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July 6, 2015

Event Marketing for Small Business Owners

There are millions of small businesses competing against each other with websites, advertisements and marketing campaigns vying for the attention of consumers. It is difficult to stand out from the crowd in such an environment, but event marketing puts your brand right in front of consumers in a way that other forms of marketing can’t.

Events are a tried and true method of marketing, and lots of businesses large and small use them to engage potential customers. Live Marketing reports that companies spend $24 billion on exhibiting at events every year. Here’s a look at some of the tenets to help you take advantage of the vast opportunities available to you in event marketing:

Host Events

The quickest way to have people notice you is to invite them over. Hosting an event gives you a chance to market your product to consumers while networking with other businesses. As a small business owner, your event may not be a huge convention, but this gives your brand a chance to stand center stage and make a big impression.

Think about what kind of event is right for your business. If you run a bookstore, host an event where your staff reads books to children. Or, if you run a print shop, host an educational event for other small business owners about creating marketing material. Be sure to brand your event with custom signage displaying your logo, colors, and message. Items such as pop-up banner stands and wide-format posters are affordable, portable and can be reused for other marketing opportunities.

Trade Information

Whether you host an event or attend one, be sure to put your contact information into the hands of anyone who seems interested. You can do this by creating an email sign-up sheet or by offering incentives for people who visit your site and log in right then and there at the event. Also stock your event with flyers, brochures and any other print collateral and work to put it into the hands of your event visitors. Your primary goal should be to get as much information from potential consumers as possible as well as giving them the tools to research your business after the event is over.

Asheville Area B2B Trade Show Event, 2015 — Asheville Area B2B Small Business Expo

Document Everything

We live in a media-centric world, and if you don’t take pictures, it may as well not have happened. Additionally, social media gives you a chronology of people who interacted with your brand that you can broadcast to engage your followers and drive business. Playing photographer and social media guru can be a challenge, but with an up-to-date smartphone like the HTC One M9, you can handle all that and more from the palm of your hand. Take pictures of yourself and your customers, and share them on social media to link yourself to the community around you. Include print and promotional products with QR codes to help drive traffic to your online marketing – it’s all about using every opportunity to take advantage of multichannel marketing.

Give It Away

Branded trade show promotional products — Branded promotional products as giveaways put your name in your prospects hands.

Promotional items are a cross between gift and marketing material, and they are always a hit at events. Convention-goers often get excited about all the free swag they can receive, and you can leverage this to get the crowd to advertise for you. By giving away small promotional items, such as keychains, T-shirts and hats, you can make potential customers happy and have them advertising for you wherever they go. Furthermore, promotional items drive business — Epromos reports that 85 percent of consumers do business with a company after receiving a free promotional item.

Publicize

Heading to an event won’t help you if no one knows you are there. This means you need to get the word out. Post on your website about the event and take to social media to let your followers know where you will be. Reach out to bloggers in your industry and local news outlets to let them know about the event and your role in it, so you can get some press before the event even begins.

Call us at 828.684.4512 for any marketing needs. As a printer, we understand communication and design. Your printer should be able to provide you with the latest information, inspiration, technical advice, and innovative ideas for communicating your message through print, design and typography, signage, apparel, variable data printing and direct mail, integrated marketing and environmentally responsible printing. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is now partnered with Extreme Awards & Engraving – our in-house partner providing custom engraved trophies and awards for employee recognition programs, sporting events, and promotional needs. With our new sister company, we will be sharing space, resources and expertise in a collaboration designed to further provide you with one place to meet all of your marketing needs… Under One Roof! Visit them online at www.extremeae.com or call direct at 828.684.4538.

Call us at 828.684.4512. ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your print and marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.

May 19, 2015

Dos & Don’ts of Office Graphics

Wall and floor graphics, POP signage, banners, suspended print signage, window clings, custom wraps of furniture or equipment… creative signage for the workspace or retail space can make a world of difference in successful branding. Here are some hints to help you start thinking about success with workplace branding:

There are plenty of tactics to employ when designing graphics to use throughout the workplace. Contrary to this, there is a plethora of ways to prove your buffoonery when creating those visuals. This quick overview will show some of the dos and don’ts of adopting graphics to advertise your business and promote workplace morale.

Wide Format Graphics — Using custom wall murals to visually brand your business. **Image courtesy of: http://www.megaprint.com**

Do! – Branding

Branding your business is a fantastic marketing technique that every business needs. Branding your company successfully should ensure that you are the first option that springs to mind when your customers need the services you provide. It is important to ensure your branding tactics are both informative, yet visually pleasing enough to be remembered by your customers. Create that environment with custom wall graphics, floor graphics and any number or creative wide format print options.

Too much signage is only a distraction — Sensory overload is never a good design strategy. Image courtesy of: **http://www.wombatgroup.com**

Don’t! – Advertising Overload

Granted that it is resourceful, but one mistake companies make when designing advertisements is overloading the audience with too much information. A successful advertisement should stand out to your customer, while providing an effective amount of information – creating a desire for your product.

Motivational Banners for the workplace — Motivational banners to ensure workplace teamwork. Image courtesy of: **http://www.emedco.com**

Do! – Promote Office Ethics

Everyone needs a little motivation within their workplace. Banners can be a great way to promote workplace values, assets, or policies. Pieces like this can serve as a reminder to promote morale within the office, and show customers the values you hold within your company.

Overall, when designing your office or retail space, strive to make a big impact yet an impact that will represent your business as a whole. Make sure to be creative with what you produce, because the last thing you want to do is to construct a design that will be easily overlooked.

Author Paul M. Thomas, guest blogger, has many years of experience in the signage industry.

Call us at 828.684.4512 for any marketing needs. As a printer, we understand communication and design. Your printer should be able to provide you with the latest information, inspiration, technical advice, and innovative ideas for communicating your message through print, design and typography, signage, apparel, variable data printing and direct mail, integrated marketing and environmentally responsible printing. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is now partnered with Extreme Awards & Engraving – our in-house partner providing custom engraved trophies and awards for employee recognition programs, sporting events, and promotional needs. With our new sister company, we will be sharing space, resources and expertise in a collaboration designed to further provide you with one place to meet all of your marketing needs… Under One Roof! Visit them online at www.extremeae.com or call direct at 828.684.4538.

Call us at 828.684.4512. ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your print and marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.

May 12, 2014

Decking Out Your New Office Space

The U.S. Census Bureau reports there are 543,000 new businesses started every month. A vast majority of these are single-employee ventures. But there are also those that christen a new office space and prepare to fill it with all the necessary people and equipment to turn a profit.

Those echoes you hear in that empty office are the sounds of opportunity. Now it’s just a matter finding the right furnishings and tools to create the type of work environment that breeds long-term success. The best part is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money doing so.

Government Liquidation

One of the best-kept of secrets of the corporate world is the Government Liquidation (GL) website. It is the official auction and sales hub for surplus and used assets the Pentagon either no longer needs or has too much of. GL houses this equipment in several warehouses on various military bases in the U.S.

New business owners with empty office space can purchase, among other things, computers, desks, cubicles, chairs and printers in bulk at a fraction of the price they’d pay a retailer. Simply register your company with the website and it instantly gives you access to its entire inventory. One caveat is that you may have to pick the items up yourself from a warehouse that is far away from your office. You may also want to find someone in the area to inspect the equipment before purchasing.

Network and Software

The first matter of business to address with your computer network is the choice of an in-house server or cloud-based services. The previous gives you complete control of your data and network because the server is physically on the premises. They are also very expensive and will require you to cool the room so the system doesn’t overheat. Scalability, lower costs and easy set-up are the advantages of the cloud.

There is no right or wrong direction to go. But a 2013 study by Colmar Brunton, an international marketing agency based in Australia, found that only 16 percent of small business used cloud services. The study also found the businesses that do embrace the cloud were 106 percent more likely to see revenue increases from 2012 to 2013.

Finally review different software for pipeline management and sales forecasting. Again, this will ultimately come down to personal preference. Read objective reviews of all software you may be considering and ask other business managers what they use for suggestions.

Brand Your Workspace

Especially if your office or workspace is also a retail environment or reception area for customers, you will want to brand your work area with your own color scheme and imagery. With wide format graphics, banners, and removable murals for walls, windows and flooring, the cost of creating a unique, branded workspace is within every budget. These products are removable, repositionable, durable and fade resistant. You can inspire your staff or clientele with a visually stunning workspace with just a few well-chosen and affordable graphics.

Amenities

Some office buildings have cafeterias with cooks who make fresh food for employees. That option can be expensive, so the alternative is vending machines. Aramark and Vending Solutions are two of the more common names for soda and snack machines. Health-conscious business owners can check out HealthyVending.com and FreshVending.com for machines stocked with fruits, smoothies and other things that do the body good.

Strive to buy your print locally! A community printer will understand communication and design, with a special emphasis on your local market. They should be able to provide you with the latest information, inspiration, technical advice, and innovative ideas for communicating your message through print, design and typography, signage, apparel, variable data printing and direct mail, integrated marketing and environmental responsible printing. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

Call us at 828.684.4512. ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your print and marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.

July 19, 2012

Sign of the Times for Wide Format Printing – 10 Songs, 10 Signs

Signage has never played a more important role in the success of the printing industry than now. As the digital revolution reshapes the print industry into a marketing/social media/information specialist/print/web amalgomation of its former self, new advancements in wide format printing and substrates have made signage more affordable and versatile than ever. Where signs have always directed people and What use to be the realm of the big players is now open to all businesses and individuals: high quality, branded, professional signs, banners, wall murals, floor graphics, vehicle wraps, billboards. So, to highlight awareness of the power of great signage, we compiled a little musical list in tribute:

The Sign – Ace of Base (1993)

“I saw the sign, and it opened up my mind.” This ABBA-esque quartet from Gothenburg, Sweden had their biggest hit in 1994 with “The Sign.” It spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately, news has come forward now that Ace of Base member Ulf Ekberg, in his youth, was in a Nazi band and had ties to a political party that also leans uncomfortably toward the hate-group side of the spectrum. Not a sign we needed to see.

Sign O’ the Times – Prince (1987)

This was the title song of Prince’s first “solo” album without The Revolution. The “O” in the title was printed as a peace symbol, but that was before the name Prince actually became a symbol. All very symbolic.

A Sign of the Times – Petula Clark (1966)

Catchy, perky pop tune from British singer Petula Clark, which she debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1966.

Signs – Five Man Electrical Band (1970)

One of the first 45s I ever purchased. From the heydey of social and political change in the late 60s, the song is actually more of an ANTI-sign anthem, “blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind.”

Sign on the Window – Bob Dylan (1970)

Beautiful, classic Dylan tune from the album “New Morning.” The video link below is a live cover by the singer Melanie from 1975. (Jennifer Warnes does a great cover on her 1979 album “Shot Through the Heart.”)

Love Shack – The b-52’s (1989)

“If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that says ’15 miles to the Love Shack…'” The famous tin roofed shack once stood outside Athens, GA, was home for singer Kate Pierson and the birthplace of the group’s first hit “Rock Lobster.”

Gimme Little Sign – Brenton Wood (1967)

Brenton Wood is a soul singer from Louisiana who had an international hit with this song in 1968. Oddly enough, the exact title never appears in the recording; the chorus repeats “Just gimme some kind of sign…”

Sign on the Door – Edwin McCain (1999)

Soulful Greenville, SC native McCain writes: “My heart used to be / The sweet shop of love / But now the sign on the door / It says sorry we’re closed.”

Signs – Snoop Dogg (2004)

This rap tune features Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, and covers illegal drugs, life in L.A. and the perceived glamour of gang culture.

Sounds of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel (1964)

Written in the wake of the assassination of President Kennedy, this song went on to become the duo’s second biggest hit, after “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and was included on the soundtrack of the film “The Graduate.” “And the sign flashed out its warning / In the words that it was forming / And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls / And tenement halls.” An iconic tune of the sixties.

Calling All Angels – Train (2003)

From their album “My Private Nation”: “I need a sign to let me know you’re here/ All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere.”

Rely on your printer for advice and direction in branding and marketing with signage. They should be able to guide you in the design, creation and application or display of all your signage, murals, graphics, displays… if they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. 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.

March 2, 2012

Zebra Van Hits the Road in Western North Carolina

Our newly wrapped Zebra delivery van hit the road this week. Look for it all over Asheville, Hendersonville and Western North Carolina. Marty, our zebra mascot, is watching from the back door.

Marketing Your Company with Vinyl Wraps

If you’d like tips on the incredible things you can create with vinyl vehicle wraps, check out our blog post. You can also wrap boats, motorcycles, equipment, trailers… pretty much anything you want to turn into a mobile billboard. The wraps hold vibrant colors, are all weather proof, and removable without damaging the finish of your property.

Look for Marty on the road! Earning our stripes… every day.

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. 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 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.

December 28, 2011

Versatile Vinyl Makeover: Removable Wall Murals

Removable vinyl wall murals and wide-format graphics can recreate your office, showroom, factory or store. Custom wall murals, window graphics, even floor and ceiling graphics: take a look at some of the images below as an inspiration to what you can accomplish in your business or even home setting. These products are removable, repositionable, durable and fade resistant. Inspire your staff with a visually stunning workspace, or promote your brand in an eye-catching, innovative way that will position you for greater success in 2012. Call us to talk about this easy, affordable way to give your workplace a whole new attitude!

(ImageSmith Communications makes no claim to ownership of the images below. Click on the images to visit their original websites and view their ownership.)

Floor Graphics, Wide Format Print — Floor graphics can be visually stunning and useful, even in a warehouse or industrial setting. Form and function. The use of text as design is very effective in these examples, as they combine both the instructional intent of the signage with a visual aesthetic that intrigues and pleases the viewer.

Vinyl wall murals — Make a memorable impression on the walls of your lobby, showroom or workplace with full color, vinyl murals that reinforce your brand.

Vinyl Window Graphic Perforated — Perforated Vinyl Window Graphics take advantage of your most valuable, and probably underused advertising real estate… your lobby or store windows. They are removable, UV protected and can be visually stunning.

Vinyl, removable ceiling mural graphic — If you’re inspired by Michaelangelo, a ceiling mural takes advantage of some more prime real estate.

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.

February 23, 2011

Installing Your Own Window Graphic

Many of our customers prefer to install their own window graphics onto their vehicle or entrance doors, so we would like to give you a few brief tips to make your project easier. We will print your window graphic on an over-sized media to make your installation easier. We recommend using two people when installing. Make sure you are in a warm place, between 45 and 90 degrees F, so that the adhesive can bond properly. Also make sure you completely clean and dry the glass surface before installation.

Clean the glass surface

Use soapy water to remove any residue
Rinse the glass thoroughly, making sure there is no soap residue
Make you do not use any chemical based cleaning solution during this process

Installation

Unroll the graphic carefully
Position the graphic on the glass using masking tape to hold it up on the glass
Carefully remove the backing material starting from the middle, either top to bottom or left to right
Be careful not to stretch the material as you apply pressure to the film with a squeegee
To smooth out any air bubbles, gently peel the film off the glass and reapply as in the previous step

Finishing Up

Working from the center out, gently rub the entire surface with a soft cloth
Cautiously, trim all of the excess material around the window with a sharp razor blade

If you prefer not to go it alone, you can always call ImageSmith at 828-684-4512 or Contact Us via our website. We will be happy to perform the graphic installation for you.