Your Photography Business - Are You a Deer In the Headlights?

Obstacles don't have to stop you.
​If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Michael Jordan

by Skip Cohen
​ 
It's Marketing Monday, and almost a year ago, I shared the thoughts behind this post. Sadly, as we come out of the pandemic and things start to improve, there are still too many business owners struggling with where to start first. In some cases, they're genuinely confused, having spent too much time hunkered down from their business.They spent too much time being sad, frustrated, and angry - the result, is that deer-in-the-headlights look.

It's all understandable, but the pandemic has created a unique opportunity for leadership in your community. NOW is the time to step up and make the noise needed to remind people of the importance of memories and getting things back in focus (pun intended).

It's time to step out of analysis paralysis. I want to help you get back on track, and right now, you don't need to analyze anything. Stop worrying about what to do, and simply start taking action. The one common denominator for everyone is questioning the best ways to start getting business back on track. 

Best of all - we're coming into Spring seasonality. LIVE graduations are taking place all over the country; Mother's Day and Father's Day are coming up, along with Easter. The importance attached to memories has never stopped - just the ability to capture them. And what's Grandma missed the post during the pandemic? Her family - and that makes the need for a new family portrait even greater.

This isn't meant to be a long, drawn-out "how-to" post this morning, but plant a few seeds to get you to start taking action:

• Update your About Page: For most of you, your target audience is Mom. So, let's rewrite your bio and talk about what's most important to her - Can you be trusted to capture the kind of photographs she wants of her family? Talk about why you love being an artist and how your clients trust you to capture what their hearts might miss. This is the time for you to get a little sappy about why you're a photographer.
• Do a Marketing Video: How are you telling your story? Most of you have About pages that could put a rock to sleep. Let's spice them up with a 60-90 second video showing your work, narrated by you, and talking about how much you love photography and why.
• Call Your Lab: It's an easy question to ask, "What's new?" Look for creative ideas you can share with your clients of things to do with their photographs.  Share gift ideas using photography.
• Partner With Other Businesses: Stop thinking you have to do everything alone. Look for partners in the community who have the same target audience. Florists, wedding planners, restaurants, spas, bridal salons, tux shops, limo services, and salons are all great partners for the seasonality ahead.
• Clean Up Your Galleries: Never show an image that isn't a "wow" print. That means it's so good; it's the only one you'd have to show to get hired! And cull down the number of images you're sharing. You only a dozen or so that are stunning, not everything you've ever photographed!​
• Maintain Relationships: Pick up the phone and call at least ten of your past clients each week. You don't need to pitch anything - just welcome them back to a level of normalcy. Be a "mother hen" and just check in on how they're doing.
• Build a Stash: Your website is about what you sell; your blog is about what's in your heart. Both carry so much weight in building your brand now - so start writing posts for your blog that show your expertise and give people ideas of things to do with their photography. Share your passion for the craft and give them ideas about the presentation of their memory-making moments.
• Be a Family Historian: No need to write more about it - just read this past post.

Here's the bottom line - you're the only one who can impact rebuilding your business, but it takes focus. You know how to hold focus with your camera, and now it's time to take an intense look at your business. Everything has changed because of the pandemic, but that doesn't mean business isn't out there!

The pandemic is far from over, but things are improving. The risk and fears that goes along with Covid-19 aren't going to disappear, but there is a greater emphasis on family. And as more people are vaccinated, business is starting to pick up again - you can either be on the sidelines and watch the parade go by, or you can be in it!