SkipCohenUniversity
  • Home
  • SCU Blog
  • Our Podcasts
  • About Us

the SCU Blog

Breaking Out of "Rip Tide Marketing" in Photography

2/19/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Skip Cohen

Everyone knows what a rip tide is, but just in case you're so far from the ocean you missed the experience, here's Google's definition:

A strong current caused by tidal flow in confined areas such as inlets and presenting a hazard to swimmers and boaters.
 
That's in the ocean, but if you're a wedding or portrait photographer, I'm betting at some point you've been caught in one with your blog and clients. Here's the scenario - you couldn't think of a topic for a post and started sharing images from engagement sessions or portrait sittings. One photograph led to another, and before you knew it, you had a full-blown popularity contest going. Now you can't break the cycle because clients might be hurt if their images aren't good enough to make the cut and be featured on your blog or website.

In an effort to build content, you've done nothing more than extend your galleries to another location. Let's talk about breaking the cycle and getting out of the rip tide.

  • Stop showing multiple images from the same session. 
  • Use images from engagement and portrait sessions to demonstrate something educational.
  • Demonstrate something in your skill set: lighting, composition, exposure, posing, etc.
  • Use images to show a location in your community
  • Use photographs to help answer that age-old question, "What should I wear?"

But rip tide marketing doesn't just happen in your galleries - it happens too often with many promotions. Sure, a great promotion drives traffic the first couple of times, but doing the same thing over and again creates a concept that sooner or later collapses. You've got to mix up what you're promoting. ​
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
November 13, 2019
​It's not always easy to break the cycle, but there are some great resources to help you:

  • Call your lab and ask the question, "What's new?" You're looking for products outside the usual selection of prints.
  • Look for partners to cross-promote your services/products.
  • Share content on your blog showing different techniques in your skillset.
  • Keep the images in your galleries cutting edge - don't keep showing images that are all the same.
  • Create your own seasonal business and do something different outside the normal consumer timing of holidays. Vicki Taufer is still the Queen of Themed Portrait Sessions with events she used to create all year long, outside of the regular holidays.

I know it can seem risky making changes in your business, but this is why I'm always reminding you to go to every convention, conference, and workshop you can attend. It's at events like this, you can share your ideas and frustrations with other attendees. When a good conference is over you're headed home full of new ideas and friends to add to your network.
​
Speaking of conventions- sorry this is a mini-infomercial for an event I so believe in - there are three days left to take advantage of the 50% promotion form for ClickCon in Chicago. I shared a post a couple of days ago about it, and it's going to be amazing! Click on the banner below for more information.
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Your walk is just a click away
    Picture
    Picture

      Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter

    Our Partners

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    "Why?"

    Check out "Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog. It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound bite. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. We're over 130 artists featured since the project started. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.

    Categories

    All
    Alzheimer's
    Beyond Technique
    Business
    Business Breakthroughs
    Clean Up Series
    Customer Service
    EDU10
    Excire
    F64 Lunch Bunch
    Faculty
    Fast Food Friday
    Guest Post
    Humor And Sarcasm
    Hump Day
    In The News
    Lessons Learned
    Lighting
    Luminar
    Lumix
    Marketing
    Mark's Corner
    Mind Your Own Business
    Miscellaneous
    Motivational
    One Step At A Time
    Photodex
    PhotoShelter
    PhotoTexting
    Platypod
    Podcasts
    Profoto
    Sales
    Search
    Skylum
    Social Media
    Sunday Morning Reflections
    Tamron
    Tamron Recipes
    Technique
    Throwback Thursday
    Wedding Photography
    Westcott
    Why?

Categories​

Business
Marketing
Technique
Sales
Fast Food Fridays
​

Podcasts

Tamron Recipes 
Beyond Technique
Why?
Mind Your Own Business
Pro Photographer Journey

 Partners

Tamron
Photofocus

​Lumix

Marathon Press
​Platypod
©  2019 Skip Cohen University
  • Home
  • SCU Blog
  • Our Podcasts
  • About Us