Your brand and photography won’t align with everyone. This is good - you shouldn’t appeal to everyone.
You need to identify who your ideal client is.
A common misconception most photographers make is this: they think they are their own ideal client. While this could be true, it’s more likely that this isn’t the case.
Identifying your ideal client requires some in-depth study.
In order to determine who that person is, you need to answer the following questions:
What is their total wedding budget? (Try and give an exact figure)
How much (or what %) of that budget will be spent on photography?
What do they value in their photography?
What is their occupation?
What are their personal values?
What do they like to do with their other half? What are their hobbies/interests
What social media apps will they be using? How can this inform your marketing?
Let’s put this into perspective…
If your ideal client is a budget client, here’s what that breakdown could look like:
Their wedding budget is small
A low percentage (5%) will be allocated to their wedding photography
The most important thing about their wedding photography is that it’s low priced
They value getting the most out of what they’ve paid
Now, let’s compare that to a luxury ideal client:
Their wedding budget is high (most likely will be 6 figures)
They will likely want to spend at least 5 figures on their wedding photography
The most important aspect of their wedding photography involves hiring an expert who will make the experience as effortless as possible
They value family, experience, and fun
Can you see the difference between the two?
If you’re wanting to book budget clients, you should be talking lots about your pricing deals, your value for money and all the things they’re going to get!
For luxury clients, you should be focusing on what they’ll experience, showing that you’re an expert who can make their day run smoothly.
If you don’t know who you’re talking to in your website copy and your social media posts, you’re going to attract the wrong people to your business.
Why is that an issue?
Working with people who aren’t your ideal clients will lead to frustration, and eventually, burnout.
It’s really important to be as specific as possible when you’re thinking about your ideal client. You need to know who you’re talking to so you can effectively market to them.
Start getting specific about who your ideal client is so you can market to them now.