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, Marketing
In this time of economic hardship, every business big or small is hurting. Declines in product purchasing, or rationalizing the use of a costly service has many business owners trimming their financial trees. However, I believe during this time of Thanksgiving, it is important to let your faithful customers/clients know just how much you appreciate them sticking with you and giving you their business.
Chachkies (Yiddish word for small gifts or collectables)
Small token gift ideas from business owners to customers can be accomplished in a cost-effective way. Great, inexpensive product marketing sites like Vistaprint offer a variety of low-cost options that tout your brand while reflecting your customer appreciation. And Vistaprint is almost ALWAYS HAVING A SALE! Understand that this inexpensive token of appreciation can translate right back to you with consumer loyalty and an increased revenue stream. This category of business branded items can include:
E-Cards
If money is tighter than your pants will be at 6pm this Thursday, an inexpensive, higher-end E-card might be just right for your limited budget. There are some great options out there with music and scrolling imagery using Flash Animation that will convey glad tidings to your customers/clients. Some clients might be happy that you are choosing to reduce your carbon footprint by not sending traditional, printed cards. Check out some great interactive options at http://bit.ly/Q5qQUH or http://bit.ly/Q5sHsH.
Holiday Rewards
Let your customers know how special they are with a one-time Holiday special/promotion for them remaining dedicated customers. Make sure to let them know that you are holding the special at this holiday time in tribute to them. If it’s a product, give them a percentage off their next order. If it’s a service, give them $ credit on their account.
These small giftings for faithfulness should be a key consideration for small business owners. Although I recognize that most don’t have the extra funds lying around to use on what might seem like a frivolous expenditure, the long term affects on those relationships are worth it. I believe that it’s important to keep your business in the minds of your current clients since the impression can go a long way to keep those customer’s repeat business AND referrals to their professional & personal networks. And if you do it right, you’ll see the ROI on this token of appreciation and jingle all the way to the bank.
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, 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?
Branding, Content & Copywriting, Marketing
Last week I talked about what to do with stagnant content and how to scrap the old, try something new & rebuild your content-driven materials to work in favor of your business goals. This week I’m going to address how to navigate your business through the forest of cunning consumers and look at some non-traditional options to brainstorm & create innovative content.
Cunning Consumers~ Now I know that when most people see the word cunning they think of deception but cunning is also defined as displaying keen insight. And 2012’s consumers & business clients have exactly that. Consumers have a much more intelligent & discriminating palate when it comes to the content they choose to take in, examine and possibly verify. Now verifying the truth of media content might not be a big deal for you but it was a major deal breaker for naturalists who believed in all things pure for Kashi products. While many consumers initially bought into Kashi’s Seven Whole Grains on a Mission campaign, it didn’t take long for one ingredient savvy consumer to blow the lid of the box that Kashi wasn’t really “natural” cereal as it contains genetically engineered grains (GMOs) and pesticide residues. Kashi Concerns over GMO Subterfuge Consumers don’t like to be duped! So be careful in being creative with the “truth” of your content. As noted in another blog by a different blog happy author “Yvonne” Jones, “Today’s consumers are mostly savvy Internet users who actively search for content on the Internet that will enable them to make wise buying decisions.” So content mavericks beware –the game has changed! Consumers are bringing their A-game to their tablets when searching, reading and consuming the words we write and how we spin’ facts & fiction about an intellectual or tangible product.
Innovative Options~ Let’s start this section with a quote from an article I read that really resonated with my business mind & own business goals. “Once you decide that there’s something you can do better…stick with your core competencies and what you’re best at”. The tangible success of any business is often determined by the ability to innovate ideas, captivate customers (and keep them), which results in creating a constant evolution toward new business.
Innovate -to make changes : do something in a new way
Change is not always easily embraced in day-to-day life or business. How you go about creatively implementing any change has a strong impact on the end result. Speaking of implementing change, it’s important to understand that rarely does one person have ALL the answers and brilliant ideas. Keeping that in mind, consider “think kitchen sink” meetings as a great way to come together as a business and be a part of an ocean of ideas. One way to accomplish creating innovative and fresh content options is to get into a room with a white board and allow each member of the business team (represent all departments of our business) and allow each one to write a few words that come to mind when thinking about a particular topic such as what is great about a particular business sector and what they’d like to see change. Why an all-hands-on-deck approach? In this case it will give you insight into the full operative nature of your business and cause you to think outside the confines of just your vision box for the business. Do something in a new way. And remember, the goal is to turn these collective ideas into innovative content AND profitable business solutions.
Newsjacking! is about relating your content to a topic that is a major headline grabber & blowing up in the news media world. Check out The Inbound Marketer’s Complete Guide to Newsjacking for the industry inside track on implementing this innovative tool. It shows the consumer that you are tapped intravenously in to what’s going on in the world and relating that to whatever content you’re writing about. It inherently increases the credibility of your content.
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Marketing
You want me to do what? Something else besides read your blog or watch your commercial? Call right now? Give you the name of my friends & their email addresses? As if businesses don’t already require so much from the average consumer already, right! In the grocery stores, they want you to scan your own items & bag your own food. Don’t bother going into the bank when you can just do that account transfer yourself at home.
If you let businesses tell it, it’s really for your benefit you see…all in the name of quicker & saving you $. So when it comes to reading articles online, watching TV or surfing the web, Calls To Action (CTA’s) are peppered throughout just about every source of media to go beyond the current action of the user. For those unfamiliar with the term, a CTA is a statement imbedded in the content of the media source that summons the consumer to act. The goal is to implore the consumer to act upon information for the purpose of obtaining something from the consumer and most often, for making a sale. CTA’s often require an immediate response such as “call now, while supplies last,” write a Congressman to stop some agenda, or as simple as utilizing a coupon before a deadline.
So why are CTA’s so important in the first place and why are they a taking a leading role of so much media content? Here’s why: I have seen & heard of various marketing campaigns falling flat on their faces by failing to compel reaction from its audience. Although entertaining, a witty commercial can totally fail to sell the volume of product stocked in a warehouse because they lacked a clear call to action.
Terminology – Create, View, Buy Now, Subscribe…all are examples of businesses telling users/consumers what they want them to do. The words are usually short & concise because too many options & too many “too good to be true” statements turn users off. Word choice and terminology should always be relevant to the industry of the business. But in order for a business to see any ROI based on these efforts, they have to create a sense of urgency and/or create a limitation that once again, compels the reader or viewer to do something that is advantageous to the business.
Incentives & other “Bene’s” – Creative use of expiration dates and gifting incentives are very important in the world of CTA’s. In most cases, there has to be some type of incentive for the reader/user/consumer to go beyond what they are already doing. Such incentives may include a small token of appreciation such as a gift or discount that is relevant to they company or promotion of another business.
Make it Standout! I just love to see the little blue & white Cox Cable Digeez’ spin & flip around solving my internet & high-speed cable dilemma. http://bit.ly/CoxEspn3 Use of BOLD text, flash media and the like, as well as hyperlinks in web content are all tricks of the trade to peek the curiosity of the user to move them along the conveyor of consume & purchase world. So the main goal of both advertising agencies and media companies is to know how to stand out, get your attention and how to hold it long enough to profit them.
Use natural sounding phrases that are friendly yet enticing
Use testimonials to encourage participation
Use words that accurately describe the result of your interaction
Don’t be overly verbose-create simple & strong CTA’s
The bigger and more pronounced your call to action, the more chance it will be noticed and acted upon.
What’s Trending…
