|
Brickworkz LEGO mosaics : Newsletter Archives : September, 2006
|
A BIG, Duplo-sized THANK YOU!
Before I begin this newsletter, I want to single out some amazing people who have helped me get Brickworkz off and running this summer:
* Ed & Linda Korte: Dad helped me design & assemble the large triple-easel backdrop I use at tradeshows. Mom graciously swapped vehicles with me for the month of September so I could fit all my work in a single trip. They were a huge help at Brickfest, helping me set up and take-down.
*
Olivia & Jeff Pollard: Since the creation of "The Pollards," a 10,000+ piece mosaic I built for their wedding in 2004, Jeff and Olivia have been amazing supporters of my creative venture. Olivia especially has taken a knack to building. She has the gift of speed and accuracy (something I'm still working on!)
* Chris & Karen Hollomon: Host of FOUR "Brick Parties," the Hollomons are huge supporters of Brickworkz. Chris helps to promote Brickworkz locally when he meets new people, and recently helped me set up shop at Brickfest. Hell, Karen took a train up from Richmond just to be there. These two have been great. I can't thank them enough.
* I also really want to thank Paul Costa (my artistic consultant), Chris Rhines (master of hidden images), Lauren & Michael Sos (keep them LEGO side-up!), Jennifer Pollard (dizzy yet?), Barbara Wilbur and Nick Hollomon. When I was pressed for time, they came through and offered their support (and hopefully had some fun along the way, too!)
* I am working on a tribute page for Brickworkz "HelperZ" and will have that up sometime very soon as a "Hall of Fame" for the amazing love, help and support everyone has provided. Thank you!!!
Grab the Kids!
Brickworkz is coming to the Richmond Convention Center this Saturday (Sept. 23) from 10 - 4! Child & Baby Expo coordinator Becky Huber purchased the materials for a 30" x 30" Spongebob Squarepants LEGO mosaic that I will give away as a door prize in return for the booth space. The mosaic looks great- it is sure to be a hit!
At my booth, I will be working on a new children's mosaic and will have my newest (and biggest) mosaic, "Richmond: River City" on display as well as "Baby Klause" (always a favorite!) If you are a parent now, or might be a parent soon- this expo will have everything you could possibly be interested in. Come check it out, and bring the kids! [read more]
Brickfest 2006 - my Superbowl
My last email mentioned that I was preparing for Brickfest, the LEGO Fan convention in Tysons Corner . For a budding young LEGO business, this was the place to be. Some of you may have heard me refer to Brickfest as "the Superbowl," due to the awesome importance of the personal contacts, audience exposure, and "street cred." that 500 registered LEGO fans could generate. I had great expectations, but I had no idea what a success Brickfest would be.
* Three mosaics sold that weekend
* I made some incredible contacts, including LEGO Executives direct from Denmark
* Three new pieces were commissioned through people I met at the show
* Their 25% off sale saved me hundreds of dollars in new LEGO parts
* Everyone in the LEGO community has now heard of Brickworkz or has met me personally. [read more]
Getting the Word out
In efforts to get the word out to folks on the web, I spent my entire Labor Day weekend re-vamping the web site. (Small business owners don't get 'breaks') The site is much more user-friendly now, with lots of new content and images. Visit http://www.brickworkz.com to see the changes!
I also worked to make things more "searchable." I'm proud to announce that Googling "custom LEGO mosaic" returns Brickworkz as #1, and other terms like "LEGO portrait," "LEGO art," are gradually climbing. This "Search engine optimization" is tedious, but has significant benefits. For example, my newest commission piece came from a lady in Brooklyn, NY. She found me on the web and contacted me. I even received a request from Toronto last week!
Part of that campaign involved creating banners and buttons. If you're a supporter of Brickworkz, help me get the word out by posting a banner or button on your web site! [More here]
In efforts to make Brickworkz a bit more "hip," I entered the world of MySpace and YouTube, posting photos and videos of the LEGO mosaic building process. Add me to your MySpace! and check the videos on Youtube!
ReferralZ
Obviously, the best marketing is word of mouth from those who have seen the LEGO mosaics from Brickworkz! In October, I am starting a referrals program. I haven't worked-out all the details just yet, but it'll be really simple:
Find me a Gig*, and I'll find a way for $50 to land in your lap. *A Gig is: a new customer who buys a commissioned piece, a buyer for a mosaic I've already created, or even a gallery owner who displays my work. Bam! Easy $50. Details to come, but that's pretty much it!
Spam me Not
With my list growing daily, I am researching email marketing sites for a better system to use to get these newsletters out. I want to find something affordable, painless to use, easy for people to subscribe and unsubscribe - and most importantly- I want the lists to remain private! It's a deal-breaker if they sell your emails to anyone. I hate spam as much as anyone and won't tolerate it! If anyone can recommend a good program to use, I'm all ears. Until then, I'll continue doing these manually.
Oh, and that means that if you received this and didn't want it, just shoot me an email at info@brickworkz.com and ask to be removed. If you know someone who would like a copy of the newsletter, have them visit http://www.brickworkz.com/contact-a-brick-artist.shtml
...Stay tuned next month when I share some really cool news about some of the commissions I'm currently working on! Oh, and if you have ideas or an interest in helping to build, contact me at info@brickworkz.com
Remember that life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to play with LEGOs once in a while, you could miss it. :-)
Play well!
Brian Korte
|
|
back to the Newsletter Archives
|
 |
