4 Ways Printed Marketing Materials Can Add Value

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Over the last decade, quite a bit has changed in media, marketing, and advertising. However the more that things change, the more things stay the same. Print advertising remains a stalwart for businesses of all sizes to connect with the people who are key to their business success. This makes printed marketing material still very relevant.

Here are some of the ways that printed marketing material offers business people value when they’re evaluating how to allocate their marketing budget:

Multiple Distribution Methods Available – One of the biggest advantages of using Print as a component in your overall marketing strategy is that Printed materials, in their many forms, are something that clients or potential new customers can hang onto until the time they’re ready to buy or start a discussion with you. In today’s digital age, many traditional Print Media Outlets such as Newspapers and Magazines have adapted to the changing advertising environment and offer their print advertisers a corresponding online ad as part of their ad spend.

Even though newspapers and periodicals have witnessed a decline in subscribers and readers, the people who still rely on these mediums for local, regional, and national news are more engaged with the material presented in them.

Direct Mail is also a straightforward and tested way to get into the consciousness of the client, especially if the material that you are sending to the consumer offers a compelling offer or promotion to give them an incentive to buy from you. All you need to do is think of how many times you’ve clipped a coupon from one of your local mailers to see how powerful this type of print ad can be for your company.

Personal and Professional Networking – If you’ve spent any time doing personal or professional networking, the chances are good that you already understand just how important it is to have an attractive and professional business card to hand out to everyone you meet.

While the digital world travels at the speed of light, a traditional business card stays rooted as a standard in the business community and provides essential contact information to the people who you meet in personal or professional settings. Your business card can be as unique as you are and provide everything from your address to a QR code – as well as where people can find you online, such as your website address and your social media profiles. By offering as much information as possible anyone who has it can connect with you on the platform they are most comfortable.

Sponsorships – As part of a Sponsorship Agreement, many local Organizations offer their sponsors’ recognition by way of print advertising. These print ads could include putting their logo on the player’s uniforms, publishing an ad in the Yearbook, or mentioning the business names sponsors on the brochure or leaflet. Not only does print advertising by way of Sponsorship help build brand awareness, but it also associates your name with an activity or causes the entire community embraces, which is always mutually beneficial for all parties involved!

Sponsorships worth considering include Non-Profit sponsorships, Corporate Sponsorships, and Special Event Sponsorships that help you connect with people who could benefit from your product or service offerings. By supporting community members, you are not only helping people in your community to do what they love, but you are extending your brand to everyone who is involved in the Organizations, whether it’s the local little league baseball team or a charity event which is excellent for your business reputation.

Industry Events and Conventions – Industry events and conventions are a great venue to connect with potential new clients, business partners, and vendors and printed marketing material assure that anyone who stopped and took the time to talk to you has something they can reference back to once they’ve left the venue. Depending on your marketing budget and the niche your business serves, it is always a smart idea to have printed material for people as they walk past or stop to talk. Ideas for products that you can give away include printed flyers, product brochures, magnets, Bluetooth devices, printed tote bags, water bottles imprinted with your business logo, Branded USB sticks, pens, or stylus’ or even T-Shirts that proudly tout your business branding on them.

Everyone loves a giveaway, so there is almost no way that you can go wrong with a product giveaway at these types of gatherings. Since the chances are good that consumers will meet and talk with numerous suppliers and vendors throughout the course of the day, your investment in these promotional materials gives them a way to remember your brand later. While there are upfront costs associated with buying customized promotional products, these costs can be offset quickly by the sales and return on investment when someone buys from you immediately or at a later time. For best results, select promotional items that are more likely to resonate with your target audience.

For example, if you are exhibiting at a health and wellness event, giving away items such as Antibacterial Gel Packets, Lip Balms with Sunscreen, Hand Sanitizers, Sleep Masks, or other related products make perfect sense. Business owners who exhibit at home and garden shows might be better served to offer items such as branded tape measures, paint stirrers, yard sticks, or levels to appeal to their target audience of customers who are in the market for home improvements or renovations at some time in the future. When these clients hang on to these useful items, it reminds the potential customer about your business and increases the chances that they’ll call you when the time comes to start the project. By selecting the most related promotional items for your event, you can be sure that the items you give away work as cost-effective marketing material when they call you to do their next job!

These are just a handful of ways that printed marketing materials can help your business brand and reach new audiences!

Building the Brand You’ve Always Dreamed Of

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If you’ve been around the block even one time, you know how important branding is. You find brands everywhere you look – just drive down the busiest street in your town and you’ll see for yourself! As a small business owner, building the brand you’ve always dreamed of and establishing your market share is the key to your success!

Depending on the product or service you offer, and the scope in which you see yourself operating, you’ll need to make some big decisions on how best to position yourself. The more you understand your target demographics, the better you’re positioned to market effectively to them. By making the experience that consumers have with your brand more meaningful, customers are likely to be more loyal to your brand.

Selecting Your Name, Making a Statement and Building the Brand

If you are just getting started with your business venture, the first couple of things you need to do is decide what ‘name’ will represent your commercial efforts. There is no exact ‘cut and dry’ solution to selecting the ideal name for your company or Organization, so it is always a good idea to brainstorm some naming possibilities. Don’t be afraid to talk about your project with your business partners, friends and family members to drum up some ideas. If you are coming up short, working with a branding expert is another way to launch your brand effectively.

Measuring Your Brand

Once you’ve officially launched your brand, the next step is to measure your market share actively. These days, you’ll find no shortage of tools to evaluate and track the strength of your brand, as well as your brand equity. You’ll know you’ve reached the pinnacle of success when your brand name is used to replace the generic term for the product! Think Kleenex or Q-Tips. Obviously, this isn’t something that happens overnight, so if you are aiming for this business goal, you might have to use a long-term plan to get to this point, and your branding will inevitably be one of the biggest pieces of solving this business puzzle.

Promotional Products for Building the Brand’s Awareness

Nearly everyone appreciates getting something free from time to time. If part of your business plan includes being an exhibitor at local or industry-sponsored trade shows or conferences, investing in meaningful, personalized, promotional items is a cost-effective way to keep your brand name in front of people who could potentially be your customers. Things like Pens, Styli, USB Memory Sticks, T-Shirts, Water Bottles, Tote Bags, and Printed Materials with more information on your company are a relatively inexpensive ways to market your brand and build goodwill. Instead of attendees forgetting about your brand as soon as they leave the venue, they have something they can use with your brand name or marketing message imprinted on it directly, so they can refer to you when it is convenient for them. While they may not buy from you directly that day, they have a way to connect with you again at a later time when they’re ready to buy!

In the modern marketplace, companies of all sizes must compete against one another to garner the attention of consumers. Establishing your brand is critical to getting the coverage and business you need to succeed. The more efficient you are at providing a product or service that commands brand loyalty, the better! Once you’ve become a trusted provider, the higher your chances of repeat and referral business.

Digital Marketing and Branding Go Hand in Hand

Technology and the extensive use of Internet Technology have made it easier than ever before for people to connect and sell online. With the proper branding elements in place and a professional web presence that includes a branded website domain, a managed Social Media Presence and eCommerce capabilities, business owners and entrepreneurs can start on a level playing field, which was more than what was possible even twenty short years ago.

As a general rule, a website that supports your brand should be user-friendly and mobile-friendly to be viewed correctly on display screens of all sizes. These days, more and more people depend on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones to access the Internet, so you’ll want to be sure that you have a responsive design in place to cater to website visitors who are using these devices to browse your site. Another technical aspect to have in order is having your site hosted on a fast web server. No one likes to have to wait for more than a couple seconds for a website to load, so every extra millisecond counts! All you need to do is think of how many sites you’ve hit the “Close” button on because it was taking too long, to understand what we’re talking about here!

Do You Need Help With Building the Brand and Putting It All Together?

There is no doubt that branding is a complicated process to put together on your own, especially if this isn’t one of your business strengths. But there is no reason to worry when you can work with branding experts like Colleen Eakins, who specialize in these aspects of business development. Head on over to the contact page to get in touch with Colleen and get started building the brand you’ve always dreamed of!

Your Brand Is More Than Just Your Logo

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Congratulations on your decision to start your own business! But before you take the first steps to launch officially, the first phase of establishing your business presence is charting your brand. When you think about “branding” in its purest form, the chances are good that logos or catchy jingles immediately come to mind. Perhaps you think of Coca-Cola or McDonald’s at first because these are two long-standing brands that have etched their way into the collective minds of generations of people. Undoubtedly, these are both large brands, so while your business isn’t where they are today, you can learn a lot from the efforts and examples their marketing teams have come up with over the years. Because a brand is more than just a logo.

In 2015, Coca-Cola was recognized by Interbrand as being the third most valuable Global Brand, so what began as a modest patent medicine created by pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886 grew into an International Brand that’s enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. Frank Mason Robinson, who served as Pemberton’s bookkeeper, created the logo. Throughout the years, Robinson’s logo remains relatively unchanged from the original vision.

It was only after Pemberton’s death that a majority stakeholder in his company, Asa Griggs Candler, took his concoction to the next level. With Candler at the helm, distribution of the Coca-Cola Syrup to Soda Fountains and the use of creative marketing helped increase the demand for the sweet, energizing, carbonated beverage.

While the Tag Lines that Coca-Cola used have changed over the years, the product stays true to what their customers have come to expect each time they open a cold, refreshing can or bottle of Coke. It’s easy to understand how this type of consistent product wins the taste buds of consumers every day.

McDonald’s also came from humble beginnings. Initially, a single-location family owned restaurant that served ten-cent burgers in the 1950’s. A half a century later, McDonald’s is now one of the largest franchised businesses worldwide. Much of their success was a result of improving processes for efficiency and providing all employees with consistent training. Through these operational efforts, The Golden Arches proved that customers could stop at any franchise location, be greeted with a smile, and order a burger that consistently tasted the same.

To stay ahead in the fiercely competitive fast food industry, they’ve adjusted their branding and expanded their menu offerings to suit the unique tastes of their demographic markets.

Happy Meals that came with small toys helped appeal kids and their budget-conscious parents. The introduction of Chicken McNuggets extended their menu and gave customers an option other than a Quarter Pounder or a Big Mac. When their company started seeing competition from Coffee Shops such as Starbucks, they added Gourmet Coffee and other Drinks to their menu to go after this very lucrative market. When customers kept asking them why they couldn’t get breakfast menu items after 10:30 AM, they responded by offering an All-Day Breakfast menu to meet the demands of their customers. In 2015, they opened the first McDonald’s Next Store in Hong Kong. This concept restaurant has a modern design and a progressive menu that features a salad bar and a “Create Your Taste” that allows guests to customize their burger order using Touch Screen Technology.

Through all these changes, their brand focuses on cleanliness and customer satisfaction, which is part of the reason they’ve been able to maintain their market share.

Flexibility Helps With Brand Success

As Steven Redhead says “Flexibility is your greatest strength.” Just as McDonald’s had to make adjustments to stay competitive to meet the changing tastes of their core customers, you should be willing to make adjustments as needed to stay relevant in an ever-changing consumer environment.

Technology has opened the doors and paved the way for anyone with a vision to build a brand or a business of their very own. In many ways, it’s easier than ever before to connect with potential new customers, get feedback on your offerings, and make changes as needed to add clarity to your overall brand. If something isn’t working, it can be addressed quickly and get tested until it is perfect!

What’s Your Brand Story?

While everyone loves a catchy logo, it’s worth keeping in mind that it isn’t just about the image potential customers see when evaluating your brand. Today’s savvy consumers want to know the story behind the Brand name and what inspired the founders to pursue their dream to forge their path in the business world. Everyone loves to hear a story, and brilliant entrepreneurs and Startup Companies realize the people behind the Brand are what make it tick!

When crafting your brand, be sure to put some thought behind your message. What is the passion that drives your work? How do the product or services you offer make your customers lives easier or better? How does your brand seek to change the world?

Regardless of whether you are running a For-Profit business or a Non-Profit Organization, the more you’re able to define your brand using Mission Statements, Logos, and Corporate Responsibility Statements, the better your foundation for success is.

These things all help explain your business in plain text and can also get used when you’re in an “Elevator Pitch” situation. If you’ve ever watched television shows like Shark Tank, the chances are good that you already know how important it is to be able to explain your business in about the same length of time it takes to ride an elevator. You want to be sure that almost anyone can get a clear understanding of your business operations to inspire interest and curiosity about your products or services.

An enthusiastic attitude along with a meaningful branded message and a catchy Elevator Pitch can do wonders for Pre-Revenue Startups, established businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Nonprofit Organizations who have a grand vision to grow and thrive.

Four Common Misconceptions About Outsourcing

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In 2016, there is no doubt that the way business gets done today is significantly different than it was when most of us were growing up. Employment opportunities are more fluid today than ever before and offer entrepreneurs and business owners the chance to build their business creatively.

When many people think of the word “outsourcing,” there are likely to be good – and not so good – word associations that come to mind. But for better or for worse, outsourcing now plays a vital role in the greater world economy.

Here are four common misconceptions about outsourcing:

“Outsourced workers provide low-quality work.”

In days past, there may have been some amount of truth to this statement, but this is no longer the case. As the “gig” economy grows as a valid method for people to utilize their talents and passions, more skilled people are entering the marketplace to offer their services, whether they provide web design, accounting services, executive administration, customer support, or thousands of other services.

By appropriately screening and training ideal candidates, employers help assure that your outsourced help meets your quality standards and helps you achieve your business objectives on their assigned tasks. If you connect with talented outsourced contractors who understand your needs, you have the ability to scale your operations exponentially.

“All outsourced workers are from ESL (English as Second Language) Countries.”

Yes, many outsourced workers work from countries where English is their second language. However, a growing number of people from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom are joining the legions of individuals who work independently as Freelancers and speak English fluently.

Depending on the needs of your business, using both ESL freelancers and Native English speakers can work to your advantage. Native English speakers can help in roles such as working as a salesperson, updating content, writing marketing material, or working as a customer relationship manager.

Since outsourced ESL workers have a basic comprehension of English, they can be utilized in assignments such as doing internet research, working on custom website coding or programming, data entry tasks, mobile and app development, and other jobs where they can excel.

“It’s too hard to communicate with people who aren’t physically in my office or workspace.”

If you are like many people, there is a degree of ‘connectedness’ that you feel when you work with people on a ‘face-to-face’ basis. When you need to talk to someone, all you need to do is walk to their desk or catch up with them in the breakroom to let them know what you need.

While you might not have this with remote outsourced workers, this doesn’t mean that keeping in communication with them is difficult. In the last few years, significant developments in low-cost – and sometimes even free – technology has opened the lines of communication between remote outsourced employees and employers across the globe.

The use of video web conferencing programs such as Google Hangouts, Skype, Facetime, and others allow company owners to conference remotely with individuals or their entire team to keep in touch regarding important issues. When a face to face interaction isn’t required to convey a message, cloud-based collaboration tools provide a secure online workspace for all outsourced employees to work cooperatively.

Many successful outsourced employees tend to keep their personal lines of communication open because of the nature of their job requirements. They understand the importance of providing their contact information to those they’re working with as a way to streamline projects and meet project deadlines.

“Using outsourced contract workers is too expensive or time-consuming.”

The reality is that this statement couldn’t be further from the truth! If you are willing to spend some time screening potential freelance contractors and make an attractive offer for them to work with you, the chances are good that they will be open to building a long-term working relationship with you.

Think, for a moment, about the traditional hiring process. There are a lot of steps you have to go through to find the right person! First, you have to sort through job applications. Depending on where you conduct business, there might not even be a deep enough talent pool in which to find the best-qualified candidates for your job. It could take hours to qualify a handful of candidates that meet your requirements!

When you work with outsourced freelance contractors, you have the opportunity to hire someone who matches your job profile completely. Even better is that you end up saving time and money on the expenses of hiring a full-time employee when you include expensive benefits packages that include health insurance, paid vacations, and sick leave. As you can imagine, the cost savings in working with an outsourced employee represents a significant amount of money. Especially when these savings are spread out over the expanse of months and years for multiple employees.

Another advantage that helps you and your business is that nearly all outsourced workers have independently pursued ongoing training, certifications, and acquiring specialized knowledge in the services they provide. They also have access to related tools that are critical to the services they provide.

For instance, a graphic designer most likely owns – or has his access to – Adobe Creative Cloud software or another preferred graphic design software suite. In essence, your employee doesn’t need you to buy or supply them with access to the tools necessary to complete their job, which saves you more money on the costs of software and licensing fees.

There is no better time than now to dispel any preconceived notions or misconceptions you may have about hiring outsourced professionals. These experts are there to help you with the jobs and tasks that you don’t have the time or the interest in doing yourself, without all of the hassles that traditional hiring represents.

Working with outsourced contractors is a ‘win-win’ situation that allows you to stay in control without the added risk of hiring full-time workers who may or may not be able to complete the work you need to be done based on a much higher cost basis.

Strengthen Your Business Position | Remote Freelance Workforce

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As a small or medium-sized business owner, one of the biggest challenges you face is growing your company in a manageable way. If you are like most other entrepreneurs, you wear many hats in the daily administration of your operations. Regardless of whether you are proficient in handling all facets of your business or not, getting the assistance of a well-qualified freelancer is an effective way to delegate authority and strengthen your brand position.

As an industry leader, it always makes sense for you to focus on the activities that you excel at and are most profitable for your organization. These days, building a brand name is more complex than what it was even 10-years ago. It’s essential to have a tested and robust marketing strategy in place that includes Content and Social Media Marketing to keep your friends, family, and fans’ in the loop about your business activities, as well as keeping search engines happy with new, exciting, and relevant content.

Are You Short on Time and Talent?

If your answer to this question is ‘yes’ you can take comfort in knowing that freelance contractors are a viable solution for solving all of your problems. In recent years, there has been a significant shift in how many people approach their work. More skilled workers than ever before now use Freelancing as a way to augment their incomes and in some cases, even earn a full time living from their efforts. Here are a few ways that you can utilize the talent and time of others to strengthen your business operations:

Web Design and Development – Internet technology is always changing, and there is no doubt that keeping abreast of all the changes that could impact the effectiveness of your website can be formidable. The good news is that there are plenty of experienced freelance web designers and developers who are proficient and motivated to help you with all of your web design and development needs.

Regardless of whether you need to make your website ‘mobile friendly’ with a responsive website design, you need help with adding email opt-ins, or a complete overhaul of your WordPress is necessary, outsourced freelance web design and development specialists are there to make short work of your project. These experts are also handy if you have a custom coding job or another type of project that falls outside of your skill set, or you have time constraints that limit your ability to work on the assignment yourself.

Custom Content Creation and Copywriting – There is nothing stronger than carefully crafted content and copy in conveying your branding or marketing message. If you struggle to find the time – or the words – to deliver your message eloquently, freelance writers and copywriters help you communicate your message in a persuasive and professional way.

These professionals can play a significant role in helping with content marketing strategies for amplifying the growth of your business through creating digital marketing assets such as white papers, infographics, print and web ready marketing materials, and consistently providing fresh content for your blog. If you have a very specific job in mind, you always have the option of hiring a freelance writer who specializes in SEO optimized content, writing press releases, or finishing the type of copy you need.

Virtual Assistants – If you find yourself behind when it comes to completing administrative tasks, hiring a freelance virtual assistant is an ideal way to get caught up and stay on top of your duties and responsibilities.

Virtual assistants are ideal for helping with jobs such as responding to customer emails, conducting Internet research, scheduling appointments, handling support tickets or live chat duties, preparing reports, sorting spreadsheets and other types of data, and managing calendars for you and your team to coordinate and collaborate more effectively.

Marketing Teams – For many small and growing businesses, one of the most cost-effective ways to increase their marketing reach is by hiring freelance marketing professionals. They are helpful for doing short-term project work for product launches, working with media outlets to boost the coverage of your brand, your products or services.

They are also able to tap into the strength of their network and skills to adeptly spread your brand message, which helps boost sales and awareness of your offerings. Your team may intersect in providing both offline promotions and online advertising on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and others.

Bringing It All Together

After you’ve assembled all the key members of your outsourced staff, the next step is getting everyone on the project aligned to meet your business goals. Luckily for you, collaboration software has made it easier than ever before for people to work together, regardless of where they live in the world.  Another benefit of using Collaboration software is the fact that many of them are cloud-based, meaning that users don’t have to download software to their workstation. Instead, it is remotely hosted, and your team can log in to your workroom to update on the status of your project from anywhere, so long as they have an internet connection.

Beneficial to everyone on your team, you have the freedom to hire from a talent pool that can deliver the support and help your business needs from the comfort of their home or another preferred workspace. You reap the benefit of not having to get a larger business office for your team to work at because their ‘meeting space’ is hosted securely online.

Other types of software that come in handy for getting your team organized and on the same page is conference calling (with or without video) and document sharing software that enables all selected team members to work together throughout the creative process until the project gets completed. Members assigned to the project can make suggestions in the document without making changes to the original, allowing for the creation of a “mastermind” in the creation and implementation of the end product.

If you are interested in learning more about how delegating authority can methodically increase your business capacity, please feel free to reach out and start a conversation with me today!