Goodbye Blogger, Hello Wordpress

I've been wanting to switch to Wordpress for quite a while now and finally, over the past few days, I've programmed my way to a new blog. All posts can now be found at http://13thirtyone.com/blog/.

Client Appreciate: 2008 Holiday Gift

Last year I sent my clients a bottle of wine for the holidays with a custom designed label. It was a great way to share something I love (wine...) while showing off some skills. Because I received such a great response last year, I decided to carry on with the promotion this year.

For 2008, I chose a Cabernet Sauvignon (as opposed to last year's Merlot). The label created last year was vintage-looking and very layered. In contrast, I wanted to create a clean label with the emphasis being placed on the words "Happy Holidays" themselves. The finished product is below:



A close-up of the artwork itself can be seen here.

ECO & BUDGET-FRIENDLY CLIENT HOLIDAY GIFTS

It's hard to believe it's that time of year again; it's time to start planing our holiday promotions and to start thinking about how we'll show our clients that we appreciate them.

This year, why not make your client promotions work for you? In other words, how about not just sending a store-bought box of chocolates and calling it good... What about sending that box of chocolates with your logo printed on the box cover and with a handwritten note on your company's stationery?

Below is a list of holiday promo ideas I've come up with that are sure to show your clients that you care, plus, they're all eco-friendly and they won't break your bank!


Bottle of Wine:
This is what I give my clients each year. Through PersonalWine.com, I can create my own custom-designed wine label. This reminds my clients of my abilities as a graphic designer while adding a personal touch. More importantly though, the bottle is 100% recyclable, as I indicate on my wine labels.

Host a Holiday Open House:
What's better than getting the chance to wish your customers happy holidays in person? It's very personal, plus, it shows effort. Set up your office space for a few appetizers and drinks and unlock your doors. This allows you to keep your costs low while inviting your clients in out of the cold. The only waste is those paper plates and cups that are left to be recycled.

Make Your Own Fruit Baskets:
Add a personal touch to your fruit baskets! Purchase used decorative baskets at garage sales or on Ebay then go to your local market for some organic, local produce. Fill the baskets and add a personalized note. You're supporting your local agriculture, reusing someone's unwanted baskets and giving a gift that's more personal.

Coffee and a Chat:
This could take a while depending on how large your client list is, but what if you called up each customer and offered to buy them a cup of coffee? With no agenda in mind, you could sit down with your client and truly get to know them. Everyone knows time is valuable, so the gesture will be highly appreciated, along with the free drink. Remember to recycle your cups, and at roughly $3.50 per drink, this one's a bargain!

Coordinate a Discount:
Join forces with another business in your area that could be beneficial to your client base. Instead of spending the money on actual gifts, work out some sort of cross-promotion. For example, a copywriter may be a useful service to my clients. If I were to work out a deal with said writer for a free consultation for each client (and their clients for me, likewise), they would actually be receiving something their business might truly benefit from. Plus, other than paying to print a voucher on recycled paper, you have a cost-free gift that could result in several new clients for each business.

When wallets get a little tight, and when trying to keep an environmentally friendly approach in mind, all it means is that we need to be a little more creative. Furthermore, I think it truly is the thought that counts.

This Year's Holiday Wine Label

It's the first week of October which means time to start planning holiday promotions. Last year, for my client holiday gifts, I did a bottle of wine with a custom label created by me. After thinking about it for a LONG time, I decided I'd repeat the gift this year. While it's not as eco-friendly as I'd like, the contents are sure to be used and the bottle can be recycled (which I've so clearly typed on the label). This year's holiday label is below:






I wanted something somewhat distressed looking, while classic, elegant and even a little whimsical. The red on the main portion of the label is somewhat retro, while the darker red stripe along the side will match the casing on the wine cork. By only using type, the message is sure to be noticed, thus, the focal point of the label.

Next up is creating a holiday card to match the wine bottle piece. I'll keep you posted...

Client Work vs. Self-Promotion

13thirtyone is still alive and well. Sorry I haven't written in a week or so. Things are so busy! Lots of new projects and clients are keeping me busy (keep checking my website for an updated client list and new portfolio work) and I'm loving every second of it.

Client work though certainly has been my priority, thus, my self-promotional activities are falling a bit to the wayside. That old saying, "the best time to promote yourself is when you're already busy" keeps rolling around in my head. How am I to juggle this?

I've decided that the best way for me to go about this is to schedule it. Once or twice a week I will have to set aside the time for blogging, or online networking, or creating my monthly email campaign. I'll give it as much priority as I would a client meeting. It's simply a part of running a business that can't be ignored. I haven't quite decided how much time to set aside yet, but I'll figure something out.

Another thing I've been thinking about is also setting aside time each week for "client appreciation." This doesn't mean going shopping and finding cute thank you gifts, but taking a little time out each week to go the extra mile. For example, being sure to write a thank you note to EVERY client after I finish a project. Being sure to write thank you notes (and not thank you emails) to the prospective clients I've recently talked to or met with. Perhaps I come across an article online or in a newspaper that pertains to one of my clients; this is the time to pass that along to show that I've been thinking about them and their project or business. What does this accomplish? I think it shows not only good manners, but it's something I can try to do to separate myself from my competition. I can show my clients a little extra attention, making it clear that I really do care if they work with me and that they are happy.

Are there any self-promotional routines that you are sure to make time for every week? I'm just curious to know if scheduling time into our busy work weeks is how others are handling their marketing and self-promotional efforts.

Does Your Business Card Need A Facelift?

We all receive business cards all the time. They're everywhere and they're the way our contacts refer us, reach us and even remember us. It's important that your business card not only reflect your company correctly, but also be organized in a fashion that's readable. The following points are provided to ensure you're getting the most from your card.

Material: What better way to have your business card stand out than by not using paper? Just imagine if someone handed you a business card that was printed on cardboard, plastic (recycled, of course), metal or another material. You'd definitely pause to look it over and it certainly would make an impression. Try helping your cards to stand out in the stack by printing on a different material. Plus, you're guaranteed to have a better chance at winning those fishbowl-free-lunch contests always lingering on restaurant counters.

Color: Black and white can be very classy and clean. But how about adding a splash of color? People are visual beings and love to look at color. If your budget doesn't allow for a full-color piece, even a one or two-color card can be more effective and exciting.

Size: The standard 3.5"x2" card is easily accommodated into most Rolodex files and business card holders. However, you can create an interesting shape without sacrificing functionality. Keep the width and try experimenting with different heights. Also, don't be afraid to create a unique size all together. An extremely long business card that can be folded into the typical size can serve as a great mini-brochure.

Shape: If you're considering experimenting with the size of your business card, why not think about shape? Design magazines all over are featuring new and trendy card designs printed in circles and squares. They may not fit into the standard sized holder, but you'll be gaining a definite impression and attention.

Double-Sided: Don't forget about the back of the business card. While it is a little more costly to print on both sides, it's well worth the investment. Think of it as getting double the space! If you have no content you'd like to feature on the back, including an eye-catching pattern or design can be very effective.

Font: No matter the size, shape or color of your business card, nothing is more important than making sure the text is legible. What's the point of printing fancy cards that look great visually, but aren't readable? I recommend no smaller than an 8pt. font if possible be used anywhere on your card. Smaller than that and you're making the reader have to work too hard to see your information.

Overall, business cards are a relatively inexpensive way to market your business. Be sure to get the most bang for your buck by creating a card that's exciting, different and that gives your business the attention it deserves.

Building an Online Presence

I'm asked often about how I find clients. I find that if the mindset changes from "me finding the clients" to "the clients easily finding me", it's more simple to think about where I should and shouldn't post my information on the net. Truthfully, I rarely spend money on newspaper advertising, magazine ads and direct mailings. I find that using the Internet is a very easy (and eco-friendly!) way to promote oneself. I thought I would run through quick list of the different things I've done while setting up my business to help people find me. Let me know if you have any questions!

Merchant Circle.com: This is an online community of businesses. Somewhat like LinkedIn, users can create profiles and communicate with other members and prospective clients. Another plus is that you get to create a little webpage. While it's nothing fancy, it's just one more Internet page that offers your information.

LinkedIn: I would highly suggest creating a profile on LinkedIn. I can't say that I've gained any clients from it directly, but it's basically an online resume. People can review your services, make recommendations and you can post discussion questions and answers. All of these things help you to gain credibility, while increasing your online exposure.

BizNik: This is another online community that works well, if you have the time to put into it. You can publish articles or small news bits about your business or service area, or ask general questions. Another nice feature is that members host actual meet-ups in certain areas of the country. You can even host one yourself! A great networking opportunity.

Posting in Forums: Posting is a great way to share your expertise. A while back, I would post on the discussion boards of HOW Magazine's Forums. I made sure to include my name, business name, web address and blog address in my posting signature. Even if people did/didn't agree with what I had to say, they're still likely to check out my site and my blog. This is actually how a writer from WorkHomeYou magazine found me for an interview along with a writer for FreelanceSwitch.com. While these aren't client inquiries, they increase my visibility to prospective customers.


Join a Directory: This is very iffy, so be sure to choose wisely. When I first created my business I signed up for a free directory listing on an online freelance graphic design website. To this day, it still hasn't sent any work my way. However, it's yet another link with my contact information on it.


Write Press Releases. Seems like it has nothing to do with the Internet, but it does! Many newspapers publish their articles online nowadays. That means, if your link or website is mentioned in the written piece, surely you'll receive a link online. That's a lot of readers that now have access to your site. Furthermore, take those same press releases that you submitted initially and publish them online at free sites. One I use is Free Press Release. This doesn't bring in clients directly, but it will give those that read about you online a sense of comfort. Press releases offer credibility.

Scribd.com: Take your press releases, and even blog posts, and save them in a pdf format. Then, upload them to your new profile on Scribd.com. Scribd is a site containing thousands of articles on any subject. From how-to manuals to instructions to articles, your information and expertise can now be easily accessed. Be sure to include working links in your pdf that directs the reader to your site. You'll be building your web traffic and gaining trust at the same time!

Join Networking Groups, Such As The Chamber of Commerce: There are lots of face-to-face networking groups to join. The way that this helps your online presence is that these groups often have directories online that list their members. Your contact information can be readily available to anyone surfing the net, not to mention, you'll be very conveniently placed in the forefront of other members' minds.

Make a Free Business Listing On Google: I wouldn't recommend this option unless you have a mailing address and phone number that you're okay with people using. This works in such a way so that when people type in (for example) "hudson, wi + graphic design" my listing comes up. I have a link at the top of the page, my location displayed on a map and a link to my website. I can also include any other information I choose.


I hope you find some of these ideas helpful. Of course I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, but we'll save that for another post. :)

Creating A Marketing Web

I've been working with a friend lately on developing her website and other marketing materials. In discussing her blog, e-mail newsletters and ways to gain more traffic, we started chatting about the power that all three systems have when combined. Sure a blog can be very powerful on its own, but when used in conjunction properly with other online methods of marketing, great increases in search engine rankings and more exposure in the public eye can happen.

For example, writing e-newsletters or e-zines is a great way to stay in touch with your client base and to keep people informed. It helps people to remember that you're there and to also share expertise, thus positioning you as an expert. However, one of the best ways to get people to sign up for them is by placing a sign-up box or link on both your blog and on your website. Don't forget to also include a "forward to a friend" with a "sign-up now" link within your newsletter. Now the three pieces of online marketing are working together to increase the size of your mailing list.

Another idea... Perhaps you sell products online. What if you had a few of your products appear on the side-bar panel of your blog? Additionally, how about featuring one product as a portion of your e-newsletter? When the user clicks on the link from your e-mail or blog, it can direct them to your products page or to the shopping cart directly.

A final suggestion on promoting your blog... Not only should your blog be linked in your e-newsletters, but there should definitely be a link coming from your website as well. Some sites are even embedding their blogs within their websites or creating blogs that are actually websites themselves. Don't be afraid to use the two to reference one another regularly and to send a user from one place to the other so long as your provide a ready-made link and pop up the link in a new window. Make it as convenient for your user as possible.

If all three pieces (or more if you have other digital marketing efforts) are acting together, they create a web, or a net of sorts. This net refers visitors from one piece of marketing to another, thus, increasing the length of time that individual is interacting with your business. This allows for a more informed customer, a longer lasting impression and credible positioning for your company.

Eco-Friendly Tradeshow Promotional Piece

The PWN organization that I belong to is hosting their annual conference on April 17th in River Falls, WI. The conference doesn't just include a keynote speaker, but a chance for local area businesses to exhibit at a small tradeshow.

This year, I wanted to hand out a promotional business piece that would really catch attention. I feel that my business is helping clients to have better self-promotion - I should follow my own advice! I decided that since I've taken my business to a greener level, I needed to find something that wasn't likely to end up in the trash, something that was eco-friendly and something that was likely to be used. After much price hunting, I decided I'd hand out cloth bags (for groceries and such) with a fun decal screen printed on it. And wonderfully, I was able to find a local area business owner to support by sending my project to be printed there.

I'm very excited about this piece and just received a print proof of it yesterday. I went with the orange bag to keep in line with my company branding and wanted to create an attractive decal; one that wasn't just attractive and that people didn't mind carrying around, but a decal that actually spoke for my business. Anyhow, my eco-friendly tradeshow promo piece is below.

Promote Your Business In An Earth-Friendly Fashion

Let's face it. It's trendy to "be green." Companies across the US are trying to sell customers with their green-washing; "we're eco-friendly," "good for the earth," "we've gone green", etc. With all of the slogans, it's hard to know which services and products are actually dedicated to helping the environment.

Consumers are listening to these messages and studies have shown that now-a-days, people are making more of an effort, as a whole, to be environmentally conscious. So you've decided to join in. Whether you're looking to give your company a green-overhaul, or are just doing your part here and there, I have a few ideas that may help. What if you could take part in the race to save the earth just by bettering your marketing materials? It's surely a small step in the right direction.

The following is a list of ideas that will not only help you to be a greener person/business, but they will help you to promote your business as well.

Email Campaigns, Not Postcard Campaigns
One of the best ways to help the environment overall, is to create less trash. As business owners, we can contribute largely in this area. Direct mail campaigns may be effective, but they're also costly. Between design services, printing and postage, the dollars really begin to add up. Furthermore, having a 7% response rate, on average, is considered "doing well." That means 93% of your postcards or direct mail pieces create little or no response at all. Where do you think they've ended up? Yep, most likely in the trash.

Not only are email campaigns paperless, but they've been proven to create better results. It's delivered directly to one's email inbox, it creates easy viewing, and there's a level of convenience. If the viewer wants more info, all they need to do is click and they're at your website. That's instant gratification, and consumers love that.

If You Have To Print, Print This Way
So you're really crazy about making postcards and you seem to get great results. Fine, but if you have to print, do it wisely. Print the quantity you really need; not enough to store on your bookshelves behind your desk.

A better way to print is to also notify your graphic designer. Your designer will be able to talk to your printer about paper options that are created from post-consumer content; options that also won't hinder your design or your project objective. Also advise your designer/printer to use soy or vegetable-based inks. Sometimes, some printers only have these inks in specific colors. Make sure the designer creates your attractive design with limited color options, if need be.

Better Banners
If you've decided to do a tradeshow, the most typical signage pieces are banners. There are actually printers out there that specialize in printing not only with environmentally-friendly inks, but on special, eco-friendly banner materials as well. A good example of such a printer is Green Banners.

Put Your Catalogs Online
If your company prints and distributes product catalogs, there's never been a better time to inspire you to sell your products online. Online shopping carts, or e-commerce websites, can be pricey and time-consuming to initialize. But once it's up and your products are listed, it will take less time to manage and advertise them, than it would to redesign and print them however often. Talk to a design and web professional about custom designing a website with a matching online shopping cart.

E-Coupons, Not Paper Coupons
Coupons are great and they tend to be very effective. You can cater to the lazy customer and to the earth by not printing and mailing paper coupons. This creates work for the customer (they have to cut!) and trash. Instead, feature your coupon on your website or in an email campaign with a promotional code. When the user buys a product on your new e-commerce site (wink, wink), they can simply type in their promo code. You have an effective coupon with no paper and no cutting.

Printers
So you'd like to maybe rebrand yourself. Work with your designer/printer about your paper and ink options and work with a green printer, as mentioned previously. There are a few that I recommend.

*On A National Level: Greener Printer
Very eco-friendly and easy to work with online.

*On A Local Level: Graphic Design, Inc.
Located in Hastings, Minnesota. A full print shop with lots of green capabilities.

*On An International Level (label printing): Metro Label Group, Inc.
I've never worked with them personally, but understand they actually run their business in an environmentally-friendly building. Located in Canada, this company offers label printing solutions.

Saying Thank You
A great way to network is to send thank you cards. Customers and colleagues really appreciate being appreciated. Why not make an impression about your business sense and your green-conscious mind with Grown-A-Note greeting cards? These attractive, handmade paper cards are also PLANTABLE. After reading your message, the recipient actually plants your card. A few months later, they have flowers or herbs based on whichever seeded paper you've chosen (this is my favorite tip.)

The list can go on and on. If you'd like more ideas, or would like to discuss making your business materials green, email me at angela@13thirtyone.com.

Does your company have the right logo?

What’s the point of having a logo and why do designers and marketers place so much importance on them?

A logo isn’t just a pretty little doodle next to your company name. It’s what people will remember your business by. We’ve all heard that humans are very visual creatures – they respond to images much more than to just plain text. That’s why it’s standard practice to have a logo – think of it as the icon or stamp that sets the tone of your company. So in truth, it really is a big deal and a lot of time should be spent creating the right logo.

Many companies think that any logo will do. Not true. While having any logo is a good start, it actually can be detrimental to your business should you have one the misrepresents your company. A logo should convey the service you provide, the age of the audience you’re targeting and the cost of your services. How does this work?



In looking at the example, we’ll pretend that a small gift and flower shop is opening up. It’s target market is middle-aged women and while it’s a fun and classy joint, it’s not overly priced. The logo at the top is very inappropriate for this business. The letters are all uppercase and feel rigid and too overbearing – this font does not at all represent the organic nature of plants. Furthermore, the letters are blue – plants are green... Catch my drift?

The leaves are nice, as they suggest what the business does, but they’re too prominent. The black “the” in lowercase at the top of the logo sits funny. It feels like it was plopped there simply because the designer didn’t know where to put it.

Let’s look at the bottom example (please note that this took me five minutes for demonstration purposes only – this is not a great logo, by any means). The soft “the” in brown shows that the designer thought about how to incorporate the word into the logo while giving it its own place. The retro-styled lettering of “greenhouse” is slightly playful but also very “vine-like” in feeling. The small touch of the leaves on the end of the “e” give just enough of an afterthought to relate the logo even more to plants without rubbing it in the viewer's face. The overall look of the logo is feminine while elegant. A much more fitting choice.

So, with this I ask you... Does your logo fit your business? Can you tell what products or services you provide by looking at your logo? Does it feel expensive or cheap? Does it look appropriate for the age of your audience? If the answer to any of these items isn’t what it should be, you could be loosing sales and customers. While redoing your logo on your own is a great way to save some cash, hiring a professional to help you get started and to solve these problems is sure to be helpful in the long run.

Getting Permission for Email Marketing

So... yesterday I gave my little ten minute spiel at my PWN meeting. It went so-so. I flew through it in six minutes, strangely. As I practiced before, I kept going over ten. I got up there and kept thinking, "hurry, hurry!" I honestly was suffocating myself in front my peers - I was forgetting to breathe, then my voice started shaking and I think I looked really nervous. This all coming from a girl that spoke at her high school graduation in front of 5,000. Crap. I need more practice.

Okay, so what does this have to do with email marketing. Everything - I just needed to vent for a minute. While I was giving my presentation, shaky voice and all, I decided to pass out an email signup sheet. Not only did I print this right at the top of the sheet, but I also explained that my emails were sent out only once a month. Furthermore, their info was not going to be shared with any the party. Making these points are very important, I feel. People get way too many emails a day already - make sure they know you're not going to SPAM them all day, everyday.

Next, I explained what my emails were all about. They're not stating tid-bits of news such as "Angela just got a new client." No one cares. Instead, I provided the crowd with the idea that my emails are actually do-it-yourself tips on business and self-promotion. You actually gain insight from reading them (hopefully) and I'm out to share my knowledge with you.

Wanna know what happened? I got a full sign up list. In all honesty, this has never happened before. Usually I get one or two email addresses and a lot of "no way" faces. But I actually took the time to talk to people about this and they cared AND responded. Awesome.

Last Promotional Idea (for now)

I have to be honest. I thought by offering a promotional idea every day would not only help folks out, but give me something to write about. It did both, sure. But I think I'm ready to offer different advice.

That said, I found an awesome list today of promotional ideas for the new year. Roughstock Studios, a design and branding firm in California, published a New Year's Marketing Resolutions post and it's awesome. They've also gone to all the trouble of labeling different types of promotions - for example, promotional ideas that build sales, relationships, etc. Good stuff.

So there you have it. That's my half-ass last promotional idea... to send you somewhere else. Sorry to disappoint, but can you tell I'm burning out on this topic?

Day 5: Create a Newsletter

So we've made it to self-promotion idea number five - creating a newsletter. While jotting down some thoughts and mailing them out once a month, or whatever, may sound like a lot of work, it actually doesn't have to be. This is a great way to show your clients and prospective customers who your business is on a personal level. You can also flaunt your expertise by offering articles with tips and insight.

If you're still hanging on to paper newsletters, hire a designer or someone familiar with print layouts. They can help you to set up a newsletter template that works effectively and entices the viewer to keep reading. By including well formatted articles and photos, people will be more inclined to read your news.

In setting up a template, the design will always be consistent. So instead of worrying about how it'll look every month, you can focus on the more important stuff instead - the content. Once you have it, just plop it into the template and hit print!

Another way is to send a e-newsletter. You know all those emails in your inbox with the Constant Contact or Emma logo at the bottom? Those are two mass e-mail marketing companies that can help you to set up your e-news systems. For those who may not be so design savvy, there are loads of templates to choose from. If you have a web developer or designer already, they can create the newsletter template to reflect your website's - it's all about branding and consistency!


A major plus to doing this online is that programs such as the two mentioned above will offer reports depicting the number of people who read, deleted, forwarded your email, etc. This can be very helpful.

A final plus to doing this digitally is the concept of allowing people to join your mailing list EASILY. One can simply add a link or sign-up box to their website or blog and instantaneously a person can sign up to receive your newsletters.