Connectivity
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Taking Care of Business:
Still getting SPAM?
What are you doing wrong?
- You clicked unsubscribe. Seems like the natural solution, right? Wrong. All this action does is alert spammers they found an email that is actually in use.*
- You replied to the spammer. Oh no! First of all, when you reply to them, you inadvertently whitelist their email address. They can now send you every diet pill, designer watch, or Prince Abdul email they would like. Plus they now get to share your email address with all of their spammy friends.
- Colleagues cc you in messages – Every person cc’d in the message will have your email address. These people may not be spammers (or are they???…) If any of the recipients email addresses are hacked, your email can be found and harvested as well – increasing your susceptibility to spam.
- You didn’t read the small print. Some sites you subscribe to will sell your email address to other companies ( other spammers).
- You say you only release your email to reputable companies? Sadly some reputable companies have dishonest employees who can make an easy buck selling these lists.
The best response to spammers is to identify it as spam in your mail client – click junk and be done. If you mark something as spam multiple times your email reader will eventually get smart and send it straight to junk.
*If you have emails you subscribed to and you no longer wish to receive them you can safely unsubscribe. Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Emma, etc. are legitimate services that will unsubscribe you safely. Don’t mark these ones as junk. When you mark an email as junk it does effect the grading of that email list negatively.
Good luck cleaning those inboxes!
Facebook Gems
Do you behave this way on social media? We’re all a little guilty….
You may recognize yourself in a few of these cartoons from this recent post on our Facebook page.
Don’t miss the fun, Find Us On Facebook, and Twitter..,
Congratulations, now that your company has received certification as a women-owned business your work has just begun! Let’s start with your capability sheet design. In Michigan, we have regional business summits, MiDiCo meetings, and other meet-the-buyer events. When you attend networking events, conferences, etc. in your state or region you need a professional leave behind in the form of a capability statement. Capability statements are print pieces that essentially offer your company information at a glance. Your capability sheet should also be uploaded to your website for download. Similar to a product cut sheet or a sales sheet, capabilities sheets are what companies use in the procurement of corporate and government bids.
A successful Capability Statement Design Includes:
- your company name
- company logo
- third party certifier (such as WBENC)
- core competencies (brief company statement and services)
- contact information (you would be surprised how often this is missed!)
- differentiators – how do you stand up to the competition
- images; professional logos; professional or stock photos
- past performance
- company data: DUNS number, CAGE, socio-economic status if you are a WBE, WOSB, Minority Owned Business, certified through WBENC, NAICS codes, PSC numbers, Federal Supply Codes
- Key personnel: ownership, management information, or key account representatives, etc.
Optional Content for Capability Statement Sheets:
- customer testimonials
- partial customer list
- credentials, licenses
- logos and mentions of professional affiliations /memberships
- case studies
- Do you need help writing the copy for your Capability Statement Design?
You may know your business yet not know how to write or now how to identify which content will stand out to prospects. Consider frequently asked questions and reviews from your customers. Ask yourself:
- What makes your company unique?
- Why would you be the best candidate for a project?
- What sets you apart from your competition?
- Why do your customers continue to hire you?
As a full service branding firm we print, write, and design capabilities sheets. Our web specialist posts keyword optimized sell sheets and capability statement information to our website and our customer’s websites. Take a look at our capability statement design sample. We have included design and brand marketing service listings, print and design awards, women owned business certification, corporate logo, WBENC logo, customer case study results, etc.
Industry Specific Capability Statement Content
If your industry requires licensure be sure to include the licenses you hold. Include affiliations, reports and ratings with third parties.
- Better Business Bureau rating
- ISO rating
- Angie’s List award
- etc.
Especially relevant, do you hold a professional designation within your industry such as a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)? These credentials establish credibility and set you apart from your competition.
Capability sheet samples include one and two sided solutions. We try to keep our capability statement design one sided and customize it to each service. For instance, if we are responding to a bid for brand development services we will include specific branding experience. For magazine or publication design we include our experience highlighting publication design and production.
Do you need help putting together your capability statement design? We can set up a 10-15 minute complimentary phone consultation. Also, we will ask the right questions to get the most important content about your business on paper clearly and professionally.
Leave behinds and downloadable pdf capabilities sheets are critical. Consequently, don’t miss opportunities because your prospects didn’t remember you or don’t have enough information to hire you. Give us a call or shoot us a note today.
10 MORE Event Marketing Elements
In a previous blog we touched on the first 10 event marketing elements needed for successful event marketing. For a successful campaign you can’t stop at just the first 10…read more on the blog…
Taking Care of Business:
What Do Your Customers Think of You?
Of course they love you! Why not have them share the love? One of the best ways for instant credibility with prospects is to have positive Google reviews. Google reviews are displayed on the right hand side of the search page. (As long as you have verified your company with Google.)
Want to see how it works? How about reviewing us?! Please go to this link and be the first to review us.
Now it’s your turn:
- Create an email requesting a review.
- Search your company in Google search.
- Click on “Write A Review” or “Be the First to Review” under your company profile.
- Go to your title bar and copy the entire URL
- Paste it into the email (step 1) as the link to take them to review.
- Identify most recent happy customers
- Send the email to an individual customer or BCC a group of customers.
- Send the review-request email (from Step 1) to the happy customers from step 6.
- If you have a Google Business page, you can be alerted when you get new reviews.
- Respond to reviews within 24 hours! Do this on the review site, in public.
Review generating tools can be used also but are not necessary especially when contacting indivduals.
Facebook Finds…
If you know me, you know I love flowers, trees… to be outdoors. And of course, creating design, throw repurposing in and I am in heaven. This recent post on our Facebook page covers all of the above. Is it closing time yet? I’m inspired to go play in the garden! Keep the cleverness coming,Find Us On Facebook, and Twitter…
Connection Group recently worked on a Charlotte Michigan website design for the newly established, The Hall. Charlotte Michigan based, The Hall, is an entertainment and group rental space located in downtown Charlotte, Michigan. The Hall proprietor, Jon Hall, recently purchased the historic building located at 127 S. Cochran Ave., Charlotte, Michigan.
Connection Group owner, Connie Sweet consulted with Hall at the venue to discuss web and integrative marketing. The historic building features exposed brick walls, original tin ceilings that tower over the wide open space. Hall plans to book personal events such as weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, showers, etc. In addition,
The Hall is well suited for corporate business groups. Business retreats, meetings, business expos, award dinners, board meetings and more will find the space welcoming. A select group of local caterers have been chosen to serve The Hall attendees. Guests may also hire their own caterer.
Jon Hall proprietor of The Hall
Another type of venue downtown Charlotte, Michigan was missing prior to The Hall was a dance and entertainment space. Individuals and groups can rent the hall and make use of the special lighting and sound board. From dance parties to fundraisers, The Hall is ready to rent one time, multiple nights or in regular intervals .
Charlotte Michigan Website Design for The Hall
Connection Group is proud to be a part of the The Hall launch. Jon Hall hired Connection Group to design and develop a responsive website for The Hall. A chance meeting at a downtown networking event spurred the partnership. The Hall and Connection Group are both Charlotte Chamber of Commerce members. An advocate and strong supporter of local businesses, Hall chose Connection Group for The Hall Charlotte Michigan website design.
If you have an event coming up in the mid-Michigan area, why not check out The Hall? Visit the website for more information on venue rental and availability.
Hall also has space next to The Hall that is available for lease. A prime downtown Charlotte location, the space is well suited for retail or service businesses. Give Jon Hall a call today (517) 712-0772 for specifics on the retail space available in downtown Charlotte, Michigan.
Looking for a new responsive website to be designed and developed for your business? Connection Group provides marketing and design solutions for customers across the United States and Canada for a plethora of industries – we offer consultations and design services all over, not just Charlotte, Michigan website design services!
Please check back for future blog posts featuring customer projects and be sure to visit The Hall in Charlotte, Michigan. Supporting local entrepreneurs who are keeping it real and saving the original character of our small town historical buildings need our support, recognition, and patronage.
Stay connected! #charlotterising
In the previous blog we touched on the first 10 event marketing elements needed for successful event marketing. For a successful campaign you can’t stop at just the first 10. Following are 10 more event marketing elements every event marketer or event planner should include in all personal and corporate event planning.
11. Social Media Graphics / Banners
Create a variety of social media event graphics that include the event logo, main sponsor logos, plus date and location of event for large to medium size graphics. If you will have a keynote speaker or celebrity performer use their photo, logo or other visuals to highlight them. Create cover photos, banners, memes, videos if available, for all social media platforms. Post them for download to your website and encourage attendees to post on their profiles.
12. Social Media Posts / Hashtag
Have a handful of social media posts scheduled for the different planning stages. Save the date posts, exhibitors posts, sponsor posts, reminders, new information such as added speakers, vendors, etc. Include visuals as much as you can. Also think of a unique event hashtag for your event and encourage people to use it before, during and after the event. If you have an annual event include he year in your tag: #EventBranding2016
13. Order Promotional Products
If gift items, give aways or other event tchotchkes are needed determine what you will be giving away or selling and order them well in advance!
14. Advertising
If you budget allows purchase print or online advertising. Many options to choose from including trade magazines, local newspapers, e-news and social media advertising and Google adwords.
15. Blogs / Articles
If you maintain a blog on your even website post new information regularly, interview speakers, etc. Send more press releases and build interest from media to create articles about your event.
16. Event Signage
Exterior banners, interior directional signage from the parking lot to each breakout session, the expo floor, etc. Include event logo, directional arrows, room names or numbers, etc.
17. Reminder and Confirmation Emails
Drip email campaigns should be utilized for all events. Save the dates, announcements, register, have you registered? did you forget to register? , thank you for registering, etc. Confirm registrations and schedule an email before the event with specifics for each attendee and if invoice reminders are needed. Share details of the event – location, map, time, location and times for scheduled workshops or break out sessions
18. Event Program
Include a welcome, agenda, sponsor information, advertisements, break out sessions, FAQs, area information, map of location, map of expo floor and exhibit hall, times, titles and locations of each break out session, etc.
19. Thank you Plus a Survey for Event Attendees / Exhibitors, etc.
At the end or after the event follow up with a thank you for 6attending with a survey that asks pertinent questions about specific elements of the event you want to know about, Where can you improve? What worked? What could be added?… etc,
20. Create Next Year’s Planning Calendar
If you are wooing sponsors for the next event… the best time to do so is during the current event… event marketing never really ends.
Need Help Design Your Event Marketing Elements?
Connection Group has been developing and designing all of the above marketing items. We have delivered event marketing elements needed for successful events for over 20 years. Connect with us today. Let’s discuss how we can work together to make your next event, large, or small, successful. Good luck with your event!
10 Event Marketing Items Needed for Successful Events
If you are responsible for planning events, a visit to the blog may be in order. You’ll find a list of standard event marketing items that are needed to successfully market your event…read more on the blog…
Summer Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Monday – Thursday • Friday 9 am – 4pm
Our offices will be closed July 4th. Have a happy and safe 4th of July!Taking Care of Business:
Our offices will be closed July 4th. Have a happy and safe 4th of July!
Taking Care of Business:
Do You Have A Summer Tradition?
An early June event at Herman Miller Headquarters in Zealand, Michigan raised the discussion of Herman Miller’s Annual Company Picnic and corporate retreats. Commemorated each year with a newly designed poster, the Herman Miller Annual Picnic is well recognized with business and design audiences. Our plan for Connection Graphic’s Annual Retreat is to balance recognition and education with fun each year.
I wonder how many of our readers have Summer Meetings or other ways to connect? I would love to hear about your gatherings:
- Do you love them or hate them?
- What was the more fun you’ve had?
Hopefully you and your team will find a place away from the office to connect for planning, pausing and play each year. Enjoy the summer!
Take a Look at These Redesigned Food Logos With Calorie Counts
Are you trying to eat healthier this summer? These logos can help you make more conscious choices. Keep the cleverness coming, Find Us On Facebook, and Twitter…
It’s summer in Michigan which means it’s time for us to design event marketing items that will help us deliver successful event marketing for our customer events. The craft fairs, outdoor farmer’s markets, antique shows, flea markets, wine tastings, art fairs and concerts are being promoted at every turn. Our professional association clients are sending annual conference registrations and marketing promotions to their members and so many golf outings to broadcast!
If you are new to event planning you may not be aware of the many event marketing items needed for successful event marketing. Possibly a complete event marketing consultation may be beneficial depending on the size and scope of your event. However, I have outlined a list of standard event marketing items needed for successful event marketing that can get you started and may be all you need if you have some design or marketing savvy.
1. Event Marketing Calendar
This will be your event bible. The biggest mistake new event planners make is that they do not begin to market or even announce their events far enough in advance. Veteran event planners begin planning their next annual event the day after (or the day of!) the current year event.
2. Event Press Release
Once dates, locations and themes are determined begin composing and blasting your press release. Keep a data base of press contacts, blogs, companies, organizations, etc. with similar interests or target markets and share the press release with them. Remember to include it on your website as well!
3. Event Logo Design
A logo design is a visual symbol to quickly identify your event to the public, attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, prospects, etc. is the first step in building your event branding.
4. Event Website / Web Page Creation
All future marketing information will refer to the website. If your event is one event of many that your organization hosts an event web page will be sufficient to post all your information to. General information can be posted and details such as exhibitors, break our sessions, photos, etc. can be added as everything is finalized. If attendees, sponsors, or exhibitors for trade shows or expos can register and pay online get these online forms set up in the very beginning.
5. Event Announcement / Event Postcard
Design a postcard or social media graphic to save the date. Include the name, date, logo and a call to action for your event. If there are more details posted to the event website or if attendees can register, include the event URL.
6. Event Sponsorship Packet
Soliciting sponsorship early on in the event planning is key to successful event marketing. Create a document with sponsorship categories that includes costs associated and the value for their investment. This document can be sent via email, mail, or posted to the event website page as a download as well as included in text form on the event web page.
7. Event Exhibitor Packet
If your event includes and expo or showroom floor, information for exhibitors will help them be more prepared and help event staff focused on welcoming attendees instead of answering the same questions over and over. Provide a map of the showroom / hall, include restrooms, a contact person, exhibit hours and special times.
8. Solicit Event Program Advertising
If you will be including advertising or table sponsorships for dinners, etc. create announcements, flyers, etc. that outline ads or table sizes, costs, deadlines for artwork and payment
9. Event Invitation / Postcard
This will be the formal invite that includes general event information and teasers that will entice prospective attendees to register. A registration link, event URL, deadline for early registration discount or other CTA.
10. Event Posters / Event Flyers
For community events or large corporate events design and post event posters and event flyers. Include event name, logo, date, time and location and website.
This is just the beginning. Check back for our next blog entry that will cover another 10 event marketing elements needed for a successful event campaign. If you are in the process of planning an event and need help with any or all of the above event marketing items please connect with us today, we’d love to help.
How Websites Are Like Hairstyles
or…understanding the importance of updating websites
I often joke that outdated websites are like hairstyles, one glimpse and you know from which decade they came.
Connection Group started offering website design for businesses and organizations in 1998. Sadly, some of the innovative companies and organizations who jumped into the internet then are still working with the same, but now very outdated, website! Others who didn’t understand the importance of updating websites have long since closed their doors.
Take a look at these outdated websites from a web design and developers eye. We’re going to poke fun at ourselves… so as not to offend anyone…read more on the blog…
Did you ever see our Adobe Flash website? It’s still fun to look at… although Flash was so difficult to what I remember most about this website is how long it took to create it and how much it cost… now obsolete. That’s business sometimes!
Taking Care of Business:
3 Things Every Business Must Do To Increase Revenue
- Keep Current Customers – How? Keep in touch. Check in with them. Are they happy with your service? Do they have any concerns with quality, value, service…?
- Get More Customers – How? Ask for referrals. If customers are pleased with your work ask them! “As you know I am working hard to grow business, do you know anybody who could benefit from our products or services?
- Sell More to Your Current Customers – How? Do you have similar products or services that would be of value to your customer? If a service can be complimented by another service you offer, make customers aware of it. Consider bundling them together and offer existing customers special rates.
Based on presentation by Dr. Kelley O’Reilly – Western Michigan University
Get Social:
Pop Mashups Of Everyday Objects
Longtime fans of repurposing, we had to share these on the Connection Group Facebook page earlier this week. Keep the cleverness coming, Find Us On Facebook, and Twitter…
… understanding the importance of updating websites
I often joke that outdated websites are like hairstyles, one glimpse and you know from which decade they came.
Connection Group started offering website design for businesses and organizations in 1998. Sadly, some of the cutting-edge companies and organizations who jumped into the internet then are still working with the same, but now very outdated, website! Others who didn’t understand the importance of updating websites have long since closed their doors. Take a look at these outdated websites from a web design and developers eye. We’re going to poke fun at ourselves… so as not to offend anyone…(truthfully the first screencap doesn’t follow the ‘crew cut type’ that it is linked to … we never had a crew cut type website… we’re designers with many fonts… we must rebel…)
The Crew Cut of Pixie – All buttoned up and Proper
This website follows all the corporate rules. The company name is in the upper left corner, as text in helvetica, arial or times. The navigation is straight across the top with no drop downs, colors are pristine, and web fonts are clean and clear. There is no guessing where the content you are seeking is, just keep reading through the pages of copy and, if you stay awake long enough, you will get the answers you seek. There are no photos or graphics to add interest or break up the mountains of copy. Because ‘no truly serious business person wants artwork to distract them from their task.’ Internal staff can not touch these site, updates that are required must go through the code nerds in IT only.
The Spiked Out Punk – Loud, creative and difficult
Once the cool-kid website that was all flash and no content. Once launched graphics thrust toward you accompanied by swooshing sounds or music as each bursting circle or star thrashed to the next. The creative animation software that was Flash and made these site designs so popular in the millennium was considered difficult to deal with from the beginning. Mobile developers have further ostracized the use of Flash websites and now refuse to support them. Calling one up on your mobile device just brings conflict and remorse. Those that survived are underground, hidden from all attempts of search engine results.
The Mullet – Business in the front and party in the back
We’ve all seen this one. The website with all the right elements on the home page but once you get in deeper all you see is code or you have to jump through multiple pages to get a short answer on the question you had way back on the home page. Appearances are everything with these websites. The owners believe nobody really buys on the web, a website is just to help appear credible.
The 80’s hairband – All fluff and no substance
You’ve seen them, laden with dark colors, embossed buttons, every graphic and photo has multiple drop shadows and effects. Moving gifs are dancing erratically across the screen screaming for attention. The site navigation is strung out here and there with no sense of purpose or reasoning. Mobile responsive website? Not even close.
Ombre Hair – Trendy and Independent
These website designs are trendy and work hard to stand out from the crowd. With splashy artwork, handwritten fonts, scrolling themes, and social linking they’re ready to take on the world. Every mommy-blogger or small business can create a free Weebly or WordPress website, make their own changes and updates, post blogs and photos and be individually unique. But wait… didn’t I just see that same site theme used for the local art gallery website or was it the online fabric or yarn shop website or the Lansing, Michigan cannabis caretaker dispensary website? There’s no shock value or envy of cutting edge creativity, everyone’s doing it. The straight off the shelf free website themes are everywhere and they are all beginning to look the same. Plus the novelty wares off all too quickly. Once trendy small business websites are off on their own away from the original stylist, roots start to show up as broken links that take you nowhere and the last posted blog from two years ago starts with “Sorry it’s been so long… I’ve been so busy I don’t have time to update my own website… ”
Buzzcut with Shaved Design – You’ve been hacked
These websites may have started out fine with a few fancy plug-ins with extra features or added interests were included. It looked and sent the desired message so there was not need to change it or look at it again. The only problem is hackers love to attack websites that do not get updated regularly. These are the sites that you land on that automatically come up with a Google caution that says, “Go back – we have detected malware that may harm your computer… proceed at your own risk. Even you are not adding new photos or text or regular blogs, website maintenance and updates are important for security reasons as well as the benefit of increased SEO.
What decade or style do you find your company website in?
Technology and websites are ever changing and it can be hard to keep up. Now that you understand the importance of updating websites, you need a completely new website design or just need help updating your website, connect with us today. New website designs and website updating is 15% off through June 15. Hurry and get on our schedule today.
If you are interested in seeing throwback from websites-gone-by, visit archive.org. This website has chronicled website crawls since the year 1990s.
Giving Back to Lansing Start Ups
This month on our social media posts we have been having fun with fonts and typography. Do people other than designers care about fonts? Of course they do!
The 3 logo concepts on the right are a good example of how non-designers are affected by font choice. Recently Connection Group volunteered graphic design services to Michigan Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy. I worked with a high school student who created a business called Victory Backpacks. The business concept is to help increase positive energy by adding inspiration quotes to student attire. (Don’t you love it?!)
When we proposed the three logos to the entrepreneur, the discussion was primarily around fonts. Just look at how a script font, as compared to a serif, or sans serif font changes the feeling behind each of the concepts.
Need some help with font choices, design or image creation? Contact us this month and receive 15% off graphic design services.
Which one do you think was chosen? Vote on Facebook.
On The Blog:
Which is Better Brochure or Sales Sheet?
Your company website is live, you have business cards in hand, and now your’e ready for some leave behind print marketing materials. Small businesses often start with a standard, every-company-has-to-have-one-trifold, and others use sales sheets. Whether you are a start-up company or second stage business, when choosing between a brochure….read more
Taking Care of Business:
8 Strategies to Get Likes on Facebook
- Set goals – this give you something to measure progress with
- Complete your Page – fill in every part of the “About Us ‘ section
- Increase the visibility of your Page – include a Facebook link on all promos and email signature
- Be creative – Add content viewers will enjoy and share. Don’t sell all the time.
- Be Engaged – Respond to page posts quickly
- Develop campaigns – Organize shareable content, create contests. Add a user generated content (UGC) approach to campaigns.
- Use Facebook Ads: If increases likes is your goal, choose ads that gain page likes.
- Review analytics: Who is visiting, and when helps you know what and when to post.
Get Social:
Are You Fluent in Graphic Design?
Posted to Connection Group Facebook page earlier, this traveller T-shirt with 40 icons lets you communicate in any country even if you don’t speak its language.
Want more fun ideas and cleverness? Like our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter – we’ll keep them coming…
