AS SEEN IN
AS SEEN IN
Today’s blog is a guest blog written specifically for the photographers in our audience at The Joy of Marketing. It’s part one of a two part series on one of the things we see professional photographers get into trouble with – cash flow.
As small business owners we’re pleasers. We want our clients to be thrilled when they buy from us, not feel like they were tricked or pushed into something they didn’t want.
I subscribe to a lot of magazines. What can I say…I’m a sucker for the glossy images and the advice-filled articles. I’m intoxicated by all the new ideas (whether it be for dinner tonight or what to wear to that wedding next month). I get excited thinking about the hours of entertainment I get from looking at what other businesses are doing or what the hottest celebrity wore to the big awards.
If you’re thinking about rebranding simply because you no longer like the way your font looks or are just bored with the look of your logo, then it’s time to slow down and reconsider. Dramatic changes to your brand just because you feel like spicing things up can create a really big mess. Keep in mind that just because you’re bored with your logo doesn’t mean everyone else is.
The first question to ask yourself is why do you want to rebrand?
What you have, as a small business that delivers unique, hard-to-find, specialty products and services is so good that the big guys are now copying you.
Earlier this week, I shared 4 tips for overcoming mistakes in your small business. And I promised to go into this topic a bit more later this week, specifically giving examples from Simplicity Sofas, a company we featured in our recent New York Times best-selling book, Worth Every Penny, because of the personalized service they provide to customers.
Like it or not, sticky situations happen all the time when you’re a small business owner. And when they do, they create the perfect opportunity for you, as a boutique business, to step up. Think about it. If you can overcome a negative situation with a customer, you take that customer beyond basic satisfaction. Now they’re not displeased—they’re thrilled.
When you’re a boutique business, your marketing efforts must be boutique as well. Boutique marketing is focused on reaching customers who aren’t price sensitive, customers who want and appreciate all the extra things you do to make their lives better. Your marketing materials need to scream, “You’re the most important part of our day!” Discounters are focused on reaching large numbers of people who are motivated by low prices. The way they market can attract lots of customers. But it doesn’t appeal to people who want the high-touch experiences.
How important is it as a boutique business to have something tangible to hand a prospective client that gives them an immediate impression of your business rather than saying you should check out my website (when you get home and hopefully you remember me when you are in front of your computer)? No matter how great your website is (which it should be fabulous), as a boutique business you need to do the unexpected.
People expect you to hand them a business card. They expect you to maybe have a brochure to hand them. They expect you to say “Go check out my website.” What they don’t expect is for you to hand them a mind-blowingly creative marketing piece. We suggest creating one (yes, we said just one) marketing piece that becomes the “This is who we are” establishing piece. We would rather you use your budget to create that one wow piece than waste funds on a sad little template postcard or other mass advertising effort. When you can afford to do a second activity really well, then add that.
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Calling all photographers who want to make 2020 their best year yet… I see you over there, and I KNOW this is your jam… Maybe you’ve been wanting to make a change for a long time now, but don’t know where to start… Here’s what I know: The best way for us to make...
The Photography Business Institute exists as an alternative to college or trade school to coach professional portrait photographers as they build sustainable businesses. Request more information to learn how the Photography Business Institute can transform your life and your business (all without missing a single family dinner)!
