Mad Hatter Brainstorming
September 30, 2007
Business often requires lots of brainstorming. You brainstorm new product ideas, marketing strategies, and potential article subjects among other things. However most business owners don’t know how to brainstorm well-if at all. Brainstorming is when you let your thoughts fly without any restriction and see where they may lead. This is harder than it sounds because we are used to justifying our ideas with logic. We tend to think-well, that won’t work because…but this is where great ideas falter. In the cliched sense, we don’t think out of the box. 
In order to facilitate thinking out of the box, I propose a brainstorming method called Mad Hatter Brainstorming. Remember Alice in Wonderland where she attends the Mad Hatter’s tea party and the guests utter what seem like completely illogical statements?
Mad Hatter: Would you like a little more tea?
Alice : Well, I haven’t had any yet, so I can’t very well take more.
March Hare: Ah, you mean you can’t very well take less.
Mad Hatter: Yes. You can always take more than nothing.
Anything and everything was allowed at the tea-party. There were no restrictions. The idea behind Mad Hatter Brainstorming is that ANYTHING goes! If you could have uttered the idea at a Mad Hatter tea party, then you can put it on your brainstorming list.
Bonus Tip- You can also arrange Mad Hatter Brainstorming Sessions for your company and let them go crazy. This is where some of my best ideas have come from.
Dear Shama…How Do I Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace?
September 28, 2007
Dear Shama,
I am a photographer in the DFW area and love what I do. The problem is that there are TONS of photographers in the area, and I am not sure how to set myself apart. I have been told my some well wishers that I should leave photography because of the competition and try serving an under served niche. I know they mean well, but I love being a photographer. This is my passion and my business… I just want it to be a successful business. Please Help!
-Confused in Dallas
Dear Confused in Dallas,
Let me first congratulate you for reaching out and trying to get answers before just giving up. So my answer is two part. One-Don’t give up photography if you love it. Clients can spot passion from a mile away. Two-Your well wishers are partially right. You do need to carve out a niche, but that niche can exist WITHIN photography. You may be an excellent all-rounder photographer, but pick one or two areas in photography where you can really "own" the market.
For example, you may find that you enjoy taking pictures at weddings most or you may choose something more obscure-like photographing food items for gift catalogs. The idea here is to find a niche where you can establish yourself as the go-to guy (or gal). Once you OWN that niche, then you can expand your reach. Your first step is to figure out how you would like to establish yourself. Not necessarily as a photographer-but as a certain TYPE of photographer.
That brings me to my second point-really check out your competitors. Ask yourself-Do they really share your target market? How do they market themselves? What services are they NOT offering. Find the gaps in their strategy-and fill them in. For example, do they not work on weekends or offer to fly to other cities? Fill in the need that they are not addressing.
Third, use the power of partnership. Let’s say you decide to photograph weddings- you can offer your services to wedding planners and use them as affiliates. They recommend you to their clients, and you give them a referral percentage. Find other businesses that compliment your services, and pair up with them. Here are your action steps-1) Pick a niche within photography, 2) Provide your clients with what your competitors are not, 3) Leverage the power of partners. BEST of Luck and Work Smart!
-Shama
Internet Marketing Basics-1,2,3
September 26, 2007
There are three basic steps to internet marketing, and each step is crucial for overall success.
1) Create a Solid Platform- Your platform is generally your website. Make sure that it is clear, easy to read, and well organized. Your website only has 1/10th of a second to capture a browser’s attention. If you mess up this step, nothing else will make up for it. You can get thousands of people to your site-but if they don’t stay, it doesn’t matter. A solid platform captures your target market’s attention and makes it easy for them to understand what you do.
2) Optimize- The easiest way to optimize your website is to get professional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) help, but there are also steps you can take yourself. First use Wordtracker to research keywords that your target market may be using to search for your services. These keywords may not always be what you might use to search for yourself. Example-the airline industry might talk in terms of "discount fares" but people looking for discount fares usually type in "cheap tickets." The higher the KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Index) is for a particular word or phrase, the better. A high KEI means that lots of people are searching for a particular phrase or keyword, but not many people are providing it. You can then use these high KEI words in your website. TIP-A KEI above 50 is usually an excellent bet!
3) Constantly Update- Keep your website fresh! The best way to do this is to connect your site to a blog where you share valuable information. But, even if you don’t have a blog you should still update your website. One great way to do this is by posting free articles and resources every month. Search engines love websites that constantly refresh their information.
These are the basic steps to internet marketing. If these steps are done correctly, you will be well on your way to gaining great exposure for your business. And great exposure means more clients and potential media attention!
business owner blog dallas, texas
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