3 Ways Photographers Can Gain Referrals

Do you miss your phone going “Ring, Ring”? Or for some of us, “Who Let The Dogs Out?” depending on your ringtone… Gaining new business is no small task these days, but developing a healthy stream of referrals can help steer you in the right direction. Below are three simple ways to jump-start your referral business.

1. Build The Relationship

How many of you have heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”? At least for me, I grew up hearing that all the time. Over the years, I’ve learned that a more accurate statement would be, “It’s not who you know, but who knows you.”. A great way to develop referral business is by building meaningful relationships with not only your clients, but other photographers, and vendors as well. Networking and helping out other photographers can lead them to refer their overflow work to you, and vice-versa – Remember, relationships always go two-ways. Creating relationships with vendors, i.e. Wedding Reception Halls, Jewelry Stores, Florists, etc… is another way to gain new business. A unique idea for working with a jewelry store is: When a couple purchases their engagement ring, they get a free engagement session from you. This is a great way to build a rapport with the couple, and hopefully book their wedding.

2. Rewards Program

I love getting free gift certificates from my bank for using my debit card. You can develop the same type of “program” for your clients for referring business to you. In doing something like this, there are two frames of mind: 1. Tell your clients about the rewards they can get ahead of time, before referring business to you, and 2. Surprise your clients with a reward after they have referred business to you. My personal option is that you should do the latter, and make the reward a surprise for your clients for referring you business. Imagine their feelings and emotions when they receive a Thank You card in the mail from you with a Gift Certificate to their favorite restaurant, or a letter saying a donation was made in their name to their favorite charity.

3. Referral Cards

This is a creative idea that I have shared with my photographer clients that received great feedback. The idea is to send a card to your previous clients for their One-Year Anniversary. In the card, write something to the extent of: “Renee and Ryan, I can’t believe it has already been one year since your magical night! Congratulations on your One-Year Anniversary! I had so much fun being part of your ceremony, and I’ve included a few of my favorite moments. Hope you enjoy!” This is where it gets creative… Included in the card are six custom made business cards, that you have tweaked into what I like to call “referral cards”. A referral card has a photograph of the couple at their wedding, below that it says “Renee and Ryan Approved”, and then your contact information. Since your clients’ photographs are on the cards, they are more likely to show other people and hand them out.

NOTE: A great place to print these cards is moo.com.

I hope you found this post helpful, and stay tuned to Fuel Your Photography for more ideas to grow your photography business!

For the past five years, darkroomRYAN has worked with Fortune 500 clients. As the owner of Darkroom Branding, he now provides marketing and branding strategies for photographers. Feel free to follow him on Twitter at: @darkroomRYAN