MARKETING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO AFTER LOCKDOWN: WHEN IS… “BACK TO NORMAL” GOING TO HAPPEN?

Waiting for restrictions to ease, because then “hopefully business will pick up again”?

But what if it doesn’t? 

As I write this, on the one side I’m seeing headlines talking about recession and disruption caused by Brexit.

On the other side, all top marketing inner-circles worldwide have become an incessant flow of posts about a secret war over privacy between Apple and giants like Google and Facebook.

Yes, it’s true, these cycles have always existed.

Recession has happened before and, eventually, things have always improved.

But what if your business was the price you have to pay to survive all of this?

What if resting on your laurels, expecting business to ‘pick up naturally’ meant losing it?

After all, business doesn’t tolerate complacency. 

Remember Blockbusters…?

IS THAT REALLY THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

If you still don’t believe me, take a walk around and see how many businesses have already been forced to close their doors. 

And the reality is, they will be followed by many more before the end of April 2021.

Now, if you think I am just trying to scare you and don’t want to deal with any more stress… I hear you.

Believe me, I do.

Navigating through these last 12 months has been exhausting and has forced me to change many aspects of my business, way beyond what I planned.

I am so very ready for some normalcy and rest.

But as tempting as it is to comfort myself with the idea that we are “near the end of this”, I know I need to prepare for what’s next.

I know, and you also do, that the way we do things has already been altered.

The way we shop. 

The way we spend. 

The way we work. 

The way we go out to pubs or restaurants.

Many of these changes will last way long after restrictions have been lifted, so what makes you think your business will return to normal ‘just like that’? 

Marketing has always been a fast, ever-changing, vertigo-inducing practice.

Why should that be different this time?

3 THINGS YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW

Want to know what is the good news?

It’s not too late, you still have time.

So instead of burying your head in the sand, get to work right away and make sure you have the following in place for your business:

1. A crystal clear strategy to use your session portfolio to target the right audience. No, I am not talking about an abstract idea of “ideal client”. 
   
   I am talking about having the right offer and the right marketing to reach the segment of your audience that will be able to afford you 12 months from now.
   
   Because remember: some of those businesses that will be forced to close belong to your (potential) clients.
   
   Some of those employees who don’t have a desk to go back to anymore ARE your (potential) clients.
   
   Some of those families you have been calling “ideal clients” simply won’t have extra money to spend on luxury.
   
   So you better diversify and prepare.
   
   
   
   
2. Have a bulletproof strategy to reach new people fast and predictably, and to do it in more than one platform.
   
   The vastitude of the changes that will take place in SEO, Google and Facebook within the next 6-12 months go way beyond what you can imagine.
   
   You know why? 
   
   Because nobody is more aware of the tsunami that is going to hit small business than the giants (a.k.a. Google and Facebook) that made a fortune providing them with a platform to promote their services.
   
   So they too are forced to diversify, making it easier for big brands to eat a bigger piece of the online-customer-base cake.
   
   
3. Stop worrying about what other photographers do.
   
   We all know that the market is over-saturated. It has been for a very long time.
   
   You’ve been undercut left right and centre.
   
   Look around, visit 5-10 websites of other newborn photographers and tell me if at least half of them are not using the same pricing, offering the same products and even using the same words on their pages.
   
   This is not the time to look like everybody else. 
   
   This time, the market is not going to be forgiving with those who are not bold enough to craft their own path and build their own business identity.
   

WHAT IF RESTING ON YOUR LAURELS, EXPECTING BUSINESS TO “PICK UP NATURALLY” MEANT LOSING IT?

AFTER ALL, BUSINESS DOESN’T TOLERATE COMPLACENCY.

… REMEMBER BLOCKBUSTERS?

MARKETING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS: WHAT NEXT?

There is a bumpy road ahead, but there is still time for you to prepare your business for what’s coming next.

Focus on the 3 points aboce and you will not just survive this, but come out on top because of it.

If you want to know more about how these strategies can help you create a competitive advantage and position yourself to dominate the market, book your free marketing coaching call now.