![]() by Skip Cohen We're into Spring seasonality, but there are still too many of you who instead of taking action to build your business, are waiting for the sales or marketing fairy to come in and sprinkle success dust on your career! The result is endless procrastination, and soon it'll be too late to have any serious positive impact...so, STOP PROCRASTINATING! Since starting this blog in 2013, I've done several series of posts to help small business owners, primarily photographers/videographers, build a stronger business. This current series, Business Breakthroughs, started at the end of January. There have been twelve different topics. From ending procrastination to keeping negative people out of your life, and everything in between, I've covered so many significant challenges you face. The biggest challenge for every business is breaking through the noise—the chaos in your target audience's lives that distracts them from recognizing the importance of your role in the community. Many of you forget your value as a magician, helping people capture intangible moments and turning them into memories that last a lifetime! Below are twelve links to past Business Breakthroughs. Spring seasonality is on your doorstep, with Mother's Day, prom season, graduation, and Father's Day all coming up over the next two months. All along the way, there will be opportunities for you to grow your business and increase revenue...but I can only help with ideas. You're the only one who can build your business and turn 2025 into one of your most successful years as an artist. Each banner below links to the original article. Think about where you need to fine-tune and then attack the challenge. I have a few more topics to share, but if you're stuck and need more help, you know where to find me! *Quote by Janet Dailey
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"Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice!" Steve Jobs by Skip Cohen While this is a Marketing Monday post about the business of imaging, Steve Jobs's quote is good advice for just about everyone I know in today's opinionated, polarized political environment. However, I'm staying on point and sharing ideas related to being a photographer, videographer, and small business owner. Photography is an art form that family members and friends often misunderstand. They don't understand your passion. They assume you're going to starve in the process. They may never have seen your work and question whether or not you're good enough. They don't understand why you can't just go out and get a "real job"! Sound familiar? On the old GoingPro podcasts, Scott Bourne and I talked a lot about surrounding yourself with people with positive attitudes. You need to block out the "Negators." It's not out of Greek mythology, but it should be. Negators are people who are so unhappy in their own lives; their only joy in life is screwing with yours! The result is most often serious damage to your self-confidence. So, here are a few suggestions to help you stay focused (pun intended) and give you a little reinforcement. You know how to focus your camera, but do you know how to hold the focus on your career path and your business?
Most important of all...Listen to your heart. It sounds hokey, but you know what you feel inside. You know what your gut instinct is saying about your passion for being an artist. You know what's a good fit, but negativity will slow you down. It's April, and the "busy season" is about to start picking up everywhere, in spite of everyone's fear of the unknown with the cost of living and the economy. But here's another way to look at all the challenges we're dealing with today—creating special memories with family and friends has become even more important. Nobody can take away great memories, and as an imaging artist, your skills in helping people capture them is even more valuable today. You've got the best part of the year ahead of you. It's time to really dig into your journey. And if you need a little help from one of the industry's biggest cheerleaders - you know where to find me! “Even if you fall flat on your face, you’re still moving forward!”
Victor Kiam “If you wait for all the lights to be green, you’ll never get started on your journey!” Zig Ziglar by Skip Cohen I started this series to help photographers overcome the chaos that prevents them from making their businesses a greater success. While some of you may think paying attention to your phone style is outdated, replaced by texting and emails, it's anything but obsolete. The art of conversation is desperately needed more than ever in business today. How you handle yourself over the phone is at the top of the list of critical marketing tools. Even though email and texting drive the world, a live call is still one of the very best relationship-building techniques in business! There was a time when "Ma Bell" used to teach classes on phone etiquette for business clients. I remember being sent to a workshop in my Customer Service days at Polaroid and thinking how stupid it was to suggest I didn't have the skill set to answer the phone. But it wasn't about answering the phone; it was about using the phone as a customer service tool. At least once a week, I'm chasing a company to find an answer to a question. Comcast is one of the worst, but in all honesty, they're not alone. We live in a world of defaults and A.I. which rarely gets you to a live body. Recently, it took me three transfers before I got the right department and an expert capable of answering my question at one of the most recognized companies in the world. Plus, my call was answered offshore, and only one of the four people I spoke with actually sounded sincere when empathizing with my complaint. By the time I got to the last person, I was so tired of being handed off. I was frustrated and rude, and it really wasn't the fault of the rep but the people who designed the response system of their company. As seasonality starts to pick up again with Easter, Passover, Mother's Day, graduation, and Father's Day on the very near horizon, this is the perfect time to brush up on your phone style and bring a stronger sense of professionalism to your phone skills.
"The greatest technology in the world hasn't replaced the ultimate relationship building tool between a customer and a business...the human touch!" Shep Hyken Looking for more great reminders on Customer Service overall? Check out Shep Hyken's blog. He's always sharing ideas on how to exceed client expectations!
Risk more than other's think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is realistic. Claude Bissell by Skip Cohen
It's Friday, and I've gotten into the routine of sharing my thoughts each week that's based on a great quote I've stumbled across. The quote above is a prime example, and it seems to be how I've aged into my life at this point, although I'm still work in progress. The quote came out of Lou Mitchell's book on positive thinking. He went on to write some great advice: Reflect on your current approach to life. Are you playing it safe and adhering to what others consider wise and practical? How can you start taking more risks, caring more deeply, dreaming bigger, and expecting greater outcomes --to live a life that genuinely excites and fulfills you? Now, let's take that quote and apply it to the business of being a professional photographer and artist. Over the years, I've met so many photographers who play everything safe! To compare it to your skill set, it's the equivalent of always shooting at f8! Years ago, I heard a great comment about growth..."Growth only happens outside your comfort zone." Well, nothing could be more true than the way too many of you run your business. What seems to happen is like a progressive disease. It starts when you stop taking risks, even the smallest ones. Before you realize it, you've become a Master of Mediocrity, not caring about maximum quality. After all, you've convinced yourself that most consumers don't know the difference. Then your dreams slow down, and instead of imagining the future, you ponder what went wrong in the past. Last on the list, you've lowered your expectations because you're tired of being disappointed. The entire scenario becomes the ultimate negative self-fulfilling prophecy. But here's the cool thing about all of this - nothing has to be forever. The power to change is all with you. Start by thinking back to the vision you had for your career. Next, what does it take to get back on track, or, is there a new track? What do you need to do? Last, put a date on your future...a timeline to grow your business and skill set to what you need to be more competitive live a more fulfilling life. Everything will start to fall into place...just being in business today is a risk. So, risk, care, dream, and expect more! Stop living an f8 life because there's so much more when you shoot and live wide open! Wishing everybody a great weekend! by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday, and we're also coming down to the wire, ending the "slow season." This is my tenth post in the Business Breakthrough series for this year. The concept is based on things you should be doing to help you break through all the noise your target audience is dealing with. Regarding timing, just because incoming business is slow through the year's first quarter doesn't let you off the hook. Now is the time to prepare for spring seasonality and the year ahead. Today, your Internet presence is the equivalent of a brick-and-mortar business just a few years ago. It's your storefront, and it's important to make a visit to your cyberspace real estate a memorable experience. Just like those stores people like to shop at most, they have a choice. Although I've written a lot about your galleries over the years, it's a topic that I can't say enough about. Less is more - and you don't need to show every image you've captured - just the very best ones. The images you show in your galleries are important to "hooking" your clients into wanting to see more of you and then contacting you. The goal is for your business to thrive, NOT just survive. Remember, the difference between "survive" and "thrive" is just a few letters combined with some well-placed energy! Cleaning Up the Images on Your Website
![]() by Skip Cohen "Business Breakthroughs" are all about ideas to help you fine-tune your business. They're all about more ways to break through the chaos of reaching your target audience. And, since it's Marketing Monday, here's a checklist to help you raise the bar on customer service. Too slow in your follow-ups? How's that working for you? Anyone who contacts you, whether they're a client, potential client, vendor, or associate, judges you on your response time, together with the accuracy of your response and your perceived sincerity. Phone Calls: How quickly do you return a call to a client? Many years ago, Gene Ho, a wedding photographer in Myrtle Beach, told me how his system works in responding to clients. If he's on the road and unavailable, an assistant catches the message and texts Gene or gets back to the potential bride directly. Often, his studio has locked in the client before his competitors even open their emails. Checking Your Email: Things really do get lost. Remember to check all your email boxes. Some of you not only have exclusive business email addresses but are also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Messages can sit there for weeks with many of you. Also, don't forget the "other" box on Facebook messages. Plus, check your spam folders. Remember, people will always assume the worst when you don't reply promptly. Email Templates on Your Website are meaningless if you don't check them regularly. Also, give people every possible way to contact you. I understand if you work out of your home and don't want to publish your address, but you can still give them an email address and phone number. What's most important is how quickly a potential client gets a response. Customer Service Problems/Challenges: Do you resolve challenges quickly or let them drag out? The key to great customer service is to handle each problem as quickly as possible. It's so easy to build a strong reputation. When there's a problem, all you have to do is call the customer and say, "The buck stops here. How can I help?" Then, kick back and listen. Appointments: Are you always early, just on time, or a few minutes late? There's a story I heard years ago about author Tom Peters. As the story goes, he was speaking to a room full of airline executives and arrived ten minutes late. They were aggravated that he wasn't on time. He stepped up to the microphone and said, "By all of your standards, this was an on-time arrival." Every client has to feel like they're your most important account. Product Deliveries: Are you early, on time, or late? Nothing beats delivering early and exceeding client expectations, but few things can hurt your reputation more than having a client wait longer than anticipated. Your Attitude: This is a tough one for all of us. It's hard to be upbeat all the time, especially when you're flat-out trying to catch up and the phone rings. Remember one easy pointer I was given years ago...if you smile on the phone, it comes out in the tone of your voice. The same goes for face-to-face meetings. Occasionally, I meet a photographer who forgot how to be happy. It seems so basic, but we all have to be a little Hollywood when dealing with some of the challenges of running a business. It's like the old Ban deodorant commercial: "Never let them see you sweat!" A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us.
We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. Mahatma Gandhi "Do not listen with the intent to reply, but with the intent to understand." Anonymous ![]() by Skip Cohen While today's short post is focused primarily on the wedding side of imaging, the skills of good listening apply to every business. It's the perfect topic for Hump Day! One of the top complaints of new couples after the wedding is the photographer didn't meet their mindset with the finished photographs, video, album, etc. And the reason most often relates to listening skills. So, here are a few suggestions:
Your strongest marketing tool, which I've written about before, is building a relationship and trust. This applies to every specialty within photography, including commercial, boudoir, family, children, maternity, and the list goes on and on! The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) projects the number of high school graduates to peak between 3.8 million and 3.9 million in 2025. This will be the largest graduating class in recent history. (Courtesy of Google) ![]() by Skip Cohen We're approaching that special time of year when seasonality kicks in for so many different specialties, especially seniors. Senior photography continues to be one of the fastest-growing specialties in imaging. Unlike when I was a senior (on the right), today, it's all about capturing the subject's personality. It's about the interaction between the senior and the professional photographer. If you've got an interest in the senior market, you first need to ensure you've got the skill set, not just with your camera. You need great communication skills and the ability to build a relationship with your subject. For many seniors, this may be their first time working with a professional photographer. They're as nervous about getting a portrait done as they are in dealing with some of their own self-esteem issues. That means your listening and conversational skills must be as good as your understanding of exposure, composition, and lighting! Unlike when I was a senior (this is where my good buddy Scott Bourne would take a shot at me and suggest that Matthew Brady and I went to school together! LOL), there are so many different products available to enhance the relationship, starting with Graduation Cards. This is your chance to help the 2025 grads celebrate with a great-looking Grad Card that contributes to the graduation announcement. Marathon Press has so much to choose from, with a special offer on gold foil enhancements available now through the end of May.
Just for a minute, think about what the class of 2025 has experienced. They were in eighth grade when the pandemic hit. They've had to deal with so many horrible challenges, including worrying about school shootings, of which, according to CNN, there have been over 180 over the last ten years. Then, add in the challenges with Mother Nature, the economy, and politics, and their role in the world going forward becomes even more special. These kids represent such a huge role in our future, and they've certainly earned the right to celebrate! Grad cards represent one of the best tools you have to help families celebrate and appreciate the images you captured over the last year. Think back to the pride you had in the quality of the senior portraits you captured. Now it's time to put them to the very best use and create more ways to share the memories! by Skip Cohen For six years, starting with the earliest issues, I wrote for Shutter Magazine. Authors were required to include a short video summary with each article for online promotion. It was approximately ten years ago we captured the two-minute video below. The fun of these videos was all in the challenge of getting people to remember what my point was. I knew if I could do something stupid in the video, readers might remember my point. We're coming up with the start of spring seasonality in imaging, and relationship-building is more important than ever before. You need to OWN YOUR ZIPCODE. Every business in your community needs to know who you are and the support you can provide. And it doesn't matter what your specialty is - even as a wedding photographer being introduced to a real estate office; you have the ability to help them with all of their imaging needs with your skillset, network, and knowledge about photography/video. We're one week away from the first day of Spring—it's time for you to come out of hibernation and start pounding the pavement. You've got to be your own noisemaker, and combining personal face-to-face introductions with email blasts, direct mail, and partnerships is an unstoppable way to build top-of-mind awareness. So, when people in your community think about needing help with photography who comes to mind first? Old enough to remember the old ban deodorant commercial? The tagline was, "You never get a second chance to make a first expression. Never let them see you sweat!" Throughout the year I do a lot of website reviews, and so many of you are missing an opportunity to make a solid first expression. A visit to your website needs to be a great experience. Just like shopping at Macy's vs. Nordstroms - you've got a choice to make in the experience you give visitors to your website! Is Your Website Exciting or Would it Put a Rock to Sleep!Here are some ideas: easy fixes and things you can do NOW before business hits Spring seasonality.
While somebody will challenge me on this, you can't be in business today without a website. I also still feel a blog is important. Why? Your site is about what you sell, and your blog is about what's in your heart. Both work together, much like advertising and publicity. Together, a great website and blog can open doors, build trust, and help establish your reputation as a professional photographer. But just like discussions on Facebook forums now and then about what photographers wear when shooting a wedding, you've got to dress the part. You've got to dress for success! These days, your website is the equivalent of a brick-and-mortar store - make a visit, starting with your audience walking through the front door, that's memorable and a fun place to "shop." I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. Stephen Covey ![]() by Skip Cohen A few weeks back, I started sharing a quote each week from what's become one of my favorite motivational books, One Day At a Time by Lou Mitchell. Reading something inspirational first thing in the morning gets the gears in my brain moving in the right direction. The quote above was for today, March 7, and Mitchell went on to write: Life often throws unexpected challenges our way, but it's our decisions that define us. Stephen Covey's words remind us that we hold the power to shape our own destiny. Rather than being passive victims of circumstance, we can choose how we respond to life's events. And there it is, my whole point to wrap up the week. It's the decisions we make that lead us closer to our goals or push us farther away. Here's a great example from a few years back during the pandemic: JP Elario is a remarkable photographer. When the pandemic hit, everybody was a victim of how it changed our lives, especially if you were a business owner and photographer. Well, JP looked at the challenge and created Facetime Portraits. He worked with his bridal clients, and captured stunning engagement portraits using Facetime, combined with his understanding of lighting, posing and composition. When most photographers were desperately looking for ways to save their business, JP built a new income stream for engagement photography. His story was later picked up by the 6:00 PM news in Albany, which added to his brand awareness. Facetime Portraits didn't completely replace the lost revenue from photographing weddings, but it did create a new income stream. At a time when other artists were acting like a deer in your headlights, JP didn't let the panic of the pandemic slow him down. I grabbed a few of JP's images below to make my point. Too often, we're victims of our own decisions, NOT the unexpected circumstances that arrived on our doorstep. Wishing everybody a weekend ahead loaded with great decisions and time to reflect on all the things you can do to move closer to your goals. Happy Friday! "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." Steve Jobs Images above copyright JP Elario. All rights reserved.
by Skip Cohen
With WPPI coming up, here's a list of tips to ensure you get the most bang for your buck—and they work for ANY conference or convention! It's hard to get away, even at this time of year. But when you do, especially for a convention or conference, you want to get the most out of it. In scuba diving, there's an expression, "Plan your dive—dive your plan!" You've got limited air and limited time, and it's always important to have a buddy. Well, a convention is no different. You've got to plan your trip, make the most of every minute at the event, and come home with ideas to improve your skillset and build a stronger business.
The one thing I find most frustrating with attendees at a big convention like WPPI is they just haven't planned their trip. They got their tickets and made it to Vegas, but then everything fell apart. Plan your WPPI experience, so you're not wasting time and, even more importantly, your money. Nothing beats the experience of a great trade show and convention, but it's up to you to get the most out of it. And speaking of getting the MOST out of things - this is the sixth installment in Business Breakthroughs. So far I've covered everything from breaking out of your procrastination mode to new clients, building your brand, paying attention to your demographics and even content ideas for your blog or social media. The links to each post are below - just click on any banner! by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday and we're past the halfway point of the slow season. It's the perfect time to share ideas on expanding your target audience and finding new opportunities for the year ahead. Business Breakthroughs, is a series to help make your message as a small business owner and artist stand out. I want to help you breakthrough and crush the chaos that gets in the way of the messages you send to your target audience. There are too many of you who thought just by opening your business and hanging a sign; customers would flock to your door. Well, it doesn't work that way. Think about how much noise is in our lives. You've got to find ways to get through that noise and utilize your very best marketing tool - relationship building. If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door! Milton Berle ![]() Whether you've recently just started or you're a seasoned pro trying to jump-start an established business, you've got to look for new opportunities. No matter what line of work you're in, every business has the same challenge: finding customers and keeping them. You've got to find that sweet spot that makes you different from what everybody else is doing. Own your zip code: When was the last time you got out and literally knocked on doors to introduce yourself to every business in the community? When I was a kid, I remember moving to a new neighborhood. A woman from "Welcome Wagon" came by the house to introduce us to the community's vendors. She left a basket of goodies, coupons, and information. You need to do the same thing, with or without a goodie basket. Plus, we're coming into Spring seasonality with Mother's Day, proms, graduations, and Father's Day. This is the perfect time of year to meet every business owner in your community. You don't have to sell them anything; just wish them a terrific upcoming Spring! Remind them you're a photographer and artist and there to help with any imaging needs they may have. All of your past clients: Everybody is so busy looking for new clients that they forget about building relationships with their existing base. These are people who already know you and have other photographic needs or friends who do, but you've got to stay in touch. Holiday and birthday cards, emails, phone calls, and even a personal visit here and there are all perfect ways to keep in touch. Remember, a great business is built on a foundation of relationship building! Buy a List: These days, you can buy a list based on virtually anything and sort it right down to specific zip codes and even email addresses. For example, parents who send their kids to summer camp are a great target for family photographers. If you're a maternity/newborn photographer, the target audience is obvious - new parents. And don't forget the older crowd - what does grandma miss the most? Her grandchildren and it's a common complaint that they want more photographs. It's the perfect gift idea to plant the seed for a new family portrait. Partnerships: I've written so much about not flying solo! Other businesses, including photographers, are the perfect partners to create excitement in the community. New alliances can be just what you need to "build some new doors." It can be as simple as sharing the cost of a mailing to actual cross-promotions of each other's products/services. Again, Spring is almost here, and you're going to be meeting so many different people at community events as everyone comes out of "hibernation." Think about those people you meet who might be terrific partners in the future. Social Media: Each day, you have an opportunity many of you miss to expand your presence on social media. For photographers, those new doors are through a well-done blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and whatever new platforms are opening to reach new potential clients. Don't forget LinkedIn, which has a growing community and an interest in imaging. However, you've got to pay attention to your presentation, the quality of your images, and being helpful in what you're sharing. Pet Photography: In the hierarchy of why people hire a photographer in the portrait/social categories, the top three reasons are brides, babies, and pets. It's also the perfect specialty to open a whole new category of other businesses to partner with, like vets, groomers, daycare centers, boarding, dog parks, etc. Teach a Class: Most of you are qualified to teach at least an introductory imaging class. Help your target audience become better artists, regardless of what they use to photograph. Lighting, composition, posing, etc., are all skills you use every day. Now is the time to get the word out in your community for a "clean up" campaign. Have some fun with the concept, and clean up all the bad photographs! Community Involvement: There's no such thing as being too involved in your community. Now is the time to build new relationships and grow brand awareness for your expertise as an artist. And your involvement doesn't have to include a camera in your hands - even helping in the refreshment stand at a high school basketball game will increase your exposure to members of the community. Host an Open House: Again, it's a topic I've written a lot about in the past. You don't have to have a studio to host an event like this. Find a place with the space you need, bring in a partner or two, and then host an event to celebrate Spring. Working with partners, you have other databases to draw from as well. And don't forget to make sure the various community influencers are invited. Check out this past post featuring an open house Chamira Young did many years ago when she first moved to a new area. You know how to focus your camera, but what about your business? Opportunities are everywhere, but you're the one who has to can find them! "You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." Charles Buxton by Skip Cohen I always try and keep it light as we head into the weekend, especially in the "slow season." Here's a thought as we hit the last weekend in February: A photographer I've known for a fairly long time asked me for some help in determining where his business needs the most attention. I was happy to give him a hand, but he never came back with what he needed me to look at in his business. When I contacted him to see what had happened a few months later, his response was, "I just haven't had the time." This is a short post today: While we can't stop time or hit a magical rewind button, we do have control of our time, but it doesn't just happen. When there's something we want to do, it's only going to happen if we MAKE the time. Lou Mitchell, in his book Positive Thinking - One Day at a Time, wrote: ... time is one of our most precious resources, yet it often feels scarce. Waiting to find time for important activities and goals is futile...Reflect on your daily routine. Are there activities you wish you had more time for? How can you adjust your schedule to make time for these priorities? What steps can you take today to start making time for what matters most? Just two points today: Take a little time and review your priorities. So often, just when we start to get a little momentum on something, we're distracted. We take our foot off the gas and slow down - like a gaper's block driving past an accident on the freeway. You can't do big things if you're distracted by little things! Unknown Second, by staying overly focused on our cell phones, we're always reachable. Put phones together with email and social media, there's no place we can hide. Too many of us take every call and never say "No," when asked for help. I'm not suggesting you say "No" all the time, just prioritize better. You can't be everything to everybody, but you can find balance. You can be present for the things that matter most. The concept of always being reachable makes us present nowhere. Peter Arvai Wishing everybody a terrific weekend with time for the things that are most important in your life!
by Skip Cohen I restarted this series to give you ideas on how to build a stronger business, no matter what the challenges were! Most of you are right-brain creative types with too little focus on growing your business. Many of you don't think of yourselves as small business owners. Even if you're working for another studio, imaging is a career choice that lends itself to freelance assignments, and you're ALWAYS building your brand. Even through it's the slow season, it's not who you know but who knows you! Here's a list to help you keep your name out there in the spotlight. Your goal is to create top-of-mind awareness, so anytime somebody is thinking about photography, your name comes up first.
Too many of you think there's nothing you can do to build your brand until business picks back up into spring seasonality. 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. Author Scott Stratten says it best with the tagline of his book Unmarketing. Stop Marketing. Start Engaging!
by Skip Cohen It's Hump Day, and I'm continuing with Business Breakthroughs, a series of tips to help make your message as a small business owner and artist stand out. I want to help you crush the chaos that gets in the way of the messages you send to your target audience. I'm always surprised by how many businesses, especially in imaging, don't spend a lot of time defining their target audience. How can you focus on the subject when you haven't paid attention to who the target is? It's like a maternity/newborn photographer opening a studio in a senior retirement village in Arizona! It's Time to Define Your Target Audience! Every day, we get emails and snail mail that aren't relevant. They go into our spam folders or if snail mail into the recycling bin. I remember Levin Furniture, which had a new discount offer every month when we lived in Akron. As a consumer, we were buried in analysis paralysis trying to determine the best deal on their prices. They were caught in what I call riptide marketing - unable to break free or change without a potential loss in business. That's at least part of the reason why I believe Bed, Bath, and Beyond is now in the past tense! So, let's come up with some ideas to help you get more targeted with your promotions:
There's no such thing as knowing too much about your target audience. There's a great line I've used for years, thanks to Ed Foreman, a motivational speaker from Texas: “If I can see the world through my client’s eyes, then I can sell my client what my client buys.” You've got to see the world through your client's eyes and understand what they're looking for. I heard Jerry Ghionis once talk about the secret to creating incredible images. The key is to photograph your subjects as if you were looking through the eyes of one of their loved ones.
Well, marketing is no different - you've got to know your client and see the world through their eyes! ![]() by Skip Cohen It's the "slow season" and Marketing Monday, making it the perfect time to think about staying focused on each component of your business you hope to strengthen for the new year. As a photographer, the slow season is rapidly ramping down, but just because business is slow doesn't mean you should be. All of you know how to hold focus with a camera in your hands, but more of you need to focus on your business and set priorities. It's not an easy task; there is no AF button to hit. It's hard to stay focused on building a stronger business when you want so desperately to work directly with clients and bring in revenue. Plus, everyone has favorite projects that are a lot more fun to work on than the infrastructure of your business. Here are some tips to help you hold focus on what's most important:
And when focus slips, take the time to sit down with that family member or associate that you're closest to. Who's your muse? For me, it's my wife Sheila, and so many times I've been stuck trying to find a solution to a challenge in my business, or even something more personal, and she always comes through. But she can't help if she doesn't understand my business - so for those of you who still insist on complete privacy - you need to consider opening up and sharing.
As I've written so many times - you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it! The slow season has a particular purpose - utilize this time to find balance, appreciate your creativity, and define your goals for your definition of success in 2025 and beyond. by Skip Cohen Many years ago I launched a series called Fast Food Friday. The series was all about paying more attention to your business. Most of you are artists, right-brained creative types with a minimal interest in the operational side of the business. So, I set out to give you a new topic with each post to help you fine-tune your business and, in turn, help secure better results for the year. Well, it's time to update and bring back the series—only business has gotten much tougher. Trying to run a successful business today is about breaking through the noise bombarding your target audience. Welcome to Business Breakthroughs, a series of business tips to help make your message as a small business owner and artist stand out. I want to help you crush the chaos that gets in the way of the message you send to your target audience. It's the perfect topic for Hump Day in the slow season...slowing down procrastination! Procrastination is NOT a Skill Set! Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday! Don Marquis ![]() We're a third of the way through the slow season, and many of you still think the marketing fairy will grant your wishes to build your business while you procrastinate! You've turned procrastination into an art form. You're acting like there's no need to do anything because he'll clean up your website and blog, start building relationships, and even write up a few promotional ideas for the year ahead. NOT! However, the good news is you've got time to reinforce the foundation of your business for 2025 before things start to pick up. But, if you're not ready, it will be a you-snooze-you-lose scenario. You know how to focus your camera - now it's time to focus on your business and career.
No one blog post could ever cover everything you need to build a solid foundation for the year ahead, but I'm going to do my best in the weeks ahead to give you things to think about. Every business is different, and if the ideas I just shared above don't apply to you, take the time to be honest with yourself about what you're missing. This is one of the most competitive markets in the history of photography, and you've got to develop the ingredients to make yourself and your business different and better than your competitors. As I've written in the past, you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in them! You've got to take the time to focus on your business for 2025—you're the only one who knows what it's going to take to exceed client expectations and make yourself habit-forming! Last but not least, you know where to find me if you're stuck and need help! by Skip Cohen It's the slow season regarding incoming business, and many of you are spending more time online. Well, it's Marketing Monday, and while some of this post is from the SCU archives, everyone needs to pay attention to how to behave in any public forum. The challenge is not taking the bait in any of the battles that land on your Internet doorstep. When you're hunting elephants, don't get distracted chasing rabbits. T.Boone Pickens The written word is the toughest to interpret, especially when English isn't everybody's primary language on social media. Plus, you don't have the benefit of hearing the tone in somebody's voice, seeing their facial expression, and making eye contact. Whatever's been written is left to interpretation. Often, the author is labeled a troll when the issue is about poor communication. But then there are the real trolls, people who hide behind the anonymity of their computer screens and take shots at everything they can find. From direct issues like photo critiques to industry arguments over A.I. and on to politics, the economy, and the environment - there's no shortage of controversial topics to fight about. But if you take a troll on in a public forum, not only will you lose, but getting a rise out of you is precisely what they're after. You let them win simply by reacting. Here are a few things to remember the next time you decide to take on an actual troll:
Don't believe everything you read on the Internet! Abraham Lincoln
If you're wondering how in the world did I segue to trolls when it's Marketing Monday. Time is your most valuable commodity, and there's never enough of it. In the same way, you've learned the benefits of getting good images right out of the can, and to avoid wasting valuable time in post-processing, fighting battles with trolls and zombies are the same. Battles on the Internet only serve to drain your creativity and energy! Don't waste the time you should be using to build your brand. For most of you, YOU are your brand. Don't let a troll occupy your time fighting issues that don't matter. And when a troll criticizes your photographs in a public forum, remember that line from my old buddy Dean Collins. I've used it dozens of times here in the blog... Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder!
Dean Collins "If it weren't for change there'd be no butterflies!" Unknown Author by Skip Cohen It's January 21, and I'm betting most of you are still not back in the groove and are running in low gear. There's no sense of urgency. After all, it's the "slow season," and you've rationalized your right to procrastinate just a little longer. Sound familiar? Most of us go through the same process every year - We think about the previous year, set goals for the new year, and then kick back for as long as we can...just to recharge a little longer. Too often, we think we need to make significant changes in the new year, but the truth is what most businesses need most is more consistency in all aspects of quality - not just what they deliver but how they market, communicate, and interact with their target audience. Maybe everything was done right last year, but you need to expand to a broader audience and offer more diverse products/services this year. Perhaps the product line is fine, but you need to find more ways to reach your target audience. Let's make 2025 the year to maximize potential... We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential. Ellen Goodman This isn't meant to be a long post. I just want to plant the seed of an idea to think things through before you jump back into expanding and building. What if you changed virtually NOTHING over the next week or two except making a few additions? For example, utilize a few of the ideas shared in my last post about building more strength into your business during the slow season.
Here's my point - every year is a struggle to grow your business. Some years growth is faster than others, but overall it's the same process. Maybe you need to pat yourself on the back and take the time to creatively chill. Recharge your battery while you look for potential areas for growth, diversity, and increased brand awareness. You don't have to be at a standstill, just take the time to think things through. There's a lot of optimism for the new year, in spite of the horrific challenges Mother Nature is adding to our lives. So enjoy a little optimism and thoughts about making 2025 one of your best years yet. |
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