If you do one thing this month… …start thinking about Christmas!
There are only a few shopping days left until Christmas, so it’s time to encourage your clients to buy their gifts from you
Business success comes through forward planning, and right now that means focusing on a part of the year that can be potentially very lucrative for photographers: Christmas.
Traditionally, Christmas is a time for families, meaning social photographers are usually busy shooting family portraits as gifts. If you want a slice of that market, then it’s time to think about what you are going to do to attract it. You’ll need to get the message out there that your services are available, remind people that Christmas is only a few weeks away, and even suggest gift ideas. The easiest way of doing this is by contacting people that you already know – hopefully you take contact details of all of your existing customers, no matter how big or small their last order was.
Perhaps the easiest, and cheapest, way to get in touch with existing contacts is to email them. As long as you have permission to do so (something you should always seek), a well-timed email won’t take long to put together. Keep your message short and to the point, with distinct calls to action. Include details of your services and quote prices as ‘starting from…’ to enhance the impression that you are offering good value.
With a little more trouble, a flier, sent by post, can reach those who don’t check email messages, or aren’t affected by online marketing. There is obviously a cost associated with printing and postage, but this doesn’t have to be massive and will certainly be well offset by the amount you’ll make on the first booking that comes in. A two-sided A5 colour flier can contain a wealth of information about the services you offer, as well as examples of your photography.
And while we are on the subject of the services you offer, why not introduce ‘special Christmas deals’? Aggressively market yourself by advertising these packages locally wherever you can. You may even be pleasantly surprised by how cheap a cinema or local radio advert can be.
Of course, when the orders do come rocking in you’ll need the time and facilities to cope with demand efficiently. If you have a studio, make sure it is looking good as you go into November and book as many appointments in a day as possible. Get the mulled wine and mince pies going and put your clients in a festive mood. If you shoot in other people’s homes then make sure you have time blocked off in your diary that you can use to visit.
Follow this advice, and we reckon you’ll be toasting your success by the time New Year comes!
