Holiday Season 2008

[heavenlymom]

I am new at my business and therefor know I will not be as busy as most other photographers that have been doing it for a while, but is it just me or is this Holiday season more slower than last year. Even the two large commercial photography places I worked out a couple years ago have shared with me that their not having half as much people coming in this Holiday season as present years??

Does anyone have any good tips in bringing in customers for the Holiday?

 

[mudthirsty]

Everyone is buying their own SLRs, and DIYing it!

 

[Bthornton]

Yes, it's a slower year and it takes a lot of marketing to keep customers coming in. I'm in the Metro Detroit market and everyone is freaking out about the big 3 and little money is being spent.
I'm not seeing as many sessions as I should and they are not spending what they used to. I had to be creative and offer other things as well. I do a lot of portrait creations, custom card designs and stuff like that. I'm also doing custom slideshows from my portrait sessions and will soon be adding a slideshow offer where I make a custom slideshow off the the photos they took over the holidays. No, it's not a lot of creative photography for me but it will keep me working till things get better.
At this point you really need to start thinking about your spring marketing plan.
Good luck

 

[Big Mike]

but is it just me or is this Holiday season more slower than last year.

No offense, but have you been living under a rock? The whole world is in an economic 'down turn' or even 'recession'. The vast majority of businesses are less busy now than they were last year.
As important as it is to us, professional photography is a luxury to a lot of people and it's something that they will pass up when times are lean.

As Bthornton said, you may need to be creative and create more value for your clients. Even in hard times, there will always be those willing to pay for a good service.

 

[Christie Photo]

Does anyone have any good tips in bringing in customers for the Holiday?

Service. That's the only thing I can suggest. By now, most studios won't promise delivery in time for Christmas.

Just be specific about what you can do in time.

-Pete

 

[Flash Harry]

You have roughly one month left before crimbo, make up some posters offering a special xmas package, say bookings are limited if prints to be ready for Xmas, offer 1 14 x 11 enlargement, a couple of 10 x 8 and six 7 x 5 all of the same shot, any other orders at normal prices, work out you're costs and charge just a little over this as a sitting fee, the orders just keep coming in, advertise in as many places you can and run one on the womens page of you're local rag/newspaper, do not offer framing or otherwise and stipulate the service would be extra. My way, its worked every year. H

PS limit each sitting to one hour and do family groups and then individual portraits, its a lot of hard work but it usually pays for itself over the lean after xmas period.