by Skip Cohen
​
It's Hump Day, and here's a suggestion to keep in mind as you put together future promotions. I've heard so many stories from photographers over the years who put together what they considered a great promotion, but it failed with minimal response. Most often, it was because the perceived value of the promotion wasn't as strong as they thought it would be. Whatever you offer, it has to have VALUE.
 
Value-added marketing is defined as delivering more than your customers are expecting through content and experiences. https://blog.duda.co/

For example, if you've put together a promotion for free goods when a specific service or product is purchased, you've got to make sure your target audience understands the true value of the promotion. We all know when a company pitches us for something they're giving away that has a $299 retail value, you can buy the product for half that through regular retail.

Years ago, my daughter, as a fifth grader, wound up on a kid's TV gameshow and won $2000 in prizes, which were taxable at that amount. But the real value was, at best, around $800! It didn't change the fun or the value of the experience, but it does make a point about value.

Your challenge is to establish promotional value that exceeds customer expectations. They need to understand the offer, what the product or service does, and how it fulfills a need they have. This is why I love cross-promotions between non-competing companies.

A promotion between a wedding photographer and a florist, for example, both have products the client needs. They also have money to spend with both companies. Last but not least, the consumer understands both the florist's and photographer's product line and has a need for both.

Hey, it's Hump Day, and these posts are always meant to be short and easy to think about - and if you're stuck for promotional ideas, you know where to find me if I can help.

Happy Hump Day!

by Skip Cohen

​We've all grown up knowing the importance of a good breakfast, but we rarely think about feeding our minds daily. Sheila and I have a couple of motivational books we read each morning. And yes, we read these short pieces out loud to each other and talk about what we just read. While to some of you, it might seem a little hokey - it helps us both focus and know what we each have on our plate for the day ahead.

My reading this morning was perfect for this topic:

by Emily Silva, Sunrise Gratitude - Before you begin your day, take some time to plan the way you want your day to go. Allow your mind to focus on this intention and visualize how you can incorporate it today. See yourself as you want to act, respond, and communicate. As your day progresses, remind yourself of your intention. An intention can be a guidepost for each day. If you feel off course, remember your vision and act, respond, or communicate from the guidepost.
 
Happy Hump Day!

by Skip Cohen

​Sheila and I share a motivational reading every morning, and I cracked up when today, Hump Day, the reading referenced camels!

Out in the desert, a camel can sustain itself without food or water for weeks. To survive, it stores up energy for the harsh environment. A camel's ability to conserve energy and water helps it make journeys and sometimes carry heavy loads. This is a reminder that we all have inner resources. If we tap into our intuition, we can make difficult decisions, heal, and thrive. Even when we are going through something hard, what we need is available to us. - Emily Silva, Sunrise Gratitude

It's a straightforward point today and a reminder I wanted to share. We all have challenges to deal with, but so often, we forget to take the time, slow down, and think through a solution. We tend to panic first and act later after forgetting everything we've learned over the years.

We also forget to pull in the key people at the core of our network, or we go to the other extreme and pull them in immediately when the solution to whatever the problem was right there in our intuition all along. So the next time you run into the wall - take a timeout. Kick back a little and think through the challenge first. 

​Most important of all, don't give up.

Happy Hump Day!

The fool speaks, the wise man listens.
Ethiopian proverb

by Skip Cohen

Hump Day thoughts are short reminders to help you build a more substantial business. And as I've written previously, I love the camel shot for the header each week. So, until I run out of things to suggest, welcome to Hump Day.

We live in a rushed instant fulfillment world, and so often, even in a simple conversation, people aren't really listening because they're already thinking about what they want to say next. We often draw the wrong conclusions simply because we heard what somebody said but didn't really listen.

Going back to my Polaroid days, I wrote some pretty good promotional programs for the photo specialty dealers, which was my channel of responsibility. But honestly, I didn't come up with the ideas; the camera stores and Polaroid salesman did! 

All I had to do was talk to a salesman and ask, "If we doubled your sales quota for next year, what would you need to make your number?" And with retailers, the same kind of question, "If you were going to double your Polaroid sales for next year, what would you need from us?"

Then I'd kick back and listen to the responses - they had all the answers. From extended billing terms to advertising to better in-store displays...the list went on and on. Not everything was doable, but that didn't change the collection of great ideas I was pulling together.

Here's the bottom line...You've got two ears and one mouth - so listen twice as much as you talk!

I found the piece below about listening skills - we all need a reminder now and then. All the answers you need to build a stronger business are all out there - you just need to listen!

​Happy Hump Day!

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth!
Muhammad Ali

by Skip Cohen

​It's Hump Day, the middle of the week for some of us, and just another day for event artists working the weekends. But, this is a great time for short posts planting a few idea seeds to help you grow your business and elevate your brand. Besides - the camel shot is still one of my favorites!

If you're not involved in your community, you're missing one of the best ways to expand your reach. You need to give back and be perceived as more than just another retailer. And, if you do it right, it's a great way to build more relationships and get people to know you.

What good is working hard to create the finest images of your career if nobody knows who you are?

• Look for nonprofit organizations that are aligned with the causes you believe in.
• Getting involved can be done with or without a camera in your hand. Your goal is to get your name out in the community.
• Use your "real estate" in social media to write about events sponsored by your chosen nonprofit. So on Facebook and your blog, for example, share stories about the organization you're working with, and include images from various fund-raisers they're doing.

​
And for those who like to say, "Our community doesn't have much going on," take another look. Every community has something. Sometimes your most rewarding involvement will be with the smallest nonprofits. If you're still stuck, check out senior centers, programs for veterans, high school art programs, adult education centers, pet adoption centers, and local hospitals, just to name a few.

We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give.
Winston Churchill

by Skip Cohen

Because I love the illustration from Adobe Stock above, and it makes me smile, I'm going to stay with doing a "Hump Day" feature. It's too much fun not too! I'll do my best to keep it light and continue this series of quick thoughts to help you through the back half of the week and build a stronger business.

Years ago, I did a podcast with Matthew Jordan Smith as my guest, and we talked a lot about special projects.
Special projects help you stay focused on your creativity. This is especially important when your bread-and-butter business isn't as glamorous as you had hoped. A unique project allows you to be in complete control and can be virtually anything you decide to capture.

And you never know when a special project can become something bigger than you planned. Special projects can become exhibits, gallery shows, books, and even new businesses. For example, Matthew's book Future American President was based on an idea that was part of his life for at least three years before publication.

Most important of all is a special project helps to keep your sanity! Special projects help you stay focused on your passion for the craft beyond whatever pays the bills. When did you last shoot for your most important client - yourself? So often, what might have started as a just-for-the-fun-of-it idea evolves into something more focused and substantial.

Well, it's Hump Day, and the rest of this week is perfect for finding yourself a special project involving your skillset, camera, and unbridled creativity.

Perfection is an illusion.
If we keep waiting for the stars to align, we will reach the end of our lives regretting that we never tried.
Stop the waiting game and take action toward the change you want.
Emily Silva

by Skip Cohen

​It's Wednesday, hump day, and If you think about it, there really is no middle of the workweek any longer. The expression started in the 50s when Saturday was a coast day, and no businesses were open on Sunday. Today most retailers run seven days a week. Plus, if you're a wedding and event photographer working Friday - Sunday, there is no "coasting" into the weekend.

Still, and probably just because I love the illustration above from Adobe Stock - I'm going to keep it light and start a series of quick thoughts to hopefully help you through the back half of the week.

After making a big change in their life, we've all heard people comment, "I wish I had done it years ago!" Change doesn't come easy for most of us, and big changes are always slow, depending on the risk involved. In business, especially, there's a lot to consider.

But the challenge so many of us have is finally taking that leap of faith to make a change. Whether it's big or small, we procrastinate too much through the process. The point is, we're looking for perfection - exactly the right change.

One of my most favorite quotes is thanks to Zig Ziglar:

There's my point - stop chasing perfection, but don't slow down on continuing to set high goals. Whether it's running your business, working with clients, raising the bar on your skill set, or simply recognizing what it takes to make you smile every day - all you can do is your best. And if there's something slowing you down then just like a garden - it might be time to do a little pruning!

Happy Hump Day!

What fools call wasting time is most often the best investment.
Nassim Taleb

by Skip Cohen

​It's "Hump Day," and for whatever reason, I wandered into cyberspace to check out when the expression got started. Here's what Google gave me:

Wednesday first came to be known as hump day since at least the 1950s. The expression figures Wednesday, the middle of the workweek, as the hump people get over to coast into the weekend. Throughout the 20th century, Wednesday was especially referred to as hump day in an effort to liven up the drudgery of the workweek.

If you think about it, there's no middle of the workweek any longer. In the 50s, Saturday was a coast day, and no businesses were open on Sunday. Today most retailers run seven days a week. Plus, if you're a wedding and event photographer working Friday - Sunday, there is no "coasting" into the weekend.

But here's how I use "Hump Day:" I have several ongoing projects. On Wednesdays, I like to waste time. "First and second Tuesdays" (see my previous post) are always a little insane. By Wednesday, I want to look at what I've done and what I have coming up, and I'll often take time to kick back a little to think through my game plan. I review my calendar, check out any deadlines I have coming up, and then do some of the prep work for specific things I'm working on. It's a day to reflect a little and then ramp up for things I want to complete by Friday's end.

We all should have our routines, but sadly, for those of you just starting out, it's natural to be reactionary. You're trying to be all things to everybody. You'll eventually lose focus, and that's when something gets missed. It took me a lot of years to recognize my own limitations versus my available time. I had no choice but work to get a little more organized.

Learn from my mistakes so that you can make new ones of your own. Establish a few standard routines you do each day that involve various aspects of your business. And while marketing is a category that needs to be ongoing all the time - remember, your greatest marketing tool is relationship building. Make sure you have time allotted for customer contacts and building a brand that demonstrates your accessibility and passion for the craft.