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The Marketing Mix
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The quickest “yes” ever…
I’ve spoken to clients before who seemed like they’d done their research, read my website thoroughly, and knew they were going to hire me before we even got on the...
How not to stalk your best prospects
Photo courtesy Shutterstock (Image ID:226765558) I just gave a brand new presentation for Digital Olympus, a free online event. (You can download the PPT at Gettalk.at/Stalking and/or watch the video here and all...
Have you ever written down your process?
So far this year, I’ve been putting my foot down and maximizing efficiency. I’ve stopped working with templates and only work on custom design (here’s why). I’ve also ramped-up the...
Using LinkedIn Pulse as Your Blog — Conte...
I wrote last month about “finding your people” and to do that, you have to go where they go, to be where they are. Online that’s likely to be on LinkedIn, essentially...
Can I change old habits?
I’ve always been the kind of person who waits until I have no clean clothes to do laundry…who waits until I can’t see my table anymore to clean my house…who...
June 21: Free Online Digital Marketing Conference
Digital Marketing — what the heck is it? That was a question I asked David Bain, host of Digital Marketing Radio, when I interviewed him for my podcast recently. And...
The real reason you can’t finish your own...
Why is it so hard for creative professionals to get their own web site done? That’s a rhetorical question, actually, because I do have a few ideas about why this is...
6 Tips for Finding New Business When You’re a N...
Photographed by Thomas | © 2016 TK Photography | www.tkphotographychicago.com By Lidia Varesco Racoma of Lidia Varesco Design Finding new business as a new (or even not-so-new) mom is not easy....
Recap of Recaps of #HOWLive
HOW Design Live 2016 in Atlanta was an amazing time — one of the strongest programs ever! — and lots of attendees do recaps of their favorite sessions. So I have attempted...
Magic #HOWLive 2016 Moments — Part 1
I’m back from HOW Design Live in Atlanta and here are some of the highlights: “#HOWLive’s Amy Conover is the best! xoxo” After a year of behind the scenes planning, she...
Magic #HOWLive Moments; Part 2
A few more of my favorite moments from #HOWLive 2016…(See Part 1 here) On the last day, Kirt Zimmer of The Creative Group and I did a Facebook Live interview...
[Podcast] How to get projects that are perfect ...
Photo by Michael e. Stern Has this ever happened to you? You hear about a project and think to yourself, “That is perfect for me!” The only problem: the client...
Sunday & Monday: Watch the HOW keynotes fo...
I’m not at #HOWLive this year—but I’m going to watch the keynotes Sunday and Monday, May 22nd and 23rd for free (and you can too)! I have to admit, I...
{Video} #HOWLive via @CreativeLive Streaming Live
If you can’t be at #HOWLive this year in Atlanta, you can at least be there in spirit and watch the live stream of the keynotes on Sunday and Monday,...
5 Valuable Marketing Tips That Will Make You A ...
When I ask people what marketing tools they use, so many say, “word of mouth,” which makes my blood boil (ok, that may be a little dramatic!) because word of...
[Podcast] Addicted to Fee-for-Services?
In the latest HOWLive podcast/interview, Doug Powell, past national president of AIGA, defines the client service business model as: “a fairly flat and one-dimensional approach that is largely dependent on...
How to figure out what to charge
In the latest podcast, Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com chats with Steve Maurer, a copywriter in the vertical B2B Industrial Manufacturing niche, about the changes he’s making to his business, based...
Check out these 7 blogging tools
I think we can all agree that technology is, pretty much, mind-blowingly awesome. It makes our lives so much easier in a zillion ways. With technology moving quickly, new tools...
Top 10 podcasts of 2015
Instead of waistline-expansion, take time before the year ends for brain-expansion! Cozy up and expand your knowledge with our most popular podcasts from 2015. Episode 1, #HOWLive 2015...
Who are “your people?” 3 Ways to Tell – QTMM
I think I’m getting more preachy as I “mature” (watch for my birthday sale in the Marketing Mentor Shop in June, BTW), but I hear myself saying this to almost all my...
Prices on your web site? – QTMM
I get this question all the time. So here’s my answer (adapted from the Tricky Pricing Scenarios and Common Questions section of my new program, AWAI’s Simplest Guide to Copy Projects). Should you put prices on...
Just a reminder: It’s Not About You
It’s a tricky concept but essential, so I’ll keep harping on it. So many aspects of your business are actually not about you. Your elevator pitch is not about you....
What I Mean When I Say, "Your Proposal Is Not A...
You’ve heard me say it before, “Your proposal is not about you.” (BTW Neither is your pricing.) But maybe I haven’t explained it clearly enough yet. So I tried again in my recent podcast/interview...
Start your own freelance business today
If you’re a new freelancer, you’re moonlighting, or you’re in-house but hoping to make the jump—then my brand new 2-week, online course, “How To Start Your Own Freelance Business” is...
Do You Know Your Competition?
When someone signs up for my free mentoring session, I ask them to fill out this getting starting questionnaire which becomes the foundation document for their marketing plan. Usually, it...
What to do when they just want a price
Here’s another question I answered recently through my email mentoring service. Q: I have a prospect that I’ve been keeping in touch with periodically. When we first spoke he told...
Podcast: What do art buyers really care about?
Recently I interviewed Scott Hull, an agent for illustrators who, when you ask what he does, says he, “links creativity to the corporate world." We talked a lot about how...
Interview with the illustration “king” of self-...
Daniel Pelavin is entering his 5th decade as a typographic designer and illustrator. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Graphic Artists Guild’s Reboot, Retool, Refuel conference. He was pointed...
How has your business evolved?
I did a lot of research for my new article on the evolution of a creative business, “From Start to Smart,” (coming out in the September edition of HOW), and...
How has the recession affected hourly billing r...
Our friend, Cameron Foote, from Creative Business, is doing a billing rate survey. If you have a few minutes, please share your input. Here are the details: How has the...
QR Codes: What the Heck Are They?
We’re away at CFC. Follow the action as it happens with Twitter hash tag #CFConf. Yesterday I asked if your newsletter makes sense to your audience. Here is another great...
Better at “creative” than “pro”?
We’re away at CFC. Follow the action as it happens with Twitter hash tag #CFConf. CreativePro.com is an excellent resource where “creatives go to know.” They recently reviewed our Pricing...
How excited should you be about your market?
Now that most of my clients have chosen target markets, things are starting to happen. Some of them are thrilled to have finally found a market that is responding positively....
How to manage projects, virtual teams AND still...
In yesterday's Part 1, Justine shared advice on finding the right team and creating a project blueprint. Now, here's part 2: 3) Relinquish some controlI know this is hard, but...
How to manage projects, virtual teams AND still...
There are many reasons for creative talent to take the plunge and go out on their own, and from my experience of managing freelance talent – creative freedom ranks high...
How one illustrator is getting business on Link...
I just did an interview with talented illustrator, Tim Read, about the marketing tools that are working for his business. He shares: • Exactly how he uses social media • How he’s...
Holiday blessings come without tires
Hi, I'm Deidre. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning as...
Some things never change: relationships
There’s a lot of talk about how marketing is changing, especially with all the new marketing tools available. It’s true. The avenues of marketing are in flux. But the one...
Time offline = More time?
In a January 2010 Marketing Mix blog post, Peleg Top wrote about having Intentions instead of “making resolutions.” It sounded like a good idea, so I set myself a handful...
Which RFPs should you pursue?
When an RFP comes along, how should you decide whether or not to pursue it? Rather than relying on any subjective feelings you have about an RFP opportunity, it’s a...
How I got 3 jobs from a boring newsletter
Hi, I'm Deidre. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning as...
Join us on Facebook and Twitter
We admit it. Social media is a great way to interact, share, and get feedback. It’s even a little bit fun! It’s nearly 2011 – but we are finally coming...
How to avoid being a bad KISSer
In our quest to KISS, you know "Keep it simple, stupid." do you think it's possible to keep it too simple? In one of my recent email blasts, "Beware the...
How much is a car?
Laurel sent this in as a response to Deidre’s post about the numbers guessing game, and we simply had to share. The Money Conversation is always a dance, isn’t it?...
Growing Your Business with Marketing, Week 7: S...
This is Week Seven of a 52-week project/experiment in DIY marketing. Armed with nothing but a copy of the 2009 Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and my bare...
Guest Post: Land with a bigger thud
Today we are introducing our first series of guest posts from Jennifer Neal, of K9 Design in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jennifer and I have been working together through the Marketing...
Mixmasters Elsewhere: Colleen on getting your 1...
Unlike designer and Marketing Mentor friend Jeff Fisher, I am not a big self-promoter. Or, to be precise, I am not very comfortable tooting my own horn. (I blame it...
The communicatrix’s top 12 tips for creat...
Every time I sign up for a new newsletter, I cross my fingers and hope. And almost invariably, I am disappointed. It’s very hard, apparently, to get a newsletter right,...
Call for outside passions
Sheree Clark of Sayles Graphic Design is doing a presentation at the HOW Design Conference in Atlanta in June. It’s called “Inspired by our Passions: The Pursuit of an Enriched...
Marketing 101: Is your email address on everyth...
Of course, we all have our email addresses on our business cards and our business websites. But often enough that it shocks me, people still neglect to include email contact...