Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1451376
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 2 0 2 2 J U L Y G R A P H I C S P R O 6 5 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 2 0 2 2 J U L Y G R A P H I C S P R O 6 5 " I MARKET MY SERVICES UTILIZING THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA. A CUP OF JOE MEDIA BREWS EYE-CATCHING AND ENGAGING GRAPHICS FOR POSTING ON MY FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. AND BELIEVE ME, IT TOTALLY WORKS. I'M ALWAYS RECEIVING DMS ASKING FOR PRICE QUOTES THAT WIND UP BECOMING JOBS AND USUALLY TURN INTO REPEAT CUSTOMERS." — VALARIE EHRHARDT O'CONNELL IMAGING CUSTOM EMBROIDERY & PRINTING color, add some bling, drop in a funky cool fabric, and turn it into an appliqué. e whole point is to get someone to look at you and say, "Wow, that is something! Where did you get it?" at opens the door so that you can hand them your business card, and maybe even get one from them. NO. 2: BE VISIBLE If you have a retail location that has frontage, make it attention worthy. If you have a display window, dress it with a few boldly colored products. If you do not have a display window, consider getting some eyebrow banners in a few different colors that you can put out when your business is open. If you have only one ban- ner, and it is out all the time, it becomes invisible to the people that pass by. Can you hang any products outside to flap in the breeze? Can you add some unexpected or oversized prop to your window to draw attention? Can you hang or arrange a panel of boldly colored fabric to create an attention-grabbing backdrop in your retail space? If you do not have a retail location, or a display window to dress, I have an option for you — social media! Any business can turn a Facebook business page into their retail/display space. People are on Facebook every day. Why not take advantage of that, and create attention-grabbing posts for the world to see, like, share, and comment upon? NO. 3: LET THEM PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN People are fascinated by the embroidery machines and the pro- cess of apparel decoration. Try to shoot a 30 second video of what- ever order you are working on and post it to your social media with a quick caption, even if it is something simple like, "Can't wait to see their faces when they get their new shirts!" Doing this even just once a week will increase awareness about what you do and the variety of products you offer, without you ever having to say, "Buy my stuff." NO. 4: BE YOURSELF People do business with you. Yes, they are doing business with your company, but they are working with you. When you inject yourself into your marketing, it helps your community feel like they know you. If you always say, "Hiya," include that in your emails. If you are into a particular hobby, find ways to bring some of that into your business. It will help like-minded people find you and you will resonate with them, making it more likely that they will become your customers. e world as we know it has been forever changed by the pan- demic. Now is a perfect opportunity to look at your business with fresh eyes. What can you reframe, tweak, refresh or update so that it catches the attention of your community? Is your sign in need of a fresh coat of paint or a power wash? Can you add a pop of color to your building, sign, or vehicle to draw attention? Have you updated your website lately with any new images? Can you add a tag line that sounds like you, and helps people under- stand what you offer? As you review all the ways you market your business, I want you to ask yourself these questions: Does your marketing look, sound, and feel like you? Does it help your community know who you really are? Does your marketing reflect your values, what you believe in, and what you stand for? Don't offer a snooze fest when it comes to marketing your busi- ness. What is one thing that you can do this week to spice up your messaging? How can you add more you in your business? If you are unsure where or how to begin marketing your busi- ness, email me at jennifer@nnep.com and I will send you a list of marketing ideas that are all less than $100, and have proven to be effective for apparel decoration professionals. Include this as the subject line: Marketing Ideas Under $100. I'd love to help you get some marketing in place for your business. GP Jennifer Cox is one of the founders and serves as president of the Na- tional Network of Embroidery Professionals (NNEP), an organization that supports embroidery and apparel decoration professionals with programs and services designed to increase profitability and produc- tion. You can contact her at jennifer@nnep.com.