Marketing message

I just got a marketing piece in the mail that is supposed to represent a group of top-level intelligent people and appeal to those who want to improve themselves (intellectually) significantly. It had at least 7 different writing, grammar, and punctuation errors.

If I had even vaguely considered a business relationship with this group in the past, this piece would have killed it. Talk about a mixed message!

For visual creatives, words are still important, but the analogy I’d like to make here is more about your image selection. Photographers are supposed to make images that make people stop and say “WOW!” When you send a promo that contains anything other than your very best stuff, you’re risking losing potential clients. No one is going to look at a promo piece that visually says “eh…could be worse” and bookmark your site. Hell, they won’t even go to your site!

Will sending your best stuff possibly alienate some of your old “safe” clients? Yes! And that’s a damn good thing! Sometimes the kick in the butt your business will get by losing that old (abusive) bread-and-butter client is the best thing that can happen to you.

Of course, you could just not send to them if you want to play it safe.

But whatever you do, don’t pick images for promos based on what some committee of friends, colleagues, or even clients tell you they like. You pick your BEST stuff–the stuff you want to make. That will give you the best shot at making your targets say “WOW!”