Here’s a list of things you can do to give your business a proper boost during these downtimes.
1. Focus on your Personal Branding. Work on your own personal brand and public recognition as an individual DJ. If you’re known as DJ XYZ who has done bars, clubs, festivals, etc and also own a company that does mobile events (weddings, Birthdays, corporate, etc), then now would be a great time to increase your brand as an individual DJ, on top of the business branding. Many people often spend a majority of their time building the company brand but then slack off on their personal one. Having this down time is a good time to build back any type of personal branding or information to match the business. The better known you are, the more opportunities will come your way.
2. Rethink your business model and the way you do things. Right now you have the opportunity for reflection, refinement, and redesign that you probably regularly wish was available. A couple of things you could ask yourself are:
- Payment Methods: Is there a better way to accept payment from clients than what I’m currently doing or using? Maybe your CC processor has a high percentage that they take for you to use credit cards. Now is a great time to shop around for something better.
- Inquiry responses: Maybe you’re not getting as many responses from clients when they inquire about your services and you’re wondering how to change your email or phone responses so that you have a higher number of clients wanting to set up a consultation. Now is a great time to come up with different scripts or ways to reply to an initial inquiry to see if one has a better impact than what you’re currently using.
Right now you have the opportunity for reflection, refinement, and redesign that you probably regularly wish was available.
3. Continue to build a culture of innovation with how you do events: Fostering an environment of fresh ideas also allows you to attract the type of clients it takes to grow the business in new and exciting ways.
Read more downtime marketing tips here
4. It’s ok to ask for help. Some DJs or company owners might find this tough, because you have to admit there’s a problem beyond the typical issues every business goes through. Look to others who know more than you and get solid advice that you can take. This can either be your fellow DJ colleagues or even someone in a different industry so you get a new perspective.
5. Study other industries. The longer you work in your industry, the more you risk lacking some creativity, imagination or intellectual insight. Look at what other types of businesses and industries are doing. How do they solve the problems you’re currently having and what might be the right course to follow with a twist to yours?
6. Develop new service offerings or DJ packages. Consider whether there are new products and services your existing or future clients might want or like. With this, you need to establish new measurements for success: A different business division requires its own business plan and metrics. Maybe you are offering a photo booth division. A photo or video division. Event decor divisions. All of these should have their own measurements for success and now is a good time to put together a proper marketing plan, strategy, vision and metrics for each of those divisions.
7. Do competitive research. Invest some time in better understanding your most significant competitors. Are they also having a problem? If not, what might they be doing differently? If they are, take important note of their current strengths and weaknesses.
Consider whether there are new products and services your existing or future clients might want or like.
8. Develop a new skill and master it. Whether in business or life, you likely can catch yourself thinking, “I wish I knew how to do that.” Maybe you want to learn how to scratch. Maybe you want to learn how to mix by key. Maybe you want to become a better MC or perfect how you announce different parts of a wedding. Now’s the time to learn or master those skills.
9. Upgrade your office, studio, practice area, equipment, etc. Whether it’s a new piece of gear, new furniture, a coat of paint, a thorough cleaning, or general organization, prepare yourself and become more efficient.
10. Personnel development. There’s more in your business than you. Now is the perfect time to train or help your other DJs if you’re a multi-op business, or even help colleagues who may be struggling on how to do certain things. Help develop your staff and friends by expanding their horizons.
11. Survey your past clients. What do they actually think, want, and feel outside of your assumptions? How is your company or services doing in regards to them? They are most likely at home as well so this is the perfect time to start gathering reviews and feedback if they haven’t already.
It’s very easy to fall into a pit of despair. That negative mentality will only encourage more failure. Rather than looking at your failures, begin by assessing your successes. What worked well? Which campaigns did your client base respond to best? Start with each individual marketing campaign. Then consider your social media interaction and eventually your website.
Analyze things that you produced on your own and the time you actually spent on these projects. Remember: each of these pieces are part of a larger puzzle, and the puzzle leads to growth.
Successful marketers invest in personal enrichment, industry knowledge, self-educate and support causes they care about to stay at the top and to keep climbing. Slow times don’t have to mean wasted time. Once things pick-up again, you’ll be thankful you took the time to evaluate and plan when it comes to your marketing. Doing even a few of these marketing-related tasks will put your business ahead of the competition when everyone emerges from the current health situation.
Stay safe, stay healthy, stay well, and above all, STAY OPTIMISTIC!
Joshua Volpe is owner of Kalifornia Entertainment in Rochester, NY.
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