Not all clients are on social media…
Before I get stuck into this blog post I just want to acknowledge something… If your business isn’t doing very well atm this might bring up some complicated feelings. I know that things are hard for a lot of people right now. Especially in the creative industries where our work is considered luxurious for a lot of people. It feels intense and competitive right now and a lot of us are struggling deeply with our mental health.
So the first thing I want to say is that your business not doing well is not a reflection on you as a person. There is nothing wrong with you. That being said I also believe that there is work out there but I feel like some of us are looking for it in the wrong places and totally overlooking other ways of finding clients.
So we are going to stick to one topic today when it comes to finding clients and marketing yourself and that is… LOTS OF PEOPLE DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA.
Social media, particularly Instagram feels like an absolute cesspit atm for lots of reasons. Especially the use of it to only show the shiny side of everything. Don’t get me wrong it still has massive plus points for connecting with people when used properly but most of us aren’t using it properly and it’s turning a lot of us into zombies while stealing our attention and cutting us off from real life.
More and more it lacks depth and creates disconnect, people leaving the platforms have reported dramatically better mental health and ability to engage with life. I am seeing previously big content creators show up less and the people who are avidly using it are finding it draining and for the most part not getting a huge amount of reward.
In our industry those who are doing well on there (which isn’t the majority) are driving trends which everyone else puts a huge amount of effort into copying while not getting the same success because it’s watered down, becomes boring or it’s so exhausting (ND people I see you) it’s unsustainable to keep up with consistently.
Let me just reiterate that social media does have it’s place and yes it can get you clients but there are so many other great ways to market yourself without putting all your eggs in one basket. And you should not be putting all your eggs in one basket, especially one you have zero control over and content has a shelf life of a few hours at best.
Social media should be a small part of your wider marketing plan. NOT the only place you put any effort into.
And here is why…
In January 24 I have had my best booking month to date.
I booked in 10 weddings. 8 for 2024 and 2 for 2025.
I still have several open enquiries and enquiries landing everyday.
I am not telling you this to brag, I am telling you to share information.
5 of those new bookings were from couples who are not on social media at all.
No Facebook, no Instagram and no TikTok.
This be all and end all attitude to social media is killing people’s businesses because it saps everyone’s energy and is totally missing an entire market of people who don’t use it.
I currently post to my wedding photography account once a week and share a few stories. I am more active with SNAP and my coaching/therapy account because I know that a lot of my clients are on there but I am intentional with it while I still focus on other ways of marketing like blogging.
This is marketing intentionally & thoughtfully and not just mindlessly copying others when we don’t know for sure if it’s working for them or because we are chasing likes for validation.
Likes don’t pay bills.
And just to make a point that when I do sell on social media I can get terrible engagement but still make a couple of sales or get some enquiries.
I would massively recommend sitting down and reflecting on what I have just shared with you and also why & how you are using social media. Is your relationship with it healthy and intentional? Is it working for you? Do you feel good using it?
I also want to gently point out that I am not immune to the dopamine rollercoaster that is social media as a business owner. It’s really not easy to get a balance but it’s really worth trying to have more self awareness with it and focus on marketing in ways that might be more fruitful and less stressful.
Then before I go here are my main sources of wedding photography clients…
Blogging
Google Ads
SEO
Client relationships
Network relationships
We have an online google ads for beginners workshop taking place on the 27th February 2024 at 1pm. There will be a recording if you can’t attend live and DETAILS ARE HERE
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