Many photographers want to grow their business by doing what they do best: shooting, editing and working with their clients. But all too often, the reality of managing the administrative side of their business takes over. Shooting gets replaced with sending more and more brochures, invoices and proposals. Because of this, top photographers’ secret weapon for growing a business has nothing to do with how many Instagram followers they have or how sharp their photography skills are (though these things certainly don’t hurt). The most impactful tool is one that helps them save countless hours and expand their reach: email automation.
Automate every stage of your photography business
From inquiry to onboarding to post-client emails, automation can help.
Inquiry process
HoneyBook’s email automation tools make it easy to instantly respond to every inquiry that submits a contact form on your website. Not hearing back? HoneyBook can follow up with non-responders, too, sending emails with blog posts, links to your portfolio, or client reviews to demonstrate your value and expertise. Just set it once and forget it, letting automation do the work of convincing inquiries to book your services for you.
Success story: Photographer Andy Lydick tripled his bookings by automating his email inquiry process with HoneyBook. Check out the three steps to automation that he shared.
Advertising
Running ad campaigns? If you’re generating email leads, automation can help you send emails to this ideal audience that’s demonstrated an interest in what you have to offer. HoneyBook can send an email nurture series, educating your leads on your brand and services over a period of time to get them to book with its client workflow automation software.
Jeff Watkins, Photographer
KolorPHX Photographic CO
Questionnaires
Automation can also send out questionnaires on any date you decide. Business strategist Lauren Dragon-Cook recommends using questionnaires to get the couples you shoot to write your blog posts for you.
Want to know the best part of this all? You can legitimately not even have to click a button or think about sending a questionnaire to your next client as long as you have a CRM program.”
Lauren Dragon-Cook, Business Strategist
LDC & CO
Post-client email series
Automatically send follow-up emails after your project wraps to thank your clients, let them know how much you enjoyed working with them and ask for a review. HoneyBook can help with strategic follow-up in the future as well. You can set it up so that a note goes out on an anniversary date to surprise past clients. For example, you could pick a couple’s one-year wedding anniversary to check in and see what needs (or referrals) they might have and remind them of your business.
Conclusion
Automation can help you expand your reach, book more business and, most importantly, save time. Photographer India Earl saved seven hours a day using HoneyBook automation! Whether you’re spinning your wheels sending emails in the beginning, middle or end of your business process, automation can help.
India Earl, Photographer