Do you like me? It’s better this way

One important psychological persuasion principle is Liking. As humans, we strive to make connections with others and we tend to do business with people we like. In the digital age where an in-person meeting may not happen right away (or at all), how on earth do we get people to like us? Well, we have to strategically use technology in a way that gives people a sense of who we are.

Things to do

Cultivate your personal brand across all your platforms

There is no one else like you in the world, agreed? No matter how hard it may be for you to consider how you are different, there is an answer – you just have to find it. I like Jeff Jochum’s analogy in his book, Work Happily Ever After, about what soup you are. It’s not enough to be plain tomato these days, but say you add a jalapeño and a dollop of sour cream? Spicy and smooth – and already more interesting than that plain version. What you put in your soup is what makes you unique.

I did an exercise a while ago that helped me here. I made a list of things I love in one column, and things I hate in another. I listed everything – from loving old, dusty bookstores, vintage chairs and strong coffee, to hating washing lettuce, doing dishes, and being in overly-crowded spaces. Make your own list and you will gain valuable insights. Now, how might those things affect your photography/brand? For example, liking vintage tells me that my photography style may lean towards similar, and not liking crowds means I like more intimate gatherings – hence I market for small, intimate weddings versus the huge reception hall events. If potential clients connect with this – the rapport builds and they start liking me right out of the gate.

Be your real, albeit curated self, on your About Page

This is the place on your website for people to get a glimpse of who you are and to know your story. Find out more about what should and shouldn’t go on your About Page here. The more people can identify with you here, the more they are inclined to like, and contact you.

Consider a promotional video

This gives potential clients the ability to hear and see you, and get a look behind the scenes of who you are and how you work. Video is a powerful tool – the next best thing to meeting you! It’s well worth the investment.

Have a personal conversation

Although we may not be able to meet in person with every client, an offer of a telephone or video call goes a long way. Even if they don’t take you up on it, it conveys a sense that you are wanting to connect with them and just the offer of it builds trust and like. And if they do, they can hear your tone and get a feel for your personality. I often encourage this if a client has a ton of questions in an email – most of them get answered in the course of a casual conversation and it avoids really long and drawn-out responses via email.

If email is the only option, I always ensure to make short, easy-to-read paragraphs, walk people through the process they are inquiring about, include a link to an inspiration gallery or slideshow and give context around pricing. Tone is light, and warm. I thank them for contacting me, and I never use slang or abbreviations. Being transparent, communicative and personable helps them like me over another photographer who may have just included a few generic lines and attached a price list.

Things to avoid

Using “we” on your website if you are not a team.

Some people tend to use the collective because they think it sounds more professional, but it confuses people. This is especially true if, from other areas of your site (like your About Me page) they realize you are one person, and it can make them wonder if you might be sending some junior photographer in your place. People who are confused won’t stick around to solve the mystery and will cut away to the next site. It also dilutes your brand message. In the end, if you hide behind ‘we’, you are obstructing the client’s ability to like ‘you’.

Revealing every.single.thing.about.your.business on your website

You list all packages, all prices, your entire portfolio, your whole shooting process start to finish, etc. A website needs to be clean, easy-to-read, and contain ONLY enough info to motivate people to contact you. If you reveal everything, why would they ever need to contact you? They’ll gather their info quietly in the comfort and privacy of their home, then move on and compare that info with another website. Bang, you’ve been taken completely out of the decision-making process. You don’t want that! What you do want is to intrigue people with an engaging website, to get them to start liking you via your voice and your About page, and to get them to like you ENOUGH to get them to take the next step – contact. Let me say it again, the point of your website is not to reveal your whole business – it’s a resume. The whole point is to get to the interview. If they initially like you and start a conversation, you have won part of the battle already. What follows next is you winning them over with your shining personality and an attentiveness to helping them with their needs, that will lead you to closing the deal.

Often the resistance here is that you may think that the more info you give the better they will like you, but more isn’t better. People can’t and won’t dedicate hours to reading all sorts of things that might be irrelevant if they don’t book. At this stage, they want to connect with you and your work, know that you can help them, and if you can do it with a style they love, and within a budget they can manage – that’s all. They don’t need to know (yet), how long to deliver images, cancellation or weather policy or the 100 props available, so all this text just becomes an obstruction to hitting the contact link. You have to think like a consumer – get them in the door first, and then all those lovely details can be communicated by you – where it will have more impact!

Oversharing

You want people to like you, not get turned off by you. It’s always about the curated self, and there is a fine line. If you love Oreos and you have a quirk about how you eat them, great! Lots of people will identify with that – and boom, connections are made. But please don’t post on FB that you were overwhelmed with editing last night and that you ate an entire bag of them while on your 10th diet attempt since your New Year’s resolution. You never want to compromise your professional image with your personal regrets or fall downs!

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