Consistent Marketing

"Next, you'll need to decide how you're going to engage with [your customers]." Right-Brain Business Plan, pg 87

A couple of weeks back I wrote how this fall I have started using a plan that compartmentalizes when I do my marketing tasks for Jessie Marie Studio. Even though I use a variety of marketing mediums, the one I have used since the beginning of 2007 is an email newsletter.

The newsletter started off being sent monthly from my gmail account to a small list of friends & family. It has become an HTML email sent out quarterly to over 300 people through Campaign Monitor. The content has changed slightly over the years, but the readers have always gotten an update of the creative work I am doing.

I believe this consistent marketing medium has helped my business gain traction.

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Read the most recent newsletter here.
Sign up for your own quarterly copy here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Take a minute and focus on everything you have been blessed with this year.

I am personally thankful for my deepened relationship with Jesus, my amazing husband, my energetic daughter, my new son, my extended family, my CU family, my friends, our cute rental home, good food & days filled with sunshine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Project | Revolution Packaging

Before becoming a Mommy Freelancer I worked at Horizon Hobby, Inc. I created advertising, packaging and everything in between for Radio Control toys. One of the final projects I did was to rebrand a heli accessory brand called Revolution. I found out recently that the packaging that was proposed in the concept stage is not only being used almost fully in tact, but has won an award! See the insert from Facebook below. It's the rotor blade packaging on the top right.

Clarity

What is the clear vision for Jessie Marie Studio, LLC?

Finding the answer to this question is like looking through the refractor at the eye doctor & being asked "which is better A or B?" You may be able to read the letters at the other end of the room through both A and B, but B makes them perfectly clear. You didn't know B existed until the optometrist flipped the lens in front of your eyes. And then she asks, "which is better B or C?" C is crisper than B was. How can this be? B was so beautiful until C came along.

Finding a clear path for your business to follow is like that. You have to be open to new opportunities. Have the confidence you made the best choice with the information you had. And know that choice has the chance to change in the future.

Last week during my monthly Ideas + Soup get together I presented the progress I have made on my Right-Brain Business Plan. Much like going in for a yearly eye appointment. I needed help figuring out who to focus my marketing efforts on. After a discussion with Katie Martin, from CU Speech Consultants, I created the following tiers of clients:

Graphic Design :: Primary

Small Bussinesses & Start Ups especially Work-at-Home Mothers

cards below

Small Businesses & Start Ups | Front

Small Businesses & Start Ups | Back

Especially Work-at-Home Mothers | Front

Especially Work-at-Home Mothers | Back

Graphic Design :: Secondary

Churches/Non-Profits
RC Companies
Technical Illustration
Prepress Opportunities

no cards used since these aren't the kinds of clients I am actively seeking

Photography :: Primary

Young Familes

card shown below 

Young Families | Front

Young Families | Back

Photography :: Secondary

Couples
Mature Familes

no cards used since these aren't the kinds of clients I am actively seeking

After deciding who I was going to primarily target I decided I am going to create a refined elevator speech for those clients. Plus, my plan is to make a handout that talks to those primary groups. Hopefully both of those things will continue to bring clarity to the business I'm creating.

Project | The Rheticus Forum 2012-2013

St. Andrew's Lutheran Church and Campus Center asked me to work with them again this year to promote their lecture series on faith and science. Last year we created the brand look, ie. distinct colors, type usage & repeated design elements. This year we used the established branding, but updated the name from Faith & Science in Dialogue to The Rheticus Forum.

The poster for the entire 2012-2013 lecture series.

A bulletin insert will be created for each speaker to send to local churches.

A flyer will be created for each lecture to be used on the University of Illinois campus.

A program cover will be designed for each lecture to be used the day of the event.

As well as doing design work for the project, I also made a marketing plan to help the client know when to do what. The plan for the lecture tomorrow night is below. If you are free & in the area you should really head over for the event.

Customer Portraits

Right-Brain Business Plan Exercise: Collage Your Perfect Customer Portraits

"Flip through magazines you think your potential clients might read. Find pictures of people who represent your perfect customers. Look for images that evoke their lifestyles. Cut out words or phrases that describe what they are like or what their needs are." page 81, Right-Brain Business Plan

Cadence & I sat down and did this exercise together.

Below are my target market cards to add to the value cards & the mission statement card.

Small Business/Start Ups Front

Small Business/Start Up Back

Work-at-Home Mothers Front

Work-at-Home Mothers Back

Non-Profits/Churches Front

Non-Profits/Churches Back

I haven't finished my Young Families card yet for the photo shoots I offer. I am planning on using my own images for that one. So it will have images like these ones or some of these on it.

Cadence's cards are below. She loved making them!

Cadence's Cards. She only did one side on each.

More this Christmas

I was sitting in a worship planning meeting for my church last week I found out the theme for the advent sermon series is "More."

More? I cringed. Christmas starts for our family Thanksgiving weekend & runs until the weekend after Christmas. The influx of toys & holiday calories is already giving me an anxiety attack.

But then I listened. More hope, more peace & most of all more Jesus.

Jesus. The guy who started this whole Christmas thing. Why not focus on Him?

Jesus was a relationship guy. He poured his life into His followers. Why not follow His example? Give gifts like conversation & a helping hand this year instead of toys & neckties. Who knows, maybe we'll start 2013 richer & skinner.

And closer to being like Jesus.