The answer? Very. You only have one chance to make a first impression on new clients or customers, and the quality of your logo and other design elements says more than even the snappiest written copy can. Here are ways that graphic design can make or break your business!
 
Professionalism
Well-designed logos signal to the public that your business is organized and professional. If your brochure or website design looks like it was put together by an amateur, why should a prospective client or customer take you seriously? There’s a ton of competition in any industry, and consumers are more demanding than ever.
 
Internal unity
Your design affects your employees just as much as it does your customers. Your employees are walking ambassadors for your brand, and they should feel confident about how that brand is represented on their polo shirts, business cards, and other collateral. If your employees are not confident in how the brand is represented, they won’t be as confident when interacting on your company’s behalf.
 
Message clarity
Good design should work in conjunction with written messages, not against them. A strong logo can communicate ideas or feelings that words just can’t describe. The last thing you want is for a customer to look at your product and see conflicting messages between what the logo says and what the corresponding words say.
 
For example, think about how much is said just by looking at iconic symbols like the Nike Swoosh or the Apple on every iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. The clean design elements compliment the clear and compelling copy that consumers have come to expect from these brands.
 
Long-term rewards
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. That can be especially true with graphic design. While you may need to pay a little more upfront for a quality and professional-looking logo or other graphics, you will reap the benefits of increased sales and visibility in the long run. A good designer should be able to quickly and efficiently turn your ideas into reality and work with you until you are satisfied with the results. Anything short of that will result in spending more of your hard-earned money on starting over with someone else.

​Below are a few tips for keeping your business-associated New Year’s resolutions:
 
Visualize resolutions
Locate a nice, peaceful place to sit, shut your eyes, and picture the objectives you wish to achieve. Mentally walk through them, imagining that you are going through the motions, which eventually will bring you higher levels of success. You are essentially training your brain to take the necessary steps to attain your goals.
 
Say resolutions each morning
To meet your resolutions and goals, you must keep them inside the forefront of your mind. By repeating them to yourself each morning, you are reminding yourself they exist. It’ll help set you up to take the necessary steps within the course of your day to turn those goals into reality.
 
Share goals with others
Telling other people about your resolutions helps you accomplish them at a higher rate because it’ll cement your commitment. By saying them out loud to another person, you aren’t offering yourself an out. You could also take this step up a notch and share your goals on social media, and announce to a bigger audience what you’d want to accomplish.
 
Create a strategy to accomplish them
Whatever business objectives you have set for 2017, make an actual strategy to attain them. It’ll require sitting down and planning specific actions you must take.
 
Pay close attention to any progress
When there’s a hefty business goal, it’s easy to get distracted by how much work is right in front of you. But rather than concentrating so intently on how far you need to go, pay close attention to how far you’ve come. By recognizing all of your efforts and how they have paid off thus far, you will be more than likely to want to continually move forward.

A crucial tip in business building is to stay in touch with loyal customers not only on social media, but in their inbox. Here are some ways to boost your next business newsletter!
 
Be informative
A newsletter should be full of valuable content—something that makes the reader feel special for receiving the information in their inbox. Below are a few examples of informative content to include in the newsletter:
 
          •         Fan photos
          •         Recipes
          •         Testimonials
          •         Videos and/or webinars
          •         Infographics
          •         Company news (volunteer projects, awards, etc)
          •         Resources
          •         Contests
          •         Photos
          •         Reviews
          •         Interesting facts
          •         Holidays, dates to remember, events
          •         Third party news/industry news
          •         How-tos, tutorials, tactics, tips
 
Lose (sales) hype
People who signed up for your newsletter enjoy being informed of sales, yet selling should not be your primary focus of the email newsletter. Send the offers within promo-specific e-mails.
 
Keep it short
The point of the newsletter is not necessarily to make a sale, but to build up a relationship with the audience, to educate and inform, and to snag a few clicks to your website. Visits to your site may lead to sales or more readers for your blogs and event updates.
 
Have compelling opening line
In the “From” label, clearly state whom your email newsletter comes from. Usually, using the company name is recommended. While crafting your newsletter subject line up, do not use generic lines such as: August Newsletter, This Week’s Newsletter, Your Monthly Newsletter, The Insider, etc. Also, be certain that you take advantage of the pre-header, which can act like your secondary subject line.
 
Allow an easy opt-out
An individual unsubscribing from a newsletter is a fact of life, and it isn’t anything to take personally. If the “unsubscribe” button is hard to locate, it may be easy for readers to mark your e-mails as spam. Allow your readers to go easily if they want, and make the unsubscribe link simple to locate. Otherwise, sitting inside a spam box only will cause the delivery, open, and click-through rates to decrease.

A company’s marketing materials, such as business cards, magazines, and brochures, can make a lasting first impression to potential customers.  As a company, you may want to take time and careful consideration in designing your marketing materials, as they can determine how your potential customers understand your brand message. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
 
Keep It Simple
Keep your company logo and message simple across all marketing materials. Too much text can be overwhelming to readers, and can be messy or overcrowded on a page or printed material.
 
A complicated logo can confuse a customer, causing them to simply move on from learning more about what your company is about. Keeping your concepts direct and to the point can help to immediately draw in potential customers, and it can also send a clear message of what your brand is.
 
Great Photography
Visuals are everything in today’s world, and they’re usually the first thing people notice before reading more information. Interesting and quality photographs within your marketing materials show that you’re an established organization, and gives an impression of value to potential clients and customers.
 
Low quality photos incorporated into marketing materials can display amateurism and unprofessionalism, and can be a downfall to a company’s marketing campaign. Investing in good photography can help customers see your company as a professional and trustworthy business.
 
Find The Right Style
Tie in your color scheme, logo, and typography within your brand goals and overall feeling in each of your marketing materials.
 

• Color Scheme: Choose colors that are contrasting, as they attract immediate attention. Dark colors against light colors create such an effect, and stand out to readers. Be sure to also choose a color palette that is both visually appealing and ties in with your overall branding.

 

• Logo: Create a logo that is captivating and appealing to a wide range of people. Make sure to hire a professional graphic designer that understands the importance of marketing, and take your time in choosing the right look for you logo. This is the forefront of your business, the identifier of your brand, and deciding on a logo should be taken seriously.


• Typography: The font your company uses within marketing materials can either invite a customer in to read more, or push them away altogether. Choose a font that is aligned with the styling of your logo and that is easily readable, ensuring that customers can read it without any difficulty.


​Enlist A Literature Manager
In any company, there are constant changes, new product launches, and new marketing material to be presented to customers. For this reason, it can be useful to enlist the help of a literature manager to stay on top of all changes that shift from each marketing tool.
 
The manager should be responsible for ensuring that all changes are consistent with brand style and flow, and they should be constantly looking ahead to future ideas and for upcoming projects to market

Reaching new customers can be almost as hard as keeping the ones you already have! That’s why it’s important to constantly be looking for new ways to engage and grow your customer base. Here are a few tips on building a customer base for a small business!
 
Social Media
Build your online presence through different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or LinkedIn. It’s important to spend equal time campaigning on all platforms you use until you’re able to see which one has more influence than the others, and what works best for your company.
 
Find out which social media outlet your target customers engage in the most, and become part of their online activity there. Interacting with followers, sharing your content as much as possible, and providing great online customer service can help to build up your customer base and also spread brand awareness.
 
Partnering
Choosing to partner with other businesses can help you learn a great deal about growing a customer base. It can also help you to gain access to new potential customers.
 
Collaborate with businesses in co-sponsoring events or complimentary services, causing both sets of customers to interact with both companies. Create referral programs that can generate awareness for each company, and offer incentives for customers who spread the word about your partnering business. Your business, as well as your partners, could benefit greatly from the exposure.
 
In-Person Networking
Although today’s market relies heavily on online marketing, it’s equally important to network face-to-face. A conversation in real life can provide feelings of trust and connection in ways that an online presence cannot. Human beings are primarily social, and an in-person dialogue or interaction can help contacts to become more invested in your company.
 
Networking with people in-person can also help create a lasting impression on potential customers, and it’s important to represent your business well when conversing. Take an interest in who you talk to, ask genuine questions, and listen intently to what each potential customer has to say.

Developing a brand for your small business may seem overwhelming, especially if you don’t have a huge budget for marketing. Fortunately, building a successful brand for your small business can be accomplished without breaking the bank! Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Understand brand power
A strong brand provides your small business with power and advantage. Taking the time to create a brand that generates an immediate and definitive relationship with your customers is the goal of successful branding.  When people see or think of your niche industry, their immediate thought should be your business brand. As your brand wields its power, your business can also benefit from Google’s SEO benefits.  

Unique brand style and voice
Know your brand’s style and voice, and keep it clean and simple. This will help people to quickly recognize and remember your brand logo. Learn to find the balance between simplicity and showcasing your business and what it stands for. Avoid ambiguity and phrases that have lost their wow factor. Use clear imagery, language, and a smart logo.

Protect your brand
Monitor your brand to protect it from being copied in part or fully. Be proactive in monitoring how and where people use your brand. If not protected, you may find yourself fighting with competitors who’ve taken your brand and adjusted it slightly. You may find websites using your logo without linking back to your business. Worst case scenario, you could find yourself pursuing legal action for brand infringements.

Be consistent
From your website to your social media presence, make sure that your brand message remains consistent. This will prevent confusion among your customers and prospective customers. This consistency needs to incorporate your products, services and brand presentation (name, logo, design, marketing, etc).
The more consistent you are in your message, the more familiarity people will have with your brand, which can help generate trust. Trust can help convert prospective customers into loyal customers!

Always add value
Regardless of the level of your success, be sure to keep maintaining excellent customer service and creating good products. Continue to analyze your products and services for what distinguishes your business from that of your competitors. Scrutinize your brand from all angles to ensure that you are giving your customers benefits and value.

The more value you add to your brand through products, services, and customer care, the more likely your customers will remain loyal and share your brand ideas and product to to their friends and followers!

Marketing your business does not have to break your bank. With some creativity and ideas on maximizing the benefits of the Internet, you can keep your business brand at the forefront of your customers’ minds!

Capitalize on social media and networking
Networking is the backbone of business success. With commitment and patience, networking is a great way to build business relationships and find new clients and customers.

Along with networking, maximize on social media by creating a Facebook Group and Facebook Page to broaden your sphere of influence and generate traffic to your site. Simultaneously, join other Facebook or LinkedIn groups within your niche as a way of contributing relevant information and advice. This will help establish you as a trusted expert in your field.

Have a riveting pitch ready
No matter where you go, opportunities for marketing your business will arise. Be prepared to grab the attention of your listeners by creating a riveting pitch. Research studies have shown that an adult will decide within six to eight seconds if they’re interested in an advertisement or pitch. As a result, your pitch needs to be skillfully crafted to grab their attention within those few seconds!

Freebies, coupons, and discounts
Encourage people to sign up to your email listing by offering a coupon, discount or freebie. This is a quick and clear call to action for visitors to enter your advertising funnel. Research has confirmed that offering coupons is a successful method of expanding customer base and generating return visits.

Articles and all things blogging
Find those magazines within your industry that accept guest articles. Once you have identified those magazines, write articles for them as a way of promoting your business. Your article should establish you as an expert in your industry, while your author bio will promote you and your business.

The same can be done for guest blogging on other people’s blogs or websites so you can expose your work to a new audience. Your author bio should hold a back link to your site to encourage more traffic.

As you follow blogs, leave thought-provoking comments as a way to get the blog owner and audience’s attention. This will continue to establish you as an expert in your field, generate more traffic to your site, and hopefully create more opportunities for guest blogging or article writing!

Many successful businesses use case studies to record the details of their research process and showcase the development of a particular project until its completion. A good case study tells a convincing and engaging story through both content and imagery, permitting viewers to read project goals and view the results simultaneously. Learn how stories and case studies can help build trust and establish you as a leading expert in your industry!

Client consent and participation
One of the more challenging aspects of creating a case study is overcoming client wariness towards releasing potentially sensitive information to the public. Although valid, you can ease your client’s concerns by outlining the case study process clearly from the get go and getting their nod of approval on each draft. Be sure to do what will make your client comfortable, which may include using percentages to illustrate ROI and lead generation growth rather than specific figures.

The cornerstones of a successful case study
Once you have client consent and participation in providing any relevant information, your case study will require the following three cornerstones:
​

1. Context – Here you will elaborate on who your client is, the relevant trends, the scope of the project, and so on.

2. Organize your story around your readers’ needs - While the client is providing you with information to use in your case study, you are addressing your readers whose needs are the backbone of your case study. All your information should be used to address your readers’ needs.

3. Objectives – Here you will list ROI and lead generation percentages or other values to the solution you provided. Request that your client provide you information as to who they are and why they chose to work with you. This will help encourage prospective clients.


The essential format elements to a successful case study
For a case study to be successful, several format elements ​ are essential including the following:

1. An intriguing title- This should convey the answer to a need you know your readers have. The title should also contain a keyword which can be shared on social media with a hashtag.

2. A lead quote or testimonial- It can be repeated or used several times throughout your case study.

3. Summarize the problem- This can be used to empathize with your readers and illustrate that you understand their needs.

4. Summarize the results- Use this to showcase how you successfully helped your client. This may include three to four benefit statements to explain the case study and appeal to the readers’ needs.

5. About us paragraph- Write one regarding your company and contact information

6. A call to action- This accompanies any good case study to encourage readers towards becoming new clients. 


Make the most of the Internet
Once your case study has been published, share it on various social media platforms such as Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, etc. This will help create backlinks to your company website which may help push your site up on Google ranking and entice prospective clients your way!

For years, brochures have been used far and wide as a means of effectively showcasing business products and services. This printed material provided the necessary information on company brands, products and services to inspire people towards making a purchase. Today, the role of the brochure is changing. What is the future for brochures, and how are they still being used?

Brochures and the engaged customer
The brochure can be a trusted sign that a customer has become an “engaged” customer. This means that the person who took the brochure is interested in sourcing more information other than that already available on a website.
​
Supporting purchase decisions
Brochures are popular among companies who advertise high-value and high-risk purchases, in contrast to your everyday products which use online reviews and product descriptions as advertising.
According to market research, brochures play a role in supporting a customer’s decision to purchase, specifically if the item being bought is deemed high value and/or took considerable time to purchase. As such, a brochure has become a way of justifying a purchase, thus reinforcing the emotional reasons behind a purchase.

Complement to digital marketing strategies
An A-5 sized brochure provides people with sufficient content on a business or product that can inspire them to seek more information online. This smaller size ensures that the brochure can be tucked into a bag or pocket for later reading material when the person has time to spare.

Another use for brochures today is to provide the sales team with all relevant major talking points for people to review at a later stage. For those people who prefer to read the paper than stare at a computer screen or tablet, a brochure is a handy way of giving them relevant information.
When all is said and done, the brochure is a tool that complements other digital marketing strategies. Together they can help add value to your business marketing efforts!

Finding the right candidate for your job opening may be challenging at best. A myriad of people seeking employment search newspapers, magazines, online sites and social media in the hopes of acquiring employment. 

Advertising a job opening requires a bit of marketing. As a business owner, you need to be specific, clear, and appealing in order to find the right person for the job. Fortunately, it can be done and generate good results.

Process of advertising a job opening
When it comes to creating a job advertisement, it needs to be clear and direct. The type of job and level of expertise should be clearly stipulated in the title of the job ad. From there, the job responsibilities should be listed starting with the vital responsibilities. Ideally, your job ad should list the requirements you are looking for in a job candidate such as skills, education, certificates, or experience. As with any ad, marketing is crucial thus your ad should have other benefits besides monetary as an appeal to the right candidate.

Places to post a job opening
With your job opening ad clearly defined, your next step is to decide where you are going to post your ad and what are the costs. 

Online
Depending on the nature of the job you are advertising, you may want to look at social media such as LinkedIn, Monster or Indeed. These will help you target multiple professional people simultaneously. Often social media can help you target qualified people in a cost-efficient way.

Another way to promote your job opening online is to research your industry’s events, social gatherings and online groups. This will give you direct access to experienced people in your industry. Other online websites that can help promote your job opening include Craigslist, which targets lower skill workers or temporary workers.

If you are targeting a specific niche, you may want to try the following sites:

1.  Finance jobs can be promoted on www.efinancialcareers.com
2.  Retail jobs would be posted on www.allretailjobs.com
3.  Advertising jobs can be promoted on www.theladders.com
4.  For IT employees look at www.dice.com

With online job postings, you may receive a huge number of applicants some of which often are not suitable for the job. While this may not be the case with niche sites, Monster, Craigslist and Indeed can result in a large quantity of applicants in which case, you may need to take some time to sort through all the applicants or get some assistance during the recruiting process.

Print
Besides placing your job ads online, you may choose to focus on print ads or a combination of both online and print. A good place to start is with your local newspaper. Your local newspaper is targeting people within your vicinity. If you advertise in your local newspaper be sure that your job ad meets the paper’s format and is in the correct size.

Trade publications offer an opportunity to business owners to advertise their jobs both in print and online. You have a higher chance of people in your niche reading the publication you are advertising in when it is a trade publication. Ask the publications you use if your ad will appear both in print and online as well as the costs involved.