Spring Seasonality - Even the Pandemic Can't Slow It Down

That's a 30x60 print hanging outside! Click for more info.

by Skip Cohen

​It's Marketing Monday, and there isn't a better topic right now than Spring seasonality!

Just because we're all in various forms of lockdown doesn't mean Mother's Day, graduation and Father's Day are going to go away. You've still got a remarkable opportunity to create a little excitement and sales.

1. Start with a call to your lab and simply ask, "What's new?" Remember, before the pandemic, most of the pro labs were showing new products and ideas at both IUSA and WPPI. Those products didn't disappear.

One of my favorites is Bay Photo's Performance EXT Metal prints. I wrote about one over a year ago. It's outside our home, and it's still stunning. That's twenty months in the hot sun and rain in Florida with no visible change in quality. Think about how everybody has a back porch or patio, and an outdoor print becomes a novel idea, especially when we're spending so much time at home inside these days.

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2. Coloring books of family portraits: The idea is thanks to Steven Gotz, and I shared a post about it last week, but let's turn this into a product. If you're a children and family photographer, imagine the pure joy a grandmother would have with a Mother's Day gift of a coloring book of pictures of her family her grand-children have colored. Obviously, this has the most potential for families with young children.  All the information is a click away.

,3. ​Graduation opportunities: The class of 2020 is definitely in transition when it comes to graduation ceremonies and celebrations. While some graduations might be postponed until later in the year, most of this year's seniors are going to miss out. That makes the photographs you took of them before the pandemic even more valuable. So, from grad cards and Marathon's BOGO program to prints and albums, you've got a chance to play a significant role in acknowledging their accomplishments.

4. Slideshows: If you're in any of the portrait/social categories, you've got images in your files of clients and their families. That makes this the perfect time to build slideshows for your clients. Great photos put to music and even short video clips if you have them make, creating a slideshow a remarkably strong product/service.

5. Education: Use your blog to share tips on being a better photographer. Whether Mom and Dad are using their cell phones or a real camera, give them advice on how to make their images better. Share tips on posing, lighting, exposure, and composition - all things you do every day without a second thought. Be helpful and let your blog be the gateway to your readers for ideas about photography.

6. Photo Flash Drive: They are NOT paying me for mentioning their products - I just simply like what they offer, and there's a reason why their booth is always so busy at every convention. Once again, here's a unique gift idea and one that keeps on giving.

One idea involves a series of images from a client shoot, put to music, and on a flash drive together with prints. It's a perfect memory-maker and a reminder of the life every client is looking forward to returning to. And that's just their flash drive presentations. From their classic Playbook video player to gifting presentations with a bottle of wine, the combination of great ideas is virtually endless. Note: watch the short video on their website about the Playbook.

This is a time in history where photography and video have an unprecedented ability to enrich people's lives. The images you've captured have never been more valuable to your target audience than today! Don't miss the opportunity to support the needs of your clients through the seasonality on your doorstep right now!

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