I Am My Investment
LANSING – Lansing Community College (LCC) will host the American Marketing Association (AMA) Midwest Leadership Conference, Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, 2010 at LCC’s West Campus, 5708 Cornerstone Drive, Lansing, MI 48917. The conference theme is “I Am My Investment – Creating My Future.”
“This conference gives American Marketing Association members and students connections that help them to be successful in the business world,” said Connie Sweet, Regional Conference Chair. “Topics and exercises include leadership, motivation, networking, business etiquette and team building. We hope participants will leave this conference feeling more confident about their skills as they enter the business world.”
Friday evening’s program includes a pizza party mixer and networking exercise with Jim Reed at the Lexington Lansing Hotel and Suites. Saturday’s speakers will include: Jim Reed, Owner, Jim Reed Consulting, on leadership, motivation, and team building; Malinda Barr of Get Up and Grow on building relationships and business etiquette tips. Additional Saturday speaker to be announced. The day will also include breakfast, lunch, and breakout sessions for Chapter Management Teams.
For more information and to download a flyer and agenda visit www.lccama.com
A block of rooms has been set aside at the Lexington Lansing Hotel and Suites for attendees to reserve as a discounted rate. www.lexingtonlansing.com
Please RSVP to Connie Sweet, Regional Conference Chair at connie@connectiongraphics.com, or on the website at www.lccama.com or by phone at 517-645-4387. Attendance Fee is $25.00. Checks can be made payable to: Lansing Community College AMA and mailed to LCC AMA, MC 2100, P.O. Box 40010, Lansing, MI 48910.
Registration deadline for the Conference is October 27, 2010.
The end of the month and that means – e-newsletters, coupons, postcards, tracking. Although we send announcements more and more frequently throughout the month, many of our monthly maintenance plans benefit from e-mail promotions landing in customer boxes on the first of each month. From monthly coupons, event reminders, and calendars, e-marketing campaigns provide the benefit of exact timing.
I could compose five to ten entries just on the value of e-mail marketing when it is handled professionally and with a respected company like MailChimp, Emma, Constant Contact and others. That however is not my intent this time around. The focus today is the importance of building the promotion correctly and taking the time to test it thoroughly before blasting it out to hundreds or thousand of customers.
Testing starts at the beginning when you are creating your graphics. Most subscribers choose html format emails so go ahead and add those cool graphics to help your promotion stand out. When you design your graphics or choose photos take them through a photo imaging software such as Photoshop. Size them to fit your format, bring the resolution down to 72 dpi and optimize them for the web. Begin testing at this stage. When you load your e-news promotions pay attention to how long it takes to load. If your graphics load too slow your recipients may get impatient and delete the message before it even loads.
Now I have never turned images off in my emails – that just goes against my graphic designer philosophy – however some people do to help speed loading time. Take a look at your layout – how does it appear when no images are loaded? Does it still read well, does the message get lost if the graphics are not there? This is another good reason to include alt text when you place your images. Alternative text helps people with disabilities read the image. We often put our discount amounts in the coupon graphic. If we do not also include it in the alt text a screen reader will skip over it and text only email subscribers will miss out on important information you intended them to have.
After you spend your time designing and writing your email promotion it is always good practice to email a test. I typically email it to myself first then staff and lastly if the client had time to review it I send a sample email to them. If you are using a mail client and the e-postcard, e-newsletter or e-coupon looks good in the preview that is a good start but don’t just rely on this. Often text can adjust depending on the browser, email client, etc. Check in you actual email window to see a more accurate view. You can try it in the email you use daily and check it in a few other email accounts too, like gmail, yahoo, etc. If you don’t add these email addresses to your mail list you will be able to test the delivery better. The sample email is not just for proofing text and graphics it can also help to make sure you won’t be caught in spam filters.
If you have the ability to preview it on different computers and devices with different operating software that will help too. In most e-news subscriptions list, members can choose whether they want their communication in html, text or mobile these days. Be sure to check your promotion in all of these formats.
Lastly and possibly most important, test your links! All of them! Although it can be time consuming, think about why you are sending the correspondence to begin with – often it is to get people to click on those very links so recipients go to your Web site to take action.
Remember to check your stats after each campaign. Learn what is working and what isn’t. You can keep your list lean if you find some subscribers have never opened, and target other subscribers who tend to only open particular messages. Good luck and happy campaigning!
Plant - Feed - Harvest
Plant Your Best Seeds
Life coach, Michael Neil states “When you approach sales from a place of joyful service, you realize making offers is like planting a garden. Instead of focusing on what you might get back if you’re lucky, take some time to think about what you would like to grow.”
Ask yourself questions like:
- Who would I love to serve? How would I love to serve them?
- What would be the most powerful, fun, and useful thing I could do for this client or customer?
- If I dedicated my life to making this person/company’s life better, what is the biggest difference I could make for them in the smallest amount of time?
Feeling Finding Questions help bring answers your prospect may not even know are under the surface. I have often gone into meetings with prospects and existing customers for a specific project and after further discussion we have determined another solution or product would serve their goals better. The following questions were shared with me by Phil Kline who is an expert in Dale Carnegie Sales Training. These questions are more valuable insight are provided in Phil’s book, Customer Driven Sales.
6 FEELING FINDING QUESTIONS:
1. What do you like most about your current product (website, logo, brand, marketing efforts)
2. Why is that important to you?
3. What do you dislike most about your present product (website,logo brand…)
4. Why is that a problem for you?
5. If I could change something for you in your next product what would you want me to do differently?
6. Why would that be important to you?
When questions are asked from a place of joyful inquiry, the answers are truthful, creative, fun, and take root. Don’t skip the ‘Why’ questions! As your prospect digs deep to answer the ‘why’ the true reason behind the need can be discovered.
Harvest Low-Hanging Fruit
Often the best sale to make is going to existing clients and customers. When working with customers for a long time is is easy to get into ruts. Projects can flow well, which is always a blessing but are we doing the best we can or are we staying safe? Especially with marketing and graphic design it is important to always look at new ways of approaching concepts. You don’t have to throw the baby out with the bath water and completely reinvent everything. Sometimes just a change in logo placement or color can update a Web site or print marketing piece. Other times digging deep into the entire brand and relating it to the business as it is today is needed. If you take the time to ask questions to find the differences your customer would love to make and the way they would most like to make them, you can deliver creative solutions that help your customer relationship and their business flourish.
Happy seed planting and remember to appreciate the abundance of the harvest.
If you like the Sustainable Sales Growth image please visit our desktop patterns area. We have a “Money as Tools” saying on the images posted. If you would like to use one as your desktop pattern, download the image size that fits you monitor.
As a marketing and design firm specializing in branding solutions we work with customers across the United States and Canada. We are located in the Lansing, Michigan area and much of our clientele are in Lansing and Grand Rapids. In the over twelve years of launching Connection Group, I have been pleased to see the growth and improvements both of these cities have made. Since I attended Kendall College of Art and Design in the, dare I say it – 80s’, Grand Rapids skyline and downtown offerings have improved dramatically. Areas where once I was tentative to ride my bike have now become revitalized, thriving neighborhoods. With the diverse corporations and big donor names such as VanAndel and DeVos, Grand Rapids has been blessed with a stream of financial gifts and investments.
Lansing, on the other hand, with its deep roots in the auto industry, has seen challenges and limited financial support. Even though it is the state capital of Michigan, the challenges the State has encountered has limited state investment and growth for the city. Fortunately, with a new diverse group of industries moving to the city, including many large insurance corporations, biotech companies, and of course the continued growth at MSU, Cooley Law School, and the many other higher education institutions, Lansing is growing and attracting a dynamic group of young residents. Downtown Lansing has expanded its offerings for nightlife and entertainment and Oldtown has continued to be a destination for celebrating the arts with its many festivals and locally owned boutique shops.
Local online newspaper, Capital Gains has dedicated a lot of ink to share the many wonderful events, happenings and growth Lansing is experiencing. Recently they featured a couple of articles on one of our favorite clients, Lambs’ Gate Antiques. Lambs’ Gate is locally owned by Carol Lamb. The first store in Grand Ledge has enjoyed much success throughout the years and Carol boldly chose to expand this Spring and opened Lambs’ Gate Antiques in OldTown. Managed by her daughter-in-law Ashley, the new store is the epitome of what is OldTown, eclectic, unique and colorful.
To learn more about the shops please view the Capital Gains article about Lambs’ Gate and the Lambs’ Gate Web site. To read more about the young talent Lansing is attracting and get a glimpse of why Lambs’ Gate Oldtown is experiencing such a welcoming response, read the Capital Gains article on Dan and Ashley Lamb.
Be sure to friend the Lambs’ Gate Antiques facebook site and join the newsletter to receive monthly coupons!
Monitor Your Brand…
A great brand can be costly and can take months, if not years, to build. It’s a foundational piece in your marketing communication that you do not want to be without. In this internet age It can be destroyed in hours by a blogger upset with your company. Stay connected to what is being said. The first thing to do is acquire a feed reader. (Google reader has many nice features.)
1. Google Alerts are email updates of the latest results based on your choice of query or topic. The alerts tracks blog posts, news articles, videos and even groups.
2. Blog Comments – Use BackType.com
3. Social Comments –
Yacktrack.com searches WordPress, Blogger, Stumbleupon, Digg, FriendFeed, etc. for comments on you and your blogging, social media, activity.
4. Twitter – Using Twitter search, you can locate any instances of your name. Try Twilert .
5. FriendFeed.com is a social aggregator. You can search your brand throughout all social networks at once.
6. Social Mention is a social media search engine for user-generated content such as blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, videos, and microblogging services.
I hope these four posts on Corporate branding have been helpful. Please contact me if you have any questions!
Connection Group offers a complete range of technology, Web development and creative services. We are passionate about crafting quality corporate identity and marketing strategies at reasonable rates, and we are skilled at developing and creating:
• Brand identity
• Website Design
• Corporate brochures
• Corporate Identity Packages
• Corporate presentations
• Banner and billboard creations
• Ads and marketing materials for print & online
• Product & Event Marketing
• Product package graphic design, and more…
Protect Your Brand…
Administrative assistants and sales staff snag logos from the corporate website, change the color, stretch them and use them on everything from brochures to social media profiles. The longer this practice is allowed to continue the more it will cost the company. Soon you have diluted image awareness and your brand is compromised. If this is happening in your company you need to stop it. The best way to start is by establishing and distributing company-wide standards.
Brand guidelines:
About the brand (positioning, key research findings, etc)
- Usage and application
- Specifics (font, color, tagline, trademarks, etc)
- Communication roles and responsibilities – (identify specific staff and departments)
- Support and contacts – (in case there are any questions)
Literature (Correspondence, Web and Print):
- Logo and tagline (colors, size, placement…)
- Color palette (pantone, cmyk, rgb)
- Imagery (photos, illustration style…)
- Typography (fonts, size, color…)
- Applications (Web, print, vehicle…)
- Paper specifications (color, weight, texture)
Your employees meet, greet, and assist your customers in many different ways. They are the face of your brand. Engaging your staff in brand training will build their faith in the brand and send a unified message to your customers and community.
Logo for Connection Group. Updated in 2007 from the initial logo created in 1996.
Strong branding strategies use design to communicate a message that attracts your target audience. An image is needed that creates confidence in your brand while differentiating you from your competitors.
1. Logos
• a unique and easily recognizable image promotes easy recognition
• visually communicates your business nature
• demonstrates business is current and pays attention to reputation in the market
• makes it easier to attract international business, because they are able to instantly understand your business offerings.
I love to design logos for new companies, or companies ready to update their image. It truly is the most rewarding work I do. Presenting a logo design and hear “How did you do that? It is like you read my mind? My business feels real to me now!” It really is an amazing feeling for everyone. (Still kind of reminds me of Steve Martin in The Jerk movie when he sees his name in the phone book and exclaims “I’m Somebody Now!”. I know this reference dates me but it is a classic!
2. Correspondence & Promotions
Business cards, stationary, postcards, flyers, brochures, invitations, notecards, catalogs, specialty advertising… A strong, consistent corporate visual identity throughout your communication and marketing efforts helps to effectively express your mission and create a solid image.
A unique, custom image sets you apart in prospects eyes more than any marketing effort you endeavor. If your materials look as if they have been produced by an amateur, viewers assume your services or products are cheap or unreliable. In these days of desktop publishing and online print companies, it is so easy to create your own postcards, sales sheets, etc. with a template included in your software program or online print site. Consider thousands – maybe millions of people – depending on the software, and online printer, have access to the same template and clip art. In one day I seen the same layout used by a law firm as a pet groomer. I have collected over 20 business cards from different companies who used the same online printer layout! All different industries! I get confused who I am calling, a massage therapist or a lighting expert – their business cards are exactly the same. Hard to trust that they will provide individual service if they do not recognize the important of their brand message.
Lastly, if you are going to produce in house – and even if you outsource your marketing promotions, proofread carefully! Spell check doesn’t catch all errors.
3. Website and Internet Marketing
A well designed website creates an image of an established company. Hving broken links on a Web site instantly discredits your company to the visitor. If there is just one and the rest of the site is functioning well, people usually understand, too many non-functioning items, links and pages, demonstrate a lack of attention to detail. Take a look around the net -be honest – which Web sites have been created by the owners nephew and which sites have been organized and developed by a professional Web site design and development firm? It really is that obvious. Templates sites are similar concern with Web sites as they are with print materials. Do you really want your Web presence to be the exact same as your competition, or worse with a shady industry? It is important to establish a unique, custom identity. You don’t have to go overboard and drop a lot of money. Custom can be created in a budget too.
Lastly, don’t be stuck in the mind set that once your site is posted, the job is done. A static site does very little good. First and foremost, search engines don’t like them. If your site content is not updated regularly search engines ignore it and move on. Your site doesn’t get recognition and falls in the rankings. Another consideration for updating is you want visitors to keep coming back! Give good content that educates them or post new products and samples. COnsider the more information you provide your visitor the less time you have to spend selling them or answering the same questions time and time again. Build your Web site as your electronic sales rep.
This applies to e-newsletters, blogs and social media pages too – don’t muddy your brand!
4. Signage and Vehicle lettering
When a corporate logo is prominently displayed on a company vehicle, the customer is put at ease knowing the person coming in their door is legitimate. It enhances customer comfort during maintenance calls, etc. Of course many of us have experienced going in circles looking for a business because their signage doesn’t exist, is too small so it can not be read from the road or doesn’t contain the corporate logo or colors we are familiar with from their business cards or other promotions. A note about signage is to be aware of the signage zoning in your community before creating or posting a sign. Signage zoning laws cover sign dimensions, placement, distance from the road, illuminated or non-illuminated, etc.
Do you need help with any of these elements? Connection Group specializes in the design and production of all the above marketing and branding visuals. Give us a call today. The first hour consultation is complimentary!
For all Michigan Rock Star Entrepreneurs, MEDC is inviting Michigan companies to apply for INC 500 and contributing the $100 fee.
Here is an opportunity to get your fast growing business listed in the Inc 500/5000. This is a great public relations opportunity and we encourage your consideration to use this opportunity or to share with associates that you feel will gain from this excellent recognition and exposure. Let’s put our Great Lakes region on the technology entrepreneur community leadership map which will attract more entrepreneurs, investors, team members, and customers! As a thank you for doing business in Michigan, MEDC will contribute your $100 application fee to Inc.
The state’s economic development agency, the MEDC is providing a streamlined and no cost application process for entrepreneurs to apply for the Inc. 500|5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the country. Honorees who make the list will be recognized in Inc. Magazine as well as online at www.Inc.com. Additionally, a special celebration will be held at the annual Inc. 500/5000 Conference later this year. The goal is to increase the number of Michigan companies recognized on the list each year.
Michigan based companies should contact the assigned concierge, Colleen Armstrong, Senior Project Specialist for Inc. 500|5000 at 212.389.5504 or via e-mail at cgwen@inc.com, to apply. (The deadline may be extended by 2 weeks for Michigan companies ONLY so please be sure to contact the concierge to apply). As a benefit to you, MEDC and Inc. have partnered to provide Michigan companies with personalized concierge services to walk you through the application process.
MEDC hopes to see you at the annual Inc. 500|5000 Conference in September 30–October 2, 2010, to celebrate other Michigan companies and alumni.
As a thank you for doing business in Michigan, MEDC will contribute your $100 application fee to Inc. We look forward to celebrating your success as part of the Inc. 500|5000 community.
Thanks to Lisa Dancsok, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications of MEDC for sharing this opportunity with us.
A sampling of visual branding components used to promote Connection Group.
A corporate brand isn’t just about your logo, website and Facebook fan page. Your brand is the source of a promise to your customer. It’s really all about making sure that everything you do as a company has a coordinated look and feel about it. Graphically, that means creating a logo, choosing a corporate color (or colors), a typeface, and often a photo or illustration style.
Content-wise, it means honing in on the key points of your marketing messages to clearly, concisely, and compellingly reach your target audience. Taking the steps to establish a consistent message and image will pay off with customer loyalty, vendor confidence and employee pride.
The following questions will help you define or evaluate your current brand.
1. What products and/or services do you offer?
2. What are the core values of your products and services? (fun, creative, honest, etc.)
3. What are the core values of your company?
4. What is the mission of your company?
(keep this short, succinct, and inspiring )
5. What does your company specialize in?
6. Who is your target market? (age, education, etc.)
7. Who do your products and services attract?
8. Try to use your answers to create a tagline.
(be succinct, memorable, descriptive)
In order to perfect the image and message of your brand you must do the research to determine your target audience and how you want to be seen by that audience. Upon review of your answers you will begin to see the character of your company. What qualities stand out? Is your company innovative, energetic, or classic? Which of these characteristics and qualities get the attention of your prospects? Review the answers and create a profile of your brand.
More to come:
Part 2- Create Your Visual Brand…
Part 3- Protect Your Brand…
Part 4- Monitor Your Brand…
Please contact Connie Sweet at Connection Group 517-645-4387 or info@connectiongraphics.com with re-print permission and questions.
Although some reports state traditional newspapers are experiencing declining readership, numbers actually show an increase in readers. This increase is due in part to the migration of readers online. Consider this when building your marketing campaign. To get the most from your display advertising, it is critical to advertise in print as well as utilize online advertising. Facebook is enjoying the largest number of hits per second on the internet right now but when you are attempting to reach a local audience, print publications are still king. Follow the 10 tips below to get the most value from your time and money. Give us a call if you need help creating professionally designed advertisements. Connection Group is here to deliver solutions for building your brand in print and online.
- People buy what they know – branding and name recognition is the primary value of advertising. Six months, and preferably a year, of consistent, repetitive messaging to your targeted demographic sees the best results.
- Multiply your marketing channels-— print ads, inserts, online campaigns, signage, magazines, newsletters, coupons, specialty advertising, etc. — customized to attain your marketing objectives in your market(s).
- Work with expert(s) – Well-trained newspaper ad representatives and experienced graphic designers can provide targeted ad campaigns that reach your audience.
- Combine a mix of print and online media – attain maximum reach of your message to multiple markets to get the best results.
- Bigger is not always better – choose a small ad for a longer amount of time rather than a large ad for a shorter run.
- Online advertising – always include a link to your website, special offers encourage people to ACT NOW!
- Educate – change your message every four to six weeks, but always keep your visual brand, your logo, colors, images, etc. consistent .
- Choose special sections – those that are specifically targeted to an audience you want to reach. Also, these sections are often saved so have a longer shelf life.
- Be patient – some quick sales may happen but it takes time to build brand recognition.
- Advertise to bring them in – deliver to keep them coming back. Provide quality service and products, build on your brand promise to keep the customers your advertising attracts.
Re-print with permission from: Connie Sweet, Connection Group – info@connectiongraphics.com
