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

PRESIDENTIAL PROMOTIONS

With the election behind us we thought it would be a great time to analyze what advertising may have influenced our voting decision.  From heated debates on job creation and taxation, the marketing campaign for each candidate had a clear strategy for targeting those most likely to vote for their party.  What issues evoked the most emotion from you, and how was the message reinforced? Take a look at the list below to see the many ways each candidate used to reach their audience.

  

TV:  The first debate attracted 67.2 million viewers.  That's nearly 22% of the entire U.S.!

Radio:  Both campaigns advertising heavily on adult contemporary stations targeting women voters in the last week before the election.

Print:  Political postcard mailings, wide-format banners and stake signs are three of the biggest products purchased during a campaign. 

Optimized lists:  99% of candidates running for (any) office will purchase an optimized mailing list based off of demographics and psychographics.

Social Media:  Obama is known as the "Social Media President" for being more engaged with the online audience on YouTube, Google+, Twitter and Facebook. 

E-mail:  Both candidates utilized e-blasts to procure donations and build brand loyalty.

Phone:  Who isn't tired of the robo-call?

Promotional:  Both candidates have e-commerce selling hundreds of promotional products:

The Romney-Ryan 2012 official store | Home & Obama for America | 2012 | Store

After all this filibustering... dream ink for President?  dream ink - creative. print. marketing.

  

EVERYONE IS A DESIGN CRITIC

While the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" is often advised, rarely do our brains practice this theory in making purchasing decisions; we often gravitate towards products with the most attractive packaging, sold by the most recognizable (and inherently trusted) brands.  This is why choosing the right designer for your marketing materials is essential to developing an effective brand image with memorable ad campaigns that will not only connect with your target audience, but help convert them to loyal customers.  

Here are three tips that will help you hire the best designer or agency suited to fit your needs:

Ignore cost.

Nike paid $35 for their logo back in 1971, while oil company BP recently shelled out $6.4 million for their current green and gold sunflower.

Moral of the story:  don't be enticed by the lowest price, or intimidated by the highest; design and designers have a very wide of scale for compensation that is not always based on true talent.    

View their portfolio.

Great design is subjective.  The best measure of ones ability is looking at the projects and client base they have successfully worked with in the past.  

Is their definition of "aesthetically-pleasing" the same as yours?  Are they familiar with your industry?  Do they have experience in both print and web design?  These questions can be answered by a professional portfolio.  

No formal education?  No problem!

Some of the most skilled and proficient designers I have worked with never received a formal education and honed their craft through on-the-job experience.  By requiring a college degree many employers are missing out on some of the most talented freelancers and individuals available.  

I've been most impressed with the creative use of the iPad in the new Lexus ad in Sports Illustrated.  This should receive every "Design of the Year" award out there!  

View it for yourself here:  Is This The World's Most Interactive Print Ad?

After you've found a designer you will need to decide on what message you want your brand to communicate in its advertising.  Join us next time when we explore how political ads may be the best (and worst!) example of effective, engaging and emotional advertising!