All month long we've been talking about our Christmas in July Minis Campaign. Today, I'm so excited to finish this out with tips for ding a Christmas in July Mini Sessions Promotion! It's hard to believe we are at the end of June and our promos will be ready to go live soon. Before wrapping up how to do this promo I have a FREE guide to help you make your first $3k or more on your first set up mini sessions. Count it as a gift for those of you that have followed along and apply it during your actual Christmas Minis! Ready for some big tips?
Get Started...NOW!
I know we're down to the wire, but it's not too late to get started! Ideally you want to kick off this campaign at the beginning of July. I know you technically have a whole month, but you don't want to promote this at the end. Start the first week when this campaign is fresh and no one has been advertised to yet. That also means you need promo shots! If you're doing Red Truck Minis, Tree Farm or Indoor Studio Christmas Minis, talk to your vendor and see if you can get in there with a real family for promos. Make sure they are real families because they advertise so much better. Don't just show the setup. And of course use past sessions if you have them!
How Long Do You Advertise?
I suggest advertising for 2 weeks or until your spots fill. I have an associate team spread out in 9 different cities and in Dallas we open up July 1st. Our goal is to book 3 dates which is the equivalent of 54 sessions. Remember, I have multiple photographers so it's not all one person. We start by opening to our VIP email list, social posts ready to go and fb ads! These are all things we've prepped in June which makes it a lot easier with automated workflows. Once the 2 weeks is up, we switch to advertise Fall minis. We book these from mid-July to the end of August or so. Then we switch back to Christmas Minis!
Hot Topic Question
Something I get asked often is whether or not to take a retainer. We do a 50% retainer at the time of booking and they pay the rest later. This has worked really well. Just be sure you're taking some sort of retainer. Don't let clients book a spot and pay later because they often cancel. And along with that, have your clients fill out a contract. This is vital for your business. If you're using one you just found on the internet and it's not written by a lawyer it most likely will not hold up in court. I have one in my shop that I use for every session and it was written by a lawyer so you can trust the language is legal!
Set Up Automations
If you have time this one is a big one! It will save you so much time in the long run, especially when you're in the thick of busy season. Most CRMs have automations for you to use so contracts get sent, invoice reminders go out and all the things. My automations include sending out my Questionnaire, Email Templates, and Client Experience Guide. It takes some effort to get it initially going, but it is well worth it! My preferred CRM is Dubsado and if your a Profitable Minis 2.0 student I have an entire module walking you through it. If you're not a PMC 2.0 student don't worry, it's opening soon!
There you have it, so many big tips and all to help you get a jumpstart on Christmas in July!
What We Covered:
Get Started...NOW! (3:52)
How Long Do You Advertise? (7:40)
Hot Topic Question (11:45)
Set Up Automations (14:01)
