Concentrate

If you think just sitting back and recording music and selling albums is good enough, you might be right. But, that robs your fans of the opportunity to see you in real life.

A lot of people sit at their desks and tweet and Facebook and blog, or whatever. They do it for personal reasons, and some of them do it for business. And those people may very well be carrying on meaningful conversations and are racking up followers and fans and comments. But, the magic doesn't always happen until you've met those friends or fans in person; the ones you've really connected with in some way.

First stop: Authenticity.

There are a few issues at play for ensuring your road show is successful, whether your goal is personal or professional.  First, it's authenticity. If you are going to put yourself out there online, then you had better do it honestly and authentically. If you claim to be something you are not, or act completely differently online because you are hiding behind an avatar or fake persona, then you probably never intend to meet others with whom you've connected online. Or at least you shouldn't plan on it. That goes the same for a business.

The point is to make meaningful connections online, so what people perceive you to be online is something they may very well likely tap you for in the future. If Zingerman's is entertaining online, they better have that same feel and personality when I walk in the door or I may very well be disappointed.

Personality

The second issue is acknowledging and embracing your personality. I like to say I have multiple personalities online because I am passionate about several things. But I can tell you that what you see of me online is what you get in person.

I love salsa dancing and the people who are a part of that scene, so I am frequently promoting or chatting with others about that and I guarantee all the friends or followers I have in my "salsa peeps" friends category I've met at least once in person.

I've hooked strangers up with instructors and gotten others interested in salsa dancing because they see all the stuff I post, including photos, videos and events. They love it.

I love gardening and post albums of my gardens each year so that I can keep track of what I've done and share with others. Not only have I learned tips and tricks from others who have engaged me online about my garden, I've also shared my food with people who have asked and gotten others interested in gardening too.

And then there's my professional passion, which is writing and how social media can help me meet my work goals and my professional goals. That happens to be why I'm writing this series in the first place.

Be sure people can tell who you are.

This is definitely related to authenticity and personality. And it's a great exercise in evaluating yourself in terms of how others out there might perceive you.

If you want to be active in social media, for business especially, it's critical you have accurate and robust online profiles and use real photos of yourself or something you are closely associated with for your avatars.

If you do nothing else, be sure to fill out a profile on LinkedIn and Google (you can do this if you have a gmail account. If you don't have one, I suggest you get one).  

Observe.

I sometimes chuckle at the term "social networking" because it seems crazy to me that people need online tools to learn how to connect with people. But, it’s really the modern version of the old fashioned, old school term called "networking" and the tools make it insanely easy to do so.  

In this vein, who you know is very important. This does not mean that you conduct yourself with the goal of friending everyone you think is important or that you plow through the online party drinking a cup of burned coffee to be polite and handing out business cards to everyone who says hello to you. It also doesn't mean schmoozing up to the big wig just because you think it will get you somewhere. There is an art to it. People may be annoyed that you've tried to connect with them or ask them to do something for you and they don't know who the heck you are or why they could possibly want to connect with you, a stranger (this is where online profiles come in handy. If they look at it, they may be able to tell if you are worth friending).

In the beginning, you really need to sit back and observe. Pay attention to who is following you and who you are following. Look at what people are saying and how they're saying it. Learn the geeky lingo, acclimate yourself to the tools. Look at who your friends' friends are and slowly make connections based on a common interest. Then engage in discussions. Ask questions. Learn and teach.

The value isn't in the number of friends or fans you accumulate necessarily. It's in how meaningful those connections are. You need to prove to others you have value as much as they need to show that to you. This brings me to my final point, which is to get out and meet people!

Move and shake.

Now is the time you are ready to go on tour. You've made connections online, so start meeting those connections offline. Use these tools to host promotional events or parties. Host a Tweetup for your business. Go to events. One awesome and affordable event coming up is Future Midwest in April where you'll find some of the area's most interesting social media-minded folk who are actively engaged and who you can learn from.

Whatever you can think of, the tools are great for getting people to come together for whatever the reason; community pillow fights, auditions for our burgeoning film industry, health screenings, '80s roller skating parties, electing the first black president, all of it.

If your friends or followers care about and believe in you, because you are authentic and true to your personality, you understand the value of creating meaningful connections and mastered the art of it, they'll come.


Connect:

• twitter.com/jesssoul
• twitter.com/smcannarbor
  
• facebook.com/jessica.soulliere
  
• facebook.com/smcannarbor
• jesssoul@gmail.com 
• smcannarbor@gmail.com

If you are a beginner and read my first post and think you are ready to test your skills in social media, or have begun but are just treading water, think about what you care about most. There are ways to get past the competition and carve a space for yourself, but you should know what your goal is first.

Is it maintaining contact with family?

Do you want to promote your business/industry/product/self?

Do you want to unite members of the community around a common cause?

Most of all, whatever it is, it needs to move you. It should be something you are passionate about that will keep you coming back as much as you’ll want your friends, followers, family or customers to.

As I mentioned before, there are a number of social media rock stars and cool ways to use social media that you should take a look at, join and watch or interact with. Regardless of your situation, I want you to observe the following examples and find others like them, before moving any further:

Zingerman's Deli on Facebook:

I chose Zingerman's Facebook page as a good example for how to use Facebook because I think they do a good job of varying their content and allowing the maximum amount of interactions on their page with their customers, from comments to uploading images. They also maintain an interesting and consistent personality. They do a great job of sharing photos of events and also sharing stories that may be of interest to visitors, while not always being strictly promotional in nature. There is a balance that should be struck between images, video and text and I think they do a good job of it.

The personal takeaway:  I specifically appreciated their "edible landscape" photos because I too am an avid gardener and enjoyed learning about what they planted, the soil they used, and watched it grow, comparing my seedlings to the size of theirs.

Biggby Bob (founder of BIGGBY COFFEE) on Twitter:

Biggby Bob, CEO and co-founder of BIGGBY COFFEE (original shop opened in Lansing) is a fantastic personality online, and in person. He’s full to bursting with personality while promoting the chain of franchises, from free drinks of the day, to his various locations during business travel and responding to customer service-related inquiries.

The personal takeaway: I once tweeted that I wondered if BIGGBY COFFEE had Wi-Fi and he tweeted back the response himself!


Phil Dokas' photostream on Flickr: 

While there are many ways you can use Flickr, from sharing your art portfolio for professional purposes to housing your family photo albums, it's also a great way to promote yourself personally and to be discovered randomly. I searched "Ann Arbor" on Flickr and came across this guy's photostream and was captured by his sense of humor and the random assortment of Ann Arbor images he has taken.

The personal takeaway: He's very intriguing and likely an amateur photographer I'll follow for some time to see if his work warrants further pursuit.


ArborWiki:

ArborWiki, as all wikis are, is a publicly editable Web site,
specifically about Ann Arbor-related information, as it states on its
Welcome page. Basically, anyone can visit any page within ArborWiki and
add information to it or create a topic, write about it and share
information or their personal stories about it. Where the most popular
wiki is Wikipedia, ArborWiki is unique in that it’s specific to Ann
Arbor and has the personality more of a family scrapbook and trip down
memory lane than a typical encyclopedia, depending on the pages you
visit. Best of all, it was actually created by a group of students from
Community High School. Rock on alternative brothers and sisters! At any
rate, it’s an opportunity for you to post a page about an Ann
Arbor-specific topic, your business, and your project, whatever you
like.


Personal takeaway: See the University of Michigan Health System wiki page here. I have some work to do. Looks like someone created a UMHS page, but there’s nothing interesting on it! And here's Date Night. I'll be adding "Take a late-night walk through the Arboretum and watch the stars on a clear and warm summer night."


Kitchen Gardeners on Ning:

Ning.com is actually a platform upon which anyone can create a
social network for or about anything. For free. My personal favorite,
which I would have started on my own had I been born a few years earlier
or had been involved in gardening, is kitchengardeners.org. It's
a wealth of information for gardeners, has the ability for its members
to create their own sub-groups to share regional and state-specific
gardening tips, events, interfaces with personal Flickr accounts and the
like. And, it just so happened that the founder of this network and its
members can claim responsibility for the movement that resulted in the
Obamas installing a kitchen garden on the White House lawn. Talk
about activism at a grass roots level.

Personal takeaway: Ning.com is in my back pocket for when the moment is
ripe to launch a social network for one of my clients. It's terribly
easy and cost effective. You just have to have the time and manpower to
manage it.

Vince Chmielewski on LinkedIn:

I’ve known and worked with Vince on and off over the last year or so. He's solid, intelligent and clearly talented. Just look at his LinkedIn profile. If there's one way to promote yourself professionally, it's through LinkedIn. Vince's profile is a perfect example of how to manage a profile well, from referrals, clear explanations of his experience, well managed list of events, and more.

Personal takeaway: I have even more work to do! Managing online profiles can be a bit of a bear if you aren’t doing it well.

For all its buzz and glory, your social media presence – whether personal or professional – should never be taken for granted. It’s important to pick only what’s necessary and useful to you and not just do it for the sake of doing it. To build strong connections and be able to harness the power of social networking and build communities online and off, you’ll need to go about it methodically and with purpose. You’ll be overwhelmed quickly trying to keep up with it all if you do not. Again, it comes back to knowing what you are trying to do and what tools work best for that goal.


Connect:

• twitter.com/jesssoul
• twitter.com/smcannarbor
  
• facebook.com/jessica.soulliere
  
• facebook.com/smcannarbor
• jesssoul@gmail.com 
• smcannarbor@gmail.com

Next topic: Getting on the Tour Bus

The event was scheduled; the room reserved. The Facebook page was created and the invitations were out. The live stream was rolling.

I introduced the speaker to faces from my past, my present and my future: An old high school classmate who was a realtor now in Ann Arbor, a close friend and colleague who is a marketing ace at the University of Michigan, the community manager from AnnArbor.com, a current team co-lead whom I hadn't met yet, and a handful of others.

As the presentation unfolded I looked around the room for signs of comprehension. Confusion, excitement, curiosity and boredom replied.  

It was the moment when I took the plunge and launched the first official speaking event for the Social Media Club Ann Arbor. Without knowing what success lay ahead, I felt totally vulnerable professionally, yet confident that it was something that needed to be done.

I chose the Ann Arbor area because I felt that while it had forward thinking, tech savvy and intellectual citizens, there are numerous small business owners and individuals in the city and surrounding areas who could benefit from free education on harnessing the power of social media. It's the kind of experience many folks likely feel as they begin to wade out into the wide world of social media, new media, Web 2.0, social networking, social media marketing and a long list of related terms around communications and marketing on the social Web.

How the heck do I do this?

What am I supposed to say?

How do I know it is going to work? What if I make a mistake or nobody cares?

Exposed and unsure; that's how it feels.

Now there is a new concept emerging called personal branding which posits that individuals who embrace their personalities, talents and strengths can use social media to bring value to the social Web, and to their company/work, even their community. You can become an extension of your company's brand. You can be the customer's experience. Say what?

I spoke to my realtor friend, Nick Lacy, the one who I hadn't seen since high school about this. He has a history degree and is a former high school history teacher, but works at his father's Ann Arbor realty firm, Edward Surovell, as the residential sales manager and I was curious about what made him show up at the first SMCA2 meeting.  

He explained to me that as a realtor, one of the best things to do is stay in touch with people, but not be in their face about it all the time.

Yes, I agreed, not being in my face all the time seems like a great idea. But somehow, there are a few personalities that always seem to be; always one-upping the next guy, waxing philosophical about some trend or other, those personal branding rock stars. People who you know by name, who are always out there sharing information and building their reputations online.

As Nick and I chatted, it occurred to me that social media seems like the perfect fit for realtors, because you can maintain contact with past clients in a friendly sort of way, and get referrals, and get as many contacts as possible. You can be who you are and still further your business goals.

But when he began the transition from dabbling on Facebook with friends and family to using it for business, lending his face and name to his company's brand, there is an enormous amount of pressure to craft that perfect post or message because you can see just how careful, "quippy" and particular some people are with them.

As if for the beginner, the concept of personal branding isn't already difficult enough to comprehend, it seems as though who you are on the social Web has taken on an air of competitiveness where none had existed before.

I’ve observed this and find myself thinking, That's so high school. I feel like this is some kind of popularity contest. But is it?

What I know is that there is a core of extraordinarily passionate souls who believe in the power of social media and that meaningful connections can be made in new and exciting ways using these new tools. It's not necessarily in the perfect post, or the craftiest message, but in sharing who you are as an individual, supporting your values, and connecting with others like you.

I've found this to be true both professionally and personally. I've connected a domestic violence program, Sisters Acquiring Financial Empowerment in Detroit, with the Ginsberg Center at U-M through Facebook, hoping a long-term internship program will ensue.

I've rekindled my former love affair with Zingerman's Deli by keeping tabs on their Facebook page (extra points for planting the organic garden last spring) which reminds me I need to make occasional stops in there when I am out and about for lunch and I'll be back to follow their 2010 garden as well!

It allows me to promote local businesses which I like through hosting SMCA2 events around town, such as Conor O'Neill's, Dominick's, Ann Arbor SPARK, Jolly Pumpkin, Sweetwaters, and more.  

In a community such as Ann Arbor, where the person behind the business is the brand, and where communities are built on relationships with individuals and problems are solved by engaged, creative and innovative citizens, embracing who you are, and sharing it by making those connections can only help strengthen community ties.

Don't be afraid. Jump in and become a well-connected rock star too.

Connect:

• twitter.com/jesssoul
• twitter.com/smcannarbor
  
• facebook.com/jessica.soulliere
  
• facebook.com/smcannarbor
• jesssoul@gmail.com 
• smcannarbor@gmail.com

Next Post: Connecting With the Rockstar in You, and Your Community

With apologies to a long defunct television game show, it doesn’t matter whether you choose door number 1, 2, or 3 – you’ll find innovation at work in the businesses and labs located behind each of those doors and behind hundreds more within the greater Ann Arbor area. If this is ever in question, just peruse each issue of Concentrate. You’ll be amazed at the depth and breadth of the tech, medical, engineering, IT and yet to be categorized industries and products. It IS happening right here!

Think about it for a moment. Try to count the number of incubators, start-up companies, academic endeavors and related firms at work around us. Lose track? Me, too! Now, start thinking about all of the people involved in supporting and/or promoting new ventures through loose-knot or highly organized ventures. The number of people involved in innovative efforts in our community multiplies quickly.

Once again, the notion of people, or community, surfaces as the heartbeat of innovation. It doesn’t matter which door you open, each door will reveal a plethora of people working together to solve some impossible problem, or creating some new widget, contraption, software app or other miracle device.

Yes, I think there is magic occurring all over town. One of the rewarding aspects of my job is being given the opportunity to peek behind closed doors and to see the magic long before the miracle widget or gizmo sees the light of day. These glimpses behind the wizard’s curtain excite me and I’m convinced they would excite you and the budding scientists, engineers, physicians, artisans and skilled trade aficionados of tomorrow. Our innovators are an eclectic group and more often than not, they are willing to open their doors, pull back the curtain, and share some of their magic with us – well, (insert disclaimer here) at least the concepts and products that are protected by copyright!

As you look around the region, I invite you to ask yourself how often you see innovation in our community. While you’re at it, think beyond the obvious wonders occurring in the tech, engineering and sciences communities and innovation will be revealed at every turn – in mom-and-pop shops, in artists’ boutiques, in our cultural organizations, or in our schools and far, far beyond.

As an innovator, would you consider sharing your insights? I encourage you to do so – and to join with me in the quest to inspire the workforce of tomorrow. Let’s open the doors and make the idea of innovation inspiration a team effort. Join me and a community of friends as we celebrate innovation at the Hands-On Local Tech Event at the Museum on May 22. Whether you are an innovator or an innovator in training, we welcome you, and wholeheartedly invite you to open our door and to jump right in – the sea of change is upon us and the water is fine!

An incredibly strong community commitment has led the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum to nearly 30 years of providing informal science experiences to nearly 4 million people. Expanding that thought beyond our doors, I'm convinced that Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County are perfect examples of where community ownership and engagement has propelled a community to succeed at an unprecedented level.

We've all heard the multitude of definitions of teamwork and we see numerous examples of teamwork daily in our work and personal lives. As one that has spent a lifetime providing demonstrations to eager audiences, I would like to share, or demonstrate, an example of teamwork, as observed through our unique "Hands-On" way of interaction.

Imagine a cartoon character and how such a character may inspire teamwork in children. Over the last several months, Ann Arbor has been the adopted home of Bob the Builderä, a popular television character tailored to inspire teamwork and eco-friendly construction ideas to preschoolers and their families. It is amazing to watch people working together to solve a series of tasks in Bob's Project: Build It "exhibit" neighborhood. It is not uncommon to find families working together to repair a sink trap, building a wall or using make-believe power tools. Even better, it is amazing to see teamwork in dozens of children playing together for the first time, and in doing so, solving a series of age-related tasks with kids they have never met before.

The collaborative spirit of our community contributes to teamwork throughout the community and at the Museum. In our case, hundreds of volunteers provide thousands of hours of support each year. Countless collaborators from the academic, engineering, science, medical, cultural, civic and tech worlds have provided the resources, expertise, passion and collaborative spirit to allow the creation of over 250 unique-to-Ann Arbor hands-on exhibits and an unending variety of educational programs. Hundreds of generous donors continue to support the Museum through their unwavering financial generosity. Over 100 community leaders have served as trustees on our Board since our founding.

Teamwork, whether though children interacting with a cartoon character's exhibit, or in work, school, community or other social interactions equates to enhanced productivity and community engagement. Teamwork is reflected in myriad ways in individual organizations and throughout Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. I believe that this teamwork positions our part of Michigan as an incubator of innovation, lifelong learning and creativity galore. It doesn't matter if you are two, twenty-two or one hundred and two, community-based teamwork is for kids of all ages.

As the Director of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, I find myself involved in a non-profit that has been part-and-parcel of the greater Ann Arbor community for nearly thirty years. Like you, I often hear about the demise of Michigan as a viable place to live or work. While I know it is tough (and trust me, I've experienced the highs and lows), I am convinced that we are on the edge of a great, and positive, transformation. That transformation may not yet be visible to many, but in my position, I often sense that I am getting a glimpse of the future each and every time I step out into our community. In my opinion, the continued vibrancy of Ann Arbor, and the renewal of our regional economy, distills down to community ownership and engagement.

The very existence and continued sustainability of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is based upon community, and the idea of community ownership and engagement. Yes, this may appear to be a story about the Museum, but it is really about you.

While you probably consider us the "children's museum" or the "children's science museum", the Museum is a burgeoning community gathering space where kids of all ages explore, become inspired, or learn that learning is a lifelong adventure. Those that have ventured near the Museum on a busy day know that the adventure is one of excitement, curiosity, teamwork and social interaction. The best part of it all is that regardless of age, ethnicity or socio-economic background, this grand community gathering space is welcoming to everyone. In our environment, science, technology, math, engineering and culture are celebrated by all.

You've probably noticed the multitude of yellow school buses or the scores of people walking with families to the Museum each year. They, like most of the guests to the Museum, arrive from points near and far, with over 60% of them arriving from outside the county. Even with the economic crisis in Michigan, we see school groups from Detroit, Flint, Jackson and all destinations in between. The same is true on weekends, holidays and at other times where families routinely arrive from more than nineteen counties in southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio. They are not just visiting our Museum, they are visiting and participating in everything we call community.

So, where is the magic? The magic is in seeing how our community cares and embracing education, culture, innovation and creativity. Just as science often appears to be magic to many, I believe the science of success is firmly rooted in the magic generated in our community. My challenge to you is to think of how you represent community in your life, and, in turn, how community represents what you want for your life.

I'm convinced that our community partners are leading the charge in the transformation of Michigan into a knowledge-based, innovation-based and creative-based economy that also remains true to our roots of manufacturing and engineering. The stage for tomorrow is set and YOU have a front row seat.

 

Each year Ann Arbor hosts the area’s most revered and anticipated advertising awards show – the Ann Arbor ADDY Awards. With hundreds of local entries and the chance to compete nationally amongst 50,000 entries, the stakes are high and the competition tough.

Conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the local Ann Arbor ADDY Awards is the first of a three-tier, national competition. Local winners from Ann Arbor continue to the regional level, competing against winners from Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Regional winners then compete nationally. Entry in the local ADDY competition is the first step toward winning a national ADDY. The ADDY Awards is the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition, attracting over 50,000 entries every year across the nation.

The Ann Arbor ADDY Awards recognizes exceptional advertising created in Washtenaw County and throughout Southeastern Michigan. The awards honor advertising excellence in all media including print, broadcast, online, out-of-home and public service advertising.

This is Ann Arbor’s 14^th year in hosting the ADDY awards competition. In the past, Ann Arbor firms have won at the national level. Can Ann Arbor repeat history? It’s an incredible opportunity for national recognition. Last year’s national winners included work from BBDO, Deutsch, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, and a host of smaller shops.

A panel of outside judges will gather in Ann Arbor in late January to select the local winners out of over one-hundred anticipated submissions. Last year, work was entered for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation, Detroit Institute of Arts, Saleen Automotive, Walsh College, and many other companies. Only the most creative advertising campaigns win in their respective categories.

The ADDY’s is the Academy Awards of Ann Arbor advertising. The awards are prestigious and the ceremony is exquisite. You’ll feel at home wearing a tuxedo or gown, drinking a cocktail, and mingling with the city’s best and brightest advertising and creative executives. The Ann Arbor Ad Club ADDY awards winners will be honored during a gala on February 19^th at the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School. Proceeds from the ADDY awards help support the Ann Arbor Ad Club’s educational programs, public service projects and proactive government relations efforts.

To be eligible for consideration of an ADDY, all work must have been published or aired between January 1^st, 2009 and December 31^st, 2009. Entries are welcome from members and non-members and must be received by 5 p.m. before January 18^th, 2010 at either University Litho, 4150 Varsity Drive in Ann Arbor or at Print Tech, 6800 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor. For more information, contact Blaine Aldrich at (313) 660-4122 or email judging@a2ac.org. Or, just drop me a line.

Hilary Swank. Minnie Driver. Clive Owen. Drew Barrymore. Michael Cera (“Superbad” and “Juno”). What do these actors have in common? They all starred in films shot here in Washtenaw County this year.

The state of Michigan is building a burgeoning new film industry to rival Hollywood. Michigan offers the biggest film incentives in the nation, up to an incredible 42% tax break for films produced in the state. It’s a gamble that’s paying off.

Before the film incentives were passed, two movies were made in Michigan in 2007. In 2008, that number grew to 35, generating approximately $120 million in revenue for the state. Nearly $60 million went directly to Michigan residents who worked on those films. And this year - that number of movies has so far skyrocketed to 85. The film industry has created 3,000 new jobs for Michiganders, according to the Michigan Film Office. The trailblazing film incentives are clearly working.

And it is working to bring business to Ann Arbor. The 4-day shooting of “Youth in Revolt” (starring Michael Cera) generated nearly $250,000 in revenue for local Ann Arbor businesses, from restaurants, hotels, beauty salons, and marketing services / printing firms. Conor O’Neill’s served food to cast and crew. Downtown Home and Garden sold sun hats and patio umbrellas. Sign-o-Rama printed signs for parking and set operations.

How does the growing Michigan film industry directly impact local marketing communication professionals? In many ways marketers can expect to benefit from movies made here. Films need public relation specialists, graphic designers, artists, illustrators, photographers, and copywriters. By way of example, Jim Burnstein, Director of University of Michigan’s Film and Video Studies Program, was an advertising copywriter before he began his film career as a screenwriter.

Like the marketing industry, breaking into the film business is all about networking and getting to know the right people. To that end, the Ann Arbor Ad Club recently hosted a panel discussion about the Michigan film industry and how local marketers can profit from Michigan’s money-making movie industry. The event was well-attended by the public and members of the press. An illustrious panel of speakers suggested three places to start:

First, read Michigan Movie Magazine, a bi-monthly publication devoted exclusively to the growing Michigan film making industry. The magazine sells on the newsstand (and at Borders) for $4.95 and this month’s issue reviews the Red Dawn remake filmed in Michigan.The magazine is a good way to get up to speed on current developments with the Michigan film industry. Chris Aliapoulios launched the magazine after serving as a Ford Motor Company executive for twenty years, testament that outsiders can break into the field with hard work.

Second, visit the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.This organization has an initiative to bring Hollywood filmmaking to Ann Arbor. In-state and out-of-state film producers turn to them in choosing filming locations, finding places to stay, selecting places to eat, purchasing set props, etc. Make sure you introduce your marketing company to their office and get on their referral list.

Third, attend a film industry training workshop to network and mingle with like-minded people and potential clients. The Michigan Film Office has a list of workshops and seminars: Dozens of training programs are quickly springing up to fill demand

Drop me a note if you’ve picked up business from the film industry. I’d love to hear from you.