Professional Rebecca Carpenter explains how being authentic and personable can help turn followers into customers
(Image credit: Rebecca Carpenter)
titleHow do you turn online followers into clients? We asked a wedding photographer.
There are still plenty of strategies you can use to convert new and existing followers into clients – even if they are not showing much interest right now. We asked the advice of a pro wedding photographer to find their top tips when it comes to converting your online followers into real-life clients.
Rebecca Carpenter
(Image credit: Rebecca Carpenter)
Rebecca shoots beautiful destination weddings and elopements, and describes her own style as intimate. She's regularly been listed as being in the top 50 UK Wedding Photographers and also offers education for business owners and photographers, with presets, courses and workshops.
Do you use a sales funnel to help convert your followers into clients?
I don’t really do sales funnels! Choosing your wedding photographer is such a personal thing. I want my clients to book me because they love me, they love my work and they want me there with them on their big day. On Instagram I’m as genuine with my followers as possible. I show them my personality, what I value, how I work and what I love. This is the key to turning a casual scroller into a loyal follower – and eventually into a client. If people see who you are, you’re no longer just another faceless photographer with pretty photos. You become a close friend that they just haven’t met yet.
What’s your most effective social media tool?
Instagram Stories are one of the most powerful tools photographers can use. They are a great way to take your followers behind the scenes at a photoshoot and see you in action. If they see you shooting someone else’s wedding, they can’t help but imagine you shooting theirs. I also use Stories to give people a glimpse into my home life, or what I’m getting up to on my day off. When clients meet me for weddings or photoshoots, they often tell me, “I feel like I already know you”. This is always my goal. I want my followers to like and trust me, so that when it comes to booking their wedding, they’re booking with someone they feel like they already know.
What’s the most common mistake you see other photographers make?
Hiding behind the camera! Many photographers post stunning shots and think that this will be enough to secure them bookings. The industry is so saturated that it’s simply not enough to post beautiful photos anymore. You’ve got to be social on social media. One of the most visited pages of a photographer’s website is the ‘about’ page. People want to know who you are.
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What’s your best success story?
I used to have a follower who would always watch my Stories and messaged me one day saying, “I think we’d be friends in real life! The day I get engaged, I’m messaging you and you’re shooting my wedding”. We always kept in touch and when she finally got engaged, she messaged me the wonderful news that very night. She didn’t ask how much I cost and she even changed her wedding day to suit my availability. To this day, we are still very close friends.
Practise makes perfect
Rebecca also runs wedding photography workshops to help budding photographers build up their portfolio (Image credit: Rebecca Carpenter)
Rebecca’s top tips for savvy social media
Share what you want to shoot
Clients will find you via the photos you post. If you don’t want to shoot it again, don’t share it! And, of course, share what you want to be doing more of.
Go behind the scenes Customers love to see you in your element, doing what you love. It gives them an insight into what it’d be like to work with you – and this will lead to bookings.
Show what sets you apart Find your own ‘secret sauce’ and share it with your followers. Don’t be afraid to alienate people – if you have something unique to you and your business, go ahead and show it off.
Don’t post for the sake of it I used to post every day, but I’ve since found that quality over quantity is the way forward. Make people excited to see a post from you, not bored by yet another uninspired post.
Get personal I know I keep banging on about it, but getting personal with your followers is the most important thing. Show people who you are and they’ll become invested in your life. Soon, followers will become loyal customers.
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