How to build a marketing machine

Following on from the last post, if you are in business, it follows that you should be good at what you do. Being brilliant at what you do should be your ultimate aim. The biggest hurdle with most business is that they are good at what they do, but not enough people know that. Would you agree that if you are good at what you do and enough people know about you, then it would follow that, you would have a great, successful business?
So then, to become better known what can you do? Well this comes under the umbrella of marketing. There are lots of different types of marketing. There is of course the internet, the traditional advertisig in your local paper or yellow pages and trade directories. However, you will be pleased to know that the best marketing tool is also the cheapest.
Word of mouth. We all know that the best customer is a recommendation, or a previous customer that brings you repeat business. But what are you doing to strengthen or grow your referral network? You might be a member of a networking group - your local chamber of commerce for instance. The trick is to find where all your potential "introducers" to your next clients would be. So you are not looking for where your clients are - you are looking for people who know them.
Would it be fair to say that if an "introducer" knows a potential client, they would probably know other as well. So by being close to your introducer could easily bring you lots of clients in one fell swoop, whereas going for the clients would take you 10 times as longer with 10 times as much work.
Once you track who is your best introducers, you spend your time getting to know them and building up trust. Once you have a pipeline of about 6 or 7 introducers, your business should have a constant flow of good business.
Of course, while this marketing method is low cost - it can be time consuming, in the beginning. You have to carefully nurture your top introducers. And this is a Ill scratch your back, and I hope you will scratch mine. Meaning that you have to "give" something to your introducer. This helps build up confidence in you and your business.
Book mark these blogs as I will keep adding information as time goes on. With over 27 years in business I have  lot to give. IF you know of any couples who are getting married in the next few years I would be happy for an introduction to them through http://www.portrait-wedding-photographers.co.uk/ Thank you.