Alissa Rothstein of Alissa Rothstein Design Studio in Woodbridge, NJ, writes:
“I am a graphic/web designer, and I’m stuck when it comes to marketing.
“I’ve tried email blasts to different industries, postcard mailings, and am a member of the Chamber of Commerce which, incidentally, had promised but never provided any leads.
“I am not really targeting small businesses because I find that they can’t or don’t want to pay for designer services and I have to fight the ‘I can do it myself’ mentality. Or, they think that they can save money by hiring a cheap intern or a kid out of college. While they can do graphics, web and e-marketing activittes themselves, they just can’t do it very well and it’s a poor reflection on their company.
“Help! I need marketing and publicity ideas from your Hounds. I have Facebook, MySpace and Twitter pages, although I’m not very active.”
Alissa,
I would begin with offering to present a talk to your Chamber of Commerce then branch out to other areas because your business can be accomplished via internet. They are always looking for interesting speakers and you won’t have to write a different talk each time.
You might address how a good graphic/web designer’s fee will pay for itself in one or two new clients that a site will bring to their door. I would also say that you are happy to meet with anyone for 45 minutes to discuss how you can meet their needs to match product and service regardless of the business they are in. I would also ask some of your happy clients if they are willing to give you a testimony that you have in your handout and on your site, of course.
I think I would revisit the smaller client again with the above in mind.
Finally, do pro-bono work. Make at least 15% of your work free of charge. Doing a site for a non-profit is a great place to begin.
Mary Jane Hurley Brant
Mary Jane, I love your idea of addressing the issue of return on investment. For many small businesses, that’s all that matters. Thanks for responding.
One of my first websites was done by a guy who sent me an email with the link to my “new” website which would be online for a short limited time.
I liked what he did & his approach, so commissioned him to do the site.
Not sure how much can be done due to the spam rules, but you can even send a post card via US mail with the link to prospects sites.
Direct mail can be incredibly effective. Thanks for reminding us about that, Jill.
Hi Alissa, a couple of things…what I’m seeing on your website portfolio are a lot of small businesses. And I see what I feel is too much promotion of the Rothstein products. Corporate work is the way to go, and if you are truly going after corporate work you need to start showing corporate samples.
I am also wondering what your message is you’re giving out at networking events.
Here are two questions a marketing director would ask:
A. “Graphic artists are a dime a dozen…what makes you different?”
B. “Why should I, as a corporate client, work with you?”
Are you saying generically, “I create websites,” or “I am a graphic artist,” or are you giving them a reason to use you such as, “I specialize in corporate brochures,” “Creating websites in 30 days is my forte,” or another unique benefit of your company?
I work with mostly corporate clients and find my best contacts by networking. Here is how I get business.
1. Join a BNI or other networking group and focus on getting introductions to corporate accounts.
2. Prepare a script and call marketing directors at corporations in your area to offer your services. See if you can set an appointment with them to meet them in person. You’d be surprised how few people ever contact them directly and when these directors have a need they go first to their Rolodex of contacts. Once you have made the introduction, contact them quarterly via calls, emails, or direct mail to keep your name top of mind.
3. Don’t forget to ask your corporate clients, as well as everyone you know, for referrals to other corporate clients.
4. Mostly, be professional. Act, dress, and present yourself as a businesswoman prepared to do business with another equal. Corporations are hiring you as the highly-paid expert consultant and expect professional courtesies and results.
Linda,I love your idea of contacting marketing directors.
LinkedIn also has tremendous possibilities.
Alissa, if graphics are your true strength, collaborate with a writer. I’ve done that quite successfully. Also, know the true value of your services – yes, they can do it themselves, but what does that COST them? The owner should be doing other things – hiring you can save them time, money and bring a much greater return. Hiring you is an investment – not a cost.
Collaboration, even with small businesses that aren’t directly related, is a great idea.
Thanks for your comment, Nancy.
Hi Alissa,
It’s nice to meet a hound that’s close to me. I’m in Colonia, NJ.
I have 2 pieces of advice:
1. You should be writing thought leadership articles that show you are the expert — and then you should be submitting those articles to websites like SiteProNews.com, IMNewswatch.com, MarketingProfs.com, Emarketing Association among many other credible websites and ezines. To get you started I have 3 free article templates at http://www.trymyfreearticletemplates.com
2. Start targeted Internet marketers (and I mean serious Internet marketers like me who are always doing something online.) You may want to go to conferences like: Dan Kennedy’s Super Conference.
Good luck.
Eric Gruber
http://www.ArticleMarketingExperts.com
732-428-4050
908-380-8564 (Voice mail)
Eric@articlemarketingexperts.com
Eric, thanks so much for suggesting SiteProNews.com, IMNewswatch.com, MarketingProfs.com, Emarketing Association.
Those are four excellent sites that would serve Alissa well.
You may want to consider linking with another company or business such as a local printer who recommends you. You might have to design one or two sites at a special deal (or even, gasp, free!) just to get your name out there. Make sure those sites give your company credit for their design.
Larger companies most likely already pay someone else to design their sites so you need to find medium sized, up and coming businesses. Look for ones that need the extra drive your services can provide.
You might be surprised how many small business owners don’t have time or any particular liking for computers. Keeping track of customers in a paper notebook is a dead giveaway. If they have made a horrible job of their own site, show them a sample of how you would improve it. Use statistics for the increased traffic you’ve brought to previous clients if you have them.
Statistics–great idea. Thanks, Phyllis.
First i think you have come up with ways to show that a web designer is not an expense but a sales generator.
So you have examples of how your web designs generated sales?
Also everyone says they are a web designer can you change who you are and what you do?
Something funky like you are an unugly website designer. Isn’t this what happens most websites are just plain ugly but you make them unguly.
Or maybe you are a website profit designer?
How about articles to show how website designs can be used to enchance sales or replace a sales force you’ve had to let go because of the down economy.
Use pr articles like… How Website Designs Can Help You Grow Your Business During A Down Economy…Why HTML Is Your Best Sales Force…How Website Design Can Help Tiger Rebuild His Image..How Website Design Could Save Tiger’s Marriage..
Garth, demonstrating return on investment is mentioned elsewhere in these comments. I think it’s one of the most powerful marketing messages Alissa can communicate.
Are you writing articles on web design for article directory sites? Some ideas for content:
–10 design mistakes that will doom your website every time
–7 things you competitors probably aren’t doing to pull traffic to their websites
–3 things to do once a week that will increase your Google Page Rank
–9 myths that unscrupulous web designers try to peddle
Here’s another idea:
Become the go-to person in your community for commentary on things like Internet security for website owners whenever a big story is in the news about Internet thieves. Let the media know about topics on which you can speak.
Do you know a lot about Facebook’s new security settings? If so, the local media might want to hear your take.
If you have a Facebook, Twitter and other social networking accounts and are not utilizing these free tools, then you are missing the boat.
Facebook would be a great place to promote your work. You could post the photos from your website of the work you have done. Join groups that are within your niche`. Engage in the conversations with other graphic designers, etc.
I really had to look around on your website to find examples of your work. I would think they should be front and center since it is one of your primary services.
Blogs are the workhorses of social media. I’m hosting a teleseminar on business blogging with Patsi Krakoff in the next few weeks. See tomorrow’s newsletter for details. It will be posted at http://www.PublicityArticles.net
Other graphic designers would, indeed, be happy to share their best marketing strategies. In most cases, there’s no such thing as an original idea.
Alissa,
I agree that you need to focus away from the DIY crowd. I’m one of the DIY crowd, and can offer the following observations:
1. I’m busy trying to sell the DIY thing to the 75% of antique dealers on our island (our niche) who don’t even have a web presence. Once these folks get online and begin to see the benefits they will eventually be in the position of needing higher-end services.
2. As a DIYer for the last few years, I’m beginning to see the benefits of having a more professional look.
Once my clients begin to outgrow the services I can provide (basic marketing, web and writing services), I will be in the position to begin working with or referring clients “up the ladder”. My area isn’t web design so much as it is in growing my sector (antiques); at some point I hope all of the dealers on the Island need to move along.
Perhaps you can find someone like me who can provide you with referrals.
Elizabeth, Alissa can find people like you who might be willing to send her referrals on LinkedIn.
Alissa, go over to LinkedIn and start answering questions about web design. It’s a great way to promote your expertise.
Here’s a story for Alissa: I learned about Joan via Pam Slim (either through her podcast, blog or Twitter — can’t recall now). So I began following Joan on Twitter.
Joan tweeted about you — so I’ve now learned about you.
That’s the viral nature of how people are getting introduced these days.
I went to your Web site, and it’s not obvious where to follow you on Twitter, or friend you on FB. It would be better if those were front and center.
Would also be great if you had a blog. If you do, I couldn’t find it. Tips on great design – ideas businesses can use. Show your stuff, girl!!! Let us know who you are, and how you can help!
Kate, thanks for following me on Twitter. It’s great to have you onboard.
I’d be happy to share some of the tips that have worked well for me. But, first I’d like to ask what type of sites you design. That’s important, because it will help you find niche markets to promote your services. For instance, if you design WordPress sites, there are several types of solo entrepreneurs that would like to be able to make updates themselves, such as consultants, speakers, musicians/bands, artists, and authors.
One of the best ways to meet these clients is to get busy posting on the social media sites on which you already have accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter. And, it’s a great way to meet other folks that offer complementary services to these clients, like Joan here at Publicity Hound. There are thousands of people who consult blog users. Perhaps following and making friends with these folks would lead to some cross promotion and possibly joint ventures.
It’s a lot easier to come up with marketing ideas when you have a specific target audience in mind.
I’ve found that very few small business owners have the time to gather all of the content to help create a good site, whether they do it themselves or hire a designer. Nor do they have time to make any blog posts or drive traffic to their site by using social media. So, instead of just offering them a site, combine it with copy creation services, ongoing maintenance packages, social media updates, and so on. Unfortunately, most small business owners won’t be spending too much time online looking for a designer, so you really have to get your site to the top of the search engines for them to find you. Or, do the door to door thing. Back when I was designing sites, I would look up the URL of ever service provider I used, including my dentist. If the site was not in good shape, I would find a way to bring it up in conversation the next time that I visited.
Hope that opens up some new possibilities for you.
How about Alissa creating one or more Facebook Fan Pages, with great examples of web design that brings ROI?
When Joan says “please help”, it’s hard not to respond!
Alissa – I saw a few things that jumped right out, the first about your Chamber of Commerce “promising but not providing leads”. That’s not quite how it works (I’m on the board of one of Chicago’s larger chambers)…at least the way I see networking.
I would suggest being as active as possible in your chamber so members get to know you. Leads are pretty useless if they’re not backed up with a solid connection and developed into some sort of relationship. If you joined an organization without making an active effort to meet people face-to-face at some point, you probably won’t see much in return.
I visited your website as well and think that if you’re going to promote yourself as pretty much a one page site developer ($500 fee), then that’s what you should be focusing your marketing on. And that would be to the small biz market. Larger companies will see that on your site and move on.
If you want to target larger companies with bigger budgets, you need to offer a wider range on your website and you need to show some 5-20 pg sites you’ve done.
It might help you to write up a quick Guerilla Marketing Plan so you know exactly who you’re targeting, what you’ll offer and why it’s different than what the competition is offering. That way, you’ll at least have a roadmap of how to proceed. Once that’s done, you can move on to which marketing tools to use.
Lastly, as a huge advocate of social media, I highly recommend becoming more active in Facebook, learning how to use Twitter effectively and joining LinkedIn (for great professional networking opps). The best part about these tools is that they’re free!
Hope some of this helps!
I have also looked at your site, and feel that maybe for a designer you should have a site that really pops when people come to see it. Most people when looking for a designer go by what they see when they look at your site. The pricing is also very high, $500 for a one page html is very high considering most designers charge around $125 for a one page html site. I have found in recent years that many people when looking for a designer are actually looking for a developer. Many people today need a site that they will be able to update themselves in the future. They also want modules and applications and web sites that are more than just static html. I find that most corporate sites require sites that are written in server side language that is powered by databases, and have an admin back end which is easy to log in to and make updates. If you are familiar with these types of sites, great, but going after corporate sites is going to require more than just an html page.
After reading all the comments I think you have many good ideas and suggestions to think about. I found you on LinkedIn and there are many more features and applications you can do with LinkedIn which could increase your visibility and therefore your exposure to potential clients.
You may want to consider talking to a social media expert. I could share with you some ideas on how to increase your visibility on LinkedIn, but a social media expert could help you market your business and skills more effectively on twitter, blogging, and facebook.
One lesson I have learned is that in general people are very willing to help others. Considering how many great comments you received, I’d say that is still true.
Good luck to you!
Jim Horrell – jrhorrell@live.com
Thanks for suggesting a holistic approach to marketing through social media. There are so many ways to link the various sites to each other, thus spreading the word more quickly and to a bigger audience.
Thanks for commenting, Jim.
I really think you are missing the boat – my 20 yr old nephew and 4 of his friends who just graduated as graphic designers used Facebook to start their company 5 months ago. You can’t say I have Facebook and Twitter and I don’t use them. I met Joan when she came to Florida Speakers assoc now I follow her everyday. That’s how viral media works.
As an example – you could use BlogTalk Radio to do a weekly program on websites over the phone free and from the comforts of your home. I ran a virtual conference for 800 people doing this.
You can’t say small business won’t pay – reality the will hire u before corporate does. You have to be willing to work within their budget. So how about a 5 page template design for 750 – small business grow you need loyal customers who will keep buying over and over again.
The other thing I learned Chambers are a waste of money – BNI or other referral business works great. One other thing u have to niche market – what happens if you specialized in websites for Churches or fast food restaurants your mailers sites etc is catered youcant cast a wide net and expect to catch fish the will swim away. Remember it’s about them your potential customers not you
Get a copy of Chet Holmes Ultimate Sales Machine – read Seth Godins books on marketing and read Joans blog on press releases – roll it all up and make 2010 your year!
Good luck excuse the typo’s using my iPhone to do this
You are showing some real marketing savvy, or a flash of inspiration, by putting your appeal out through such a well followed blog. I suspect your visitor stats will have gone through the roof.
Let me though say what others have only hinted at – your website doesn’t cut it for a corporate market. As somebody who is promoting themselves as a web designer, you should be able to inspire your target audience with first impressions. You need to apply the advice that you will be giving to your clients. A re-design should be one of your main priorities for 2010.
Think too about your focus. You are offering marketing and PR services alongside graphic design and web design. Are you really as skilled at competitor analysis and pricing as you are at design? It is far better (and easier) to establish a reputation in one area than it is to dabble in many. People will question your ability to deliver if you offer too much as a one person business.
For new business generation, keep the networking going. Develop a list of target clients in your area and work out how you can ‘bump into’ a decision maker at an event or via an introduction. We are all fans of social media, but it is random in its results. You need a targeted local marketing strategy to complement any increased activity online.
Finally, rather than target corporates in general, try and identify a niche and go for it. You will soon learn the language of the sector and build up a portfolio that will allow you to win more business in the future.
NETWORKING! Don’t right off the Chamber of Commerce so fast, remember you get back what you put into it. The best thing that you can get form the chamber of commerce is access to their networking event. If you commit to a plan that includes networking with other business owners at least once a week, within a few months you will start to see a return on your effort.
Also, don’t stop marketing to small business owners, until you really start to grow they will probably make up the bulk of your customers. Focus on good quality leads and don’t let a few cheap people get you down.
Robert, this is a great tip. And here’s another that piggybacks onto yours. When you join the chamber, offer to shoot video of chamber events and other things the media won’t cover, and then make the video available to the chamber. Chances are good they’ll upload the video to their website and email the link to their members, with credit to you.
This tip is from John Easton, a professional videographer from Charlotte, N.C. who does this all the time with great results. But you don’t need to be a pro like he is.You can get by with inexpensive equipment.
You can read a free article I wrote at my website about amateur video at http://publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/amateurvideo.html