I want to share with you a photography marketing technique to get new clients and also increase your orders from current clients.
But it’s one of those things you can ONLY do this time of the year.
HOLIDAY CARDS!
The video below lays out exactly how to add holiday cards to your photography marketing plan.
Now before you say “been there, done that,” just know that I felt the SAME way 10 years ago.
I tried it and everything went horribly wrong. (More on that story here.)
But since then, I’ve had the time to figure out what went wrong.
Now that I’ve worked the kinks out and revised my photography marketing approach, we love holiday cards in my business.
Not only do they add tens of thousands of dollars to my revenue each year, but they also help me get a few new clients each year.
Let me show you how you can make holiday cards part of your marketing plan…and make it work for your life!
First – For the Established Photographer
If you are a well-established photographer and are already slammed with clients (or will be VERY soon), here is a quick tip for how you can make holiday cards work for you.
It’s called a Value-Added Incentive
Offer a value-added incentive to clients to come in NOW for their portraits. For example: “If you book your session by the end of the month, I’ll include 25 cards with any $1,500 portrait order.”
One of my students used this idea last year and booked 25 sessions at a $5,000 average from this ONE LITTLE idea!
What I love most about this idea is that it makes sure your best clients get holiday cards in their hands EARLY. Their friends are hands down, the best source of referrals for bringing new clients in to your photography business. You want to do everything you can to encourage your best clients to get their holiday cards from you.
I’ll be going through my holiday card selling process on my upcoming free live web training.
Second – For the New Photographer
If you don’t have clients, here’s a quick idea to help you sell some holiday cards and get some new clients!
1. Think of all the businesses YOU spend money with.
- Your real estate broker
- Insurance agent
- Dentist
- Family doctor
- Hair dresser
- Chiropractor
- Trainer
How many of them send you a generic holiday greeting? All of them!
When I get a holiday card that includes images of a person’s family, I feel a deeper connection to them than when I get an off the shelf corporate greeting. It’s so much more personal!
These business owners are already spending money–or they should be spending money–on a holiday card to send to their clients.
It’s a business expense!
When you create their holiday card for them, one business expense covers their family portraits AND their holiday cards!
Why not put that money in YOUR pocket and gain a new client at the same time?!
Makes total sense, right?
2. Reach out to each of them.
Let them know you have an idea for how you can create a KILLER holiday card for them that includes images of their families that their clients will love.
Some may not even remember to DO a card, which is crazy! Your reminder will help their marketing, and they’ll thank you.
3. Grab your camera.
After you photograph their family portraits, grab a great holiday card template and print their cards well in advance of the holidays.
When their clients receive these cards, that’s more marketing for you!
Obviously, there are a lot of details to really make this work. If it sounds like something that will work you, join me for the details in my upcoming free live web training.
Third – Adding a Little Pre-Holiday Cash Flow
What if you would just like a little more cash right now before it starts to get super busy?
Here’s what I do:
1. Review all the sessions you photographed this year so far.
2. Pull together a mock up of a holiday card for each of these clients.
(Design Aglow has great ones you can buy so there’s no need to design anything from scratch).
- Drag in images from the session
- Customize the greeting with their family name
- Print it from your printer.
- Cut it out, glue it together.
Voila you have a ‘mock up’ of what their card could look like.
4. Give your client a call.
Invite them to stop by the studio to show it off and sell it to them.
Or drop it in the mail to them with a note that says “Would love to have these professionally printed on photo paper for you to use as a holiday card this year. Give me a call by Friday and let’s get these ordered for you in the next week!”
(There are a couple really important details I’ll cover for you to make this work in my upcoming free web training.)
So there you have it. 3 ways you can use holiday cards as part of your photography marketing plan.
If you want to know more about each of these 3 ideas, join me for my upcoming free LIVE web training on how YOU can make holiday cards work for your photography business.
Just register here for your seat.
Oh and a quick warning…. I only have a limited number of spots available from the service I use to deliver the training.
