At HOW Marketing Live today, I am giving a brand new presentation about the "best" marketing strategy for creative professionals.
It's called, "How To Reach Your Dream Clients With Content Marketing," and, although I'm not one for hyperbole, I consider this strategy to be the "best" because it is actually a mash-up of the 3 most effective marketing strategies:
- Strategic Networking: going where your ideal clients go and meeting them in real time and in person.
- Targeted Outreach: super-hyper-ultra customized outreach to your ideal clients
- Content Marketing: demonstrating your expertise while simultaneously providing value to your clients through useful information (instead of salesy materials).
But when you use them together, it's triply (is that a word?) effective because...
- ...you turn "Strategic Networking" into research for your content, which removes the awkwardness
- ...you turn "Targeted Outreach" into invitations to be featured in your content which removes the sliminess
- ...you turn "Content Marketing" into a learning opportunity for you (and your market) and a promotional opportunity for your ideal client
Read more about that in my recent article for HOWDesign.com, Why Your Dream Clients Definitely Want to Hear From You."
This is not a simple idea and it has a lot of moving pieces, which may be why not many creatives try it. But it works! So in my presentation today I'll be sharing several examples of Marketing Mentor clients who are using it effectively.
I already featured one designer, John Hartwell of Hartwell Studio Works and his podcast on sports branding, in an article for HOWDesign.com, Connecting the Dots of Marketing: How One Designer Is Doing It.
And I introduced this strategy at Owner Summit in February in a presentation called, "The Art of Attracting The Best Clients."
I'll be writing and speaking more about this advanced marketing strategy in the future.
But if you want to brainstorm with me about how it might work in your creative business, take advantage of my free 30-minute mentoring session.