The modern alternative to Wedding Albums?

As a wedding photographer, what’s your go to product?

​Traditionally, albums have been the mainstay for wedding clients. They have evolved and changed over the years but are still popular among wedding couples today.

However, when digital came about, many photographers opted to go the route of offering “Digital Only Packages”. For some, this may have been in reaction to the consumer asking for “just digital images” and for others, it was just the easier option. After all, it takes a lot less work to supply a disc, USB or an online gallery at the end of the process than going through the motions of proofing and designing, re-proofing, ordering and delivering an album.

However, by offering digital only packages, it’s very possible that the beautiful moments you captured in camera that day will never see daylight. Unfortunately this is the sad reality of a digital world. Yes, they may put a few up on social media but photography is an art and art deserves to exist in a physical form. 

So you have 3 options:

1. You continue to just supply digital files to your clients knowing they may never get printed

2. You continue to offer albums to your clients and take the hit on those who don't want an album

3. You could try offering an alternative product and see the results for yourself but this requires an open mind. How open-minded are you?

If you're still reading, I'm guessing you chose option 3. That's great to hear :)

So let's get on with it...

Your clients may think they “just want the digitals” but in reality, when they are shown their images in print and when they get to hold them in their hands, that all changes. But if you don't give this opportunity and open their minds to the possibilities out there then you'll never know if the digitals is truly what they actually want or whether they've just been conditioned to ask for "just the digitals".

But what if you don't want to offer albums? What if you don't want the hassle of designing and proofing an album? Or what if your clients just aren't "album people"?
What can you offer that will ensure your work is seen and appreciated and that will give your clients something they can enjoy for years to come?

Answer: A folio box.
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A folio box allows you to give your client a selection of the very best images from their big day. You may not be able to include 100’s of images but 20 or 30 of the very best can have a lot of impact. Think of it as the “Highlight Reel” or the “Artist’s Selection”. 

The other great thing about a folio box is its versatility. If you opt for a Window Folio Box, it can be put on display on a sideboard or dresser and the image in the window can be swapped out in seconds for a different look. Your client can also display their matted prints in frames. There are lots of possibilities but the good news is, your clients have something tangible that they will treasure forever and your work will be out on view for all to enjoy.

Before you make your mind up, let's discuss how a folio box offering can be incorporated into your wedding photography business and how you can use it to really stand out from the crowded marketplace of wedding photographers.

​Here are 3 ways to sell a folio box and help you stand out as a Wedding Photographer:

1. Surprise & Delight

Picture this: your wedding couple have had the best day of their lives. The next day, they’re having brunch with their closest family and friends. You surprise them with a folio box of the best 20 images from the day before. They had no idea this was going to happen and are absolutely astonished when you hand them a beautiful, handcrafted, personalised box made just for them. Just imagine the looks on their faces. Those special moments from the day before will be relived once again with the ones closest to them. I guarantee they’ll all be talking about you!

If you don’t think you can manage a 1 day turnaround of editing and printing the 20 images for the folio box then that’s ok too. You may have pre-sold an album package and they know that it will be some time before they get it, so imagine if you surprised them a week after the wedding or when they return from their honeymoon with a beautiful folio or print box. 

Don’t underestimate the impact of surprising your clients in this way. Jay Baer perfectly captured this idea when he said “The gap between what's expected and what you deliver is where the magic happens.” Just make sure you have the cost of it built into your pricing! 

2. An Album isn't for everyone so give them an alternative

​Not everyone wants an album. Some people just aren’t “album people”. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t want anything in print. In fact, people have a much greater emotional connection with a printed image than one shown on a screen. But sometimes, they have to see it to realise that they want it!

The trick is to keep it simple and avoid decision fatigue. If you offer a complete package that includes an album, then why not offer an album OR a folio box. Keep the price the same so it’s not price that drives the decision but their preference for the product itself.

​3. Upsell, Upsell, Upsell

Unlike portrait photographers, wedding photographers tend to be paid upfront and well in advance of the event. The good news is, this gives you a brilliant opportunity to upsell. Why? Because money spent is money forgotten.

Imagine this… your clients have just returned from their honeymoon. They’re relaxed and happy and basking in their newly wedded bliss. You invite them to your studio or a coffee shop or perhaps you arrange to visit them in their own home. The point is, location doesn’t matter. You greet them with a smile, offer them a refreshment and ask them all about their honeymoon. You sit them down to watch the slideshow you have created and you can see their eyes light up when the music starts playing. By the end of it, they’ve laughed and cried and are utterly overwhelmed with emotion. This is the perfect time to upsell!

If you’ve already pre-sold a wedding album, explain to them how the proofing and design process works and give them an idea of when they can expect to have their album. Very often, this can be anything from 4-8 weeks depending on how quickly you can design the album and how quickly your album supplier can produce and ship to you. In the meantime, you’d love to show them something they can take home today.

​This is where you pull out your folio box with the photos you have selected. You explain how much it costs and that they can take it home with them today. This opportunity for instant gratification is a huge incentive to buy. The emotional part of their brain will take over because they’ll be dying to show their photos to friends and family. It's all about giving them the option to do that. You can also upsell smaller boxes for parents, bridesmaids or friends that can be delivered at a later date.

You may have only sold a digital package up front and so this is also a perfect way to encourage them to buy prints. Allowing them to hold the prints in their hands will make it very difficult to leave them behind. especially when the memories of their special day are so fresh in their minds. That's because the emotional part of our brain responds positively to instant gratification and when people get really close to obtaining a reward, their emotional brain takes over. When we see, touch, or smell something that we really want, the temptation is too great to resist. We act impulsively because the dopamine in our brains gets all fired up.

If they don’t buy it, then all you’re down is the cost of the 20 or 30 prints. The mats we offer are re-usable so they can be used for the next client. Just make sure you build the cost of the prints into your wedding package so it’s no skin off your nose if they don't buy but a BIG bonus if they do buy. In other words, it’s worth the risk.

Our recommendation for the upsell is to offer the main folio box to the wedding couple that they can take home that same day. If you want to upsell smaller boxes for friends and family, take the order and then deliver it to them at a later date. They'll be much less worried about waiting for the other products when they have their own folio box to take home and it can therefore take the pressure off delivery of any albums or wall art products that they're waiting on.

​In summary...

Whether you’re looking for that added wow factor to surprise and delight your clients, a way to upsell, or simply an alternative to a wedding album, a folio box is a great option to consider. If you don't give it a try, you'll never know if it'll work for you.

Take a look at some of our bestselling products for Wedding Photographers

Click the images to learn more about that product

Premium Grey 11x14 Foil Box with USB

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