September 2015

On September 29, 2015   /   Newsletter   /   Leave a comment

Spotlight – Marketing Consultation

Are You a Good Candidate for a Marketing Consultation?

If you know your product or service is top notch, your customer service is caring and timely, but your company is not experiencing the growth and sales for the level of quality you are providing, you could benefit from a brand marketing consultation. 

DO YOU….
• need help deciding between internet marketing or print marketing?

• have a limited budget and want it to go as far as it can with the best results?

• use old tried and true methods but lately haven’t enjoyed good results?

• need new materials that list a new product, service or store location?

Depending on the size of your business, marketing consultations range from 2-12 hours ($85/hr). Most businesses with less than 5 employees will be in the 2-3 hour range.

WHAT TO EXPECT
First we will meet with you (via phone or in person) and review your current marketing items and practices. We will discuss your business goals and your estimated marketing budget. After the meeting, information and research is compiled to generate a report and plan to outline next steps within your time frame and budget.

Give us a call today or get in the schedule. We’re passionate about this business of marketing and branding and we love to serve and see our customers grow. Receive a 15% discount on marketing consultations scheduled by to October 30 , 2015. Be sure to mention the discount when we schedule!

On the Blog:

Do you have more time than money at this stage of your business? This do-it-yourself step from this month’s blog can give you a jump start and reduce consultation time.

Be Your Own Marketing Consultant

Start with a quick SWOT Analysis.

connectivity enews graphicsSWOT stands for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. You may be surprised how much insight you will gain by investing a bit of time answering the following questions about your business. Get a quick glimpse of your business as it stands today, Doing this homework before your brand marketing consultation can help you hone in on the area you would like to address first and keep your time targeted to get the best results. Read More…

Are You Taking Care of Business?

Graphic design samples with prayer cards

Professional Speaker and owner of Dave’s Soda and Pet Shops, Dave Ratner visits retail stores and companies all over the country. He pointed out a few, as he puts it ‘duh’, things businesses often neglect to do that can turn customers away.

ASK YOURSELF:
1. How is the curb appeal of my business?
2. Are the windows clean?
3. Are the shelfs fully stocked (if you are a retailer)
4. Do you have burned out light bulbs?
5. Is your office/entryway/ shop dirty?

Your building is a component of your brand – it can close a sale or lose a sale. Even if you only meet with customers occasionally at your location, staff and vendors also form an opinion. What message is it sending? Not surprisingly, the items on the above list are also feng shu laws that govern favorable or unfavorable energy. As the saying goes, ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression’. Make it a good one.
Now what did I do with that glass cleaner?

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Experience The Power of Transformation

On September 15, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment
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brand marketing consultation lansing graphic sept blog

Be Your Own Marketing Consultant

Start with a quick SWOT Analysis

You know the definition of insanity, repeating the same action and expecting a different result? Taking a few steps back from your day to day tasks to meet with a brand marketing consultant and look at your business with different eyes can provide clarity. A professional brand marketing consultation will take a comprehensive overview of your company and brand marketing efforts.

A professional brand marketing consultation will consider:

  • your products or services
  • your brand message
  • corporate philosophy
  • corporate climate
  • client demographics
  • marketing goals
  • future plans
  • business goals
  • media preferences
  • and so much more…

A brand marketing consultation often starts with a quick SWOT Analysis.

SWOT stands for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. You may be surprised how much insight you will gain by investing a bit of time answering the following questions about your business. Get a quick glimpse of your business as it stands today, Doing this homework before your brand marketing consultation can help you hone in on the area you would like to address first and keep your time targeted to get the best results.

  1. What are your products/or service?
  2. Who is your customer (demographics – gender/age/location…)
  3. What are your company strengths?
  4. What are your company weaknesses?
  5. What are your company opportunities?
  6. What are your company threats?
  7. Who is your company competition?

Upon review of all the questions what are the considerations / recommendations?

Now how will you tie all this into your annual business marketing goals?

You now have a current snapshot of your business. It’s time to take the next steps. Select the most critical items or the items that are the most likely to have the biggest impact on your goals.

Answer the following questions:

  1. How can you use your strengths to take advantage of your biggest opportunities?
  2. How can you use your strengths to overcome your biggest threats?
  3. What can you do to reduce or eliminate your weaknesses to make the most of the opportunities available?
  4. How can you minimize your weaknesses, so that you are better positioned to overcome your threats?

Many of the answers to these questions will seem obvious to you – even basic. Once your SWOT analysis is complete and you schedule your brand marketing consultation  you will see the power of how putting it all on paper and setting planned goals and actions can truly change your business.

Online Brand Marketing Consultations

Connection Group provides in person brand marketing consultations to local Lansing, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan clients and all areas in between.
For businesses outside of lower Michigan, online brand marketing consultations are available. We will review your website, business social media profiles, all internet advertising and digital marketing. When applicable, we also request all print materials and promotions be mailing or emailed to us for previewing prior to meeting with a brand marketing consultant. Getting a comprehensive view of all company branding and marketing, both in print and web, will help us offer the best brand marketing guidance for your company goals.
 

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The Importance of Visual Content

On September 2, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Free facebook cover photos - inspiring importance of visual contentTop 5 ways to present your brand professionally

Yes the cover does sell the book and yes a picture says a 1000 words – boom. The importance of visual content on your website, social media graphics, print and brand marketing can’t be measured completely. I looked – I found stats on conversion rates but that is a whole other blog post. This blog offers tips on creating or discovering where you can find quality visual content for your custom brand marketing.

1. Build a Professional Website

So your cousin/niece/son just took a web design class at Lansing Community College? A professional does not one website design class make. Did they add any images that truly don’t represent your brand or aren’t in the brand style? Hand drawn illustrations can work with brands with a young audience but may look juvenile with a corporate communication.

The next questions is do you own it? Google images, graphics, photos or images taken from the internet hold copyrights and sometimes trademarks. Legal action can be taken if they are used without the owners permission.

One of our customers was forced to pay a stock photo company $1200 for use of two photos on their blog. An intern grabbed the photos from Google Images and uploaded them. The large stock photography company found that the small healthcare business in Lansing, Michigan had not purchased the images. The stock photo site insisted on payment from our client or they risked being taken to court. Removing the photos from the blog, claiming ignorance, blaming an intern is not a valid defense. Where did the photos on your website or your social media graphics at photos or graphics do you need to remove or replace?

2. Stock Photos and Graphics

Small businesses seldom have the budget to develop original photography or graphics for each project. What items are your working on? Are there images that can be found for purchase online? Stock image websites abound on the net, just look into the user agreement and understand the terms of use for photos or graphics you purchase and download. Options usually include low, medium and high quality resolution depending on your use (low is typically for website/blog use only, the others can be used in print; medium images can be used for many print design projects. Large stock images will reproduce in print larger and are often chosen when a quality cover photo, poster, trade show display or exhibit booth is needed.

Remember, you do not own stock photos and graphics, you only have permission to use them. The terms of use outline the marketing and advertising media they can be legally be used in.

Stock sites can find their images on your website – if you have not purchased them, they can legally charge you. (see #1 above)

Often times trained graphic designers can customize stock photos and graphics to a point where most people would never know they started as a stock image. This additional design work may add more time and cost to your project but the customized look achieved can be used time and time again. (This doesn’t eliminate the need to pay for use.) It does provide a custom image nobody else can lay claim to. Where can you find images for legal use online? (some stock photo and stock images websites are listed in the Resources section).

free social media graphics for sharing3. Web Graphics – The Importance of Visual Content

Use your brand visual elements to create graphics for your website, social media profile pictures, avatars, visual media for blog posts, etc. If a graphic design firm has created your logo, be sure to get digital files in a variety of formats. Creating original social media graphics and web graphics using your brand imagery can help boost your brand exposure and connect with you audience. How can you add more brand images to your website or social media posts?

inspiring quote for sharing on social media4. Design Social Media Graphics

Statistics show graphics or memes are shared and shown in the Facebook news feed algorithm more than text only page posts. People come to the web to be entertained — not to read. Whether graphics or videos have industry tips, trending topics, popular quotes, etc. people respond to them and share them. What web graphics can you share or create of interest to your audience?

5. Original Digital Graphic Files

When you purchase or hire a graphic designer to create a project, determine where you will be using it; online, print, tv, etc. All of these media require different formats. It’s best to let your graphic designer know the media channels your art will be used in ahead of time. Creating art for print and web is different. Save time and money by considering all uses ahead of time.

A custom web graphic created for your home page will require the graphic designer to rebuild it, and will cost additional fees if you decide you also want to use it for your corporate brochure or other print promotions.

We recognize the importance of visual content,  we love graphic design and our most fun is creating social media graphics usually with inspiring quotes. leadership quotes for business, holiday greeting social media graphics and more. We post new ones to our social media outposts -so be sure and  follow us to get the next trending design. You can also visit our downloads page for free social media graphics and share them to  your hearts content!

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August 2015

On August 26, 2015   /   Newsletter   /   Leave a comment

Graphic Design = Your message made visual.

I wouldn’t go so far as believe Billy Crystal’s comment but when it comes to business, looks are paramount. How a product, package, or service visually appeals to the consumer may weigh in higher in the decision process than most realize.
I know I pay more for tissues when they have a cooler design on the box than the less expensive ones. How about you, what does good design mean to you?
Are you spending valuable time struggling to design a brochure in Word or design a website in WordPress and it still looks like an amateur attempt? Stop that and call us!
We marry visuals with messages to facilitate sales and we’re extending our 25% discount for graphic design through September. Remember to mention the special when you order!

On the Blog:

The Importance of Design in Marketing

Creating Brand Visuals that Communicate.
connectivity enews graphicsEverything is so much prettier these days. Design is in mainstream consciousness and visual standards are steep. Apple and Target have demonstrated that even utilitarian items can become art when both aesthetics and function are balanced. The importance of design in marketing… Read More…

Monthly Spotlight – Graphic Design

Morning Star Prayer Meditations by Enid A. Gaddis

Graphic design samples with prayer cards
We recently completed a new project for long time customer Enid Gaddis of Crosswalk Jewelry. Enid has created a set of daily prayer cards for parents sending their kids off to school. She wrote the text and selected the words and prayers for each day.
Enid knew the plain Word document would not attract people to truly read and us them. We were happy to add our design touch to them and suggested the perpetual calendar in card format. The user can choose a card each day and can use them every month of the year. The cards are packaged in attractive business card holders. If you are interested in purchasing the card please contact Enid. A percentage of proceeds will be donated for purchasing school supplies for students.

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The Importance of Design in Marketing

On August 20, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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The Importance of Design in Marketing Connection Group Blog August

Creating Brand Visuals that Communicate

Everything is so much prettier these days. Design is in mainstream consciousness and visual standards are  steep. Apple and Target have demonstrated that even utilitarian items can become art when both aesthetics and function are balanced. The importance of design in marketing has a higher level than a mere five years ago. Graphic design marries visuals with a message to facilitate marketing goals. How does your brand or company stand out from the torrents of information and stylish brands out there?

1. Templates – Themes

Pre-made theme designs for websites, stationary, brochure and business card templates, and even pre-made logos are prevalent on the internet. The challenge is that other small businesses- maybe even your competition – may be using the same template as you!

When you understand the importance of design in marketing and decide customized graphics and design is the way to go  you encounter another challenge. Making custom changes to existing graphic design templates may be difficult. How can you make it your own style without having design software?

Do small business marketing research before purchasing or ordering graphic design or brand design visuals for your company. Make a list of elements to include in your project and choose your theme with those in mind. For instance determine what the main areas of your website will be, this helps determine your navigation. Research design themes or templates and make sure you can customize those cookie cutter templates to amplify your brand.

2. Color

Is your company high tech, energetic or tranquil? The colors you use will communicate, often sub-consciously, how the viewer  is suppose to feel. What colors are associated with the feeling you would like to depict in your brand? Visit our color personality list in our design tips section for ideas.

3. Fonts

Like color, font selection can quickly depict the mood of a brand. When choosing a font for your brand remember not all fonts display on the web. Web fonts are increasing but if you use a font in your logo that is not supported it will need to be converted to a graphic. Try a few combinations and limit your selection to only one or two fonts that flow well together.

4. Consistency

The only way to build lasting brand recognition is to be consistent with all of the above elements in all media channels. Your logo and other brand visuals need to be formatted to work for both print and web use. Consider all the media outposts your visual designs and digital images will be used/ (online, print, tv, video, etc.)

5. Qu2 sisters misguided manual to motherhoodality

Are you using cheesy clip art, blurry or low resolution photo or graphics? Once again we address the importance of design in marketing. When prospects see poor quality or disjointed marketing pieces in the market place it raises questions. Are they disorganized, don’t care about details?

Can you improve your dated logo, images or get new photos taken? Can graphics be redrawn or recreated for digital use? Can you purchase professional stock designs?

6. Graphic Style

Photos and graphics are also strong messages. What graphic style fits best with your brand message? Black and white photography, hand drawn illustrations, etc. Graphic styles may be photos or graphics in styles such as grunge, hipster, retro, elegant, contemporary, realistic, classic, natural, cartoonish. What visual design style suits your business marketing?

Thanks for reading the importance of design in marketing. The following post will follow along this topic and focus on the importance of visual content.

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What's The Best Way to Get into Your Customers' House?

On August 1, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Graphic Design and Web design   /   1 Comment
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direct mail campaign infographicsDirect mail campaign pieces are the key to get into your prospects home AND hang out a while!

A recent Royal Mail Market Research “The Private Life of Mail” study researched how mail is filtered, handled, discussed, shared and filed at home. By following how mail interacts in the home revealed beneficial insights for brands. For instance the study discovered an average piece from advertising mail or a direct mail campaign stays in the home 17 days! I dare you to get a Facebook ad to be so consistent!

The custom infographic on the right highlights other results of the study including:

  • 23% of mail is passed around
  • People place 24% more value on something they can touch.
  • 57% say it makes them feel more valued.

Nearly 40% of homes display mail.

Of course people display the mail they receive that is attractive, informative and if it stands out from the pack. Studies show if the design and message of a direct mail campaign lands flat the chances of winning shelf space are pretty low.
Direct mail campaigns are perfect opportunities to increase brand awareness and keep you at the top of  your customers mind. Wouldn’t it be great to know your recent postcard mailing was deemed refrigerator worthy? Be sure to show your brand in it’s brightest light. When planning your next mailing be sure to budget time and costs for custom graphic design and professional print. Yes desktop publishing apps allow you to create your own postcards or print brochures and you can even print them on the inkjet printer you have next to your desk. Be honest with yourself.. If the piece your just created came across your desk, what would you think of the company that sent it to you? Does professional or cheap come to mind? 

Stay Connected with Professional Print Communications

Direct mail campaigns are typically made up of postcards, brochures, catalogs, etc. However, direct mail is not the only entry into your customers homes.   Think about other print pieces customers or prospects may hold onto. These ideas could range from one  affordable postcard with an appointment reminder, an attractive brochure with a unique fold or special paper stock.
Think about what you might hold on to. How about thank you cards, greeting cards, coupons? The longer the piece stays in the home. the more often your name is in front of people who enter the household depending on where the mail is displayed.
E-mail marketing, social media. and mobile advertising can drive powerful results. However, as this study shows people still appreciate the tactile and personalized nature of mail.  The next time you are planning to reach out to your customer, remember  a combined marketing campaign always offers the best results – and mail is a highly cost effective component to include in any combined marketing campaign.
Now what are you waiting for? Call us today for a consultation. Take advantage of our August special for 25% off graphic design services. Through August 31 graphic design services also include logo designs, infographic creation, brochures, digital graphics and more. These custom graphic design marketing items can be reused time and time again.
 

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July 2015

On July 29, 2015   /   Newsletter   /   Leave a comment

What’s the best way to get into your customers’ house?

The key is mail

A recent Royal Mail Market Research study researched how mail is filtered, handled, discussed, shared and filed at home. The study discovered an average piece of advertising mail stays in the home 17 days! Try and get a Facebook ad to be so consistent.

Another result we find worth noting is nearly 40% of homes display mail. That is, if it stands out from the pack. Wouldn’t it be great to know your recent postcard mailing was deemed refrigerator worthy? When planning your mail campaign be sure to budget time and costs for custom graphic design and professional printing.
What are you waiting for? Call us today for a consultation. Take advantage of our current special of 25% off graphic design services through August 31.

On the Blog:

The 5 Dharma Types of Brochures

Print has been resurrected.
A custom designed and printed brochure can offer flexibility and credibility for; face to face meetings, follow ups from phone inquiries, and website visits. Print communicates clearly by including brand visuals, contact information, specifications of products or services, diagrams, photos, dates, maps, forms to be returned, and more. Read More…

Monthly Spotlight – Social Media Graphics

Profile Backgrounds • Cover Graphics • Newsfeed Graphics • responsive website design Charlotte, Michigan

The idea of a perfect day is when we get to play with type and color and graphics and social media! Happy dance!
Inspiring quotes, product features, event promotions, holiday closing announcements, and monthly features, changing out your social media graphics shows your customer you care about keeping them updated. Adding funny, inspiring graphics to your page feed helps increase your page likes and shares. Call us today to discuss ideas for custom social media graphics and profile creation.
And help yourself! We’ve created original social media graphics for you to use for free. Share them and Pin them to your hearts content! Check out our downloads.

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The 5 Dharma Types of Brochures

On July 20, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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types of brochures July 2015
Print has been resurrected.

Do you have an upcoming event, new product or service? Are you or your staff attending trade shows, marketing events or sales meetings? There are many types of brochures to select from to communicate your message.
postcard-design-and-landing-pagesA custom designed and printed brochure can offer flexibility and credibility for; face to face meetings, follow ups from phone inquiries, and website visits. Print items serve as reminders to prospects and customers and work to build brand awareness. Print communicates clearly by including brand visuals, contact information, specifications of products or services, diagrams, photos, dates, maps, and forms to be returned, and more.
For a brochure to be effective it needs to be designed well and incorporate consistent use of your brand elements. Eye catching graphics, clever messaging and subjects of interest to the audience, will entice prospects to pick it up. When designing a brochure it is important to align it with your brand promise and in a form and style that relates to your target audience.

Types of Brochures

1. Leave Behind / Informational Company Brochure

This brochure type serves as an initial introduction to prospects.
What information can paint a clear picture and allow people to contact you easily?

2. Sales Support / Product Brochure

Contains information company representatives can use as a sales tool. Don’t assume sales staff memorizes all the key messages for each product or service they pitch during a presentation. Include important information in a sales support brochure to make sure everything is covered accurately. The brochure or sales tool will be left behind for prospects to review after the account representative is long gone.
What product information is most important to prospects?

3. Event Brochure

Create a brochure to promote your event and another brochure to distribute during the event for attendees to reference, (consider accommodations, maps, schedules, etc.). Remember to include dates, times, locations, contact information. Ever seen a brochure or event advertisement that didn’t include the location? Or the start time? Unfortunately it happens too often. (You may want reference a print checklist when creating your print material.) With all types of brochures there are elements that should always be included. It is easy to forget even obvious content  when you are too close to the project.
What information do you need to include in each brochure?

4. Direct Mail Brochure

Of the many types of brochures direct mail brochures are the most popular request by our customers. According to Direct Marketing Association direct mail boasts a 4.4 response rate. Does 4.4% seem low to you? Compare it to the average 0.12% for email campaigns  and you may change your mind!  These statistics on average direct mail response rates is from 2012 when print was at an all time low. Yet it was still beating digital response rates. Now that print is gaining in popularity again the number may be higher.
Who do you want to reach? What product or service or special offer will you feature? What database/mailing list will you use? Do you need to purchase a list? What size will it be? Self-mailer or envelopes? Have you considered postage and handling fees into your budget?

5. Point of Sale

Prospects pick up these brochures to read later. Companies place them at check outs, in point of purchase displays, statement stuffers, as product inserts, they may include product instructions, warranties,  etc.
Can you promote additional products/services as part of a sale? Can you introduce a new product or service to a clientele who are already engaged with your product or service?  Could you increase the value of your product by suggesting multiple uses of products or services? Share new policies, promotions, etc.
Whichever types of brochures you decide your company needs, get clear and concise. Don’t skimp on the attraction quotient! Communicate your message, market your brand, and make a good impression by paying attention to the details. If you need help determining the best print solutions for your budget give us a call or complete the inquiry form here.
If you think print marketing is a good option for  your company don’t hesitate to connect with us!  For the remainder of this month postcard design and printing is 25% off. Respond by July 30, 2015 and save.
 

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June 2015

On June 23, 2015   /   Newsletter   /   Leave a comment

It’s Clear, Print is Back

Healthcare has been doing it right.

Healthcare organizations recognize that getting printed materials in customers hands is a successful form of communication. Many a dentist appointment has been made once the postcard arrives in the mail. Can a postcard, periodical reminder card, or postcard campaign help to keep your customers informed? Connection Group is discounting printing and design of postcards through July 27, 2015. Whether you need 300 or 300,000, postcards are affordable and hard working messengers. Give us a call today or reach out online. Let’s chat about how postcards can help your customers and prospects take action.

On the Blog:

Authentic Website Content and Blogs – The Tao of Enlightened Story Telling

Content, content, content. What Google wants, Google gets.  The best part of feeding Google accurate, relevant and authentic website content is that search engine inquiries now return fairly accurate results. Local companies can compete with national chains, customers can find you quicker and they keep coming back because your information is current and is trustworthy. Read More…

Monthly Spotlight – The Hen House

Local Small Business E-Commerce Website responsive website design Charlotte, Michigan

We love it when we can help local small businesses expand their market reach!
The Hen House of Charlotte, Michigan is a quaint quilt and craft supply shop with a unique niche in primitive style quilt design supplies. The Hen House draws people to their shop from all over and is an award winning shop that has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler magazine.
Connection Group developed a website design with a custom CMS a number of years ago but the website was not an e-commerce website or a responsive design. While choosing to update to a mobile friendly website The Hen House set their sights on expansion. Now shoppers from across the globe have no worries of time zones or gas prices. Customers can shop in their PJs, fill up the online shopping cart, check out with their credit cards and receive a shipment in just a few days. The responsive WordPress CMS website now offers easy expansion and updating of products in-house.
If you’re in the Charlotte, Michigan area, stop into the quaint brick and mortar store and meet Caroline and Elyse. If you can’t wait another moment, head over to the new e-commerce website – now open for your online and smart phone shopping pleasure 24/7!
 

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Authentic Website Content and Blogs – The Tao of Enlightened Story Telling

On June 16, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   1 Comment
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authentic website content and blog posts - June image
Content, content, content. What Google wants, Google gets.  The best part of feeding Google accurate, credible, relevant and authentic website content is that search engine inquiries return fairly accurate results. Local companies can compete with national chains, customers can find you quicker and they keep coming back because your information is current and is trustworthy.

Blogs

One of the most powerful ways to drive traffic to your website are blogs. Rich with keywords, when updated regularly search bots love to crawl and index blogs. What topics are of interest to your customers that also highlight company products and services? Make sure your blog is part of your website and is not a separate blog with a completely different domain name. Share industry information and make sure you have the same voice each post. Add some personal anecdotes in there – personal to youauthentic website content categories or situations your company has encountered. People want to read stories, not just statistics. Truthful, authentic website content will resonate with your audience.

List a few blog topics of interest to your customers. Can you cover multiple categories (products, local news, upcoming releases, etc.)?

Page Content

Let your website work for you. Websites should also serve to help your visitor make a decision. Be proactive and consider what questions your customers typically ask and answer them on your site!
Do some research. What do people call and ask you most often? Can you include these answers on your website? Do you offer a unique service or go the extra mile with customer service or off referral discounts. Share this information on the pages of your company website – blogs are not the only parts of your website that get crawled by search engines. Having clear, authentic website content that answers your website visitors questions will get you further ahead.

What website information can you expand on?

Keywords

Still powerful generators for standing out in search engines, keywords perform best in search results when they are included in paragraphs such as articles, bios, descriptions, etc. What are known as key phrases are the best for search results these days.
For instance instead of saying we provide content writing and use content writing as the keyword the suggested approach is we write a longer phrase.  For example: we develop authentic website content for Lansing area businesses. Note website content for Lansing area businesses is more targeted than just blog writing. By adding a targeted phrase to our local market we reduce the amount of websites we are competing against when people search for content writing for Lansing area businesses.
Consider how you would search in Google for your product or service. Choose words and phrases that are relevant to your product or service for a higher return. For example since we design responsive websites for small businesses, we could use mobile friendly website designs for Lansing area small businesses as a relevant keyphrase. Writing about my vacation in St. Petersburg Florida or penning a how-to on business networking is not relevant to our responsive website design service.  Google will not return our website in results when people search responsive website design for small business in Lansing, MI if we only write about the fabulous sunsets in St. Pete . Remember to feed the keyword and keyphrases in your blog and the pages of your website. You can also use Google’s Keyword Tool to get some ideas on search volumes for particular words and phrases.

What are some keywords and key phrases to start with?

graphic54d91c52c35e6-800x800.jpgPhotos / Graphics

Looking for attention? Want to stand out from the millions of website content shared each day? Post a photo or create a graphic. Product photos, image and text slides in a moving slideshow can help with promotions, or services. Sharing statistics in visual formats keep visitors on your website twice as long. Can you add professional custom photos of your building, staff, products or even stock art that represents your product or service? Can you create a graphic with an inspiring quote to post to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and include your company logo on it? How about adding interaction with an automated slide show?  Authentic website content is not just copy, website content includes images, moving or static, photographic or illustrative.

Make a list of photos you have to use on the website and a wish list of photos that would add relevancy and visual interest.

Now search your harddrive, get out your smart phone or search Google for a local photographer in your area.

Videos / Animations

Google owns YouTube. Need we say more? Post videos on your YouTube, channel and link them to your website. Share them on other social media sites and increase your search result returns. Videos increase your search ranking and get higher page feeds in Facebook’s current algorithm. Create instructional videos, product videos, video tips, video testimonials, compile photos for products or your your office and stream them together in a video app.. There are so many options these days, you don’t have to be a professional videographer – although a professional quality video with good sound and story boarding is always best!

Which type of video will benefit your customers and your business?

Social-Media-Infograph.jpgCustom Infographic Creation:

Everyone loves a well designed infographic! Why? Because they are visual and pack a ton of information in a clear, concise manner. Design some infographics just for fun and see how far they travel in social media when people share them. What industry or local statistics of interest to your customers could be converted to
an infographic? Make sure if you are sharing stats that they are accurate and cite your sources!

Do you have stats for your company or industry stats that are impactful? What types of stats are of interest to your customer?

 
Now you have a lot of ideas for website content to drive searches and answer client questions. No time to develop all of this important content? Connect with us today. We will meet with you to discuss best options for your company website content and develop copy and visuals to increase your credibility and drive  targeted web traffic.
God luck and stay connected!

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