Seasonality - It's On Your Doorstep...RIGHT NOW!

Take a chance because you never know how perfect something can turn out.
Wiz Khalifa

Wandering through the SCU archives I came across this post from several years ago, but there's nothing out of date when it comes to talking about seasonality. And while Mother's Day is already gone, graduation and Father's Day are still on the horizon along with prom season and a long list of local events as summer approaches.  

​There's not a lot of seasonality in professional photography, but there are two strong stretches and one of them is happening now. And, without question, this is a you-snooze-you-lose scenario! Too many of you focus on the fall seasonality starting with Halloween images of kids and typically some sort of fund-raiser for your studio. For you the seasonality runs through Thanksgiving and the December holidays, but what about the second most significant stretch of the year - RIGHT NOW?

This is the perfect time for you to team up with a venue, another vendor like a florist and even another photographer. I've written about partnerships and joint promotions so many times in the past.

Here's a perfect example: You missed Mother's Day for 2018, but you could still plant the seed for next year. How about tying together a venue in your community known for its Mother's Day Brunch, along with a florist and your skills as a portrait artist?  Pull the concept together by getting the florist to meet you at the venue and take a position of leadership on pitching a new idea, something special for Mother's Day next year. 

And, let's take the same concept and tie it in with graduation parties and dinners till to come this year. The model is the same for any special event - partnerships, a joint or cross-promotion, a direct mail message and two partners to share the costs.

Here's one more timely example, and there's still time to implement...  

How about a campaign to update the family portrait for Dad? Remember, women make 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer. So, let's get the message out to Mom: "When was the last time Dad had an up to date photograph of his family?" 

Be creative and go out in search for some old-time family images to help make the point. If you've got them in your own personal archives that's even better. Here's what I found just putting in "Antique Family Photos" in Google Search. And, each image links to the website where it's been used/shared.

One word of caution and a reminder - do your research on copyright and make sure you find an image you have the right to use. 

I also went searching in Fotolia, which I use a lot for illustration type images. There's nothing wrong with using a stock image to demonstrate your point, like the old photograph below. 

© Mikhail Pogosov

The ingredients are all there - Mom makes the purchase decisions...Dad doesn't have an updated image of his family in his wallet or on his desk...and you've got the skill set! Even if it's just to promote Dad getting an updated image of his kids - it's still the perfect opportunity for you to plant the seed for the idea!

Graduation is another crucial time of year. There are over three million high school seniors anticipated to graduate in 2018 and over a million associate’s degrees; almost two million bachelor's degrees; approximately 800,000 master's degrees; and over 150,000 doctor's degrees. (Source for both: National Center for Education Statistics)  That means over and again families are going to be getting together at every high school and college in the country.  And, don't forget, overseas you've got many of the same opportunities.

Here's the bottom line with today's Marketing Monday post - you're the only one who can make this happen. Even though it might seem like a rush with the time crunch, you've still got time to do something. Take a leadership role and look for a partner or two, share the costs of developing a promotional piece along with the effort in getting the word out and creating some excitement in your community.

I know a lot of you are afraid to tackle your own promotional efforts. Then there are some of you who already have promos in place for the whole year. The most important thing is not to be afraid of working with some other companies and developing programs to create buzz and business. 

It always seems impossible until it's done.
Nelson Mandela

So what are you waiting for?

Illustration Credits: Mother's Day: © vanillasky30, Graduation: © 14ktgold, Father's Day: © grgroup