As the days grow shorter and the weather grows colder, we are reminded that the season for holiday portraits is coming up fast. It’s a crazy time for everyone but especially for portrait photographers. It seems like every family needs last-minute portraits.
So, as this season approaches, it’s time to ask yourself: how can I prepare my business for the holidays? How can I serve my clients better?
Here are five tips for preparing for and making the most of your holiday season.
1. Start Marketing Now
Kids are getting back into the swing of school, sports and extracurricular activities and their parents are along for the ride. They become cheerleaders, tutors and chauffeurs for their children. With so much chaos, remembering to schedule a holiday photo session can fall to the sidelines.
Unlike your clients, however, you can’t let your holiday marketing efforts shift to the back burner. Nearly every photographer relies on the influx of holiday clients to break even and get the new year off with momentum financially.
That’s why it’s so crucial that you start your marketing for holiday sessions now. Are you worried about what marketing entails or costs? It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as starting conversations with parents on the sidelines of your children’s latest extracurricular activity or here are three more simple ways to market your business.
2. Educating People About the Gift Aspect of Your Business
In all the craziness leading up to the holidays, there’s another thing that can get lost in the shuffle: preparing gifts. How often have you found yourself doing last-minute gift shopping or putting your kids to work making homemade gifts for loved ones because it completely slipped your mind?
To stand out as a photographer who goes the extra mile, proactively reach out to current and potential clients, offering your photography services as a possible gift they could purchase for those hard-to-buy-for in-laws.
It’s a wonderful way to solve problems your clients already have and take something off their overflowing holiday plates. Your packaging should also serve as a beautiful experience for their family member to unwrap.
3. Leverage the Boutique Angle
When you start marketing your photography business for the holidays, remember to leverage the boutique angle. While you can help your clients choose outfits and places to hang their wall artwork year-round, this is especially helpful during the holiday season.
Many of your clients will have seasonal decor they bring out to replace their year-round decor. This inevitably involves some shuffling of wall decor and it can be challenging for clients to find the best space to hang their holiday portraits.
As a boutique photographer, you have the unique opportunity to help clients make their homes even more gorgeous for the holidays. From creating seasonal artwork that coordinates with their holiday decor to helping clients find the perfect spot to hang their holiday portraits, your job as a boutique photographer is to consult with them as a decorating expert from start to finish and make the experience truly memorable.
4. Keep in Mind Print Labs’ Holiday Deadlines
As you book clients, remember that most print labs have deadlines around the holidays. The last thing you want is to promise a client a portrait by a certain date only to find that you’ve missed their ordering cutoff.
You may need to shop around to find a high-quality print lab that also offers rush orders or extended deadlines. Otherwise, it’s best to be wise about your booking schedule and ensure your clients know when to book if they want their portraits before a certain date.
5. Protect Your Schedule for Your Clients
As a boutique photographer, you know how to offer photography services that are elite. Every client should feel like a top priority, and you should be able to go above and beyond for them.
With that in mind, don’t overbook yourself. Proactively reach out to your loyal clients and get their sessions scheduled first, knowing that if you book too many clients, you may not have time to give them the attention they are used to. Especially during the already crazy holiday season, you could easily find yourself overwhelmed trying to create, edit and print wall artwork or albums. That’s not including everything else you do as a boutique photographer. Rushing from a client’s house after helping them hang their portraits to arrive frazzled and late at your next session isn’t a good look for your business.
Remember that high-quality customer service is just as important as creating beautiful portraits. Your clients will be impressed with the care and attention you give them, especially during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
Bonus Tip: Protect Your Schedule for Yourself
While focusing on building your business during the holiday season is important, don’t forget to protect your well-being. After all, the holidays are just as crazy—if not more so!—for photographers. Avoid burnout and make time for your own family by only committing to what you know you can handle.
Every photographer knows the holidays can be a wonderful but chaotic time. It’s easy to arrive at the holiday season underprepared and overbooked but if you follow these tips, you’ll have the privilege of warming your clients’ homes and hearts with your portraits this holiday season.