When it comes to marketing, does it seem like what worked a few years ago just isn’t cutting it anymore?

Marketing changes fast and, to reach the best clients for your business, you need to change with it but how?

Hayes and Fisk Photography in Richmond, Virginia has been creating portraits for 30 years and during that time, Mary Fisk-Taylor has tried just about every marketing strategy there is, all with varying degrees of success. Years ago, creating a display in the local mall was the way to go–now?---not so much. 

Join us for the second in our two-part series on Marketing: What’s Working Now? Getting Referrals.

Mary explains what has worked in the past that is still working, but more importantly, she’s spilling the beans about a brand new strategy that has completely changed the game for her: asking for referrals.

Okay, so it's not a new strategy… How many times have we heard that asking for referrals is effective? But doesn’t it feel cringey and uncomfortable? Mary explains how a minor shift in how she has approached asking for referrals has not only brought new clients in, but she has attracted the exact type of clients that her business needs.

You’ll learn what that shift is and the steps you can take to start bringing in more of that perfect-fit client to your portrait studio. By implementing this strategy, you’ll be teaming up with your current rockstar clients and bringing more people on board who value the work you do.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to ask for referrals without feeling cringey
• Why this type of marketing works so well
• How to make shifts in your mindset to allow for growth

Here’s a glance at this episode:

• [4:26] - Hayes and Fisk Photography has been in business for 30 years, but the interesting change recently is the aging-out of current clients.
• [5:57] - Online marketing is great, but there is a lot of noise to break through.
• [7:18] - One constant form of marketing Mary has implemented is what she calls “warm calling”.
• [9:19] - Mary describes Heirloom Sessions.
• [10:18] - For about ten years, Mary has hired sales representatives that are current or former clients to book sessions.
• [12:19] - She explains “micro-influencers” in her local community and the impact of asking a big client to help bring people in.
• [15:09] - Asking for referrals doesn’t come from a place of desperation. Mary approaches it as wanting more clients that are just like them.
• [17:53] - The way she is asking for referrals has brought in half a million dollars this year.
• [19:50] - Asking for referrals can feel cringey. But there is a way to ask a client for their help.
• [23:10] - Mary describes a local event that a client was able to help her get into.
• [24:51] - Marketing has to be deliberate and intentional.
• [26:04] - The number one thing is believing in yourself that you can do this and charge what you deserve. This is the biggest barrier.
• [30:45] - If you are not charging what you deserve and paying a ton for marketing, you are not running a business. You are paying for an expensive hobby.

Links and Resources:

Mary Fisk-Taylor

Website | Podcast

Do The ReWork

Website | Instagram

Allison Tyler Jones

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn