The newest fashions for the southeast hit the runway on August 27, 2010 at Atlanta’s Apparel Market. Buyers from small boutiques to large retailers gathered to see the latest styles. This slide show presents 73 images from the runway, sit back, relax and watch the show!

Location: AmericasMart, downtown Atlanta, GA
Date: August 27, 2010

Model: Amy Lynn
Makeup/Hair: Julianna Burgos
Location: samdobrow photography studio – Alpharetta
Date: September 3, 2010

Note: This collection contains partial nudity – not safe for work.

Model: Swish
Location: Elliott Street Pub – APG
Date: August 31, 2010

Model: Marlow Clarke
Makeup/Hair: Annmary Johnson
Date: Auguat 25, 2010
Location: Alpharetta, GA

Model: Sara Gabrielle
Makeup: Annmary Johnson
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Date: August 25, 2010

Scenes from a day at South Beach. The most amazing thing about South Beach is the way it has retained its character over the years. Miami is a city which has experienced enormous growth yet this strip of the beach is maintained as it was in the 1920′s with low rise hotels and restaurants along Ocean Avenue. New construction incorporates the art deco style of the early developments and blends in with the overall theme of the area. Colorful lights and neon signs set the place aglow as night falls on the city and colorful sunsets set the backdrop for the high-rise skyline of Miami. One of a kind designer fashions are readily available to those with deep pockets and rich tastes. Designer dining experiences are also available at the sidewalk cafes which provide live entertainment in the way of people watching and Latin music.

Well, it’s official! I’m now able to build animated slide shows from my photography. This is a low resolution show for the web but the software builds the same show in high definition for DVDs. See the original photos in higher resolution or view a HD video on Youtube.

Effective prospecting requires “pull selling” where people opt in to receive information. The savvy consumer will research a company on the web and make a buying decision without ever contacting a person at the company. But having a static, informative website is not enough to effectively compete. Seasoned sales professionals will confirm that it takes, on average, seven sales calls to close a sale. Each call is designed to move the prospect closer to a decision while building a relationship of trust. In the new Internet economy many of those first contact calls are made indirectly through web site browsing, online testimonials, product reviews, and email communications. The problem with this scenario is that the salesperson does not have a clue who the prospect is and he/she has no way of developing a relationship before many decisions are made. This is where blogging has a huge impact.

Blogging is a way to communicate with lurking prospects and lure them into the social fabric so contact can be made and a relationship can be built. A blog is a dynamic communication vehicle that speaks to who you are as a company and what you do. It needs to be entertaining and informative not a new place to post advertising content. Blogs must offer visual-verbal content. The reader must be entertained with visual media and captivated by a friendly voice. A blog must be written in a style that speaks in a consistent tone. When people visit a blog it tends to be more informal then traditional business communications but it must not be unprofessional. I think of a blog as a conversation around the coffee pot on casual Fridays where a senior technician or manager shares some tips and techniques with the team. It can be spirited and lively but still cognizant of the business environment. A good blog draws people into the conversation; it encourages dialog and begets an environment open to asking questions. True success can be attributed to the blog when people start sending in emails with questions about the topics discussed on the blog – it is at that time that the prospect is discovered and an online relationship with trust has been indirectly developed.

The problem with blogs is people start them because they know they need one but they fail to update them regularly. This failure is worse than not having a blog. When a web visitor looks at a blog that has not been updated in six weeks, or even worse six months, it conveys a feeling that the company is dead or going out of business — “there must be nothing to say because nothing is happening”. Starting a blog requires a strategy. Someone must be dedicated to keeping it going. It doesn’t need to be a full time job though for a large company it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have several bloggers dedicated full time. For the small business, it can be a major task for a CEO to regularly drop everything he/she is doing and start blogging; but blogging may be the best marketing investment for the small business owner.

Today marketing firms are managing blogs for large companies at a substantial price. The small and medium size businessperson may feel the blogosphere is out of reach, while in fact it really isn’t. Freelance writers can be effective bloggers. Photojournalists who write, make photographs and even create multi-media content can be retained to keep a blog lively. A blog can replace the customer newsletter and reduce mailing costs for a dentist office while attracting new prospects with informative articles on dental hygiene or cosmetic dentistry. A blog can feature artists and their work at a local gallery. Investment advisers can inform clients and engage prospects with a synopsis of markets and recommended strategies. A local boutique can feature new fashions, discuss the trends for the coming season, and even announce web-only promotions. The options are endless.

If you are interested in starting a blog here are a few things to do:

1. Register a domain or subdomain that is easy for people to remember
2. Select an appropriate blogging software package
3. Customize the look for your particular business
4. Implement optional features based on the desired content
5. Seed the blog with pertinent news stories
6. Promote the blog to current customers and prospects
7. Publicize the blog posts on social network sites
8. Keep new, fresh content flowing

I work with clients to install, update and create verbal-visual content for blogs and business websites. Contact me if you would like to discuss ways that a blog can help you establish credibility and trust with your customers.

Model: Amy Bizarro
Makeup/hair: Juliana Burgos
Location: samdobrow photography studio
Date: July 1, 2010 (ACPC)