With so many tools and technologies at our disposal these days, it can sometimes be tough to figure out the best way to go about marketing a photography or videography business.
However, entrepreneurs who have just started out on their own may not realise that one of the most effective approaches to promoting their services and securing new projects may have actually been right under their noses the whole time.
New businesses can give themselves a real boost by forging strong relationships with their existing customers, as that very simple step can offer up big opportunities for new work.
Companies are finding out how important business photography services are to their success, from professional portrait shoots to product photography,
Coming back for more
One fairly straightforward reason why keeping customers happy can create new business is that they may choose to come back to you for other projects in the future. This can be particularly useful for photographers and videographers, as it is well-known that retaining customers can prove a lot more cost-effective than going out to try and attract new ones.
In fact, according to this infographic from Invespcro, it can cost businesses up to five times more to bring new customers in, while the probability of selling to an existing customer is also far higher. With existing customers more likely to try new products and services, it is believed that they can spend around 31 per cent more than new customers.
However, there is more to having happy and satisfied customers than securing repeat business from them. By providing a great service, you might also just encourage them to become advocates for what you do.
Spreading the word
When it comes to providing photography services for events such as weddings, it seems that few tactics for drumming up new business can beat word-of-mouth. In fact, a study carried out by FormedFromLight.com found that referrals generated bookings for 70 per cent of the wedding photographers it polled. With this in mind, it is fair to say that happy customers may not be shy in telling others about your work and that in turn could lead to new opportunities.
Furthermore, such customers may also be happy to recommend you online, either via social media platforms or even online review services like Trustpilot. The latter platform has become particularly key to businesses across many sectors, with some even displaying testimonies or ratings from the service on their websites. For example, the mortgage broker and remortgaging specialist Trussle provides advice on home loans from around 90 lenders, displaying its five-star rating right at the top of the homepage. Slightly further down, they have also featured short quotes from customers who have written about them. Another company which has taken a similar step is the home set up service Just Move In, which focuses on helping people through the process of moving to a new property. Like Trussle, its site displays a five-star rating from Trustpilot on its homepage.
Such an approach could work for your business too, as it would not only highlight that you have satisfied customers but also act as a mark of quality and trust for potential new ones too.
Satisfaction guaranteed
So, while you could look to market and promote your business in a range of different ways across a number of publications, platforms and more, it could be argued that few approaches will be quite as effective as simply having satisfied customers.
Whether you’ve just launched your own venture or have been in the business for a few years, the importance of having happy clients is something that should never be downplayed.
