Fix Your Marketing Mix; The ABCs Of Growing Your Business:
Page 2 The process is to submit your press releases, hope to be accepted, and then published. Be sure to list your URL as an additional method of contacting you. Mention it again in the body of the press release copy. When you are writing project press releases include a link to a page on your website for editors to view the project photos. Check with the publication’s submission guidelines; some may still prefer you send prints. Quote your clients in the press release about the work you did together. Clients love to be included in any publicity, so make sure they see a copy when their project is published because of your press release. For creating a presence with the media, plan quarterly press releases and be certain the submission is newsworthy and not just self-serving promo copy.

Sales Campaign
In your new marketing mix, your website can also be your portfolio. Give your prospective clients the option to visit your site as an alternative to a personal sales call. Have them review the site while talking with you by phone, making it a “virtual” portfolio presentation. Nothing will ever take the place of an in-person portfolio presentation, so try to get those appointments when you can. To cut down on the number of sales presentations they have to sit through, many clients are using your website to “preview” your work and then will call in the portfolio if they like what they see.

The best sales presentations reflect the client’s needs as much as they present your work, so add a set of “leave behind” promo pieces to your marketing mix. This gives the client something to choose from and will help guide your follow-up. These promo pieces reflect different aspects of your portfolio but all have the same marketing message. For example, a portrait portfolio would have a set of promos ranging from children’s portraits to couples to family portraits. People love choice and there is nothing better than a client who asks, “May I have one of each?”

Finally, add stronger follow-up to your marketing mix. This means that every client and prospective client contact you make will lead to the next contact with that person. Always be in charge of the follow-up; don’t be content with the traditional response from clients, “Nice portfolio, we’ll call you.” They probably won’t. You don’t need to be a pest or bug clients. You are simply agreeing to what will happen next between you. It could be another sales call with an updated portfolio. Maybe it will be a phone call to follow-up on an upcoming project. Perhaps it will be your promise to send your next new promo piece.

So remember—mix it up and make your marketing more interactive. By alternating the repetition of your marketing message with ads, mailers, publicity, and sales calls you will build the recognition and get more response from your marketing efforts.