things to consider when it comes to albums
Over the last 4 years I have tried and tested so many things when it comes to my wedding albums and it’s been a journey figuring out what works best for my clients and my business.
I’ve taken all the learnings from my experiences with my clients and wanted to share with you my top tips. I have released a new podcast episode, 11 Things To Consider When It Comes to Albums, and recommend listening to the full episode to hear ALL of my tips, as well as access my recommended printing and packaging vendors.
Whether your new to the album game or looking to shake things up a bit, this post and podcast episode include some useful tips for you.
Lei x
Design your albums for your couples and only allow a single design revision
By only allowing one design revision your client is less likely to ask for revision after revision. In my experience, less-decisive clients can ask for up to 5 revisions unless you set expectations early. By letting them know that a single revision is included in the design process, clients are more considered in their feedback meaning you are able to move from designing to printing the album quite quickly.
I consider it a win if I am able to design and deliver an album without 2 months. I have had clients take over +1 year to finalise the design of their album which can get really tricky as printing costs increase over time. By setting the expectations of a single revision as part of the design process, clients are so grateful for any additional revisions you support and generally respond quickly to get their album off to print.
My ideal timeline is:
Design/layout duration: 10 to 15 business days.
Revision/layout changes: 4 to 5 business days.
Production time: 20 business days once the order is placed.
Curate your cover choices to ensure your client doesn’t experience overwhelm
Our client experience is so important and at every stage in the design process, we want to make the experience seamless as possible. The key to a great experience is that we must anticipate their needs, such as selecting the perfect cover for their album which can be a stressful decision for a couple. By offering a curated selection of popular cover and deboss options, your client can select from a handful of options rather than looking at 50 swatches.
In my experience, clients will order the covers that you show them or highlight as most popular for your clients. Here are examples of a curate selection of album covers and debasing options from my website. I recommend to either have sample albums printed in your most popular options or ask your designer to prepare digital renders so clients can visualise the colour/deboss combination
Curate your Album Offer and Pricing Model based on your ideal client
Following on from my previous podcast episode, New To The Album Game? 4 Things To Get You Started, spend time researching the type of album your client would buy and that you want to offer them. The next step is to look at pricing.
Do you want to offer an all-inclusive album at a higher price?
Or, a more affordable album where the client has the choice to add on extra spreads, debossing and a slipcase?
Consider your ideal client and what kind of pricing model would suit them.
In my business, I offer an all-inclusive album offer. Each album includes 40 spreads (80 pages), premium cover, debossing and a slipcase. I want to make it transparent for my clients what was included in their album purchase and avoid any unexpected costs.
To sell albums, show up on social media and take your albums to every client meeting
Whenever I have noticed that I am not selling albums it is usually because I haven’t spoken about them on my socials so my clients are not aware that I’m offering albums. My tip is to included albums as part of your content calendar for social media and always take a sample album to every face-to-face meeting.
Here are some examples of social media content (A, B, C) and a blog post I wrote to promote my luxury wedding albums.
Tips on packaging and how to create a sample album with the right supplier for you
Don’t let perfect packaging stop you from starting to sell albums in your business. There are cost-effective ways to elevate your clients’ experience when they receive their album that does not require a huge investment. Some simple white tissue paper and a hand-written note are a beautiful way to get started whilst you wait for branded stationary to arrive.
The past few months, I’ve been in the full swing of wedding season and have been working on my first ever online course The Art of Album Sales: Selling Albums Confidently for Profit which is due to launch in April.
It is exciting (and scary) to work on a course. I’m so invested in albums in my photography business, and I get asked about albums ALLLLL the time during mentor sessions. It made sense to me to share my process with more of you.
Lei x
PS. I have created a mini masterclass on how to design albums as a little opener for my online course which is all about designing, selling and marketing albums with confidence for profit. If you are interested in watching click here.
