How to Get Your Brides to Brag About Your Business All Over Town

Question: How do I keep in touch with brides who’ve booked me two years in advance and get them to send me referrals?

“Hi Steph!

I have a question that I’m sure I cannot ask on any other blog. I’ve wooed a bride and she’s finally booked her wedding with me at a good price and I’ve received her deposit. The only problem is her date is two years away.

How do I continue to keep her engaged in my work and stay in the forefront of her mind?

I know she has lots of friends who may be considering having photographic worthy events but if I don’t reconnect with her for two years, how does she think about my work?  Sure, I update my blog but I can’t force people to go there. What to do?”

Pamela

Answer:

Love this question, Pamela!  It shows that you’re really thinking about how you can maximize your current client base for future business.

It’s also really good for brides/grooms when you keep in contact with them, since they feel cared for through the entire planning process.  Most wedding vendors take the deposit and disappear, unfortunately.

Here’s how we’ve successfully kept in touch:

1.   Get new clients on your email list.

Since you’re blogging regularly, there’s no need to create an ezine.  Just send a monthly “blog broadcast” containing highlights from you latest blog posts.  You can set this up automatically from email marketing services such as Aweber.

2.   Create a follow up email sequence for new clients filled with tips and ideas.  This way you’ll stay top of mind during the planning process, and you can also send them referral incentives and reminders along the way.

3.    Call them every 3-6 months.

My couples were shocked that I would do this, but they really appreciated it.  I’d just call up, say hello, ask how the plans were going, etc.  It let them know that I actually cared and wanted to help, made them that much more confident that I was going to do a great job at the wedding…and as a bonus, it resulted in referrals to their engaged friends.

If you have a specific referral incentive program (highly encouraged!) you might mention it them or say that you’ll email them details.  Just don’t make that the #1 reason for your call.

Keeping in touch by email and phone is a winning strategy for happy clients and more referrals!

How do you keep in touch with your current clients?

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