Do You Marketing a Product or a Service?
Yes, I am the owner, marketing, HR, designer, accountant, and so on...
Explain Your Product or Service
Designs by Humans is a small interior / exterior design studio located in Boise, ID. We offer creative ideas to revitalize your home.
How Did You Start Marketing Your Small Business?
When we first started out in late 2007 the market was just seeing the dark side roll up. We tried getting in with realtors who were working with potential homeowners. We had also tried hard copy marketing materials and handing them out at trade shows, home shows, or anything where there was people. Business cards, blog page, email blasts to target areas, and a unique website (which isn’t so unique to me anymore being in the design industry)http://whatisdbh.biz. I also started using Twitter, LinkedIn and recently a Facebook page to connect with more people.
How Did It Work?
Trying to utilize the realtors seemed like a grand idea, whom better to get your name out there than people with homeowners flocking to them to buy houses. Truth was I never got a single call from any of the realtors I was trying to work with until after a couple years of trying, I found a couple of them with similar interests of mine, so I did a few free projects for them to show them what I can do and now its finally starting to pick up with that source.
Getting a website was critical to show people what work you can do, but it had to be a grand website since I wanted it to show off my style. Really haven’t had any work persae from the website but it is a great way to make people feel like you are more legit.
Utilizing the social media has been good, it constantly gives people updates on what you are doing, although no work has been received from these sources either, it has put me in touch with some people all over the country with good advice as we are trying to expand out to several other markets (Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA).
I do have to say the business cards along with client referrals have been the strongest source of my work. Probably 9 out of 10 potential jobs I get my way come from past clients with a stack of business cards in their drawer works the best.
Advice
- It is necessary to have a website up and running. Even if no one ever goes to it unless you tell them to it is still an essential tool to easily show people your abilities.
- Getting involved in social media is good, it doesn’t have to consume your life and better yet it’s free. Maybe give a bi-weekly update on what you are doing and tie these to your website / blog.
- Having compelling business cards and getting out there to hand them out is a necessity as well.
- Sadly, doing a couple cheap or free projects got a good and well established client base that loved my work and started referring clients to m
