It’s often said that it’s easier for a business to keep existing customers than to gain new ones. But it also works the other way around. It’s often easier for customers to buy from the same business than to look for a new supplier.
A photography customer that already has a go-to photographer will continue to use that photographer, (unless the photographer really messes up), because it’s easier than trying find a new photographer. A search for the phrase “toronto photographer” can result in 50 pages of search results. No one has time for that.
It’s always easier to continue doing things the usual way because there’s little or no risk. The usual way produces the usual results.
When a business calls its usual photographer for an assignment, that business already has a pretty good idea of the outcome. As long as that business continues to get the expected results from the photographer then that photographer will have a repeat customer.
So how does a photographer make a new customer from a business that already has a go-to photographer?
To switch to a new photographer, a customer has to be unhappy with their current photographer AND they must be willing to take a risk. Or the customer must want something different AND they must be willing to take a risk. See a pattern here?
The new photographer has to do two things, both of which are much easier said than done. The photographer has to get noticed by the potential new customer AND the photographer has to reduce the customer’s perceived risk of change.
Marketing helps get the photographer noticed and it can earn (only) the first sale.
There are only two things in a business that make money: innovation and marketing. Everything else is cost. – attributed to Peter Drucker
For a photography business, marketing is much more than just having a web photo gallery and a Contact Us page. A photographer also has to show that they understand the customer’s business or at least the customer’s photo needs. Why should the customer hire that photographer?
It’s not about selling to the customer but rather it’s about helping them buy. Give the customer enough information to reduce their perceived risk of change.
