Maximize Your Client Base with a Photography Referral Program
Megan Al-Hassani • April 27, 2024

Can Referrals Increase Your Photography Business Growth?

Absolutely! Referrals are a powerful tool for growing your photography business. Here's why they work:


  1. Pre-qualified Clients: Referrals often come from satisfied clients, making them more likely to be your ideal clients.
  2. Lower Acquisition Cost: Referrals reduce marketing expenses and have a higher likelihood of becoming repeat clients.
  3. Easy to Request: With the right approach and timing, referrals will naturally come your way.


But how can you design and implement an effective referral system?


Find a System That Works for You

Creating a referral system educates your clients on its importance. It might take some experimenting to find the best approach. Here are a few types of referral programs to consider:

  • Points-Based: Clients earn points for each referral, redeemable for discounts or freebies.
  • Discounts: Offer a percentage or dollar amount off their next session.
  • Freebies: Provide a free session or print after a certain number of referrals.
  • Print Credits: Give credit towards future print orders.


Win-Win Situation

A successful referral system rewards both the referrer and the new client. This creates a win-win situation, showing appreciation for your client's support and giving new clients an incentive to book with you. For example, offer a $50 discount to the referring client and a free print to the new client upon booking.


Incentives for Referrals

Everyone loves a reward! Here are some ideas to incentivize referrals:

  • Discounts: Offer a discount on future sessions or print orders.
  • Free Sessions: Provide a free session after a certain number of referrals.
  • Gift Prints: Give exclusive products or gift prints.
  • Gift Cards: Offer gift cards for your business or local shops.


Simple is Best

Keep your referral system simple to track and easy for clients to use. A straightforward system encourages more referrals and ensures timely rewards.


When to Ask for Reviews and Talk About Referrals

There's no wrong time to discuss your referral program. Bring it up often, especially at key moments:


  • End of a Session: Mention it when the session concludes.
  • Image Delivery: Clients are excited when they receive their images—an ideal time to ask for a referral.


To ensure timely requests, incorporate this into your workflow with automated emails. Schedule these emails about 3-4 weeks after the session when clients have received their gallery.

Promoting Your Referral Program

Consistently promote your referral program through various channels:

  • Blogs: Write posts about the program.
  • Website: Create a dedicated page or section.
  • Newsletters: Include referral information in your emails.
  • Social Media: Share posts about the program in your VIP group and other platforms.


Keep your clients thinking about you by sending thank you cards, holiday greetings, and personal messages on special occasions. These actions enhance the client experience and keep you top of mind for referrals.


Implementing Your Referral Program

Once your referral program is designed, it's time to implement it:


  1. Spread the Word: Talk about the program before and after sessions.
  2. Track Referrals: Use a system like Iris to track where leads come from and who referred them. Integrate this into your lead forms on your website to capture this information easily.


By following these steps, you can create a referral program that drives business growth and fosters client loyalty.

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ShootQ Migration FAQs

By Maria Eveslage • February 10, 2025
What’s Changing? The technology behind our legacy platform has reliably supported our users for many years. However, maintaining and updating this older system has become increasingly challenging, and its limitations have prevented us from delivering the best possible user experience. Therefore, we have decided to transition all users to our more modern and robust platform, which has already been successfully serving thousands of photographers for the past five years. This change is a step forward in our commitment to providing superior tools and services that meet the evolving needs of professional photographers. Why This Change Is Happening Our new platform leverages modern technology that resolves the issues encountered with the old system. It introduces powerful features designed to streamline the management of client relationships. Expect a faster, more stable, and comprehensive system to support your business growth. What is being migrated? To ensure a seamless transition, we will migrate the following items: Jobs Invoices Contacts Contracts Proposals Email Templates Contract Templates Contact Form Templates Product & Services Templates Workflow Templates What will not be migrated? Certain elements will not be carried over to the new system: Client Portals Job Notes In-Progress Workflows (workflow templates will be migrated) Payment Schedule Templates Discount Templates Tax Templates Referrals set in existing jobs Transition to the New System As the legacy system is phased out, here are steps to help you adjust: Disable Legacy Settings: To avoid confusion, disable any unnecessary settings in the legacy system, such as invoice reminders by navigating to Settings > Invoices & Payments > Invoice Settings and unchecking "Send automatic email reminders for unpaid invoices." Complete the New Setup Guide: Utilize the Setup Guide in the new system found under Settings > Onboarding Setup Guide to fully adapt to the new functionalities. Updates on Integrations We are thrilled to share some exciting enhancements that are on the horizon for our new platform. In response to feedback and the evolving needs of our community, we will be implementing integrations with QuickBooks and ProSelect in the near future. These updates are designed to streamline your financial management and client interactions, enhancing your overall workflow efficiency. Stay tuned for these valuable additions that will further empower your photography business. Multiple Brands Additionally, we are excited to announce that support for managing multiple brands is now available, providing you with the flexibility to handle various aspects of your business from a single account. These integrations and features are designed to enrich your experience by streamlining financial management and client interactions, making your workflow smoother and more efficient. Stay tuned for these exciting updates that will further empower your photography business. Further Assistance For a smoother transition, visit our YouTube Tutorial Series and consult the Getting Started Knowledge Base . Our support team is also ready to assist you every step of the way. What If I’m Not Using My Account Anymore?  If your account has been inactive for more than 12 months, your account will not be migrated. If you wish to have your account migrated, you will simply need to login to your account before March 3, 2025. Final Migration Notice This migration is essential for enhancing your photography business operations. We are committed to supporting you through this transition and ensuring a smooth and effective upgrade to our new platform.

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