Integrated Marketing – Page 7

January 16, 2012

Think Big, Print Big: Wide Format Banners, Posters & More

Big ideas, big dreams, big plans? Then you need big printing. Large, glossy, full-color wide format is increasingly a smart marketing choice for making a bold, clear statement. Think about the visual impact you could make in your business with banners, adhesive wall clings, car wraps, event signage, posters, window graphics, floor graphics. High quality design and signage is now affordable for every budget and versatile for every structure or medium. It is also easy to change up to reflect new information and stayfresh in the public eye.

Take a moment to look around at any of your large blank walls, windows or spaces in any public area of your business and you begin to realize how that visual canvas is not being utilized to represent your brand, your message, your mission. It is being seen… it should be getting noticed and remembered! And not all wall coverings need to be advertising copy or photography. Perhaps you can simply use shape and color to “brand” your walls or windows for visual interest, keeping them in accordance with your brand’s palette.

Consider what might very well be your most valuable advertising real estate: storefront windows, waiting room and lobby walls, even shop floors. They are encountered by every customer or client, and even others just passing by – you should be using that marketing opportunity to relay your message and reinforce your brand. When you start looking around you will discover many creative ways to use large-format printing:

banners
removable vinyl wall graphics & murals
car wraps
event signage
posters
floor graphics
window clings
mounted trade show displays
sale announcements or information
directional signage
product exhibits
decorative designs and murals to compliment your brand

Thinking big will grow your business and sales in the new year, and wide format printing is a versatile, affordable and smart component of that winning marketing strategy. It allows you to see your your business with an artist’s or architect’s eye. Enjoy being creative with your marketing.

Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.

January 5, 2012

Your ROI from Social Media Marketing

At the end of the day, the bottom line with any form of marketing is ROI – what return do we expect for the time, money and resources spent on the investment. In the realm of social media, the ROI payoff comes through interactive conversation with potential clients and the creation of a postive impression in the public’s mind of your expertise and credibility. Just like buying commercial time on television or any other marketing, you use social media outlets to perpetuate a consistent impression in the public’s mind of what you do and how well you do it.

The landscape of social media is changing rapidly. Today’s Twitter and Facebook might be tomorrow’s MySpace or AmericaOnline. So be open to change and innovation when you plan your approach. You might decide to concentrate on one or two sites to begin building up a following or circle of ‘friends.’ Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the obvious most popular choices now. Each site has a different focus as well – and you can find many resources online to compare the top social media sites and their features.

But one step at a time is the best way to build any marketing campaign, and social media is no different. Use both graphics and content to put forth a consistent brand image across all the platforms, anchored in your company’s home website and blog. Your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts should all work in tandem to be recognizable and to drive traffic and interest to your website for both information, further contact and, of course, sales. Your blog should prove to be your most effective tool for establishing your credibility and resourcefulness. Again, use the social media platforms to draw interest to your blogposts, and in turn, to your e-commerce website. Provide links to both current and past blog content. Consider offering special deals or printable coupons by visiting your webpage. Keep in mind your goal of creating interest in and driving traffic to your site.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an inexact and ever-changing terrain. Familiarizing yourself with some of the basics is helpful in both writing content for your blog or website and understanding the overall structure of the web. But it can also prove daunting. Don’t let the technicalities of SEO prevent you from getting your content up and out there. A consistent presence is important, and fine-tuning SEO considerations can come with time.

An overall philosophy to keep in mind for blogging and social media is the most obvious one: be social. Avoid bragging, heavyhanded salesmanship, confusing data or being too opinionated – in other words, any potentially obnoxious social behavior that would drive people away. And remember to provide value to those who visit your blog or site – free of charge. Establishing yourself as a good source of helpful, freely given information will go a long way in winning loyalty and interest from the public. Be there to help – it is the best way to get noticed and a great public service. Also, another important component of being social, is to participate. Interact with other blogs, post comments and updates on Facebook and LinkedIn, be sure and tell others when their information was useful or their commentary especially enlightened. Avoid undue criticism or argumentativeness. Being a good virtual friend is a reward in itself, but will also shine a nice light on your brand and all your marketing efforts.

The ROI of a good social media strategy is ultimately quantifiable in sales figures, but a more immediate return will be seen in strengthening your brand image, bolstering your credibility and market knowledge, and generating positive public opinion. Being social should be enjoyable… take a holistic approach and see what you can create through the interaction!

Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.

December 27, 2011

Print: The Heart of Integrated Marketing Campaigns

Tangible, portable, engaging, accessible, user-friendly, multiuse, renewable, versatile and creative… all great reasons to make print the foundation of your marketing campaign. Its very nature as a physical, rather than digital, object makes it effective and respected in the consumer’s mind. With advances in digital printing, the cost of print is even more affordable than ever for short or long runs. But by combining print with the new tools available online for personalized, trackable, interactive communication, you can boost your ROI with a truly integrated marketing campaign.

Print is user-friendly. All market segments feel comfortable viewing and reading information in print — therefore it can be used to lead those who are reticent about online purchasing or digital communications to check out your webpage, ‘click’ and follow a QR code, or visit their own personalized landing page (PURLs). Print is an easy stepping stone that works in coordination with online marketing to guide interested customers into a more interactive realm of communication and commerce. At the same time, print will reinforce your brand and online message in a concrete way.

With variable data printing (VDP), print is more user-friendly than ever. It speaks to each recipient in your database individually. From the printed contact, lead them to respond with more information about themselves and their interests, either online or by mail. With that information you have enriched your database and can target each customer in an even more personal way — trackable, multitouch, measurable results from your marketing dollars.

Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.