CONCENTRATE ON THESE THREE THINGS FOR 2020

WHAT SHOULD PHOTOGRAPHERS FOCUS ON FOR 2021?
VISIBILITY, DURATION, FREQUENCY

As we slowly begin to let go of the miserable business climate most small businesses, creatives, photographers…, well, just about anyone in the creative arts community has had this past year, we still find ourselves facing uncertainty.

And creatives do not like uncertainty all that much.

Uncertainty drains us of our fire, our passions, our confidence. Whether we have control or not, the daily uncertainty mounts to be a crushing load to carry on our shoulders.

I do not expect that to change much over the next 6-8 months.

But I DO expect us to get it under control and find ways to let the uncertainty push us in new, and hopefully exciting directions.

Some of us are finding ways to move forward, others are catching on, and soon dealing with this pandemic bullshit will be as annoying as dealing with the slow-paying client, or over-inquisitive landlord.

We will get through it.

We won’t let it bury our creativity but instead, have it be bolstered by new perspectives.

And what should photographers do?

I think that the best things to focus on are these three marketing facets: Visibility, Duration, and Frequency.

Working in combination, these three simple ideas can help propel you through murky waters. For one, you forget the murkiness while concentrating on the projects in front of you. Getting visibility becomes a project.

VISIBILITY.

Are you shooting new things?
Are you learning new things?
Remember that 2-3 week hiatus we all took, you know, the one that stretched into 10 months (so far) that was going to be a time for reflection and self-growth?
Did you do something?
If not, why not?
And if not, why not now?

I believe there are a few places where it is still a good place to concentrate on sharing your work.

I have spoken about Behance before and will continue to be bullish on this elite work-sharing site. it is the best place to be if you are commercially oriented.

Instagram would be second. (Question… do you think Instagram has had its day? I recently read two articles with numbers and some very frank discussion on the ultimately sooner-than-later demise of this once great platform. I do not have enough wisdom in the subject to more than listen at this point.)

And Youtube. Making videos of still images is where you start, then branch into short entertaining videos about any subject. We are creators. We do not have to limit ourselves to Youtube videos on using the contrast slider in Lightroom… ya know!

DURATION

Get in it for the long haul.

This is not going to be an easy year ahead of us, nor ultimately an easy decade. The 20’s are always full of tumult and confusion. But we will get through them, and we will thrive IF we embrace the idea of duration.

Planning on a direct mail campaign? Great… 1-year minimum, 3-years possible. ‘Hit and run’ is not going to work. It is going to take a while, so dig in, bucko. And get started.

2021 will be a terrible time to start a business. (Hint, every damned year is a terrible time to start a business. Every year.) The best time to have started your photography business was 10 years ago, the second-best time is today. Waiting for the market to ‘get right’ is a fool’s folly.

There is no ‘right market’ to start a business of any kind, especially the creative arts.

I would encourage you to start as soon as possible and get into it for the long haul. Longevity is the goal. Being around long enough, with visibility, are two of the three values we are looking at, and they will be of great value.

You do not have to quit your current job, just get started on the process. You have a long way to go before you have scheduling conflicts. And when you do, you will find solutions.

FREQUENCY

There is an adage from long ago that says that a consumer has to see your ad seven times before they will be interested in purchasing what it is you are selling. I have discussed this with our clients back in the Agency days, and most of us who knew it also knew there was not really any scientific data to back that up, only a general understanding of how human nature reacts to the environment.

I happen to believe it to be true… well, maybe not ‘seven’, but certainly more than once or twice.

Sending out a postcard and waiting for the gigs to come in is nearly delusional it is so unrealistic. Does it ever happen? Of course, but that is the anomaly we all talk about, not the normal thing we don’t.

Truth is that clients may need to see your promo materials 7 times, 8 times, 12 times… hell, 23 times before they are motivated to pick up the phone and initiate a bid process.

Frequency can also be too dense, like some photographer’s emails touting their online courses that reach my inbox as often as three times a day. Yeah, you know who you are.

But a well-designed piece, delivered once per month can be of interest… and may not move the needle for a year. Or never.

Frequency should be borne out of a knowledge of your clientele, and how fast they go through their processes. Big agencies are slower than magazine editorial editors.

My suggestion for engaging all three.

Visibility:
Find ways to get your work in front of possible clients that few others are doing (Behance, Youtube, Medium), and push for more unique and inventive ways to be seen.

Duration:
Start now, or in January, and invest time into your research as well as a few bucks into your direct mail. Waiting till your severance pay runs out is a very bad plan.

Frequency:
An email per month, direct mail 6 times per year, phone calls when appropriate as well as staying current on social media like Behance, Linkedin, and Instagram.

Create a plan that seems comfortable for you and the receiver of your work. Be less sales-oriented and more helpful. Be friendly as well as sharp on current struggles that are universal.

This is not the time to crawl into a cave and curl up in a ball.

We have to work, struggle, and fight for our right to exist.

If not now, when?

If not us, who?

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Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash