by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and I've still got a few topics left to help you focus on making 2026 one of your very best years in business. Regardless of what the government tells us, costs have increased for almost everything it takes to run your business and live your life. One solution to the challenge and, at the same time, to expand your reach comes through partnerships. You don't have to fly solo on everything it takes to run your business. There are so many opportunities to work together with other companies.

This isn't a new topic at SCU, but one I've written a lot about over the years. It's still the "slow season," giving you the perfect opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen old ones. Great partnerships can dramatically strengthen many aspects of your business.

Here are nine different opportunities/partnerships to consider:
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• Direct mail: A postcard with two other partners reduces your cost by 1/3 compared to flying solo. It expands your reach and awareness by combining the databases of all three partners. Plus, each partner becomes an ambassador for the other two entities involved. It starts with finding partners who share a common target audience. Next, combine your databases, then share the cost for design and production. Last but not least, share the mailing/postage cost. And if you're stuck on a way to get started, call Marathon - they've got a team of designers who have done dozens of mailings like this.
• 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 include a restaurant known for things like a Mother's Day brunch, especially as we get closer to the holiday.
• 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, or canvas wrap - something with perceived value.
• Contest sponsorship: Work with other vendors in the community to create unique events that raise awareness and support a relevant cause. There's a terrific older post in the SCU archives, thanks to Bruce Berg. It highlights the partnership among three studios during the "slow season" and, as Bruce shared, has been responsible for additional income when things would normally be deadly quiet!
• Start a newsletter: They're so easy nowadays, 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 whose 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 maybe 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; 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 that benefits everybody.​
• Share Gallery Space: My good buddy Kevin Gilligan shares space with twenty other artists in Hermosa Beach, CA. The South Bay Artist Collective gives each member the benefit of added creativity, shared expenses, increased exposure, motivation, and networking. Flying solo, none of the participants could afford the space or the promotion of their events on their own. And when there's a gallery event/reception, all the collective's members benefit.

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. I'm sure I've missed plenty, since these are all in the portrait/social categories.
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• 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, pediatricians, or dentists.
• 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

Stop thinking you've got to do everything by yourself. Business has changed dramatically, but alongside the frustrations, there are 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!

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and most of you still think of this as the "slow season." While it might be slow because incoming revenue is down, it shouldn't be a slow time for you as a business owner.

Building a successful business is like putting a puzzle together. Each piece represents another aspect of your relationship with your target audience and the community. No two pieces of the puzzle are the same, but they all fit together. And you need ALL of them to complete the "picture."

Whether you're just starting your business, rebuilding, or looking to do a quick, high-impact jumpstart, NOW is the time to plan and take action. And, your very best marketing tool is relationship building. Yes, you need the skills to walk the talk, and social media involvement is important, but in the end, it all comes down to relationships.

So, let's hit on some dependable relationship builders:

• Community Involvement: I shared ideas on being more involved in last week's post, but it's important enough to deserve another reminder: 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 the coiner of the term, listed community involvement as one of the top things marketers need to do. The fun part of this is using social media to raise awareness of needs in your community. Every non-profit is looking for support. Use your blog, Facebook, TikTok, etc., to help promote various activities in your community and get yourself involved and known for giving back.
• Finding Clients: Everyone is always talking about finding new customers. Sadly, too many of you forget about your existing database. Take your top 30-50 clients from the past year or two, and start calling them ASAP. You don't need to sell anything. Just call to check in on them. Your goal is simply to see how they're doing. A personalized letter, hand-signed, is another effective approach. What to write about? Talk about your focus on helping them create and capture memories. For most of you, your target audience is "Mom" and she's already familiar with how fast the kids are growing!
• Own Your Zip Code: My good buddy Scott Bourne started talking about this years ago, and it couldn't be more effective today. Pound the pavement and start knocking on doors in the business community. You don't have to sell anything except your personality. And for those who are rolling their 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." Leave your business card behind. You're just touching base to be helpful.
• Start Your Own Online/Live Classes: There are things you do daily as a photographer that you take for granted. Whether live evening programs or online, 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 budget constraints, you have an opportunity to help by taking a leadership role and sharing ideas for the classroom. Track down a few teachers and look for opportunities to be a guest on career day about being a business owner and photographer. Help the student yearbook and newsletter photographers, too.
• Legacy Programs: I've written so much on this topic, but it's perfect for working with kids. Help give them the guidance to become their family's historian. Photographers are the world's great storytellers, so help the kids you work with in the schools to learn the components they need and who should be the "stars" of their productions. This is about helping them capture the stories of their parents, grandparents, and other older relatives, before they're gone. And these days, every kid has access to a phone with both still imaging and video capabilities.
• Be Active on Facebook/Social Media: While we all hate a lot about FB, keeping in touch with clients through social media couldn't be easier, especially with birthdays and anniversaries when they're listed. ​
• Keep in Touch With Your Network: All of you have people you've met at various shows and conventions over the years. 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 with them. 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.
• Join a Service Group: From the Chamber of Commerce to organizations like Kiwanis, Rotary, and Exchange Club, being involved is a perfect relationship builder.

Your goal is to be a leader in your community and demonstrate why you're everyone's best choice for the services and products you provide. What good is working to create the finest images of your career if people don't know who you are and what you stand for?

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and I've still got a lot left in the pipeline for suggestions to help make 2026 one of your very best years in business and to build more brand awareness.

Today, let's discuss the importance of your community. Over the years, I've emphasized how being active in your community increases awareness of your role. If you expect support from your community, make sure you actively support them as well.

People like buying from companies they see as giving back. Being involved in the community takes time, often outside your office. But it's one of the best ways to build your reputation.

So, for those of you who are stuck for ideas, check out the list below for a starter.

• Consider joining local organizations such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Exchange Club, or similar groups to connect beyond just being a retailer in your neighborhood.
• Talk to the president of the local PTA, and don't forget that there are usually several PTAs, one for each elementary, middle, junior, and high school. From photographing events to helping with kids' projects, portraits instead of bake sales, etc., the list of opportunities is endless.
• Got a local hospital? They're always looking for help. As a journalist, help them tell their story. Years ago, photographer, Corey Schwartz put together a day-in-the-life book for Phoenix Children's Hospital that even made the evening news.
• All of the sports teams, from soccer to Little League, the Boosters Clubs always need help. And you don't necessarily need a camera in your hands - just being involved in helping sell hot dogs for a Friday night game gets you great exposure.
• Talk to guidance counselors to learn about the school paper and yearbook. As a photographer, help build their image stash and mentor student photographers.
• Big Brother, Big Sister, and local children's charities always need support and welcome more help.
• Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to find out where the greatest needs in your community are.
• Animal and pet shelters, as well as food banks and kitchens, always appreciate community involvement, especially in areas affected by recent hardships.
• Retirement and senior citizen homes have activity calendars that never slow down. Help them build their own archives for editorial and presentations.
• Then there are all the usual national charities supporting the fight against Alzheimer's, breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes – you name it, and there's an organization out there trying to make the world a better place.
• Check out your local food bank, especially in areas impacted by so many recent natural disasters and layoffs.
• Food kitchens and efforts to help the homeless are abundant in most larger cities.
• Support for our military is everywhere. Photographers help families with portraits before deployment and upon return. With current world challenges, who knows where or when the next deployment will be?
• Looking for something more photo-centric? Check out Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. It's a tough concept and not for everybody, but every artist I've ever spoken with has said their experience was "life-changing."

by Skip Cohen

Yesterday, I shared a series of topics to use in social media, regardless of whether or not you publish a blog. I realize there are plenty of people who believe the days of blogging are long gone, and to a point, they're right. But the most important issue is being relevant to your readership, however you're reaching them, and blogging does help contribute to SEO.

Below is a list of content topics - they don't have to be used as formal blogs, but could easily morph into posts, reels, or sound bites on Facebook, for example. My point is to give you ideas to keep strengthening your brand as an imaging artist in your community, with the goal of raising your brand awareness as an artist.

When somebody tells me there's nothing to write about where they live, they just haven't looked hard enough. There's ALWAYS something going on worth talking about!

Here's another round of content ideas. It's not meant to be all-inclusive.
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• 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 having fun in the community at the same time.
• 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 support role for each event and the groups/associations hosting them.
• Community events after they've taken place: Be there live or online to capture the event. Then, create content about the event. Become an ambassador for non-profits, which will get their attention and also help spread the word about the brand you're building.
• 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 artistic skills.
• Tips on presentations: framing, canvas wraps, and slide shows
• Gift ideas using photography: As I've written before - CALL YOUR LAB and ask, "What's new?" Then, include a few new products on your website.
• Places to photograph around the community
• Technology updates: Become a resource for your readers on new imaging products. Include easy-to-use software, especially programs that involve mobile applications.
• Important camera gear and mobile accessories for capturing great images
• Profile your favorite charity in the community.
• Profiles of people/businesses in the community: Do an environmental portrait of people in the community. There's an almost unlimited supply of subjects, from your pharmacist to the chef at your favorite restaurant to a helpful manager at the local market.
• Photo projects for kids: From coloring book pages made from family portraits and events to keeping a photo journal, help Mom and Dad with ideas to keep the kids busy, especially this time of year in areas hit with snow and cold.
• Documenting Valuables: Run a few posts on building images for insurance purposes. Include tips on close-up and macro, as well as storage tips for the photographs.
• Throwback Thursday: Sharing old images gives you a chance to remind clients it's time for a new family portrait. It's also an excellent way to talk about Legacy programs.
• Legacy Programs: I have hundreds of old photographs of family members who have all passed away. I don't know who many of them are because I didn't take the time when my folks were alive to find out about them. Share ideas on becoming the family historian!
• 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: The number of applications is almost unlimited. And besides planting the seeds for ideas, position yourself as the expert to take your readers through the process.
• How to show your best side with online video (Skype, Google, Zoom, etc.)
• Cross-promotions with other vendors: Stop thinking you have to do everything alone! Look for community vendors with the same target audience and then cross-promote with each other. This should include not only the products/services themselves but also posts about each other's businesses. For example, post a blog on tips for macro and close-up images with flowers. The link becomes where the flowers came from, as well as post-processing and printing.
• Growing your skill set: Share new things you're doing in your business as a result of workshops (on or offline) you've attended. Headed to WPPI this year? Create content from things you see at the trade show or classes you're taking to add to your business offerings. And as you pick classes to attend, don't forget growth only occurs outside your comfort zone! Always take at least one class that's completely different from your core business focus.

There are 20+ content ideas for you to share. Your goal is consistency in sharing great information and building brand awareness as the photography expert in the community. Remember, these give you content to share during those quiet weeks. You still have images to share with things like "365 Projects," client shoots, and events happening more in real time throughout the week.

Remember, not everything you share on social media always has to be live/fresh. Build a stash of posts in advance, then mix them with current events and projects. This way, you'll always have something in the queue when you're busy and time for social media is limited.

by Skip Cohen

When it comes to sharing ideas to help you build a stronger business in the new year, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm like a dog with a bone. For close to 20 years, across at least 3 different blogs, as well as in presentations, podcasts, and guest posts, I've covered so many different aspects to help you build a more successful business.

We're in the "slow season," but in reality, as a business owner, you should never have a truly slow time of year. When incoming business/revenue is low, there's plenty you should be doing to establish your "formula" for success in the year ahead.

I started with your website and social media basics last week. Now it's time to move to content ideas. I'm so tired of hearing photographers say, "But Skip, there's nothing here to write about!"

Most of you are sitting on a goldmine of topics, perfect for a blog or wherever you're most active in social media. Sadly, you're often too close to your own business to recognize how much value there is in so many different aspects of your knowledge about imaging. Remember, the key to building followers is all about being helpful.  

As a photographer, you do things you take for granted every day. 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 conventional camera or a phone, let's help them raise the bar on their images.
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• ​Composition: Show them the basics. For example, 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 triangular placement. Show examples of the right and wrong ways to pose.
• 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 outdoor images 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. And on an iPhone, demonstrate how to zoom or change the special effects when in portrait mode.
• 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. Share a page or two out of an album you did for a previous client.
• 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 on social media to printing, give them ideas of things to do with their photographs. Most professional labs have little interest in working with consumers, so you might have to resort to Shutterfly for some examples. However, this is also where you can plant the seed of why you're a professional with ideas about framing and presentations. It's also a great tie-in to unique products you're offering.
• Subject matter: Back in my Polaroid days, we reminded 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 new products to help them get the most out of the experience of capturing images.
• 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!"

There's a very practical advantage to the ideas above: each one lets you share some of your images as examples of the right and wrong ways to capture their memories. You're establishing yourself as the expert in imaging in your community. And if you have a Facebook page, you can share each idea with examples and reinforce your reputation as an artist and a community leader.

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

Tune in later this week for 20+ more ideas for social media topics!

by Skip Cohen

January rolls around, and many of you hit the brakes. You seem to think you can kick back and chill for a few weeks. I'm not questioning whether business owners need a break, just the impact of stopping work. It might be the slow season, but "slow" is only about revenue and clients coming through the front door! Right now, things can be as busy as you want them to be when it comes to building a stronger business for 2026.

I'm continuing my quest to give you ideas to build a more substantial business and, at the very least, give a few of you a jump start.

Next topic: I want to focus on your social media activity and blogging.

"Your website is about what you sell. Your blog is about what's in your heart." And for those of you who no longer blog, then consider what I'm sharing as applicable to posts wherever you're sharing content on social media platforms.

While I'd love to take credit for all of the tips below, many of them are thanks to my good buddy Scott Bourne. They apply to any place you're trying to build readership and followers.

• Consistency: one key to success. If you're posting every full moon, then give it up. I suggest posting at least twice a week.
• Build a stash: Everything you share doesn't have to be written in real time! Take the slow time now and put together a couple of dozen posts. Then, use one a week from your stash. On the other day of posting, tie in something you're doing that's recent and maybe even community-related.
• Content is King - Pay attention to who your readers are. You've got to be relevant to their needs. If you don't know your demographics, how can you be sure what you're sharing is appropriate for your readership?
• Timing is essential: Post on the same days each week and at the same time.
• Don't write term papers! Keep your posts relatively short - ideally, 200-500 words is the max for a blog; you can go over that if the topic is relevant, but if that's the case, then use bullet points. For posts on social media platforms like Facebook, keep it much shorter.
• Be careful with your topics! I learned this the hard way just yesterday. I shared something political that I thought people from "both sides" would find helpful. Instead, it turned my Facebook page into a venue of arguments pulling in a lot of troll-like behavior. I finally pulled it down, but learned an old lesson I shouldn't have disregarded.
• Cut too many English classes when you were a kid?  Now you've got AI to give you a hand, although personally I still appreciate writing all my own shared material. I use Spellcheck and Grammarly. However, with Grammarly, read every suggestion out loud. Grammarly doesn't always know exactly what you're talking about, and it often gives recommendations that don't accurately convey the meaning you intend.
• Hate to write, but have a blog? Find yourself an English teacher from the local high school or an "A" student who loves to write. There's nothing wrong with having a ghostwriter who listens to what you want to say and puts it together into a post format. Finding a teacher or student who'd like to moonlight a little is an inexpensive way to get additional support to supplement your weak spots.
• Guest post on other blogs and share on Facebook: Use your network and swap posts with other photographers/businesses targeting a similar audience. Everything you post doesn't have to be written directly by you. For example, a wedding photographer might exchange posts with a maternity or newborn artist, and vice versa.
• Adding photographs: Include at least one relevant photograph with each post.
• Links: Don't go wild with too many links in a post, either to other locations within your website or to external sources.
• Share what's in your heart! Your posts give your products/services credibility, like publicity, supporting advertising. You don't need to get overly personal, but for most of you, your target audience is "Mom." Share some of your challenges she can identify with.

And there they are: 12 tips to help you build a social media presence that draws readers. But social media alone isn't enough. You need to weave a web around your readers so they're finding you in multiple locations. It's all about building a more recognized brand, starting with being helpful to your followers.

More ideas coming in the weeks ahead.

by Skip  Cohen

I'm like a dog with a bone when it comes to sharing ideas to help you build a stronger business in the new year. It's a subject I've focused on for close to 20 years across at least 3 blogs, as well as in presentations, podcasts, and guest posts.

It's January 12, and if there is a "slow season," this is it right now. But in reality, as a business owner, you never have a truly slow time of year. When incoming business/revenue is low, there's plenty you should be doing to establish your "formula" for achievement in the year ahead.

While technology has never slowed down, there's not much left I haven't written about in the past when it comes to marketing. Yet there are so many of you who still act like procrastination is a strategy! Too many of you are reactionary, with no planning or strategy for the new year. You wouldn't get in your car for trip across the country without a bit of planning, including the route, cities you wanted to visit, accommodations, etc., yet your attacking the new year without a road map! 

NOW is the time to lay the foundation for 2026 to be your best year yet. It's time to be a mad scientist, lock yourself in the "lab," and start looking at what you need to change.

Let's start with your website:

• Does your website function the way you want it to? A potential client's visit to your website should be an experience. So, it's up to you - is it a good experience like Nordstrom's, or is it Macy's the day after Christmas?
• Don't assume everything is working the way you want it. Check your website every day on different platforms, including desktop vs. mobile.
• Can consumers find what's most important to them, or do they have to mine for what you'd like them to see first?
• Get rid of the clutter on your website. Some of you have sites that look like the junk drawer in our kitchen! Hook clients with extraordinary images in your galleries, which should be the first tab. Next, your "About" page, then everything else.
• Don't bury visitors 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 in your galleries. If it's not a "wow" print, take it down. A"wow" print is an image so good that 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. For most of you, your target is "Mom," and she doesn't care about, let alone even know about PPA or WPPI. 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 needs to convey your enthusiasm and love for the craft and your clients.
• Be accessible! I'm tired of artists who have contact forms but only respond when there's a full moon! There's no such thing as too quick a response or too much contact information! Give them your phone number and email address. If you work from home and don't want to share your address, that's fine, but be ready to respond the minute they contact you.
• Are you building brand awareness in the community? You've got to be involved in your community and relevant to your visitors/readers. For example, plant the seeds for ideas for updated family portraits and headshots. Most important of all - BE HELPFUL!​
• Stop putting people to sleep! Too many of you have been offering the same products and services since you started, and they've become boring, especially since many of your competitors offer the same things. It's time for something new. Start with a call to your lab and just ask, "What's new?" There's so much exciting under the presentation umbrella these days - labs offer 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/present images. (Note: If you're at IUSA this week, check out Marathon Press in Booth 347 - lots of new album, book and presentation ideas!)

This is a "you snooze - you lose" scenario. We might be in the slow season, but it shouldn't be slow for you as a business owner. Valentine's Day, Easter, prom season, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduation are all around the corner.

This is the first Marketing Monday for this series - coming up, we'll hit on more topics to help you build a powerhouse business in the new year...but remember, even with great marketing, you still need an outstanding skill set when a camera is in your hands! Anybody can get their first customer, but it's your skill sense and customer service that brings that first customer back and in turn has them tell all their friends about you!