This is a guest post by wedding cinematographer Ray Roman, but it applies to all photographers. 
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If you could make the same income, or more than youre making now, working two events a month, would you? I don’t know any photographers or cinematographers who would say no to that offer. Yet across the industry, our colleagues are selling themselves short every time they fail to book high-end, big-budget events. By shifting your focus to high-end branding, you can land more exclusive clients and raise both your revenue and your reputation.

What’s In a Brand?

Visit any of the leading wedding magazine websites, and you’ll find dozens of photographers and cinematographers looking for work. Several years ago, I began to wonder What sets apart the high-end vendor from the average wedding videographer? I believed that, with the right branding, any talented cinematographer could move to the top of their market.

I discovered that the most successful photographers and cinematographers weren’t just selling their photos and videos. They were selling exclusivity. And most of their businesses were branded, very simply, with the principals name. In my own business, I tried a little experiment to test my theory. I offered two wedding packages: A and B. Both packages offered the same services and products, except package B had one extra line in it: Ray Roman, Principal Videographer. Package B was also priced $2,000 higher than Package A. And you know what? Because I had developed a great reputation, Package B was selling. It was actually outselling Package A, to the tune of $2,000 an event!
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Building Your Brand

So, how do you convince brides-to-be that youre the best in the business, and youre worth the cost? It all starts with carefully managing your web presence. In my upcoming Workshop Series Capture Cinematic Weddings, Ill walk you through the step-by-step process for creating a simple, effective website. You only get one chance at a first impression with your website.

Heres a quick checklist to see if your website is conveying a high-end brand and image to your potential clients:

  • Is it simple? Web visitors have a short attention You want to avoid lengthy bios, stacks of old wedding videos, and lots of text. Instead, focus on the quality of your work.
  • Is your newest, best work featured? Don’t try to attract high-end clients by showing work thats a few years The average visitor to your site might only click on ONE video. Make sure you give them the opportunity to see your best work.
  • Does your websites appearance reflect the quality your work? If you have beautiful cinematography on a cluttered website that looks dated, your videos won’t Make sure your website reflects the style and caliber of your work.
  • Is it doing your networking for you? In my own business website, I make the most of tags and blogging to generate word-of-mouth and to link to other wedding This boosts my business without any extra work!

Its crucial that your online presence represents your brand. Even more important is the impression that you deliver to your clients. Many wedding vendors meet their clients at the coffee shop or even invite them to a home office to talk business. I can tell you firsthand, this approach does not fly with high-end clients. You need a completely new approach to deliver a professional, reliable appearance to your top-dollar brides and grooms. Try up-leveling your approach at all stages.

To learn more Ray check out a High Profile Wedding Cinema Workshop.