Quick replies to a inquiries is crucial to landing portrait clients — much more than you might imagine, and text and email automations make it a breeze.

When a client is sitting in the makeup chair at my boudoir photography studio before their photo session, I like to chat with them a bit and find out about their life and preferences. In the course of this conversation, I always ask a simple question, “So, what convinced you to book a photoshoot with me?”

A surprisingly common answer that I get to this question is, “I looked into several photographers and you were the one who got back to me first!”

When a client says that, it means that they didn’t book me primarily because of my photo skills. They didn’t book because I was the lowest priced or had the coolest studio. They booked because I texted them back first!

At first, I was surprised to hear this answer from my clients. But, after hearing dozens of clients tell me that they booked me because I responded first, I became attuned to the importance of responding quickly to leads. 

Answer Inquiries in Your Sleep

How can you become the photographer who responds first to leads? Obviously, it is impossible to be glued to your phone at all times and to respond to every inquiry immediately. Text and email automations are the solution. Automations allow you to respond and follow up with every single lead, even in your sleep. 

You will need a software solution to automate texts and emails, and there are many to choose from. I use a program called MarketSurge to run my photography business, and I love it. MarketSurge allows me to set up text and email automations for each step of the client journey and to view them from one simple dashboard. It allows me to set up automations that run at predetermined steps in the client journey and also lets me respond personally to questions and comments as they come in.

Using text and email automations does not mean that a robot is talking to your clients instead of you. Automations don’t mean that your business is cold and impersonal. Instead, automations will allow you to outsource the transactional parts of the photography experience to the software, while you continue to do the human parts. Automations keep your client fully informed and also free you up for what you do best — create beautiful art for your clients.

Client Text and Email Automation Checklist

Here is a checklist of the text and email automations that I recommend based on how I run my boudoir photography business (200-250 clients per year). You may need to customize this list based on your genre and market.

New Leads 

I recommend sending an initial automated text and email sequence to anyone who expresses interest in your photography services. This is how you become a first responder! These leads could come in from filling out a form on your website, texting the studio for information or by clicking on an ad.

These texts and emails are often referred to as nurture sequences because you are helping nurture leads along the path from an interested person to becoming paid clients. These texts and emails will help people to know, like, and trust you — and ultimately hire you! 

Recommended Text and Email Nurture Sequence

Immediately after an inquiry comes in, send an automated short email and text thanking them for being in touch and ask them if they would like to hop on a free phone consultation. If the client responds to this initial message, then send information about how to book the free phone consultation (I use an online calendar for scheduling phone consultations, which is also generated through MarketSurge). In this first communication, I recommend including the line: “I am a real person, and you can reply to me!!” While the initial messages are automated, your responses going forward will be from you, and the lead needs to know they aren’t chatting with a bot.

If the inquiry does not respond, send a series of 5-7 automated emails and texts within the first week. The purpose of this series is to 1) Find out their specific purpose for inquiring. Do they have a special occasion for a photoshoot? Or is this just for fun? What are they looking for in a photoshoot? 2) Encourage the lead to book a free phone consultation with you.

If the lead doesn’t book a phone consultation in the first week, continue to send occasional automated emails and texts with information and promotions. Send nurture emails 2 time per week and nurture texts 2-4 times per year.

Phone Consults

I use phone consults to go over information with potential clients and to select a date for their photo session. I recommend embedding a calendar on your website that allows leads to pick their own date and time for a phone consultation. All of this can be easily set up in MarketSurge.

Automations for Phone Consults

Immediately after a phone consultation is booked on the calendar, send an automated text and email that the phone consultation is booked. Include instructions, such as “I will be calling you from 555-5555. I look forward to chatting with you!”

Ten minutes before phone consult, send an automated phone consultation reminder via text and email: “Can’t wait to chat in 10 minutes!”

If the client doesn’t pick up, leave a voice message and send a templated email and text back that says, “So sorry we missed you! Here’s the link to reschedule your phone consultation.”

Automated Messages for Booked Clients

During the time between when a client has booked a photoshoot and when they come in for their shoot, every client needs information about getting ready for their photoshoot experience. Here are the text and email automations that I recommend sending before the photo session.

To finalize the booking, send an automated email and text with a  link to pay a session fee and sign the client contract (a client is never fully booked with my studio without paying a session fee and signing a client contract).

Immediately after booking, send an automated text and confirmation of the photo session date, time and location.

One day after booking, send automated texts and emails with detailed information that the client will need to prepare for the photo session (what to wear, what to bring, where to park and how to buy a photo collection after the shoot).

Fourteen days before the photo session, send automated texts and emails with a reminder about the photoshoot and confirmation request. Ask the client to reply YES to confirm. If you do not see their confirmation come through within 24 hours, call the client directly to confirm. Set up an auto reminder to alert you if a client has not confirmed.

The day before the photo session, send automated emails and texts with a final reminder, important information and a message that says, “We are so excited to see you tomorrow for your photo session!”

Messages for after the Photo Session

After their photoshoot, I recommend sending automated texts and emails to your clients asking for testimonials, referrals, online reviews and feedback about their experience. 

Immediately after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text saying thank you and reminding the client of next steps.

Two days after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text asking for an online review. I recommend directing your client to a page on your website with links to all the places that they can write a review of your business.

When digital images are ready, send an automated email and text with a message that the client’s digital gallery is ready and instructions on downloading.

When print products are ready, send an automated email and text that the client’s products are in the mail or ready for pick-up at the studio. If you are drop-shipping products to your clients, include the tracking number.

Here’s what I recommend:

One month after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text with a post-photoshoot questionnaire and request for feedback. Ask what the client loved and what could be improved about their experience.

Two months after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text asking for referrals. Include information about referral bonuses that you offer.

Nine to twelve months after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text asking the client if they are ready to book another photoshoot. Repeat clients are often the best clients!

After you have created these text and email automations, test everything to make sure it is working properly. Have a friend or colleague go through the sequence as if they are a brand new inquiry and give you feedback. Continue to test and tweak your automations regularly to make sure that everything is working how you want it to. 

I have found that text and email automations are the key to growing a photography business in a world where many people are glued to their phones and expect instant results. Automations will help you run your photography business like a well-oiled machine.

Liz Hansen’s Chicago Boudoir Photography Studio is a boutique studio that empowers women to feel confident in their bodies. She has appeared on NPR and TEDx, and she runs the Million Dollar Studio, where she coaches other photographers to be wildly profitable. Follow her on YouTube and Instagram.