The Consistency Club

Learning how to create and use deadlines to encourage clients to book, without feeling sleezy.

We are all being bombarded with sales pitches nearly every waking hour. As a matter of survival, our brains have become very good at saying "oh that sounds interesting... I'll get to it later." 

Without a compelling, time- or scarcity-based call to action, we tend to put off non-essential decision-making - including the decision to book a photographer - even if those decisions involve something we genuinely want.

To sum this month's lesson up in a single sentence, creating urgency is good; abusing it is bad.

Most photographers I know are so worried about coming across as pushy or manipulative that they miss out on one of the most powerful strategies to increase conversions.

But leveraging sales psychology doesn't have to be manipulative. As long as you are honest about the parameters of your offers and use them sparingly, they can give the people who want to hire you anyway the permission/kick in the pants that they need to do so today rather than tomorrow.

This month, we're going to explore different ways to encourage your followers and subscribers to "act now," (but maybe without using that "act now" phrase, which most of us associate with late-night infomercials).

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

How do we intentionally cultivate that sense of belonging among our readers/ followers without being manipulative?

Brene Brown (who - I'm certain - needs no introduction), says:

"I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment."

There's no more potent marketing juice than a prospective client who feels connected to you. If someone is randomly Googling around to find a photographer and reaches out to you and three others to compare pricing, you've got a far bigger hill to climb to book them than you would with the person who's been following you and reading your emails for months, thinking "I just KNOW we'd be friends in real life."

But how do we connect with strangers on the internet? How do we intentionally cultivate that sense of belonging among our readers/ followers without being manipulative?

If we go back to Brene's quote above, how do we make people feel seen, heard and valued?

How do we make them feel like they're in a judgment-free zone?

Generally, in the anonymous online world, the best way to do that is to show up honestly, which includes both the good and the bad. The trick is finding the balance... which is what this month's Consistency Club is all about.

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

This month, we're going to walk you through making an offer to your audience, because ultimately, the whole reason for marketing is sales.

I got a message last month from a Consistency Club member who was feeling discouraged:

"I feel like I continue to ask for feedback, replies, input, a whisper of hello to know anyone's out there, and I get bupkis in return. Is that normal? Just putting out email after email and never getting any kind of response? It sounds like other people are getting all kinds of replies so maybe it's not normal."

And it occurred to me: I've been happily sharing the wins we've heard about, but maybe I should also share the marketing struggles.

Because yes: it is ABSOLUTELY normal to feel like you're shouting into the void. My email list for This Can't Be That Hard is close to 10K people with a 50% average open rate, but when I ask a question? MAYBE a few people reply. 

I know that can feel discouraging, but I encourage you to keep showing up because likes on IG and replies in your inbox - while nice - aren't the real reason for your marketing efforts... and not getting them doesn't mean your marketing is not working.

This month, we're going to walk you through making an offer to your audience, because ultimately, the whole reason for marketing is sales. I've got my fingers crossed for every one of you that even if your marketing feels futile, you get a solid win this month that puts fuel back in your tank.

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

Marketing is a long game. How to keep building impressions with your audience while keeping it fresh.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Marketing is a long game, and this month's lesson is all about leaning into that: recognizing that your audience will need to "meet" you 7 or 12 or maybe even 20 times before they're ready to hand over their credit card, but that if you keep the faith and keep showing up - consistently - that those bookings will eventually happen.

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

What is your smallest viable market?

This month Annemie and Dayna talk about the power of finding your smallest viable market - and how, when you learn to speak directly to them, your marketing really starts to shine.

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

How to use clients' stories and reviews to market your photography business.

This month Annemie and Dayna dive into the psychology of marketing to talk about the importance of showing vs. telling and how you can utilize your best clients' stories to attract new clients.

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

How to add value in your marketing so clients enjoy reading your emails and social media posts.

This month Dayna and Annemie talk about how adding (ahem) consistent value to your marketing materials is a surefire way to keep your clients coming back for more. 

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club

We're announcing a new marketing resource we've created for you! It's called the Consistency Club, and we think it's going to be a HUGE help in keeping your marketing on track.

Most photographers struggle with marketing. Whether it’s because we don’t have the time, have trouble coming up with fresh ideas, or just feel uncomfortable promoting ourselves, marketing often gets pushed to the back burner until we're desperate.

But marketing really only works well when you're consistent about it. 

Joining me on the show is Dayna, the woman at the helm of TCBTH’s marketing efforts. Over the last 18 months, she's had a front-row view of the marketing successes and struggles in our community, and today she's sharing her best tips for avoiding the most common marketing mistake she sees photographers make.

We're also announcing a new marketing resource we've created for you! It's called the Consistency Club, and we think it's going to be a HUGE help in keeping your marketing on track.

If you’ve ever wished you had a marketing fairy godmother, today your dreams are coming true! 

Ready to join the Consistency Club and get more monthly content, along with Mad Libs-style email and social media templates just for photographers? Join us at go.thiscantbethathard.com/club