The IQ Marketing Strategist-Studio Relationship: What to expect & how we can help!

Not quite sure what to expect when it comes to your relationship with your Client Success Team? Well have no fear, ImageQuix’s newest Marketing Strategist is here! 

With over 20 years of experience, you will be hard-pressed to  find a team like ours that not only has experience in the High Volume Photography world, but has an aptitude in marketing, branding, e-commerce, and social media marketing. We know that loosening the reins when it comes to marketing creation and implementation can be hard, but over time you will see how pertinent our team is in playing a role in your studio’s success! We recruit the best so that you can have confidence, and a sense of relief, in knowing that you are in good hands. Be sure to keep reading to learn more about what a collaborative and working relationship looks like with your Client Success Team, and more specifically, your Marketing Strategist.

“Where do we start?” After you have completed your Blueprint onboarding, there will be an initial handoff where you will be introduced to your designated Client Success team! This duo consists of your Client Success Manager (CSM) and Marketing Strategist (MS). Unlike any other Photography software company, your CS team is there to assist and advise you on the best way to market to your client base, as well as make suggestions based on industry backed data.

“So who’s who?” Being that we are a team of two, we always get asked the question “So who do I go to for XYZ?” Let me break it down for you! Your Client Success Manager, who we like to call ‘The Numbers Genius’, is going to be your main point of contact for suggestions/questions on workflow, building a strategic price sheet, and creating packages of value. Basically they are here to assist with all of the prep work that goes into our software back end before the actual picture day. Your Marketing strategist, who we like to call ‘The Creative Sidekick’, will be who you go to when you have the vision, but aren’t quite sure how to turn that vision into a reality. We are here to help brainstorm, create, and implement your vision and marketing campaign from start to finish.

“So what’s next?” Now that you have been formally introduced to your Client Success team, it’s time to make the magic happen! We like to think of ourselves as an extension of your studio; we work one-on-one with you to collaborate on new marketing ideas and strategies to continuously increase your average order value. Your CS team will carefully review your current price sheets, marketing campaigns, and workflow to make strategic suggestions based on industry backed data and your past successes. As marketing and branding experts within our field, your Marketing Strategist will not only help in the creation and execution of these campaigns, but will also work alongside you in gaining and retaining your current clientele and product life cycle. After a campaign has run its full length, you can expect your Marketing Strategist to follow up with you regarding how the campaign performed, as well as be able to give you campaign specific analytics and suggestions for future campaigns.

“What does my relationship look like after the initial call?” You can expect to have regular check-ins with both your Client Success Manager and Marketing Strategist, as well as schedule supplemental meetings as needed! Before each fall and spring season, your MS will share a detailed 6 month marketing plan that you will actively collaborate on. This is your opportunity to voice what discounts or promotions your studio is comfortable with, as well as coordinate which holidays you would like to include in seasonal campaigns. 

“How do I go about executing a marketing campaign?” Your Marketing Strategist is equipped with the marketing software (via Blueprint) and industry knowledge to guide you in the best way possible when it comes to marketing campaigns! We will discuss which types of jobs you are looking to market to, promotional ideas you are willing to run (discount or price sheet based), deadlines, and any specific branding guidelines. We will then guide you through this process and advise you on specific strategies to implement, and why. Remember, we only make money when YOU do! 

“My Marketing Strategist recommended a promotion, but where are they pulling these numbers and data from?” Your marketing strategist is never going to pull numbers and pricing out of thin air. Our Marketing Strategists use industry backed data, as well as your studio’s historic year-over-year order data, when creating campaign promotions. This data will be utilized in the creation of your marketing campaign, with the goal of increasing average order amounts by guiding customers to higher priced items. When consumers have a suggested idea or “call to action” of what to buy before going online, they will be more likely to purchase that product. 

“What do I need to do on my end?” So now that you have a clearer understanding of what this CS/Studio relationship looks like, let me inform you of your duties as the studio owner. Once your MS has created the desired marketing campaign, you will be tasked with proofing them to make sure they are exactly what you want! Your next step is attaching the marketing campaign to the corresponding jobs. This is a best practice that we have implemented and gives your studio the ability to ensure the campaign is being sent out to the correct recipients. This will need to be completed by you and will require you to access your Blueprint account. Your CSM and MS will be available to assist you through this process, if needed. After all applicable jobs are attached to the correct marketing campaign, the only thing left for you to do is to watch the orders flood in! Of course, any SMS or emails that are set to manual release will have to be sent out by you manually, but your MS will be there to remind and assist you along the way.

Our CS team takes pride in creating hundreds of individually tailored marketing campaigns that are specific to each studio’s needs. We know that no two studios are alike, which is why our team takes the time to listen and understand our clients’ needs. This allows for a more tailored marketing campaign, as well as a more personalized experience for both you and your customers. So, as you move forward, I  hope this article gives you further insight into what to expect from your relationship with the CS team, how to initiate marketing creation, and your responsibilities as the studio owner.