I often find job descriptions that say something like, “Look at our competitors and design a web site like theirs,” or “Copy a competitor’s look to design ours,” or better yet, “Copy a blog but change it enough so that it looks like you wrote it,” and “Grab some of our competitor’s photos, twist them a little, and use them for our web site.” It never stops to amaze me how people try to market their products or services by being so completely unoriginal! Read More
Category: Marketing
To Facebook or Not to Facebook?
That is the question nowadays… Not so much if you should join the millions of people on Facebook, which you probably already do, given the fact that is nice to reconnect with old friends and share things you do, think, or enjoy with friends and family members, but the question is whether you should join Facebook as a creative type and have a “Fan Page” to promote your business. Read More
Ethical Marketing for the Creative Type, Part III
An artist or fine crafter is not really looking for a brand per se, but more likely for a personal and unique style or expression that sets him or her apart from other artists and crafters. That unique style is your brand. Read More
Ethical Marketing for the Creative Type – Part II
There is a ton of information about marketing out there, so if you have time to do a search and check some of the web sites that specialize in it, that is always good. But take everything you read with a grain of salt. Don’t jump ahead and try to implement things without first thinking if they really apply to the type of business you run. Still you can find good advice and tricks that you can adjust and utilize for yours, even if it is small, or if you are a free-lancer or self-employed creative type. So here are a couple pointers to get started… Read More
Ethical Marketing for the Creative Type
Most business articles I’ve come across mention that you should do some market research to see what is missing in your community, or what sells and what doesn’t, before you quit your day job and start a business that will succeed. My guess is that this type of advice comes from standard business and marketing 101, which it is very helpful if want to start a business like say, a chain restaurant, or a kinko’s, or a dry cleaner, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to the self-employed creative type (artist, artisan, healer, herbalist, crafter, yoga teacher, etc.). Read More