4. Maximize Your Schedule
Each industry has its own seasons to keep track of. You might be steady at all times of the year, or business might pick up during certain months. Groen’s photography business is busiest from April to October, when weddings and graduations are in full swing. This summer, for example, Groen has one or two weddings every weekend.
Groen’s slowest time is December to March. This is what Groen calls “investment season.” She focuses on learning more about her craft, connecting with other photographers, and increasing her digital presence. She attends webinars and researches marketing tips so she can build her brand and book customers for the next busy season.
If your business has a slow season, you can follow Groen’s lead and use this time to focus on your current and future digital marketing strategy. If you stay consistently busy, you’ll need to find a rhythm that works for you.
5. Find Other Professionals in Your Field
Whether you’re just starting out in your industry or you consider yourself a pro, it is good for you to be in community with others in your field. There will always be new tips you can learn, and your community can build you up if you’re having trouble. In addition to her dream of destination photography, Groen hopes one day to open a photography studio, where she could not only hold her own shoots but also bring a community of photographers together.
“Community over competition is so important,” Groen says. “You need to be able to connect with other professionals around you. It’s so easy to get drained creatively. Bouncing ideas off each other and getting creativity flowing again is so refreshing.”
When she was first starting out, Groen was a second shooter for a wedding photographer. Now, Groen is bringing second shot photographers with her to her own shoots. Just as she was mentored as a new photographer, she has the opportunity to give tips to other photographers.
Unless you’re brand new to your field, there are likely people who have less experience than you and people who have more. By connecting with professionals in all stages, you are able to learn how to improve your skills in the trade as well as your digital marketing strategy. Not to mention, there are opportunities to collaborate online, multiplying the reach of your content.
6. Set Boundaries
This is a tip that is used across professions – and for good reason. Between busy and slow seasons, schoolwork, and making time with friends, Groen has had a lot to keep track of. She has learned two very important lessons: categorizing her priorities and saying no to things that don’t fall in those categories.
It’s easy for her to go full in with social media because she knows why digital marketing is important, but she has learned to understand her limits and take a step back if she needs to. This includes social media breaks and taking weekends off.
“You have to learn the balance of not overextending yourself,” Groen says. “Nourish yourself and your mental health. You can’t be going 100 on two different channels the whole time.”
Using digital marketing for your business could be a challenge at first, but you will soon find that it pays off. You can reach an audience you otherwise would not have had access to.
While Groen could have skipped college and gone directly into the workforce, she already sees how her education has had a direct impact on her business. She is grateful to digital marketing Professor Heidi Miller, who encourages her to apply her projects and assignments to her business.
Do you want to learn how to take your digital marketing strategy to the next level? Check out our digital marketing major and read more about our School of Business.