Image by Styrmir & Heiðdís.
A wedding photographer’s job stretches far beyond the camera. It doesn’t stop when the big day is over. Post-production work is just as important as capturing those unforgettable wedding day moments. From pre-wedding checklists to post-wedding edits, there’s a lot that goes into running a successful wedding photography business.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to adopt an efficient business workflow or you’re a seasoned professional that needs assistance with time management, we’re here to help. We’ve compiled Photobug-approved business workflow tips that will boost your productivity and maximize efficiency.
Automate Your Business Workflow
Automating your workflow is a great way to save time. It allows for you to spend less time completing repetitive tasks and more time on other important business elements. Time is a precious resource—treat it like one by using less effort to email and post on social media.
Use Email Templates And Services
Communication with clients often happens through email for good reason. Keeping a history of everything you’ve sent from pricing packages to contracts is important. Since many of these emails will be the same, creating templates is crucial. It gets even more important as your business and clientele continue to grow. Templates that would be helpful for your business include:
- pricing packages
- contracts
- Frequently Asked Questions (or FAQ)
- review requests for after your contract is completed
Beyond templates, there are endless email services that streamline and automate your current contacts. Utilizing this allows you to grow your marketing strategy in an organized and seamless way. Now you can continue to reach a larger audience without the stress! If you’ve built up your email list but don’t know the next steps there’s no need to panic. Check out these email marketing services for wedding photographers.
Schedule Social Media Content In Advance
Social media platforms are free and easy marketing tools that every wedding photographer should be using as a portfolio for potential clients. As your business grows, your online presence should keep up. Planning and scheduling your social media posts ahead of time will ease your workflow and take one more thing off your neverending to-do list. .
Photobug uses Tailwind to schedule social media content, which saves an unbelievable amount of time. Manually pinning photos or posting Instagram content can be a headache. With Tailwind, you can schedule a month of content in a breeze.
Image by Backcountry Bohemians.
Utilize Presets
To help speed up the daunting process of editing thousands of images, you should be using wedding photography presets. You can create your own presets or purchase pre-made presets that can be tweaked to match your brand.
If you’re in search of great presets that will save you time, check out these presets created by wedding photographers for wedding photographers.
Consider Out-Sourcing Your Editing
There are many professional ways to lighten your post-shoot workload. One of the best is outsourcing. Maybe you’re tired of editing or retouching images. Maybe you don’t have the time in your schedule for culling. Whatever your reason may be, outsourcing is a key way to grow. By doing this you free up valuable time in your schedule to focus more on landing new clients.
If you’re looking to outsource your editing or want to learn more, check out these photo editing companies for wedding photographers.
Provide Sneak Peek Images
To send sneak peeks or to not is a controversial topic among wedding photographers. We believe sending a sneak peek gallery is important for both your workflow timeline and client satisfaction. Giving your couples a little taste of what’s coming keeps your couples happy and gives you a bit more time for editing. This is especially important for photographers with full schedules.
Reassess Your Workflow Constantly
As your business continues to grow and evolve, your workflow will need to adapt. Regularly assessing your workflow—monthly at a minimum—will ensure you’re maximizing your efficiency.
Image by Tess Schilke Photography.
Capturing beautiful images is just a small portion of a photographer’s job. A wedding photographer’s duties start well before the wedding day and continue after. Having an efficient workflow will set your business up for success.
An efficient workflow and authentic branding are two of the most important steps in building a successful business. After finding an efficient workflow that works for you, it’s time to focus on your brand. Check out this guide for wedding photography branding that will help you stand out and land clients.