Three Tips to Focus Your Networking
When we changed focus from studio photography to on-site commercial work, we had to change our marketing strategy. In the past we had a calendar of promotions for holidays, seasons, senior portraits, babies & bellies, and sports. Networking played only a small part in our program.
Our new emphasis on architectural and custom home photography required a drastic change in marketing. We decided that the best way to penetrate the new market quickly was by face-to-face contact and trust building. A few stumbles and false starts taught us the following lessons.
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Identify your ideal customer. If yours is an established business, review your sales for the past two years.What type of business has consistently purchased your services or has purchased in the largest quantities? For a new business, what type of customer do you most want to service?
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Identify the customer’s industry association. Your local public or college library reference section if a good place to find directories of industry associations. Another good starting place is the Weddle’s website. The association website usually gives contact information for local chapters.
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Research association events and functions. Most associations host meetings, mixers, trade shows and happy hours for the membership. These are all great opportunities to make yourself known.
Networking is an important part of any marketing mix. Always keep your eyes and ears open for chances to teach others about what you do. We’ve had some great jobs come to us from unexpected places. But to make sure you get the most return for your time, focus your program.
How do you use networking to promote your business?
