Image agencies struggling to cover the round-the-clock news window often attempt to do so with inadequate shifts, covering more like 18/6 than 24/7. While it’s tempting to economise on coverage, sales can suffer if you don’t mind the gap.
Here are the main problems coverage gaps can lead to:
1. It’s crashingly obvious – with no one to make sales, sales are harmed. This is especially so if there are markets open where prices need to be negotiated or queries dealt with.
2. Your web site/production won’t be up-to-the-minute. Even a few short hours can leave you without important events flagged/promoted, letting competitors get ahead of you
3. Production is bunched when the next shift begins work. This can lead to all sorts of inefficiencies and delays which carry on much longer than just the first hour or so – especially if more and more sets are coming in. And in the rush to get rid of the backlog, bad decisions can be made about which sets should be sent out first.
4. Research work piles up. Either that, or clients who want research work done get annoyed by having to wait for someone to help them – perhaps to the point of not returning.
5. The more general problem is one of pressure. However you look at it, if you leave the business unattended for a while you get yourself and your staff into a cycle of having to play catch-up.
By outsourcing research, image promotion and metadata services, you can get genuine round-the-clock coverage. Find out how Picsell Media can help you mind the gap by clicking here.