During an economic downturn people cut back on expenses.
For many, money spent on photography or a photographer is the first to go.
In order to stay in business, a photographer must keep perform takes that keep clients coming in the door.
Maintaining strong relationships with wedding vendors is one way to keep clients coming in the door.
This article addresses things a photographer can proactively do to maintain strong relationships with wedding venue vendors.
1.
Know the wedding venue vendor's marketing manager.
This is the person who will most likely be in a position to refer weddings to you.
Find out what you can do that would be helpful for this person.
  2.
Do things that will help the marketing manager's life easier.
Photography is a skill that is helpful when marketing.
Offer to take pictures of the venue when it is not occupied.
Often the venue has numerous pictures of the location while in use.
Many photographers are more than happy to provide the venue wedding pictures; however, they seldom get offers to have pictures taken while the venue is not in use.
3.
Create a collection of your best work at the venue and post it on your website in an attractive manner.
Many venues do not keep their websites up to date.
It is entirely possible that your site will be the most attractive photographic presentation they have available.
This is a win/win for you and the venue.
The venue gets an attractive display of their location on a wedding photographer's site.
If the photographer's site is drawing any traffic at all, it will encourage some people to seek out the venue.
The photographer benefits as the venue director sends people to the photographers site to see some of the best available pictures of that venue.
4.
Provide handout cards for the venue.
Design the cards in an attractive manner.
Put your name and website on the cards as well.
This saves the venue the cost of photography, design and print of cards (all things a photographer can do relatively cheaply).
While this is not an exclusive list of things that photographers can do to maintain business relationships with wedding vendors, following these steps will tend to strengthen that relationship.