Dazzle This Diva – April 15th Edition
This week’s question is from Dawn Attebery of Dawn Michelle Photo:
| Hello! I am very frustrated about marketing. It seems like everything I try does not work and I can’t figure out why. I am an on-location photographer, which means I go to people’s homes or meet them at a local park or other indoor or outdoor place. I have good relationships with my customers and work very hard to ensure timely delivery as well as a beautiful product. I’m very happy with the quality of my portraits and my clients are happy, too. I re-structured my prices last year with the help of a photographer in another market. My problem is that it has been so difficult (and expensive) to get the kind of customer I want: someone who values good photography and hires a photographer every year to get family or children’s portraits made. I do public speaking and faithfully publish a monthly e-newsletter teaching people how to take better photos (almost 2 years now). I am trying a referral contests with really great prizes (photo sesions and portraits). I donate to local auctions. I’ve tried some print advertising but am now advertising on a mom community type website. I have a big sticker on my back window advertising my business. I attend a lot of networking meetings, read books, visit with marketing consultants. Yes, my business grows a little every year, but it is not steady at all – more like feast or famine – and not where I want it to be. I am coming up on my 5th year. It seems I spend an inordinate amount of time and energy thinking of ways to make my business better but few of these things have worked well at all. Really, my marketing efforts feel like I’m blindfolded and throwing a dart at a dartboard. Can someone help? Thank you! Dawn Attebery |
So leave a comment with your answers! We’ll show my response as well as yours, in my ezine NEXT WEEK. And don’t forget to send in a question too.
If you want to see your question featured here, send it to us at: info@salesdivas.com
Hi Dawn,
I just clicked onto your website after reading your post. You mentioned in the first paragraph of your question that your clients are very happy, but the home page of your site talks about what YOU do. You may want to leverage this landing page with client testimonials, which will be 100x more powerful than explaining what you do. To gather testimonials, you might want to offer a free 8×10 print for the clients who offer a testimonial (or something that is equally as tempting/valuable).
You could also set up an online “membership” site where your existing clients can enter birthdays, anniversaries, etc so you know when to follow up with them (ie. send out a card a month before their 10th wedding anniversary, congratulating them and suggesting a site for beautiful anniversary pictures.) This will grow your customer repeat business without you waiting for the calls to come back in from past clients.
Keep up the great work, your photos look fabulous!
Comment by Kathryn — April 15, 2009 @ 9:11 am
Dawn,
I think that you have done a lot to establish yourself locally, but I think what you could really use is some social media marketing. The internet is the most valuable resource out there right now, and you need to take advantage of it. Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace will help you connect with your potential customers, and establish YOU as an industry expert / leader. There are definitely groups on LinkedIn, which is one of the best professional networks, that could help you broaden your customer base. There are also a variety of site where you can publish your photographs so that people can see your work and track you back to your website. Some of them include Flickr, PhotoBucket, PhotoJunkie. There are many others and I am not personally involved with Photography, so some may be better than others, you’ll have to do some research. You can also join Photography Industry Networks, such as StockPhoto. You may even find new out-sourcing options for your business. I would also strongly recommend adding a blog to your website. This will help your potential customers see you as a real person, someone who they can talk with on their level. You may want to start a newsletter, too.
I have a blog that offers quite a few Twitter Tips, which is the fastest growing social media network and a great place for you to start. If you’d like to check it out, you can find it here: http://moniquenelson.wordpress.com. Once you join up with Twitter, add me: @MoniqueNelson, and I’ll be happy to send you some more tips to get you started.
I wish you the best of luck!
Monique Nelson
Sales & Marketing Maven
Comment by Monique Nelson — April 15, 2009 @ 9:39 am
Hi Dawn,
There is a book available called Attracting Perfect Customers by Stacey Hall & Jan Brogniez. You are doing a few of the suggestions in this book already, but there are many, many more that will help! When you are in business for yourself, it’s hard to be all things – marketer, sales person, talent, chief bottle washer … it’s okay to latch on to other mentors and you have started doing that. KEEP doing that. In fact, seek out more mentors and become more connected!
If you are connecting with people who need regular updates to their photos – authors, artists, speakers, actors, musicians – you will get more qualified referrals. This may open opportunities to shoot at events as well! Don’t give up. Your efforts will only be for nothing if you stop them. Just become even more targeted with your efforts and less broad. Go deeply into the target market you really want to attract, find out where they hang out, who they take advice from and who they trust. Connect constantly and genuinely there and you will build the kind of business YOU really want to attract!
Good luck and good lighting!
Carol Carter
Know Yourself, Be Your Brand.
Comment by Carol Carter — April 15, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Dear Dawn,
Your photos are LOVELY! You are doing a lot of good stuff but these ideas might help…
FIRST! Definitely need to increase the number of testimonials on your site. Every page should have a proud mom, grandmother or dad exclaiming about how you captured little Johnny’s impish smile or how bashful Betty who never smiles, warmed right up to you! People buy pictures because of how they make them feel. Web site needs to be about THE PICTURES!
SECOND! start a referral program. Ask each satisfied customer for a letter for your web site and a list of 5-10 friends who might be interested in your photos. Then send these possibles a letter from their friend with that quote. You will get results. Creating a tribe mentality is very good especially among people who want to show off their wise decision to use you. Because photos are so individual, you are not like a dress designer who they would not want their friends to know about!
THIRD! Adopt a charity that is near and dear to your heart and do their publicity photos for inclusion in their advertising, brochures and web site. You are giving back and getting your name out there.
FOURTH! Create a Power Team, Women who you can share referrals among. Party planners, jewelers, florists… all types of occasions that may need a photographer! Even befriending Montessori School Principals or Tutors who can circulate among the people who might be interested in top notch photography services!
Wishing you all the best!
Bobbi Govanus
Comment by Bobbi Govanus — April 15, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
Dawn,
Your web page is beautiful. What is missing are more examples of your work. Particularly high school seniors. This should be a great market because once you break into it you will be the go-to person. Put some albums with more of your work and a more diverse age group. Older couples, toddlers and several examples of what you would put in a high school senior package.
Have you looked at the competition’s websites? What do they offer that you don’t? Do you know a very successful photographer in your area that you can get ideas from?
One other small thing. On your webpage you say North Dallas. I live in the Houston area and it is a metroplex – as is Dallas – sprawled over miles and miles. It is not unusual for me to drive an hour or more to my sales events. When I read North Dallas – I immediately thought, oh – I don’t live in North Dallas. Maybe I live in Fort Worth or one of the suburbs. Does that mean you won’t come where I am? NEXT!
Best of luck to you! Your portraits on your site are lovely.
Laura Rinehart
Passion Parties by Laura
And yes, I drive to Dallas!
Comment by Laura 'Rinehart — April 16, 2009 @ 4:20 am
Hi Dawn,
I have to agree with the two ladies’ previous posts. Some very sound advice.
Kathryn’s suggestions are bang on: it’s about the clients not about you… content adjustment is certainly worth it. Also I love her idea of a membership with highlights for special occasions – it’s all about the benefits as our sassy Sales Diva would say.
I am a very strong believer in Social Media Marketing – Monique’s got this covered in her post. Social Media is where it’s at and extremely cost-effective marketing for businesses.
You are in a very competitive business, which I’m sure you well know. With such heavy competition you’ve got to separate yourself from the crowd. What makes Dawn Michelle Photography different from the others? Family, children and school pictures are memories; impressions that should evoke emotion. Your potential clients are looking for someone who can capture those emotions while making the subjects of the photographs “stars”. Something as easy as adding emotion-related wording into your website content could prove beneficial. Promoting on-site photography isn’t enough as I’m sure others are promoting that feature as well – why not try something along the lines of… “Capturing your loved ones where you live, laugh and love ~ Dawn Michelle Photography”, says the same thing but focuses on their lives not just what you do. It’s about what you can do for them.
I’ve noticed with the photographers I work with that their clientele is drawn to websites that ‘wow’ them. I would suggest adding some java or flash to your site to bring in that wow factor. Something as simple as the addition of fluid movement can make a huge difference to the feel of a website.
Good luck! I’m excited to see the changes you decide to implement. You’ve got a terrific talent that translates well into the final product. Success is yours!
Keep rockin’ it!
Shauna McConechy; Out Enterprises Inc
http://www.OutInc.ca
Comment by Shauna McConechy — April 19, 2009 @ 2:01 pm
I want to thank everyone who has given this some thought and gone to the trouble to post their wonderful ideas. I cannot tell you how touched I am by your generosity and your kind words about my work. I look forward to reading more of your ideas!
I’ve already contacted my web designer/updater to begin adding testimonials to the site. This is an easy first step.
Also, I have to say that all of a sudden, I’m busier than I’ve ever been. This year had a slow start and I was getting concerned. But deadlines for folks are approaching and it’s been crazy busy. However, I want to use these ideas to keep my business more steady; it tends to be feast or famine, which is not optimal.
Thank you again! Y’all (I’m in Texas, you know) are awesome!
Comment by Dawn — April 22, 2009 @ 9:02 am
Hi Dawn,
I wanted to add a couple of thoughts to the GREAT advice you have received from other people posting here.
First, I can’t tell you how important it is to have a system, a marketing machine that just chugs along, day in and day out. (full disclosure: we are Duct Tape Marketing coaches, and we use John Jantsch’s Ultimate Marketing System for all our clients – having said that, it’s because after 25 years in the business there is no substitute to installing the system, working the system.). With a system – it doesn’t have to be ours, of course – you can schedule your marketing activities, efficiently track what works and what doesn’t, and drastically reduce stress.
Second, Kathryn is so right! Marketing communications is all about the customer, not about you. If all your communication is based on a generous offering of help to solve your prospects’ biggest frustration or want, you will find yourself reaching out in a different and more effective way. So fall in love with your customers, not your work.
Here is a quick “how to” we’ve created to help our clients with ads, web copy and so on – hope it helps.
The Never-Fail Recipe for Ads That Work Like Crazy
It’s always surprising to us to see so many pieces of advertising, especially in print, that don’t work. They simply don’t contain the ingredients needed to successfully communicate with customers.
If you make a cake, you don’t leave out any ingredients — right? Then why leave out an important part of your advertising message?
With a small budget and not a lot of space, many people run so called “business card” ads. The ad consists of the same elements that are on a typical business card: business name (usually a logo), your name, telephone numbers, and address, email address and website. Sometimes a catchy slogan too!
But where’s the offer? Where’s the call-to-action? Business card ads simply don’t do anything but take up space.
Think of your ad as a “salesperson in print.” What would happen if your salesperson dropped by a prospect and said, “Hi, I’m Ned from the ABC Company. Here’s my phone number and address. Hope you call sometime. Bye!”
Would that work? Nope, and it’s the same with ads.
If you want your ad to get results it must contain some key elements. Here’s the recipe:
First, make it crystal clear who you are talking to, e.g. “Small Business Owners” or “Sports Enthusiasts” or “Golfers” or whoever your prime target group is — get their attention by putting this at the top of the ad.
Second, use emotionally strong words to outline a concern, need or frustration this group has that your product or service satisfies, e.g. “Tired of staying up late doing your bookkeeping?” or “Are you worried about data loss, security, viruses, and keeping your network safe from hackers?”
Third, offer a solution: “Our easy-to-use bookkeeping system lets you keep track of your business without losing sleep.” Or “We can analyze your computer network, diagnose any problems you are currently having, and look for hidden problems.”
Fourth, offer something they can get free or an action they can take immediately with no risk attached — go to the web site for a downloadable sample, a report, tips and tricks, or drop by the store for our free checklist.
Fifth, end the message with your contact info — name, phone, fax, email and web address, and, of course, your logo and tagline.
Sixth, have you got a good picture of the product, or something showing the service, or conversely, the situation prospects are facing because they do not have your product or service? Here’s a secret: often the most powerful picture is one of you! Now readers can put a face on your company.
There, that was easy wasn’t it?
Next time you are putting an ad together for your business, follow the six steps in this order.. If you do this, and if your ad appears where your Ideal Clients can find it, you will be communicating your product or service far more effectively than you’ve ever done, and yes, the phone will ring.
Comment by Elizabeth Walker — April 27, 2009 @ 6:05 am