There’s nothing more infuriating than an empty calendar. With the past few months offering unexpected closures and obstacles, we could all use a boost in our bookings. Here are 5 ways to increase your bookings and revenue without lowering prices or increasing marketing spend.
Optimize your website for easy inquiries
Put yourself in a potential client’s shoes to see how the inquiry process works on their end. How many clicks does it take to get to your lead page? How many questions do they have to answer before pressing submit? Is your wording tempting enough for them to give out their email address? Using these questions as guidelines, try to make this process as easy and seamless as possible to gain more leads.
Embed your lead form on your WordPress website. Whether you are using one of our WordPress photography themes, or another, it will always look great!
Immediately reply to inquiries
Responding to leads immediately can be the difference between a potential client and a booked one. Think about it, people forget or they find another photographer’s website, and this can all happen within the span of a few hours.
By immediately responding to an inquiry, you keep your business in clients’ front of mind while also revealing your dedication to high-quality service. While responding quickly is important, we know that it can be difficult to keep up with inquiries with everything else going on in your business. That’s why we recommend setting up automatic email replies to keep leads engaged and customer service stellar, even when you’re away from your email. Learn more about Iris’s automated, customizable emails and workflows here!
Make Booking Simple
We recently conducted a survey and found that over 80% of clients prefer to book online through an online calendar. Many find booking over the phone to be too time-consuming and portals require too much client set up. By taking away unnecessary work on the user end, you greatly increase your chances of booking sessions.
You can gain a competitive edge by making your booking process simple and user-friendly. Iris’s online booking feature makes it effortless for your clients to book, sign contracts, fill out questionnaires, and pay without any prompting from you! Utilizing a simple online booking system will make the entire process easier for both you and your clients, putting the focus where it should be-your photography.
Double Business with Referrals
Happy clients love to share their photos with friends and family. Take advantage of this and gain pre-qualified clients with low acquisition costs. Be creative in how you ask current clients to refer people to you. For example, you can ask clients to send you some of their contacts directly or you can ask for them to tag you when posting your photos and to mention your name in their social media captions.
Don’t be afraid to test out multiple referral systems to find one that works for your business. For example, many photographers either utilize a point-based system, give a percentage off of their next session or offer freebie mini sessions to entice referrals. Depending on your client base, location or entrepreneurial style, one of these systems might be a better fit than others.
Be Active on Social Media
Social media is a great free tool that allows you to market yourself. For instance, you can direct message people you want to work with and comment on fellow photographers’ posts. Starting conversations and building rapport will keep your name in people’s minds and increase the chance of them booking your services later. Use your social media pages to reflect the work you are really proud of and want potential clients to see.
Other Social Media Content To Learn From
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How to Make a Link in Bio Page in WordPress
With a Link in Bio page, you can send social traffic to a dedicated landing page on your photography site. From there, you can direct your visitors to specific areas on your site of importance. -
5 Facebook Strategies to Sell More Prints
As marketplaces have shifted into a digital world, more and more patrons of the art world have also begun shopping online. As a fledgling artist, however, how do you begin selling more of your prints? What are some strategies to selling online and through Facebook that can lead to more results for your work?
Increase Your Bookings with Iris
Iris is a client and studio management system that acts as a virtual sidekick for all of your business tasks. Iris creates workflows that automate reminders for you, offer customizable emails for clients, and handles every step including booking, invoicing, contracts, questionnaires, and galleries. Learn more about Iris and start a free 14-day trial here.
