Marketing Monday - What now?

by Skip Cohen

It's the last Marketing Monday post of 2020, and what a challenging year it's been...okay, let's call it like it is - horrible, frustrating, depressing, complicated, confusing, and lonely. And while "lonely" isn't a word typically used in business and marketing, we're all in some form of isolation. "Lonely" is the word that best describes those times when contact with other photographers and business owners was precisely what you needed most but didn't have.

However, there are plenty of other words describing the past year - inspirational, creative, ground-breaking, and support building. I've shared so many posts with ideas of things you can be doing. Worldwide artists are working to recapture some of the lost business over the past nine months.

Here are a dozen of my favorites. They're all active links and a click away!

• JP Elario with his Facetime Portaits.
• Steven Gotz with coloring book pages for clients.
• Outdoor metal prints to capture new clients 
• Staying positive through teaching online
• Updating your headshot on your About page
• Expanding your skill set with macro
• Looking good on camera in online meetings
• Re-writing Your Bio/About page
• Maintaining brand awareness through the pandemic
• Building a stronger Customer Presence - during the pandemic when it counts the most!
• Growth outside your comfort zone
• Getting the most out of your phone

​From podcasts to guest posts to YouTube and original posts, there are thousands of tips in the SCU archives. Each one is a building block to more success and steps to getting business back on track. Click on Fast Food Friday, for example, and you'll find dozens of ideas to work on establishing a more substantial presence!

But here's my suggestion for the next week...kick back and stop worrying about business. Note: I said to stop worrying about it - not stop thinking about it or strategizing. The pandemic changed everything, and very few artists took the time to change paths and recognize what overnight became the new normal. And while it's not over yet, there is hope, faith, and a trend of people adapting. Photography and memories haven't been lost over the last nine months, just more challenging to capture and express.

​So, take the next week and use it to clear your head. Think through how you want to kick off the "slow season," and recognize there's help out here if you need it. Don't think outside the box - think like there is no box.

And if you're stuck and need help - you know where to find me!