If you love your clients and are looking for a way to deepen your relationships with them, you’ll love my conversation with designer, Tara Hoover.
On Episode 475 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, we talked about her therapy dog, Juno (of course) -- who has passed since we recorded this episode. Many hearts are broken.
We also chatted about her "workiversary" strategy, which she doesn’t even think of as marketing – but I do! That's why I had to invite her onto the podcast as soon as I heard about it.
It’s the epitome of generosity and she generously shared this idea with me (and you) so you can try it too.
Listen here (and below), then take Tara’s baby step: choose 1 (or 3 or 5) clients you don’t want to live without and try this strategy on them. I have a feeling you’ll enjoy it and they will be thrilled.
Marketing Mentor client, Maria Guerriero of Germinate Creative, is already integrating this idea in her latest email newsletter.
So if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.
Read the complete transcript of Episode 476 with Tara Hoover
ilise benun
Hi, there. This is ilise benun, your Marketing Mentor, and this is the podcast for you if, and only if, you are ready to leave the feast or famine syndrome behind, and I mean for good.
If you love your clients and are looking for a way to deepen your relationships with them, this episode is for you. I chatted with designer and mom of a therapy dog, Tara Hoover, about a very unique strategy she's come up with—and that she doesn't even think of as marketing, but I do. It's the epitome of generosity. And she generously shared with me and you this idea so you can try it too. So, listen and learn.
Hello, Tara. Welcome to the podcast.
Tara Hoover
Hello. Thank you for having me.
ilise benun
Of course. Please introduce yourself.
Tara Hoover
So my name is Tara Hoover. I am located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I am a one-woman graphic and web design studio. I mostly work with higher ed and nonprofits in the education space.
ilise benun
Beautiful. Why higher ed and education and nonprofits?
Tara Hoover
I mean, I will be completely honest. It kind of is just a natural evolution. I didn't plan it this way. I wish I could say that I plotted out this whole thing and I got to where I wanted to go.
ilise benun
Why?
Tara Hoover
I know. I know. I'm very much a list person, and this is what I need to do, and I did it. Nah. It was completely a natural evolution.
ilise benun
That sounds perfect to me, actually.
Tara Hoover
It is, actually. Looking back on it, I was like, ‘This is probably exactly how it was supposed to be.’
So it ended up being through a contact that I had worked with a million years ago. It was wild. As soon as I opened my little studio, I changed my status on LinkedIn. And lo and behold, somebody I worked with at an ad agency—I mean, I'm talking like a decade plus—reached out and was like, "Oh, we need some help."
He happened to be at a university and I kinda got in and started working with that particular university. And then that has just grown to others and it's just been a really good fit for me and how I like to work and the type of work that they need. So I've just, yah, settled in that lane.
ilise benun
Beautiful. And in terms of nonprofits, often people say, "Oh, I'm not going to focus on nonprofits. They have no money." Is that your opinion?
Tara Hoover
No, I was completely shocked that they have lots of money. I don't know. “Lots” is a relative term, but I thought, I had that preconceived notion as well.
I didn't target nonprofits, but I think some of the work in education that I was doing kind of just naturally ... you know, I had some contacts and work expanded under that umbrella. And yes, I was like, ‘Wait a minute. These are nonprofits, and they're not giving me a hard time about contracts and pricing and proposals. And if you do good work and ... .’
It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought. I, like most people had that, I think, assumption that it was like, ‘Oh, it's nonprofit. They're going to nickel and dime me. Or they're going to want work for free.’ And that has not been the case at all. I've actually had some really good relationships and nonprofits have been some of my best clients.
ilise benun
Nice. So how do you market your work, Tara? How do you get your clients?
Tara Hoover
So like, I think, everybody, the default answer is: word of mouth.
But I would say, I don't actively do anything with my website in terms of like, I'm not paying for any type of placement or Google Ads or anything like that. But I've set it up the right way. And I know—you know I'm a web designer—and I know enough about what to do to make sure that I am at least ... I do the best that I can without spending a lot of money. And to my surprise, people do find me. They do find me online pretty regularly.
Some of those are not great fits, but I've actually had some that have been really good fits too.
So I would say it's a mix of I don't actively market myself as much as I would like to; I can always improve on that. But sharing my work on LinkedIn has been good. I've listened to a lot of your podcasts on the topic and people that you've had, and I've taken the route of: I've really cleaned my LinkedIn list so that there are people that I want to talk to and be in front of.
So I know when I put something out on LinkedIn, it's going in front of the eyes of people that I want to see it. So I've had some, over the years, just contacts through LinkedIn, people finding me online, and then networking of people that I have worked with who have referred me out over time.
ilise benun
One of the things I always find interesting is that when I ask people how they market themselves, first of all, there seems to be a little bit of pressure like, ‘Oh, I should be doing more or I should be doing something different.’ So I hear that in your voice, but also ...
Tara Hoover
For sure.
ilise benun
But also I find that people are doing things that they either forget they're doing or don't consider marketing. And I know for a fact that you have a LinkedIn newsletter, which you didn't really mention either, as well.
Tara Hoover
Well, I didn't because it's new. And I will follow up with that and say that as of the last ... I sent the first one out in November, and then going to the retreat with you and the Creatives Roundtable in January also just got me energized. And to be honest with you, I think part of what ... I completely did this on a whim.
I just was like, ‘Okay, I've tried all these different things. I really feel like the newsletter is going to be the thing that fits me, the way I like to communicate to people.’
I just took all the pressure off of myself. For a while, I was all in on LinkedIn and I was putting a lot of time, money, and energy into it. And I really didn't see ... You know, I wasn't expecting to get a client a week out of it, by any means. But the effort didn't ... it just didn't feel like the return was there, and I didn't like doing it.
I finally just gave myself the grace to be like: ‘This isn't what I want to do. What feels good, and what feels natural, and what feels like something that I'll actually get excited to put out into the world?’
I have no idea what I'm going to talk about from month to month. And Deidre helps me put it together. My initial ...
ilise benun
Deidre Rienzo of Connect with Copy.
Tara Hoover
The amazing Deidre.
My initial goal was to send it out every other month. And to my surprise, I've had enough to put out there and to say that I've kept it up once a month. I've sent one out every month since November. I don't have any plans of stopping. And so that is a new marketing channel for me that I have committed to. But it's been great.
I'm in year eight. Yesterday was year eight anniversary of my business.
ilise benun
Congratulations.
Tara Hoover
Thank you. It's been a journey, and I have finally seen the light of why the newsletter is the amazing ...
ilise benun
It takes time, sometimes.
Tara Hoover
It absolutely takes time. And I started sending one out ... I sent one out in March of 2020 and that was a very short-lived newsletter. So it's had a stop and start many times, over the years. But I definitely see it and I get it now. And it's like, instead of having to individually reach out to people, which is still nice on occasion, it's so nice to know that I am hitting everybody's inbox at least once a month.
They see my name. I'm amazed at how many people respond and we just start having normal conversation. "Oh, hey, how are you? Nice to hear from you." I get it. I've definitely connected the dots and I see the power in it now.
ilise benun
Good.
Tara Hoover
Yes, yes, yes. So I proudly will add ‘newsletter’ to my marketing channels.
ilise benun
And actually one thing before we segue into the reason that we're here talking today is that it's very common also for people to ... One of the obstacles to the newsletter idea is about: how am I going to come up with something to write about or send out every single month? But I find that once people get into the groove, they actually have more than they need because the ideas just keep coming. I like to say, “Just don't worry about it. You don't have to think about next month's until we get there.” And then you open your eyes and see what the world is talking about, and listen to what your clients are kvetching about, and then you come up with something.
Tara Hoover
Yeah. It really hasn't been as hard as I thought. One of the things I found was interesting is that... and truth be told, I'm such a fan of Deidre and her work and her newsletters that I was like, I want it to be in that vein of just short and sweet.
And to my surprise, I'm always adding more. And that's been something I've been really shocked by, where we're trying so hard to keep it short, but I find myself always making it longer because I have more to say and I'm like, ‘Wow, who am I?’
ilise benun
That's right. And I do think people want to hear. They won't always read and they won't always have time to click, but I think they want to be in touch. People want to be in touch. So I'm glad you're doing that. Yeah.
Tara Hoover
I was just talking to my friend, my business twin, Kara, yesterday, and I said to her... because she was like, "Way to go on your newsletter." And I was like, "Trust me, I'm proud of myself. I can't believe I'm doing this regularly. I'm very proud of the fact that I've committed to it and followed through."
ilise benun
Exactly.
Tara Hoover
Yeah.
ilise benun
So we're talking on May 2nd, which means that May 1st was your... you said eight years?
Tara Hoover
Yeah, my business anniversary.
ilise benun
Business anniversary. So congratulations on that.
Tara Hoover
Thank you.
ilise benun
That's not nothing.
Tara Hoover
Thank you.
ilise benun
And the reason that I invited you to the podcast is because at the retreat when you were here in Savannah in January, you described one of your other marketing tools, which maybe you don't think of it that way, either.
Tara Hoover
That's a very a good point. I don't think of that.
ilise benun
I do. Interesting. I'm going to ask you to describe it. But the focus, from what I can tell, is on building and cultivating and deepening relationships with existing clients, which is a whole marketing strategy in and of itself. So tell us what you do, Tara.
Tara Hoover
So I send out what I have coined “workiversary gifts.” And essentially what that is I have a whole list that I keep of when I first signed the contract with a particular client. And every year on that anniversary, I send them ... I never know what I'm going to send. I constantly am on the lookout for just fun and interesting little gifts. And essentially it's just something to say “thank you.” It's to celebrate our partnership. “Partnership” is my key word when I'm marketing myself, because I'm purposely staying small.
I want to continue to be a one-woman operation. I don't want to hire people. I don't want to grow into any kind of boutique agency. And for me, my plate is only so big, and I genuinely appreciate the people who have chosen to partner with me because those partnerships are really important. So it's just an opportunity to shine a light on the work that we've done, and again, our partnership and our relationship. And it's just a way to show my thanks.
The reason that I like it is because it happens at a time when you're not expecting it. My clients don't know I'm keeping track of this stuff. So today, I'm all of a sudden ...
ilise benun
And they're probably not keeping track of that.
Tara Hoover
No, no, no, no. So on a random day, they get a gift and a little surprise. And that's another reason why this was a natural progression, but I've settled on doing it this way. And the surprise factor is something that's also just a fun little tidbit.
ilise benun
So let's dig into the nitty-gritty a little bit, because one thought I have ... Of course, we want to know what kinds of gifts, and do you do it every year for every client? And if so, is it a surprise every year because they've gotten distracted and kind of forgot about it? Again, they're not keeping track, so it can be a surprise every year.
Tara Hoover
Yeah. I would say it is a surprise every year. I've also given myself that it has to happen within the month. It's really hard to nail it down to the day or even the week. And honestly, the reason that that's evolved is because of the post-COVID world. It's really hard to know where people are in the world now. And that's kind of thrown a little bit of a wrench into my workiversary gifts, because I also love mail. I love getting something tangible and physical.
I try very, very hard not to make it an e-gift card or something that's just electronic. I want someone to hold a tangible thing in their hand. So I try to get it as close to the date as possible. But definitely the goal is to get it in their hands in the month of our workiversary.
ilise benun
What is it?
Tara Hoover
So it could be a lot of different things. I've sent food to the office which, funny story, one of my clients one day ... this was a couple months ago ... I think I sent cookies? No, I sent dough. I sent cookie dough. And she emailed me that day and was like: "I forgot my lunch and thanks to you, I had cookie dough for lunch and it was amazing." She was like, "Had I not had the cookie dough, I wouldn't have eaten anything." And she was like, "Thank you very much for the sweet treat for lunch."
ilise benun
But wait, cookie dough. Is that your cookie dough you make or someone else makes those?
Tara Hoover
Actually, it's DEUX, D-E-U-X is the place, and they do really fancy ... I believe there's dough from New York, D-O. And then there's DEUX, which is D-E-U-X. I believe D-E-U-X is the one that's really healthy vegan. It's really yummy, but it has kind of a health side to it.
ilise benun
Wow.
Tara Hoover
So I believe that that's the one that I had sent them. I will tell you one challenge is I actually have to keep track of what I sent to who, so that I don't repeat. I wouldn't want to send cookies or cookie dough back to back. So I keep notes and keep it all straight so that I figure out what I need to send to who, on any given year.
One of the gifts that I recently started sending that I love, there is a company in Pittsburgh that makes handmade wooden iPhone chargers. They're beautiful, and they're just really pretty to have on your desk. And they will imprint, like wood burning; they will put a logo or whatever you want on it, into the wood. And so I have sent them my clients’ logos and they put the logo onto this really pretty wooden block. And that's been a very big hit. I have gotten really good feedback on that gift.
ilise benun
So how much do you spend on each gift, would you say? Do you have a budget?
Tara Hoover
Honestly, it depends on the client. So if it's a larger client of mine, then my budget is larger. I kinda do it based on the revenue that the client brings in for my business. I mean, I would say on average, they are around $100, 150 maybe, on average.
ilise benun
It's an investment.
Tara Hoover
It is. I understand how this would need to be adapted for any given business, because for me, again, I'm small. I'm only sending a couple. I may be sending less than five of these a year.
And over time I've had to figure it out. Like, "Okay. Well, how much work did I ... ? Technically I'm still working with this client, but I only did maybe one or two things."
You know. I just reassess it every year. But I used to send out a big mailing ...
The way that this whole thing started was that I, like a lot of people, was doing a holiday mailing. At one point, I did it around Thanksgiving more as a thank you type message. And then I was doing holiday stuff. And I just was completely stressing myself out. I was sending something really small to a whole lot of people, and it was everybody. It was vendors and friends and just anyone under the umbrella of my business.
Again, I just said to myself like, "Okay, I'm done doing this. I'm completely stressing myself out. It's the holidays. It's a busy enough time. Everyone is getting things and I'm most likely getting lost in the shuffle anyway.” It just felt more authentic and genuine for me to pivot and do something bigger and more meaningful to less people.
ilise benun
Quality over quantity, for sure.
Tara Hoover
Yes.
ilise benun
All right. Two more questions. One is, I'm curious about the kind of response that you get and if you can see the difference in terms of extending relationships or deepening relationships with your clients. And then we'll come up with a baby step that people can try.
Tara Hoover
The response is always really positive. People are genuinely thankful for the gesture. I would say it deepens the relationship in the sense that it just, it's reminding them ... and a lot of times, these are clients ... a lot of clients have been with me six, seven, even eight years. So it's a chance for me to just even remind them and say like, "Hey, we've been in this relationship now for eight whole years."
I think just by doing it in the vein of, "Thank you, I appreciate you," it's also saying, "Hey, this is working and we are a good team and I'm a valued part of your organization."
So I do think that on the whole, all of it does definitely help from a marketing standpoint on my end, and to deepen those relationships.
Also, just the same way, sending my newsletter out. It's a way just on a random day to start a conversation, like we're always looking for ways to connect.
And so if they're sending me a thank you note, like my one client, that's like, "Hey, I didn't eat lunch today. Thank you so much." It's a very easy way to say, "Oh, no problem. How are you doing?" And who knows where those conversations can lead? It's a good excuse to just have another touchpoint.
ilise benun
That may be the epitome of what I call ‘generosity as a marketing tool.’
Tara Hoover
Yeah, I agree. Again, I think I have just come to a point where I feel like I have followed the trends, or ‘I'm doing this, or you should be doing this.’
I have tried a lot of different things and I have finally just settled on: I'm only going to do what just feels natural and good and authentic to me in the way that I want to interact with my “clients.” I don't want to say “audience.”
I don't really have a big audience, but there are people that I am always trying to communicate to. And this was just a way that I thought, instead of being some crazy person in December, since going to the post office with boxes of envelopes for a hundred-and-some people, maybe I'm going to focus on a handful and let them know truly how much I appreciate them.
ilise benun
I love that, Tara.
Tara Hoover
Thank you.
ilise benun
All right. So let's come up with a baby step. For anyone who loves this idea as much as I do, what should they do first? What is the first step?
Tara Hoover
I mean, honestly, I think the first step would just be take inventory. I think as solopreneurs and freelancers, I mean, our lives are pretty chaotic and we're constantly wearing so many hats.
Just maybe set some time aside to really look at your client roster and even just see, could you pick out three? Who are your top three clients? Somebody that if they would walk away tomorrow, you would be really sad to lose them. And whether you do it based on the value, just the way that you work, it could also be based on how much money they bring in. It could be based on a lot of different factors.
I would say just as a baby step, think about it. Right? Just try to identify who those clients would be. And maybe it's just one. If there was one client that walked away tomorrow that you would be really bummed about, who would it be? And maybe think about what you could do for them to show your appreciation.
ilise benun
Beautiful. All right, Tara, thank you so much. Tell the people where they can find more about you online.
Tara Hoover
So best place is my website, tarahoover.com. You can also find me on LinkedIn under just the same name, Tara Hoover. And if there are any dog lovers out there, my Instagram @tarahoover is dedicated to my therapy dog, Juno. We volunteer on Fridays at Pittsburgh International Airport and also a local hospital. I post all of our adventures all around the city of our volunteer work. So my Instagram is dedicated to her, but it's also a fun little place.
ilise benun
I love that. I dedicated my Instagram to my dog, but we don't do therapy.
Tara Hoover
Hey, I tell everybody: every dog is a therapy dog.
ilise benun
That's true.
Tara Hoover
How they're doing their therapy is different. Juno has official jobs, but it doesn't mean that every dog isn't a therapy dog in their own way.
ilise benun
Beautiful. Oh my God. That's awesome, Tara. I'm going to go look at it right now. So thanks again.
Tara Hoover
Thank you.
ilise benun
And we'll talk again soon, I'm sure. Thanks for sharing so much.
Tara Hoover
Thank you.
ilise benun
Tara's baby step is to choose one or three or five clients you don't want to live without and try this strategy on them. I have a feeling you'll enjoy it and they will be thrilled. So if you want to build a thriving business on your own terms, the first step is to sign up for my Quick Tips at marketingmentortips.com. Once you're on the site, you'll find lots more resources, including my Simplest Marketing Plan. So enjoy and I'll see you next time.