"Just buy it!" - new Light Blue case study from John Ryan

Posted on Monday 3 October 2011

Acclaimed Irish wedding and portrait photographer John Ryan gives the lowdown on how he uses Light Blue.

What were you using before you found Light Blue?

Before I discovered Light Blue I was using a PC program called Photosys. It cost a lot to buy at the time. It could do what I wanted it to do, but not easily. Because it took so much effort to do anything on it, I just couldn't be bothered putting in the time. I actually only used it as a diary in the end - a very expensive diary, at that!

Why did you choose Light Blue to run your business?

I chose Light Blue for a few reasons. Firstly, it works on a Mac. I really despise PCs! Secondly, Light Blue had everything I wanted, from the great diary to sending mass emails to my customers and personal emails to individual clients, through linking up to my phone with absolutely no effort involved, to keeping a history for each client. It has a brilliant search system that allows me find a customer, no matter how few details I have for them. Although I don't use it for looking after my accounts (yet!) it's so easy to quickly print out a invoice for a customer in a hurry. Linking customers, shoots, invoices etc. is so easy.

How has Light Blue helped you?

Light Blue has had a huge effect on my business. It's the first thing I open every morning when I get into the studio. Once I receive an enquiry from a client, their details go straight into Light Blue. All correspondence to every client is sent through Light Blue. Tracking customers is fantastic. It's so well laid out from the summary screen to each client's personal information screen - every piece of information is easy to find with a simple click on a tab.

John Ryan Tracking enquiries is brilliant - I regularly go over all of my enquiries and send them a follow up email. I have a dozen or so email templates set up and carefully named, so when I'm following up with a enquiry, whether it's for a wedding or portrait, I know exactly which email I need to send them. I love the fact that it puts in all their information into each email without me having to type it in - it just makes my life so much easier. Being able to follow up on enquiries just puts John Ryan Photography back into their heads again... hopefully before they have made any bad decisions!

Mass emails make it so easy to remind my clients 'I'm still here and you should come in and spend more money'! Sending promotions on a regular basis is fantastic to get clients back in to the studio. It's much easier to get more business from an existing client than to try get a new client ! Light Blue has made it easy for me to send mass emails with so little effort.

What's your favorite feature in Light Blue?

My favourite feature has to be the email system. I get so many enquiries that this system makes it so easy to reply and track them. It really has made a difference to my business by being able to follow up on their enquiry.

The mass email has also made such a difference to my business by being able to send out promotions to my clients or even just some recent news I may have.

Do you have any other comments?

To anybody who is reading this..... JUST BUY IT! it will make a difference to your business too.

John Ryan

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