Looking to save precious time in your photography business? Let’s talk about automation – the secret weapon that transformed Paige’s hectic photography schedule into a well-oiled repeatable workflow.
When’s your busiest time of year? For Paige, it’s November. Having started as a family photographer, she still gets a flood of clients in the Fall. And while the busyness starts in September, by the beginning of November, she’s still finishing up family shoots, has dozens of sessions waiting to be edited, and those regular newborn projects aren’t slowing down either.
Busy season is when you really notice the stresses and flaws in your system (if you even have one). Maybe you’re cursing at your disorganized folders, or panicking because you forgot to send that payment reminder for tomorrow’s session. (If you’re in the busy season as youre reading this check out this blog from Zenfolio about how to survive it.)
In the past, November Paige would always promise herself that come the quiet season in January, she’d tidy up her storage, streamline her emails, and get everything running more smoothly. But when November rolled around again, the same problems would resurface.
If, like Paige, you’re looking for ways to make life easier during your busy season, it’s time to focus on automation. While you might think every project is different, when you examine what you do, you’ll discover the same messages, emails, and client interactions happen every time.
Your first step toward automation is mapping out every client interaction. While each photoshoot feels unique, you’ll discover many repeatable processes when you break them down.
Start by documenting everything you do with your clients, from the moment someone first contacts you to after they’ve received their images. If you’re making everything up as you go with each client, this might sound daunting. But as you document each stage, you’ll discover more common elements than you’d expect.
When someone first reaches out to you, how do they do it? Through your website? Your social media? Do they call, complete an online form, or email? Look through your previous emails, record yourself during client calls, and note all the information you typically share with potential clients.
And once they have, what do you tell them about your work to encourage them to officially book? Look through previous emails, record yourself or take notes next time you’re on the phone with a lead, and start to figure out all the things you generally tell potential new clients.
Once someone is ready to sign up, how do you get them to do that? Do you send them an email with a contract? How do they pay their invoice? Make notes about all the things you need them to do before your photo shoot.
Have you ever had that panic, when you get a voicemail or email from a client who has a photoshoot scheduled for the next day, asking what time they need to turn up? And you realize you forgot to send them the information?
If clients have to chase you for information, they’re probably questioning your professionalism. By automatically providing information before they ask, they’ll feel confident they’re in good hands.
Do you have a clear plan for what happens after the photo shoot ends? Many photographers breathe a sigh of relief when the session wraps up, but that’s only part of the client journey. Think about it – your clients have invested their time and money, and they’re eager to see their images. How are you communicating with them about what happens next?
What’s your current image delivery timeline? If you’re winging it session by session, you might be creating unnecessary stress for both you and your clients. Remember, they may have worked with other photographers before – some who deliver sneak peeks in 24 hours, others who take three weeks for a full gallery. Without clear expectations, your clients might be anxiously checking their inbox based on these past experiences.
Have you set a guaranteed turnaround time for your business? If not, now’s the perfect time to establish one. Here’s a tip: be generous with your timeline – clients care more about knowing when to expect their images than how long it takes (though maybe keep it under two months!). Once they’ve received their beautiful images, why not use that moment of excitement to ask for a Google review or testimonial? Those glowing reviews will help fuel your business’s growth through referrals.
This is where the magic comes! If you create an email for every step of your client journey, you can load them into your email system and automate them. So no need to panic that your forgot to invoice your client – because an email with the invoice automatically went out to them as soon as they signed the contract. You could have been putting your kids to bed, walking your dog, or just enjoying a movie, while your business was doing what you needed it to do on autopilot.
This part takes a LOT of work, but believe Paige when she tells you that once the hard work is over, busy season you will be so relieved your system is working for you, not against you.
And if the thought of writing all these emails finds you panicking, then don’t worry, we’ve got you! You can skip the line by buying our Workflow Templates. We have 12 different styles, depending on how formal you are, whether you’re a solo photographer or treat your business as a team, and how you sell. They are based on the exact set I helped Paige create for her business (she’s a Qilin, in case you were wondering) and she’s checked them all so they have a photographer’s seal of approval!
January 19, 2025
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