Guide to a good New Year's resolution for small business branding

We all want to make ourselves and our lifestyles better (or at least you should). Most of us make New Years resolutions, some big some small, to improve our health, our careers, etc. But, one mistake almost all small business owners make is not having a New Year's resolution for their pride and joy, their business.

Unless you made so much money in 2013 that you're set to retire next month, then your business has room for improvement. Maybe you missed out on some sponsorship opportunities. Maybe you came up short on your projected sales. Maybe you didn't paint that darn pink wall in your store that all of the customers cringe at. Or maybe you didn't get around to that rebranding project or new website that you were planning to do. (If this is you, we should talk) If you've never made one before, just give it a shot. You have nothing to lose by doing so.

Like everyone else making lists this time of year, I've compiled a some of my favorite and most effective business resolutions. Plus, I'll give you tips to help achieve those resolutions.

First, one tip is to make resolutions that are beneficial and that are attainable. "I want to lose 100 pounds by Valentine's Day." or "I will double my profit and half my expenses." are not realistic and reachable goals. Which brings me to my first resolution...

1. Make a branding strategy

So many small businesses have potential to have an effective identity that could retain loyal customers. They just need to have a strategy.

How to achieve:
Start with setting just one goal. Don't overwhelm yourself. My suggestion is to be persistent and consistent in all touch points of your brand. I suggest working with a marketing or creative professional (we're more affordable than you think). Anywhere your product or advertisements or other materials are seen by your customers should have a consistent look, feel, and messaging. Then, follow up with customers and your professional every couple months with a larger end of the year meeting to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the effort.

2. Set a marketing budget

You'd be amazed how many business owners fly by the seat of their pants (where did this saying come from?) when it comes to their marketing. They wait until business gets slow, unfortunately when there's little money to work with, to start advertising in hopes of new customers.

How to achieve:
Plan out in January what your marketing objectives are and how much you're going to spend throughout the entire year. A good rule of thumb is to spend 5-7% of yearly revenue on marketing. 4-6% should be spent on regular consistent advertising and 1-3% should be spent on brand improvements like a new website, logo, identity materials or packaging. Divide your budget by month and do a little more marketing in your busy months when there's more to work with.

3. Build a web presence

It's no mystery today that 80-90% of all website traffic comes from search engines like Google and Bing. You can increase the hits to your website and your search rankings by improving your web presence. It's a team effort between your website, inbound marketing, blog and social media.

How to achieve:
Again, work with a professional! Set up all of your social media accounts, but only the necessary ones. Make the look and feel consistent in all areas. Start blogging! A huge benefit to your search rankings is to continuously have new content directing visitors to your site. Lastly, work on the keywords and SEO friendly content on your website.

4. Make 1 big improvement to your product or point of purchase

One of the most important things you will do this year is to make just 1 big improvement. If you're not getting better you're getting worse. If you're standing still, you're falling behind.

How to achieve:
Like I said, set just 1 big improvement to make. If you don't have a website, you're way past due for one. If your technology is out dated, make a goal to get all new equipment. If your shop is getting run down, make it a point to clean and fix everything. Set a deadline for your improvement and STICK TO IT!

What's your resolution?

All of these things are beneficial and sometimes crucial to your success. Let me know what your business resolution is and I will let you know how I can help.

Happy New Year's! And as always, #BeAmbitious.

What makes the WestJet Miracle video so wonderful?

Last week this video went viral and WestJet had the more hits to their website and more flights booked in one week than they have almost the entire rest of the year. It seems every large company today wants to make viral videos, and why not, they boost your brand recognition more than any other form of advertising. But, very few companies have unlocked the secret to getting a video to actually go viral like WestJet and GEICO. I've dug into this video and I'm going to help explain what about it lead to over 26 Million hits in about a week.

Let me preface this all by saying there is no single secret to making a video go viral. You must find something that strikes a chord with the viewer. Most often it is humor but can also be something that hits you emotionally or is inspiring.

Holiday Spirit

The number one thing that airline company WestJet did right was to release this video right before the holidays when people will be traveling more than any other time in the season. So the timing was a big factor.

It's also a time when the spirit of giving is high. Most businesses give a small discount or send a thank you letter to their customer. These guys did a great job of getting out of the box (or in the box if you're the WestJet Santa).

The Blind Side

The next key to the success of this video is the surprise factor. WestJet used their sources of technology perfectly. They showed us that miracles can come true and in the case of the guy with who wanted socks and underwear, they showed us to be careful what you wish for.

WestJet kept viewers intrigued by making them wonder why flyers were talking to a Santa in a box before their flight. Once you're to that point in the video you're hooked.

A Tingly Feeling

The last and probably most important factor to this video going viral is it relates to viewers on an emotional level. Even if you're not the person getting the surprise gift from the luggage pick up area you can't help but smile when you see the look on someone's face when they get a gift they've really wanted. If there's any for sure secret to making a viral video it's making something inspiring and emotional.

So why do I care?

WestJet's video and project is an example of the most powerful branding I've ever seen. First of all, most of you are probably like me and had never heard of WestJet before. So they've gained brand recognition.

Second, a large portion of people who have viewed the video and have the option to choose WestJet for their flight will do so. They respect what WestJet did and other people simply will buy a ticket hoping they might get lucky and have the same experience and get a free gift (freeloading is in our nature, but you just paid $300 for a chance to get a free gift).

And lastly, WestJet just gained approximately 50 very loyal customers. Those flyers will forever fly with WestJet as a subconscious thank you for those awesome surprises and the experience. And more over, those flyers will tell their family and friends about the experience and the airline will gain more loyal customers. Word of mouth is, and always will be, the most powerful form of advertising.

Now I want to hear from you. What did you think of the video and what do you think of WestJet? Comment below or email me or visit my website.

Just like this video shows, #BeAmbitious.

Groupon: Good for guests, Bad for Business

Image courtesy of Google images

We all love a to save some money these days and companies like Groupon and Living Social benefit us as consumers greatly.

If you're unfamiliar with how Groupon works, I'll explain. Businesses offer a discount to their product or service to customers. They set an amount of purchases that have to be made and if there are enough people to buy the offer then the "deal is on." The concept is that a large amount of purchases will make up for the discount they are giving.

The 'Benefits' to the Business

These businesses benefit from inflated sales for a period of time (or so you think). The true benefit they get is the amount of NEW customers to buy their product. When a Groupon representative talks with you this is one of their biggest selling points. They tell you about all of the new faces you'll see and after testing your AMAZING product they will keep coming back. It's true! You WILL see a lot of new people.

BUT, the truth about all those new customers is that the majority of them will not come back without another discount. This is a proven fact and I invite you to even ask these businesses. There are a few reasons why they won't come back:

• They've come to expect a discount and they will wait for your next Groupon offer.
• They like to try new things, but your product just wasn't to their liking. (Surprise, not EVERYONE likes your product)
• They have always wanted to try your product, but the price without a discount is just way too high, so they won't be coming back.

Bad for Business

So what's so bad about offering a discount on Groupon? It's a rip off! Most business owners are blinded by the large amount of new customers that they think they're getting a great deal. In reality, they are still not making full profit on all of those sales. Most offers are 40-60% off their regular price. If a business could live on selling their product all the time at that rate then they shouldn't be charging the original price to begin with.

The other thing most people don't think about with regards to Groupon is they have to be able to make money, too. The way Groupon makes their money is by taking a percentage (40-60%) of the money customers pay for YOUR offer. Let me repeat. They take a cut from your already discounted price!

Let's use one of my favorite offers for an example, 18 holes of Golf with cart rental at 50% off.

Each Offer:

Regular price of such offer is $50

Golf Course through Groupon offers $25

Groupon takes 50% of offer price = $12.50

$50 x 50% = $25

$25 x 50% = $12.50

$25 - $12.50 = $12.50

Total amount business receives = $12.50 or 25%

In the end, Golf Course gave their product away for 75% off!

As a consumer I'm going to keep buying Groupon offers every week because they save me a bunch of money and I get my fix of eating out and trying new things. It's awesome and you know it! But as a professional and someone who helps small businesses with their branding and growth I will absolutely never advise a business owner participate in Groupon. There are countless ways to get exposure and new customers through your doors without needing to discount your product and without giving money away to another company.

If you want some advice to get new customers and keep them loyal or grow your brand please contact me and I'll gladly help. Until next time... #BeAmbitious

Does social media advertising actually work?

Does advertising on social media actually work?

I've been asked this question multiple times by clients. It's a very difficult question to answer, but I will give it my best shot and try to be as clear as possible.

What is social media advertising?

First of all, let me be clear about what I mean when I say social media advertising. There are a couple forms of social media advertising that can easily be confused.

The first form is the most common where your business has a Facebook or Twitter page and you post sales and special deals on your pages for your followers to see.

The other form, which I will focus on more, is the actual purchasing of post views. Your business page can create ads where you pay for each view or 'impression' the ad gets. The best part about these ads is you can target the exact audience you want to reach. Even if it's a 26 year old mother who likes sports and recently purchased a new phone in the small town of Denison, Iowa. (Shout out to my hometown!)

So does it work?

The short answer is, yes, but maybe not how you want it to work. Here's why:

A lot of businesses have the misconception that getting more followers to your social media pages means more customers in your store. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes in marketing. Social media for businesses is not meant for a channel of advertising. Advertising is is a bi-product of social media.

All forms of social media advertising are beneficial to your business for one main reason... exposure. The more your business name and identity are seen by your target audience the better your chance to make an impact. Unfortunately that does not mean those new followers will immediately turn into paying customers. So really, even though you can have precise audience targeting with social media ads, there is still the same guarantee, or lack thereof, as other forms of advertising. In these terms, no, social media advertising does not work if your goal is to get immediate reaction on in-store sales.

Make a plan for success.

It is possible to have effective social media advertising. You just need to adjust your purpose with Facebook and Twitter to be in line with your overall marketing goals. Make a plan and stick to your plan.

The number one goal for every business on social media should be to build interaction and loyalty in your brand. In today's society we are trained to expect advertising in every setting. And, with our capabilities with the internet and search engines customers are smarter than they have ever been. This is a good thing because now we can focus less on teaching the viewer and more time relating to them. Use your social media to let your guard down with your business (but don't be too loose like this disaster). By interacting with your customers you're building trust and a bond between them and your brand. Relationships are the most powerful branding tool.

Overall, I do suggest using social media for your business in almost any case. It's a very powerful tool and there's so much you can do with it just by experimenting. It's an easy way to gain exposure and even more, get to know who your most loyal customers are and what your customers truly think of your brand.

If you're not quite sure how to make the most of your social media, send me a message and I will give you some pointers to get started. You can email me or visit my website here.

Good luck! As always #BeAmbitious.

Type and text tips for a top-notch brand

It seems as though a lot of people think it does not matter which font your designer chooses with your branding. Well, what kind of expert would I be if I told you that was true? There are tons of tiny details in the font you choose with any body of text that can make a BIG difference in how your brand is reflected. So I'm going to give you some tips to watch for when having someone design your ads or other marketing materials. I will also give you a quick course in the different styles of fonts and what they mean for your brand.

Sans vs. Serif

Lets start with the basics and a couple terms that people who don't work with typography everyday can easily get confused.
There are four main types of fonts: Serif, Sans-serif, Script, and Novelty. Script fonts often look like cursive or hand-written. Novelty fonts are basically any font that does not fit in any of the first three categories. The most commonly used of these are Serif and Sans-serif, but what are they and what's the difference?

This image illustrates the difference between the two. As you can see, there are little notches on the ends of the strokes on the top word. These things are called serifs and they are on a lot of the most used and the oldest fonts like Times and Baskerville. The bottom word has more uniform sized lines where the widths don't vary, this is called sans-serif. The term sans directly translates to "without". So, sans-serif = "without" serif.

Now that we've got that all cleared up here are some tips for the proper use of each type style:

Large amounts of text

When you have large amounts of text in paragraph form it is imperative to consider readability. Certain fonts just make it very difficult for readers to follow. Serif and sans-serif fonts are the ideal typestyles here. It is absolutely never acceptable to use script and novelty fonts for larger amounts of text! These fonts are very difficult to read and should only be used in small amounts – no exceptions. When considering how wide columns of text should be, the rule of thumb is to allow 10-14 words per line. Any longer and the reader may have trouble moving their eyes from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. Too short and your paragraphs will seem long and overwhelming.

So when can I use script and novelty fonts?

I advise limiting your use of script and novelty fonts to short pieces of text like headings and logo use. These fonts often have nice qualities that are very particular to the style of a brand. Script fonts are often wispy and and curly and have nice feminine qualities. They work well for brands of female targeted products, but beware of using them for holiday advertisements since they get overly used by other brands.

What does your typestyle say about your brand?

So which font is right for your brand? Good question. Depending on how the font is used and treated by your designer almost any type style can emit different emotions. The safest routes are these... Serif fonts have a look of old fashion. They give the viewer a sense of reliability in the brand. Sans-serif fonts are often more rectangular and sturdy-looking. This means they represent being strong. However, if you use a lighter weight sans-serif font you can get an opposite result. Sans-serif fonts also work great for giving a very contemporary, sleek, and modern look. As mentioned earlier, script fonts have great feminine qualities. They work well for a softer feel and representing attention to detail. The toughest typestyle to talk about is novelty fonts because they come in all shapes and sizes. My only suggestion here is to use them sparingly.

Still have questions? Don't fret. Shoot me an email or visit my website to learn more. Comment with any questions you might have an I will gladly answer.

As always, #BeAmbitious.

Will your brand be 'scary' this Halloween?

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. It's the start of the holidays, the ides of football season, and all the sweet candy you could wish for is going on sale. (My personal favorite is Reese's peanut butter cups.) My least favorite part of this holiday is all of the poorly executed advertisements by local small businesses. One of the best ways to be effective with your advertisement is to be relevant to current events, and holidays fall in that category. Holidays are your chance to do unique things with your marketing and advertising. Halloween in particular is a great opportunity to make your ads 'scary' this season while still being effective? I'm glad you asked...

Narrow your focus.

I always see small businesses trying to make up ground with larger companies by offering the world to their customers. You give away your product like a last ditch effort from Groupon. (I'll talk about the fails of Groupon in a later post.) What you should be doing is focusing on one promotion and making it a good one. Don't sell yourself short. Your products are good and you just need to advertise THAT. Sure you can take a little percentage off, or some other promotion. Just be sure to focus your advertising on your product, not your price. A consistent, well thought out plan is the key here.

Don't be cheesy.

It seems everyone wants to use crazy colors and sunbursts and huge letters in their ads this time of year. Dial it back a notch and make your ads simple. They should be clear and to the point with an easy to understand message. Go ahead and be ominous and use some cool imagery of skeletons and pumpkins but keep it to a minimum. Just consider the last advertisement you remember and I bet you it was very clean and simple.

Be scary.

Lastly, be scary. By that I mean do something that might not have ever been done before in advertising. Try something new, take a risk. Use guerrilla marketing tactics to surprise your audience. Perhaps try using a social media campaign that you've been wanting to try. #BeScary. Maybe have a sale with the lights off or wait around the corner in a costume with a free sample of your product. Just be sure to be professional.

Let me here what your plans are for your branding these holidays. Leave a comment or email me with your questions.

As always #BeAmbitious.

Template sites like Vistaprint are bad for your business

We've all seen the commercials lately... "I carry 50 business cards on me at any given moment... thanks to Vistaprint, business is BOOMING!"

Besides the fact that no one can actually fit 50 business cards in their wallet or pockets to awkwardly carry around at all times, companies like Vistaprint can't actually have an effect on your business. And here's why...

You see, websites like that, and ThemeForest, and Ink'd give you hundreds of templates to choose from. They claim to have designs to suit every type of business (which is pretty true). The concept behind theses websites is to make your marketing as 'easy' for you as possible. This is all fine and dandy, however they don't truly care how your business grows. If your business doesn't succeed after using their products you can't speak to their representative and work out a new strategy. (they might laugh in your face if you try)

Recognize this design?

The other fault to template companies is that even if you find a perfect design to 'suit your business' there is likely 10,000 other businesses who have the exact same design as you. These companies make their money on quantity over quality.

This is the after effects of good branding. 

Funny story... about 10 months ago I went to visit a client of mine at one of her places of business to do a little research before we started on her branding. She travels to expos and shows to sell her vintage repurposed products. The first stand I noticed at the show had business cards exactly like hers. I of course assumed this stand was the same company as hers and I asked the person if she knew my client and that I would be working with her. After she gave me a very confused look I had to ask where she got her business cards from... you guessed it, Vistaprint.

The moral of that story is that with templated designs you can easily have your business get lost in the mix and easily lose business to competitors with the same look.

Wondering where you should go instead of these sites? Comment with your questions below or visit my site, here, to see the unique styles I put together for my clients.

... and as always

BE AMBITIOUS.

You've found customers. Now, can you keep them?

So you've got your business started and you bought some radio ads and placed a few ads in your local newspaper. Maybe you've even started a Facebook page. You had a good rush of people the first couple months and all of a sudden your store has become a ghost town. How do you retain customers? I'm going to give you my top 3 tips in detail to help you retain your customers after getting them in your door.

1. Be honest, your customers count on it.

So you've got customers coming through your door. Your next goal as a manager or owner is to get that person to buy something while they are with you, right? Wrong! Your goal as a new or small business is to make future sales to the same customer. If you make your own product you do that by providing quality in your product. If you're in retail you do it with honesty. Be truthful when speaking to customers. Don't be a 'sales person' be a friend.

They always say "the customer is always right." Though that's not always true, the idea behind it IS. If a customer asks you a question about a product they expect you to be the expert. So answer in a truthful way. Buyers aren't dumb anymore, they can tell when you're 'bullshitting' them. Your product may not be the best on the market, but a customer is more likely to come back to a business they can trust. If you make a mistake, take responsibility for it rather than trying to cover it up with a lie. The best way to handle negative situations is to apologize, correct the mistake and move on.

2. Have consistency... in EVERYTHING

Tip number two is to be consistent in every aspect of your business. If your business is a service then keep your pricing and timing consistent with each and every job. In all types of business your employees should all have similar personalities when talking to customers. Most people don't like to wear uniforms, but it is ideal to have brand representatives dressed similarly so customers know who to speak to when they have questions. It's a form of reassurance.

Since I'm a designer, consistency is one of my ten commandments when making marketing materials for my clients. Most often your advertising and identity materials are the first impression you're going to make with a potential customer. You must have a strategy to be successful with marketing and consistency must be in the strategy. Your logo must convey the same message and colors as your business card, letterhead and everything else.

The design of the materials must align with the personality of your brand. One of my least favorite local brands Community Choice Credit Union. Their business is long lived (1953) and experienced. But their marketing materials convey a sense of youth and all around unreliability. Their website is loaded with different colors, difficult to navigate, and no main focus besides the slideshow of confusing imagery.

3. Interact And Make Friends

Your brand should be treated as a person. It has its own personality and customers react to it. Today it is so easy to 'mingle' with your customers through social media, in-store, and through mobile applications. Too many people try to use their social media pages to "advertise" to their followers. What they need to be doing is interacting and building trust and loyalty. Use 'posts' to establish your expertise in your industry. Ask followers questions to get them to interact and have fun with your brand. Most importantly, don't expect social media to make sales for you, but rather use it to create loyalty. If a customer "LIKES" your page they've already stated a satisfaction with your brand. So use the page to keep them happy.

I'm always interested to hear your thoughts. Comment if you wish and if you have more questions about how to keep your customers contact me here.

BE AMBITIOUS.

Keys to a Good Logo

First, I’d like to welcome you to the first ever AvidityCreative blog post. I figured it is only fitting that the first thing I talk about is something I am most passionate about and is an area of expertise.

Why is a logo important?

A logo is imperative to the growth and success of any and every business, ever. Think about it, do you know of any successful business or organization that does not have a logo? There are so many different logos out there and they come in all shapes, colors and typefaces. Your company’s logo is what people use to recall their experience with your brand.

Try this… what is the first visual that comes to mind when you think of McDonald’s and Nike? I bet almost all of you first saw golden arches and a swoosh rather than a Big Mac or shoes. Our minds are configured to attach meanings to shapes and colors and it is easier for our mind to differentiate similar items when one item has something that stands out. Since cheeseburgers generally all look the same, it’s easier for our mind to remember the shape of the golden arches and know that they mean McDonald’s. Of course, it is easier for larger brands to be remembered, but you can try this with any business.

What makes a logo effective?

So, now that I have established the importance of a good logo let me give you some simple keys to having a logo that works for you.

- Make sense to make cents

Your logo should make sense for the industry you are in. Use symbols that have meaning to your customer or, on rare occasion, tie back into the story of the company. (And I don’t mean a picture of the owner’s dog) You wouldn’t want to have a logo with swirls, curls and candy for a doctor’s office that needs to convey professionalism and reliability.

- Be different while being similar

Logo by Avidity Creative

Find out the similarities in logos of your competitors and see what the trends are for your industry. You should have a logo that is obvious to customers which industry you are in. However, you also want to be different from your competitors in an appealing way. Try something new. Meet in the middle and make money!

- Last longer

It takes time for your target audience to begin recognizing your new logo. Don’t throw out your logo too early. Everyone hated the new JC Penney logo when it came out because it was too different and they have now changed their logo once again. Stick to easily recognizable icons and stay away from “trendy” designs that will be out of style in five years.

- Jack of all trades

Consider how many different uses will your logo have. Will it be used in print and on the web? The colors need to look good in both areas. Will it be used at a small size, like on business cards? The text needs to be legible at any size. With the continuing growth of social media most brands will have their own pages and when using the small avatar space you’ll want to have a symbol that can stand on its own and still be effective.

- Keep it simple

I know, you hear it all the time. Well, that’s because simplicity works. Consumers today are smarter than ever and they know when you add bells and whistles just for show. Symbols in a logo are great cues for brand recognition if done right. Our brains remember witty shapes and marks and the power of simplicity is great. Brands like Nike and Hewlett Packard are practicing this strategy everyday. 

A lot of work goes into building an effective identity. There are a lot of angles to be covered, but it takes an expert to create something truly amazing while still being considerate of these keys.

Think your logo could use some revamping? Check out my website, www.aviditycreative.com, to see some of my logo designs and I can build you something great. Or, clickhere to contact me directly.