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Archive 2014 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries

  
 
jamesmorophoto
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


Does anyone else have this problem?

July is by far my slowest month for wedding inquiries. Does no one plan their weddings in the summer?



Jul 09, 2014 at 07:52 PM
joosay
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


I have two weddings this month but I'm kinda loving it after a really busy March-June. It's been really hot and it's nice to be able to have some weekends to hang out with family and friends.


Jul 09, 2014 at 08:08 PM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


Last year I had 0... this year I have 6. I have no idea what is happening.


Jul 09, 2014 at 09:42 PM
jamesmorophoto
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


zero inquiries or weddings?

I think in the past 5 years, i've maybe shot 2 or 3 weddings in july. and as for inquiries during july....fuuuuk it freaks me out...



Jul 09, 2014 at 10:07 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


Goes in waves. June 15~30 is always low inquiries here. July's up again — three meetings this week, two last week.




Jul 09, 2014 at 10:27 PM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


We always get a lot of inquiries when were the busiest shooting so March-November are big. We're all referral based though so the more we shoot the more people see.


Jul 09, 2014 at 10:34 PM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


I was talking about weddings. I only got one inquiry last July for 2014. This year, I actually just got hit with like 5 inquiries in the past few days for a couple more weddings this year and some for next year. I haven't really been at this long enough to establish any patterns though, but it does seem I get more inquiries as I post more work.

Last year was weird... it was pretty quiet inquiry-wise throughout most of the summer and then all of the sudden I got a ton of inquiries and ended up booking about 20 weddings for 2014 before Thanksgiving... Which was more than I shot in 2013 all year.



Jul 10, 2014 at 12:03 AM
jamesmorophoto
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


another reason i'm asking is b/c i've been posting way more work than i've ever done in the past.


i've been really going crazy w/ social media, and somehow bumped my organic ranking from page 4 to page 2 (not the best, but an improvement for sure).

But i've yet to see any inquiries come of it.

Is there some kind of 'critical mass' that you need to hit?



Jul 10, 2014 at 02:10 AM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


jamesmorophoto wrote:
i've been really going crazy w/ social media


I should try social media some time.



Jul 10, 2014 at 03:46 AM
lilyphoto
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


We only have one wedding this month...the past couple years we have had 3 in July. It has been really, really hot the past couple summers so I think couples are learning their lesson. I totally see patterns on next year's bookings based on last year's weather.

As far as inquiries --- they've been up for the past couple months compared to what they were in May. I notice everything comes in waves. I'll have a busy inquiry/booking month and then the next month or so will be dead. Then it picks up again.



Jul 10, 2014 at 08:33 AM
carriedaway
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


Brides around here tend to book 6-8 months out, so I usually don't get many inquiries around this time. Fall/winter is when most of mine come in.


Jul 10, 2014 at 08:45 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


It can be difficult when you're just starting out, not knowing when people will book or what sort of patterns there are. Patterns vary depending on market, region, and other things, so it's difficult to take much solace in what others are experiencing at that given time.

But I know what you mean, if you feel a little frustrated or lost, you can wonder "How are Jack and Jill doing right now?"

You know yourself, it doesn't matter how Jack is doing. I think the only solution to this, beyond time/experience, is having your own very specific goals and then going after them.

Ruthlessly.



Jul 10, 2014 at 09:20 AM
joshua grasso
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


I was wondering this. I was mildly freaking out because I did a bridal show and had a hard time getting follow up from leads that seemed to love me. Last show got a ton of bookings but they were all a few months out. However this show all their dates were for Next fall so I was wondering if maybe its not a time they are actually shopping for photography. 12-16 months out is probably too early


Jul 10, 2014 at 09:26 AM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


Definitely comes in waves for me as well. I'll go 2-3 weeks without hearing anything and then get blasted with inquiries within 5 days of each other. Or months with very light inquiries and then a period of getting 2-3 inquiries every day.

What I've started doing is compiling a spreadsheet of every wedding inquiry that comes in with the date of the wedding and the date of the inquiry. And I'll keep it updated through next year and keep tracking inquiries even on dates already booked (I didn't do that part this year and I wish I had). I know I've received and had to pass up weddings this year on many dates because I was booked last year.



Jul 10, 2014 at 11:35 AM
Prettym1k3
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


I've had a few inquiries in the past few weeks, but shooting wise, this year we saw a change. Busy months were Feb-May, and Aug-Oct. June we had 2, and July we have one (tomorrow).

Nice break in the middle of the season.



Jul 10, 2014 at 11:38 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


dhp_sf wrote:
I know I've received and had to pass up weddings this year on many dates because I was booked last year.


I've had 15 inquiries for the 2nd of August since it was booked early last year



Jul 10, 2014 at 11:44 AM
myam203
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


Any room within this discussion for advice on generating more inquiries in this slow period?


Jul 10, 2014 at 11:47 AM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


I think you gotta play to whatever your strengths are. If you're super service/people oriented, then networking with other vendors/venues probably is helpful in the slow period. Or maybe getting in touch with your past clients. If you book because people find your work unique, maybe you need to be more aggressive on the social media/sharing side and shoot more.

I generally take the slower periods as opportunities to do personal shoots and update portfolio images. Or revisit my own inquiry-response materials.

If there were a simple answer for "how do you get clients?" I think the industry would be even more ridiculously saturated than it already is and everyone would be successful (or no one would?).



Jul 10, 2014 at 01:24 PM
myam203
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


I agree Duy, it's very difficult to answer the "how do you get clients" question, but you made a great point there. We have to think "is my work unique enough to sell itself or do I have to sell myself instead?" Getting out there and meeting people is where I need to be.


Jul 10, 2014 at 01:38 PM
jamesmorophoto
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · JULY = SLOW/NO Inquiries


myam203 wrote:
Any room within this discussion for advice on generating more inquiries in this slow period?


Yes please!

What someone said about the temps being really hot makes a lot of sense. It's been in the mid 90's for the past few weeks. So the only weddings going down in the rocky mountains are $$$ weddings at the ski resorts, which i've yet to tap into



Jul 10, 2014 at 02:37 PM
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