Marketing....

So, I've been having some thoughts today as I was bombarded by e-mails trying to tempt me with Black Friday deals. I've always known that marketing is my weak area. I love designing my pictures, talking to people about the design they want, coming up with new ideas, mucking about with my website, and so on. I'm not great at marketing / selling (and I hate doing the accounts!).

I can happily post stuff on Facebook and put pictures on Instagram, but that isn't quite the same as trawling round shops trying to get them to stock my pictures or talking people into buying pictures when I'm on a stall or coming up with exciting Black Friday deals. I guess it basically comes down to the fact that I really want people to want the picture they buy and not be drawn in by some fake deal or marketing ploy.

I posted on my Facebook page today that I would give 10% of all sales receipts from the next week to Asthma UK and Help for Heroes. This seemed like a good antidote to Black Friday, but even in doing that I thought perhaps people would think I was trying to use my support for these charities to sell pictures! And I really don't want people to think that but I guess some will. I genuinely do support these charities for reasons very close to my heart.

I am ex-military and know the great work done by Help for Heroes. Asthma UK supports people with asthma and is working hard trying to find new ways to lessen the impact of this disease. I have asthma and it has caused me a lot of grief. I have only had it for three years and I have lost count of the number of ambulances I have needed and the number of nights I have spent in hospital in that time. 

So, in the grand scheme of things, creating pictures seems pretty unimportant! Sure, it makes me some money which is nice and I enjoy it. I also hope that the people who buy my pictures get pleasure from them. I am not, however, going to hassle anyone into buying one! If you want a picture, my website is always open!

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