Making the most of quiet season as a pet photographer
January might seem like a slow season for most photographers worldwide. The weather can be either too hot or too cold, and let’s face it—there’s often a spending slump after the festive season. But hold on, this quieter period can be a treasure trove of opportunities! It's the perfect time to lay down the groundwork for the months ahead, and start taking bookings too. How? Let’s dive in!
Setting Foundations
Think of this slow season as a chance to reset and refocus. If you didn’t do this last month, take a moment to reflect on your goals. Who do you want to collaborate with? Where do you aim to be seen—be it in Google rankings, social media, or media features? How many bookings are you eyeing this year? What sales target are you aiming for?
Growth & Professional Development
While you have spare time, dive into those courses you purchased last year, and are yet to watch. Ran out of material? Why not sign up for something new! I’m off to London next week for The Society of Photographers’ 2024 Convention and Tradeshow’- a great opportunity to mingle, learn and see new products (let me know if you’ll be there too!).
There’s a wealth of educational options out there to enhance your shooting, editing, pricing, marketing, and mindset. It’s all about picking where to start!
Taking Action
Learning is fantastic, but it’s the changes you implement that truly make a difference! I’ve already made tweaks to my website this month—resizing images, optimizing page titles for SEO, and adding more content—insights I gained from recent courses and consultations.
If you’re not fully booked, consider scheduling photoshoots for marketing material or personal growth. It could be that dream location you’ve always wanted to capture or even setting up studio sessions to hone your skills and create shareable work!
You could even double-up and invite a partner (or potential partner) for a free shoot at that location giving them the opportunity to experience what you do! Thinking of introducing studio sessions? Utilize this down time to practice what you’ve learned and create work to share!
Networking
Guess what? It’s not just us photographers feeling the quiet spell; many businesses are in the same boat. Use this time to network and collaborate with other pet businesses looking to make strides this year. It’s like dating—get to know each other before making big proposals!
While your industry partners have time, introduce yourself! Ask for a tour of their facilities or invite them to a lunch date. If a local industry group doesn’t exist- start one! Ask what they need right now. What’s working, what isn’t and how can you help?
Constant Clients throughout the Year
The success of a pet photography business hinges on a well-thought-out marketing plan. Evergreen ads, client loyalty programs, and third-party referrals (thanks to your networking!) play key roles here.
Reach out to your existing partners or potential collaborators. Offer ideas on how to boost their business this year. My favorite third-party marketing strategy? Partners giving photoshoot vouchers to their new clients—think VIP promotions or “Welcome Back” deals.
For your partners' new clients, a “gift voucher with purchase” is a simple solution! For example, a doggy day care could give a free photoshoot to every new sign up.
If you already have a strategy in place, now might be a great time to show your partner how much you appreciate them, and remind them of how good you are. An easy way to do that is by photographing them with their dogs!
For Instant Pet Photography Bookings
Taking steps now to ensure a busy year ahead is all well and good, but you might be asking, what about getting clients right now during this tough month? My go-to marketing campaign for this period is the Pet of the Year Competition. The idea is to celebrate your clients from last year, while collecting the details (hello new leads) of their friends to then turn into new clients. If you had more than 15 good clients last year, you can run this right now! And the best part? Since your clients do the advertising for you, this costs nothing to implement!
You can have your Pet of the Year Competition up and running within a day using our step-by-step guide.
As January settles in, bringing a quieter vibe to the photography scene, it's tempting to think it's downtime. Instead, I encourage you to view this period as an opportunity to set sturdy foundations, foster professional growth, and implement strategic actions that pave the way for a vibrant year ahead. Dive into educational courses, revamp marketing strategies, and forge collaborations during this calm period.
Author
Kirstie McConnell |
Founder
The Pet Photographers Club
When Kirstie launched her pet photography business in Australia in 2012, the genre was barely a thing. She spent the next years at the forefront of this niche, marketing not just her own business, but the concept of pet photography. Each year she photographed around 100 dogs, cats and horses per year to create wall art and albums for pet-parents.
Now based in Italy, she continues to offer pet photography to her clients back in Australia on return trips, but otherwise spends her energy helping other pet photographers build a business which will allow them to follow their dreams.
Internationally recognized as a leader in the industry, she hosts the podcast, workshops, courses and business events for The Pet Photographers Club which she co-founded.
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