True story. Pre-Covid ever Saturday there was a farmers’ market in downtown Riverhead, N.Y. In the spring, summer and fall it was lovely. The vendors all had pop-up tents along the Peconic Riverwalk and, having been to farmers’ markets from Florida to Hawaii, I can honestly say that this was the prettiest farmers’ market I had ever been to.
In the winter, not so much. The winter location for the Farmers’ Market was an old, abandoned looking storefront on Main Street. The winter location and vibe was the exact opposite of the summer location and vibe. You could not entice me to go down there on Saturday morning. No way, no how.
BUT, one wintry Saturday I was down there bright and early. Why????
Carrot cake.
I can say without hesitation that I would never have left my couch on Saturday morning if I had READ all about Rosie’s carrot cake. I’m not one of those “carrot cake or die” type people. There are no words even the most talented writer could have written that would have motivated me to drive down there.
It was…ALL BECAUSE OF THE PHOTO.
My niece is six. There are literally thousands of photos of her (because she’s adorable but, also) because it is so easy to take them. So I don’t want to hear any excuses about how difficult it is to take pictures for marketing purposes. Anyone with a (camera) phone can take a picture. Take several thousand pictures. You know you take pictures all the time for fun. Take them – at work – for work! Show your potential customers what they are missing out on. Show your current customers how smart they are for choosing YOU.
Please put some thought into those photos. Don’t just snap a photo of a prosthesis standing over in the corner by itself. The reason the carrot cake picture “worked” on me was because it looked amazingly delicious. Rosie knew what she wanted that photo to convey. What do you want your marketing photos to convey about your business? (If you do want to take pictures of prostheses standing by themselves, please make sure they are wearing clean shoe(s) and sock(s).
When I go to the doctor, I don’t necessarily want to see what the doctor is going to do to me while I’m there but I sure don’t mind seeing a photo of the doctor’s smiling staff, clean office and happy (implying satisfied) patients. Plastic surgeons? They NEVER show you just the after. They always show you the before and after. Think about that.
Do you have “carrot cake” pictures of your business? No? Get busy taking those pics!
Clinical Education Concepts 