How To Keep Those Photography Clients Coming Back
I spend a lot of my time talking to you about how to get new clients, and how to market yourself. That's because I know how hard it can be start off in this industry.
But what happens once you DO have a client?
Too many of us get very, very fixated on client acquisition (me included) and I'm here to remind you of the importance of client retention.
Did you know that it is far easier to keep a client that you already have, than it is to find a new one?
But how do you keep your clients? Here's a few things that you can do:
Make the experience for your clients incredible. Be fun to be around on set, keep things moving smoothly, and deliver what they've asked for.
It's just as important to keep the experience pleasurable before the shoot as it is after the shoot. Reply to emails promptly, stay positive (in most circumstances), and if problems arise, try to be a problem solver for them.
Branding is key! It might sound petty, but if a client received a really beautifully designed estimate, instead of a shoddy, thrown together one, that will leave a nicer impression on them. The devil is in the details!
Arrive early to your shoot. It's always better to be early than late!
Under promise and over deliver. Is there something small and easy that you can add in as a deliverable that the client may not have expected? Or can you deliver final files earlier than they expect? People love a pleasant surprise!
Make the post production process easy. I love to use Pixieset to deliver galleries, and allow clients to make image selections. I've been told personally by a Creative Director how much she loved my post production process!
On set, if you can tether to a laptop, always go for that. It's quite rare that I don't shoot tethered these days, because clients like it SO much more when they can see and have creative input in what you're shooting.
Be nice! If you're a happy, positive person to be around, people will love you.
Don't gossip. It's tempting to join in on “set gossip” but resist it. You never know who is listening, or where an employee of a brand may go next.
Stay in touch! This is crucial to client retention. Don't expect them to remember you. Remind clients of your work, share new work updates, check in to see how they are, send Christmas cards. If you're front of mind, you're more likely to get hired!
Honestly I could go on and on, but if you want to learn more about customer satisfaction, and client retention, a quick Google search will serve up SO much more information for you. I hope that this has helped!
