We all face slow spots in our business. When I first started my photography business I wasn’t ready for the slow season after the big holiday boom and it scared me.
Today I’m going to share with you how can use your database to get you through the slow season.
Here are just 3 ways you can tap into your database to help you turn your slow season into a busy one.
1) Partner up with the right business. Open up your database and figure out 5 potential businesses that you could partner with. In town, I partner with a boutique clothing store, they hang my work and bring me new clients and when my clients ask for clothing options I know who to send them to. I include a gift certificate for a free session redeemable only in my slow season to any of their clients who make a purchase over a certain dollar amount. This would be at no charge to the co-marketing partner and ensures you get client traffic. One thing to remember, choose a co-marketing partner who is in the same target market as you, but is not in direct competition with your business.
2) Show Your Best Clients LOVE. Every holiday season I gift my VIP clients. Did you do this? If not, now is the time to show them some extra TLC. Trust me, their face will light up when they receive an unexpected gift from you! It puts you top-of-mind for them so that your name pops into their head when they are thinking about portraits. This past year I gifted my clients a little cube with their image on it. This present is not something that can be purchased otherwise and people LOVED it! When I’m shooting seniors, I’ll give them their very own Sticky Albums app. It takes me 5 minutes to create a Sticky Albums and they can’t wait to show all their friends. Talk about word of mouth marketing.
3) Show appreciation. Everyone is busy; it’s not just you and your family. And to be honest having a family portrait taken probably doesn’t just pop into their head. So if you haven’t heard from a client in a few years, don’t take offense they have probably just been busy. Bring back the connection you had with them with a follow up card. Write them something personal maybe they just had a baby or their son just got married, mention it in the card they will LOVE it.
I get a lot of questions about what database I use. I couldn’t find anything I loved, so I built my own. Students in my Be Worth Every Penny marketing system get access to it, too! I love it because it’s web-based so I can access it anywhere I am. That’s important to me because there are times when I’m not in my studio and run into a client. I want to quickly look up my clients’ kids’ names, ages, and when their last session was. With my database, I can do that before approaching them when I’m out and about and make a real connection.