For some reason, it seems like many creatives freak out when asked about their marketing and/or advertising strategy.
“There are too many marketing trends to keep up with!”
“I struggle with finding the right clients and getting their attention.”
“I am clueless about SEO.”
“Social media is so overwhelming…”
As a photographer, you probably spend most of your time finessing your craft and procrastinating on the business side of things. It’s natural that we want to focus on the areas we’re already good at, rather than tackling the areas we struggle with…“because there’s always tomorrow”. But you can’t grow without getting uncomfortable and challenging yourself to upskill your weaknesses.
That’s exactly why I decided to host my 3-day ‘Marketing with Purpose‘ workshop! At just $9 a ticket, we had over 1000+ attendees from all over the world join us. Live training aside, we also had a guest speaker each day, dedicated Q&A sessions, and a workbook to put the learnings into practice.
What did we cover in Marketing with Purpose?
Split across 3 days’ of two-hour training sessions, we broke it down using a simple 3-step approach.
Day 1: Reset for 100% goal clarity
We learnt about what’s hot or not in marketing and brainstormed ways to blow up our businesses in 2022.
Day 2: Build for irresistible omnipresence
On day 2, we dived into how we can create and implement a 3-dimensional marketing strategy. Focusing on how we can create one weekly piece of pillar content and split it across all our channels, this was a massive hit amongst the attendees!
Day 3: Scale for predictable profit
And on the final day of our workshop, we talked about how you can scale beyond your inner circle by attracting a new audience through paid advertising. However, it’s important to note that your sales funnel should be watertight if you don’t want to waste your time and money!
So, how did it all go? Was the workshop worth it?
I was beyond stoked to see our Facebook group blowing up with comments and ideas. From blogging to social media, everyone was brainstorming together and supporting one another. That’s the power of bringing a sea of creatives together – we’re all sharing the same journey and dedicated to levelling up our businesses. Community over competition, we grow as one.
Here was some of the amazing feedback from the community!
But let’s take a few steps back and focus on how YOU can level up to the best version of yourself!
You want your dream clients to find you and book you, without feeling like a try-hard salesperson. You want to have the freedom to create art that YOU love, without conforming to tacky trends.
Basically…you just want to do YOU.
Forget about splashing out on fancy camera gear, toying around with filters, or spending thousands on a brand new website, for a second. Serving our clients wholeheartedly, how do we make sure we’re the best we can be?
1. Learn to listen 👂
You might be thinking “but I’m the expert, people should want to listen to me”. Here’s the thing – you might have photography expertise, but your clients are the experts on what they want for their wedding!
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. Most people listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey
Practise not taking unless you’re invited to share your opinion on the matter. The more you listen, the more you’ll open yourself up to new perspectives and opportunities by allowing others to talk.
Listen to what they are not saying and read between the lines.
2. Let go of your pride 😌
If you feel like you’re going nowhere with the back-and-forth debate, it’s likely that the other person doesn’t feel seen or heard. They’re struggling with a problem and you’ve yet to provide a solution.
Whether it’s negotiating their budget or discussing their timeline, realise that you don’t always have to “win” and let others enjoy the taste of victory.
Exercise your emotional intelligence by practising self-control and showing empathy. Learn to serve others and create a space where they can feel good and walk away feeling like they’ve won.
3. Be relentless 🔥
If you truly want to change your life, you need to stop playing it safe or playing the victim game. Get out of your comfort zone, take back control and take the risk on yourself. If you don’t show up for yourself and your biz, who will?
Spend time writing down your goals every day. Whether it’s one on self-development, financial or biz growth, your daily reminder will keep you accountable and on track.
That’s it from me today, folks!
If you’d like to continue your journey with me, make sure you tune into my podcast for creative entrepreneurs ‘Make Your Break‘. Here’s a recent episode on how you can elevate your marketing!
Dropping weekly episodes, you’ll find loads of helpful tips, practical advice, and inspiration to help you level up your business.
