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94. Clone your dream clients with Heidi Thompson
Are you tired of trying to appeal to everyone and feeling like your marketing efforts are falling flat? Do you want to focus on working with clients who truly resonate with your style and approach? If so, you’re in the right place. In this three-part conversation with Heidi Thompson, founder of Evolve Your Wedding Business, we delve into the process of identifying and attracting your ideal photography clients to build a sustainable business.
Heidi Thompson is the best-selling author of Clone Your Best Clients and the founder of Evolve Your Wedding Business where she helps wedding professionals grow 6 figure and multi-6 figure businesses without working all the time.
Her business & marketing expertise has been featured on several wedding and business outlets and events including The Huffington Post, Wedding Business Magazine, Sprouting Photographer, WeddingMBA, Aisle Planner, Honeybook, and WeddingWire World.
She is the creator and host of Book More Weddings Summit & Wedding Business CEO Summit. Over the past 10+ years, Heidi has helped thousands of wedding pros of all kinds across 6 continents grow their businesses without working 60+ hour weeks.
Part 1: Defining Your Ideal Client
Heidi kicks off the conversation by emphasizing the importance of understanding your ideal client. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, you’ll learn how to narrow your focus and connect with the clients who truly appreciate your work.
Key takeaways from Part 1:
- Your ideal client isn’t just a demographic; it’s someone who values what you offer.
- Get specific about who your ideal client is and what they care about.
- Ask yourself what problems you solve for your clients and what they’re looking for in a photographer.
- By defining your ideal client, you can tailor your marketing efforts to attract the right audience.
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Part 2: Conversations with Your Ideal Clients
In Part 2, Heidi shares the importance of talking to your ideal clients to gain valuable insights. She discusses the benefits of conducting interviews or surveys with past clients who fit your ideal profile.
Key takeaways from Part 2:
- Actively seek conversations with your ideal clients to understand their motivations.
- Identify commonalities among the clients you’ve loved working with.
- Learn about their personalities, values, and the problems they want you to solve.
- Listening to your clients’ language allows you to align your marketing with their needs.
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Part 3: Applying What You’ve Learned to Your Marketing
In the final part of our conversation, Heidi provides actionable steps to apply your newfound knowledge to your marketing efforts. She emphasizes the importance of using the language and themes your ideal clients resonate with.
Key takeaways from Part 3:
- Transcribe interviews or surveys with your ideal clients to identify their language and motivations.
- Update your website and marketing materials to reflect your clients’ language.
- Create content that directly addresses the problems and concerns your ideal clients have.
- Tailor your marketing to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Common Mistakes and Success Stories
Heidi also shares common mistakes photographers make when trying to identify their ideal clients and offers success stories of photographers who have successfully applied these principles to their businesses.
Building a Sustainable Business
Lastly, Heidi discusses the importance of building a sustainable photography business by focusing on what truly matters and eliminating activities that don’t yield results.
Key takeaways for building a sustainable business:
- Identify and prioritize activities that generate results.
- Don’t be afraid to say no to strategies that aren’t working for you.
- Prune your business to make room for growth and better opportunities.
Are you ready to evolve your photography business and start attracting your ideal clients? Dive into this episode and take the first steps toward building a sustainable photography business that aligns with your passion and purpose.
For more valuable insights from Heidi Thompson, visit her website Evolve Your Wedding Business and connect with her on Instagram.
Remember, progress is more important than perfection, so start now and watch your photography business thrive.
Guide to clone your best clients
Want more?
Ingvild Kolnes is the host of the Sustainable Photography Podcast, an educator for photographers, and is ready to help you with your photography business.
hi, I’m ingvild
This podcast is all about education and inspiration for photographers. A sustainable business is profitable and lasting. Instead of short-term wins you want to make sure you’re doing things that matter. Both to yourself, and to create the business you want. The goal of this podcast is that it will help you build and structure your business around your life, instead of the other way around.
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