Virtual Assistants for Photographers: 5 Tasks to Delegate
Here at Trusty Oak, we have well over a hundred active clients and are equipped to serve in a truly diverse variety of industries, but photographers make up a significant portion of our current client base because we love working with creative professionals!
Whether you are a boudoir photographer running your own studio, a wedding photographer, a videographer, or even a pet photographer, a virtual assistant can help you increase efficiency in your processes so you can earn more revenue, and ultimately spend more time giving your clients the royal treatment they deserve.
Related: How to Hire a Virtual Assistant: Your Guide to Outsourcing and Delegating Virtually
Delegate these five tasks to your virtual assistant and watch your business grow.
1. Virtual Assistants to Manage Calendars and Book Appointments
As a photographer, you need to coordinate a variety of meeting types that may include sales calls, wardrobe consultations, and of course, photoshoots and ordering sessions. You may also need to coordinate with other vendors such as makeup artists, videographers, or venues. I know I don’t have to tell you that it can be a lot to manage especially during busier seasons around the holidays, graduations, and wedding season!
By utilizing the support of a virtual assistant, not only can you give yourself more time to focus on your artistic craft instead of painful administrative tasks like booking meetings, but you can also provide your clients with a world-class experience from start to finish. Your virtual assistant can make sure you don’t overbook or double-book your schedule, and avoid embarrassing cancelations or reschedules.
2. Virtual Assistants to Help with Client Intake and Onboarding
It’s exciting when a new client makes the decision to hire you and now it’s time to usher them through a fabulous experience they will never forget. After all, beautiful photos are just one part of what you promise to deliver. If you are like many of our photographer clients, you most likely started your business because you love giving people feelings of confidence and a positive self-image or you want to help them enjoy and remember special moments of their lives for a lifetime.
A virtual assistant can help make sure that is all you and your clients are thinking about by providing a seamless onboarding experience.
Your VA can efficiently onboard your clients by:
- Sending contracts for signatures
- Sending invoices and collecting payments
- Sharing digital material to help them prepare for their photoshoot
- Updating your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software with important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries
- And as mentioned above, scheduling appointments
First impressions are everything and a virtual assistant can help make sure each client feels like a VIP.
“In working with my photography client, I get the benefit of working in the administrative details, along with the creative. The bulk of my role is communication: communication with my photographer’s clients, communication via social media, and email marketing. One of the best parts of my job as a virtual assistant to a photographer is the conversations I get to have with clients who are looking to book a photo session. Anna has taught me the art of conversation that allows us to gather information and ideas and also creates excitement and confidence for the client booking the session.”
– Kristine Rego, Virtual Assistant at Trusty Oak
3. Virtual Assistants to Market Special Photography Promotions and Holiday Deals
When it comes to engaging with past clients and reaching new first-time clients, marketing special photography promotions or holiday deals can be a straightforward way to ensure your calendar stays booked all year round. Many VAs are well-versed in creative marketing best practices and can help you reach more of your ideal customers and keep them coming back for more.
Work with a VA to:
- Develop email marketing campaigns or monthly newsletters
- Design engaging social media graphics to promote your holiday deals
- Design postcards, brochures, or other print material for mail outs or handouts at events
- Draft and publish new landing pages on your website to promote a special offer
Your virtual assistant can help you generate some buzz around your brand by launching a special marketing campaign to keep your schedule steady and revenue strong month after month.
4. Virtual Assistants to Manage Social Media and Create Reels
As a photographer, you have no shortage of visual content worth sharing, but who has time to write those captions, research hashtags, and go down the TikTok or Instagram Reels rabbit hole? Your virtual assistant, of course!
Save your shareable images in a Google Drive folder or Dropbox and pass it all along to your VA to do the rest. Your assistant can plan social media posts a week or a month at a time so your channels always stay active and engaging.
A VA can:
- Make Instagram Reels or TikToks with your images set to music
- Share details about what it’s like working with you and how you are different from other photographers
- Research hashtags to use, follow accounts, engage with other accounts, and respond to comments posted on your page
- Track analytics and engagement with your pages so you know what works best for your goals
“My photography client has a keen eye for design and visual impact but recognizes that writing copy and creating effective social media/email marketing is not her strong suit. I fill in the gaps by providing direction, strategy, and crisp, confident copy that matches the tone of her art and compels her community to engage.”
– Sara Church, Marketing Virtual Assistant at Trusty Oak
5. Virtual Assistants to Send Client Gifts
Photographers normally capture joyful moments that should be celebrated for years to come, so an effective way to delight your clients and stay front of mind for future opportunities to work with you is to send gifts for anniversaries and other special occasions. Keeping track of these special dates and mailing addresses, as well as purchasing and shipping gifts can be challenging on your own! This is a perfect task to delegate to your VA.
A VA can:
- Update and maintain your CRM for up-to-date client contact information
- Design and print cards and postcards for client delight campaigns
- Purchase and ship client delight gifts to your contacts
Stay top-of-mind and surprise your clients with that special touch. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the work of adding a personal touch that will wow your clients when you have a virtual assistant helping you.
Ready to see the difference a virtual assistant can make in your business?
Before founding Trusty Oak, Amber spent five years at a rapidly growing digital agency based in Austin, TX. Four of those years, she was responsible for hiring and leading both local and virtual teams while working closely with clients ranging from CEOs to bestselling authors to build their brand online. As VP of Operations, Amber helped lead the company’s growth to #15 on Austin Business Journal’s Fast50 List in 2014.
As a female founder and leader of a company that has quickly established a recognizably special culture within a non-traditional workforce, Amber has energized and empowered women from diverse professional and personal backgrounds to go against the grain of historically standard female roles in business, technology, and leadership. Trusty Oak provides an opportunity for experienced admin and marketing professionals to work independently as freelancers, but with a supportive internal network consisting of other ambitious and resourceful remote workers.