Life it is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it's about experience,
it's about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious.
  David Libeskind

by Skip Cohen
 
​​I've written a lot over the years about getting involved in your community to build your brand. As we slowly come out of the pandemic, it's time for you to also get involved in the industry! 
 
I'm not suggesting you need to be a speaker or grow to be an industry icon, but being involved will help build your network and strengthen your business by association with other people having the same interests as you.
 
There are some definite steps to being more involved, and they all start locally.

• If there's a local guild or affiliate group online or photographers getting back to live meetings, you need to join. Most often, before the pandemic, they'd meet once a month, usually at an inexpensive local restaurant. Over the last year, in-person events have morphed into Zoom meetings, often with a guest speaker. 
• In the "old days," Pictage had their PUGS (Pictage User Groups). But there are still areas of the country with independent groups that sprouted up where there's a need. Many of them have their own pages on Facebook like Cache Valley Photographers.
• Do you have a state association? PPA is most prevalent, but it doesn't have to be associated with any national organization.
• Who are the local manufacturers or vendors in your area? From local retailers to labs, album companies, frames, and all the hardware and software manufacturers, get to know somebody on each company's staff.
• Online programs like ClickCon Nation, KelbyMedia's online conferences, Out of Chicago, and Mentor.photo offer ongoing programs and guest speakers to help you fine-tune your skill set.
• National membership and attendance at various conventions and workshops (once they come back) offer you an opportunity to meet people from other areas of the country and, in fact, the world. You never know when a simple conversation, while sitting next to somebody at a workshop, might give you an answer to challenges in your market that have already come and gone in another.

Here's what you're looking for in all of these opportunities: people to listen to. The industry is starting to buzz again, and you need to be on the front line to hear it first. New technology, new techniques, and recent trends – you need to know about them as they're happening.  
 
Being involved in the industry is like voting. It's your right and responsibility as a citizen to vote in every election. Well, it's also your right, as a photographer, to make an effort to be involved and help the industry that's responsible for feeding your passion.
 
There are also some interesting side benefits, exposure for your work. For example, many years ago, I was working on an annual project with Graphistudio. They were doing a day in the life of WPPI book, and we needed four photographers. The photographers who were picked each year were chosen because they were involved, and we knew who they were. 
 
And don't forget the other vendors out there. Getting to know a specific vendor might get your work seen in national or local ad campaigns or simply have your work displayed in a blog post or booth. Years ago, my friend Steven Katzman's images wound up in the Kodak booth. My friendship with Jerry Costanzo kicked off because we needed an image in the Hasselblad booth at what was then PhotoEast. Numerous photographers have had their work featured in articles and magazines because they worked to build relationships with the various editorial staff.
 
The key to be involved is nothing more than putting in the time. Don't jump into the involvement game with high expectations; just be engaged for the sake of growing and learning what's going on. Great things happen when you least expect them, and if you're active in the industry, you'll eventually get noticed!

The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals
and feeling truly happy about themselves,
continually put the other person's needs ahead of their own.
 
Bob Burg
 

by Skip Cohen

I've written a lot over the years about the care and feeding of your network. Just like a house plant that needs water and sunlight, your network needs interaction, support, and as sappy as it might sound, a whole lot of love. And the pandemic has made it even more important to stay in touch. 

The advantage of building a great network in the first place is all about support - not just for you, but as a two-way street, both giving and receiving. It's about having resources to draw from when you need help and also being there to lend your expertise to people in your network.

Unfortunately, so often, we'll go to chase down somebody and have obsolete contact information or be embarrassed to reach out when we haven't talked to the person in a year, since the last convention, first meeting, etc. Again with the pandemic, there's been virtually no live contact for most of us for over a year!
 
Here are some things to consider to help maintain a healthy network:

• Identify twenty people in your network who you really can't live without. This isn't just about respect and friendship, but people with skill sets that compliment your own. These are the twenty rockstars you want to be able to count on. Make it a point to keep in touch with them. Just start at the top of the list and work your way down, hitting each of them once a month. Note: This doesn't have to be a big deal and can be as simple as just hitting the "Like" button and making a comment about something they've shared on social media. 
• Make sure all your contact information is up to date for the twenty-person core of your network. And when that's done, move out to the next fifty people.
• A great network goes beyond friends and associates. Make sure you have contact information for the key staff at the vendors whose products/services you use. In your network you should have at least one person representing every piece of gear and software you use - retailers, distributors, sales reps, your lab, accountant, attorney - they ALL play a role.
  
• Keep in touch via email. It's so easy to just drop a one-liner and keep in touch.
• Pick up the phone! For many of us, the phone has become the only "live" contact we really have had with friends and associates over the last year. Just be sensitive to friends being buried in work when you call, and don't be offended if you just happen to catch them at a bad time.
• Be active in social medial! Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are terrific for keeping in touch! Check your friends and followers and go off in search of those people in your network.
• Track birthdays. Checking Facebook birthdays and anniversaries is my first stop EVERY day.
• Online meetings and get-togethers: Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime, just to name a few online venues, are perfect for everything from keeping in touch with friends to online meetings and presentations. I'm still amazed at the number of people who don't know what they're doing with any of these programs.
• A quick tip for online meetings: Always use ear buds or headphones - they cut back on the feedback. And learn to mute your microphone when in a group meeting.
  
• Websites and Blogs: Make it a point to follow the work of people in your network. It's not that hard to do if you put aside time each day. It's a great break from the stress of deadlines and projects. Spend a few minutes looking at images a friend in your network has recently shared and follow their blog.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner: I consider myself the biggest "lunch slut" in the industry, and conventions, conferences, and workshops will all come back. So, while we're not out of the pandemic yet, we're getting closer every day. Think about your next convention! Plan to take time with people in your network over any meal in the day. NEVER eat alone! Being able to catch up to friends and associates over a meal is a great way to build your network and expand your knowledge of each other's expertise.
• Be generous with your time. When somebody asks for help in your network, do the best you can and give them as much time as they need whenever possible.

Everyone knows the expression, "having a green thumb." For years I referred to my skill set with house plants as "having poison thumb." I didn't give them the attention they needed, and they always died. Well, maintaining a great network is no different.

​What you get out of it will be directly related to the effort you put into keeping it healthy. ​

"The professional takes that extra step - they follow up, even when they don't have to!"
Shep Hyken

by Skip Cohen
 ​
I'm a huge fan of Shep Hyken's and his focus on Customer Service. Shep's a Hall of Fame Speaker, NY Times Best Selling Author, and a Customer Service and Experience Expert. He walks the talk with his regular closing line of "Always be amazing." The short version of our friendship is, I shared a quote of his on Twitter. He responded; I called him, and he took the call. Since then, we've been on each other's podcasts, and even caught breakfast together in St. Louis two years ago.

I have so much respect for his expertise in Customer Service. Chamira Youngs and I recently had him on as a guest on the Platypod sponsored podcast Beyond Technique.

As I was thinking about 2021 and my realistic optimism for the new year, I started thinking about the role excellent service can play in the months ahead. It's simple - your success is about going the extra step and staying in touch with your clients, even when you don't have to.

As we all work to get out of the pandemic, now is the perfect time to keep in touch with your clients and your audience. It's about giving back, being helpful, and growing your strongest marketing tool, relationship building!
Excellent Customer Service isn't just about solving problems. It's about being proactive and creating top-of-mind-awareness with your audience - so whenever they think about photography, your name is right on top.

There are over 800 videos on Shep TV on YouTube. Here's the link, and it's jam-packed with content to help you rebuild your business in the new year. I wanted to share the short video below because it's so perfect for what your mindset should be right now!

Hunkering down is about your health, not about your business, skill set, relationship building, or CUSTOMER SERVICE! Start being proactive with your audience, especially your past clients.

by Skip Cohen

Note: I don't usually post on a Friday evening.  At the same time, if you know me, then you know when I want to share something, especially if I think it'll help you with your business, I'm going to get it published. So, it was one of those days and I kept trying to get this finished and finally gave up until after dinner. Wishing everybody a great weekend!

As a small business owner, whether you're just getting started, rebuilding your business, or just trying to do a quick high-impact jumpstart, there's so much you can be doing right now. But it's a you-snooze-you-lose scenario if you choose to be complacent and kick back waiting for your ship to come in!

The pandemic has added more than its fair share of challenges, but it's also created some incredible opportunities to help you stand out and be a leader. None of this is rocket science, but it does take time, a love for whatever business you're in, and a certain amount of good old-fashioned aggressiveness.

Last week I shared tips for your website, blog, and partnerships. Today, let's hit relationship builders. It's your greatest marketing tool and as Scott Stratten wrote years ago in "UnMarketing" - Stop Marketing, Start Engaging!

So, let's hit on some dependable relationship builders, all perfect to use during the pandemic.

• Find Clients: Everyone is always talking about finding new customers. Sadly too many of you forget about your existing database, as well as your phone. Take your top 30-50 clients from the past, and starting ASAP, give them a call. You don't need to sell anything. Just call to check in on them. It's been a long stretch since the pandemic started.  Everyone has been hunkered down and light on communicating with people they care about. Your goal is simply to check in on them and see how they're doing. Just do a few each day.
• Own Your Zip Code: Pound the pavement and start knocking on doors in the business community. Put on a mask, maintain physical distancing, and get yourself out there for introductions. Again, you don't have to sell anything except your personality. And for those of you who are rolling your eyes and thinking it's lame to approach a realtor in town because you're a wedding/event photographer, how's this for the opener, "I just wanted to introduce myself. My specialty is weddings, but I've got a solid foundation in photography. So if there's anything you ever need help with, give me a shout." Just leave your business card behind.
• Community Involvement: People like buying products and services from companies they perceive as giving back to the community. Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of guerrilla marketing and who coined the expression, listed community involvement as one of his top things marketers need to do. The fun aspect of this is using your blog to help promote needs in your community. With so many fund-raisers being canceled, every non-profit is looking for support. Use your blog to help promote various activities in your community and get yourself involved and known for giving back.
• Start Your Own Online Classes: There are things you do every day as a photographer that you take for granted. So, start using Zoom or a facsimile and create your own mini-workshops for the community. Share ideas on storytelling, exposure, composition, lighting, and position yourself as the community expert.
• Get Involved With The School System: Education these days is a mess, as teachers struggle with a combination of live and online teaching. Track down a few teachers and look for opportunities where you might be able to be a guest on career day about being a business owner and photographer. 
• Be Active on Facebook: While there's a lot about FB we all hate, keeping in touch with clients through social media couldn't be easier, especially with birthdays and anniversaries when they're listed. 
• Coloring Book Pages: I've shared this a few times, but it's thanks to Steven Gotz in the very early months of the pandemic. For clients with young children at home, pull some of their past portraits, remove the color, and turn them into line art. Send them to clients for their kids as coloring book pages - it couldn't be easier or more appreciated with some of your clients.
• Zoom Lunches: I've referred to myself over the years as "the biggest lunch slut" in photography. That's because it's such a great way to get to know people and share ideas. So, set up Zoom and invite a couple of other photographers or business owners to join you and then kick back and be sociable. 
• Keep in Touch With Your Network: All of you have people who you've met over the years at various shows and conventions. Start by making a list of every product you use in your business. Then do your best to identify a key person at each vendor and start keeping in touch. The crew at your lab is one of your most important contacts, but don't forget other artists, your local retailer, and the sales reps for the products you use most.

This is the first time in history; every business worldwide has most of the same challenges. The pandemic has had an impact on EVERYBODY. But again, here's an opportunity for you to be a leader in your community and demonstrate why you're everyone's best choice for the services and products you provide.

Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence
and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.
Sheryl Sandberg

Great things in business are never done by one person.
They are done by a team of people.
Steve Jobs

by Skip Cohen
​
Over the last few years, I've written about partnerships and the advantages of not doing everything by yourself. Partnerships expand your reach, save you money, expand awareness and increase revenue. Yet, so many of you sit there and whine about how tough it is right now and don't do anything because cash flow is a mess. I get it, but I'm not going to let you fold when you're holding some great cards!

There''s one more challenge in our lives that makes the timing for a partnership such an advantage. With the pandemic, every business is dealing with the same frustrations! Business has disappeared, but you can pool your resources and establish stronger brand awareness in your community by working together.

Let's look at the kinds of opportunities first:
​

• Direct mail: Doing a postcard with two other partners reduces your cost to a third of what it would be if you flew solo. It expands your reach and awareness because all three partners combine their databases. Plus, each partner becomes an ambassador for the other two entities involved.
• Soft-sell cross-promoting products and services: All of you who are wedding photographers should be working together with a florist, for example. You should have a link to their site on your website, and they should have one to yours. Portrait photographers could do the same and also include a restaurant known for things like a Mother's Day brunch, especially as we get closer to Mother's Day.
• Hard-sell promotions: It's cross-promoting, but this time with discounts on each other's products and services. If you don't want to do a discount, add something of value, like an extra mini-album for Grandma, an oversized print, canvas wrap - something with perceived value.
• Contest sponsorship: Work together with other vendors in the community to put together your own unique events to raise awareness and support for something relevant in the community.
• Start a newsletter: They're so easy to do these days, but somebody has to take the lead. Create a newsletter with gift ideas that tie in photography, flowers, gift certificates to a local restaurant, frames, and other gifts. You've got to plant the seeds for the ideas to create sales.
• Other photographers: I know it's taboo to suggest you work together with another artist when there's barely enough business to keep you going, but together you can play off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you're a wedding photographer and don't do maternity, babies, or pets, find yourself a partner who's skill set fills in the holes you have in yours. Then, design a campaign that promotes one-stop shopping.
• Major equipment purchases: Money is tight, but you want to get into large format printing, or there's an exotic lens you know will make your work different - buy what you need together with another artist. This isn't like the stigma of buying a boat with a friend, and it'll save you money.
• Share studio space: Tony Corbell is a perfect example - his studio space includes two other artists. They don't compete with each other, and they split the cost three ways. Granted, one of the artists is his wife Mandy, but this is about each business paying its fair share. Together they've got a terrific location and facility for everybody to benefit.​

Now, for those of you who are rolling your eyes and thinking there's nobody to partner with because your specialty is so limited, here's a list to work from, and I'm sure there are plenty I've missed, because these are all in the portrait/social categories. 
​

• Boudoir Photographers: Lingerie boutique, spa, makeup artist, salons.
• Pet Photographers: Pet food rep, animal shelters, pet boutiques, veterinarians, and doggy daycare facilities 
• Children's Photographers: Toy stores, summer camps, playgrounds, kids, clothing boutiques, restaurants, pediatrician, or pediatric dentist.
• Family Photographers: Family restaurants, decorators, parks, and special events 
• Wedding Photographers: Florists, wedding planners, bakeries, salons, bridal shops, limo companies, musicians, tux shops, travel agents, and venues

It's time to stop thinking you've got to do everything by yourself. Business has changed dramatically, but along with the frustrations, there are some unique opportunities for creative leadership. You don't need to jumpstart your business alone - think about the strategic alliances in your community to rebuild together!

Coming together is a beginning,
staying together is progress,
​and working together is success!
Henry Ford

by Skip Cohen

​No matter where you live, there's ALWAYS something to write about. Again, your blog is about what's in your heart, while your website is about what you sell. The two work together to help you establish brand awareness by being helpful and informative. I've already shared tips on ways to make your blog more effective, including a sampling of ideas about photography.

Let's take it a step further - no, let's take it twenty steps further:

• Challenges through the pandemic: Remember, for most of you, your target is "Mom." Don't be afraid to share some of your own frustrations and how you're getting through them.
• Pets of the community: In the hierarchy of why people hire a photographer, pets are in the top three. Share photographs of pets around the neighborhood while at the same time demonstrating your expertise as a photographer. You could easily share one pet portrait each week demonstrating your skills and at the same time having fun in the community while still being physically distant.
• How to hire a photographer: Share tips on what to look for when hiring a professional photographer. Obviously, make sure you score high on every tip.
• Community Calendar: Build a calendar of community events and then keep it updated. This puts you in a role of support for each event and groups/associations hosting them.
• Community events after they've taken place: Be there live or online to capture the event.
• Community relevant topics: For example, years ago, my good buddy Jared Burns ran a series about henna tattoos. He was interested in making the Indian community aware of his skills as an artist.
• Tips on presentations: framing, canvas wraps, slide shows
• Gift ideas using photography
• Places to photograph around the community
• Technology updates: Become a resource for your readers on new products involving imaging.
• Important camera gear
• Profile your favorite charity in the community
• Profiles of people/businesses in the community: Do an environmental portrait of people in the community. From your pharmacist to the chef at your favorite restaurant to a helpful manager at the local market, there's an almost unlimited supply of subjects. And
• Photo projects for kids: From coloring books pages made from family portraits and events to keeping a photo-journal help Mom and Dad with ideas to keep the kids busy during the pandemic
• Throwback Thursday: Sharing old images gives you a chance to remind clients it's time for a new family portrait
• Community photo contests: Invite your readers to participate with their images. You pick the topic; they share their pictures.
• Using photographs with stationery and holiday cards
• How to show your best side with online video (Skype, Google, Zoom, etc.)
• Cross-promotions with other vendors
• Growing your skill set: Share new things you're doing in your business as a result of workshops (on or offline) you've attended.

There are twenty ideas for blog posts and combined with yesterday's eleven photography tips, you've got a solid foundation to start building content so you can have some consistency with your blog. Remember, these give you content to share during those weeks that have are quiet. You've still got images to share with things like "365 Projects," client shoots and challenges, and events happening more real-time throughout the week.

Many years ago, I shared content from an article, "How to Write a (Better) Photography Blog Post." Andy Bondurant listed six areas every new and veteran blogger should focus on. The article is no longer active, but here's what I shared that was most helpful:

1. Blocks of Time: “Blogging done well needs a block of time devoted to it.”
2. Determination: “You must determine to write no matter what is happening that week. You must fight through apathy, writers block, fear or anything else thrown your way.”
3. Consistency: “You MUST update your blog. Ideally, this would be 2-3 times per week. At the least it should be 3-4 times per month. If you can’t commit to consistency…don’t start.”
4. System and Structure: “There are multiple different types of blog post structures you can create. I encourage you to choose one to be very good at, and occasionally add another in for spice.
   Here are 5 different post structures you can model: Story
, List
, Tutorial
, Opinion
, Big Thoughts"
5. Voice: “Your blog will be at its best when you allow your personality to shine. It starts with being open, authentic and honest (while being careful to not share too much). This is your writing voice. The more you refine and define your voice, the better your blog will be.”

Ed Foreman is a marketing and life-coach guru who spoke at a Polaroid meeting I attended 30+ years ago. He shared a concept I've never forgotten, and shared many times in posts and workshops:

It's not about putting yourself in their shoes, but about understanding what's important to your audience. What are they worried about? What are their goals? What's most important in their lives?  

A blog done well, gives you the ability to demonstrate how much you care and your ability to be helpful. It's a nonstop relationship builder with your readers!

by Skip Cohen
​
It's the slow season - made even more frustrating because of the pandemic. But "slow" is only about revenue and clients coming through the front door! There's no reason it should be slow for you. I'm continuing my quest to give you ideas to build a more substantial business in 2020. Everybody, at the very least, needs a jumpstart.

​Today and tomorrow's focus - YOUR BLOG!

​And for those of you who insist there's nothing worth blogging about in your community or your life - here's a sampling of ideas with another BIG batch coming tomorrow:

Become the Imaging Expert: As a photographer, you do things every day you take for granted. Let's help Mom, Dad, and the kids become better artists. They're not going to open up down the street and compete with you. So, whether they use a real camera or a cell phone - let's help them raise the bar on their images.
​

• ​Composition: Teach them the rule of thirds, leading lines, and subject placement. You do it automatically, but they don't think before clicking the shutter.
• Posing: Help them with group shots, and let's get rid of those firing squad poses. For example, teach them how to position subjects with triangle placement.
• Lighting: Spend some time talking about lighting and when to use the flash. Backlighting is always an issue, and they don't understand, especially in winter when their images outside are too dark, even though it was a bright snowy day.
• Have fun with in-camera special effects: Teach them to drag the shutter and panning.
• Storytelling: You're already the expert at storytelling and bringing in detail shots to tell the story. Help them think through their vision before clicking the shutter.
• Conversion from color to black and white - everyone can do it, but it's up to you to help them understand how an image can have more impact.
• Cropping: Roberto Valenzuela used to do an exercise in his classes where he took one image at a wedding and showed how many other shots there were in that same photograph. This is about you helping them see their pictures differently.
• Things to do with their images: From sharing in social media to printing, give them ideas of things to do with their pictures. Most professional labs have little interest in working with consumers, so you might have to resort to Shutterfly for some of your examples. However, this is also where you can plant the seed of why you're a professional with ideas about framing and presentations.
• Subject matter: Back in my Polaroid days, we used to remind consumers when they looked through the viewfinder, "What you see is what you get!" Remind them to move in close on those people shots.
• Post-production: Share tips on using products like Luminar. I love its user-friendly ease of use.
• Website display: Help your readers build their own galleries. This is where you can be so much help in the storytelling theme of their work. Years ago, the legendary Ernst Wildi at Hasselblad taught me the difference between a consumer and a professional - "consumers show you all of their shots!"

Here's the fun and advantage of the ideas above - each one allows you to share some of your images as examples of the right and wrong way to capture their memories. You're establishing yourself as the expert in imaging. 

And to take it a step further, some of you have the skills and ability to hold physical classes and photowalks to help your audience capture better memories. As their skills grow and you become more established as the expert in your community, you're opening the door for more advanced techniques. And at the same time you're developing top-of-mind awareness when they need a professional photographer.

​Coming up tomorrow - more blog topics for your stash! Combined with things going on in your life and the community around you, I'm going to make sure you don't run out of topics for 2021!

"It always seems impossible, until it's done!"
Nelson Mandela

by Skip Cohen

​While we've all shared many of the same frustrations over the last year, what things you need to do to get back on track is unique to each business owner. Too many of you are flying by the seat of your pants, being reactionary, with no planning or strategy for the new year. You wouldn't get in your car for a trip across the country without a little planning, including the route, cities you wanted to visit, accommodations, etc., Yet, you're attacking the new year without a roadmap. 

Social media has NEVER played a more significant role in our lives than right now! With physical distancing still an issue, social media and the phone are your two best sources of communication, followed by direct mail.
So, I went searching in Google to see how many people, worldwide, are anticipated to be online in 2021. It's expected there will be 2.14 billion buyers online this year. Here's the complete article from Statista.com. 

That means, your website and blog have never been more critical - or had more potential to create sales/revenue. You have the reach that just a few years ago, a small newspaper or magazine might have had. Your website is 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 in the past about your website and blog, so I'm just going to give you a limited check-off list. If you want more detail, read all the Fast Food Fridays I've shared.
​

• 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?
• 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.
• Stop showing average images on your galleries. If it's not a "wow" print, then 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 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 that's 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. Plant the seeds for ideas for updated family portraits and headshots, for example. Most important of all - BE HELPFUL!​

This is just the first post in a series this week. If I wrote about everything you should be doing in one post, it would take you too long to read it!

We're in a "you snooze - you lose" scenario. Things are getting better, and while the pandemic is hardly over, people are focused on trying to get back to some level of normalcy. There's an opportunity for you to be a leader in your community.

Most important of all, imaging through the pandemic has never been more important. Families and friends have been hunkered down for months without contact, but you're the magician with the power to help them stay together with photography.

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!

Tomorrow we're going to zoom in on your blog and topic ideas, as well as how to get it all done if you hate to write!

Tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up!
Ann Bradford

by Skip Cohen

​It's my first business post of the new year, and I've been thinking a lot about it. On all sides, the imaging industry, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and artists were hit hard by the pandemic. Restrictions and fear resulting from Corona have limited income for most photographers since March. As Sherry Hagerman, founder of ClickCon, wrote recently:

The new year will be a recovery year for most photographers and videographers and a time to catch up on accumulated debt from the 2020 losses.

Fully believing 2021 is a year to rebuild and jumpstart your business, let's start at the very beginning.

It's the first business day of the new year. Even with the optimism of the vaccine, the pandemic will not suddenly flip a switch and put us back into a state of normalcy. However, what it does mean is with a little hope on the horizon and positive actions, you've got an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in your craft and community.

Let's start right out of the blocks with your attitude and believing in yourself. Corona didn't destroy your dreams, just the roads you needed to travel to get there! And as simplistic as it all sounds, let's start by getting rid of the negative people in your life! Sound extreme? Damn right it is - you haven't got time to convince them you're on the right path. All your energy has to start with believing in yourself.

Next, let's shut down the "Negative Committee" in your head. Monica Sweeney, in her book, "Zen as F*CK" wrote, 

For every negative thought you have in your head about yourself, there's a positive one scrambling behind it vying for a chance to speak. Give those positive thoughts a f**king megaphone. What are they trying to tell you?"

But just wishing you were a better artist or marketing manager isn't enough. 

• Start by assessing your skillset: Be honest with yourself. You don't need an expert to review your portfolio to know if your images are good or bad. Make a list of your weaknesses and strengths when it comes to technique in capture and post-production.
• Assess your marketing skills: Not every artist has the tools to market themselves. Again, make that list after looking at your website, blog, and involvement in social media. Remember, your website is about what you sell, your blog is about what's in your heart ---and you need both!
• Filling in your weak spots: Once you've identified your weaknesses, let's get you some help. More than ever before, there's a ton of great online education available and even a few small group programs that show respect for physical distancing. From Sarah Petty's business and marketing programs to ClickCon Nation, IUSA this month, Kelby Media's Travel Photography Conference, Tamron's weekly programs and dozens more - they're designed to help you make the most of cyberspace to boost your skill set.
• Assess your marketing reach: Reach is about your community. What tools do you have or don't have to get your name out in front of your target audience? 
• Do people know who you are? What does your name mean in the community? What good does it do working hard to create the finest images of your life if nobody knows who you are?
• How's your curb appeal? Okay, it's a term used in real estate, but what do people think when they look at your website, galleries, and blog? Do you need to clean things up a little? Are you offering people the products/services they want and need? It might be as simple as a call to your lab and asking the question, "So, what's new?" 

Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to break your business down goal by goal and piece by piece. It all starts with you taking the first giant step - committing to not letting anything stand in the way of getting your business back on track in 2021.

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
Henry Ford

by Skip Cohen

​This could just as easily fit on Throwback Thursday since it goes back to WPPI 2011, but it's Marketing Monday, and Scott Bourne's wisdom in this "Photographers Ignite" video is perfect for the challenges we're all facing these days.

Kevin Kubota's series was the annual opening program for a few years in a row at WPPI, with at least five hundred people in the audience each time. Kevin's idea set a new standard, yet to be repeated, for great presentations and sharing information.

​Here's the concept: Each speaker had twenty slides to show in five minutes, and they automatically changed every 15 seconds. The challenge was to get your message out there, and Scott did a terrific job. He's sharing five minutes of pure inspiration.

It's been one of my favorite presentations for years because there's so much in it. I find myself hitting the pause button repeatedly and thinking about the point Scott's making at the time. And these days, with the pandemic's challenges and the need for so many photographers to rebuild and jumpstart their businesses, Scott's sharing the building blocks for success in every slide!

Grab a cup of coffee and take five minutes...oh, and in the intro, Kevin mentions Scott's 90,000 followers on Twitter - that's 209,000 today.

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it!"
Scott Bourne

by Skip Cohen
 
Two more great podcasts in the pipeline, thanks to Platypod and Photofocus. And both are with guests who offer outstanding insight to help you through the challenges you're dealing with right now. Take the time to click on the two banners below, grab a cup of coffee and then just kick back and listen!

Levi Sim:  In 2009 I launched a summer program called Skip's Summer School. Levi Sim was one of the attendees and was just getting started in his career. Over the years, he's become one of the most recognized personalities in photography. He's an ambassador of goodwill and support for the professional photographic community. Over the last ten years, he's the guy with the bow tie and brown fedora at any convention. He's a photographer, writer, educator, podcaster and has spent most of his career in imaging, asking other photographers and manufacturers, "How can I help?"

A few months ago, Levi made a considerable change in his career - staying with his love for imaging, he joined Utah State University as their lead photographer. So working for a full-time employee is a significant change from freelance. In this new podcast, Levi shared a lot of great insight into the challenges and benefits of giving up being a freelance artist and moving into the academic world.

Here are few of the topics we talked about in this podcast:

• The importance of being helpful and having a thick skin as you build your photography business
• The other elements of running a business besides taking photos
• How Levi is using Platypod’s Ultra Twin Pack
• The most important lessons Levi has learned over his career
• The role of relationship building
• Advice for photographers just getting started

Click on any of Levi's images above to listen to the podcast!​

The Beyond Technique podcast is brought to you thanks to Platypod. They've got some incredible savings going on right now, but only while supplies last. For example, there are only twenty of the Ultra Essentials Kits left for holiday savings. Click on any of the holiday bundles below for more information.

A BIG thanks to the team at Photofocus.com for their never-ending support of the photographic community. Check out all of their podcasts and an incredible archive of great content growing more and more every day! Just click on the banner below and check out one of the very best resources for photographic information!

by Skip Cohen

Beyond Technique is a podcast that's meant to be just a little different than our regular "Mind Your Own Business" show. While each episode highlights another guest's work, my co-host and I have had some great conversations about everything that happens beyond the technique of capturing an image or building a business.

Chamira Young and I have hosted over one hundred podcasts since our first one together in March 2017. With each guest, I've been delighted at their insight and willingness to share so many different aspects of their journey. And equally impressive is their passion for the industry and helping other artists stay focused at a time through the pandemic when fixed focus is often close to impossible.

​Stuck thinking of a creative holiday gift idea for the photographer in your life? Platypod's Holiday Specials are going on right now, but only while supplies last. Click on the banner above to meet the entire product line, and check out the limited-time holiday savings.

And if you haven't visited the Platypod website, take a scroll through the blog and Instagram pages. Artists from around the world are sharing their creativity every day.

A big thanks to Photofocus for always sharing great content to help photographers grow their technology, marketing, and business skills.  Photofocus also hosts some of the very best podcasts in photography! They're just a click away.
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by Skip Cohen
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It's Sunday morning, and I'm definitely not in my usual mode of being off the topic of photography.  

The pandemic has changed everything in our lives and not for the better. But it's also created some unique leadership opportunities in creativity and support to your clients and community. I know it's been an ugly year for virtually every business, but I also know there are ideas out there to help you get back on track and jumpstart your business.

ClickCon Nation kicks off today with an all-star cast, but more important than the educators/speakers is the timing and the topics. For example, I'm doing a program at 10:15 CST called "My Business Has Disappeared, Now What?" In one hour, I'm going to pack in 2-3 hours of material - one after another of things photographers can be doing RIGHT NOW to capture the seasonality in business. 

​And check out the company I'm with below.

The program is FREE - all you have to do is download the ClickCon Nation app, and you're in. I know this doesn't apply to everybody, but there are too many of you who have been crying the blues over the decline in business and not doing anything about it.

Remember that line of "God helps those who help themselves?"  Well, regardless of what you believe spiritually, there's so much help in this industry. But you've got to make the first move - open your mind and join us!

Wishing everybody a day filled with ideas and opportunities to be a leader in creativity and business. The year isn't over yet. As I've written so many times in the last nine months - hunkering down is about your health - NOT about your business.

by Skip Cohen

​For over a year, I shared a series of business and marketing tips called "Fast Food Friday." The concept started as short, easy to implement ideas, and grew into some great building blocks for success as a photographer and small business owner.

Well, as much as the pandemic has changed so many things in our lives, the key ingredients to building brand awareness haven't changed. You still need to get your name out there, and even more important, we're into fourth-quarter seasonality, and people still need help capturing and sharing their memories!

Remember why I started this series - to give you ideas to build a stronger business, no matter what the challenges were! Most of you are right-brain creative types with too little focus on growing your business. Many of you don't think of yourselves as small business owners. Even if you're working for another studio, imaging is a career choice that lends itself to freelance assignments, and you're ALWAYS building your brand.

With or without Covid - it's not who YOU know, but WHO knows you! Here's a list to help you keep your name out there in the spotlight. Your goal is top-of-mind awareness so anytime somebody is thinking about photography, your name comes up first.
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• Stay in touch with your past clients: I love an idea Steven Gotz shared at the beginning of the pandemic. Here's the link. In summary, he took portraits of clients and pulled the color, converted them to line-art, and sent them to clients with young children as coloring book pages. It's a brilliant way to help lift the spirits of your clients and, at the same time, remind them you're there.
• Community Involvement: People like buying products/services from companies they perceive as giving back. What's great about being involved in your community is it can start at any time. And it doesn't have to include a camera in your hands. The pandemic and health distancing has changed many events, but every community has challenges in getting the word out, especially on fundraisers. Use your blog and help them spread the word - be an ambassador!
• Own Your Zip Code: Draw a circle around where you're based and start knocking on doors! Wear a mask and respect physical distancing. Introduce yourself to the other businesses in the community...and IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR SPECIALTY IS! My favorite example is a wedding photographer walking into a real estate office. Once you've introduced yourself, all you need to say is, "My specialty is wedding photography, but I've got an incredible network. If you ever need any help with anything photo-related, give me a call. If I can't help you directly, I'm sure I know somebody who can."  
• Use Your Blog: Your website is about what you sell, and your blog is about what's in your heart. Post at least twice a week, same days, same times. Share stories/ideas relatable to your readership. Remember, you're building a community. Talk about the diversity of your skill set. Share tips on photography, especially posing, lighting, and composition. Help your clients get through the limitations of the holidays and needing to still hunker-down.
• Teach a Class: Just about all of you, unless you started yesterday, have enough expertise to help the community raise the bar on better photographs, even if they're only shooting with a cell phone. Share tips on composition, lighting, fill flash, posing, exposure, and storytelling. For most of you, your target audience is "Mom," so help make her a better photographer. And here's a new topic - teach a class on using Zoom, Skype, etc. Everyone is dealing with more interaction online, but so few consumers know what they're doing and spend their time sharing poorly lit nostril shots on their phones.
• Partnerships: You don't have to fly solo all the time! Look for opportunities to cross-promote with other vendors. A postcard mailer, for example, with two other partners, brings your cost down to a third. Best of all, all three partners become ambassadors for each other. And during the pandemic and holiday time, here's your chance to cross-promote on discounts and each other's products as gift ideas.
• Social Media: In the portrait/social categories of photography, that means being primarily involved on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. But remember, there are no erasers on the Internet. Stay relevant to your audience. Don't engage trolls! And stay focused on your passion for people and your art. You know how to hold focus on your subjects with your camera - so maintain focus on your audience's needs. Use Facebook's birthday and anniversary features to keep track of key dates with your clients. The pandemic hasn't slowed anything down in social media.
• Pick up the Phone: When in doubt, call a past client. You don't need to be selling anything. The call's purpose is to let them know you're thinking about them and just want to know how everybody is. My suggestion is to make at least two calls a day to past clients. This is purely social, but all about keeping in touch.
• Show Your Work: Years ago, Bambi Cantrell displayed her images in a local Starbucks. Helen Yancy, a past president of PPA, started out showing her work in a local diner. Offer to decorate your doctor's office. Think about it - almost every doctor's office is the same - BORING! Let's get some good photographs on the wall, and all you're asking is to leave a stack of your business cards on the magazine table. 
• Put Together a Networking Luncheon/Event: You don't have to meet for lunch physically. In fact, I was invited to a happy hour cocktail party recently of a board I'm active on here in Sarasota. It was all done on Zoom. Lori Nordstrom talked about this early on in the pandemic when she was getting together with a group of businesswomen in the community on Zoom. You're getting together to talk about the business, trends, and anything that comes up. 
• Career Day at ANY School: If we've learned nothing else from the toy manufacturers - the way to get to Mom and Dad is through their kids. Every school needs help with special programming, and most of them are dealing with online education. Offer to do a career day presentation online and talk about what it's like being a photographer. Don't be boring and just talk - show photographs, special techniques, and things they can do with their cell phones!  Here's your chance to make online education more fun.
• Build a Community Calendar: Everyone is always looking for new blog content. So, keep a calendar on your blog of upcoming community events, mostly non-profit fundraisers. And with each event, you personally attend, share the story with a paragraph or two and photographs. It's a great way to build up your reputation as a supporter of the community and be more recognized.
• Join Community Groups: From PPA affiliates to photography guilds to organizations like Kiwanis, Exchange Club, Rotary, and business networking groups, be involved. You're building a network of relationships and right now getting together online is the next best thing to being there!

Too many of you think there's nothing you can do to build your brand until the pandemic is history. It's not going away tomorrow, but the new norm doesn't need to leave you helpless. Relationship building is your most vital marketing tool - so, set up a time every week to be building your foundation of awareness - beyond your skill set.

Tony Corbell, one of the most recognized photographers in the industry, once told a story about when he first got started. "I might not have been the best photographer in town, but I was determined to be the nicest!" Tony's never strayed from that practice!

​And where's Tony today? Because travel for all of us is limited, he's online and spending just as much time teaching and supporting his audience as he always has - but in cyberspace!

by Skip Cohen
 
In all my years in this industry, I've never seen a more difficult time for photographers to maintain a business. At the same time, I've never seen/heard so many remarkable stories about artists taking a leadership role in their communities. These are business owners, fighting to rebuild what the pandemic has taken away.

This Sunday, five of us share ideas and ways to expand your skill set and work to get things started on the way back. But we can't help if you're not there with us! 

My program, "My Business Has Disappeared! Now What?" is about opportunities to rebuild your business and stand out from your competition. This program changes and grows every week, as I hear more great ideas to share from artists around the world who simply refuse to give up! I'll be sharing dozens of ideas to help you rebuild and jumpstart your business. I've got one hour to fill your head with new ideas, and even a few old ones. So, it'll be fast-paced right from the start.

Click on the banner above to connect to the complete schedule of events. Then to attend for FREE, just download the 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐂𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩 from your app store, log in and create your password.  

​Don't let complacency get the best of you! Join us on Sunday to recharge your battery and get your business back on track for a strong fourth quarter in 2020!

by Skip Cohen

"Mind Your Own Business" is all about introducing you to the diversity of some of the most respected artists and educators in professional imaging. Since starting the series over six years ago, each guest has shared insight into their journey with continuous support to help photographers raise the bar on their skill set and develop a stronger brand and successful business.

My good pal Shiv Verma is in the MYOB spotlight and joined Chamira Young and me for a conversation about his career, projects for downtime, staying optimistic, and the future of imaging. Shiv's an artist, educator, writer, and a good friend to so many photographers in the industry.

Although we've known each other for many years, we started to get quality time together thanks to his role as a LUMIX Ambassador. (Note: All of Shiv's images we pulled for this post from were all captured with LUMIX cameras.) Later, I got to know him even better though Platypod. He's been a vital contributor to so many different ideas and new products over the years, including the upcoming Platyball.

Two of my favorite conventions before the pandemic were IUSA and WPPI. Working with Shiv in the booth, and then getting time together over dinner at the end of each day gave us a chance to cover a lot of ground with so many different topics and interests.

Check out more of Shiv's work with a visit to his Instagram page, his website, and past SCU blog posts.

Part of the fun of following Shiv is the diversity of his work - from critters and night skies to a model at a conference and fine art, you'll never be disappointed in what he's sharing or where he's traveling!

As always - thanks go to the Photofocus Team for their support of this podcast. Check out their content; whether it's new product info, "how-to" posts, or educational information to help you become a better artist, they never slow down in the quality of what they share.

by Skip Cohen

The "Mind Your Own Business" podcast is all about sharing ideas, developing a solid skill set, and running a successful business in imaging. Although our opening and closing questions are always the same about how the guest got started in this business along with advice to photographers just starting, everything else is unscripted and unrehearsed. Each photographer has shared an incredible level of information about their journey to date.

Nicole Begley joined us on this recent podcast, and she continued the pattern of sharing great insight and information about pet photography. I met Nicole for the first time three years ago when she taught a pet photography workshop here in the Sarasota area. Her passion for the craft, together with being an educator and working hard to help artists expand their skill set, is remarkable to observe live, first hand.

The hierarchy of why people hire a professional photographer, based on a Kodak survey years back, goes brides, babies, and pets. I don't believe that's changed at all in over twenty years since the information was released. That means there's an incredible opportunity for photographers to diversify and include pets in your repertoire. And the ranking has moved a lot, because of so many weddings being cancelled or postponed.

While the official surveys don't all agree, the rough estimate is that 80% of American households have a dog or cat. That boils down to approximately 80 million dogs and 60 million cats. And if you want to argue with me about those numbers, you're missing the point. We love our pets. Through the pandemic of the last almost nine months, dog and cat owners have repeatedly talked about the family's furry members evolving into emotional support animals!
 
Now take it all one step further, pet owners love photographs of there dogs and cats, which is why they're ranked at the top of the Kodak survey I referenced earlier. Nicole Begley is all about helping artists raise the bar on their skill set when it comes to photographing pets, especially dogs. Check out her "Hair of the Dog Academy," and visit her website to view more of  her incredible work!

As always, a BIG thanks to the team at Photofocus.com for their support in hosting the "Mind Your Own Business" podcast. Check out all of their podcasts - you'll never be disappointed in the guests appearing on the various shows.

by Skip Cohen

​We're in the middle of a pandemic, and with so much downtime, I'm trying to understand how I missed several posts of the "Mind Your Own Business." Over the last six years, we've shared a new podcast every month, thanks to my co-host Chamira Young and the team at Photofocus.com.  

So, I'm playing catch up on podcasts, but this isn't like the expiration date on a carton of milk! Kay Eskridge joined us on this past podcast, and her insight into the industry's challenges was remarkable. She shared so many great ideas, and knowing Kay for as many years as I have, it was a fun conversation.
 
Kay is all about relationship building. In fact, you can see it in her images - relaxed smiles, comfortable poses, and subjects who enjoy working with Kay and trust her to exceed their expectations. From the Boardroom to maternity, kids, families, couples, seniors, and pets - it wasn't easy for me to pick out my favorites. Click on any image below, and you'll link to Kay's website, and you'll see what I mean. She shares an incredible body of work. Every image demonstrates her commitment to her clients as well as the craft. She's one of the most diverse artists in the industry, and I'm not sure there's anything Kay can't photograph!

I've written it so many times before:  The best part of this industry is all about the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Kay and I have worked together on different projects and have been friends for easily twenty years, and it's true what they say about time - it flies when you're having a good time!

A big thanks to Photofocus for their support in making "Mind Your Own Business," a podcast that needs to be on your radar!

 by Skip Cohen

​If there was ever a promotion with perfect timing on a necessity this holiday season, it's Marathon's BOGO on holiday cards that just launched! 

Here's why this is more important for your business than ever before:

For the last eight months, everyone's world has been at a virtual standstill. You've been hunkered down, business disappeared, and has just recently started to pick up, and keeping in touch with clients for many of you has been limited. That makes this holiday season especially crucial for revenue, as well as for your clients. Everyone is dealing with the same challenges, regardless of what their business might be. 

You've got an opportunity to meet the needs of your clients NOW. And while it might seem early to think about it, the timing is actually just right.

Here's your chance to start planting the seeds of ideas for holiday cards, and the importance of staying in touch with family and friends. It's a great product to offer your clients, but don't forget your own needs for your business.

If ever there was a holiday season where photography can play a significant role, 2020 is the year. And with Marathon's BOGO, you're cutting your cost in half and helping to increase the revenue stream.

Just click on the banner for more information. Don't miss the opportunity to help your customers connect with family and friends over this year's holiday season.

by Skip Cohen
 
The pandemic has changed just about everything in business today, especially in imaging. But it's also opened up some new revenue streams, thanks to technology (Bay Photo), and new products.

I just recently hung the two 30x30 Performance EXT Metal prints outside on the back of the house. The other print had been out in the bright sun and rain for three years, and while it might have shown fading under the microscope, to the naked eye, it was still stunning. (Note: It's been recently replaced. It survived everything but the power wash guy who not only knocked it off the wall, but later rolled over it with his equipment.) The two additional prints, captured by Jonny Yoshinaga with a drone when he and Suzette Allen were here last year, are special reminders of a great friendship. 

Performance EXT Metal is specially engineered for extended life in the elements! Perfect for use as outdoor art, photography, signage, and display, Performance EXT Metal will last 2-3 years in direct sunlight without noticeable fading. 

Think about your client base and how many people would appreciate prints outside their home. Everyone is hunkered down with limited travel but maximum time at home - looking at the same walls! Now take the concept of photographs outdoors one step further - how many restaurants have outdoor seating, but nothing on display?
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There's an entirely new revenue stream waiting to be tapped into. In each of your communities, you've got subjects to feature in photographs, whether it's scenes around the community, the restaurant's favorite dishes, or the staff - the list goes on and on. And, we're entering the seasonality of the fourth quarter. The need for creativity in gift-giving this year is going to be at an all time high.