Success & Marketing

I do alot of reading or investigating of what to do to market our business & our clients. There seems to be a continuous tone to the messages I see. This is..... don't stop advertising, marketing, or keeping your face (personal & business) out there. The economy might be in a slowdown - but this is the worst time to pull back from letting people know you are there. On the other hand - this is when you MUST be out there! This is where the creativity comes into play... get creative, be persistent, be original & you will be noticed.

Here are some nuggets from one of the magazines I recently read:

Q: Why is marketing during an economic slowdown so important?
A: You want you target customer to be aware of you when their in the buying process. If you disappear from the radar, there's no way for them to find your business or to think of you—it's as simple as that. Commerce is still being done. there may not be as much potential business as a few years ago, but it's still out there for those who make themselves available.

Q: What low-cost techniques can businesses employ?
A: E-mail marketing, can be cost efficient. If you're going to build a database, people need to opt in—you don't want to spam—and you need to send something that is relevant to them. And add a blog to your web site. It takes time & a commitment, but it's an inexpensive way to market your business. Say thank you to your existing customers. Call your top 10 customers for no other reason. Six months from now, send them an e-mail, and remind them how much your appreciate their business. make them a special offer that only they are getting.

Q: Why is it important to market to current customers?
A: They know you. they love you and your poduct or service, and it's a lot easier to keep existing business than to get new business. An it cost a lo less. Another benefit is they refer business to you.

Q: Should companies sitck with the messages they communicated about themselves in better times?
A: You always have to adapt to changing market conditions. Your core marketing message has to remain, but you have to speak to what's important to your customers.

(excerpted from: "Marketing Expert Mary Shallies". The Rotarian. August 2009.)

If you or your business should have questions or would like to discuss how to "get creative" for your marketing needs—call or e-mail us. We'd love to sit down & chat!!

Until the next time........

creative intuition

This evening, I thought I would sit & see if I could tap into a part of myself that I've been ignoring - my creative intuition. I've been struggling over the past couple of months with ways for me to tap into a part of myself that I know is there. Listening to the news, whether it's bad or good - hasn't been good for my creativity. So, over the past couple of weeks I've created a favorite spot to sit & just be quiet on the deck/balcony that's off my office. Of course the weather earlier this summer was perfect for doing just that.


So, sitting there this evening I found myself listening to the crickets, the frogs & my favorite Brazilian music - quiet & asked myself what is my inner wisdom, my creative intuition & who is it? The sounds seem to blend into one another until I saw & felt something stir in me... it was a ping, small - but something that I think we can call a spark.... This spark, is going to have to grow larger & I'm going to need to listen & feel harder, or maybe I should put it - more deeply..... This spark is something that I can tap into to put into my photography and my client's projects. If that spark is there when I create the pieces, I know that people will feel it & will be moved by them. If they are moved, they are drawn into action..... if that's the case, I know I've done my job well.

I think what I just described is part of the creative process - tapping into the freedom & unknown to draw a viewer into the piece, the message and into action.

Over the next couple of posts, I'm going to start to showcase some of our portfolio work, describing how we came up with the designs, what they mean to us & how the client/designer interaction works. I hope you'll check back often & leave comments.

ideas rolling in my head...

I've been thinking to myself that when I decided to start writing a blog, it was a gut wrenching idea. Was this going to be marketing tool, a journal of ideas, or just something that I did & never followed through with. The fact is, I always fought having to write—I hated it as a kid growing up & as I got older, it became harder & harder for me to even think about working with the written word. I still see the knot I used to get in my stomach when I have to sit down & put ideas to paper. I even remember the comment one of my old co-workers said to me, "you know - you're a pretty good writer!!" I just about choked. :-(... But over the years, people have come to know me & our business for being expert/creative publication designers! It doesn't matter, a well designed publication or even be a simple Word document, can draw the reader into it's pages and they will read every word.

So where does that thought lead me this evening? I'm writing... did you hear that? I'm actually writing! The knot in my stomach is less than it was, years ago - my thoughts & ideas are even flowing a little freer than they used to. Funny, I take a look at my astrological sign (Aquarius) & it says, I am a writer (or at least have a talent for it), I've always rolled my eyes at that. But, I have ideas rolling around in my head & have been for a long time. I get a spark of inspiration & I always seem to tell myself, I'll remember to write that down or I'll remember to act on that idea later—not anymore. The creative spark has told me that I need to move & react to these thoughts.

For now, the spark of inspiration says that there are stories waiting to be told, photos to be taken, paintings to be created, even books to be designed. Maybe I'll start writing down short stories of family funnies... who knows - it could turn into a NY Times bestseller. I know, I'll call it, "Nana Ran Over a Cow & Other Tidbits." (or something like that)...... <& yes, my mother did drive over a cow when she was a teenager, maybe I'll start writing family stories in this blog?>

new ideas... staying positive

Today was an interesting process. When I say process, I actually mean working a process to my day. I'm working on being positive - very, very positive. I'm finding creative ways to focus myself - to stay present in the moment & actually manifesting the reality that I would like to experience.

First of all - I need to shout it out that I sold some of my photos at the gallery this evening! (I'm so excited). Jen Chappell - one of my WPS cohorts hosted her artist reception for her solo show this evening. She did everything right when it came to marketing her event... the gallery was packed! (way to go Jen). Because of the marketing, the crowds came & people bought art. Funny, looking back at the way I started my comments this evening, I was going to start talking about my daily affirmation practices - but I realized that some of the statements/comments I heard this evening tied into the creative theme. Questions to ask are: How did Jen get such a crowd to the gallery this evening? Was it because she asked only her friends? Could it be that she only invited only her co-workers from the DC Design Center? Actually, it was all of the above and beyond...... when you look at yourself, your business or product - you need to ask yourself several very important questions:

• how am I going to market myself/business?
• how do people know about me?
• what am I selling? (a solid object/art, myself, or an idea?)
• do I market myself using paper products & snail mail? the web/social media? only by word of mouth/personal contact?
• all of the above & more?

The answer to those questions is all of the above & more!!! I tell my clients & myself that the only way people know about us/our businesses is by marketing ourselves. If we don't create a "buzz" about ourselves people will not know about us or our business. Funny, was talking to some of my friends this evening & they kept saying, "I don't know many people. How am I going to put on a solo show & let people know I have work up in the gallery? I'm not going to do a solo show." Let's stand back & take a look at the negatives in those statements.... "I don't know many people, how am I going to put on a solo show?" Those negative statements, imagery don't have that creative spark... they actually have a creative block to them. What Jen did to create the buzz about her reception & work this evening was simple - "market, market, market, tell people, spread the word" Once she tapped into her creative network, the publicity buzz started & people came to her opening. Here are some of the things she did to create the buzz & get the word out.

1. Created marketing postcards for the show & passed them out to everyone she knew. She put these postcards everywhere she could think of. She also mailed out some of the cards to a targeted audience.
2. She posted a blog(s), gave out her postcards everywhere she went.
3. Put her postcards in almost every gallery at the Workhouse
4. Mailed out her postcards to her snailmail contacts
5. stayed positive & talked it up
6. contributed to our co-ops blob & then had the reciprical authors post similar events on their blogs
7. posted & blogged about it on Facebook.
8. talked, talked, talked about it. Creating a work-of-mouth about the upcoming show.

When looking back at these steps for this one party & event, I see where we can personally strenghten our marketing programs.. I would love to start a discussion about marketing, creativity & how to get the most out of the programs we have in place or don't have. Who knows where this will go...

peace out...........