 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
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 "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.  When you are up to your ass in alligators it's difficult to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp! Anon by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday! Here are ten ideas to help you make the most of this time when business is down. In most parts of the country, January is considered the "slow season" in imaging. But just because business isn't bursting through your door doesn't mean you don't have plenty you should be doing.
But none of the above happen by themselves. It's up to you to open the door and get started. And if you're a little overwhelmed in the beginning at trying to improve things in your business, don't let the alligators scare you. The longer you wait to be proactive, the bigger the swamp! The good news is that every challenge you'll face and resolve is another brick in the foundation you're building for the new year! If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you'll never get started on your journey.
Zig Ziglar  by Skip Cohen
It's my last Marketing Monday post for 2024. There's not very much you can do to impact the year's sales. However, there are a few loose ends to wrap up and things you can do to secure a stronger business going into the new year.
I'm excited to bring this past year to a close. It was a tough year, and I'll do my best not to look back on it. From dealing with Mother Nature to family and friend health issues to just the world in general, 2024 will not make the Hall of Fame! However, believing that most clouds have a silver lining, the part of 2024 that always felt good was all thanks to you, my readers. Blogging is a labor of love, and thanks to your feedback and support, posting regularly has become so uplifting. Thank you! As the year comes to a close, I want to wish everyone a Happy and healthy new year. Stay safe, dry, and warm. I hope you can celebrate your wave good-bye to '24 with the people most important in your life. Happy New Year!  "It'll be my luck that when my ship comes in, I'll be at the airport!" Unknown by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday, and it's very close to the last few days to do anything that will impact 2024. Yet many of you still act like the train doesn't leave for weeks, and you have all the time in the world. The reality is that you're just about out of time. There are still a few things you can do to have an impact on what's left of this year and start a little foundation work on 2025!
Here's my point today - Procrastination is NOT a strategy! You've still got time to tie up a few loose ends and add to your foundation for success in the new year, as well as impact your brand for 2024. But, sit on your ass, and you'll miss the train - it's no fun watching it go by and not knowing when the next one's coming along!   A.I. Images from Adobe Stock Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute! Anon  by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, but being so close to the finish line in the 2024 "race for business," we're pretty much down to the wire. However, if you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, then you know I'm like a dog with a bone - I just don't give up! Here's a checklist of ideas bouncing around in my head right now:
It's December 2, Cyber Monday—making this week critical for last-minute ideas to impact your business and brand awareness. The finish line for the year is just four weeks away, leaving you with just enough time to still have an impact. You snooze, you lose...so don't snooze!  YOU ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE Fitting in is overrated. You are not for everyone, don't strive to be. Cyndie Spiegel by Skip Cohen With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up this week, it's a short week, but certainly not light on being busy. While there's not a lot of time left for any business to do very much to capture more of 2024's seasonality, there's still a great point to make about your artistic and business philosophy. In early October, I shared a blog about being comfortable with the word "No." Not everyone is your client, which makes turning some business down necessary when the request is too far outside your goal or even your comfort zone. But I want to share a more profound message in today's post, and it's all packaged in Cyndie Spiegel's quote above. A few years back, my good buddy, Terry Clark, made a point about success: "The best thing to do to survive and thrive is find what everyone else isn't doing and do that thing." Stop doing what everyone else is doing, and use your creativity and passion for the craft to stand out from the herd! We all desire to fit in, but when everybody fits in, most activity becomes a commodity! Your goal as an artist and small business owner is to be unique, exceed customer expectations, and make yourself habit-forming! Don't compromise your goals and aspirations for the sake of being in line with what everybody else is doing! I thought fitting in was something I had to fix. Now I see it as my superpower!
Maxime Legacé  A.I. Image from Adobe Stock No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team! Reid Hoffman by Skip Cohen I've written a lot over the years about partnerships, but there are still so many of you who believe marketing is a DIY sport. You insist on flying solo, believing it gives you maximum control over success. Sadly, being a "one-man band" limits your reach, creativity, success, and often reaction time. Partnerships give you an edge because you can draw from each other's creativity, databases, brand awareness, and skill set. Plus, each partner becomes an ambassador for the different companies involved. You're pooling your resources and expanding your reach dramatically; and in the process, either saving money or increasing your exposure to levels unaffordable as a solo act. Here's a list of potential partners that I've shared in previous posts over the years: Boudoir Photographers: Get together with a lingerie boutique and a spa, makeup artist, or salon. Also, because a beautiful boudoir image is very often intended to be a gift with a little romance attached, an intimate restaurant in your community might also be a great partner. Pet Photographers: Talk with the manager at your local supermarket or pet shop to find out who the rep is for some of the big-brand pet foods. You've also got animal shelters, pet boutiques, veterinarians, and doggy daycare facilities. Children's Photographers: Toy stores, summer camps, playgrounds, kids' clothing boutiques, and restaurants geared toward kids make great partners. You might even find a pediatrician or pediatric dentist interested in getting involved with something creative. Family Photographers: You're looking for any company that targets families. Family restaurants, decorators, parks, and special events targeting families all have potential. Years ago, on a Hasselblad program in Cleveland, a photographer told me about a landscaper who built him a backyard shooting area in exchange for promoting their services. The logic was that anybody who was paying for a family sitting more than likely had an interest/need in landscaping. Commercial Photographers: This one's a little more challenging, but think about what a client is looking for. This doesn't work if you're targeting Fortune 500 companies. However, a program to target small business owners in a community could tie in a local magazine/publication, a printer, and a courier service, for example. The promotional offer might target people who need a new headshot. Wedding Photographers: Wedding photographers are always the easiest because there are so many different business entities involved: florists, wedding planners, bakeries, salons, bridal shops, limo companies, musicians, tux shops, travel agents, venues, and the list goes on and on. Last on the list for every specialty - don't forget other photographers! There's only so much time in a week for you to shoot. Bringing in competitors who compliment your style helps build strength and brand recognition in the category. Sooner or later, you're going to send another photographer a referral, so why not build the relationship now? Right now, everyone is dealing with the same challenges - trying to wrap up as much business as possible before the year ends. With the holidays and the spirit of seasonality, it's the perfect time to start planting seeds for 2025 and consider some strategic partners to grow your business and in turn, success! The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team. Phil Jackson Greatness happens when the person with the wild imagination
collaborates with the person who knows how to get things done. Unknown Author   by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, but with the clock ticking down to the holidays, there's not a lot of new ideas to share that I haven't written about already. You're down to the wire, but there's still time to influence late shoppers with gift ideas. With Thanksgiving next week, there's not a lot of time to influence business for 2024...but there's more potential out there. A Holiday Family Portrait is the obvious choice, but unless you plant the seed, Mom's not going to think of it. You've got so many great options: a portrait of Mom and the kids for Dad, a full family sitting for the grandparents, or even Dad and the kids for Mom. While Dad isn't normally the target, Dads do have a reputation for last-minute shopping. It's Not Just a Photograph - This is where a call to your lab comes into play. You're not just planting the seed to get a new portrait done. Just pick up the phone and ask, "So, what's new?" You've got metal prints, canvas wraps, and a long list of other materials, not to mention frames, multiple sizes, etc. Even novelty items like mouse pads, coffee mugs, and barbecue aprons can come into play with a great image. Outdoor Metal Prints: I've written a lot about this - it's another classic product with an opportunity to provide a totally new concept to so many potential clients. I'm a huge fan of BayPhoto's Performance EXT metal prints. We've had three of them outside for several years and only taken them in during hurricanes. They've survived the Florida sun and rain with no visible fading. What About an Album? A Day in the Life session isn't just about photographing kids. What about an album that's a day in the life of a family? You've got an opportunity to plant an incredible seed with this one - spending a half day and documenting the life of a family, which is then presented in an album that tells their story. And it's perfect for the December holidays! Date Night: I've written about this before, but here's where you get to remind Mom how long it's been since she and Dad got out to dinner without the kids! She's got to get the sitter, but it's another idea you've got to promote. It all starts with a portrait session for 15-30 minutes at the start of the evening, and then you're going to send the couple off to dinner. Talk to the owner of a favorite romantic restaurant in your community and see if they'll work with you on a discounted gift certificate. Build the cost of the certificate into your price for the sitting and print. Make it a package deal that essentially becomes a "no-brainer." Gift Certificates: Just like those endless kiosks in CVS and every supermarket where they're stocked full of gift cards, you can do the same with the various products/services you offer. And it's perfect for last-minute gift ideas, making you the hero in capturing and creating a new family heirloom: a classic family portrait! Here's the bottom line—this is about your bottom line. While time is extremely limited at this point, you still have time to make each idea work. But like the title of today's post suggests, procrastination isn't on your side—you've got to get things going right now and get the word out. Start with your existing client base and then look at other sources to reach your target audience. The clock is ticking, and like I said at the beginning, don't snooze and you won't lose.   by Skip Cohen
It's Friday, and for us, it's definitely a TGIF kind of day. I've been AWOL for this past week with travel, a few challenges, still cleaning up after Hurricane Milton and having to prioritize writing blog posts. If I've learned nothing else in all my years in business, you simply can't do it all. However, except thinking about the possibility of one more major storm in Florida, I've got a clear head, and it's really good to be back! The catalogs above were all in yesterday's mail—ten different companies, of which only five have an actual purchase history with us, and three of the five were at least three years ago. But once they have your name, they don't give up! One common denominator is all the specials—from free shipping to significant discounts to buyer clubs, they're covering virtually every imaginable benefit of ordering early and making them your choice for the holiday season. There's so much we can learn from these companies.
It's Friday, and I don't want to bury you in detail, but here are a few lessons you can learn from looking at your snail mail catalogs:
Here's the bottom line - no matter what your specialty there's always time to keep your name out there and remind people what you do for a living! No matter what you celebrate - Don't procrastinate your way through this year's holiday season. Wishing everybody a terrific weekend ahead!  by Skip Cohen Forty years ago, at a Polaroid meeting, one of the managers was late. Someone yelled, "The power went out People were asking where he was when someone yelled out, "He's stuck on the escalator!" That set off a lot of chuckles. While looking through some old posts this morning, I ran across the escalator story I shared ten years ago. It's still so relevant, especially when I found the original video on YouTube. And while the quality isn't as great as what we're used to, it still makes the point!  Most of you know where I'm going on this one...
If we learned nothing else through the pandemic, learning to pivot is one of your most valuable business skills. Stop acting like you're stuck on the escalator when something doesn't go as planned! Over and over again, I keep running into new and well-seasoned photographers who simply hit the panic button when something doesn't go as planned. We're an industry with too many "Chicken Littles," and the sky is NEVER falling. When you don't get the results you hoped for, you get to take a "mulligan" and another swing at the ball. It's not your only shot. Yes, there are some projects with more on the line than others, but the most remarkable thing about being an entrepreneur is having a chance to try things a different way. One more analogy: Learning how to scuba dive isn't about swimming underwater. In fact, it's a relatively easy sport to pick up. Learning to dive is really about knowing what to do when something goes wrong. In the same respect, being a professional photographer is all about knowing what to do when something doesn't go as planned - it's the reason to ensure your skill set is the best. f You will make mistakes with marketing, promotions, social media, your blog, your website, and running a business. People are going to let you down. You're going to have moments of disappointment. Here's where all those trite one-liners about falling and getting up come into play. Even more important is the way your network can be involved. Keep building your network and, in turn, utilize it when you need support. Don't be afraid to hit the "help button" and, oh yeah...I'm in your network, too. If you're stuck and need help, ask for it!  by Skip Cohen For years, I've been writing about one of the very best (and easiest) marketing tools for professional photographers and small business owners - a personalized holiday card. Well, I'm back one more time for 2024 because we're down to the wire. If you're going to get your card out in time to have maximum impact on brand awareness, NOW is the time to be working on it! Here's why: NO PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD EVER SEND OUT A STORE-BOUGHT CARD! You're an artist and should be using one of your own images. Don't trust your holiday message to a card company. The concept couldn't be easier to pull together: It all starts with one of your images on the front of the card, and it can be anything you feel is relevant. Maybe it's a picture of you and your family, a still life shot, a landscape sunset or sunrise, or a macro shot of a flower you are proud of. The point is it's one of your captured images. Inside the card is a pre-printed message and signature. The back of the card is just as important. Just like the old Hallmark commercial that had people looking for their logo on the back, it's your company name and contact information. And there's no such thing as too much information - show your email, website, and phone number. If you have a standalone studio, this is where the address goes. For years I've been sharing the holiday cards from Bleu Cotton Photography, always featuring Ali, Bleu, and Fisher. If there were an Oscar for holiday cards, they'd be the winner every year. But featuring themselves with an annual theme is just one approach.  Three of my favorites over the years Everardo Keeme took this approach many years ago. I still like to use it as an example, because it ties in his location and shows some of his commercial style.  A personalized holiday card is the perfect way to build more brand awareness and make your skills as an artist stand out in the community. Plus, it's ideal for a hand-written message for those special clients and influencers you're sending a card to, personalizing the card even more. And for those of you rolling your eyes over the idea of doing anything snail-mail - think about how many emails you trash every day that never get opened. A great card is an outstanding way to get through all the noise and remind people what you do for a living. Plus, people save holiday cards and typically have them on display right through the holidays. Marathon's annual holiday card promotion just kicked off this month and runs through the end of the year. That gives you plenty of time to put your images together with a special holiday message and have them in the mail on time. Over the years, I've featured cards from so many different photographers. The challenge for you is to stop procrastinating and think about what you're using this December. So, what are you going to be sending out for 2024? Remember, you snooze you lose!    The only limitations you have are the ones you've imposed on yourself. Cyndie Spiegel by Skip Cohen TGOO...(Thank God October's Over!) It's November, and that sense of wonder that comes with holiday seasonality is definitely in the air. Plus, it's Friday and the perfect time for a quick thing to think about—it's all in that quote above. The majority of our limitations are self-imposed! Years ago, a young photographer said to me, "I'm a little guy and just getting started." As he continued to talk, he highlighted how much he still had to learn, what equipment he didn't have yet, and his limited network. In all honesty, it was one of the most frustrating presentations I've ever heard, as he then asked me to look at his portfolio. He was missing self-confidence and remembering that everybody had to start somewhere. And what makes great artists even greater is all about their passion. I found myself responding by quoting Zig Ziglar: It is your attitude, more than your aptitude, that will determine your altitude! Here's my point - Too many of you, as both artists and small business owners, put limits on what you can and can't do. For example, financial issues like investing more in marketing, often become a lifeboat drill as you worry about the return on your investment. Yet, if instead of flying solo, you brought in two partners for a blow-out direct mail campaign, you'd cut your costs to 1/3. Imaging as my buddy Scott Bourne once wrote, dis an equal opportunity employer - in other words, you're judged on the quality of your images, not on your pedigree! It doesn't matter how much you're worth, your race, or your age - people are going to first look at your work and know nothing about you. So, if your dreams seem a little out of reach lately, take a break. Step back, think about what's slowing you down, and then start working on solutions. Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. Farrah Gray Wishing everybody a terrific weekend. If you're in Sarasota, the Alzheimer's walk is tomorrow. Here's the link for more information.
 by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday, and as I sat down to write today's post, I started thinking about what I could possibly write about that I haven't hit hard so many times in the past. Almost immediately, I thought about a concept I first talked about many years ago: a Day-in-the-Life shoot. Why? Because November and December are the perfect times to capture this kind of story.
Here's the concept: While it's called a Day-in-the-Life, it doesn't have to be for an entire day. It could easily be a 3-4 hour block of time. You're capturing the activity of a family, a child, a pet or even a business in their environment. It's about the interaction between the members of a family or employees, if it's a business story. For example, November is coming up, and family members are going to be getting together to make Thanksgiving dinner. It's one of the few holidays that younger family members often get to participate in creating a holiday meal. For example, Mom and Grandma work together to make the menu, and the kids get to help with the preparation. It's a family event, and so often a full day of work comes down to the first thirty minutes of serving. Even setting the table is a special event, which often looks like a war zone once the first slice of turkey is cut! Just like a wedding, it deserves its own album. The wedding party is the team of chefs creating dinner. The detail shots cover everything from cooking utensils to the centerpiece to the table settings. The reception is the dinner itself. Throughout the day, it's about capturing the memory of everyone working together on recipes that have often been in the family for generations.  If you haven't offered a Day-in-the-Life shoot before, consider it seriously. Nothing helps to tell a subject's story more than photographing them in their natural environment. It's the location that every subject is likely to be most comfortable in. While the holiday season is a natural time for on-location shooting, the concept is perfect for just about every type of situation. It's an ideal way to tell the story of a child, a family, a pet, and a business.
Remember, too, if you're not comfortable with the concept initially, start with your own family. Pick a day and a topic and capture images that tell the story, with the goal of creating a complete album. It might just be the perfect gift for Grandma this year. As professional photographers, you're in a word-of-mouth industry. Imagine the reactions as people see an album you've created for a client that captures a complete story. You only need one of these projects to help start building more brand awareness. Don't forget your goal...to always exceed expectations and make yourself habit-forming!  A goal is just a dream with a deadline! Drake by Skip Cohen After all these years of posting marketing and business ideas, every now and then there's something that merits a repeat performance - especially with seasonality ramping up right now! Most of us fly by the seat of our pants. We're reactionary and respond accordingly to whatever good ideas and, too often, bad ones come our way. Then when an idea doesn't produce the results we hoped for, we withdraw until we regain the confidence to try again. Let's go straight to the "brass tacks" of whatever it's going to take to make you smile about your business at the end of the year! Here are four different ideas:
As a photographer, videographer, and artist you've got the skillset to offer your clients great ideas tying in your skills with their families and friends. It all starts with you, and while I hate the expression, there's none more better than right now when the holiday clock is ticking down..."you snooze you lose." And if you're stuck for ideas, you know where to find me!  AI image from Adobe Stock Today's post is out of the SCU archives. I'm sharing it, not because I didn't want to write something new today, but because the topic seems even more relevant. As the industry changes, it's taking more and more creativity to make your work stand out. Yet the basics for success NEVER change.  The kind of commitment I find among the best performers across virtually every field is a single-minded passion for what they do, an unwavering desire for excellence in the way they think and the way they work. Genuine confidence is what launches you out of bed in the morning, and through your day with a spring in your step. Jim Collins by Skip Cohen A few times over the years, I've referred to myself as one of the luckiest guys in the industry. One example is having the privilege of working with all four of the icons above. Don Blair and I wrote our first book together. I have dozens of Monte stories from so many different workshops and programs. Avedon made me lunch once in the flat above his studio, and Scavullo's dog tried to take a piece out of my leg on a couple of different visits. I chose these four because I had the privilege of spending time with them, and there are so many of you who never got to see them in action. There are so many other artists for each of us to remember, along with contemporary icons active in the industry right now. The common denominators between all of them are the traits below. Kicking off the last quarter of the year, it's the perfect time for all of us to remember the ingredients that made those four above iconic, along with the traits of so many younger contemporary artists we admire today. Image Quality: They NEVER compromise on the quality of an image. Exposure, composition, expression and impact are as consistent as the sun coming up every morning. Lifestyle Quality: They maintain a lifestyle of giving back and a strong sense of family and friendships. They have integrity, they have poise and they follow through on their promises. They also surround themselves with people with similar commitments. Loyalty: Whether it's to the vendors they work with or their friends, their loyalty is rarely questioned. Everyone watches each others backs and the mutual respect and admiration, at least from my perspective, is pretty much unmatched in comparison to most other industries. Humor: They don't take themselves too seriously. Think about any program you've attended that you loved and learned something - I'm willing to bet you laughed...a lot. Today's photography icons are comfortable with admitting when they do something stupid, have fun with a client or completely screw up a job and live to tell about it. Humility: Not everyone has it, but even those few we might consider a little arrogant - if they knew how they were being perceived they'd be upset and ready to work on a different persona. So, I'm not sure if the quality I'm trying to describe is humility or a willingness to listen, but they've got it. Confidence: They believe in their abilities, their willingness to learn new skills and they understand their camera gear and photography cold - there's no second guessing and no "chimping." Even when they talk about a new idea or technology, you'll pick up a unique tone in their voice, almost as if they've been shooting that way for years. Diverse Skills: It goes with confidence, but there's nothing they can't shoot. We might know them as a portrait photographer and then we'll see work that's fine art, landscape or architectural - they refuse to be type-cast into any one skill set. They may have a signature specialty, but none of them are one-trick ponies. They're always experimenting with new technologies and growing their skillset. Passion: It's the last word on the list, but it drives everything they do! It's not just about photography, but about life in general - they simply never stop loving the craft, their lives, their friends, families - you name it and passion is what drives them to succeed. Here's the bottom line - how do you stack up against the ingredients? Or more importantly, how do your customers feel you stack up? Happy Hump Day! "The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." Steve Jobs  Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town. George Carlin  We're officially into the start of the fourth quarter. While there's still time for those of you who have chosen to procrastinate as a lifestyle, today's post is directed to those of you who think everything is in place for marketing your business. You finished everything and now have time to kick back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. NOT! I'm not suggesting you can't take a short break, but marketing is a nonstop job because everything you've been building still needs maintenance and follow-up. Everything in business needs fine-tuning from time to time. It's like a new car—it still needs fuel to run, air in the tires, a wash now and then, and it needs to be driven!
Here's my point—the slow season is typically when business owners step back and do an inventory their assets. That should include products, services, promotions, and ideas for the future, plus follow up on the past. It's a never-ending challenge but doesn't have to slow you down. Think about it like the front door of your business—if you forgot to unlock it this morning, nobody is coming in!  AI Image from Adobe Stock by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday, and I thought it would be helpful to create a checklist of things you should be doing or, at the very least, planning.
No blog post could include everything you should be doing, but it's a start. Stop procrastinating and start doing! "If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you'll never get started on your journey!"
Zig Ziglar  AI Image from Adobe Stock by Skip Cohen Now and then, I share an encore post from the SCU archives. It's NOT that I don't have anything new to write about, but because the message in the post makes such a strong point. As the seasonality of the fourth quarter starts to ramp up, this guest post from my good buddy, Scott Bourne, is right on target. Scott's advice is ideal to keep in mind as you focus on capturing new and old business for the holiday season. You've got to make yourself unique—not just in terms of your technique and the quality of your work but in your ability to build relationships with your clients. You've got to exceed expectations and, in turn, make yourself habit-forming! by Scott Bourne
I've written lots and lots and lots about selling photography. The other day someone asked me, to forget the books and long blog posts and seminars I've taught and sum up the key to successful photography marketing in three words or less. I am proud to say I was able to do it in two. Uniqueness and Value: Those are the two words I want you to concentrate on when you're trying to build your photography business. These are the ONLY things that matter when it comes to marketing. Not your logo, or which award you've won, or which association you join, but whether or not your photography company is unique and offers real value. Ask yourself... Is what you do unique? Is it something that people want and need? Is your photography truly valuable? If you answer "No" to either question then you are going to have an extremely difficult time surviving, let alone thriving in the photography business. Because at the end of the day, if you aren't unique you are a commodity. And if you're a commodity, then you will get your butt beaten working long hours for VERY little money. If your products aren't valuable, then no matter what price you charge, you'll always struggle. A car with no engine is not a good deal for the average person. The average person can't build an engine, install it and drive away. So, no matter how low the price, the car with no engine has no value. You have to find ways to bring value to your clients. If you do that, then price isn't an issue. And price is what this post is really about. You see, if you are unique, you can charge a higher price - but only if somebody wants the unique thing you have. If you are NOT unique, then you will always be competing on price. If you are on the other hand, valuable, but not unique, nobody will see the value. This is an ethereal concept, but try to dig into it. Make a list of how you are truly different from your competitors. Then, make a list of how you bring value to your customers. What's your USP (unique selling point?) What's your value proposition? (How does your product match up with the needs, beliefs, feelings and desires of your prospects.) When you can answer these questions, you can move forward and thrive.  Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. Jeff Bezos by Skip Cohen It's "Hump Day," and I like to keep it simple but, as always, relevant. Building brand awareness is something everyone talks about and claims to understand. Yet, so many of you don't pay attention to the ingredients that make up your brand...it's EVERYTHING related to you and your business. It's not just your logo, company name, or website design, just to name a few components. Brand is the holistic sum of customers’ experiences, composed of visual, tonal, and behavioral brand components, many of which are shaped by interaction design. Kate Kaplan A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. Seth Godin Marketing is about brand building. It requires a huge commitment and establishing and never-ending stream of awareness with your target audience. Professional photography isn't just about capturing great images, but creating an experience with each client. It's about exceeding their expectations and, as I've written so many times, making yourself habit-forming. Too many artists focus on pricing and promotional packages, putting less emphasis on everything else in their business. Building a strong brand needs to obviously include a technical skill set for capturing stunning images and telling a client's story, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Trust, integrity, communication, and accessibility are all key components—all of which go beyond your logo, website design, etc. The art of marketing is the art of brand building. If you are not a brand you are a commodity. Then the price is everything and the low-cost producer is the only winner. Philip Kotler  I chose the quotes in today's post because each one hits on a different aspect of building brand awareness. Take a few minutes to think about your brand. How can you make yourself stand out from your competitors? What can you be doing to make sure people recognize your business as their very best choice? What are people saying about you when you're not around? What are they thinking when they see your name or hear about you from another consumer? Your brand is a promise to your customers
...a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability. Jason Hartman |
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