going to be shopping for a new camera body later today. My 13-year-old Canon 1D mkIV doesn’t cut it anymore. I want a new full-frame body with a fancy auto-focus.
Anyway, I’ll let you know what I get next week.
In the meantime, if you need any help with anything you can contact me in the Facebook group or through Facebook Messenger.
Right, I’ll be back next week, bye
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