Learning More about Photo Marketing

Today I’m attending the PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo at New York’s Javits Center.

I’m not a professional photographer, but like you, I understand the power of visual stimulus and how it convinces prospects to become buyers.

My photo placed on a cookie, which you see here, is an example of how photography and marketing intersect.

All the big photographic industry players will be at the event showing current and future gadgets, but most of all I’m interested in products and services that enhance my marketing.

When I attended this event in 1999, I found many great resources, but today those companies no longer exist due to the period’s dot com attrition.

I hope to uncover ideas and will share them here next week.

Is there a conference in your area you plan to attend?

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October 19, 2007 | Filed Under Conferences, Offline Ideas | Leave a Comment 

How Do You Connect with Customers?

If you’re not sure about which Email marketing program to choose to connect with customers, Website Magazine’s August edition reviewed five programs in terms of their:

  • Features
  • Scalability
  • Ease-of-Use
  • Security
  • Support

    • The five listed programs aren’t the only ones marketers use to connect. I favor AWeber.com, which isn’t part of the comparison.

    Selecting an Email marketing program may be the least of your worries. The big dilemma may be creating the actual message. Am I right?

    It’s difficult for a person who’s not a wordsmith to craft a compelling message every week or month, depending on your chosen frequency.

    Here’s an easy model that works for me every week:

    1. Choose a subject in which all readers can relate. It’s probably an easier task than you imagine.

    2. Limit your thoughts to one or two three-sentence paragraphs. The first paragraph introduces the topic, the second provides a tip and conclusion.

    3. Add a link from your Web site that provides more detail on the subject.

    Once you create your first communication, it’s easy to create new broadcasts while building a list of interested and qualified readers.

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    October 18, 2007 | Filed Under Customer Connections | Leave a Comment 

    Reconnect with Business Card Contacts

    One activity I look forward to accomplishing each time I attend a conference is meeting other attendees.

    You greet each other, find common ground, exchange business cards, and agree to make contact in the future to continue the discussion by Email, phone, or if in the same proximity, meet again and share a meal.

    That’s always been my plan, but then I get bogged down in daily work and lose contact with people I’ve met over the years. Has this also happened to you?

    This situation’s become more apparent to me as I continue my workspace makeover. Business cards I’ve collected are showing up everywhere in rubber band piles. My cleanup is interrupted as I review the cards to read the names of people I’ve met and think about the business potential I’m missing through collaborations.

    I’m in the midst of creating press releases to market my books and other endeavors, but when I finish, I plan to connect with some of the people I’ve met over the years. Here’s my five-step plan.

    1. Review all business cards, separating them in groups of “immediate opportunities,” “hold for a second round follow up,” and “discard.”

    2. Decide what type of collaborations will work between our companies and propose the plan to my contact.

    3. Determine each of our roles to complete the activity and set a time and date for follow up.

    4. Move forward to complete the collaboration.

    5. Review our work and set a plan to stay in touch more frequently.

    I bet you’ve also amassed business cards over the years. Is the above plan a strategy that will improve your marketing abilities?

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    October 17, 2007 | Filed Under Conferences, Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

    Makeovers Reinvigorate Marketing Plans

    Makeovers make over your marketing plansMy five-year copy machine lease ended last week, and the standalone machine was removed from my office. With that, I decided to make over my office.

    I moved everything. Every piece of furniture shifted to a new position. Now there’s more space in my office, and that inspires my creativity. Does the same happen to you when you decide to refresh your space?

    Makeovers are not all gravy. I now have two bins of materials removed from the office to review. I don’t look forward to it, but I’ll invest 15 minutes each day going through the papers.

    I started yesterday, and I’ve already uncovered notes taken at a seminar with ideas that I’ll add to my marketing plan.

    The ideas weren’t right for me at the time I wrote them, but now I’m ready to take action.

    Had I not changed my office’s structure, I would not have rediscovered these notes. So the makeover has been well worth the time and energy.

    Look around your office to determine if your surroundings add to or detract from your efficiency. Make changes if needed. The process may inspire you to see marketing opportunities in a brand new way.

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    October 16, 2007 | Filed Under Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

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