16 Ways to Keep Your Clients Coming Back

It is more cost effective to keep a client than to try to get a new one.

A glimpse through the curtains. Photo by Don Giannatti

Client acquisition, to sound like a business guy, is costly.

It takes time, it takes attention, and it takes money.

Keeping a client once you have them can take far fewer resources, but for some reason, most photographers do not follow through on this very powerful opportunity.

Instead of treating every job with a client as a one-off, let’s think of the gig as an opportunity for more long-term engagement work.

I would rather have 10 clients that kept me busy than have to find new clients every month.

(CAUTIONARY NOTE: You still have to market every day or week, however, you have it set up. No promises are made with long-term clients. Clients move, companies sell, times and strategies change, and bang… you lose ‘em. Keep the marketing going when you are busy AF and when you have nothing to do.)

That being said, let’s look at some ways to keep them on the books, and coming back for more.

Customary Ways:

1. Weekly or monthly Email Newsletter: Regularly send out an email newsletter with updates on your services, industry news, and special offers. Make it informative and engaging to encourage clients to open and read it. This takes finesse. You must learn to make subject lines that prompt and open. In email, it is all about the subject line.

2. The Phone Call: Rare and hard to do, but a simple phone call can go a long way in maintaining a relationship with a client. Check-in, ask for feedback or just say hello. NOTE: practice leaving a well-constructed voicemail that is not intrusive or makes demands on them. “Just checking in to see how things are going with the new website. Looks good on my end, and I have heard some good things about it from people who know. Have a great day!” Do not ask them to call you back… that is intrusive and puts a demand on them you do not need to add.

3. Social Media: Connect with your clients on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. Share updates, interact with their posts, and stay visible in their feeds. Post some behind-the-scenes shots from when they shot with you, and let them know you really appreciate the work. You did take some BTS shots when you were shooting, right? Right?

4. Events and Workshops: Industry-related events and workshops may give you an opportunity to make a reconnection. If that is possible, remember to bring something to leave with them. A promotional piece of yours with one of their images on it is both flattering and a great way for them to remember you. You do have a printer and some great card stock, right… so make one up and take it along.

5. Holiday Greetings: Send out personalized holiday cards or messages to let your clients know you're thinking of them. This should be a no-brainer. Holidays at my studio meant packing 16 bottles of single malt, and a dozen Godiva Chocolate boxes for select clients. Every client got a card, with one of MY photographs on it and a bit of prose picked from old Christmas stories.

6. Direct Mail: Send out postcards, flyers, or other promotional materials showcasing your latest work or special offers. But then, you are already doing that, right? RIGHT!!!! If you are not, you are missing one of the best opportunities you can have for reaching people who need photography.

7. Client Appreciation Events: Organize an event to show appreciation for your clients, like a networking BBQ, open house BBA, or a webinar on a relevant topic, while you eat BBQ. These little gatherings are more and more welcome after we all wake up from the batshitflu. You can use these events to introduce new images by having a mini-show of work.

8. Introduce Relevant Clients to Each Other: This has always been a fun and powerful way to stay in touch and let clients know I am interested in them. I once introduced a shipping client to one of our clients in California who was having issues with their fulfillment. They got together, solved it, and the agency was a hero for making the connection. We kept two well-paying clients happy.

Some New, Different, and Innovative Ways:

1. Personalized Video Messages: Record a short, personalized video message for each client, updating them on new services or thanking them for their business. Check out Vidyard for an idea or two. You can even do something on your phone to make it very personal and fun.

2. Customized Gifts: Send small, thoughtful, and budget-friendly gifts. One of my photographers is using very cool personalized pencils. I once gave out layout pads for designers that had grids and all the layout information they would be needing to sketch an ad. In the line where it said Photographer:, I put my name screened back to about 20% to remind them of my gift and my, you know, availability. It was such a hit, I had ADs calling for more tablets. Which I hand delivered and just so happened to bring my portfolio along.

3. Collaborative Projects: Invite clients to collaborate on a project or contribute to a blog post or case study. This may give you a chance to reconnect and bring them some interest and acclaim as well. We were doing a Pro-Bono gig for a women’s shelter and asked one of our clients, a communications company, if they would like to be involved. They did, and the work we did won a few awards, as well as help fund the center for another few years.

4. Online Communities: Create a private online community or forum where clients can connect, discuss industry topics, and access exclusive content. This is probably better if you have a group of clients from the same sort of business. Perhaps a LinkedIn forum or a private FB group for sharing ideas on marketing their type of business could be a winner.

5. Share Client Success Stories: Write blog posts or social media updates celebrating your clients' achievements. Staying aware of your client’s success makes you much more of a partner than a vendor. I offered to do new headshots (free) of any art directors who were hired or promoted within a few selected agencies. The work that was generated was a hundred times more than a headshot fee would have brought in.

6. Offer Exclusive Discounts: Share exclusive discounts or promotions with past clients as an incentive to reconnect and consider using your services again. Other businesses use discounts, so why not us? Find a way to get the bean counters on your side for extra flavor fun.

7. Client Surveys: Send out surveys to gather feedback and insights from clients. This can help you identify areas for improvement and show that you value their opinions. We did audits like this with every client. What was good, what was bad, what could have gone better? We were usually happy to see the great results, but on occasion, we had to face up to the fact that we dropped the ball. That meant we had to work harder to keep that client. And we did.

8. Content Curation: Curate and share relevant articles, videos, or other content that your clients might find useful or interesting. I had a client who loved hot air balloons. I had a client who loved and flew hot air balloons. I would send him clippings of cool balloon stuff I would come across. Another client loved roses and had a huge garden that was featured locally many times. I would send little notes and clips of rose aficionados to her and always get a warm message back.

Look, whatever you do, and however you do it, the most important thing is to let your clients know you care more about them than the check they sent out after the gig.

This is just human nature, and understanding that nature, working with it, and making yourself more than just a vendor they see on occasion is one of the most powerful marketing strategies you can ever have.

Thanks for reading “In the Frame.” I hope you enjoy it. If you know anyone who may be interested in my work, feel free to send them a link so they can subscribe too.