Building a Stronger Business in 2022

It's Marketing Monday, and we're officially into the "slow season." But the slowness of the season is only in regards to consumer activity, NOT your business. This is the first post in a seasonal series I write every year. While some of the bullet points are repeats - the next two weeks are ideal to clean up and fine tune your business for the new year.

The pandemic has changed everything in our lives, and sadly, we've slipped backward just a little. But even with a reduced need to hunker down and the less severe omicron variant, social media's power continues to grow. So your website and communication skills have never been more important than today!

That means your website, blog, Facebook presence and maintaining customer contact have never been more critical - or had more potential to create more sales/revenue. Your website and Facebook presence make up your storefront, and your blog should be the gateway via your heart to the products and services you offer.

I've shared dozens of posts about your website and blog in the past, so I'm just going to give you a limited check-off list. Read all the Fast Food Fridays I've shared if you want more detail. But this week, start cleaning up those side messes you've been procrastinating about.

• Get rid of the clutter on your website. Hook clients with extraordinary images in your galleries, which should be the first tab. Next should come your "About" page and then everything else. Don't bury them in policies and procedures that would scare an IRS agent. Save the policies for the contract discussion when they hire you.​
• Does your website function the way you want it to? A visit to your website by a potential client should be an experience. So, it's up to you - is it a good experience like Nordstroms, or is it Walmart the day after Christmas?
• Don't assume everything is working the way you want it. Check your website every day on different platforms as well as desktop vs. mobile.
• Can consumers find what's most important to them, or do have they have to mine for what you'd like them to see first?
• Stop showing average images on your galleries. If it's not a "wow" print, take it down. A"wow" print is an image so good; it's the only one you'd have to show to get hired.
• Add a marketing video to your About page along with an artist's statement. Write in the first person. Unless you won a Pulitzer, don't bother to talk about your awards. Scoring a 95 in WPPI Print Competition or hanging an image at IUSA means nothing to most clients. For most of you, your target is "Mom" - she wants to know why you're a photographer and whether or not she can trust you to capture the kind of images she wants. Your video doesn't have to win an Oscar, but it does need to convey your enthusiasm and love for the craft. 
• Be accessible! I'm tired of artists who have contact forms but only respond when there's a full moon! There's no such thing as too quick a response or too much contact information! Give them your phone number and email address. If you work out of your home and don't want to share the address, that's fine, but be set up to give instant fulfillment when they contact you.
• Stop putting rocks to sleep! Too many of you have been offering the same products and services since you started, and they've become boring, especially since many of your competitors offer the same things. It's time for something new. Start with a call to your lab and just ask, "What's new?" There's so much exciting under the presentation umbrella these days - labs are offering new products every day. And don't underestimate the appeal of some old standbys, like canvas prints. There are still thousands of people who aren't aware of all the ways you can display images. 
• Are you building brand awareness in the community? You've got to be involved in your community and relevant to your visitors/readers. For example, plant the seeds for ideas for updated family portraits and headshots. Most important of all - BE HELPFUL!​
• How clean is your database? Your greatest marketing tool is relationship building. Well, you can't build relationships if you never talk to anybody! Create a list of your last 100 clients and look for ways to keep in touch all year long, but especially during the slow time right now. You don't have to be selling anything; just pick up the phone and call to find out how they're doing!

We're in a "you snooze - you lose" scenario. But, there's an opportunity for you to be a leader in your community. And based on what I've been hearing from a lot of different photographers around the country, this year had the potential to be outstanding.

Most importantly, remember the renewed sense of family in this country. Now's the time to build on those relationships! We might be in the slow season, but Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduation are all around the corner. For example, there are few presents better suited for Grandma this year than a new family portrait.

​Now is the time to start planning!