Don’t Discount the Power of Print

Tales of Its Imminent Demise Are Exaggerated

In 1897 a journalist reported the demise of that great man of American letters, Mark Twain. The bemused Twain, still very much alive and kicking, responded with a letter to the paper reading: “The report of my death is an exaggeration.”

In a similar way, many “experts” have been loudly trumpeting the imminent downfall of print media as a significant means of communicating with customers. Surely, with the meteoric rise of the Internet, Web marketing is swiftly rendering obsolete all print media.

We have been told time and again that printed brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, annual reports, fliers and other tangible marketing items (even greeting cards and business letters) are destined for the dustbin of history.
But is this really so? Not by a long shot.

Advantages of Web vs. Print
True, print media has taken a hit in recent years as marketers were quick to realize the efficiencies of Web marketing. This fact, combined with an increase in environmental awareness (deforestation and global warming) and a desire be good corporate citizens, has prompted many businesses to cut back on print media and shift much of their marketing efforts toward electronic platforms.

The biggest appeal, at least initially, is cost. An e-newsletter, for example, is cheaper than a print one. The same goes for annual reports, brochures and direct mail. Why mail an expensive print ad or letter to someone’s home when you can hit an email inbox for a lot less?

No wonder there was so much hype for Web marketing and a general decline in respect for traditional print marketing.

People Like Print
Yet one important fact was overlooked in the race to replace print: Web marketing may be cheaper, but it’s not necessarily better. In some cases, it may not be nearly as effective as a well-conceived print piece.

One essential premise remains true: people like print. They like the touch, texture and even smell of print. They also like the portability of printed materials. Unlike a desktop computer, you can take printed materials with you and read them (bathroom anyone?) where you please. Furthermore printed materials can be more easily displayed and shared at meetings, conventions and tradeshows, keeping your brand in the forefront.

And, though you might be able to slip your Web marketing piece past a customer’s spam filter, you still have to face a delete button that is used mercilessly to eliminate anything that is not catchy enough. A print piece, on the other hand, by its tactile nature is more likely to be looked at, saved or filed away for future reference.

Print’s Longer Shelf Life
Let me offer an example: One nonprofit client I know mails quarterly, printed newsletters to its donors with an enclosed envelope for gifts. It is not uncommon for this charity to receive donations a year or two or even more after the newsletter was issued. That means it’s been sitting on someone’s coffee table or desk until they were ready to take action. An email newsletter simply won’t enjoy as long a shelf life.

Printed material offers your clients and customers a literal “high touch” experience that cannot be satisfied by Web marketing alone. Remember a few years ago when e-cards were all the rage? They were quick, easy and creative. Then people began to realize that e-cards carried far less emotional content and impact than a traditional printed card that they opened and held in their hands. There was something personal and powerful about the fact that people actually took the time to pick out a card (at a bricks and mortar location!), inscribe it in their own hand, lick a stamp and then post it. In the Internet age this process might seem quaint, but it works and that’s what matters.

Balance Your Customer Communications
In summary, the main point is not to put all your eggs in the Web marketing basket. Is it a powerful marketing tool? You bet it is. But Web marketing is still just one piece of the pie when it comes to communicating with your customers. Instead of emphasizing only one type of marketing (no matter how cost efficient) make sure all your messaging campaigns are balanced and fully integrated and that may very well mean including print in the mix.

Print dead? Even Mark Twain would have a chuckle at that idea.

written by Scott Wigton

How to Beat the “Delete” – 5 Tips to a Better Email Newsletter

How to Beat the “Delete”
5 Tips to a Better Email Newsletter

Email newsletters can be a good way to maintain and even build a relationship with your customers and supporters. However, you run the risk of alienating them unless you are careful to create a product that is in step with their preferences and habits.

It wasn’t long ago that Detroit ruled the American Road, mass producing heavy trucks and SUVs. When fuel prices skyrocketed, however, many drivers abandoned American brands in favor of foreign models offering better fuel economy.

It was a classic failure of vision – of not giving the customer what they desired or needed in a product. In a similar way, you have to be sensitive to your customers’ desires and expectations when communicating with them via email newsletters.

You may already have an email newsletter to which they have willingly subscribed. And, if so, it’s reasonable to assume they trust your brand, buy your products or believe in your cause.

But is your email newsletter effective, or are you testing their patience and tempting them to look elsewhere because of a failure to recognize what your customer wants in this kind of communication?

A study by useit.com confirmed that people typically have strong emotional reactions to email newsletters. Useit.com’s Jakob Nielsen writes: “The positive emotional aspect of newsletters is that they can create much more of a bond between user and company than a website can.

The following tips can help you shape your email newsletter so that it has the best chance to strengthen, rather than diminish, relationships with your customers.

1. Appreciate Your Audience – Think about who will be receiving your email newsletter.  How did you acquire their email addresses? Are they regular customers? What do they buy? What causes do they support? Answering questions like these will help you identify the kind of content you should provide to them.

2. Content Is King – For many companies, figuring out what to put in their newsletters is the hardest part of publishing one. A good piece of advice is to THINK LIKE A READER/CUSTOMER and make sure every item, as much as possible, is RELEVANT to an end user’s interests. “How-to” articles and those rich with active links to reliable information sources can be especially appealing. In short, what would YOU like to see in a newsletter if the roles were reversed?

3. Brevity Is Best – Nobody wants a rambling newsletter popping up in their inbox. And forget about wordy articles extolling products and lengthy success stories. Say what you’ve got to say in no more than 150 words per item. The truth is most people only scan newsletter articles to get the gist of the content. If you’re lucky, a telling headline will pull a reader in even further. According to the useit.com study, only 23% read a newsletter thoroughly. A strong SUBJECT LINE is vital to getting the email opened and it’s not a bad idea to borrow a line directly from the newsletter content provided it is striking.

4.Timing Is of the Essence – Nothing prompts end-user/customer scorn (and thus more clicks on the “delete” button) than bombing inboxes with overly frequent communications, even in the form of content rich newsletters. Plan a regular communication schedule that delivers current and USEFUL information so that readers will be looking forward to it rather than dreading its arrival.

5. Effective Formatting and Design – Your email newsletter format will have a big impact on readership. To make this decision, you must first identify your audience and determine what is most likely to appeal to them. The most common formats for email newsletters are HTML, Plain Text and PDF, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Generally speaking, HTML will allow you a more or less professional look with pictures and graphics while Plain Text is a “just the facts ma’am” format that frees you from HTML coding but has less style, graphics and perhaps less impact. A PDF format can use a lot of graphics and design elements not available to HTML or Plain Text but has the drawback of requiring users to either download it or have software (Adobe Reader) that can open the document. Some people won’t bother to look at your newsletter because of this inconvenience.

Critically, you should make it very quick and easy for people to either subscribe or unsubscribe to your newsletter. If the process is slow or frustrating, you will almost certainly annoy people and risk losing their business as well.

Remember, a well done email newsletter benefits your customers by providing relevant information while not imposing too much on their time.  It can be a tricky balance to strike, but if you are successful, customer loyalty should thrive.

Need a better way to get the word out? Looking for an easy, systemized and branded and way to send your email newsletters, surveys, and more  . . . without getting labeled as a spammer? Take a look at Xactcast.com. Sign up for your free demo today!

Written by Scott Wigton



Logo Design: Don’t Try This at Home, Folks!

Once you understand the importance of a logo to your business and the qualities that constitute effective logo design, it’s time to talk about working with a design firm to create a logo of enduring value.

For many potential customers, your logo could be the FIRST point of contact with your business. Think of your logo as your company’s introductory handshake. Now, imagine (or recall) a bad handshake: one that is cold and sweaty (yuck!),  too rough or too hot, too weak or too strong. Each leaves a lasting impression. The same goes for a logo. A poorly executed logo can leave your potential customers with a persistent and damaging impression.

And, as the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” If your logo looks like junk, customers will associate that feeling with your products and services.

Good logos epitomize several qualities: simplicity in shape and color; legibility with carefully selected typefaces; the right size and scalability (including use of white space) for a range of applications; and, a style sheet that dictates appropriate use. Your logo should also be unique enough to differentiate you from your competitors. Most importantly, however, your logo should be MEMORABLE (in a good way, of course)!

Why You Should Hire a Design Firm

So, how do you get a logo that meets these criteria? Easy. You hire a professional design firm to help you create one. This is one of those “Don’t try this at home, folks” moments. A quality logo is not something you cook up internally unless your company has its own creative department. Even then, caution is advised. That’s because an outside perspective of your business and brand can be invaluable, helping you get past weaknesses and blind spots that your customers perceive but you don’t.

The price you pay for a bad logo will be high if you rely on half-baked, in-house skills or hire the cheapest design firm available. First, there is the cost in time and money of having to revise a bad logo or, worse, having to scrap the final product and start over. Second, if you roll out a logo in spite of misgivings, you risk creating multitudes of bad impressions that could result in lost business.

Logo Design:
Ingredients for Successful Collaboration

Instead, select a design firm to help create your logo, keeping a few things in mind when you do so:

1. Prepare for the costs - A quality logo doesn’t come dirt cheap and it shouldn’t. This is one case where you should be comfortable with paying a little more, as your logo can be a powerful tool to create and sustain business. At the same time, be cautious about firms that want to charge what seem exorbitant rates. Sky-high design fees do not guarantee you’ll get a better logo. Instead, look at each prospective firm’s previous output and meet with their people. Is the quality high and can you work well with them?
   
   
2. Prepare to collaborate (but don’t dictate!) – You will need to communicate clearly with your design firm. You know your business. Help them understand — and feel — what drives your vision. They’ve got to “get it” for the logo to be any good. Then get out of the way. The last thing a creative design team needs is micromanagement or the sense that someone is constantly looking over their metaphorical shoulder, analyzing every detail of the creative process.


3. Prepare to be challenged (but don’t roll over) - Hire a firm that can challenge some of your assumptions about your logo and what it should be or could be. True, they need to understand your vision, but the external perspective brought to the table by an outside firm can be invaluable. Remember, you hired them for their skill set and experience. Now let them do what they do best. When the time comes for feedback, make sure your feedback is honest. Don’t acquiesce and settle for something that misses the mark.


4. Prepare to have fun - The process of working with your design firm to create a logo should be enjoyable. Be open to ideas and toss them around. Welcome fresh concepts and explore them for merit. You might find the best concept comes from a synthesis of multiple ideas. Above all, don’t be dismissive, negative or hostile or you could put a debilitating kink in the creative process. Remember, good logos, good brands and good business are built on positive rather than negative foundations.

A successful collaboration with a design firm to create either a new logo or “renovate” an old one can pay enormous dividends for your business. Remember, don’t entrust your company’s first impression — your logo — with just anyone. Find a firm with a proven record of quality work, establish a good rapport and then let them do what they do best.

Written by Scott Wigton

Does Your Logo Measure Up?

A Strong Logo Embodies Your Brand and Leads to Sales

You’ll never get a second chance to make a good first impression and for many businesses that all-important first impression comes from a deceptively unassuming source — your business logo.
That’s right. That little item that adorns your letterhead, business correspondence, signage and advertising is absolutely crucial to shaping initial responses to your business. And, for existing customers, your logo symbolizes value and trust and serves as a reaffirmation of a good, ongoing relationship.

But what if your logo isn’t all it could be? Or, worse, what if it’s just plain bad? If so, you run the risk of turning off potential customers and undermining your brand. A poorly designed logo slapped on letterhead, ads, billboards or on the sides of your company vehicles won’t entice anyone to become your customer. Rather, people are more likely to think: “Well, they’re too cheap or careless to come up with a good logo and that probably doesn’t bode well for the product/service they offer, either.”

Logo Power!
Let’s be clear. Your logo is NOT your brand. A logo is only a symbol or representation of your brand. Nevertheless, it has the power to reflect positively, or negatively, on your brand. In the minds of many clients and consumers, the mere sight of a well executed logo backed by a strong brand is enough to trigger a buying impulse.

That’s why it’s important your business have a strong logo. Think about all the great brands out there, the companies you buy from — almost without exception, they have strong logos designed to powerfully embody their brands. When you see them, a positive message is conveyed. And, even if you don’t care for that brand, you respect the authority represented by that logo.

Given the power of logos in the digital age when impressions — and business decisions — can be made in a matter of nanoseconds, it may behoove you to re-evaluate your own logo, and if you don’t have one (shame on you!) to get one. So, you might ask, what are some factors that make for a strong logo?

• Strong logos normally have simple shapes. Shape is one thing that people immediately connect with visually. The more complicated the shape, the less appealing the logo generally. The shape may be dictated by a symbol or defined by letters and words or a combination of both. Whatever the case, simpler is better.
• Strong logos make effective use of color, without overdoing it. Color can be powerful when used the right way in a logo. When excessive, color becomes cloying, possibly tasteless and proves distracting from the brand message you hope to convey. Colors must be carefully selected because each color, at a subliminal level, suggests feelings that will be associated with your brand. And, keep this in mind. If your logo is well designed, it will also work quite well in black and white.
• Strong logos use fonts or typefaces that are carefully selected to reflect the brand proposition. If you’re a company that deals in high-tech, you don’t want an “old timey” typeface used in your logo. It sends a conflicting message.
• Strong logos are the right size. Is your logo too big, or too small, for your letterhead and other applications? You don’t want people straining to see it because it was designed too awkwardly to fit appropriately in all your means of communication.
• Strong logos are accompanied by style sheets. Do you have a style guide for the use of your logo? Is your logo legally protected? Do you slap it haphazardly on everything without regard to positioning and size, thereby watering down its affect? These are important considerations to make sure you get the most out of your logo.

Finally, before you abandon your logo, be sure to consider its existing value. Over the years, you have probably built up a large cache of credibility in your community with your logo. People recognize it and know what it stands for. Some say changing your logo is tantamount to divorce with your clients and customers. That is probably too extreme, but carefully mull over the heritage of your logo. Unless it has been a disaster or reflects a bygone era or your company and brand are due a total makeover, it may be that your logo needs only a little bit of tweaking to update it. A professional designer can help you with just the right flourishes.

Next month, we’ll explore that process of working with a design firm to create a strong logo for your company.

Written by Scott Wigton



How To Collaborate Effectively with Your Design Firm (Hint: Communication Is Key)

The old real estate adage is: Location! Location! Location!

When it comes to effective collaboration between a design agency and your business, an equally important axiom applies: Communication! Communication! Communication!

Good communication is the bedrock upon which trust is built, allowing creative projects between you and your design agency to flourish.

Remember, when working with a design firm, a successful collaboration requires carefully considered ideas so that a meeting of the minds can be achieved. Anything less will probably result in unwanted surprises, disappointment and a waste of time and resources. Lack of clarity about goals, poor preparation and lack of commitment could fatally undermine any collaboration between you and your design firm.

At the beginning of any collaborative process, it’s helpful to keep in mind the reason you need to work with a design firm. In short, you have a problem – a creative problem, and a design firm can help you solve it because they possess an invaluable skill — the ability to conceptualize. This means, or should mean, they are experts at identifying opportunities for your company and finding ways to fulfill those opportunities. Those opportunities might include things such as Web site design, marketing, company branding or rebranding, events, and various communications to connect you with your key audiences and customers.

Designers can help you navigate from being lost in the business wilderness with no idea how to proceed, to finding the path that will take your company to new levels of success.

When collaborating with a design firm, it’s essential to keep several things in mind. The following few tips will go a long way toward ensuring that you get the most out of your working relationship.

1. Build trust through respectful communication — Often, as a company owner or decision maker, you may not be able to see things as an outsider (i.e. customer) would. That’s why a design firm can be invaluable at the start. They bring an external perspective that will enable you to view things in a fresh light. This in turn can unleash powerful creative opportunities.
2. Define the problem and define your goals — Try to be as specific as possible when identifying the problem, as well as your goals, and communicate these clearly and concisely to your design agency. Vagueness here could result in disappointment because design solutions might end up being too general or plain. Make your objectives clear and what it is you want to be accomplished. Don’t leave out the details! What do you want your audiences, your customers to feel and what action do you want them to take?
3. Clarify strategy and the roles of team members — You’ll need a big picture roadmap for you and your design agency to work from. Make sure everyone has this roadmap and, importantly, knows what they are responsible for and when. This should eliminate redundant efforts. Make sure you have the support of key decision makers in the chain of command. You don’t want a project delayed or stopped entirely because someone important was left out of the loop.
4. Provide a budget range — This will really help define the scope of what your design firm proposes to you. Leaving this up in the air is not a good idea as the design agency may return to you with a dazzling proposal that is way beyond what you can afford, making the effort an expensive time waster. Additionally, if your budget is extremely limited, don’t expect champagne proposals, but rather more modest, though serviceable ones.
5. Work through problems together — Again, clear, direct and honest communication is key to overcoming the inevitable bumps in the road to the project’s completion. If you have concerns, bring them out into the open rather than working on them without your design agency’s knowledge or input. It may take some time for your design agency to fully grasp your company’s brand proposition, for example, but this is normal. Don’t always expect instant gratification. Be willing to wait until the final product has been refined and unveiled. And, finally…
6. Perform a project review — Sit down with your design agency representatives and study what worked and what could have gone better with the project. This will help both parties avoid making the same mistakes again and lead to successful future collaborations.

Written by Scott Wigton