Attracting your ideal client is a huge struggle for a lot of filmmakers.

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• "I want to shoot sunrise elopements in Yosemite, but all I keep getting are indoor Catholic ceremonies!"
• That's the thought cycle most filmmakers are stuck in.
• Why?

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I think it's a failure to have a storefront that magnetically draws in your ideal client.

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Step 1 - Repel & Attract People

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When you walk past the Apple store, it looks very clean, minimal, and well designed.

Who is it attracting?

It's attracting people who value intentionality, minimal design, and high quality products. It's also repelling people who don't value those things. Some people just want a cheap computer that runs well. They could care less about UI and design. 

This is exactly what Apple wants! They want to repel people who aren't a good fit, and they want to attract people who are. 

One of the best things you can do for your company is to create a brand that repels certain people. If your brand looks okay to everyone, then it's too vanilla and you need to go back to the drawing board.

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Step 2 - Have a Killer Storefront

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As a wedding filmmaker, your website is your storefront. 

Think of your website like a good wingman or a wing woman.

Imagine your website is a person and they are approaching people on the street and introducing your company on your behalf.

Now imagine that this person who is introducing your brand is disheveled, smells, and is dressed in head-to-toe tie-dye. 

Chances are people will not have a good first impression of your company.

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Yet this exact scenario is what I encounter daily on wedding videographers’ websites. 

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I go on a website:

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• It's not mobile friendly.
• The images are low quality.
• There are clashing colors.
• There are 100 different fonts.
• The logo looks like it was done by the filmmaker and not a designer.

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‍“Imagine your website is a person and they are approaching people on the street and introducing your company on your behalf. Experience has become a major focus for any web-based service in recent years”

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Exercise - Is my website working? 

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Imagine your ideal client in your mind. 

Then imagine the wedding of that ideal client.

Now I want you to imagine printing out your website and placing it on all the tables at the reception. 

Does your website fit with the style of that wedding?

I did this a couple years back and realized my website did not match my ideal couple’s style at all! I immediately kicked myself in the butt and put together a plan to change it.

The first foundational step to attracting your ideal client is having a killer website.

It's the first thing people see. 

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Step 3 - Hire a Designer

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If you created your website yourself, please reach out to a website designer. It will change the way you attract your ideal client for the better. How upset do we get as filmmakers when the couple doesn't book us and hires a family friend with a GoPro to shoot their wedding?

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Yet we turn around and do the exact same thing when we say, “Ah man, I can't hire a professional. I'll just do my website myself. Here are a few fantastic designers to consider:

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315 Design: threefifteendesign.com‍

Script and Vine: scriptandvine.com

Alisabeth Designs: alisabethdesigns.com

Soul Twin Studio: soultwin.studio

Go Live HQ: golivehq.co/hire-us‍

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Step 4 - Choose the Right Designer 

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When choosing a designer, make sure that some or all of their work exactly mirrors the style and vibe you want your brand to convey. If your brand is fine art and luxury and the designer only has adventurous and rustic designs in their portfolio, go with a different designer.

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Now, if you are really on a budget—which I know a lot of beginner filmmakers are—I would use Squarespace. It's the only version of doing your website yourself that I endorse. Their templates are beautiful, and it's really hard to make an ugly site using them.

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That being said, your goal should be to transition away from a Squarespace site in 1 year or less. 

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The wow factor of having a custom-designed site just cannot be beat. It will set you apart from your competition and help you book more weddings. 

Step 5  - Your Homepage

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Change the image/video on your homepage.

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Couples make a decision about a company in the first 5 seconds they are on your site. As soon as they land on your site, you want to impress them.

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Make sure the couple on the front of your site is the exact representation of the type of bride you want to attract. Also, make sure that the video/image displayed is as high quality as possible.
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Conclusion

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‍Changing your website is one of the best investments you can make into your company. I guarantee that once you do it, you will see a steady increase in ideal clients.

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