As a wedding photographer, you have the privilege of capturing the special moments and emotions of a couple’s big day. But many photography professionals want to expand their business by adding family portraits to their offerings. When you do this, you’re capturing lifetime memories for people you care for. But making the transition from one-time customer to lifetime client can be challenging.

In our work as wedding photography VAs, we’ve seen lots of our own clients make this pivot. Supporting our clients as virtual assistants means we’re in the nitty-gritty of this process. We’ve got all the tips to help easily transition your wedding photo client to family sessions.

Tip #1: Start the Conversation About Family Sessions Early

Bring up the possibility of family sessions early in your booking process. You can have a portfolio on your website, so clients know right away that you’re available for both. If you prefer to keep those brands separate, it’s something you can also mention in your initial consultation. You could also bring this up during an engagement session when talking about your experience.

Tip #2: Showcase Your Portfolio of Family Photography Clients

If you’re not as concerned about keeping your brand focused on weddings, sprinkle in family photography on your social media accounts. You can also clearly display a family section on your website. Make it obvious to present and potential clients that this is a side of your business that you love.

Tip #3: Build Upon Your Experience with a Special Discount

Not booking as many family sessions as you’d like? Reach out to your past wedding clients who have become families and offer a special discount. In exchange for building your portfolio up, they can have affordable family photos. It’s also a great way to keep that connection going and build them up to lifetime clients.

Tip #4: Create a Referral Program for Your Family Photo Clients

As a wedding photographer’s VA, we know how important referrals can be. Encourage your previous clients to refer their friends and family to you for lifetime sessions. You can also offer incentives like prints and mini albums to make them more enticing.

Tip #5: Use Social Media to Market Your Family Photography Business

One of the many tasks you can delegate to a photography virtual assistant is your social media marketing. Have your VA team work to boost your family photography brand on social media. Whether you’re starting a brand new Instagram or TikTok account, or just scheduling a new board on Pinterest, it makes a difference. Encourage clients to keep you at top of mind with your social strategy.

Tip #6: Stay in Touch with Wedding Photography Couples

One of the best ways to convert couples to family photography clients is to stay in touch. You’ll want to keep an eye on their social media for any big announcements. Send holiday cards, birthday messages, and check-in emails to remind them that you value them.

Start Converting Your Wedding Photography Business into a Lifetime Studio

Need a helping hand? Let our team of experienced virtual assistants for wedding photographers make this transition incredible for you. We want to convert your dream clients into lifetime clients. Make more business for your studio while focusing less on the marketing and nitty-gritty details. Reach out to our team at the Genie VA to make some magic happen.

Photography Credit: Megan & Kenneth