SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE REVIEWS = PEOPLE POWER

A Nielsen Study reported 92% of consumers trust recommendations from family and friends over all other advertising.  The power of a personal referral or testimonial can be a crucial factor when someone is making a purchasing decision.  So how do you get your clients telling the world how amazing your products, services or expertise are?


Social Media
Social media is the new word of mouth advertising.  With Facebook recently hitting one billion users, many of whom log in three to fourteen times every day, the "Like" and "Share" buttons are quickly becoming a brands best friend to reaching a larger audience.  Social media provides a more casual forum to share content more often with users who have already indicated interest in your business by joining or following your feed.    

Another distinct advantage Facebook has over many other social media platforms is the accessibility and ease of sharing from mobile devices, which continues to drive increasing numbers of users to "check-in" at local businesses when finding a minute of boredom, waiting in line, or walking the street... (excuse me!)


Online Reviews
Savvy consumers are investigating local businesses now more than ever through sites such as Yelp and Google+.   These are likely qualified leads about to make a purchasing decision based upon your previous customers experiences, and your last chance to convince them that your company is a reputable, accessible and superior alternative to the competition.

Incentives, online surveys and QR codes directing your customers to review sites are great low-cost ways to generate a wealth of positive online brand endorsement before you're scrambling to bury the one bad review that someone (inevitably) posts.


Just ask!
Write a letter to your top ten clients asking for a personal endorsement; ask customers at the end of each appointment or delivery if they would endorse your brand with an online review (having an iPad handy is a smart move in this situation).  You can also create a postcard or insert to be mailed out with each invoice or statement, directing customers on where to share their experiences on.  You can then feature these testimonials on your website, post to social media, and include on print media to tell everyone how great your company is- without having to say a word.



For reviews on my company, dream ink, click around our website to read a few:
dream ink Creative Page Review

Or click the link below to a few others on our Google+ page!
dream ink Google+ Page

Join our Facebook fans for exclusive deals and techniques not posted on our website!
dream ink Facebook Page

DIGITALLY SPEAKING

As the world consumes iPhones, iPads and iPods at a rapidly accelerating pace, it appears we are moving to a paperless society in which your product or service will be need to be advertised through magic screens and megapixels to maintain market share. Just don't go investing every penny of your marketing budget in online advertising just yet... and here's why:

Marketing should be a multi-pronged approach to reaching your audience.
Business cards have been used since the industrial revolution, while the phone and fax were essential tools to advertise and communicate for the past sixty years. As we enter the digital age, websites, QR codes and social media are enhancing methods of transmitting information and should complement, not replace, your current marketing efforts.

The majority of consumers are looking online to research products and compare pricing and are not yet completely comfortable making every purchase from their home computer.
While Applications such as Google Wallet are making it easier and more accessible to pay for purchases through your smartphone, people still have security concerns and limited access to the internet. Experts believe it will be another ten to fifteen years before buying habits shift more to the digital dollar than our traditional paper or plastic, which gives your business plenty of time to adapt.

Ad specialties and print media are tangible products.
One of the strongest senses for memory retention is touch; sending a personalized invitation is going to leave a more memorable impression than that online invite. There is still a very large percentage of consumers who have not joined the digital age, even more who still prefer the traditional tri-fold brochure and business card for their rolodex. (For anyone under thirty reading this blog, a rolodex is what people used before cell phones became your address book!)

No matter what medium your using to reach your audience, compelling and effective graphic design stands behind every ad campaign as the difference behind striking an emotional chord with your audience, or turning them off with outdated or cluttered design. Join us next time for tips on how to hire the right designer to develop your brand image!