This is bridal show season. If you’re going to be exhibiting in any bridal shows this winter and spring, we of course want you to have the latest samples of your work in a fresh new Zook Book or PhotoBook, but there is a lot more you need to do to set yourself apart from the crowd when it comes to your booth and exhibit space. Check out the Marketing Essentials International Blog and their article about how to stand in the crowd out at your next bridal show. Have a great 2010!
Archive for the ‘Marketing Madness’ Category
Being Effective at a Trade Show, Bridal Show…ANY show!
Friday, January 8th, 2010Holiday Season is Studio Sample Season
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009While some of us may still be completing orders for holiday delivery, it is not too early (if not a little late) to start looking at what products you will be offering your clients next season and creating samples of those items. If you’re still planning your product offerings for next season, here are a few points to consider.
Keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm your clients with too many options. Usually three to five different choices are more than enough. In the case of Zookbinders, we have four basic options: Our new Soft Cover Press Books, the PhotoBook and PhotoBook Plus, the Zook Book, and the Matted Album. Having at least one of each option you offer will let your clients see and feel the different choices they’ll have to display their wedding photos from you.
Don’t forget companion albums and frames for up selling. Once again, the old adage, “if you don’t show, you can’t sell it” holds true. If you don’t show how beautiful framed page spreads or cloned parent albums can be, you won’t be able to sell these profitable little add-ons. We at Zookbinders make it very easy for you to order frames and cloned parent books when you order with our print-to-bind service. For 2010, we are offering an additional 10% off our already reduced PhotoBook and Soft Cover Press Book packages when you order them with a PhotoBook Plus, Zook Book or Matted Album.
As always, Zookbinders offers a 25% discount off samples of any of our press printed books or album printing and 50% off samples of any of our albums. There’s no excuse to not build yourself a new set of samples to start showing your clients all of the wonderful ways they can purchase, show and share your creative photography.
Shedding 1000 Pounds, Marketing and Pricing for Profit
Friday, December 11th, 2009We’ve gotten quite a response to Mark Zucker’s article “Your Business Needs to Lose 1000 Pounds.” He first presented it at Pictage’s PartnerCon in November and we also sent it to all of our customers in our ZookNotes newsletter. MarksRemarksFall2009
Some people thought Mark was simply saying “drop your prices by $1000 because shoot and burn photographers are cheaper than you.” That’s not it at all. As most of you know, the digital age has changed the wedding photography business in many ways. Whether it’s Susan the soccer mom, Uncle Joe or Ashton Kutcher at the wedding with their DSLR, the public perception is that wedding photography is easy and cheap. And if your business is struggling because of this new competition, then you might want to look at offering a lower entry price point. This doesn’t just mean lower your prices, it means offer a smaller, bare bones, no frills package to get these price conscious brides in your door.
But then what do you do? Once you make contact with these brides you need to show them how your service, skills, products and value is so much better than that of those newbees. Wow them with your Unique Selling Points! You educate your prospects and market your talents, photographs, service and value. You answer the question, “Why I should hire you over the other photographer?”
But how much should you charge? Just as you shouldn’t arbitrarily lower your prices by $1000, you shouldn’t just set your prices without knowing your product and package costs. One of the best quick references to understanding pricing is Ann Monteith’s three part series of articles on the PPA magazine web site. Understanding this valuable information will help you set your prices correctly, know where your money is going and know where you can trim your packages without losing your profits.
So there you have it. With a little research and knowledge of how your business works, you will understand what you need to charge to be profitable and how you can trim your offerings be lean, efficient and survive in the digital age.
Marketing Madness: 5 Ways to Keep Your Clients Coming Back
Wednesday, November 11th, 20095 Ways to Keep Your Clients Coming Back
We all know that it is many times easier to grow your business with your current client base, who is already familiar and happy with your services, than to try to constantly bring in new business. When it comes to increasing sales from your current client base consider these following relatively low tech ideas to keep them coming back.
1. Deliver complimentary portrait session with your albums. What better way to bring a client back into the studio than to give them a free session. By placing a certificate in with their album, they’ll see this wonderful gift when they are most excited, when they get to relive their wedding day through your images.
2. Give referral cards to each of your clients. Satisfied clients are almost always willing to share your name with family and friends in need of your services. To keep you and your services top of mind, give your clients referral cards to promote your business. Offer them a $25 to $50 credit with your studio for each card that comes back.
3. Send cards. Once again, being top of mind is key to getting referrals and getting your clients back in the door. There is no easier way to get clients back than to let them know you are thinking of them with an anniversary, birthday or holiday card.
4. Say thank you with a personal note. An email might be OK for some people, but a hand written note will set you apart. Consider dropping a thank you note in your wedding client’s card box or sending a note out immediately after the wedding and after their order is picked up.
5. Keep gift certificates open ended. Why keep a client from using your gift card? Don’t set an expiration date on your gift cards. Special offers can have a deadline to increase traffic at particular times, but let your clients use their gift cards at any time they want to take advantage of your services.
Start these simple, loyalty building tasks today, and you’ll be on your way to increasing client traffic through your door from the people who trust and use you most.
Scott Patrick, Zookbinders Sales and Marketing Staff
