Social media is such a huge monster these days. By huge I mean growing rapidly, and knocking down everything in it’s way. When I started shooting professionally 7 years ago, we barely had Facebook. And at that time, I didn’t think I was remotely cool enough to have my own “fan page”. I spent my time shooting pretty pictures, gorgeous weddings and shared a bit of news, favorite shoots and my personal life in weekly blog posts. Enter Facebook. And Twitter. Then along came Pinterest, Instagram, Vine, Google Plus and a slew of other social media outlets. As a small business owner it’s crazy how much we have to keep up with it all and learn how to spread the word, attract the perfect client, connect with clients and vendors and simply get our work out there. It’s exhausting. I wish I had a clone that would do all of my socializing for me. Nonetheless, I spent a good part of my day today making sure I had all my ducks in a row as I head into a busy shooting season. Google Plus is the newest to me and although it seems I’m even late to that party it still makes sense to use it to connect with clients.
As I sat there learning how to make the perfect Google Plus post, tag my images in Pinterest and Tweet to all the right followers, I got to thinking … how did I get by for the past 5 or so years without all of this craziness? I mean I spent the first 5 or so years as a photographer with nothing but a strong portfolio and a fun little blog where I could show off my work. How is that possible?
Word of mouth made it possible.
Yes, that’s right. Good ‘ol fashioned word of mouth is still king. Shoot pretty images, deliver great customer service and an experience that is unique will always be the best form of “social media”. The vast majority of my clients still find me through referrals and reviews from happy clients that I’ve shot. Honestly, I prefer it that way. Usually when my clients come to me, they already have a great sense of my work, my shooting style and what I’m like to work with. they’ve visited my website and blog, seen examples of my work and heard first hand what their experience will be like.
Referrals like these have shaped my business over the years. And in a sense, they have also shaped my body of work. Couples with a high attention to intimate & timeless details, and seniors looking for a fresh approach to senior pictures are my perfect clients. So that’s what you’ll see in my work and that’s what you’ll hear if you’ve come to me through a great referral. Reviews also play an important role, especially for the bride who is looking for her perfect photographer. I belong to several wedding sites including Grey Likes, Wedding Chicks, 100 Layer Cake & Wedding Wire. All of these sites have a spot for reviews and you can also find them on my Facebook Page, Google Plus and Website.
The links above will take you to those sites where you can leave a review. I read every single one. And I encourage you to tell others about your experience in working with me, to share your story and to “spread the love” as I so often say. I’m not looking to be the busiest photographer in town. But instead am always looking for clients that I can connect with and offer them images that they’ll love for a lifetime. I prefer to keep my number of weddings & shoots manageable so that I can continue to work closely with all of my clients to create an experience that they’ll never forget. I ask a lot of questions when I get ready to book a bride. Not because I’m nosey, but because as a wedding photographer I relish in her details, their story and it’s that connection that we have that makes for some of the best images from their big day. And as far as seniors and portraits I’m 100% hands on. I don’t just fly out the door with my camera to the nearest park. I take time and energy to plan the shoot from start to finish and again – it’s that connection that brings their shoot to life.
And because a post isn’t a post without a pretty pic, take a look at what’s coming up next right here on the blog.
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