Community Outreach as a Marketing Strategy

I've been spending a lot to time recently putting together a marketing plan for Lightbox SF. After all we've got to get the word out. One of my main strategies to date as been reaching out to similar art organizations. I simply wanted to introduce Lightbox SF and myself with a secondary goal of potential collaborative opportunites. However, so many great ideas have sprouted from the talks that my list of action items is becoming a bit overwhelming.

People like to help. We often forget that and rarely use it to our advantage. I ask to meet for a cup of coffee, tell them about the concept behind Lightbox SF and the ideas just start pouring out. "Have you talked to so and so over at...?" "Did you think of offering...?" "Do you know about...?" I'm amazed at all the ideas that have come up that seem so simple, but yet I hadn't thought of on my own.

All of that was a really long winded way of saying that community outreach is a great marketing strategy for anyone. Not only do you get to benefit from ideas that come from other people working within your industry, but you get to make a connection that makes you and your business more memorable.

As for some of the ideas I've gotten...

• Teach a seminar at a local community center
• Write an article for an industry based publication
• Volunteer for industry oriented events
• Go to community meetings and donate services to the organization or the attendees

Now back to that ever growing to do list.