Everytime – literally every. single. time. I see someone beg for help because they’re not getting good leads, this pops into my head:

Seriously guys, every time.

When I see people ask for help, I ask them: “tell me about your ideal client” and just about every single one talks about the kind of wedding they want to shoot. Every single person says they want a chill bride (who doesn’t?) and they want someone who values photography (well, duh?).

Then, I’ll say, “no, no, no. Tell me ABOUT your ideal client – meaning, describe them as people without relating it at all to weddings or photography.” And just about every single time, they respond with a deer-in-headlights gif.

THIS IS YOUR PROBLEM.

Want to know one simple trick to getting more quality leads?

The answer is two-fold and so seriously stupid simple that you’re gonna kick yourself.

1.) Know who you’re talking to; and

2.) Be yourself.

Before you launch any sort of marketing campaign, you HAVE to know who you’re talking to. What is the point of trying to sell yourself or your services to someone who is absolutely not even remotely interested? It’s wasted time and effort. If you’re a high school senior photographer, you’re not going to market yourself to brand new parents with newborns. If you’re living in California and have no desire to travel, you’re not going to market yourself to people in Europe, right? If you love fancy weddings in historic venues, you’re not going to market yourself as an adventure elopement photographer.

Those are extreme examples, but the gist is there: know your intended audience.

Now, since I’m a wedding photographer, I’m going to relate everything to wedding photography – so bare with me!

Think about 2017 – think about your absolute favorite weddings, the couples you really clicked with, what brought you the most joy. This is something that Randy + I do every year, to re-define and narrow down exactly who our ideal couple is so we are directly speaking to them every time we post a photo, share a caption or