When I first started my wedding photography business I, like a lot of new photographers, didn’t have a background in business. I went to art school, and while business is a bit of an art, they are definitely not the same thing!

I learned quickly that if I wanted my photography business to stand the test of time and be successful I was going to need systems.

As I learned more about marketing and time management (two of my favorite things to geek out about!), I discovered the world of automation. What an eye opener!

Automation isn’t for everyone.

I have definitely had potential clients turned off by it, and that’s okay. If getting an automated email gives you the ick we’re probably not the best fit and I’m happy to recommend some other great wedding photographers for you.

Curious what I automate to improve my wedding photography client experience (and what I will *never* automate)? Read on.

Initial Wedding Photography Inquiry Sequence

I have an automated welcome series when you sign up through my website for more information about my wedding photography collections that walks you through all of the information you need to choose the right photographer for you.

Here’s why it is great:

• It saves you time. I allow you to view my most popular wedding collection pricing right away so you immediately know if my services are in your budget or not.
• The emails deliver information in bite size chunks so you don’t get overwhelmed with one HUGE email full of information. There are so many factors to consider when choosing the right wedding photographer for your wedding that getting all that info at once can be a little much. By sending you shorter emails every couple days you are better able to absorb the information.
• A pre-written sequence ensures consistency from client to client. I don’t know about you, but I get so excited with each new potential client that if I don’t have a reply written out I sometimes forget to include important information. Having a carefully considered, pre-written sequence ensures that each client gets the same information and the same experience every time.
• They are built in reminders. I know we all get busy (guilty!) so sometimes it is nice to get follow-up email reminders as a little nudge. Before I automated my follow-ups I would often forget or be inconsistent which led to brides who had inquired missing out on their date when someone else came along and inquired and booked before they got around to responding. I always try to give priority to those who inquired first for a particular date, and the follow-ups help ensure that happens!

While some of my initial inquiry emails are scheduled emails I also reach out to you personally as well so that I can learn more about you and your goals for your wedding! Every client gets a consultation call to go over their specific goals and desires. We also make sure that any and all questions that haven’t been answered in the email series get addressed so you feel 100% confident and informed.

Another thing that is never automated is your proposal for custom wedding photography collections or destination weddings.

Each and every proposal is written by me after discussing with you in-depth your particular needs and the logistics of your wedding.

Pre-Wedding Reminders

Once you book me as your photographer you will also get a series of pre-wedding reminder emails.

These emails cover things like signing your contract, sending you your wedding photography questionnaire, and reminding you of your final payment due date. Automating these kinda boring tasks frees me up to spend more time with you planning your engagement session and designing your custom timeline.

If you get one of these automated reminders from me and it doesn’t apply to your particular situation (i.e. you have already paid your final invoice in advance of the due date) feel free to disregard them.

Scheduling my Social Media

I started using a social media scheduler and I am in love! While I am still not the best at posting everyday, being able to plan and schedule my content has allowed me to put out better content, more often. There is nothing worse than staring at the screen and “so pretty” being the best comment your brain can muster.

Overall, I try to use automation in a smart way.

My goal is to allow technology to handle some of the tedious and repetitive parts of my business so that I can give you my full attention on the things that matter to you!

Questions or concerns? You can always shoot me an email at hello@mollietobiasphotography.com