Obviously I love marketing, well… good marketing anyway.

But, today I want to talk about something that I truly believe is not only the cornerstone of success, but the foundation of any successful marketing campaign. Want to know what it is? It’s very simple. It’s the ability to dream big and take action.

I was listening to a podcast recently with “Chicken Soup of the Soul” author Jack Canfield and in his interview he talked about the power of dreaming big.

As a matter of fact his direct quote was, “It doesn’t take any more time to dream BIG than it does to dream small” – end quote.

Jack’s words truly resonated with me ~ so much so that it inspired me to write the article you are now reading.

I pondered his words continually as I wrote and I want to share those thoughts (inspired by Jack) and how you can directly apply them to your marketing efforts.

1. Take 5 to 10 minutes everyday to visualize yourself experiencing success. This is self explanatory, but even if you think visualizing is woo-woo there is tremendous power in actually seeing yourself accomplishing something you truly want to experience.

If you have trouble visualizing, think about this way: visualizing is not hard when you realize that you already have hundreds (if not thousands) of random thoughts running through your mind all day, everyday anyway.

So if you’re going to think thousands of thoughts daily, why not carve out a small amount of time everyday to think the kind of thoughts that actually support you? Try it. Not only try it, but commit to it. It does work.

2. Be a joiner. I believe that the biggest problem facing most self employed people (especially Creatives) is isolation. No one knows better than me about the power of the computer and the internet.

“Get out of the house, put down the Blackberry, leave the laptop at home and take the time to actually connect with people face to face.”

Using myself as an example I love to sit at my laptop either at home or at a coffee shop writing, sometimes for hours.  Second to writing my next favorite thing to do is image editing either for myself or for my clients.  Sitting at your computer for hours tweeting is only one way to get the word out about your services and connecting with others. At the end of the day nothing beats face to face contact.

Personally, I believe that as we continue embrace the digital mobile lifestyle our internal need to connect with real live people will continue to grow stronger. So, in nut shell: Get out of the house, put down the Blackberry, leave the laptop at home and take the time to actually connect with people face to face.

Don’t assume that the only places where you make business connections is via stuffy networking groups. On the contrary, the venues where you can connect with others needn’t be stuffy nor pretentious.

For example, you can meet people while waiting in line at a gourmet food truck (don’t laugh, they’ve become all the rage here in Los Angeles) or over drinks (just be mindful of your alcohol consumption) or at a class, seminar, workshop or gallery opening.

Freely share who you are and what you offer (just don’t turn your introduction into a long sales pitch) more important that you demonstrate genuine interest in the people you connect with.

Support others in accomplishing their goals and be sure to exchange contact info and finally (this is key) . . . follow up!

3. Pour your purse into your head. In other words, invest in yourself. Don’t resist buying that book, taking that course, calling that mentor or key contact that you met at a networking event.

Keep this in mind: an opportunity is only as powerful as your ability to take action on it when it presents itself.

Commit to investing a percentage of your income back into growing yourself personally and professionally. With that said, I want to point out something: when you invest in yourself personally you’re actually investing in yourself professionally and vice versa.

If you haven’t yet figured this out: You are your business.

So to recap keep these three tips in mind as you move forward:

1. See it – Take just 5 minutes everyday to see yourself achieving (as well as experiencing) your dream.

2. Join it – Make a commitment to get out of the house at least once a week to connect with real live people.

3. Invest it – No one can invest in your dream if you don’t.

Starting this month, ear mark a certain percentage of your current income back to growing yourself personally/professionally.

It could be a new book or a class, it could be a new shirt to wear to social gatherings or it could be a massage or new journal. The amount doesn’t matter as much as your commitment.

And speaking of investing and connecting you can get started today by adding my new book Eye On Marketing: 41 Days From Struggle and Confusion to Clarity & Profits to your business building toolkit.

This book continues to garner attention that surprises me beyond words.

Eye On Marketing is a step by step daily action guide and resource designed to help you grow your photography or any creative passion that you want to turn into a profitable business.  Visit my page to read all the endorsements from industry insiders as well review all of the benefits and bonuses I included:

Over $97 dollars worth to be exact and my latest bonus includes a private readers only monthly Q&A call.  As a matter of fact our next call happens on Wednesday April 27th at 4 P.M. PST/7 P.M. EST.

Our monthly calls are the perfect opportunity for you to receive on-the-spot support.

I designed these calls to provide you with direct answers to your most pressing marketing and business building questions all for an unheard of investment.  Less than $25 dollars!

So please stop going it alone. Get the support and resources you need to turn your passion into a profitable business. Take the next step join us here.

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1. Remind everyone you know that photographs make the perfect gift.

*Just remember tailor this to the needs of your particular audience. For example, if you offer portrait services, remind your best clients that the start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to update their portraits for their website, blog or other marketing materials.

How to promote this? Create a gift card that could contain a special gift certificate that they could give to the budding entrepreneur, author or speaker in their lives.

Options to encourage gift card sales:

• Gift family members like grandparents who could redeem the certificate to select additional prints from a recent family portrait session.
• A husband could give a boudoir session to his wife
• Budding entrepreneurs starting a new business.  As I mentioned earlier business owners need at least one good headshot for his or her marketing materials
• Anyone decorating a new home or office need artwork for the walls (your photographs are great option)

2.  Use Facebook

to share the news about your sale or special holiday offer. When you log onto Facebook look for the “Event” link (located on the left hand side of the FB home page) and then post details about your event and new holiday program.  Be sure to feature images from your current portfolio to highlight your special promotion by creating a promo banner graphic.

You can do this fairly quickly in Photoshop or any image-editing software program.  Finally, encourage your Facebook community to ‘share’ your event with their contacts on and off Facebook.  *This is key

3.  Create An Event

instead throwing a typical Christmas party why not use your gathering as an opportunity to host a Facebook Portrait event?

How this works? Photograph individuals or do small group portraits of all the guests at your holiday soiree and then post the finished images on your Facebook page for later collection.  In your invitation inform your guests that they can retrieve their images on your page and make sure you print the link in the invitation or better still personalized thank you card.

Facebook portrait events are not only a great sales opportunity but an excellent lead generation tool that will continue to generate business for you for months if you do it properly.  I offer a simple to follow program detailing all the steps necessary to successfully host your own event. Details are available at the end of this article.

Additional sales and marketing tips:

Collect email address, Facebook URL’s and even physical mailing addresses at your party (if you don’t already have them) and then reach out to these prospects throughout the year.

Offer a special time limited one time only discount offer.  For example, “If you would like purchase additional prints you must act by” and specify a date and time that your offer will expire.  It’s important to make sure that you emphasize a clear and definite deadline.

Create additional packages or services that are only available to guests the day of your event. Be sure to emphasize a date to take action and encourage sharing your announcement online and off.

4.  Share your good fortune!

Giving to others less fortunate than you is an extraordinary gift.  If you have charities or organizations that you support why not donate a percentage of your proceeds? I personally love the Help-Portrait community.

Help Portrait is an organization created by celebrity portrait photographer Jeremy Cowart who brings photographers from around the world together in support of their local communities by offering not only portrait services, but other essentials like blankets and food. I only mention them because if you don’t currently have a charity you support this a great organization to consider.

Whom ever you choose make sure it’s an organization you believe in and would support anyway and that it’s a cause that your clients would feel the same about.

5.  Reward Fast Action.

I don’t know what your business goals are for 2011, but one thing you should seriously consider is raising your prices, even if only by a few percent.  With that said, the end of the year is the perfect time to make an announcement of that fact to your community, current clients and prospects.

The key is not being shy about letting your tribe know that “now” is perfect for opportunity to take action on working with you (especially if they’ve been on the fence) if they want to lock down your 2010 pricing.

Ways to implement this:

• Announce your price increase on your newsletter, on your Facebook and Twitter pages
• If you plan to do a holiday mailing use the mailing to announce it.
• If you have a phone list of clients and prospects spend a day or two and dialing them up.  Leave a message on their voice mail.

The key here is not to allow shyness or worry stop you from taking action. As a matter of fact, some people prefer to wait until the holiday’s to make last minute purchasing decisions.  Why shouldn’t they spend some of that money with you?

I’m taking my own advice.

Just so you know that I am taking my own advice, and as such I am offering everything in my success library for sale for a limited time including my new book and coaching packages.

Click on the links below to be taken to the pages featuring the products to learn more.
=>Eye On Marketing: 41 Days From Struggle And Confusion To Clarity & Profits

=>FREE Photos For Facebook Event course -AND- my Signature Coaching System

=>“Clarity Into Profits Blueprint System” all 30% off until Wednesday, December 22nd at midnight PST!

Discounts are taken at checkout with the exception of the coaching packages, those I’ll issue your discount directly.  Just be sure to pre-book your complimentary session prior to the deadline to secure 2010 pricing.

Not sure which one is right for you?

If you’re thinking about hosting a Facebook portrait event this program will get you up and running quickly. It’s a powerful income and lead generation tool.

Curious as to how to generate the most amount of interest in your photography services and programs in the least amount of time? My new book Eye On Marketing will supply you with 41 ideas, presented in 41 days all designed to turn your business around in 6 weeks or less.

Finally, for those of you ready and committed to go to the next level, eager to revamp your business and attract more clients in 2011. Then one of my private 1-on-1 coaching packages could be just the kick-start you need to get your business headed in the right direction.

All of these products and programs are available for 30% off their regular price! But only until Wednesday, December 22^nd 2010 at midnight PST!

My suggestion to you is don’t wait… get started now during the holidays and then be ready to rock and roll in 2011!

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Well, if you’re a portrait photographer you’re in luck because if you’re active on Facebook (or even considering it) boy do I have an opportunity for you!

Facebook is a brilliant platform for photographers of any genre but none better than those who shoot portraits.

With just a little ingenuity you can set up a very simple and affordable event offering Facebook Avatar portraits for your fans and friends on and off Facebook that can yield you a very nice return for a day’s work. Even if you aren’t currently active on Facebook (and why aren’t you?) setting up a presence on the popular social media platform is quite simple.

Once your account is active all you need to do is invite your colleagues, current and former clients and associates to join your fan page. Next, invite your associates to your studio or to a central location, I know of one photographer who recently held a Facebook Portrait day at a local furniture store.

You’re clients come in to have their portrait taken, of course you take more than one, and you deliver one freebie pre-formatted for their Facebook Avatar and of course they’ll want more and that’s where you’ll make money. The originator of this program made well over four figures for a day’s work hosting a Free Photos For Facebook Day.

These events are so easy to set up and run, that once you do it you’ll be hooked!

6 Benefits of Hosting a FREE Photos for Facebook Day:

1. You’ll be building good will within your community
2. Attract new potential long-term clients into your sales funnel
3. They’re a built in promotional opportunity that if done properly can actually pay for itself
4. Increase in cash flow, everybody needs a cash flow injection now more than ever
5. You’ll be providing a much needed service, (many local business leaders don’t even have one good photo let alone one for social media)
6. Some of your clients will definitely want to work you for a higher ticket 1-on-1 session

As I mentioned earlier these events are fast, fun and very affordable to set-up especially when you know the in and outs of how to do it. And speaking of that I have a wonderful product called FREE Photos For Facebook “Step-by-Step Quick Start Action System”. Last year I was introduced to the idea via the very talented portrait photographer Monica Sigmon.

Monica got the inspiration to host a free-photos for Facebook portrait session day at her studio in Williamsburg Virginia at a time when sales as well as the morale of her staff were down.

Sigmon took a look at her assets one of which was a growing presence on Facebook. The idea evolved when she made note of the “crappy” avatars of many of her fans and the light bulb went off. So she decided to invite her growing fan base to come into her studio to have their avatar’s updated.

Initially the idea to host the event was just a way to bring some energy into her studio. But once her clients begun arriving they got caught up in the excitement and that led to the success of the event. Of course as a photographer Monica provided many images to choose from and so as clients viewed their shots they wanted more than the promised freebie, much more. To tune of well over four figures!

The event was so successful that Monica and I got on the telephone where she revealed the entire process soup to nuts. I then took that audio recording and had it transcribed, we then added her templates that she actually used in customizable Photoshop PSD format, and I laid out the entire process visually using a process map.

Since then many portrait photographers have purchased this system and used it with similar stealer results. I’d love for you to get you’re hands on it and implement it in your business. Visit my page to get more information and to secure a copy.

For the ridiculously low price of $47 dollars this program is a steal. We wanted to keep the price low because we understand that times are still tight for photographers and didn’t want price to be a barrier.

Special Bonus: If you purchase the FREE Photos For Facebook Step-by-Step Quick Start Action System by Wednesday June 16th, I will throw in a personal 1-on-1, 30 minute telephone consult to answer any questions you may have. I generally charge $197 dollars for a strategy session so to get 30 minutes of personal time with me PLUS+ the course that can increase your income immediately you’re getting an unheard of opportunity at $47! So don’t wait. Act FAST…

Remember you have until Wednesday June 16th to get the private consultation with me plus a proven step-by-step system that will actually show you how to make money doing something you love while providing a much needed service to your clients all delivered via social media!

Order your copy TODAY!

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