Book More Weddings: Building Vendor Relationships to

Drive Your Photography Business

Lara White

Topics we are covering today:

The single most effective marketing

strategy

How to get on referral lists

Making networking work for you

Tools to build vendor relationships

How to "steal" your competitors best

source of business when they slack off

Creating sample albums that actually

get shown to clients

How I used to do marketing:

Bridal Shows $$$$

Monthly online advertising $$

monthly

Magazine ads $$$$

Newspaper ad

$20K annual marketing budget &

payoff was…questionable.

Analyzing your leads:

At the end of the year, I looked at:

# of total inquiries

Tally where/how each inquiry heard

about us

Tally where each booking came from

Saw my best leads and bookings were

coming from vendor & venue referrals.

How vendor marketing pays off:

It all starts with networking:

Networking is how you first meet or

connect with a wedding vendor.

Once you meet, grow relationship into

a mutually beneficial partnership.

After connecting, the next goal is to

work together on a wedding.

After a wedding:

Help vendors market themselves,

using images you’ve created of

their work.

Images are the currency you can

use to build relationships.

Networking mistake #1:

Being too pushy; asking for referrals,

pushing your portfolio at them, etc.

It’s not about you; it’s about them.

Helping vendors with

marketing:

Images of their service or product

Images of the venue

Updated headshots

Images of themselves or their

service/product in action

Images of a big fancy wedding

with lots of decor

The secret to making it work:

Understand vendors need images

that serve THEIR purpose: sell them,

not you.

If you grasp this key difference in

approach, you will find vendor

marketing to be extremely effective.

Timeline for networking:

Invest 6 months+ before you see

results

Plant many seeds in the garden

Connect multiple times, multiple

ways

After an event is scheduled, 6-9

more months before you have images

Networking mistake #2:

Failing to follow up after the

event

and not doing any planning

beforehand!

Advance planning & prep:

Business cards & brochures

Review guest list

Few topics in mind

A few ?’s or convo starters

A goal such as "meet 3 new

planners tonight"

Have fun & be friendly, don’t drink or eat too much!

Follow up:

Collect business cards

Review accomplishments: met

new planner, etc.

Make notes about who you met

Put together a follow-up plan: send

a "nice to meet you" email, etc.

Choose key people & invite them

out for drinks.

Networking tips:

Where: mag. parties, open houses,

ISES, NACE, WIPA

Go to lots of events!

Invest 4-6 months til it starts to feel like

hanging out with friends

Follow-up is the most important thing

Meant to be SOCIAL, so don’t push

for business

Walk up to strangers & say hello!

Networking on the job:

Phone vendors prior to shoot

“Team player" mentality

Use downtime (meal breaks) to get

to know vendors

Be professional & friendly to everyone

Tools to build relationships:

Disc of images or prints

Wedding blog post, link to vendors

Highlight a vendor on your blog

Hand-written thank you

Keep in touch (email, phone)

Sticky Albums for vendors

Make vendor marketing part of

wedding workflow

Creating vendor images:

Images that sell vendors:

Photographing for vendors:

Talk to vendors before wedding

Arrive early & capture details

Reception before doors open

Grab detail shots before ceremony

Declutter scene

Capture vendors in action

Venue referral lists &

marketing partnerships

Tying it all together:

1st networking event I attended

Met a catering manager

Got on referral list

He moved to a Ritz Carlton

Referred us to a HUGE wedding

Publicity took career to new level

Still one of our best sources of

business

Referral list tips:

Plan for each list you want on

Get to know person in charge

Show how YOU can help THEM

Ask how someone gets on the list

Always be connecting & reaching

out

Opportunities WILL open up

Vendor marketing toolbox:

Tools to deepen partnerships:

Disc of images from wedding Slideshows Sample albums & wall art Yelp reviews Highlight vendors on blog Lunch Product photos/family sessions Images for ads Technical/graphic design support Year-end & seasonal gifts

Sample albums:

Design as a sales tool for the venue

Sell the space, not your photos

Feature images that sell location

If they do catering in-house,

highlight the custom food & bev

Highlight beauty of location:

Highlight décor & details:

Highlight rentals & design:

Staying organized:

Excel list for all vendors & weddings: vendor name (Kate’s Florals) vendor type (planner, caterer) wedding couple date location

(you can also use studio management software to track this)

Top 20 List:

VENDOR 1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter

Carrie

Smith

-sent bday

card

-delivered

wall art

-delivered

cupcakes

-sent prints

& disc,

Sue’s

wedding

-holiday gift

Jane

Hoggle

-met for

drinks

-sent thank

you for

referring

Lisa L.

-offered

custom

thank you

cards

-sent disc

of floral

academy

event

Ben S. -sent disc

of team

images

-delivered

cupcakes

-Yelp

review

-vendor

spotlight on

blog

-holiday gift

Getting published:

Use editorial features to shine

spotlight on vendor team:

Mail out mags with thank-you

notes

Blog about feature, credit team &

email the link

Scan feature and send as a pdf

Tools to help:

Asuka Book - sample albums

Sticky Albums - mobile marketing

ShootQ - gives you time

A pro lab (WHCC, Simply Color,

Pictage) - prints, wraps etc.

Slideshow software - Showit

Blog - Wordpress

Conclusion:

Networking is foundation; have a

plan, follow-up & connect

repeatedly.

Focus on what you can do for

them.

Build vendor marketing into

wedding workflow.

Make detail shots part of your

routine.

Conclusion:

Follow a plan to get on referral lists

naturally.

Identify key partners & invest more

time & effort.

Design sample albums to sell the

vendor.

Use editorial to offer publicity to

the vendor team.

Get Published: A Guide for

Wedding Photographers

www.photomint.com/getpublished

Freebie pdf:

• how to get published

step-by-step

• how to shoot details,

critical to vendor

marketing.

Where to find me:

PhotoMint Blog:

www.photomint.com/blog

After the webinar, join me on PhotoMint’s

Facebook page for more live q & a:

www.facebook.com/photominteducation

Plus I would LOVE your feedback on my first

live webinar!