How to Book More Photography Clients
Are you struggling to book photography clients and constantly find yourself getting ghosted by too many inquiries? The solution to this all-too-common problem has less to do with your skills and expertise and more to do with one tiny detail on your website known as the contact form.
While gathering basic information like “name” and “email” may have worked for a time, it’s not sustainable to your business in the long-run. Your contact form needs to be as detailed as possible, and I’m here to walk you through exactly what should be on it. Not only will a detailed contact form help eliminate back-and-forth between you and your client, but it will also help you book more clients.
It’s all in the contact form, here’s why it matters:
Like I mentioned above, it will cut emails between you and the client down significantly and save you from an overcrowded inbox. The more details you have on your contact form, the less time you’ll spend responding to emails.
You can answer all of your clients’ questions before they even click “send.” The faster you can answer the questions, the faster you get the retainer. Chances are, your client is looking at a handful of other photographers and they will go with whichever one can answer their questions the fastest. If you can set up your contact form in a way that answers their FAQ, you will win the race by being able to send over the contract booking information and secure your retainer faster than anyone else.
Having a detailed contract will make your future clients feel both seen and heard. By giving them a chance to get really detailed about their vision for the shoot, you are ensuring that they are being taken care of. This opens up an amazing client experience from the get-go— before they’re even an official client of yours.
Exactly what you should have on your contact form:
There are nine sections that I believe are essential to have on your contact form in order to book more photography clients. Depending on what type of photography you specialize in or your own personal preferences, feel free to add to or take away from this list. Let this be a starting off point so that you are able to spruce up your contact form and start booking more photography clients.
1. Email Address
2. First & Last Name
While it may seem obvious, having the first and last name is really important for ensuring that your contract is properly set up. It eliminates back-and-forth so that by the time this information is plugged in and submitted, everything is ready to go.
3. Check their availability
The next thing you’ll want to ask them is what specific days and times they are available to shoot. If your contact form has a “preview text” option like mine does in Squarespace, make sure to write an example of the information they need to include.
You’ll want your client to provide a few different options for dates and times.That way, you can easily pick which one coordinates with your schedule.
4. Ask about location preferences
Ask your clients if they happen to have any locations in mind. In Squarespace, you can add subtext underneath the main question. I like to use it to get really specific about what I need from them.
As far as locations, I let them know that I can recommend a few places but if they have somewhere in mind already, it helps speed along the whole scheduling process. I also invite them to browse my blog or Instagram and send me links to places they might enjoy shooting.
Sometimes, l have clients send me links to Pinterest photos. If they are from out of town and don’t know the area that well but have a specific landmark in mind, I can guide them to which location that would be.
5. Gather their vision
Give your clients a space to write about the project idea as a whole so you can execute exactly what they’re looking for. Below is an example of the subtext that I have in this section of my contact form.
It’s especially important to gather details for couples sessions because the couple might not be engaged or married, they might just be dating and celebrating a dating anniversary. This is why I love asking what their vision is instead of which package they want. If someone checks off that they would like a couple's shoot, you don’t have any other information about the relationship. This helps you to avoid any cause for embarrassment while out of the field, like asking how long they’ve been married when they’ve only started dating.
Learn More: Are You Making This Mistake in Your Photography Business?
6. Ask for partner’s contact information
If you are a wedding photographer or specialize in couples photography, ask for the first and last names and email address of their partner. Those names will need to be included in the contract, so it’s best to go ahead and have them provide that information ahead of time.
7. Get them thinking about props
By including a section like the one below, you’re allowing space for your clients to start thinking about what they may like to include in their shoot. You're also taking work off of their plate by making them responsible for providing the props. List out a few examples such as a bouquet of flowers for a couples shoot or a laptop and notebook for a branding session.
8. Ask if they have any specific poses or locations in mind
The next thing I like to ask is if they have any poses or specific spots at the location in mind. Again, you’re trying to squeeze out as much detail as possible from your clients. Having this question paired with the subtext will make your clients feel extra seen, heard, and cared for. In the case that they can’t supply those extra details, reassure them that this is completely fine as well.
By asking these detailed questions, I’m letting my clients know upfront that I value both my time and theirs and want to have clear communication, both of which are key components to booking more photography clients.
Another thing you might notice is my use of the word “specific” in almost all of my questions. The goal is not to make it seem like I have an expansive vocabulary. Instead, I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible so that I can execute exactly what they are looking for. This makes repetitively using the word “specific” totally fine.
Learn More: How to Stand Out in a Saturated Market
9. Ask if they have any specific poses or locations in mind
The last thing you want to ask is how they heard about you. On my contact page, I have this in the form of a drop down box.
Here’s everything I include:
My personal website
Google
Facebook
Instagram
Wedding Spot
The Knott
Wedding Wire
Yelp
Vendor Referral
Client Referral
Other
Unknown
This helps me know where my clients are coming from so that I can see what is working and what isn’t when it comes to marketing my business and networking during weddings and other events to ensure that I am consistently booking more photography clients.
To look at my contact page in full, head to my website. In the comments down below, let me know which of the nine sections you’re planning on adding to your contact form!
Resources:
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