Image by Always Smiling Photography

When was the last time you went somewhere or bought something without checking a review? And once you do check it out, do you find yourself telling all your friends about it? People are so inclined to share their experiences with others, whether it’s positive or negative. This is why word-of-mouth referrals will always be important when it comes to growing a business. 

Here at Photobug, we want to set you up for success and help you grow your wedding photography business. This isn’t always easy but we’re here to help with our guide to getting yourself more wedding photography referrals.

Get Immediate Feedback

Getting feedback can come from many different avenues. You can personally ask your clients about their experience, send them a survey they can complete later on, or ask them to leave a Google review. Whichever way you choose, you want to get both positive and negative feedback so you can continue to grow and make your customer’s experience better. 

Keep in mind, negative feedback is unavoidable for any business. Use it as an opportunity to grow and consider how you can avoid that same situation in the future.  

Image by The Vincent Alexandrias

Always Exceed Expectations

This probably goes without saying, but you should always try to go above and beyond with your services. When a client hires you, they are trusting you to capture the emotions and essence of their wedding day. So, you want to bring something to their photos that not only brings tears to their eyes but also makes them want to tell all their friends and family about working with you. 

Provide Top-Notch Client Experience

Now that you’re exceeding your customer’s expectations, make sure to provide a good client experience. Client experience and customer service are different, and both are incredibly important. Essentially, client experience describes their feelings and reactions throughout your working relationship while customer service focuses on solving their problems.

You want your clients’ experience to be positive so that they share it with everyone they know—and especially online. You always want to provide more value than you promised. 

Stay Engaged

To continue to have referrals, you want to stay engaged with your clients. Even after you have finished your contractual obligations, keep in touch and create a relationship with them. This helps to build trust and continues to provide value whether you’re asking them about their lives or finding ways to work with them again in the future.

Image by Vlasta Weddings

Stay Active On Social Media

Speaking of staying engaged, are you engaging with your audience on social media? You should be active on your social media platforms showcasing your work to potential clients. If you and your clients love their wedding photos, share them! We recommend utilizing Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook as your social media platforms. Make sure your personality shines, engage with your audiences, and share your work! 

Photobug Tip:

Up your Pinterest game by enrolling in our Pinterest e-course. Pinterest is a great—and free—way to get more exposure to your business and find your ideal client! 

Thank Your Clients

After receiving a referral from a previous client, you should follow up with them and thank them with a personalized message. If your client was kind enough to share your business with a friend or family member, you want to make sure they feel appreciated and do it again. Sending a simple thank you, or a future offering discount is a great way to keep past customers happy and get more referrals. 

Image by O’Brien Originals

Understanding how to grow your business can leave you with a lot of questions. We hope that how to get more wedding photography referrals is more clear now. If you have more questions, leave them in the comments below or send us an email! We love hearing from you.

Make sure that your business brand is in tip-top shape for the referrals you’re looking for by learning more about client experience and how to build a recognizable brand.