I just finished a great book that I’d like to tell you about, particularly those of you who are small business owners who are seeking to improve and expand your marketing efforts. The book, “The Relationographer,” was written by our very own Renton citizens, Bruce Hudson, owner of Hudson’s Designer Portraits and photographer extraordinaire. Bruce’s book in a nutshell is about the art of relationship marketing, how to build a competitive advantage and how to develop stronger marketing efforts to increase your business. It’s a small book; read it cover to cover in one night.
He shares how he grew his own photography business, with his late first wife Sue from a hobby to a now internationally successful business. He shares lessons learned along the way, including how he defined his perfect client (romantic, family oriented, likes the finer things in life) and tells the small business owner how you might do the same. He shares his secret formula for the right way to keep in touch with clients — to build personal rapport and keep them coming back for services year after year. Some of his clients he has had for 20 years or more.
He delves into the latest technology of e-newsletters and how they work for him – and could work for you! He also gives lessons learned during the lean times (something helpful for this current economy). This is not strictly a “business book” or a “marketing book;” it’s just a good read. He shares fascinating stories about his life and family and drops in fun stories about locals, such as Ivar’s restaurants, IKEA and Armondo’s Café Italiano (Armondo has learned a few things from Bruce on e-marketing, which is shared in the book).
Lest you think that Bruce has only had successes in his life, he’s also had a few missteps that he shares that you can learn from. Bruce said, in an interview that he has learned over the past 27 years in business, the biggest asset he has is not his camera, lights or computer, but his existing clients. “Most businesses neglect their existing clients. If it hadn’t been for them, this past very tough economic year, would have been even tougher,” he said.
He shares a story in the book about when he and Sue almost forgot their roots and had to step back a bit to refine their strategies; the business continues to evolve and grow based on an ever-changing environment. In the chapter, “It’s the Little things,” he shares insight into all of the things that he does to make it count in his business (Ponies, Popcorn and Pinots are an example), which I’m sure will give you fodder for coming up with great ideas for your own business as well. Bruce is currently in the process of updating the book with new chapters, including a chapter about how to utilize social media, such as Facebook and webinars. You can get the “Relationographer” at relationographer.com. Hudson’s Designer Portraits is currently in transitional from its current location on Benson Hill to a residential studio.
