I photograph 10-15% of the senior girls at TCU each year, and we’ve started serving SMU this year too. That’s a LOT of sessions, and a LOT of client experiences! Want to set up your business for success that scales? Embracing automation can free up valuable time, allowing you to focus more on capturing moments for grads and less on administrative tasks. Here’s how to integrate some powerful tools and techniques to streamline your processes and boost efficiency this spring.

1. 17hats for Comprehensive CRM Workflow

Whether you use Honeybook, Dubsado, Sprout Studio, 17hats, or CloudSpot Studio, you probably already know the importance of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, but it’s worth reiterating just how transformative the right tool can be. I personally recommend 17hats because it is both my CRM and Online Scheduler (hello Calendly alternative!). But what I really love is their annual offer for lifetime access… I bet on myself staying in business several years ago, and now my CRM and Online Scheduler are free each year! The integrated CRM + Scheduler has allowed me to streamline my booking process significantly!

Get 50% off your first year with 17hats!

2. Apple Text Replacements for Quick Communication

As grad bookings pick up, communicating efficiently with your college clients often means sending similar messages repeatedly. Apple’s Text Replacement feature is a game-changer for navigating GCs (group chats) with ease! Here’s how to set it up:

• Setting Up Text Replacements
  • Go to SETTINGS on your iPhone
  • Navigate to GENERAL
  • Tap KEYBOARD
  • Select TEXT REPLACEMENT
• Creating Shortcuts
  • Tap the + icon to add a new shortcut
  • In the PHRASE field, type the full message you frequently send
  • In the SHORTCUT field, type a brief abbreviation you’ll remember. I like to put an 8 (for Square 8 Studio) in front of a 3-4 letter abbreviation. For example, if I type “Hey! It’s Rob from Square 8! Thanks for booking!” as the phrase, I might type “8thx” as the shortcut.

Whenever I type “8thx,” it will automatically expand to the full confirmation message, saving me time with each interaction across all my spring sessions!

3. Apple “Send Later” for Effective Message Batching

If you haven’t used Apple’s “Send Later” feature, introduced in iOS 18, it is an excellent tool for managing communication in batches! Lots of bookings = lots of conversations to manage… imagine if you could schedule the week’s text messages to your clients all at once, when it’s convenient for you, but have them arrive at the perfect time for your clients!

• How to Use Send Later: When composing a message in the Messages app…
  • Press the “+” button
  • Choose the SEND LATER option from the pop up menu
  • Schedule the exact date and time you want the message to be sent.
  • Press the BLUE ARROW to send the message (don’t worry… it won’t send right away like your other texts… and it’s contents will even appear differently on your screen while it’s in “Send Later” mode!
• Batching Messages: Dedicate a time each week to write out all your upcoming messages—reminders, follow-ups, thank you notes—and schedule them in advance. This method ensures consistent communication without daily time investment.

4. Imagen for AI-Powered Photo Editing

I don’t have to tell you that editing photos can be the most time-consuming part of a photographer’s job! My spring grad seasons used to look like editing from sun up til sun down, just trying to keep up… but no more! Imagen uses AI to streamline this process by intelligently adjusting exposure, color balance, and sharpness:

• Implementing Imagen: Download and integrate Imagen into your workflow. Once installed, you can upload your photos and let the software analyze and apply the necessary enhancements automatically.
• Customizing Edits: While Imagen does much of the heavy lifting, it also allows for custom adjustments, giving you control over the final product while still saving significant editing time.
• Special Offer: Use my referral link below to sign up for Imagen and receive 1500 free edits. This is an excellent opportunity to experience the benefits of AI-powered editing at no initial cost.

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Conclusion

Utilizing these automation tools can transform how you manage your photography business during the busy college seasons. From efficient client management with a CRM like 17hats, to streamlining communication with Apple’s features and speeding up photo editing with AI tools like Imagen, these strategies will help you save time and increase productivity. The more time you save, the more you can focus more on what you do best—capturing the magic of grads and friend groups this grad season!