To sneak or not to sneak (peek)
Image by: @yiwen0316
This is a question that comes up from time to time. I think there are many photographers who do a sneak peek automatically without thinking too much about it, because they believe this is the right thing to do, or necessary for social media marketing. But then someone brings up that they have read or been told by a coach or mentor that it kills anticipation for the full gallery reveal and shouldn’t be done. So what’s the right approach?
My opinion is that we should evaluate what works best for our ideal clients. There is rarely one marketing “way” that is the only path. That’s an inflexible approach that doesn’t account for the client’s experience. And also because I doubt there is a body of science on the success of social media sneak peeks as there is for certain other marketing techniques, so it’s up to us based on our evaluation of how we wish to serve, and what works for us from a business standpoint.
I used to post sneaks like everyone else on socials. But as I went, I didn’t love that. My brand has a highly personal touch, and I wish to make clients feel as a priority. Posting an image publicly doesn’t match that because strangers may see their image(s) before they do and for my business, that’s the opposite of being made to feel as a priority.
Instead, I create their online album (I use Pic-time) and I post a highlight scene with one or two images. The image(s) posted isn’t necessarily the best of the bunch or that I would use for marketing, but rather an image that defined the session the best. Why? Because of the personal touch brand element. I am aiming to hit them in their hearts with an emotional image that really reflected the spirit of the session — if we laughed a lot then a laughing image, if the kids were hyper then a dynamic movement image. If I were to be posting an image first to my socials, I would probably make a different choice because I’m presenting to the world and marketing myself. But in this early stage, I’m not wanting to market to the masses, but trying to deepen the connection with the people who just hired me, in order to assure their delight, obtain the best sale, and encourage word of mouth and repeat business down the line. I’d like to continue and finish serving this client before I start thinking about how to use their imagery to find the next client. It’s a strategic step in my sales process.
I then send an email thanking them for their time, highlighting something about the session and about the photo, and I link to the gallery. For me it’s like a private VIP showing and that helps them feel important. Clients tend to download and share and tag me which is more powerful social proof than me posting. I will post on socials when it makes most sense for my marketing and my use isn’t tied to any client expectations because they had their very own private reveal.
While I understand that in some cases a sneak can flatten a response later in the sales process, it can also work the other way and build anticipation and excitement for the rest. In my case I have a gallery reveal first with a slideshow that beats out one or two images sent a few weeks prior, and triggers emotion. But what I find is good with an initial release of some sort is the immediate reinforcement in the client’s mind that they made the right decision and that there is nothing to worry about. Because while we might believe we are raising anticipation with the silence, we also may be breeding anxiety and if they are in that headspace. In that case, a reveal could lead them to be initially critical of the images — like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I feel that one or few images provides relief that the session went well and creates a positive lead in for next steps of reveal. And this is why it’s good to know the characteristics of who we are serving, so that we can tailor the process for optimal positive reception based on our business model and our client’s preferences and tendencies.
What’s your ideal process?
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