Marketing - the importance of customer service!

In the last entry we talked about what not to do with your marketing.  In this article we will talk about some things that you should do!  Especially now that the future of the economy is looking rocky, keeping your customers and getting new ones is of ultimate importance!

-  Look at customer service as a vital part of your marketing strategy.  Many people don't think of customer service as "marketing" but it is one of the best marketing tools.  A happy customer will keep coming back, bringing you more sales.  They will also tell other people about you, leading to new customers.  "Word of mouth" marketing is the most effective form of marketing!

-  answer your phone! (We got a new client simply by answering our phone.  She said she called 4 other design studios before contacting us...none of them answered their phone!!)

-  if you miss a call, return the call immediately!

-  greet customers immediately when they enter

-  thank customers for their business!  

-  Offer discounts/specials to your current customers, letting them know that you appreciate their business!

-  Offer coupons to prospective customers, getting them in the door and ordering products/services from you.  Customers will appreciate these especially during touch economic times.  They may not think that they can afford your services until you give them a coupon!

-  Always be thinking of creative ways to meet the needs of your customers.  Always be listening for customer's specific/unique needs, and see if you can meet them.  They will be floored that you care about their needs that you are willing to work to fulfill them.

These are just a few ways to keep your customers happy!  Remember, good customer service will keep your customers coming back and help you get new customers by "word of mouth" marketing!

Marketing Mistakes

Every small business owner is familiar with marketing in some way or another.  Every day you are marketing your business, whether it is giving out your business cards, putting an ad in the paper or putting graphics on your vehicle.

While you are figuring out how to go about marketing your business, make sure you stay away from these things:

-  Promising more than you can deliver...an unhappy customer will do more damage to your company than not having them as a customer. 

-  Don't try to "trick" prospective customers into becoming a customer.  We have had a few customers that have wanted to be "sneaky" with their promotions.  Thankfully we were able to help them think through the consequences of those kind of promotions.  Even though you may get an initial sale out of it, you will lose their trust and probably their continued business.  

-  Don't use negative advertising (some people disagree with me on this).  It is very easy to trash your competition but focusing on the quality of your services/products will be more effective.  Customers want to know that you are the best...not that you are great at trashing your opponents.

-  If you are going to offer a promotion/coupon/sale, don't be "stingy".  Many people like to make the fine print so complicated that very few customers will qualify.  If you can't afford to give an discount/coupon to everyone you send it to, DON'T GIVE IT!  Figure out something that will bring you a profit AND will truly benefit your customer!

Summary:  Don't be sneaky or stingy...it is NOT the reputation you want.  Offer truly great deals that will help your customers while also bringing you a profit!  Your customers will appreciate it and become loyal customers for life.

If you let us know that you read this article, we will give you 10% off of your next order!  Contact us to "get the ball rolling"!

Branding > Print Materials > Postcards

Postcards are one of the cheapest forms of advertising.  Not only are they cheaper to mail, but they are also quite inexpensive to print & design.

If you are going to focus a lot of your advertising on mailings there are a few things that we would recommend:

*  Make new designs every month or two, sharing a new product/service/idea with your mailing list.  This will show your mailing list the depth of your company and the new and exciting things you are doing!  

- If you support a local charity, share that on one of your postcards ("Help us support...").   

 - Is your company "going green"?  

- Do you have a new line of products/services?

- Is there something about your company that stands out from the competition?

*  Use postcards to show your appreciation to your current clients.  We send a "thank you for your order" coupon postcards out each month to the companies who have ordered with us the previous month.  This is a great marketing tool because it encourages businesses to re-order. It also will turn your clients into loyal clients because they see that you are willing to go the extra mile to keep their business!  (Make sure to leave a place for an expiration date that you can fill in by hand for each mailing.)

*  Each new mailing should show people why they need your services.  Sometimes people have ideas in the back of their mind on what they need but don't know who to contact or how to go about getting it.

*  Even things that don't relate to your services can bring people to your door. If you let them know that your company is "going green", then someone who is environmentally conscious will prefer you to another company because you have similar values.

These are just a few recommendations on how to use postcards to market you business effectively.  We hope they were helpful!

We can help you with any of your postcard needs.  If you would like us to send you a sample pack of our postcards and other printed materials, please contact us!

Branding > Print Materials > Business Cards

Business cards are a great way to get your name out there!  

Some business card design tips:

-  should be professionally designed and printed

-  don't print business cards on your own home printer...and especially not on those perforated business card sheets, the small amount* you will spend on professional printing will definitely be worth it!

-  stay away from "embossed" business cards, they look outdated

-  use color!  (Our business card printing includes limitless colors on both sides). 

-  print on both sides (Ex. contact info on one side, explanation of services/products/business on the back side)...business cards are basically "free advertising" so get as much information as you can while still keeping the design clean and simple

-  add an interesting "extra" like rounded corners** or spot UV coating***

* Our business card pricing (2-sided, full color, full bleed, 2x3.5")

250 - $70

500 - $85

1000 - $100

**Rounded corners > add $10 for 1000 business cards

***Spot UV coating is when you accentuate a certain design element with a glossy overprint. Contact us if you would like for us to send you some samples of UV coating!  >  add around $50

Branding > Print Materials > Tri-Fold Brochures

Tri-fold brochures are such a good way to give prospective clients a glimpse of your business and its services/products.  It is a great, cost-effective way to show people what you do and how you do it.  

The keys to a great tri-fold are professional design and good information flow.  The front is obviously important because it draws people into the rest of the brochure where the bulk of the information lies.  The inside of the brochure should be clean and easy to read and understand.  You want to balance text with design elements so that people don't get overwhelmed by all the copy.  Although copy is important to share your company with the reader, it can also turn away the reader if it is too copy-heavy!  And finally the back panel should have your contact information.

Money saving tip:  If you want to save a little time and money, have your designer design the back panel as a mailer.  Then you do not have to take the time to stuff the brochures into envelopes to send them!  Just seal the edge of the brochure and they are ready to go!

Remember, brochures are a representation of your business, so make sure they look professionally designed and printed! 

Please contact us if you have any questions or if you would like us to design and print your brochures or if you would like a sample pack of our printed materials.  This month we are having a special on printing tri-fold brochures.  Visit our Monthly Special page to see pricing.

Role logo plays in branding

When we think of branding, most of us think about logos.   One of the most important parts of branding is the logo.  One mistakes many people make is designing a logo before they really have a good idea of what their mission/purpose/strategies are for the company.

In order to have a successful logo, you need to think about what you want your logo to convey.   Logos are a symbolic way to show people your business in a split second.  Your logo needs to be memorable & understandable, almost instantaneously.  A good example of this is Nike.  Nike has such a simple, clean design that is easily recognizable as well as very memorable.  Nike doesn't even have to write "Nike" anywhere on the advertisement/commercial because it is so highly recognizable!  

Before you get your logo designed think about what you want it to convey - what you want people to understand/connect with.   The next step is to share these thoughts with your graphic designer.  They should be able to take that and create multiple logo possibilities that fit the bill.  Obviously some tweaking will have to take place to make sure you are happy with the final outcome.  Having the preliminary "vision" work done for the graphic designer will save you time and frustration.  You will both be on the same page, saving you from unwanted design tangents.  

Let us know if we can help you with your logo designs!  Let us know if you would like to receive a sample packet of our work.  

More about "branding"

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers".

Branding goes a step further than we often think.  It isn't necessarily about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, it is more about getting them to see you as the only company that provides the right solution to their problem.

What a good brand will achieve includes:  delivers the message clearly, confirms your credibility, connects your prospective clients emotionally, motivates your prospective clients to become your clients, solidifies client loyalty.

Taken from http://marketing.about.com/cs/brandmktg/a/whatisbranding

What is branding?

Wikipedia defines branding as "a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to a company, organization, product or service".  A brand includes logos, fonts, color schemes, symbols which often represent the values and ideas of the company.

Why is branding important for your company?  You want your company to be easily recognized by the people in your community.  The more people recognize/become familiar with your company, the more likely they will come to you when they need your services.  

Branding is also important because it reflects your business.  If you have poor quality branding, it reflects the professionalism of your business even if the quality of your products are top notch. Part of reaching your business potential is creating a quality brand.  

We can help you with all of your branding needs...logo design, print products (business cards, advertisements, etc.) and signs (vehicle graphics, signs, etc.).  Give us a call so we can help you reach your business potential.