Why Are Infographics So Popular?

“Infographic search volumes have increased by over 800% in just over 2 years.” – Jeff Bullas 

The infographic on the right explains visually the biggest reason why infographics are so popular.
Well designed infographics can clarify complex data with simple imagery. It’s like shorthand for mountains of data!
Besides breaking down all the web content we receive daily they also compliment your marketing efforts because:

1. Compelling and attractive – people love facts and statistics, add graphics and visuals and you have a shareable item.
2. Easily scanned, viewed and understood – 90% of the brain is visual so tapping into the optic nerve communicates the message clearer.
3. Increases brand awareness – adding your logo and contact information (plus the link to your website) increases brand exposure.
4. Identifies you as an expert 
5. Easily shared – Visuals are shared more frequently on social networks and are used in presentations more than ordinary text content.
6. Increases website traffic and SEO – by posting to your site you can have a direct url associated with the image. Every time the infographic is shared the person is linking to your website, the viewer is then taken to your website, and Google will index your website higher.

Connection Group creates infographics for many of our internet marketing customers. We want to create some for you too! Do you have industry stats that would work well in visual form? Prefer to have us research the stats and create the graphics and post them? We can do that too! Whichever you prefer connect with us today we love designing infographics and the extra bonus of helping you to boost your brand.

FROM THE BLOG

Why is website content king?

Content, content and more content. Every move we make in internet marketing is to drive more content. From content management systems of custom  websites, to blog entries, to custom infographics, to white papers, our travels around the web are leading us to more and more website content everyday. more…

August’s Monthly Promotion:

Save 20% off

Full Color Announcements

Elevate your branding. Send your customers and prospects branded announcements to promote new product releases, special events, anniversaries, sales, relocations, etc. Or take advantage of the 20% discount and get a jump on your custom designed holiday cards. Be first in line for Custom Thanksgiving card design, custom corporate holiday card designs, personal or professional Christmas card designs, custom new years’ cards and custom wedding invitation designs.

All Announcements include:
• custom design
• full color printing
• two sided printing
• envelopes
• heavy card stock (choose from uncoated to shiny UV coating)

What Organic Efforts Help Drive the Most Hits to Your Website?

Design – visual appeal is the force that binds your web content and branding message together. Good design, and intuitive user experience, directly effects conversion. Pay closest attention to your entry areas – home pages and landing pages.

Content – Content brings life to your internet marketing efforts. It flows through all marketing channels. Make sure your website and blog content is easy to share and find. Photo galleries and videos are content that is highly engaging for visitors.

SEO – Search engine optimization (SEO) – highly targeted keywords and phases relevant to your product or service are critical to capture organic search engine result traffic without purchasing Google Adwords or other internet ads. Relevant and current information updated to your website also serves a role in SEO.

Social Media– outposts to spread your message well beyond your community. If your message is valuable and powerful, it will spread with people in their network. Determine where your target market hangs out: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, other…?

Email – E-mails are by invitation –  the person has provided their email to you so that you may connect with them regularly . Respect it – don’t spam them or send too frequently. Provide information of interest including discounts, new product/service information, etc. Send personal notes, e-newsletters, invites, e-blast discounts, etc. when you can.

Connection Group can help you with all of the above services as well as internet advertising. If organic optimizing isn’t working fast enough for you or if your business is in a highly competitive industry, you might consider budgeting for monthly Google Adwords, Facebook Ad campaigns, etc. Connect with us today we’d like to help you grow.

From the Blog:

Is Responsive Website Design an Affordable Solution for Small Business?

Great Tidings Comfort and Joyful Holidays
As the year comes to an end with holiday festivities, it is our hope that you will enjoy time with family and friends – work will be here when you return. Wishing you peace, love and happiness during the holidays and always.

How Can a Marketing Consultation Help Business?
I remember during my stints in the corporate world when the executive offices shared that they were bringing in a business consultant, there was a chorus of groans in every department. Truthfully there were times when a better solution would have been to survey staff, vendors and customers to get a clear picture and new direction to meet the company goals. In other situations however, an outside view that is qualified in a specific area can provide valuable insight to the functioning of individual departments and the company as a whole, large or small. read more on the blog.

• Do-it-yourselfers: choose the specific marketing service you’ve wanted to complete all year but just haven’t found the time and cross it off your already over-full to-do list!
• Please-get-us-started: choose the entire package or a custom package designed to fit your immediate goals and future growth. We can tackle one task per month or complete the entire plan in one quarter.

1. Planning and Consultation: 

• 1 hour consultation with written report.
• editorial calendar (content)
• marketing plan – 5 page plan

• blog design and development
• e-mail newsletter template
• landing page creation

• Biography – Management or Business
• Fact Sheet / Blog Article
• E-book creation

• social media profile creation
• integrate social media, maps on website
• directory listings

Connect with us by January 30, 2014
Receive $100.00 off! Purchase one of the 4 options below ($500.00 value) and save $100.00 off of the standard price.

A Beautiful and Inspiring 2014

Our 2014 calendars have been handed out to a few local customers and we have received a great response from recipients. Mail arrival by January 1, 2014 for those who have signed up to receive one. If you missed signing up to receive a free promotional one, please order yours today and we will get one in the mail to you as soon as possible. There are limited quantities remaining so please respond quickly. If you miss out on the Connection Group promotion calendars there may be some product calendars still available for sale that do not include service listing and are purely for decoration. Prices are reduced for the new year. We would love it if you could share the link in your social media channels for those who may be interested, thank you!
We hope you will stay connected with us throughout the year.
Connect with us on social media:      
These are the go-to-places to pick up tools, trends and tips to stay on the leading edge with your business. Enjoy inspiring design, website usability, marketing strategy and business resources nestled with fun, discounts and free downloads. Please stay connected!

Happy Thanksgiving!
It is a time for gratitude, for sharing and for remembering the special people in our lives. We are grateful to be a part of your life, however it is that we serve you. Wishing you peace, love and happiness on Thanksgiving and always.

Building Relationships with Customers
Providing a strong product or service is fairly simple, as is the ability to advertise your company through conventional means, but long term business relationships require effort.Creating true connection with customers requires an entirely different skill set to keep you in their radar.
Fear not! … we have four helpful tips that will get you going in the right direction to build strong, lasting customer connections… read more on the blog.

When representing your company at various events and situations, one of the most important aspects is the ability to stand out. Business cards are a great way to stand out and be remembered but you want to be remembered for the right reasons. Cheap and sometimes free business card packs are everywhere but they can be limiting and even make you appear careless about quality.
Business Card Basics:

• Cover it –  Don’t hold back, make sure you include what you do and the best way for prospects to contact you.
• Stand out – Color helps cards pop, as do logos and graphics. If you are in a service industry include a personal picture for people who remember faces better than names.
• Show off – Being humble is an important quality, but a business card has no room to be humble. Get to the point and make a connection.
• Look Closely – Believe it or not, some people have forgotten to put their phone number or email addresses on their business card. Make sure you don’t miss anything!
• Finish strong – Uncoated, Gloss, and UV-coated, cover stocks last infinitely longer than desktop ink-jet prints. They also scan cleaner and don’t smear.

Receive 15% off business card printing and design now through December 31, 2013. Already have a design? Call use today for print only pricing. 517-645-4387.

Time is of the Essence

We are excited about our new 12 month calendar design for 2014! Thank you to those who have already reserved their copy. If you are interested in a complimentary 12 month calendar we will be mailing them in the next couple of weeks. Reserve yours today. You will also receive access to exclusive downloads.
These calendars will be available for sale in some of your favorite mid-Michigan shops for gift giving this holiday season for suggested retail of $7.00. Please watch the Facebook page for announcements of specific locations, limited quantities available.
We hope you will stay connected with us throughout the year.
Connect with us on social media:      
These are the go-to-places to pick up tools, trends and tips to stay on the leading edge with your business. Enjoy inspiring design, website usability, marketing strategy and business resources nestled with fun, discounts and free downloads. Please stay connected!

Social media has exploded in the past few years as a powerful tool for keeping in touch, both with your personal and business network.
Facebook alone has more than 1 billion users. If you’re a small business owner, you’re missing out if you’re not part of that community. Setting up a Facebook presence is not just using your personal profile to tell your family and friends about your company. This month’s issue shows you how you should use Facebook as a business owner. Please also remember to reference on social media ebook for more tips.
Learn how to manage your Facebook page below and scroll further to check out our special marketing offer this month – there are other ways to reach your target market in addition to social media….

Business or personal: Managing your company’s Facebook page

Facebook is a great tool for keeping in touch with your personal network. But did you know you can also set up a Facebook page to promote your business?
Even though Facebook allows companies and businesses to use their services for promotion, there are differences between a personal profile and a business page. In fact, Facebook’s terms of service don’t allow personal profiles to be used for professional purposes. And, when it comes down to it, there’s really no need to. Business pages offer so many benefits that are not available for personal profiles.
Read the rest of the article on the Connection Group blog.

Get in Front of Your Customer
Print is not dead! On the contrary print marketing has seen a resurgence over the last year. Businesses are challenged with all the marketing options available to them today. Should they advertise on Facebook? Should they continue to pay monthly for an ad in a reference book that nobody seems to look at anymore? The internet marketing options; social media, blogs, websites, can be overwhelming and the most important factor, your target audience, can be difficult to capture.
If the only customer you are seeking is the twenty something or under, internet marketing solutions along with some tv spots are a  be the best approach. However, if your business target market includes people over the age of 30, you may want to consider combining your internet marketing campaign with a direct mail campaign.
Depending on your offer, message and target audience Connection Graphic can suggest the best format, develop the content, and determine the approach – all with consideration to your time and budget. Maybe you have a comprehensive mailing list that you can reach out to? Or maybe you are trying to reach a specific neighborhood or segment of the city? We can craft a direct mail campaign that suits your needs and gets in the hands of your audience. Give us a call today to schedule a 30 minute complimentary consultation. Or submit contact information here.
Call today to take advantage of this months 15% discount on postcard design and printing 517-645-4387.

Save on Postcards
Save 15% on your next design and print order of full-color postcards. Check out some of our previous projects, and contact us to start crafting your new business stationery today.