best investment for wedding advertising.

[nolaluv]

So I have shot 50 weddings in 2 years and i have about 15 more booked for the rest of the year.I have been doing just free advertising so far, craigslist, and all the free ads on eventective, one wed.. etc. plus most people seem to just find me through a google search. also have the facebook page. I want to book bigger gigs nicer weddings.. i have done some very nice ones but i also get very low budget ones. About 4 month out of the year here can be hard to book too.. any way.... i can't afford to pay the knot and the weddingwire etc... none of them do a trial they all want at least 100$ a month and a year contract.. i would like input from any other wedding professionals as to which one of these sort of places offer the most traffic before i commit to contracts?

thanks

 

[AceCo55]

i can't afford to pay the knot and the weddingwire etc... none of them do a trial they all want at least 100$ a month and a year contract.. i would like input from any other wedding professionals as to which one of these sort of places offer the most traffic before i commit to contracts?

Not trying to be a smart-alec but I really can't figure out what/who you are referring to ... :scratch:
(maybe this is why this post has 45 views and no comment? Just a theory)
Might get a bigger response if you could clarify?

 

[nolaluv]

TheKnot.com ....WeddingWire.com any one who specializes in shooting weddings and has a website should understand what i meant.... online websites where brides and even grooms can go to find vendors, post in wedding forums and read reviews.. these 2 are some of the more popular places.. just like a magazine you can buy an ad on these sites to get listed or featured at the top for your city with info, pictures and a link to your site... we are a destination city so advertising in local printed magazines isn't going to get everyone getting married here in new orleans, 80% of my clients are from other states, they book online.

 

[CCericola]

Forget marketing directly to the brides. For high end weddings go after the wedding consultants. Their expos are geared to the people working in the event planning industry and I'm usually only 1 of maybe 3 photogs that bother to set up a table. Home Page of The Association of Bridal Consultants

 

[davisphotos]

If you want the high end brides, you'll need to make sure your website, facebook and all your other marketing materials are speaking to that level of bride. Most wedding websites get a range of couples, from budget shoppers to high end, so there is no magic bullet site that will suddenly start bringing in bigger more expensive weddings. I agree with Christina that you should start networking with wedding consultants, typically a couple that hires a wedding coordinator is going to have a budget for a more expensive photographer.

 

[tirediron]

Have you searched for reviews of these 'sites? Have you contacted other photographers who advertise on these 'sites?

I tend to think of "high end" weddings being those in the $7500 and up category. Surely, if you are going after that market, then a couple of hundred dollars a month in advertising seems pretty small potatoes...

 

[AceCo55]

TheKnot.com ....WeddingWire.com any one who specializes in shooting weddings and has a website should understand what i meant.... online websites where brides and even grooms can go to find vendors, post in wedding forums and read reviews.. these 2 are some of the more popular places.. just like a magazine you can buy an ad on these sites to get listed or featured at the top for your city with info, pictures and a link to your site... we are a destination city so advertising in local printed magazines isn't going to get everyone getting married here in new orleans, 80% of my clients are from other states, they book online.

Thanks very much for explaining that - your right ... I don't shoot weddings lol!! But I have learned something new today.

 

[Big Mike]

I want to book bigger gigs nicer weddings.. i have done some very nice ones but i also get very low budget ones.

Raise your prices.

If you have higher prices, you won't get 'low budget' bookings. Not only that, but you probably won't get the 'low budget clients'...the people who are only looking for a deal and don't necessarily care about your style or artistic talents etc.

Also, if you raise your prices, you will make more money (doing the same number of weddings) or you can work less and make a similar amount of money.

I've heard this time and time again...but many wedding photographers say that after raising their prices, they actually got more inquires/bookings....because people tend to associate higher prices with higher quality.

can't afford to pay the knot and the weddingwire etc... none of them do a trial they all want at least 100$ a month and a year contract.

You've shot 50 weddings in 2 years and you can't afford it? :scratch: Are you doing these weddings for free?
The revenue from just one all-day wedding 'should' be enough to pay your $100/month for a year.

I'd suggest sitting down (maybe with an accountant) and creating a business plan. Figure out your expenses/cost etc. and include an advertising budget. This should help you to figure out what you need to charge etc.

 

[unpopular]

Direct contact will work better than online or print ads. Both clients and consultants require not only talent, but also trust that you're a decent, respectful person who will be a healthy part of their celebration. Some places will have Bridal trade shows. Here you can market yourself directly to both customers and consultants.

Having worked in advertising for a number of years, it's my opinion it's a bit of a sham.

 

[nolaluv]

Fist off thank you for all the good input.

Big mike- I did my first 3 weddins free to get a portfolio then I started out cheap at 100 an hour w/ free disc then started charging for the disc, then i went up to 130 +100 for disc and prints and albums are ala cart through smugmug. So no i didn't start w/ 1200$ right out the gate i see a lot of my friends and associates try this and they don't get any business they have no reputation and in my opinion no real experience. I just raised my prices to 200$ an hour. I prefer to let my clients build there own package as to giving them a set fee which most tell me is awesome, they don't get stuck paying for things they don't want. I could go up higher but I don't necessarily feel like I am on par w/ photographers that have done 500 weddings. I don't have assistants or crazy equipment. then again i have a friend that shoots weddings and her work is awful she can't even line up a shot and she gets more $ then me sometimes. The work ethic here sucks bad... i can't even find a reliable videographer. I actually had a babysitter call in hung over... yeah... so I like just working by myself..I get a few elopements a month by networking w/ officiants and they are just 2 hour shoots that's only 360$ with a disc. And I am married have 2 kids and like most folk lots of bills, in a good month I might make 3grand but in a slow month I only end up w/ nothing..lol.. last january and febuary i had squat and ran specials too.. same thing in July and august.. nada...my husband is a chef and despite the hard work and good reputation most places pay them squat. I don't come from a rich family either which i find to be the case w/ other photographers here in New Orleans or they are married to someone who earns a fabulous living..lol. I was a waitress making 500$ a week maybe before I busted my ass and built my own business up.. So I appreciate what I get and so on. I have had beginners and guest at weddings make comments to me about my good patience dealing w/ stressed out cranky clients and how they would have left. Well I used to have to deal w/ buttholes all the time as a waitress/bartender just for a 5$ tip so I am not fazed and think I have it easy.

to others- thanks for the advice on the wedding planners.. i will try networking w/ them again. I have tried in the past in 3 states even offering one of there clients a free Engagement shoot but I either get no response or they stand me up for the shoot... like i said the work ethic here is terrible.. i have tried taking to bridal stores and bakers saying hey tell your client's if they buy from you they get 10% off w/ me.. or something similar.. and no takers..even though it is no sweat of their back.
I have a friend that is a photographer, i helped build her business and she did an expo twice and got squat.. no bookings just wasted money gone on the booth, she also did a local commercial and got nothing..



its not so much i want a high end weddings I just want to work weddings where the couple care! they care about the location the flowers ect. I have done some that are just ugly venues or they don't even clean up the house i am going to to photograph them getting ready..which makes the pixs look like crap when there is stuff piled up every where in the back ground. i know the couples on the knot etc... get on there for fresh ideas and have some pretty creative cool weddings not the same old crap some hall or consultant marketed to a million other couples.. also i so hate to say it but it what it is... some low budget..low class weddings I am dealing w/ rudeness disrespect no one takes direction etc. there harder and more stressful to shoot... people w/ more class actually listen to me and treat me like a professional..

 

[Big Mike]

its not so much i want a high end weddings I just want to work weddings where the couple care! they care about the location the flowers ect. I have done some that are just ugly venues or they don't even clean up the house i am going to to photograph them getting ready..which makes the pixs look like crap when there is stuff piled up every where in the back ground. i know the couples on the knot etc... get on there for fresh ideas and have some pretty creative cool weddings not the same old crap some hall or consultant marketed to a million other couples.. also i so hate to say it but it what it is... some low budget..low class weddings I am dealing w/ rudeness disrespect no one takes direction etc. there harder and more stressful to shoot... people w/ more class actually listen to me and treat me like a professional..

Those are the type of things that can (usually) be avoided when you charge more for your services.

How often to you get word of mouth referrals?
Many established wedding photographers can fill their calendar just from their past clients recommending them to their friends & family.
There are many ways to get your name out via the weddings that you shoot. For example, some photographers put together a quick slideshow of the day's photos while at the wedding reception. That way, all the guests can get a glimpse of the images...and of course they can take a business card as well.
Another thing you can do, is to provide 'tags' for the guest favors/place settings etc. Just a photo of the couple (maybe from an engagement shoot) maybe with a nice message and, of course, your website etc.

Jan. & Feb. are traditionally slow months for wedding in many places. Imagine what it's like up here where I live. During those months, there is usually a few feet of snow on the ground and the temperatures are constantly below freezing...and often it's really, really cold. Few people want to get married that time of year so most wedding photographers need to find another source of income.

 

[nolaluv]

well i have booked about 6 weddings from word of mouth w/ locals. keep in mind i have only been back in new Orleans for 2 years and 80% of my clients are from out of state or country so not a lot of referrals off them. I do put some of there pictures on my facebook site they can tag in and i booked one wedding that way. they can also share there smugmug gallery w/ guest.. i try and take a lot of pictures of guest seated at the table posing for the camera while the couple is eating and i hand out cards but so far maybe 2 people have ordered prints of themselves...seemed like a great idea but not paying off.. i still do it b/c the couples love having those shots..

my friend and fellow photographer has just got online w/ a feature ad on the knot just this week and has already booked 2 weddings so that looks promising. mywedding.com is running a special but I don't know how much traffic they get. i need to contact some of the other vendors on these sites and see what works for them like someone above suggested... i don't know if any of them will respond however... we'll see i guess..lol

 

[Big Mike]

Another thing to try, is to pass around an e-mail sigh up sheet for all the guests at the wedding. The idea being that when you put the photos on your website, all the guests can go to your site to view them. So now they have met/seen you and they are probably going to visit your website...you just have to reel them in.

I checked out your website, and while it's not terrible, it could be a lot better. I'd guess that most people choose a wedding photographer after visiting their website, so your site would be a good place to invest some time/money. Maybe check out a website template company, I think there may be one or two in the sponsor section of our forum.
Of course, one part of a good web site is converting browsers into customers...another part is organically attracting new browsers, and that's where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. If you site is in the top couple hits for your key words (New Orleans Wedding Photographer (for example)) then you are much more likely to book more gigs.

 

[gsgary]

well i have booked about 6 weddings from word of mouth w/ locals. keep in mind i have only been back in new Orleans for 2 years and 80% of my clients are from out of state or country so not a lot of referrals off them. I do put some of there pictures on my facebook site they can tag in and i booked one wedding that way. they can also share there smugmug gallery w/ guest.. i try and take a lot of pictures of guest seated at the table posing for the camera while the couple is eating and i hand out cards but so far maybe 2 people have ordered prints of themselves...seemed like a great idea but not paying off.. i still do it b/c the couples love having those shots..

my friend and fellow photographer has just got online w/ a feature ad on the knot just this week and has already booked 2 weddings so that looks promising. mywedding.com is running a special but I don't know how much traffic they get. i need to contact some of the other vendors on these sites and see what works for them like someone above suggested... i don't know if any of them will respond however... we'll see i guess..lol

You cant beat Facebook thats really pro

 

[unpopular]

^^ precisely why the 'old men's club' can't compete in this market.