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Networking is all about expanding your contacts and meeting new people who might want to do business with you or send referrals your way. It is one of the best ways to grow your business and stay on top of your game! Executed properly, and it can increase the number of clients you book for your wedding photography every year. However, it requires some knowledge and finesses in order to get the expected results that you are looking for. At ShootDotEdit, we’ve got you covered with the top secrets of networking and have listed some interesting tips on how to network with vendors, as well as ways to win client referrals. Whether it is a busy season or the offseason, it is essential for you to know how to make professional connections with potential clients to help your business thrive!

Wedding Photography Marketing Ideas:  Top 6 Secrets Of Networking

1. Meet Face-To-Face

With the advancement of technology, it is easy to catch up with people virtually on various social platforms. While social media is a great option to raise awareness for your wedding photography business, try to put in extra effort and venture out into your community to build strong relationships! Meet face-to-face and catch up in real time with local photographers and vendors in your area. This is a great way on how to get photography clients and create a personal connection, which might benefit you in the future via referrals! Vendors are more likely to remember you through an in-person connection rather than a quick virtual meet and greet on Facebook or Instagram. 

Quick Tip: Building meaningful relationships requires an investment of time and effort. If you like another photographer's work, don't feel shy in sending them a note of appreciation or a friendly shoutout as a positive comment goes a long way!

Related Read: How To Ace Your First Client Meetings: A Wedding Photographer’s Guide

2. Develop Your Online Presence

Not only is social media great for popularizing your brand and raising awareness, but people should also find you easily online and discover your work. One key tip on how to master networking is to have an active and well-curated online presence. With thousands of tools to choose from, an online portfolio is important for you to create engaging posts, market yourself, and grow your business! 

Even though the competition is leveling each year, to compete and thrive in your field, you need to develop a stellar digital brand. Try to make your presence known on every possible social platform. In order to build relationships with vendors and potential clients online, you can use post-related hashtags and increase the reach of your photography posts. By socializing with industry professionals, you might also end up on vendor lists. 

Quick Tip: Showcase your work by writing engaging blogs and sharing client testimonials! If you aren’t a pro at writing, test out Fotoskribe - a leading expert in blogging as-a-service for wedding and portrait photographers. 

Suggested Read: Why Networking With Wedding Vendors Is Important For Business

3. Give Virtual Updates Even In Offline Events

Social media platforms come in handy to promote your social content with a few clicks of a button. In modern times, every social mixer or event updates its current happenings. Another method on how to network effectively in business is to announce your presence at any photography workshop or conference! This networking trick will increase your physical and virtual visibility amongst the event attendees, and might also benefit into some real-time networking opportunities with vendors, other photographers and targeted clients.

You can use social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to live stream the gathering and update your followers and clients about your whereabouts. Another great option for you to stay at two places at the same time (i.e virtually and in real-time), is to use Instagram Stories to post pictures and short videos of the event you're attending, while keeping in mind to use appropriate hashtags for better online reach!

4. Create Your Own Networking Events

If your area does not host many photography events, try to start your own! Bring your friends together with similar photography interests and plan a fun event full of photography-focused activities! Some secrets of networking also include planning a short trip to a city that hosts photography events like workshops and conferences, watching photography documentaries, or spending time helping one another in building informative and engaging portfolios or providing helpful feedback. 

5. Follow Up 

After attending a photography event or fair, try jotting down some notes about who you met and what you spoke to them about. Follow up with vendors virtually and let the magic happen! At the beginning you would want to get to know them better, so instead of pitching a business idea or sending a proposal, try a casual approach and send a friend request to their official work accounts and follow them on social media platforms. Some more secrets of networking involve catching up for lunch or coffee and discussing more about a related subject. 

Read More: 5 Amazing Ways To Get More Wedding Inquiries

6. Collaborate with other photographers

Networking and collaborating go hand-in-hand. Just as you collaborate on social media by sharing stories and posts, you can do the same in real time. Socializing with other photographers who share the same passion as yours, can be financially as well as socially rewarding. Since everyone in the photography business has their own tricks and tips, sharing information about wedding photography marketing ideas and other photography resources can be beneficial to you, your new photography friends, and respective clients. 

Bonus Secret Tip - Word Of Mouth

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful photography marketing and networking assets. In order to reap the benefits of this tip, you will need to provide the best services to your clients and build a healthy rapport, allowing them to vouch for your work to their friends and family, and thus, increasing the network for your photography business. 

In the end, your goal as a photographer is to create long-lasting and authentic relationships with professionals in your creative industry. With these few network marketing tips and tricks, and of course with a solid plan chalked out, be it using social media extensively, creating your own network events, or collaborating with existing and new photography friends/businesses, these secrets of networking can help you can grow, learn, educate and inform other peers in your industry about your success story. 

Further Read: Top 10 Marketing Tips For Wedding Photographers

At ShootDotEdit, we are passionate about helping you hone your craft! And we help with that by taking editing off your plate with our professional photo editing services, giving you more time to learn new skills. To learn more about how we can help your wedding photography business, check out our pricing plans.