All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Marketing, Web Design, WordPress
Let’s lead in with a fact shall we? The Online Publishers Association (OPA) research has found that 57 % of technology users time is spent accessing content via the mobile Web, while the remaining 43 % is spent accessing content via apps. Wow, one wonders what the future of PC’s will be at those increasing rates of usage of mobile devices in a manner that was once relegated to PC’s. Don’t bother pondering too long because according to Peter Thompson’s recent article it has been predicted that during 2013, mobile devices will overtake PCs as the most common technology to access the Internet. That means smartphones & handheld device content will remain hand-in-hand and maintain quite the profitable marriage this coming year.
What it Looks Like
Based on the statistics above, the mobile device viewing of web content is growing at astronomical rates. Because of this, mobile operating systems and device specific websites require optimized content and high-quality imagery resolution for smartphone & tablet users. So most web designers and content writers are trading in their traditional methods of web marketing (including HTML sites) and traveling down the aisle with other tools on their arms such as WordPress and SEO-rich platforms.
Entertainment Content
Now a days, “infotainment” (which is information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers) is a premier reason enhanced mobile devices screen resolutions need to be what iPad with Retina display has achieved for games, music and video. And just when you thought that was a match made in heaven, Chris Yewdall informed us that coming in 2015, software & mobile device giants like Samsung & HTC are releasing 3D phones that will not only enable consumers to shoot 3D content but to consume 2D content in 3D. AND to watch the converted 3D content on their TV’s. All of this innovations help us escape from the daily grind and enhance users experience.
Free Apps
Although most weddings cost a fortune, when it comes to espousal of apps & mobility, cost-free remains the key to our hearts. Many note that with the current economy, customers are increasingly on the hunt for free apps. Recent statistics show that Android free apps will continue to outnumber free iPhone apps into 2013. According to DISTIMO, a leader in app analytics, there are now more free apps available for Google’s mobile OS than the iPhone.
Purchase Power On The Go
After honeymoon bliss, couples go about the business of daily living and with most of our time spent on the go, our lives require mobile purchasing power. The ability to make purchases when the customer is “on the go” requires mobilized versions of websites that are fully functional but with quick and easy purchasing directives. Vivid imagery & engaging content are required to move the consumer from enticed to committed buying making on-device purchasing easy & effective.
Jumping the Broom with Cars?
Getting hitched on the physical & technological mobility bandwagon, Hyundai is taking us to another level! Ready for release in 2015, this car manufacturer will be coupling smartphone technology with their vehicles via the Hyundai Connectivity Concept. This new innovation is designed to wirelessly mirror the contents of your smartphone directly within your vehicle. By 2015, Hyundai says it can replace a conventional key fob with the consumers’ smartphone to lock/unlock doors by placing it over the NFC (Near Field Communications) sticker on the window or door. Inside, the smartphone is placed in a docking station within the center console where it activates the user’s profile & streams content to a touchscreen that displays all of the user’s music, radio stations and phone contacts. It can even control the navigation and various other on-board infotainment and telematics systems. Yes all that while recharging the phone’s battery wirelessly. And here’s the real gift of this technology and user interface nuptial, multiple users and their individual smartphones can access the same car in the same way.
So there you are folks…technology wed to content equals blissful & entertaining engagement for us.
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Infographics, Marketing, Social Media
What’s Trending…
Choose a topic currently trending in your industry or that of your client. Yahoo! and the various Social Media outlets are great sources for quick, current topics.
Keep A Stash
When the clock is not your friend, you need to have a reserve that you can quickly draw from. Try to jot down some topics and/or write a few lines about a particular topic so that when your back is against the wall, you don’t need to waste time trying coming up with new ideas.
Change The Format
Rather than being “informative” and using the written method, choose to do an instructional video on a topic you have adequate knowledge of. This can be a very effective and engaging form of blogging. You can also choose to create a quick Infographic as another great way to convey key information in a visually pleasing and quick manner.
Quality vs. Quantity
Writing about something you are passionate about or have adequate knowledge about is a sure way to write well. But to produce this kind of blog, don’t get caught up in the 700+ words of your average, well-researched blog post. Stick to what you know and convey it in a confident and concise manner. Direct, key points work best.
Use Imagery to Fill White Space
Using relevant imagery to support your topic is a great way to fill up the white space of your blog. In your spare time search for & purchase various images on iStockphoto or 123rf and keep a reserve that you can quickly draw from.
End with a Call to Action
Calls to Action take a little more pressure off the writer and puts some of the onus on the reader. It’s another great way to engage your readership by creating dialogue about your blog and hopefully a following.
Save Editing For Last
Once you start to write, write-write-write! Don’t stop to correct, edit or add hyperlinks, images or anything else. Save the clean up work for last.
Last Words
These simple steps will allow you to create a quick yet informative blog in a fraction of the time. Remember folks, you’re not going for a Pulitzer. So do what’s needed, do it well and then click post.
All Posts, Branding, Content & Copywriting, Marketing
Since 2000, UPrinting.com has remained in a class all by itself as an environmental-friendly online printing source for marketing & branding materials such as brochures, business cards, and so much more. In contrast to some of its industry contemporaries, UPrinting.com offers more customizable brochure options, a larger selection of templates as well as stellar customer service to create a top-notch user experience. And in the era of social responsibility to our environment, UPrinting.com offers eco-friendly printing that makes users feel even better about their products and UPrinting’s social and environmental awareness.
As you can see to the left, UPrinting.com offers an extensive line of products to give your business (or a clients) the branding edge with quality brochures and a wide array of other marketing materials.
Less Trees & Chemicals, A Better Brochure!
Create Impactful Impressions!
Ever receive a brochure that looks like it was designed and printed by a child? Nothing is worse for a small business than to appear small by skimping on their marketing materials such as brochures. You want to give a great impression when you hand your business literature to a prospective client or customer. UPrinting.com uses provides a quality product geared to enhance the appearance of your own products or services.
Customization on a Whole Other Level!
Oh how I wish I knew about UPrinting.com years ago! One of the fun parts of my job is to create something unexpected & atypical designs for my clients to showcase the range of my talents. Especially with brochures…you can create them in any size, folding options and paper stock. They even give you full creative license to develop you’re own signature brochure by choosing every component including background colors and innumerable stock photography options!
So unlike some of it’s competitors, UPrinting offers premier, high-quality brochures with unlimited options that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Thanks UPrinting.com for giving me the designing edge I need to bring my clients brochures from vision to creation!
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Social Media
I
n this ever growing age of technology just about everyone is using social media for their business as a tool for sharing information. A few weeks ago I published an article via Patricia Redsicker’s website about this very topic and now I’m bringing this very important information to the Design Theory readership.
The e-patient movement actively uses social media to inform themselves and each other about health and wellness issues, breakthroughs and programs. Social media is not only quick but also quite cost-effective. But when it comes to the sticky topic of patient privacy and HIPAA, the fast and fun use of social media becomes guarded like the White House.
Healthcare businesses want a seat at the social media table too but come under heavy scrutiny (and sometimes fire) for using blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other channels. Although there’s no rule saying you can’t use these platforms for healthcare marketing, no one wants to pay heavy fines for breaching the laws protecting patient health information.
So let’s take a look at 5 ways you can ensure HIPAA compliance within social media use.
#1. What’s the Motive?
The primary goal of any social communication from a healthcare practice or marketing company should be to educate and help patients, families, and employees improve their knowledge of health-related topics and their overall well-being. That said the information should be generalized to protect the personal identity and likeness of any patient.
#2. To Post or Not to Post
Make sure you do not post any protected health information (PHI) or patient related imagery that can be linked back to a particular person via any social media channel or professional blog. While it is acceptable to post photos of your facilities, staff, and marketing images for different campaigns, be sure to crop out images of patients visiting your business unless they have consented in writing.
#3. Monitor Your Online Discussions
If a healthcare business is using social media to reach patients and colleagues alike, tread lightly when engaging in online discussion forums that go from generalizations to specific advice. Healthcare professionals need to proceed with caution and may want to include a disclaimer on blogs and web pages where they provide health information. Another layer of protection is to always encourage people to consult with their own physician or come to the office for an in-person consultation.
#4. Get it in Writing
A great way to market within the healthcare community is to publish “human interest” stories, which include stories from real patients. These important stories can be published on social media channels as long as they don’t violate HIPAA. If you are interested in using a patient’s likeness for any kind of promotional use, you are required to get written authorization granting permission to use protected health information (PHI) for specific marketing literature, campaigns or videos.
#5. Go With Your HIPAA Gut
If you’re in doubt about any content that you are creating, publishing or sanctioning others to publish, go with your gut – the age old saying “if in doubt, don’t” should be your general rule of thumb. Also any concerns or questions as to whether or not a line is being blurred or crossed should be vetted by HIPAA-trained staff member to ensure compliance.
Consider This…
It is perfectly fine for healthcare companies to use social media for broadcasting their message, engaging a following, and driving traffic back to their website. But all this must be done within the HIPAA confines to ensure that they don’t get into any kind of legal trouble. Violations of the unauthorized disclosure of identifying health information can result in fines up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment in addition to sanctions for an ethical breach.
All Posts, Content & Copywriting
One of the major ideas that we push to our clients is to continue to create new content for their website. However this is sometimes tougher than it may seem on the surface. When we think of your website, we’re looking at slight changes either in strategic keywords, new pages, new products, and new posts. One of the easier things to publish would be blog posts. Though there has to be a level of consistency, it certainly does help your search rank when you publish great relevant content.
Lets first look at what would be considered relevant:
Consider how your post will be relevant to your target audience. It isn’t enough anymore just to put out content all on the wall and hope something sticks. Or hope that one of out every 10 will be seen by someone who will find it relevant while the rest are just “there”.
Post Linking. While you may have many posts on your website and blog, linking some of your keywords to other relevant posts or product pages on your main site is actually a great way to drive more traffic to other great and relevant content.
Keep an eye on your analytics. Imagine getting behind the wheel of your car, and driving blind folded. It’s just as much of a bad idea as creating new content for your website, yet not paying attention to what keywords, links, and other data is bringing people to your website. Also seeing what your bounce rate is for your pages and dissecting them to find ways of either matching the expected content or installing new widgets like videos to keep visitors on your pages for a longer time.
Blog posts should be consistent. When considering a blog for your website, understand first that it is not an easy job. You’ll need to create great content on a regular basis. So your first few posts will be a breeze because they’ll most likely be things you talk about in your sales pitches, but in the long run it will be challenging. So you may want to start with 1 or 2 posts a week and on strategic days of the week and at strategic times. For example Mondays and Tuesdays around 9-11AM are great times for business and marketing articles, while weekend late mornings are great for other posts.
Trending topics within your industry. You should already have your finger to the pulse of your industry. New developments on the horizon, software updates pending for release; these are all great topics that many professionals in your audience will be talking about. So give them something to talk about, but from your own company perspective. Everyone may be looking forward to Windows 8 mobile coming out, but what if you have some constructive points about it that no one has yet discovered.
So we’ve covered a good few things today. Do you have some additions to what we’ve discussed? Please feel free and add your comments below.
Image credit: noomhh / 123RF Stock Photo
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Marketing
The keys to persuasive, effective marketing materials are great design and informative, persuasive content. Content is both words and supporting imagery that conveys what benefits a consumer will derive from the product/service you are offering. Think of brochures as either the initial “handshake” of your business with a client or the last impression. Your business cards and brochures are essential parts of your brand and can certainly impact the marketability of your business and attracting potential clientele. This week I’d like to highlight the key components to a stand out & effective brochure.
Content can include charts, images, diagrams, listings and other graphic elements that highlight key benefits of your business services/products. Also use of calls to action can be critical to persuasion and getting the consumer to act on your solicitation. Also know that the caliber of writing of your brochure will certainly determine the effectiveness of your message and brand. If you aren’t the greatest writer, farm it out to a business or colleague that can.
White space is an essential part of every single marketing piece, namely brochures. The lines between text and imagery are white space; which allows your readers’ eyes relax and gives them a momentary break from the content. You never want intake overload but also don’t want your content to look too sparse. White space can also be used to separate important points. For example, the brochure below is an example of too much white space & too little content.
Colors evoke feelings and emotions, and can certainly help to build a customers’ first or last impression of your business. The colors you select for your brochure design should definitely compliment or match the colors in your logo or company name. Use of vibrant colors should be done in selective areas and in moderation.
Font selection be stylistic but be easily readable and the size should be chosen based on the volume of information you are trying to convey. It should not be too large (over 14 pt.) or too small (less than 10 pt.) The font should reflect your brand style and set the tone of your organization – elegant for a bridal shop, powerful for an auto body shop. Lastly, the body copy font should differ from your headlines, but you should not exceed the use of 3 different fonts within your brochure design.
Paper selected should be reflective of the quality of your business…Yeah, I said it. Using flimsy paper or a cheap card stock may give a flimsy impression of your business. Choosing glossy or matte finish is purely subjective.
Imagery plays a critical role just like your written content. Take your time when selecting the right imagery and the placement of them. Also, do not forget to check your resolution on the images you select. The higher the resolution the better your picture will come across in print. The lower the resolution, the more blurry and unprofessional your brochure will look when printed. FYI -300 dpi or higher is best for clear, color printing.
The Design of your brochure should be simple but effective. Feel free to break away from the normal trifold and display your brand & company character. 
Among the sea of typical trifolds, how do you make your brochure stand out?
