By Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and while I'm running low on new suggestions to help make 2026 one of your very best years in business, I'm not done yet! It's July, and for many of you, business has slowed down a little. So, before the calendar pages turn and we're into fall and holiday seasonality, it's a great time to think about diversity.

​The challenge so many of you face is too much on your website that's not your strongest suit. No matter how technically good you are, you can't do it all without sacrificing quality somewhere along the line. You need to focus on your core specialty and then spin off into related areas of expertise.

Here's a perfect example: A lot of you have an interest in commercial work, but let's say your core business is wedding photography. The confusion arises when different people view your site. A rep at an ad agency, searching for a photographer for a specific client, will move on if they come into your website looking at wedding albums. In the same respect, Mom or a bride isn't interested in your commercial work - they want to see your skills as a wedding photographer.

The same applies to photographers who want to sell fine art images, landscapes, etc., but their core business is family portraiture. The target audience gets confused and moves on to someone whose work is more in line with their needs.

Here are some easy to remember suggestions:
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• Keep building your skill set so you can handle most of your clients' needs. Keep learning how to do EVERYTHING. For example, a wedding photographer who learns more about macro is likely to be more creative when it comes to ring shots, the detail in the wedding gown, and the flowers.
• Don't show everything you've ever shot! Just because your skill set is diverse doesn't mean you need to show everything you can do on your website. Keep your galleries relatable. For example, under the people umbrella are weddings, maternity, babies, children, family, and seniors. They all fit together and are logical spokes off a specific core specialty.
• Fine art and commercial photography have different buyers and will be better served if you either have a completely separate site or a landing page that directs visitors to two different destinations. Personally, I'm a fan of different websites.
• If you insist on showing a different specialty that doesn't seem to fit your core business, do so as a tab under "Personal Work" or as a facsimile. There's nothing wrong with diversity until it confuses your target audience. You can also use social media, including your blog, for occasional posts about other types of photography.
• Diversity in capture and post-processing is important to share. My issue is with the specialties you want to represent, not with your technique. Diversity in your technique is essential to show. Including black-and-white images, special effects, albums with double-page spreads, framing and printing techniques, just to name a few, are all necessary to share.

And last on the list - remember that what you show is what you want to sell. Years ago, I was looking at a good buddy's website, and in the middle of his core business galleries, he had a dozen mediocre images from a wedding he once photographed. When I asked why, he responded, "I've only shot one wedding, but I want people to know I can do it!"  The answer was, "NO, you don't!" That didn't mean he couldn't handle the request if one of his regular clients asked, only that he shouldn't show weddings in his main "inventory" of services/skills.

Shakespeare said it best, "To thine own self be true!" Stay true to your core specialty and diversify your website with logically connected specialties. 

*Rant Alert!* While we're all guilty at times of something slipping through the cracks, many of you are turning missed opportunities into an art form! Every time you're in public, whether physically or in cyberspace, there's a chance to show your skill set, not just as an artist, but as a business owner.
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• Dress the Part: I'll be the first to admit I'm old-school, but if you're meeting with a client, talking about sponsorship with a vendor at a trade show, or working an event - look like a professional. Whatever your look, people do judge a book by its cover. These days we live in a casual world, but as a professional in any field, when in the public eye, don't be afraid to raise the bar.
• Shark Tank Syndrome: We all know the show. Now and then there's a presentation that's half-baked. A business owner is pitching on Shark Tank with a bad presentation and when asked very specific questions, they can't answer. Why? Because they didn't do their "homework." They're not prepared with the most basic answers. If you're going to look the part, then make it a point to BE THE PART!
• Walk the Talk: You've got two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk. Verbal communication is a two-way street. Take the time to listen just as much as you're talking. Listen with a goal of understanding. You can tell when talking to somebody if they're really listening or immediately thinking of what they want to say in response!
• A Firm Handshake: This is really old-school, but it was a lesson my grandfather taught me early on. And make eye contact- you're building a level of trust with each handshake, even when it's more casual and social.
• Remember Names: It took me a year to get into the habit of repeating somebody's name out loud when we've just been introduced. And as you get older and your short-term memory starts to thin out, this practice becomes even more critical.
• Email Contact Forms: It's great that on any website you can have a contact form for people to communicate with you, but what good does it do if it takes you days or even longer to respond? How do you feel when you contact a company, and they don't get back to you ASAP? If you want to build a reputation for being service-oriented, then it starts with how fast you respond.
• Texting Technology: We live in an instant-gratification world, and texting technology lets you respond immediately. But pay attention to the original text. So often, I find that whoever I'm texting has missed part of what I was asking. And remember, 82% of text messages are read within 5 minutes, but consumers open only 1 in 4 emails.
• Stop Writing Like a Moron: I've received a few emails lately that were impossible to understand. The sad thing is there's help if more people will use Spellcheck and Grammarly.
• List Your Phone Number and Share It: Mobile technology is available to EVERYBODY. Have a dedicated line for your business and stop letting your kids answer the phone!
• Answer Your Phone Professionally: I know this is basic, but I'm amazed when people answer the phone like they just walked by an old payphone in a bar that was ringing! Once again, be a pro.

And, one last area to talk about - the Internet. There are no erasers on the Internet. Stay out of battles that aren't yours on Facebook. When expressing your opinion, do so professionally. Don't write anything you wouldn't want the world to read. Remember, you'll never win taking on a troll or acting like one!

by Skip Cohen

​I started the "Drilling Down" series as a way to share ideas to help you build a stronger business and increase brand awareness. Today is focused on "fun." Out of everything I've shared to date, "fun" might be the most important of all. "Fun" is one of those very special words too often lost under the stress of business today.

Having fun with what you're doing is as important as your skill set as an artist and business owner. In fact, it's at the very core of success. But fun doesn't just happen - it takes work! You've got to take the time to have fun. You've got to recognize burnout. You've got to use those Who Wants to Be a Millionaire lifelines and phone a friend.

When I look back on all my years in this industry, there are so many knuckleheads who have made it fun. For example, during his years at Kodak, Terry Deglau and I simply had fun, but we worked hard to make it happen. We often tagged on extra days at conventions - including driving Ansel Adams' Cadillac into Yosemite for three days with a trunk loaded with Hasselblad gear and Kodak film after PhotoWest in the 90s.

When you're hanging out with good friends and simply having fun, the process of laughing and enjoying each other's company brings new ideas bubbling to the surface. Great friends share so many common interests. It's not about fame, money, or your skills, but about being happy in whatever you're doing, and then sharing time with the right people.

I've written many times in the past, "You can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it!"  So, if stress is winning too much lately, here are some easy suggestions (in no particular order) to push it back where it belongs!
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• Take the time to step away from the business.
• Make time to get to know the people you interact with.
• Go to lunch with a friend.
• Don't answer your phone for a few hours on an afternoon when you need a little time to yourself.
• At upcoming conventions, take the time to meet new people.
• Get to know the team at the vendors you work with.
• Don't "doom-scroll" in social media. Ten minutes of scrolling often sours my mood, leaving me hours to snap out of it.
• Keep music playing throughout the day in your office. It's not for everybody, but with my home office there's always something playing on Alexa.
• Keep in touch with friends on social media.
• Follow birthdays and anniversaries - I love Facebook for that.
• On the personal health side: exercise, get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated and eat healthy.

Work to put "FUN" into your business life. And, don't let your business interrupt the time you need with family and friends. 

Have fun, work hard and money will come. Don't waste time - grab your chances.
Have a positive outlook on life. When it's not fun move on.

Richard Branson
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​by Skip Cohen

I started this series to help artists and small business owners in photography fine-tune their businesses to make 2026 one of their very best years. Social media has become your number one vehicle to keep in touch with your target audience. That means your blog (any social media presence) is more important than ever. It's your best way to maintain brand awareness, but it needs to be done right!

I'm sharing tips from my experience, input from other educators in imaging, and great advice from my good buddy, Scott Bourne. There's no excuse for procrastinating on the things you should be doing to establish a greater presence. And if you don't have a blog, then substitute the tips below in your social media presence on any other platform.

1. "Mom" Appeal: For most of you, your target audience is "Mom." Women make 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories. That means your content needs to have appeal to Mom, but so does the look and feel of your social media presence. Your content needs to be relatable to your readership.
2. Gift Ideas: The holiday season might seem like a long way off, but NOW is the time to start planting seeds for gift ideas with photographs.  From frames to albums to canvas and prints, technology has made your choices virtually unlimited. I've written this before - photography is the perfect gift idea. No grandmother ever has enough pictures of her family!
3. Making Your Audience Better Artists: There are things you do every day as a photographer that you take for granted. Help your audience do a better job of capturing images of their family - even if it's just with a cell phone. Share ideas on composition, lighting, fill flash, and storytelling to help your readers get better results.
4. Throwback Thursday: Use your throwback images to remind your audience how fast the kids are growing up, and their families are changing. It's like the old "Subliminal Man" on Saturday Night Live - you've got to plant the seed for an updated family portrait this upcoming holiday season.
5. Be Consistent: Consistency is crucial for building readership, and if you find yourself blogging or sharing content on social media every full moon, you're better off shutting down the blog entirely. Come back when you can make the commitment it deserves.
6. Build a Stash: Every post doesn't have to be done in real-time. They can be written in advance. Build a stash of posts you can use, and then don't relaunch your social media presence until you've got 12-15 posts ready to go and in the pipeline. Then alternate between posts in your stash and something fresh each week.
7. Guest Posts: Sharing and exchanging content with other artists helps you build stronger awareness. Look for partnerships where you swap material with other photographers and groups within your community. No photographers you want to work with? Then consider other vendors with the same target audience.
8. Support Your Community: Writing about upcoming community events gives you more traction for giving back. It also helps define your role better as somebody who's helpful. You're likely to find the sponsoring associations for each event you help publicize, who will share your information and help you build more awareness.

In today's post, including five tips from Scott Bourne below, you've got 13 ideas with a minimal overlap. Your social media presence has never been more important than today, when live interaction with your clients and target audience is often too limited.

Can you survive without a blog? Sure, but here's why it's so important. Your website is about what you sell. Your blog is about what's in your heart. The two work together, just like publicity and advertising to help you establish a stronger brand.

Building Traffic for Your Blog - Five Primary Tips
 by Scott Bourne
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If you're attempting to become (or already are) a professional photographer, in my opinion you need a blog. But not just any blog will do. Your blog needs to be an extension of you. It needs to show off your work for sure, but it also needs to show off your personality.

Once you build a blog, it won't do you much good if people coming to it don't stick around, because you aren't giving them a reason. So here are five ways to increase your blog's audience.

1. Avoid too many ads, too much sales talk, too many banners and too many commercials on your blog. Make sure there is a nice content to marketing ratio. Read your blog as if you were someone else and ask yourself, would I find this blog to contain enough helpful, valuable information to put up with "X" amount of marketing.

2. Publish your blog on a dependable and regular schedule. While publishing new posts every single day will get you a bigger audience faster, it's not a requirement. What is important however, is publishing with consistent frequency. Publish every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for instance and let your audience know the schedule. Whatever day(s) you promise to publish, stick with it so people know there's a reason to come back and more importantly, so they don't forget your message.

3. Tell stories. Be engaging. Talk more about your subject expertise or your clients than yourself. Make sure your content solves a problem for someone else, not for you. Narrative is a powerful form of communication. Use it.

4. Be yourself. You can't make a blog work unless it's honest, transparent and truthful. It has to be written from your very own true perspective, NOT the perspective you THINK people want to hear. It's way too hard to be someone else and to keep it going. Just be yourself. Not everyone will like what you do. Don't worry about that. There's a big world out there. You only need to reach the people who DO like what you do - the rest can head on down the road to find someone or something else. Life goes on.

5. Be helpful. Make sure every blog post provides the possibility of help to your audience. Your content has to be useful, or nobody will care about it. The more targeted, and niche oriented, the better. The more problem solving the better. 

by Skip Cohen

Today's post is about the diversity of your skill set. Out of the pandemic came the key buzzword "pivot," and while we're all tired of hearing about its importance, it doesn't change the significance of having the strongest possible backup skills. You want your skill set to be as diverse as possible to meet your clients' demands, so you can pivot when necessary.

I don't know where I heard the line about growth only happening outside your comfort zone, but it's so true. Here's the cool thing about this industry: we have a history of watching each other's backs and helping each other get through all the challenges. But it starts with your willingness to expand your vision and with it your skills.

Here are some suggestions:

• Learn lighting: We all know what it means when a photographer describes themselves as a "natural light specialist." It means they're afraid of studio lighting. Don't let your lack of skills undermine the quality of your work or your ability to exceed customer expectations.
• What's in your archives? As I've written several times before, take advantage of those great images you have of past clients and events. And if you're stuck on ideas, just call your lab and ask, "So, what's new?" Even a canvas print may be an old application for you, but it might be terrific for a client who wants to share or display an image they've forgotten about.
• Moving outside with prints: I've written a lot about Bay Photo's Performance EXT Metal Prints and have three of them outside my home around the pool. (Remember, I live in Florida.) So, clients with porches and patios, restaurants serving outside - they all need your expertise to help decorate.
• Pay attention to the fine art world: There's a thin line between stunning fine art images and your skill set displayed with some of your images. Follow a few fine art photographers you know and pay attention to how they're framing their work for final sale. The key is often in the presentation, not just in the print quality.
• Diversity in capture and post-processing: Do it with some logic. For example, add black and white images to your gallery, but not just for the sake of changing, but because the image you've chosen to share really has more impact in B&W. Whether you've dragged the shutter, pushed the exposure, shot in infrared - make it a point to show a few images that are different from most of what you show.
• Learn video: Every digital camera can capture video as well as still images. It's another expansion of your skill set and also a key to your marketing. There's very little that beats a video of you talking about your business with still images, video, and great music combined.
• USE YOUR BLOG: Okay, it's last on the list, but only because I almost missed it. Your website is about what you sell, but your blog is about what's in your heart! A well-done blog can still be effective in your marketing efforts. Give your clients gift ideas using photography, share tips on how they can capture better images this holiday season, and be helpful.

What you show is what you want to sell. Shakespeare said it best,

You've got two ears and one mouth. So listen twice as much as you talk!
Epictetus

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and here's one of your easiest (and most fun) tools for marketing your business in imaging...Throwback Thursday. I've written about #TBT many times in past posts, but it's time to drill down on more detail.

One of your biggest challenges is planting seeds of ideas with your clients. It's not easy setting yourself apart from the competition these days, but not because it's difficult. The challenge comes with so many opportunities, and many of you fall into "analysis paralysis." You're not sure where to start, and procrastination takes over, and you wind up doing very little.

These days we're all tuned into Throwback Thursday and sharing old images. You've seen me share industry stories and photographs we can all relate to. You're my readers, and most of you are seriously invested in imaging, but what about your readership and "Mom?"

For most of you, "Mom" is your target audience. Remember, 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories are made by women, and Mom is almost always involved. Throwback images can prompt Mom to consider an updated family portrait. We're into Spring seasonality, and then into the importance of capturing summer memories. It's the perfect time to remind your audience that it's time for an updated family portrait.

• Find six old photographs that relate to your business focus, and you'll have six weeks of throwback posts to share.
• Look for images that show changes in style. From clothes to hair and makeup to colors, there's so much out there to choose from.
• You can share throwback images everywhere. If you have a blog, it's the perfect topic. With or without a blog, you can share the photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest - wherever your target audience hangs out. You could also add a fun section to your website sharing older images.
• Add in a promotional offer - there's nothing wrong with tagging your throwback shares with a limited-time special offer. You've got their attention with an old photograph - now bring it all together. Close with an idea to update their family portrait and get them into your studio or on location.
• Offer a Legacy Program that uses still images and video to capture the stories your clients want to share with future generations. I've written a lot about this in past posts. If you're still stuck on how to do it, send me a DM on Facebook, and I'm happy to give you a hand.

What I love most about a Throwback Thursday approach is that it's so soft-sell, it's hard-sell without being in anybody's face. Plus, it works on just about any image, even a headshot campaign. Have fun with the old photos you share. Use them to show your sense of humor and how much fun you are to work with.

When you can make fun of yourself, you become that much more approachable and a stronger relationship builder. Plus, you're reminding "Mom" that the kids are growing up and that her family is changing. While we can't stop time, as a professional photographer, you can take time and turn it into a tangible memory and a perfect gift for any time of year!

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and to date, I've shared seven different posts about areas you need to examine in your marketing efforts. The whole idea is to help make 2026 one of your very best years in business.

And while the politics and economy around us certainly don't make things easy, people still have memories to capture, and they need your skills as a storyteller and your technique as a "magician." Remember, you're the one who can literally capture time and make it stand still!

"The aim of marketing is to get customers to know, like and trust you."
Unknown

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday and time for another installment of "Drilling Down." 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. Of even greater concern is the number of you who don't think of yourself as small business owners. Even if you're freelancing or working for another studio, imaging is a career choice that lends itself to ALWAYS building your brand.

Success isn't as much about 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 the idea Steven Gotz shared back during 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 remind clients what you do for a living. And it doesn't have to be exclusively for kids!
• Community Involvement: People like buying products/services from companies they perceive as giving back. Being involved in your community can start at any time. And it doesn't have to include a camera in your hands. Use your social media presence or blog to help spread the word of nonprofits in your community - be an ambassador!
• Own Your Zip Code: Draw a circle around where you're based and start knocking on doors!  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 and Social Media: Your website is about what you sell, and your blog/social media is about what's in your heart. Post at least twice a week, same days, same times. Share stories/ideas relatable to your readership. Your goal is to build a community. Talk about the diversity of your skill set. Share tips on photography, especially posing, lighting, and composition.
• 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. 
• 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. Here's your chance to cross-promote on discounts and each other's products as gift ideas.
• 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 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.
• 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. Offer to do a career day presentation 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 education more fun.
• Build a Community Calendar: Everyone is always looking for new content. So, keep a calendar on your blog and Facebook page 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 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!

Relationship building is your most vital marketing tool - so, set up a time every week to build 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!

Your overall goal: Exceed expectations and make yourself habit-forming! And that applies to every interaction with past, present or potential future clients!

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and a perfect time for another component in the "Drilling Down" series. Time to take a look at the continuity of your complete presentation: your website, social media presence, and printed material.

Over the years, writing for Shutter Magazine, I wrote a piece about the importance of continuity. It's a challenge shared by so many of you. Here's the issue - if you were to put all of your published material side by side, absolutely nothing matches! Your website, blog, brochures, business cards, stationery, and ads, along with everything in social media, have all been built at different times and often with a different vision. The result is a nightmare of design elements that probably don't fit.

With each Shutter Magazine article, authors needed to supply a short video highlighting the key elements. To make the point, I went into my closet and pulled out a combo that demonstrated the problem...including a flannel shirt in 90-degree heat in Florida. It reminds me of little kids when they finally get the opportunity to dress themselves.

I'm betting that for many of you, your support material doesn't look much better. While it wasn't intentional, it happened nonetheless, and maintaining brand continuity is so important. So, let's hit some easy fixes.

• Unless you've got a graphic design background/education, get yourself some professional help. Most of you have a great eye for this stuff, but you're not really a trained professional. It's worth the investment to have someone who knows what they're doing assess all your material.
• Look at everything you publish, from the pages of your website to your blog, Facebook page, Instagram, etc., to your brochures, stationery, and even business cards.
• Remember your target audience. I've written this many times before...98% of the decisions to hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories are made by women. Your site doesn't have to be totally feminine, and for you guys out there, you don't have to give up your masculinity, but you need to at least have a little "curb appeal" for female visitors to Internet properties and printed material.
• Pay attention to the way you describe things from component to component. Your content needs to be upbeat and maintain the same kind of continuity. Your website is about what you sell, while your blog is about what's in your heart. Your printed material is also about what you sell, your services. Be consistent in professionalism, detail, and vocabulary.

We all recognize Tiffany's logos and materials, for example. Every woman knows what to expect if she's handed a gift in their signature turquoise bag. Your recognition time on the Mercedes logo, BMW, and Audi is the same as well. And everyone recognizes the golden arches! Your brand needs consistency, but remember, just as important as the look of all your material is the service and performance behind it. Your skill set has to be just as consistent.

Make sure you can walk the talk, then give your talk the consistency to build strong brand recognition!

by Skip Cohen

The next segment of the "Drilling Down" series focuses on an idea to help expand your audience and reach more potential clients. This series ties back to many ot the core ideas from my nine basics for success in 2026.

Building your client base is something you should be doing 365 days a year. And right now, with Spring seasonality right around the corner (Mother's Day, Graduation, and Father's Day), it's the perfect time to think about finding new clients, as well as reminding your old ones what you do for a living. Being a professional photographer means you never stop learning and building your skill set. Being a small business owner means you never stop working to build your database of potential clients.

1. Your Current Database: I'm always surprised by the number of businesses that get so focused on finding new customers that they forget to take care of their old ones. There are so many opportunities to take old customers and bring them back for new products. Being in business, especially as a professional photographer, is about building relationships, and there's no better place to start than reconnecting with past clients. Keep in touch via email, phone calls, and even personal notes/letters.
2. Direct Mail: Direct mail is back with a vengeance. Think about how much noise there is in our lives and how many emails you delete every day without ever opening anything. Design a postcard mailer showing your images with a short call to action for a portrait sitting, a free promotional offer, etc. If we've learned nothing else from retail, promotions get our attention. You don’t have to discount your basic pricing, but provide added value with unique bonuses.
3. Look for Partners: You don’t need to do the postcard by yourself.  A children’s photographer might partner with a children’s clothing store. A wedding photographer can partner with florists, wedding planners, venues, salons, limo companies, etc. A senior photographer might partner with a sports store, a teen-focused clothing store, or similar businesses.
4. Stuck for New Ideas? Call your lab. All you have to do is ask, "What's new?" Then, sit back and listen. From new products to new materials they're printing on, a great lab has an ongoing collection of photo-centric ideas to choose from. This is the perfect time to call Marathon! From their current grad-card promotion to the Bella Albums to books and new presentation ideas, they've got so much to choose from.
5. Buy a List:  You don’t have to spend a fortune. Google the words "mailing lists" to find dozens of companies. Most will require a minimum quantity. They'll customize a list for you based on your needs. You can purchase by zip code. Many offer email lists as well. Often, they do not release lists. With spam issues, that's to your advantage. Let them handle deployment! If you do an email blast, consider your goals. Email alone isn't enough. Combine it with direct mail, publicity, and social media support.
6. Don't Forget Local Influencers: Built relationships with the local Chamber of Commerce, recognized individuals, and every business in your area. You never know when a postcard on children’s portraiture, for example, might inspire a bank manager to consider new headshots for their executives.
7. Use Social Media and Your Blog: If you've worked hard to build your presence, now use it. Keep growing your follower base with helpful, relevant content. You know your audience. Convert direct mail into social media or blog posts. Cross-promote with other vendors in the community. For example, a children's photographer partnering with a kids' clothing store might post about what to wear for portrait sittings and include the partners' special promotion.

Last but not least, remember this is a word-of-mouth business...

NOTHING helps your business more than exceeding expectations and producing quality products. But quality isn't just about the finished product. It's also about the experience of working with you. It's about keeping promises and making a portrait session, for example, FUN!  In the same respect, nothing can hurt you more than a reputation that's underwhelming!

There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.
Roger Staubach

by Skip Cohen

​I've written a lot over the years about taking care of your network. Spring seasonality is on your doorstep, essentially marking the end of the "slow season." But your network needs care year-round. Without care and feeding, like a house plant, your network will simply die!

Before business explodes and you get too busy, check out the suggestions below. Just as your network needs ongoing attention, think of it like the plant I mentioned earlier: it needs water, light, fertilizer, and space to grow. Your network is no different.

With your network in mind, remember that building relationships is your greatest marketing tool. As Scott Stratten says in his book UnMarketing, "Stop marketing and start engaging!"
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• Pick up the phone: What a concept - the telephone! Seriously, keeping in touch through social media is excellent, but there's nothing like a phone call. Review your network and set a goal of several calls each week.
• Be active in FB forums/groups: There are so many different Facebook groups focused on photographers staying in touch. Some of my favorites are Mentor. Photo, Facebook Wedding Photographers, Advanced Wedding Photographers, AIBP,  Gary Box's Inside the Box, and the list goes on and on.
• Join PPA National: I find a lot of support for their programs, especially in their email blasts. Similarly, join your local photographer's guild or PPA affiliate to stay in touch with artists in your community.
• Collaboration is also key. Retweet and share each other's tweets and posts. Work with other artists in your network and exchange content.
• Track birthdays, anniversaries, events in each other's lives - I love Facebook for this, and the birthday list is my first stop every morning. Take your top clients and make sure you know key dates in their lives. Don't forget LinkedIn, which helps keep track of business anniversaries and job changes - stay involved!
• Organize a networking luncheon: Here's an opportunity to bring together your counterparts from other companies with the same target audience. For example, a wedding photographer might bring together a wedding planner, florist, caterer, bridal studio, bakery, tux rental, limo company, and entertainment company.
• Share content for your blogs and social media: You don't have to write everything yourself, but you do need to be consistent. If you're not posting at least twice a week, same day, same time, then stop blogging/posting. Sharing content with another member of your network helps you create great content for your readers, and both of you benefit.
• Identify twenty people in your network who you really can't live without. This isn't just about respect and friendship; it's about people with skill sets that complement 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.
• 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.
• Stay in touch with your network using quick, thoughtful emails. It's easy to send a one-liner to keep relationships going.
• Websites and Blogs: Make a point of following the work of people in your network. It's not that hard if you set 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. Think about your next convention! Plan to take time with people in your network over any meal of the day. NEVER eat alone! Being able to catch up with friends and associates over a meal is a great way to build your network and expand your knowledge of each other's expertise. And keep in touch over lunch when you're NOT at a convention. All of you have associates you're in touch with, and lunch with another member of your community will always prove beneficial.
• Be generous with your time. When someone in your network asks for help, do your best and give them as much time as they need whenever possible.

All in all, the expression "It takes a village" rings true for your network. Start by giving your village the support it needs. Remember, your willingness to help makes your network your best resource when you need help in return! 

​by Skip Cohen

I'm kicking off the next segment of my "Drilling Down" series, zeroing in on core ideas from my nine basics for success in 2026. Too many of you overlook the importance of highlighting your own achievements. The fact is, if you don't promote yourself, nobody else is likely to step in. You need to become your own publicity machine in your community.

"What good is working so hard if nobody knows who you are?"

Sadly, many of you think publicity just happens by itself. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. While there are obviously things that make it into the news on their own, they're at the extremes and usually catastrophic. To ensure your business gets noticed, regularly write and distribute publicity releases rather than waiting for attention.

For many years, I wrote for Shutter Magazine. With every article online, there was always a video supporting the theme. The video below was my way to make the point about publicity, and it's so true. If you don't make a little noise on your own, then you might as well join me in a corn field in Nebraska! Think of it as me doing my version of "Where's Waldo"! 

Announcements and events related to your business need to be shared manually, at least when getting started - there is no auto or "P" mode!  For example, have you ever picked up the local paper or visited your community website online and seen a story about one of your competitors? That story or photograph is in the news because they worked to get it there. The days of journalists driving around the community looking for things to write about died with Jimmy Olson and Superman!

Outlets for "exposure" are everywhere. The obvious big winners are stories in the local paper, on the community/city website, etc., but that's at the top. All along the way, you've got your blog, other public blogs, community events, direct mail, various related websites, conventions, brochures, etc. Don't forget to offer the use of your images, from a community event, for example, to the hosting group, company, or association. You're looking for anything that gets your name out there.

Never assume you or your story isn't newsworthy! Especially with publications, never assume they're not interested in something you're doing. At Rangefinder Magazine, we used to regularly visit the story stash to find something interesting when we had space to fill. Not every story is going to be a cover feature, and often we had small sections within the magazine that simply needed something interesting for people to read about.

The biggest challenge is always the same: finding what's newsworthy. Most of the time, I hear photographers say, "There's nothing here to write about!" The truth is, there's always something to write about, and the odds are good that, if you're patient, a local publication, website, or organization will pick up the story at some point.

In the video above, I mentioned template releases. Here's an old example which might be perfect if you just returned from WPPI or a facsimile of a conference:

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and I want to continue with my "Drilling Down" series.  You're looking forward to a great year and need to pay close attention to everything under the Customer Service umbrella. Great service isn't just about your active clients; it's about ALL your interactions with your target audience. It's about building a reputation for excellence and a brand known for exceeding expectations.

Just for a second, think about any company you love working with. It might be a favorite restaurant, a supermarket or even a major corporation like Amazon.

For example, we do a significant amount of shopping online at Amazon. I can usually find anything we need. First, Amazon ALWAYS delivers. At a time when USPS, UPS, and FedEx take turns at being underwhelming, Amazon is consistently delivering on time. Second, their Customer Service team is pretty remarkable. I can call their 800 number, express my disappointment with an order, and have it resolved in minutes. And there are often times when I don't need to even return the defective or damaged merchandise to receive credit. THEY EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Here's a check-off list for your business:
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• Response Time: Do you check your email and phone messages multiple times each day? You need to respond as quickly as possible to set yourself apart from your competitors.
• Use Your Phone: Rather than always replying to emails in writing, use your phone. Have you tried calling the customer? Often, there are easy-to-answer questions allowing you to react even faster than through the written word. Plus, email and text messages are limited in being able to convey sincerity - whereas a phone call allows you to talk to the customer on a far more personal level.
• Finding Solutions: Whether you or a member of your team is working on it, find solutions to challenges quickly. And when there is a problem, NEVER hide from an angry/frustrated customer. 
• Exceeding Expectations: Every customer interaction is an opportunity. From the quality of the products and services you offer to each inquiry and interaction with the public, never walk away saying, "That's good enough!"
• Speed isn't Just About Your Response: Never assume your website is working the way you think it is. Check things every day on different platforms. Right now, Chrome and Safari have over 80% of the market share.
• You Can't Take It Back: Remember, there are no erasers on the Internet. Don't get into arguments in the various forums on Facebook, for example. You can never really take back an angry post, and you never know who might be a member of that FB group, reading and sharing what you've written.
• Simplicity: Too many of you have policies and disclaimers on your website that would scare an IRS auditor. Keep things simple in your policies. For example, save the discussion on penalties for noncompliance when you're having a discussion about your contract/agreement.

Here's the bottom line, and I'm paraphrasing what I've learned from good friends Tim and Beverly Walden over the years. Working with you should be an experience. You're not selling a portrait session, or for that matter, an album, prints, or video - you're selling the fun of working with you and building trust with your audience.

Tony Corbell says it best when he talks about things he did when he first started his business, "I wasn't the best photographer in town, but I was going to make sure I was the nicest!" He's never strayed from that philosophy, although today, he really is one of the best!

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and time to start drilling down on components from the nine-part Focus on Success series. Let's start with your About page.

First, you need to think about your audience, specifically, your demographics. Who's your ideal target? For most of you in the portrait social categories, that means Mom. Based on numerous studies over the years, mostly by Kodak, women make 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer. It's rare you get a call from Dad saying, "It's time for a new family portrait."

If you're not a specialist in the portrait/social world, then your target audience is a little different and well beyond Mom. This is where your galleries start to play a more significant role, especially in commercial categories like table top work and architectural photography. Regardless, you need to know the demographics so you get maximum exposure and impact with each visitor.

If a picture's worth a thousand words, then why use a headshot that looks like it was captured by an amateur?  You're a professional photographer, and your headshot needs to add to your story, not leave viewers wondering if you have the right skill set!

On Facebook a few weeks back, one of my favorite family photographers and long time friend, Alycia Savage, posted the shot on the right. If you know Alycia, then you already know her passion sets the standard for loving photography. The high-key portrait shows her enthusiasm and love for the craft. But when I visited her Facebook page, the header tells her story even more!

Click on any shot in the series to link to Alycia's FB page.