Preparing Artwork for Your Commercial Printer

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Joe Watson

Creating artwork that you plan to have commercially printed can save time and money when done correctly. Mistakes can be time consuming and costly however if you fail to proof correctly or have problems with photos and other elements in your artwork.

One common mistake is the color mode for photos. Today, many print jobs are printed on digital equipment where pdf file types are the norm. When you are creating your own artwork with photos, file type and color mode of those photos are important. Not all cameras, computer equipment and software handle photos automatically the same, so checking the color mode and file type matters.

When checking the color mode, you want CMYK mode for color printing on paper and many substrates. Many times, your photo color mode is Indexed Color. That looks just fine in the software you are working with, but does not always transfer to a pdf correctly.

The above photo is the original inserted into a marketing piece to be printed. It was a gif file in indexed color mode. Looks fine for most purposes. However, when the piece was converted to pdf file format for digital printing equipment, this is how the photo looked.

To correct this problem, run the photo through a photo editing program. Set the color mode to CMYK and save the file type as jpg just to be on the safe side. That file type works great within a pdf. One more thing to notice, the original photo is dark, which does not do well on digital equipment. While you are editing the photo, lighten the photo and contrast to correct the darkness problem. Save as CMKY, jpg, and you are ready to go. Insert the final photo into your artwork and create a pdf. Once these changes were made, the photo looked like this.

Making these changes prior to sending your pdf file to your commercial printer can save time and keep your project running smoothly.

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The landing page behind the QR code

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Joe Watson

By now, chances are you have encountered one. Maybe you even tried to take a photo of one with your mobile phone. We are talking about those square matrix QR (Quick Response) Codes that are popping up everywhere.  You can use them in your windows, on your direct mail or even your business cards, but it is important to know where your prospects are going once they scan the code.

Having a QR Code is becoming important, but having a proper landing page to where your code directs is more important. A landing page is a unique page on your website that typically has a single purpose, like capturing an e-mail address or selling a product. When a prospect scans a QR Code, the landing page should be associated with the marketing you are doing where your prospect discovered your QR Code.  Look at how to get the most of your QR Codes by creating great landing pages that go with them.

Keep it Simple
Your initial reaction is going to want to fit as much information on this page as you can, but too much information can be overwhelming. It is important to keep it as simple as you can while still getting your point across. Remember, you want to keep your marketing focused to the campaign you are running.

Make it Engaging
You only have a few seconds to get the visitors’ attention. Consider using a video or place a vivid image of the product you are promoting. Keep the copy simple and interesting. Make sure the visitor understands specifically what they should do while they are on the landing page.

Call-to-Action
You got a visitor to your landing page; you want them to act on a specific promotion. Stick to one central call-to-action on your landing page, especially if you are directing them there from a QR Code. You want to make it a simple form, with as little work for the visitor as possible to capture your lead. Make sure the button you want the prospect to click is of high contrast to the rest of the elements on the site so it stands out. Having more than one call-to-action may confuse your visitors and cause them to leave your website.

What now? Maybe you are having a giveaway, trying to get registrations for an event or just trying to build awareness for your organization. With a good landing page you have given your visitors a reason to act on the marketing campaign. Having these visitors to your page should mean you obtained information about your prospects. Now is the time for you to act with a followup.

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Speaking of Direct Mail…..

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Joe Watson

If Your Direct Mail Is Not Working, You Maybe Making These Mistakes

Every day you go to your mailbox to see it you have mail. As you stand over the trashcan to sort, how do you decide what piece you will read and what piece will fall through your hands into the trash? While direct mail is an effective tool in your marketing campaign, there are some easy ways to foil your efforts. Here are a few tips to keep your mail out of the recycle bin.

Wrong Audience
First, you must understand your target audience. Second, you must find a way to obtain their mailing address. If you are planning to purchase a list, look to your current customers as a source for demographic and psychographic information. Current customers are also more likely to respond to direct mail, so consider a campaign for repeat business.

No Call To Action
The whole purpose of direct mail is to get people to do something. For businesses, that usually means purchasing something from you. It is very important that you have a clear call to action and that the offer is compelling. Make an offer they can not refuse and the response rate will increase.

Poor Design
The quickest way to get a person to look at your direct mail is by having a clean design. Conversely, the quickest way to get them to toss it is to have a design with no purpose. Here is where you want to call in the professionals who can create the perfect piece for your needs.

Tracking Results
How will you know whether your direct mail campaign was successful unless you include a way to track it? Include a special promotional code or make customers bring in the direct mail piece. It is important to know if you got a good ROI to determine if you want to mail again or make adjustments. Consider using personalized QR codes to track who scans your piece.

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Build Your Business on Your Own Personal Brand

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Joe Watson

When people think of marketing they probably think of a television commercial, radio ad, a magazine ad or a billboard. While these are certainly great ways to market your company, there is another—and maybe even more important—way to promote your business. Building a personal brand. It is an easy and inexpensive way to get your business in front of people. Here are a few tips to build your personal brand.

Take Stock in Your Assets
What are others saying about you? It is not what you say, but what others are saying about you. That is what influences your reputation. So you need to get to know yourself and how you want to portray yourself—and your business—in the community.

See and be Seen
Go out there and show off your personal brand. Go to the events and places where people that you want to influence gather. Make sure you have your 15-30 second sales pitch of what you do and how the people you meet can benefit from your business. It helps to have several versions of your pitch so you can tailor the message to the person you’re meeting.

Get Social
Your company may have a Facebook and Twitter account, but remember to use your personal social media pages to talk about your expertise and your business. It is probably more effective than your company page, because it is a person talking to another person about topics that interest both parties.

Always Deliver
When you make a promise, deliver on it. That is the most important and effective way to maintain your reputation and build your brand. Be true to who you are and continue to make investments in developing the person and business you want to be.

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The Making of a Good Brochure

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Joe Watson

Do you feel like no matter how hard you try, you simply can not avoid needing to be in more than one place at a time? Wishing for a clone? Well, your company brochure can be in many places, helping you influence prospects and informing existing customers. An effective brochure clearly outlines what a business is about and what it has to offer. A poorly written brochure may leave potential clients and existing customers wondering why they should do business with you.

 
Here are a few ideas and tips for designing a brochure that will properly represent your business, outline what you have to offer your audience and serve as an effective marketing and sales tool.

 
A good headline is key. The headline on the front of your brochure should always speak to the interests and problems of your marketing audience. It should also be followed by the solutions you provide. Many business owners just lead with their company’s basic information. It is very important to capture your market’s attention and lead them to read the rest of the brochure. Why bother taking the time to create a great brochure if your target audience only reads the front and then discards it?

 
Remember the basics when creating a brochure.  It should include your standard information, such as company name, at least two types of contact information, a logo and tagline. Always remember to include your tagline. It should include a headline on the front and two or three brief items outlining benefits your business provides. All text should be in short, easy-to-read blocks using a professional font that is easy on the eyes.  Add graphics  and photos of your product and services.  For a special touch, you might include a photo of key personnel.

 
Strive not to confuse the reader. Avoid that urge to list too much information on your brochure. Too many messages will confuse the reader and take away from your main points. Focus on what interests your target market in a precise manner, and they will come away with a clear understanding of what your business offers them and how you will do it.  Be proud of your business, but not at the expense of stuffing your brochure with needless information.

 
Avoid hard to understand terms and words. There is no need to send the reader scrambling for a dictionary. Your goal is to provide the reader with information regarding your business, and big words or lengthy acronyms are hardly the best way to accomplish this. Keeping it simple is the best course of action.

 
Include a call to action. Never just assume the reader will feel the need to contact you or make a purchase after they read your well-written brochure. An effective brochure should include a call to action, such as an offer for a free product sample or a free estimate or gift. This will entice readers and give them an incentive to act. Sometimes people need that extra motivation to contact you or make a purchase.

 
A firm brochure is like a firm handshake and promotes confidence and competence. The paper weight, texture, appearance and overall feel are some of the first things someone will notice about your brochure. Use high-quality paper with a glossy finish to create a brochure that stands out. Presenting a thin, flimsy brochure will let everyone know that you put little thought and even less effort into developing your marketing materials.

 
Regardless of your business size, finances or design resources, the above tips will help you create a brochure that will best represent your business, impress potential clients and urge them to act.

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Trade shows making a comeback

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Joe Watson

After taking a hit the last couple of years, trade shows are set to make a comeback. This year,  2011 looks promising as many companies pull themselves out of the recession. If your business intends to spend some marketing budget on displaying at trade shows this year, look for these trends to help you attract more customers to your booth.

Technology is BIG.
Technology rules and tradeshow displays are no exception. Incorporate technology into your booth to attract attention. Today’s technology is more durable than the plasma screens of the past. Touchscreens are one of the hottest trends and they give your visitors an interactive experience.

LED screens can grab attention. For example, at the Expo 2010 show in China, the State Grid Pavilion hosted a 49 x 46 foot LED display theatre named the “Magic Box.” After people gathered in the box, the 112 LED panels morphed into one giant screen and everyone appeared to speed across the desert and leap onto Mount Everest. While the “Magic Box” would be beyond budget for most, we can see that creatively integrating technology can make your trade show booth the one everyone must see.

Pictures are stronger than words.
You have only a few seconds to capture the attention of a tradeshow attendee. Rather than cram your exhibit with all the words from your brochures, just entertain and educate them through interesting displays.

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California Bans Promotional Products At State Agencies

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Joe Watson

Governor Jerry Brown has issued a memorandum directing all California state agencies and departments to immediately stop purchasing “free giveaway and gift items—such as key chains, coffee mugs and squeeze toys” as part of his “continuing efforts to cut costs and tackle the state’s budget gap.”

Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC), Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California (PMANC) and Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) will reach out to the Governor and state legislators to remind them that while a prohibition on the purchase of promotional products may yield some short term savings, in the long term, this prohibition may unintentionally diminish the good work of those agencies.

If state agencies cannot use promotional products, individuals and businesses may not utilize the state government’s services to the extent they could, or be as informed about their rights and responsibilities under state laws and regulations.

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Small businesses are choosing Facebook as their marketing tool

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Joe Watson

Facebook is rapidly becoming the favorite marketing tool for small businesses, according to a new survey released this week by online small business network MerchantCircle.

The study surveyed more than 8,400 businesses and found 70 percent use Facebook to promote their business. That number is up from 50 percent a year ago.  The survey marks the first time that Facebook surpassed Google, which is used by 66 percent of businesses.
The study showed 32 percent currently use the location-based service Facebook Places, and an another 12 percent plan to begin using it in the coming months.
The use of location-based services has remained at 9 percent over the past two quarters, the survey showed, suggesting Facebook Places has been rounding up a lot of the competition from other location-based services.
Online marketing is a challenge for most local businesses, and many of them are working with very small budgets and almost no marketing resources.  The marketing methods gaining the most ground are the ones that offer small business ease of use, low costs and immediate results.

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Take advantage of FREE advertising.

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Joe Watson

First there was Google Maps that gave you a birds-eye view of the world. But something was missing, so Google gave us Google Street that allowed us to place the little yellow figure on designated streets to see a 360 degree view of the area. Now you can add valuable information about your business while prospects are standing right in front of your virtual door step. Everyone should set up this free listing for their business. Here are some helpful tips for Google Places.
Take your place in Google Places.
The first thing you need to do is set up a Google Places account for your business. This free directory displays your business phone number, website, operating hours and additional photos directly in Google Street view. Now customers get essential information without leaving the map. To set up your Google Places account, visit http://www.google.com/places.
Offer a gift.
Create a promotion that is specific to your Google Places entry. If your business uses coupons, this is a golden opportunity to distribute one at no cost to you. From your entry, you can drive people to your website for additional interactions with your business. With this information you can find out exactly how many visitors have come to your website through Google Places.
Good service is key.
Customers can rate their experience with you in Google Places, and the difference between a four star and a five star business can be crucial for some searchers. If customers have a great experience with your business they will share it. On the other hand, a bad review is just as likely to ease out onto the web. So give your customers the service and experience you want shared with the world. Encourage customers to write a review.

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Consider using YouTube for FREE advertising.

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Joe Watson

Chances are, you have taken time to do this in the past couple of days. You clicked on a link your friend sent you to watch a funny YouTube video. But, think about this…. Have you thought to use YouTube to market your business? YouTube has millions of viewers weekly and is one of the most searched sites on the internet. Now get out that video camera and tap into that viewership to increase your exposure.
Set up a YouTube Channel (account)
Before you start posting video, you will need to set up a YouTube channel so all of your videos can be stored in one location. There is a good chance when someone searches or views your video, they may decide to view others you have posted.
Post relevant material
Make sure you post interesting videos that people will be searching for. Some ideas with YouTube videos would be to either establish you as an expert in your industry or show what makes your company unique. You might also want to display how your products or services work and provide support for your products. It is important to keep them short. It is also important that you post new videos on a regular basis.
Work to be noticed
Each day, over 200 thousand videos are posted to YouTube, so it is important that you reach your target audience. Post your videos with keywords that are relevant to the video and what your prospects may be searching for. Once you have them loaded to YouTube, create links on your company website, Facebook page, Twitter, etc., to get more exposure. Your videos do not need to be professionally produced to get noticed. Just make sure the audio and video are good enough to get people to watch.

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