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The Meaning of Marketing - part 1 of 1

Published 01/10/2015

By Catherine Connor

The meaning of the word 'marketing' will often mean different things to you at differenttimes of the year and certainly depending on what shape your business is in. Sometimesyour photography business will crave a tidal wave of activity and at other times just agentle pace and maintaining momentum will ensure your profile is witnessed enough forgrowth and business progression. Give some time to considering what the business wouldcurrently ask you to market if it could speak. What attention is your business craving rightnow? Take note of your thoughts and listen to your instincts, as they will be rarely wrong.Your marketing effort has to always stride forward with the needs of the business at thecore. Create a list of objectives to achieve and naturally these must be measurable. Makeyour list, considering at all times what your business would like you to achieve right now,what's important for the season ahead, what's vital for growth and what will influence yourbottom line? As you form your list of all you want to achieve, next you must consider yourresources.

What resources alongside your amazing images do you have to aid the development ofyour business? At the top of your list write images, as these are the best asset you have.All photographers have a treasure-chest of images and those images will draw potentialclients to your business; remember pictures speak louder than words will ever speak. Useyour treasure-chest of images. Alongside yourself, what other resources do you have? Fromyour brand materials, sales samples, quick-time movies and videos to all social platforms;the list is long. List all that you have as you are going so you can be alert to which resourcesyou are not simply using enough. We live in a very visual world, clients are inspired dailyby the usage of technology and imagery. Question whether you are using all that youhave enough; my motive is to inspire you, and draw more clients to your budding anddeveloping business.

It's important to challenge the business; your job and role at the helm of the business is tomake sure it's working hard enough and certainly hard enough to match the ambitions youhave. Say to yourself, "Am I doing enough to market my business?" If you were to ask me,When is enough enough? my answer would always be the same. Enough is being able topop your feet up, have a sherry on Christmas Eve and call it a day until the New Year, thenstart all over again.

Measure the businesses marketing efforts and activities more critically by evaluating whatis effective and what is currently under-performing. In my experience you will always revealan under-performer, seek them out, question the why, assess and correct it. Don't leavethe opportunities for change until it's too late; you have to take a proactive stance withyour business. It's so important you do this, as nobody else will. One of the best methodsfor measuring this is asking each client who visits the business, how they heard of you andwhat inspired them to book a session with you. Learn from your clients, listen to them, andlearn from your bookings and record diligently everything they share on your database.This is such valuable knowledge for the business, and the power within this informationwill encourage you to do more of what is working, and evaluate and explore what is notworking - the reasons why are always crucial.

It takes a lot of effort and energy to market a business effectively; so many underestimate allthat needs to be achieved, implemented and measured. Get ahead of the game this winter,by firstly studying what you already have, then secondly studying what the business wouldcurrently ask and maybe beg you right now to market. If marketing remains a mysteryvisit: http://www.aspirephotographytraining.co.uk/blog/. The team and I do our utmost todemystify the essences of why marketing matters. Alternatively register today and join usat the fantastic and fabulous 'Business School' held at The Societies' Convention; it's a lifechanger and a real boost for you and your business.

Have a lovely autumn
Catherine x

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1st Published 01/10/2015
last update 09/12/2022 14:56:36

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