STAAAAHP WITH THE BORING CONTACT FORMS
Since starting mentoring, I have really noticed the lack of conversation that is being invited in a contact form. Like, it literally just has a contact form and no personality at all. Please, staaaaahp! You’ve got a solid portfolio, you’ve got potential clients ready to inquire and then they are hit with the most boring contact form ever. Your contact form is going to be your selling point, and one of the most important pages on your website. It’s a place where you can spark conversation, find out more about the couple and save you so much time in the initial inquiry stages.
Here are a couple of must-haves every contact page needs:
SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES FOR YOURSELF AND THEM
Seriously.
I remember being out with a girlfriend having a midnight McDonald’s snacky snack who also runs her own business. She got an inquiry and responded immediately. Now this was midnight, when most people are asleep. At no point should you ever feel that you need to reply at midnight to a new inquiry.
I’m sure you’re here because you are sick and tired of sitting at your computer slaving away at your emails at all hours of the day / night. Setting clear expectations on when the potential client can expect a reply will give you a sense of relief of the situation and allow you to still be a human and live a little (hellooo, day off anyone?).
Set boundaries. Only have notifications on emails on your desktop so you aren’t tempted whilst you are away from your workspace. Let them know when they can expect a reply from you, this could be 2 business days or 12 hours, whatever works for you!
GET THEM ON THE SAME PAGE AS YOU
You may have been on my website previously and wondered what the ‘experience’ tab was all about. It’s one thing to have some great copy on your website selling yourself and having epic photo content BUT if the couple doesn’t connect with who you actually are as a person, and your style as a photographer, you’re in for a rough time.
I created this page to educate potential couples on what they can expect when they hire me. It weeds out anyone who wants the posed, serious type of photos, or someone who wants a table shot with every one of their fkn guests. All good if you love that style of photography, it’s just not my vibe so I make it clear to couples so they can hire a photographer who can meet their expectations.
By getting on the same page with them you can make stronger connections with your couples, attract your ‘ideal client’ and hit it off immediately because they know what they are signing up for. The trust is there from the initial point of contact and they will be forever grateful for the experience because you will feel like a friend to them rather than the hired help.
ADD SOME PERSONALITY
Your contact form is your first opportunity to engage with couples who are interested in your work, and will be a key player in the type of inquiries you will actually receive.
There are two types of contact forms. A blunt contact form that you could see on any type of business page, and an intentional contact form that asks all the questions you need and does all the hard work for you.
Blunt contact forms are super vague. They are open for interpretation and usually leaves people stumped, resulting in a basic, information-less inquiry. There is no guidance for the couple and they are likely to ask for packages and pricing because they don’t know what else to say.
Intentional contact forms have specific goals. They target a conversation and a chance to connect with your couples on a personal level. You will also be standing out from other photographers, be sitting in the forefront of your couples mind, and are less likely to be ghosted! Yaaas!
IT’S SERIOUSLY THAT EASY
Improve your contact page and take it to next level with these tips to boost the quality of your inquiries, attract ideal clients from the get-go and give your mental and physical health a sense of relief with clear boundaries. You can thank me for it later.
