Surviving means two things. Either your not getting enough business and your eeking by or your getting too much business and you aren't keeping up. Either end of the pole is simply survival. So how can you better your odds as a web-mastering designer? Consider changing your focus from marketing to publicity and from accessible to hard to hire. How do you do that? By creating your image and learning to think like a publicist.

First and foremost remember that you are an artist. And as an artist you have specialized talents that can not be duplicated by anyone. Not even your competing web-mastering designers. Each artist has their own unique vision and talent from which to create that dynamite website. Don't sell yourself short in understanding what your unique talents are. In fact, don't sell them at all, publicize them!

As an artist you are a story in and of yourself. It might take a minute to figure out what that story is, but trust me, I haven't met an artist yet who didn't have one. Now put yourself in the *Hollywood* frame of mind and create your image as a star. Instead of dropping your prices, increase them. Put together a portfolio/press kit and start getting the word out the media about you and your unique vision. If you don't have enough work, publicize you. If you have to much work, create a waiting list and publicize that! The first brings work, the second brings stability to your future business.

Find a series of niche audiences. Yes, as a web-mastering designer you can create a website for every Geek, Technophobe, and newbie, but by filtering down to a select group of niches industries you will be able to speak to them on their level. You become one of them. For instance, do you love to cook? Then get acquainted with the trades in the cooking industry and publicize yourself to this market. Write articles for these specialized offline trade and you will become both an offline and an online star! The expert. Expert get to raise their prices, take select work, and manage their lives better.

Develop your stardom offline in the media. One of the hottest places to do this is in radio. Internet experts of every field are a very hot commodity right now. Talk the talk on a radio interview and it will pay you back in big time exposure, no ads necessary. The best part about doing radio talk shows is that you don't have to move a muscle. The show is done by telephone right where you are. Start locally by pitching an idea to the producer of a local talk radio show. Make sure your pitch is focused, not vague. In other words what will their audience gain from listening to you? Here are some ideas that might work as pitches.

Ten Reasons Why Websites Fail
The Top Twenty Web Site Tricks For Success
Ask The Designer....an open air show where listeners can call in questions.

Watch out though, if your really good you might be asked to host a regular feature. Put your artistic creativity into your pitches and you will be on the air before you know it.

To Press Release or Not To Press Release...

There is the question. Here is the answer. Don't send out a press release if all you have to announce is that your a website designer. Sorry folks, but boring. Won't even get a glance from an Editor or Producer. Remember that the target market of the press release is the media not your buying audience. This means that to turn that press release into an article, it must be newsworthy. Unique, unique, unique. So now, your feeling all creatively frozen. That's all right, just the word unique tends to cause seizures of the creative brain. Don't force your mind to figure it out right this minute. Just insert the idea that you want to create a unique story around your business and then sleep on it. Trust me, the idea will pop into your head at about 2:46 in the morning, so keep a tape recorder handy. Perhaps your unique idea consists of a design that hasn't been done, a special client whose website is newsworthy and you did the work, a special event that you've created for those building their business online. Your the artist, the ideas will come.

Every business understands that they need marketing to survive. What many don't understand is that they need publicity to thrive. Learn the tricks and you'll have fame and fortune in your profession. Remember where everyone else is going, don't follow! Create your own unique path.

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Anne Marie Baugh is a noted publicist for cyber-stars such as Mark Joyner, Rick Beneteau, John Harricharan, Marty Lund, and more. She also owns and operates Write-Promotion, an online business that works hands-on with businesses looking for promotional avenues to cyber-success!

Learn more now at: http://www.write-promotion.com

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