I love the Internet and its power to connect us all. A creative business' ability to show off itself and reach a vast audience is unprecedented. Easy to make the leap that you have to have a website, blog, be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, take out Google Adwords, advertise on the various design/wedding sites, etc. for your customers to find you and to be competitive. Not so fast.
If you are a business like ABCD Design or Weddings Costa Rica, sure. Take a look at all that Amy does to stay connected. I get tired just reading it. But her blog/site is how she tells the world about herself and her business and how she finds her clients. Same for Larissa. Do you think the same holds true for a local wedding planner, designer, florist, or any artist focused on a local market? While the information has to be there for the potential client to see what the business is all about, using the web (and doing all the work Amy, Larissa and the rest of the technorati do) as the primary way to generate business is a colossal waste of time and money.
For those of you focused on your community (which most of you are), it is far more important to HAVE a drink with those that matter than to blog about which one they should be drinking. Not everybody needs to go global, especially those that can do quite well in their backyard. Take a look at Bentley Meeker. If you don't know who Bentley is, his website is certainly not going to make your heart skip a beat. But that's the point – everyone in the NYC event business or connected to it (no matter how remotely) KNOWS Bentley. For him, personally touching vendors and potential clients is what counts. As much as he is selling his art, he is selling himself and the fact that you can rely on him and his business to deliver.
Vendors and venues are fantastic building blocks, but expand your universe by cross-marketing with creative businesses in other fields (event designers with interior designers, stationers with florists, graphic designers with architects/interior designers, bakers with potters, etc.). Unexpected alliances breed opportunity. Grow those that can know you and talk about you. Some clients need the global rock star, most really want the local star that is a rock.
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Another great post! This is a goal of minebfur 2009, awing my network within my city! Thanks for the post!
Ahhh thanks for this post! It’s good to have some reassure me that I don’t need to blog every day of my life but I can always go out for a drink, met over lunch or coffee and stay in touch that way.
“Some clients need the global rock star, most really want the local star that is a rock”.
This comment has really hit home with me Sean on so many levels-some I am very comfortable & pleased with and some I need to come to terms with and accept (which has not been easy) but hopefully I will soon.
Thank you as always for your insight and your candor very much looking forward to meeting you in person.
Good bits of knowledge here. thanks so much for sharing.
I have found it so very hard to get in with meeting people. I am in such a small niche of the wedding industry that it’s been an uphill climb.
My clients are wonderful – it’s getting to know other industry professionals that is the task. 😉