Formalise the brief

It’s a given that all the important points should be documented on paper or email. It should include who your target market is, the message you want to communicate and if the project is part of a broader marketing campaign. It should also include deadlines and a budget.

Be Realistic with Deadlines and Budgets

Your designer will try to combine many elements to get you the most for your money. You may not need a four-colour, die-cut, embossed folder to hand out a quote. If money is an issue, let them suggest economical alternatives. Try to be realistic about your own deadlines too, and adhere to them. You can’t always assume the designer and printer can just rush your job through.

Provide inspiration

Show them other designs/creative concepts that appeal to you – also any that you dislike - and explain what you like and/or dislike about these designs. This isn’t about “copying” but allows your designer to understand your sense of style. Don’t be afraid to think outside of your industry too.

Provide necessary materials in the correct format

Photographs, images and any copy content need to arrive at the designer in the correct format so that the designer doesn’t need to do any extra work that might tip the budget.

Don’t Box Your Designer In

Don’t hold a pre-conceived notion of how you imagine your design will look. You will box your designer in by telling them EXACTLY what you think you want. You are paying for their expertise. Let your designer add their creativity to the arsenal of information you have just provided. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Once you incorporate these steps into your process, you will reduce many of the hassles and headaches that often come up when producing marketing materials. You may even look forward to managing your next project!

© Creative Gem Design Studio

It’s nearly that time of year again. Yes, Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas is an important time in our business calendars and for many businesses it is one of the busiest. Christmas can also be an ideal opportunity to market your business. And getting organised ahead of time can help you avoid a great deal of frustration.

Show your appreciation

Why not use Christmas as the one time in the year when you actually make the time to formally thank your customers, your suppliers and your colleagues for their contribution to your business? Go the extra mile to personalise the message or consider creating your own customised card that will mean something to those receiving it. If you’re sending gifts to clients, colleagues or suppliers, think of something that you would appreciate yourself, or personalise gifts for each person to show that you’ve put some effort into the gesture.

Keep your customers informed

While you’re mailing out a Christmas card, don’t miss the opportunity to keep your customers informed of what’s happening in your business. A mail out is the perfect chance to let your customers know of Christmas period trading and closures, of new products or services for the coming year, or of any important changes. Remember to keep your message informative and concise, as this is a busy time of year for all. Plan to mail in early December so you can beat the flood of Christmas cards and other messages that will be competing for attention!

The chance to network

Christmas parties can be fun chance to let your hair down, but don’t forget that Christmas parties can be an excellent chance to network! Always make sure you have a ready supply of business cards with you, and use the opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, and to meet new contacts and customers.

What do the colours in the design of your website, brochure or product represent?

Red

Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.
Red is a very emotionally intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a colour found in many national flags.
Red brings text and images to the foreground. Use it as an accent colour to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect colour for ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Click Here’ buttons on Internet banners and websites. In advertising, red is often used to evoke erotic feelings (red lips, red nails, red-light districts, ‘Lady in Red’, etc). Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). This colour is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, and items related to sports and high physical activity.

Yellow

Yellow is the colour of sunshine. It’s associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this colour. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colours when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice.
Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. You can choose yellow to promote children’s products and items related to leisure. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very light-hearted, ‘childish’ colour, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to men – nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow Mercedes. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous colour, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety. Light yellow tends to disappear into white, so it usually needs a dark colour to highlight it. Shades of yellow are visually unappealing because they lose cheerfulness and become dingy.

Orange

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.
To the human eye, orange is a very hot colour, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus colour, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the colour of autumn and harvest. Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys.

Green

Green is the colour of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.
Green has great healing power. It is the most restful colour for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a ‘greenhorn’ is a novice. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the colour of “go” in road traffic.
Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote ‘green’ products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world and banking.

Blue

Blue is the colour of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.
Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquillity and calmness.
You can use blue to promote products and services related to cleanliness, air and sky, water and sea. As opposed to emotionally warm colours like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products.
Blue is a masculine colour; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred colour for corporate America.
Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because blue suppresses appetite. When used together with warm colours like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red is a perfect colour scheme for a superhero.

Purple

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.
According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colours. Purple is a very rare colour in nature; some people consider it to be artificial.

Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. You can use bright purple when promoting children’s products.

White

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity and virginity. It is considered to be the colour of perfection.
White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.

In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate colour for charitable organizations; angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.

Black

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious colour associated with fear and the unknown. It usually has a negative connotation. Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious colour.
Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other colours stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colours. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colours – black gives a very aggressive colour scheme.

While there is no magic formula, there are many things you can do that will increase the possibility of your unique visitors turning into returning visitors.

Here are some ideas -

Make Your Content Relevant

Give your visitors information they can’t find anywhere else – and give it free. Tools, calculators, free downloads, informative articles and industry news are all sources of valuable content to site visitors.

Update Your Website Content Regularly

If you want visitors to keep returning to your site, you need to update it with fresh content, different images and new options. If someone visits your website and finds nothing new, they will disappear off to spend their time on other sites.

Send out an email newsletter

Subscribers who want to find out more information about your product or services are great prospects for sales, so keeping them returning to your site should be a priority. It’s hard work getting traffic, don’t let them leave without offering to stay in touch! When sending a newsletter, keep it short and informative. Promotions are expected, but don’t overdo it.

Remind your visitors to bookmark your website

Most of you will have seen these links or buttons on websites. Prompting your visitors to bookmark your website in their browser increases the chances that they will return to your site at a later date.

Tell a Friend

Another way to encourage new visitors is to add a "Tell a Friend" button to your website so that visitors can inform their friends or colleagues of pages on your site that might be of interest to them.

Make your Domain name easy to remember

Don’t choose a domain name that has nothing to do with your websites topic or that is too long. It will be harder for people to remember and will result in less returning visitors to your website.

Make your website easy to navigate

Making your site so people can easily navigate it is very important. If your visitors can easily find things on your site then they are more likely to return, as people don’t want to be searching for something on the Web for hours. They want to go to a site and find what they are looking for in a few seconds. The quicker they can find something on your site the better.

Offer a monthly special only for your web visitors

Run short-term specials. Internet users love a bargain, and sales are a sure way to capture attention. Use short sales periods to motivate people to act – giving them three months to make a decision will just help them avoid making the decision to buy. Let users know that the items on offer are always changing to encourage them to visit your site regularly. And get creative with your specials. For example, consider giving away a free gift rather than just cutting the price.

Start a Blog, Forum or Message Board

Adding a forum or a place where people can hang out on your website is another good way of giving people a reason to come back to your site. People like to meet other people and have a place online to chat and share things with new people and existing friends, together with learning new things.

Create a Page of useful links

People like the convenience of shopping for products and services all on one website. If you have business alliances set up, create links for them as a recommendation. You can also add links to practical information about your business industry or links that will assist people deal more easily with your business. It will encourage people to use your site as a gateway.

Add a monthly competition

Giving something of value away for free is a great way to get some extra hits. Guaranteed to see an increase in traffic and also get more return visitors as people come back to enter next month’s competition. e.g. if your business sells gardening tools, the prize on offer could be some gardening equipment or a subscription to a gardening magazine. You could also ask their permission to be added to your newsletter at the time of entering to increase your prospects list.

Prizes don’t need to be extravagant, but should be fun and appropriate for your target market.

Fast page loads

We’re all busy people and don’t want to wait while a website page loads. So the quicker you can make your sites pages load up, the more chance your visitor will stay on your site and also return.

What is the purpose of your site? Is it to showcase the products or services of your company or to reinforce your current marketing campaign? Determine how you will measure the success of your website. For example, it could be by the number of new leads generated through an online contact form.

2. Identify your target market(s)

Who is your site intended for? Are they customers looking for information about your services or your company? Once you have identified each target market, try to think about the primary “action” they should take when coming to your site (search for information, review your services, fill out a contact form etc.).

3. Make a list of sites you like /dislike

Pick out a few websites that you like and a few that you dislike, providing reasons for both. Please note that they do not all have to be within your industry.

4. Evaluate your competitor’s websites

To get a better idea of what your competitors are offering their customers, evaluate a few of your competitor’s websites and list features that you like, and features that you think you could improve on.

5. Put together a list of possible categories/sections

Put together a “wish list” of content and categories you would like to add to your website. Examples include About Us, Services/Products, Resources and Contact Us, etc. While it may not be practical to implement all of these with the first site design, due to time or cost restrictions, they may be added on down the track.

6. Identify areas that will be updated on a regular basis

To take full advantage of your new site, an ongoing maintenance plan should be established with your web design firm to keep your site up to date. Possible sections to update could include company news or new products or services.

7. Collect your current marketing materials

To help your web design firm create a custom site that integrates into your marketing material, they will need to see all of your current and future marketing materials (stationary, brochures, and direct mail pieces) to pick out colours, fonts and images for the overall design of your site.

8. Develop a project budget and timeline

Depending on the size and scope of your website, the project budget can be a substantial investment. Many projects are priced based on the size of the site and the technical requirements. You should also start thinking about a launch date for your website, especially if you would like to tie the site launch into a new marketing campaign.

9. Assign a project manager

As with any large project, a single point of contact for the web designer can simplify the entire development process. This person will be responsible for all final approvals, creative reviews and for collecting all of the necessary content for the website.

We all send tonnes of emails each week to clients, customers, suppliers, colleagues and other potential business contacts – so wouldn’t you think this is the perfect opportunity to do a bit of marketing with your Email Signature?

And the great thing is… it doesn’t cost you anything!!

Instead of just signing with your name, why not include an eye-catching Email Signature at the bottom of your messages? Since you’re going to send those emails anyway, it would be a great idea to turn them into a great promotional tool.

Here are a few ideas to spice up your Email Signature:

• Include your logo!
  Re-inforce your brand by adding your logo. It can also add interest with colour to what can be a boring looking email!
  .

• Offer something of value!
  Don’t just link to your website home page – link to an article or a hot offer on your website your receivers might be interested in.
  .

• Ask a relevant question to capture their interest!
  "Does your corporate image need a make-over?" is more effective than "Click here for logo design".
  .

• Ask them to keep in touch!
  Request that prospects sign up for your e-newsletter, facebook page, contact you, or purchase your product. In other words, tell them what to do in order to continue receiving value from you.

Design Tip # 1 – Engage the Services of a Reputable Designer

Finding a designer that is within your budget, who is reputable and who knows what they’re doing, can be a daunting task. Start asking around to see which designer’s have a good reputation in your area. A good designer will be easily contactable and be available to answer all of your questions in a timely manner.

Design Tip # 2 – Presenting Yourself or Your Business Successfully

It’s important to realise that it doesn’t matter how much money you have, you can always own your reputation. It’s the same in business. It doesn’t matter how small your business is, if you can present yourself successfully, the world really is your oyster! So it pays to know how you’d like to be presented!

Design Tip # 3 – Determine Your Target Market

Hopefully you already have your target market sorted out. Determining your target market takes time and research. While it may take time, it is priceless knowing WHO your customers REALLY are! This way you can aim your marketing directly to them.

Design Tip # 4 – Work out What Media THEY Use

Now that you have your target market, if you can establish their choice of media both yours and your designer’s job will be that much easier. Do they buy a lot of magazines? Perhaps they love listening to the radio? Where have you got most of your customers from? Answering these questions will help to minimise wasted money on ineffective advertising.

Design Tip # 5 – What do YOU want to Emphasise?

Do you want to promote a service or a product? It is important to know that YES you can market both at the same time – as long as you have determined exactly what it is you want to emphasise. Do you want to put emphasis on your brand or your excellent customer service?

Design Tip # 6 – Design for Your Customers, NOT Yourself!

Your designer will need to know WHO your customers are and what THEY want. It’s imperative that your customers like the design more than that you like it, so don’t design something for yourself or your friends – think about what your clients want.

Design Tip # 7 – Create a Swipe File of Designs YOU like – Research!

While it is VITAL to cater for your customers needs, it does pay off to do a bit research yourself. This will help to give direction to your designer. Whether it’s a list of websites that you like the look of, or a swipe-file of different designs that you like and that you think your target market will like, why not put something together yourself? This could save you a bit of time and money in the long run.

Design Tip # 8 – Creating a Detailed Brief WILL Minimise Confusion

Perhaps the most IMPORTANT aspect when clarifying the needs of you and your client’s is an effective design brief. A design brief will assist you to accurately define the needs and objectives of the project. There are MANY things a design brief should cover. Some of the main things to include in your brief are:
• The purpose of the project
• The certain task to be completed
• The outcome and timeframe/deadlines
• Details of the target market
• The terms and conditions for the designer
• Any specifications/special requests for the project

Design Tip # 9 – Don’t Tell Your Designer how to Design

Unless you’ve got a keen eye for detail and studied design, it’s probably not your area of expertise. By all means, feel free to give your designer your requirements (as per the design brief) and individual preferences – but you NEED to give your designer the liberty to design something that answers the design brief as effectively and efficiently as possible! This will guarantee that your designer will stay passionate about your project. If you’re constantly in their ear, distracting them with comments and criticism, the only thing they will become passionate about is getting the job done quickly then billing you!

Design Tip # 10 – Communicate with Your Designer

While it’s important to let your designer design, you should monitor the progress of your project to make sure that that the task is on track and you are receiving the VALUE you deserve (and are paying for)! A good designer will be an open-minded and approachable designer. If you are after an update on the progress of your project, you should easily be able to get in contact with them. And remember, you have to TRUST your designer, after all – that is what you’re paying them for!

These are the conscious actions. Subconsciously, two people that are meeting are immediately evaluating each other and establishing first impressions. Things like: your demeanor, mannerisms, and body language and even your grooming and accessories are been assessed by the other party.

Making the right impression, right there and then, is critical to developing a lasting business connection. Your business card is a vital part of this right impression – acting both as a physical tool to be exchanged consciously, as well as providing a subconscious impression to the other party when they look at the business card. When the card is re-read at a later time, the subconscious impressions at that first meeting will surface again and be reinforced.

A professionally designed and printed business card will have the following four critical components.

1. Brand identity/ logo that stands out

Your business logo / identity should stand out immediately on your business card. This is your company’s image to the outside world and should be unique and easily identifiable. Your business card designer will have created this logo or obtained the logo from an existing style guide.

2. Appropriate design layout

A business card will also contain vital information such as your name and position, contact details including address, telephone, fax, email, website and mobile phone numbers.

The layout of all this information is critical. Your business name, your name and title should be the three important things that stand out so will be in larger and bolded fonts. Contact details can be in small size fonts or might even be placed at the back of the card.

Some business cards will utilise the back of the card for adding extra information like your business services / products and even add a space to write in the ‘next appointment’ details for potential clients. While this is all ok, make sure your card does not become cluttered and contain too much information, which will present a messy and overwhelming image to persons reading your card.

3. Appropriate colouring

Besides the layout, the colouring of images/fonts/logos need to match your style guide and the brand essence of your company. Colour promotes subconscious emotions like calm, energy, action, anger etc. Choose colours that are appropriate for your industry and follow any existing style guide to ensure your business card promotes the right ‘feel’ to your clients and suppliers.

4. Material that matches your brand

Lastly but importantly, the stock material you use to print your card on needs to be considered as part of the design process. Material type (paper/plastic/matt/glossy) and any extra embossing/engraving of fonts and images can all convey your company image.

Business cards are a critical part of your business image – especially during initial meet and greets. Always use an experienced professional to design a proper business card. It is worth it, as you will never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Wikipedia states, "Marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities discover that existing and newly-identified needs and wants may be satisfied by the products and services of others"1 .

Targeted marketing is the process of identifying that section of the market which is most likely to want and be able to buy the product that you are promoting. For example, what is an essential for the Flintstone’s won’t be a necessity to the technologically advanced Jetson’s!

Solving the problem

Marketing isn’t really about selling a product; it’s selling the solution to a problem. Marketing promotes the benefits of the product rather than the product itself. People who go shopping are looking for an item that will solve their problem. Men who buy mowers are really buying a neat lawn (or a happy wife!). Your mower isn’t what they want – any mower will do. Create your marketing materials to show how your product will improve the client’s life. To do that you will need to step into the shoes of your ideal client and feel what they feel. Only then can you see what the problem is that your product is going to solve for them.

Getting the tone right

Write for your audience. Don’t batter them with technical terms unless you’re targeting technicians. Use plain English to reach the broadest base in your target group. Your message should clearly show the benefits of your product and how it will help the client. Keep it simple but not patronising. Your choice of words can repel buyers just as easily as it can attract them.

Getting the presentation right

Consider the words and images you might use in your campaign. Pictures of smiling children can make your product appealing to family units, but it won’t have the same impact if you are targeting the nightclub group. Your material needs to be bright and crisp so that it catches the eye and the message should be clear to see.

Don’t forget to use the format to sell, too. You’ve all seen how well breakfast spreads sell when they are packaged in collectible glasses. Those products aimed at families meet the need for the spread as well as the need to replace drink ware that is broken in daily use.

Being in the right spot

Once you’ve defined your target market and the ‘problem’ they have you need to start thinking about how to approach them. In defining your market you’ve built a picture of your ideal client. You know their age, their sex, approximate income and educational levels as well as a little of their probable lifestyle. You know if they are single or if they have families. Now you need to reach them with your marketing materials.

Knowing as much as you do about your ideal client you can start to consider how they spend their days.

Do they:

• Go to the supermarket?

• Go to the schools or kindergartens?

• Work?

• Go to nightclubs?

• Stay home on weekends?

• Shop online?

You have to build your marketing materials into the places that your clients go or you will never be noticed. By targeting your customers, giving them what they want and giving them a reason to come back you will build a successful campaign.

1 Wikipedia, “Marketing“