Summer's Over - Here Comes Holiday Seasonality!

by Skip Cohen

Taking a week off from both social media and writing was exactly what I needed. While I did jump in a couple of times, especially to follow up on friends' birthdays on Facebook, getting away from the keyboard was like a double espresso for clearing my head.

While I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, at least the frustration I felt regarding things to write about, finding a way to escape the temptation of doom-scrolling through FB notifications, and the feeling of apathy are gone for now. And while I know none of us can escape the noise of the outside world, we've even managed to reduce the evening news to a ten-minute review! God bless the inventor of the fast-forward button.

Meanwhile, the clock isn't stopping for the countdown to seasonality. We may still be dealing with summer-like heat, but fall seasonality is here. Whatever you're doing for your holiday promotions NOW is the time to start ramping up the volume on your awareness campaign. So, what are you doing to ignite a little holiday excitement?

I was in Costco a few days ago, and they already had Christmas trees on display. And the volume of snail-mail catalogs has started to pick up. The rush for holiday shopping earlier and earlier every year has started, but that's not all bad news. It means more time to reach your target audience.  

Here's a short list of things to think about to help make your presence more recognized and be a leader through the seasonality of the fourth-quarter crunch. YOU NEED TO BE PROACTIVE NOW! It's always more fun playing offense than defense. ​

The obvious foundation to prepare for this year's holiday season is to define your marketing plans, including partnerships, etc. But here are a few less obvious things to help you fine-tune your planning.

• When a potential client contacts you, respond quickly! That means you need to check whatever system you use for customer contact regularly. Don't let text messages, voicemails, or email sit without a fast response.
• Plant seeds of ideas! Give your website and social media audience gift ideas for this holiday season. Show that framed prints, metal prints, and even canvas are still exciting for most of your clients! How about video holiday cards?
• Stop wasting time on social media if it's not communicating with your target audience. So many of you waste time in forums with other photographers on things that have nothing to do with building your business. I'm not suggesting you abandon your friends and associates. But keep your time focused on your client audience! Arguing over an image you like or don't like with other artists isn't going to pay the bills! I've quoted my old buddy Dean Collins many times over the years: "Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder."
• Be involved in your community! We're in the giving time of year, and the community needs to know you're not just another retailer out to make a sale. You've got to give back. You want the community to be good to you, so you've got to be good to the community. It's not hard to do - get involved with a local fundraiser. Be visible and show you care.
• Clean up your website galleries! Your images need to be about quality, NOT quantity. Only show your very best work. If a picture in your galleries could have been captured by anybody's "Uncle Harry," then take it down!
• Get your own holiday cards ready! I mean your personal/business card. No photographer should ever use a store-bought card. USE ONE OF YOUR IMAGES! Put your image on the front, and your logo, email address, and phone number on the back... and your studio address if you've got a brick-and-mortar location you want to share. You can pre-print a message inside and then add a handwritten line or two for special clients and associates.

And for you last-minute storm chasers -  Take some time and think through how you'd like the year to finish. You've got more control than most people think, but sales success is a combination of timing, creativity, communication, and establishing value. 

​If you just sit back and wait for customers to contact you, when your ship finally comes in, you'll be at the airport.

Procrastination is NOT a strategy tool for marketing!