Before we share some tips on how to sell albums, here are 4 reasons why every bride should have a professional wedding album:
- Their children will NEVER want to look at 1,000 edited images.
- Fast forward to a 5 year-old daughter asking her Mom to see her wedding pictures. Imagine the child’s reaction when the first 75 photos are of her Mom getting dressed??
- Years from now, there’s a good chance your client won’t remember how to access their files.
- Ordering an album online can easily become a huge procrastination project.
The good news is that the trend of brides contracting for “files only” is declining, and brides are buying an increasing % of wedding albums from their photographer.
If you’re new to selling albums, don’t stress. Here’s a roadmap to show you how easy it can be.
So Where Do I Start?
You need Sample Wedding Albums. The good news is that Zookbinders makes all Sample Albums at 50% off. So, if you offer 3 packages, you need to show 3 albums. Brides can’t visualize the difference between an 8×8, 10×10 and 12×12 album. A 10×10 album only sounds 2” larger than an 8×8, but it’s actually 50% bigger!
Here are some suggestions:
| Package: | Basic 20 | Basic 50 | Premium 75 | Premium 100 |
| Album Size | 8×8 | 10×10 | 10×10 | 12×12 |
| Album Type | Thin Page (EZ Book) |
Thin Page (EZ Book) |
Thick Page (Lustre Book) |
Thick Page (Lustre Book) |
| # of Images | 20 |
50 |
75 |
100 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Album Cover | Wraparound + Photo |
Wraparound + Photo |
Leather Spine + Photo |
Leather Spine + Acrylic |
| Album Design Style | 1 Photo per Side | Simple | Contemporary | Contemporary |
| Hours | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Package Price | 1,295 | 1,595 | 1,995 | 2,395 |
| Add’l Profit | ~$150 (more than Basic 20) |
~$240 (more than Basic 50) |
~$210 (more than Premium 75) |
● Items in blue are upgrades from the prior package, and adds significantly more value. In each case, your client gets 20-25 more photos, a more stylized wedding album, an enhanced cover etc..
● For every price increase of $300-$400 more, your profit is significantly greater. Profits shown are based on Zookbinders 2018 album pricing, and include the cost of Zook creating the wedding album design.
More Great Tips
It’s critical to include albums in every package. Although the 8×8 EZ Book with 20 photos is not an ideal wedding album, at a cost of just $79, its purpose is to introduce albums into the conversation, and position you for upsells. This removes the option of not wanting an album, shifting the conversation to “which wedding album is best for you”? For every “Basic 75” package sold, you net an additional $400 in profit!
We suggest making samples of every album you offer. To further enhance your upselling, we suggest using the same wedding for all 4 albums (see above). Choose 100 photos for the best album, and show this album first. Then show the albums with 75, 50 and 20 so they see how many important images are lost when the image count drops. There is NO better way to sell professional wedding albums.
A good goal is to sell as few Basic 20 packages as possible. The sweet spot is the Premium 75, and the Premium 100 will help sell it, as people generally buy in the middle.
Make it easy for clients to upgrade. If they want an upgraded cover on a Premium 75, or an upgraded wedding album design for the Basic 50, have an a-la-carte price ready.
Zookbinders has album coaches available to help you get started selling albums. If you’d like to schedule a one-on-one (free of charge), click here and enter: “Album Newbie Seeking Album Advice” in the subject line.
Additional Items for Upsell
Here’s suggested pricing for add ons:
● 8×8 Replica Wedding Parent Albums – $250 for 1, and $450 for 2. Always try to sell parent albums that include the same wedding design as the bride’s album. If they push back that they want different photos, tell them “you’re getting the full wedding story, just like the bride and groom”.
● Package of (2) 6×6 Replica Wedding Parent Albums $400 (or $50 less than the cost of (2) 8×8, so that they’ll always buy the 8×8).
● Size Upgrades – $200 (e.g. to upgrade from 10×10 to 12×12)
● Premium Album Upgrades ($200 for Bon a Vie, $400 for Zook Book)
