Seasonality Countdown in Photography

by Skip Cohen

Last week, I held an online coaching workshop for VIP attendees from the Hair of the Dog Summit I spoke at a few months ago. We've all attended various workshops and taken tons of notes. The we return home, letting life get in the way and not following up on actionable ideas. The purpose of the follow-up program was to help these artists stay focused on things they could still be doing to contribute to this year's success in holiday sales.

It's November 13, and there's still time for you to have an impact on making 2023 one of your very best years ever!

• Holiday Cards: From creating cards for your clients to your own holiday card, using images you've captured and created is one of your best holiday marketing tools. Plus, it helps to plant the seed of brand awareness for your business going into the new year.
• Thank You Notes: There are two sides to this. First is doing a thank you promotion to your past clients. At the same time, you're thanking them for their business and giving them a reason to come back for an updated family portrait, headshot, etc. Second, now is the time to think about people you'd like to thank for their support over this past year. Again, you should use your own photograph on your thank you stationery. ​This is also the time to be doing something like a gift basket for those few vendors who went above and beyond in helping you build your business.

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• Partnerships: At this late date, you need to be more selective in partners for cross-promoting or a direct mail campaign. There's still time but go with entirely logical vendors. For example, a florist, salon, or restaurant are all going after the same target audience as a portrait, wedding, or family photographer.
• Third-Party Promotions: I've written a lot about this in the past. Here's the short version - Rather than discount your services directly, print a certificate for a free portrait sitting, for example. The certificates aren't for you to give out but for your realtor to give out to new homeowners. The realtor wins because the gift is from them; the recipient wins because it's a free sitting, and you win, getting new business without eroding the value of your work.
• Day in the Life Shoots: I'm a big fan of these kinds of sessions. It doesn't have to be a full day, just a few hours, and it's in the client's environment. This is perfect for kids, families, and pets. You're going to shoot more journalistic in your style and use your storytelling skills. Plus, this kind of shooting lends itself perfectly to album sales too.
• Direct Mail Partnerships: The clock is ticking the fastest on this idea because you must identify the partners, pull together the artwork, and get it in the mail. But on the plus side, this helps raise brand awareness for all three participants going into the new year.
• Throwback Thursday: This is one of the easiest ways to remind "Mom" that the kids have grown and it's time for a new family portrait. It's like "Subliminal Man" from the old SNL series. Use your blog and older photographs to plant the seed for an updated family portrait!

You'll miss out if you keep procrastinating and waiting for the business fairy to sprinkle magic dust on your doorstep! There are no unicorns when it comes to building your business, just hard work and your ability to create top-of-mind awareness with your target audience.

No one blog post can cover all the ideas out there, but it's Marketing Monday, and there's still time for you to have an impact on this year's sales. I want to help you THRIVE, not just survive!