Wrapping Up the Year with One Last Project

by Skip Cohen

We're down to the wire on seasonality for 2023, but there's one last category there's still time for - thanking your clients, vendors, and people who have supported you throughout the year. While I've shared thoughts about this in the past - I want to expand on both concepts.

1. Thank You Promotions: The illustration below is from Adobe Stock, and while it's not worded how you might publish a special offer to all your past clients, it makes the point. 
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• Create a special offer as a holiday thank you...or launch it after the first of the year as a New Year's celebration.
• Give it 30-60 days max before expiration. You need the window of opportunity long enough to inspire people to take advantage of the thank you offer.
• You don't have to fly solo. This kind of campaign is perfect for partners and cross-promoting. For example, working with a florist or restaurant helps bring business in during a time of year when things have typically slowed down.
• The offer should be for anything with perceived value to your target audience. Discounts are fine, but I'm a big fan o​f something extra that people might not normally consider, like a smaller album from a family shoot.

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2. Saying "Thank You" to Your Support Team: It's another illustration, but we all know what a thank you note/card looks like. The target audience, though, is everybody who helped you in 2023.
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• Let's start with the most prominent players; those vendors who helped you capture business in 2023, especially referrals. From wedding planners to venues, florists, and even other photographers - now is the time to thank them.
• You don't need to end with a thank you note. My illustration represents everything from a gift basket to taking somebody to lunch. These are the people who are always watching your back.
• It takes a village: We all know the expression, and it's so true in business. There are so many people who play a role right down to your UPS/FedEx drivers, staff at your lab, other photographers who have been a resource, and the list goes on and on. They're all in your network and need to be reminded of their importance to you and your appreciation.
• This is also a prime vehicle to create custom stationery and use one of your own images. Like my thoughts on custom holiday cards, no photographer should ever send out a store-bought card. To make it even more effective, include your business name and contact information on the back of the card, just like the Hallmark label.
• "With our blessing!" It's a concept I first heard about from Dawn and Bob Davis. Whenever Bob shoots a wedding, he captures images of the work other vendors have done. For example the florist, caterer and the venue itself are all prime candidates. He makes it a point to capture images that show their involvement and afterwards sends them to the vendor with a note of with our blessing, allowing them to use these images. This is about relationship building and it's such a strong marketing tool for developing more referrals. Even better, I'm including it here, but it's really something you should be doing all year long.

And if you're stuck on design ideas or how to implement a promotional thank you program, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial - call Marathon! Their staff has worked with thousands of photographers and business owners on creating programs with impact. Call 1-800-228-0629 or click on their banner below.

​The year is quickly coming to a close, but there are still building blocks you can put in place for 2024, and they're all about relationship building - your strongest marketing tool.

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