Are you ready to throw in the towel because no one is booking with you? I get it! However, the key to booking more clients doesn’t necessarily come down to what you’re not doing… it might be {sorry} something you are doing. Let’s talk about how you’re treating your online followers. You could, in essence, treat your business pages like your personal page – moseying along with no plan. However, this is no longer acceptable. You have to do more than hope and guess that your posts will be seen. Photographers who invest in business strategies are the ones who will survive. And, starting right now, we’re going to learn how to survive. Read on…

Top three reasons no one is booking with you:

1. You post spam instead of substance

Let’s not, k? There’s already so much white noise on social media, if you aren’t saying something that adds value – you’re part of the problem. Take a look at your last post, did you use any “used car salesman language”? Some icky examples are: book now; click the link; comment below; tag a friend; won’t last long… you get the pic, right? Spammy spam phrases like those are one reason no one is booking with you. Listen up… people are tired of sales pitches. Now more than ever, we are being pitched a deal that “won’t last long”  at every click. It’s not helpful to your clients, or to YOU. You must be relatable by showing YOUR true personality and voice. Not the voice of Uncle Bob’s Used Auto lot. Hear me? M’kay. Let’s move on.

2. You participate in Friday introductions

I don’t know who started this trend, but on any given Friday I can see 20-30 photos in my feed posting the exact same thing. While keeping up with the Joneses may seem like a good idea initially, you’re really doing the opposite. These Friday intros aren’t adding, they are clogging up feeds. They are contributing to the noise. They are not adding value or real relatable substance. If you look close, you’ll see these Friday intros follow a formula:

“it’s been a while since i’ve done a friday intro…”  (has it really? you know you did this just last friday!!)
“i’m a natural light photog…” (and also are the 8,000 other ‘togs posting friday intros today )
“i specialize in…” (okayyyy, but what sets you apart? )
“fact” (how is this relevant to your brand?)
“fact” (is anyone still reading?)
“goofy fact” (scrolling on by now. buh-bye)

Hashtag, AWKWARD???

This feels sterile, cold, and ew. I want you to try something different. Step outside the softbox, my friends… allow your audience to know you organically. Don’t hide behind the words “us” and “we.” Show your face in your profile pic, not your logo or camera. My followers know me – and I’ve never done a Friday intro. They see me posting relatable content time and time again including these things and then – like magic – they know me and what I’m all about. No goofy intro required. Less work for me, less noise for errrrybody else. Be your clients’ buddy, not a business.

SPARKLE ASSIGNMENT: If you are a veteran Sparkle, in the blog comments please list 3 facts that you know about me.  I infuse so much of who I am into my posts, that I don’t need a “Friday intro” to tell people who I am…. and YOU DON’T EITHER!  Want proof that this works?  If you’re new here, go check those comments to see examples from some ladies who have hung out with me online for a while!

“Every great business is built on friendship.” -James Cash Penny, Founder JC Penney Stores

3. You run ads that say, “book a session with me”

Finally, the third reason why no one is booking sessions with you… we have to remember, as photographers, that if we price ourselves what we’re worth we are no longer an impulse-buy. The Target $1 bins are an impulse buy, we are not. Say it with me, “I am not an impulse buy.” So in order to get people to “buy” from us, we have to build on the know-like-trust factor to cultivate a warm audience!

Cold Audience – people who don’t know you, your logo, anything about you. If they see a book now post – they are going to scroll on. There are eleventy-billion photogs on their feed already. Book now posts will not stand out – especially to social media users who don’t know you.

Warm audience – people who know us {they know, like and are close to trusting us} – this is who you want to target, friends!! Market to them directly and seal the deal.

Are you committing any of those faux pas?

If you are, don’t beat yourself up.  It’s easy to get sucked into the echo chamber and do what you “should” be doing for your business.  But I challenge you to start thinking for yourself, watching your numbers, and making informed decisions for your business…. regardless of what everyone else is doing!  Yeah?!

If you’re ready to step up your game and want to learn even more to boost your photography business, grab my social media marketing freebie now and empower yourself to be better and do better – starting right. this. minute.