Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD
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What follows is a grammatically incorrect mashup of a discussion I had recently with a professional in the creative arts industry: digital images, photography, and painting displays.
Question/Challenge: Individual is interested in launching his digital illustration and photography business. And was having some challenges marketing his work, converting sales, and creating the credibility required to convert interested parties into customers/clients.
My Response:
#1. The first thing I encourage every entrepreneur to do is take inventory of your title and summary on LinkedIn, and every platform you’re employing to build your business. And ask yourself, did I draft this to showcase who I am and what I’m about, or is my messaging designed to attract and tell people how I can serve them?
For example: Business Development Professional. Author. Public Speaker. University of Michigan grad. Entrepreneur.
Versus: I help entrepreneurs acquire clients, secure financing, make better tax & accounting decisions, and protect their intellectual property and legal rights.
For example: I am a business development professional with 20 million years of experience. I’m certified in SAAS, B2B, Logistical, Strategic Planning, Decorative Esoterics, and I’ve secured 20 degrees, and have a background working for human resource, staffing, sales management, and executives, and a top project management professional. I paint portraits, provide digital imaging, marketing pieces, and I’m a photographer attending Julliard.
Versus:
Are you looking for beautiful artwork to decorate your home office, your living room, or guest room?
Are you looking for artistic backgrounds for your social media posts or online marketing presence?
Do you enjoy urban portraits/images of everyday life, highlighting working class/proletariat images?
Looking for sophisticated, contemporary imagery, banners, trademarks to promote your business?
Are you an art collector looking for novel landscapes, gritty imagery, authentic representations?
Do enjoy motivational content for your screensavers, coffee mugs, t-shirts, merchandise, etc.,
Or you could easily start each statement with, I produce, curate, provide…….
Which titles and summaries do you believe will result in your idea clients viewing and lingering on? The “For Examples” or the “Versus”?
Especially, if you’re an entrepreneur, you want to think of your social media presence more like a 30 second elevator pitch, thinking about your social media account, specifically LinkedIn account like a landing page, or this is how I can be of service to you. You may be the most wonderful person on earth, but people don’t typically care about you, until they know how much you care about them. People want to know what’s in it for me?
*Remember, people are sifting through social media profiles a mile a minute. And on LinkedIn people are typically not sifting for entertainment, they are on LinkedIn for a purpose. To acquire a job; to hire someone; or to invest in something or someone to serve a need.
#2. How Are You Showing Up? Years ago, one of my Nigerian clients and friends, shared with me, “You have to be fat Mr. Buford. You have to be fat.” He later explained to me that being fat in Nigeria, specifically if you’re a man, means you’re eating good, living good, you’re established you’re comfortable.
So what does fat mean on LinkedIn. Businesses, entrepreneurs, high compensated professionals (people who have disposable incomes, fat people) want to do business with other fat people. In other words,....
Fat Suggestion #1. Where is your business structure? LLC, S-Corp, etc., And if someone does business with you, where are your contracts, non-circuments, confidentiality agreements, MOUs, etc., etc., Learn what documents should you have in place and how they serve you > Business Origination Documents
Fat Suggestion #2. Where are your letters of recommendation or testimonials speaking to your expertise, the impact you’ve made in other people’s lives, or even positive comments left by others via email (acquire their permission), or somewhere online. I, nor anyone else, is going to say anything negative about their services and or products. Third party evaluations are critical.
In other words if you are a creative, ask all of your previous customers, including family, friends, mentors, etc., for positive, genuine feedback.
Fat Suggeston #3. Hurry up and acquire a website! For a couple reasons. Today, most people are going to learn about you via social media. They’re going to make up their minds whether they like you, feel like they know you (more on this in a minute), or trust you based on your content. Your website is your business card so to speak. It lets people know you’re an adult. You’ve taken the time to invest in your online presence.
Your website doesn’t need to look like you spent like NASA on it. Just like years ago, you really didn’t need to spend a million dollars on your business cards. Presentable, answers the question, what do you do?
Also, always, always, always remember this. You don’t own the real estate on FB, Gram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., etc. People get locked out of their accounts everyday. People are making these decisions. Don’t think for a minute that politics, economics, or self interests don’t enter into the equation. Don’t learn the hard way, that you need to be funneling people to some landscape that you own.
Imagine, waking up one day, and you’ve lost access to over 500, 1000, 3000, 10,000, 20000 contacts. And you didn’t have a system to collect their contact information, or a place for them to find you.
Concerned about the budget to establish a fatter online presence. I gotcha. Watch this > Starting your Business on a Beer Budget. What is a good tool for DIY people, where you can get the biggest bang for your buck? > https://demo.gosmallbiz.com/website-builder-2/ I personally swear by this tool, and full transparency. I market this service. Ask me about it.
#3. Post content intentionally that establishes you as an SME. Be the art expert. Talk about art. Talk about artists. Talk about the type of art you enjoy. Talk about your process. Showcase your B to B+ work, and let people know that it may be your B, to B+ work. People with 5 Star tastes and sensibilities will be drawn to your content, connect the dots, and ask for or seek your A+ work.
Your content should create resonance with your target market, ideal clients. People who love art, appreciate artists, value creative expression, who have disposable income. And of course we can niche down even further with this, but you get the point. If you’re courting this crowd, and you are posting content that resonates, you don’t need a million clients. Ten to twenty regularly purchasing clients will help you have a proper launch. Build up to 30-50 regularly buying clients (remember business owners, are collectors, marketing companies, people who love art….). And you’re business deposit account will tell you you're winning.
Mainstreet does not care about your degree. Academia cares about your degree. Your professional colleagues care about your degree. Your fellow W-2s care about your degree. Mainstreet cares whether or not you can deliver. Execution my friend. Post content that places on full display your ability to EXECUTE.
After you’ve accounted for 1, 2, 3, here is #3.5. Your audience and I, want to know your story, your why, where are you drawing inspiration. Why did you choose to be an artist? When you’re creating, what is stoking your fire. Assuming your art is good or to be more appropriate you’ve put in or your puttinging in your 10,000 hours to be practiced at doing you. Find ways to add context to your work, and context to you. People are looking for emotional resonance, and connection, especially now.
Find ways to sprinkle your story in. Art buyers, acquire art as much for the stories behind the art, as anything else.
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JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.
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