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As you spend the off-season recharging and optimizing your business for next year, are you making updates that will help you stand out amongst other photographers? What can you do to truly differentiate yourself to book the clients you desire and grow your business?

In our Online Training: The Secrets to Standing Out in a Saturated Wedding Photography Market, Jessica Hill shared her insights on how to ensure your ideal clients notice you in the sea of photographers. Here are the top 5 tips from Jessica’s Online Training to implement into your business to attract clients who are perfect for you.

1. Learn to Say No

Regardless of where you are in your business, it can be easy to say yes to various opportunities. Unfortunately, saying yes to too many things can become overwhelming. It also takes you away from focusing on what is most important in your business. If you take on every opportunity that comes your way, you risk not knowing exactly who your target market is and what time of photography you should be focusing on. When you start saying no, you free yourself up to only focus on shoots and projects that help grow your business to where you want it to be.

“It’s one of the most powerful things you can do as an entrepreneur, because you’re able to say yes when the right client comes along.” – Jessica Hill

Tip: Something you can take off your plate now is editing your own images. When you trust a wedding photography editing company with your post production needs, you eliminate hours from your workflow – hours you can spend on additional profit-generating tasks!

2. Create Separate Brands

If you do shoot other things outside of wedding photography, create separate brands. Rather than having each of the types of photography you shoot on your website (which should be dedicated to wedding photography), build separate websites for each.

Creating separate brands with websites does a few things for you. It helps you build a marketing plan to attract the best clients for each brand, and also allows you to use your time properly. If your wedding photography business is far more successful than your family portraits business, you know where to spend the majority of your time.

Related: Are you making branding mistakes in your business?

3. Discover Your Target Market

Once you decide what your specialty is and if you need to create separate brands, the next step is to allow your specialty to shine. This requires you to discover who your target market is for your brand. As a wedding photographer, who is your ideal client? What is their age range, likes and dislikes, and why do you connect with them?

After you find out who to share your brand with, find out where they are online. Are they on social media, and if so, which specific platform? When you know your target market and where you can reach them, it will be easier for you to create a plan to attract and book them.

Related: How can you find your ideal clients on Facebook?

4. Share Your Brand Message

With your specialty in place and your target market identified, share your brand message with your ideal clients. Build a brand that highlights your specialty and helps you connect with clients who are perfect for you. Ensure that every platform your business is on represents your brand message, including your website, blog, and social media platforms.

Another way to maintain a strong brand message is to ensure you accurately price your products and services. Avoid lowering prices or discounting packages, as these affect in your brand in a negative way. Keep in mind that the cost of running a business is high, and you have to sell yourself at your worth.

5. Master In-Person Sales

As an artist, the thought of in-person sales is often frightening. Instead of shying away from in-person sales, approach it from a different perspective. Think about it as showing your clients their images after the wedding day, and you happen to have sample wall art and albums available in your studio. You can easily master in-person sales by simplifying the process and treating it like a service. This is just one more step in their experience with you, and helps you continue the connection you created with them in the beginning.

“If you offer your clients the ability to see your images with you in person, you are really giving them an extra service. They feel more taken care of and listened to. It’s a great follow through to end the client relationship on a high note.” – Jessica Hill

There are so many ways for you to stand out with your wedding photography business. What is one thing you can do today to help reach the clients you desire? Let us know in the comments!

Since there are always areas of your business that can be optimized or updated, we’ve got the perfect guide for you. Our How to Grow Your Wedding Photography Business Guide has 50+ pages of actionable tips and tricks meant for you and your business! Grab it today!