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HOT-TIP

"How To Make A BUNDLE Of Cash In Photography During The Holidays!"

By Charles Lewis

Ah, that time of year is coming, and it's coming faster than you think.  It's almost Halloween already, and I'm willing to bet that the Christmas decorations will be coming out at all the malls and department stores sooner than ever before.  (next year, they'll probably put them out just after labor day.)

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those rare person starts shopping early for the holidays.

I know I'm in the minority here - I can tell because of the insane number of drivers I see on the roads on Dec. 23rd and 24th - most people wait till the last minute to get started!

Well, the same goes for photographers and their holiday marketing!

Do you realize the INSANE amount of money you can make in your photography business during the holiday season?  You've no idea.  The holidays have the potential to be a GOLD-MINE for you, but...

You MUST start your preparations RIGHT NOW - TODAY!  No joke, if you wait just a week or two, it will be too late!

Don't make the mistake of waiting till the last minute to prepare for the season - the way most people do their Christmas shopping!  You need to take action right now in order to make sure you have the best holiday season possible!

You need to have several things in place and ready to go to insure a constant flow of ultra-qualified clients between now and the New Year.

Here is my list of all the things you should be doing right now...

These are in no particular order, and ALL of them are important:

#1 - Have your holiday-specific marketing plan all laid out, and have your marketing pieces being printed so they are ready to go.  Don't just plan on doing ONE marketing campaign for the holiday season!  Remember, we need to have many "legs" to our "marketing table," or the table will fall over.  You should be doing a multi-step marketing campaign targeting families you CAN photograph prior to Christmas, as well as families who will need to wait till after Christmas to get the whole family together.  Remember to use the GIFT PLAQUE so you can get a whole bunch more clients between now and Christmas, even if you can't book their actual sessions.

#2 - Update all your exhibits with wonderful FAMILY photographs, as family photography is the big-seller during the holiday season!  You sell what you show - make sure to get the most "BANG" out of your exhibits!

#3 - Put together some great holiday special offers - compelling, irresistible offers that will make it nearly impossible for someone to not work with you!  People are always looking for great gift ideas during the holidays, and they love a great special as well!  Just remember, don't give away free photographs (it cheapens the perception of your work), and you CAN give away linked and non-linked bonuses to increase the power of your offer.

#4 - Go after your V.I.Ps (your current clients) to get referrals.  Now is a great time to actively pursue referrals from your thrilled clients!  Let them know that you've put together a great offer for the people they refer during the holidays - and they will probably offer you the names of many people who would be perfect clients for you.

#5 - Send out holiday cards to your clients.  This is a great way to keep in touch with them, and you can even include a very special offer for them to have new portraits created as a holiday gift.

#6 - Perfect your telephone skills.  During the holidays, you may see an increase in calls to your studio, and you need to know how to handle them!  Plus, you need to get these potential clients to take action NOW, and start working with you.  You don't want them to take too long (or the holidays will have come and gone) and you don't want them to just call around a bunch of other photographers.  Remember, they don't care how much you know till they know how much you care.  Become great at answering that phone, and you'll turn more calls into sessions between now and the new year!

You MUST make sure that your marketing and offer are very specific, and that they are targeting a specific group.  Then, you must make sure this group sees your marketing so they can respond.

So, how do you find the right people to send to?  There are so many ways....

First, approach a local business about doing an endorsed mailing.  This is so powerful, as it comes from the owner of the business to his or her client list.  Just make sure the business you go after to do the endorsed mailing with you has a client base that matches your target demographics.

Secondly, contact a list broker about getting a list of people in your area that fit your target market.  For example, for family photography, target home owners in a specific zip range that have 2 or more children under the age of 11, and an annual income of at least $150,000 or more.

Thirdly, of course, the location of your displays and exhibits.  Nothing works better than having displays in areas that your target market frequents.  Then, of course, have lift cards that they can take with them when they see your exhibit.  Very powerful.

The key is to take action, and to know that your marketing is not going to take care of itself.  Remember to pay attention to getting your marketing message out to the people you WANT as your clients.

I hope that helps for this hot-tip, and I look forward to publishing many more for you, so keep your eyes open!

Chuck Lewis

 

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