As you some of you know, Canada’s Bridal Show was taking place this weekend here in Toronto. If you went, I’m sure you know how crazy it was ! So, I was meeting a lovely couple tonight for one of my remaining 2008 dates and I asked if they attended the show this weekend. They went yesterday and told me it was so overwhelming and made them even more confused. If you missed this weekends bridal show, don’t worry, there’s another one next weekend
When these shows are about to happen, I get quite a few inquiries beforehand asking if I will be at the show, as a vendor. Heck, no ! I will never do one of these and I’ll tell you why. I think it’s a waste of money and time, as a vendor. From all the people I have spoken to that attend these, or are vendors themselves, most of them have told me that it is extremely overwhelming. Especially in the area of Photography and these shows exhibit how extremely saturated the market is here in Toronto. From what I know, it costs about $1600 for a booth and, for photographers, there is probably a waiting list to get in there. That is crazy.
As a prospect, for $15/head and probably 3+ hours of my time, I better get my money’s worth ! And how do I do that ? Get as many freebies as I can ! Enter as many contests as I can ! No wonder my vendor buddies rarely get bookings from these. However, it’s a great starting point, as a couple, to get ideas on what is trendy or color schemes for your decor and such, but it is hardly a good time to make one of the biggest decisions of your life – choosing your photographer.
What usually happens, as the couple tonight mentioned, is that they ultimately feel more comfortable in going with recommendations through friends, co-workers, or family. It doesn’t surprise me though. When you are given sooo many options it becomes difficult to even know where to begin. Eventually, your awesome friends/co-workers/family will help you narrow down your choices based on their own experiences. You know who else is a great person to bounce ideas off of ? Your photographer ! I’ve seen it all…and I’ve worked with so many vendors that I remember who the great ones are. If you ask, I’ll try to help any way I can.
Once you arrange a meeting with a photographer, the hard part is already over – you love their pictures. The other important factor is deciding if the photographer is a good fit for you two. We’re talking personality here. After all, we are spending the entire day together. Your photographer should be like a friend by the time your wedding day rolls around. Having this kind of connection with him/her will bring out the best in you and, as a result, will produce beautiful, fun images of the most important day of your life. For me, there is not a better time to figure this out than having a personal face-to-face consultation. This can’t happen at a bridal show, which is why I do not bother with these shows.
My feelings are the same about print advertising. I was discussing this with another good photographer that I know, recently. There are tons of magazines out there that literally have 100s of studios competing for the same client base. Everyone will, or should, have their best images presented in their ad. That’s nice. So, everyone has a really good picture in their ad. So, how does that set yourself apart from the competition ? It doesn’t. But, your personality and their experience with you will.
I run a very lean business. I pretty much have no marketing expenses (well maybe my cool car is considered marketing haha) but all my business is from the cheapest, and best, form of marketing – Word of Mouth. A great photographer once said, “Successful photographers do not need to advertise…they get others to advertise for them.“. I couldn’t agree more. Personally, I take advantage of the many opportunities that surround me each day. I make friendships with everyone I meet, regardless of the situation. I have built a great reputation and I have lots of people talking about me, for me. Here are the top 15 countries where JW has been talked about, according to Google Analytics:
I’m going global !
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