When Darren Mahuron was young, there was only one thing he wanted to be for a living: an artist. The window opened one day when his employer needed a product photographer. He taught himself about cameras, learned Photoshop and figured out that he hated taking pictures and doing it someone else's way. So in 2006, he decided to let the establishment have its way and he'd do it his, and he founded Summit Studios.
In 2011, it's hard to walk through the idyllic town of Fort Collins, Colo., and find a business owner or culture-centric person who doesn't know Mahuron and his work. In addition to having a successful photography business, he's a fixture on the local art scene. But 2011 brings with it a separate challenge for Mahuron, who's carved himself a deep niche in his own backyard: getting out of his backyard. "I need to find a way to get my work into larger markets," he says. "Larger markets means larger projects and new challenges for me professionally." And so comes the question of busting out of your comfort zone--and shaping your business and brand to make the leap.
For many, building a business is a whole lot easier in your backyard. People know one another. People talk. So how do you take what you've done so well on a local scale into new markets without blowing your budget and wasting time and resources?
While it might be different for your business, Mahuron's identified one of his primary targets to be advertising and marketing agencies. "If I can get on their radar and show them how my photography can make their clients look like rock stars, then I'm another tool in their toolbox," he says.
Even though he's known he should for quite some time, Mahuron has never done a showing of his work outside of Colorado prior to this year. In late September, he changed that. So how are you getting out there?
For many consultants and entrepreneurs, getting out means getting involved. You can't grow a business in a vacuum, so seek out things like professional organizations, chambers of commerce and perhaps more important, conferences and trade shows.
While you might not feel the price of entry for a particular conference or trade show is accessible, here are a few things to consider. Events like these are more about the people you can potentially meet than the speakers and swag. Those relationships are what get business done. If you still feel like the price of a pass is too much, there are plenty of people who head to conferences and the associated parties to mix and mingle without ever stepping foot on the exhibit floor.
Sometimes the best path is to ask someone who's done it--which is exactly what Mahuron did. When you can tap into the expertise of someone who's already made the leap, you're poised for an inspiring conversation. While you can't expect these conversations to always come for free, a few hundred dollars spent on consulting with a colleague you admire can save you a few thousand in missteps.
What's next for Mahuron? Check out his work at SummitStyle.com. I'll bet that over the next year, you'll be seeing some bigger brands and bands come his way for a slice of his artistic pie. After all, there is an art to marketing, even for artists and entrepreneurs who don't fancy themselves marketers. Growing is about creating--what will you create today?
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This article was originally published in the December 2011 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: The Art of Marketing.
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Comments:
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This is a great story! Innovation and perseverance is the key in this case.
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I've always had a passion for photography. This guy is awesome!
Indeed - why not learn from people who have already made the mistakes you're bound to make so you can go on to make new mistakes? It's all about shortening the learning curve!
Excellent response to Kelly's comments. I just added my own as well. And I appreciate you stopping by for a read today :)
Thanks for stopping by today!
As someone who has built the bulk of her business *strictly* online, I was personally VERY surprised to see what conference and trade shows have done to boost my brand. I'm not arguing your points from a one-to-many marketing aspect, but as Darren Marhuron did, he exhausted many of the resources in his backyard and thus, went beyond. Trade shows and conferences, if they're applicable to your industry, are excellent ways to reinforce online relationships. I could give you case upon case of relationships that turned into business ventures on account of in-person meetings at events like these :)
Sometimes the best course is to ask someone who's done it--which is exactly what Mahuron did. When you can tap into the experience of someone who's already created the bounce, you're set for an impressive discussion.
Kelly - I'm the founder of an online social media training site, and while I agree that you can make connections online, they're aren't nearly as effective as face-to-face contacts you can make at a trade show. I recommend using both: do a small trade show first and use social media as a way to make connections before and follow up after. Great article Erika, and love your company name: RedHead Writing!
True saying. As if for any beginner , need is to connect with the right and expertise person from whom he/she can get the enough knowledge and can learn lot of things from their experiences and mistakes. And by this reason many of the people have move toward the social networks for their business as social network helps lot to connect with the people and to share the things. Thanks for sharing such nice point with us.
Erika's advice is spot on, as usual.
While trade shows and conferences have launched careers and brands in the past, new business these days is being done online. I was shocked to see "attend a trade show" as a way to expand your market while there was no mention of social media or even leverage your website. Its much easier and much much more cost effective to get traction on Twitter for example- you can reach a community of millions in seconds for free compared to spending 2 days and hundreds or thousands of dollars at a tradeshow and only talking to the few hundred or so people there. Especially considering he's targeting advertising and marketing agencies, creating a strong online presence is really the key to success.