Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

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Stop Exhibiting at Trades Show if You’re Going to Act Like This

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

New England Xpo for Business held it’s 2010 event on May 18 in Boston. I had attended in 2009 but I decided not to go this year. Big deal, right? But wait…

A week or two after the event, I began to receive follow-ups from exhibitors—emails and direct mail—saying they hoped I had enjoyed this year’s show and thanking me for visiting their booths. Huh?! HELLO…I WASN’T THERE. I didn’t sign up and then not go…I never did anything to suggest that I’d ever been in attendance. So why then am I getting these follow-ups? (And yes…they’re still coming!)

I have decided that they come from lazy businesses who never collected real attendance data from their exhibits, were working off the event’s mailing list, or worse, the attendance list from the previous year.  It smacks of a basic lack of appreciation of the purpose of exhibiting in a trade show, or how to effectively follow up with those who actually showed interest in their goods or services. What a waste of their company’s time and resources!

On the other hand, if using a show’s general mailing list WAS their intent, what a lack of understanding of basic marketing to think that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to follow up would be an effective tactic. A piece targeting an actual visitor should be very different than a piece sent to someone who was invited. By all means, follow up with everyone if you want, but pay attention and target accordingly—it’s not that hard. Otherwise, all you really tell your prospects is that your attention to detail is lacking, or that you don’t care enough to even bother to find out who really visited you.

Unfortunately, trade show exhibiting is the Rodney Dangerfield of sales and marketing. Too many businesses don’t give it the time and effort it deserves in order to make it effective. As someone who’s worked with companies getting ready for trade shows, I can tell you that the usual process is to get a frantic call anywhere from a week to a month before the show, looking to get displays, collateral, etc. designed and produced in time, even if the show has been on their schedule for months. More effort is put into decided what swag to offer instead of training the staff manning the booth how to  interact and draw in visitors. (Hint: it’s not standing with arms crossed, talking to the other person “sentenced” to manning the booth with you, and ignoring everyone else.)

Exhibiting at trade show doesn’t have to be like this, but it takes planning, strategy and commitment to make it worthwhile. There are companies out there who can help you with this; one that I know of is ExpoVantage. Exhibiting at trade shows isn’t cheap, so you want to make the most of it.

And to the exhibitors who’ve included me in their follow-up for the visit that never was: all I’m remembering is what a lame company they must be! Probably not the effect they were going for, huh?

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Ten Tips for Building A Better Web Site

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Are you considering updating your business’ web site? What’s that you say…you still don’t HAVE a site for your business? Whether you’re planning a re-launch or a brand new site, here are some things to consider to create a better experience for visitors and a more successful web presence for your business.

Identify What Your Site Will Need

Structure and Appearance

Visit competitors’ sites and browse sites that visually appeal to you for ideas.

Functionality

Decide what functionality you would like your site to have. Forms, shopping carts, analytics, etc. ideally should be incorporated into your site at the outset.

Graphics

Will any graphics need to be specifically created for your site? Do you have files available for your logo and any other existing graphics you will need?

Keywords and Search Engines

Think about what keywords people might use to search for your product or service. Sites like wordtracker.com provide information for search engine optimization. Use their free trial for an idea of how appropriate keywords will work with search engines. These words should be incorporated into your content and your page titles.

Maintenance

With a Content Management System, you can make content changes to the site yourself rather than relying on the designer to make changes.

Web Site Dos and Don’ts

  • The most effective web design is one that utilizes quality content as a foundation. A beautiful-looking web site can only do so much if the content is not relevant or well-written.
  • DO provide an intuitive and consistent interface. Visitors shouldn’t have to guess how to navigate through the pages of a website. If you doubt it, check out this site for Sprint.
  • DO make your information easily accessible. Organize content into logical pages that are easily identifiable. Many visitors will get discouraged and leave if they can’t find specific information for which they are looking. Visit this site for Dell Laptops and see how long it takes to find useful information.
  • DO Minimize Clicks. Create a chain between the user and the information on your website in as few clicks as possible. See Bow-WowBooks as an example of what not to do.
  • DON’T use an “Enter Site” link or a Flash intro page that makes a visitor work to get to the heart of your site. Many viewers won’t even bother clicking the link, instead navigating to another site. And, aside for user experience, Flash does not play well with search engines! To get a flavor of this type of frustration, visit jones, partners: architecture.
  • DON’T use distracting animation, graphics or sound. Excessive Flash animations, animated GIFs, blinking text, music, etc. contribute to an unprofessional look. If you don’t believe it, check out this extreme example at Fabric Land.

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Posted in Small Business, Web Design, marketing | 4 Comments »

Tips to Becoming a More Colorful Character

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Feeling blue? Seeing red? Know someone who’s yellow? Colors evoke powerful emotions and have meaning far beyond simply being a decorative afterthought. Color is a very important tool in successfully delivering your message to your customers. Are the colors you’re using in your message helping or hurting the story you want to tell your audience?

Sending a Message with Color

According to Leatrice Eiseman, consultant to the color industry leader Pantone, eighty percent of human experience is visual. People respond first to color, then shape, numbers, and finally words. Additionally, response to color can differ depending on the viewer’s age, gender, cultural background-even educational level. So you can see the importance of knowing who your target audience will be when you choose colors to use for your message!

A Little Color Commentary…

Did you know that red is the first color identified in every culture after black and white? Red stimulates the appetite (making it a good color for restaurant decor) but while it is seen as enticing and sensual in our culture, it is the color of mourning in South Africa.

Children 3 to 6 years old prefer orange to any other color, while their parents respond more favorably to subdued colors. Your color choices in this case would depend on whether your target market was kids or their parents.

If you are trying to appeal to an older audience, you need to know that cool colors such as blues and greens are perceived differently by people over 50 due to changes in their eyes.

The list goes on and on…every color has associations and emotion attached to it. Proper color selection is much more than choosing colors that are your personal favorites…they need to resonate with your audience in a meaningful way.

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Cookie Cutters are for Baking, NOT for Web Sites

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

cookie-cutters

Recently I was asked to review the existing web site of a potential client. It was built using a free site template from a major business software provider, and it had all the tell-tale signs…generic graphics and an unsophisticated layout, a restrictive and bland content area…in other words, it could have been any site for any company and was completely unmemorable.

Worst of all, the site had no search engine visibility! Because of the numerous search engine optimization faux pas I discovered in the coding, I was not at all surprised by the business owner’s complaint that no one could find them on the web. Web site templates can be based on outdated code and standards and not built for web accessibility, W3C compliance or cross-browser compatibility.

Further investigation into the “free” website service revealed that users are locked into hosting on the software company’s servers only, e-mail is extra, and should a site grow to more than 5 pages, then additional costs begin to add up dramatically. The bottom line is, the benefits of the free website were skewed toward the software company and not the small business.

In contrast, a custom-designed web site is designed and built around a business’ particular brand and it’s personality, taking into account the purpose and audience of the site. It provides a company with the unique visual appeal that their customers want to see and will respond to. A custom site offers flexibility to incorporate the functionality that the business will need to keep their site growing, useful and productive for years to come. When site issues arise, a client can call their web designer for support. How responsive do you think support for a free site will be, and what are the chances you will speak to the same person every time you call?

Recently, this software company has been running TV ads touting the benefits of using their free site design tools over hiring a professional, alluding that web site designers are unreliable, over-priced and slow. I imagine there are such designers out there,  the same as in every industry, but I know there are many more who will do a wonderful job for you at a fair price and in a timely manner. My blog entry on “How To Hire the Right Designer for You” will give you tips on how to hire wisely.

Even for small sites, custom web site design is really the best option. A cookie-cutter site will never make a business  stand out from its competitors. If a site looks generic and cheap, then so does the business it represents.

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Posted in Corporate Identity, Creativity, SEO, Small Business, Web Design, design | 1 Comment »

Boston Ballet Re-Branding Creates a “Nutcracker” Buzz

Monday, December 21st, 2009

The Boston Ballet

The headline in the Boston Globe on December 19 said it all: “’Nutcracker’ Boom Means Crunch Time for Patrons”. The article by Geoff Edgers goes on to explain that sales are booming for the Boston Ballet’s Christmas classic “The Nutcracker.” So much so that in five years, the Ballet has gone from being evicted by the Wang Theatre for not being profitable enough to seeing scalpers charge double for now-scarce tickets in their new venue at the Boston Opera House. And while I don’t condone scalping, what business wouldn’t want their product or service to have the kind of perceived value that would inspire people to pay MORE?

So to what does the Boston Ballet credit this dramatic turn-around? According to the article, they cite their new branding campaign by Korn Design, including a new web design and targeted advertising. Artistic director Mikko Nissinen, describes the Ballet’s previous brand as a stogy, corporate look that made him think, “What are we, a dancing bank?” Their new visual identity, unveiled earlier this year, is vibrant and geared toward attracting people to become more involved with the Boston Ballet’s programs, studios and community out-reach.

And it seems to be working! While the Boston Ballet is a high-profile example of what a proper re-branding can do, the fact is this approach will work for any business large or small. Expertly executed, branding or re-branding can move your business forward even when the economy is not.It’s a wise investment for the long-term growth of business.  And if you don’t believe me, just try to buy tickets this holiday season to “The Nutcracker!”

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!

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Posted in Advertising, Corporate Identity, Creativity, Logos, Web Design, design, marketing | Comments Off

What Makes the New American Express Ads So Appealing?

Friday, December 11th, 2009

I know I’ve talked and tweeted about the recent American Express ads ad nauseum…I love the images, I love the soundtrack, I even love seeing people stop whatever they’re doing to watch when they hear Bach´s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, I. Prelude begin. (Thanks to takingcredit.com for that tidbit of information). Or my nephew calling, “Mom, your favorite commercial is on!” when he sees it. Do you get the feeling I like these commercials a lot?

What is it about these particular commercials that captures peoples’ attention? I think it is the way they engage the viewer and listener…you find yourself actively looking for the frowning or smiling image- quickly!- before they move on to the next. The music is a perfect fit to the rhythm of the ads. I find myself looking for smiley and frowny faces during the course of my day.

In the age where folks TiVo programs and in other ways filter out commercials, this is one (of admittedly very few) I’d be sorry to have missed. Are there other ads that you feel strongly about- good or bad?

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Posted in Advertising, Creativity, television | Comments Off

Panera Bread Networking “Success Story”

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

I  shared this particularly productive networking experience I had last week with Ilise Benum from Marketing Mentor, a presenter at the Creative Freelancer Conference which I attended in August…you can read about it here on the Creative Freelancer blog. It just goes to show you never know when or where a networking opportunity may break out!

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Off to the New England XPO for Business

Monday, May 18th, 2009

I’m looking forward to attending the New England XPO for Business on Tuesday in Boston, so if you’re looking for me, that’s where I’ll be! This is the first time I’ve gone, so it will be interested to see what they have to offer both me and my clients to work better and reach OUR clients more successfully! Stay posted…

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Posted in Uncategorized, marketing, networking | Comments Off

Leave it to a Professional, or…Step Away from the Paint, Ma’am

Friday, March 13th, 2009

I’m waiting for a upholsterer to come for an estimate to re-do my couch and remembering the last time he came to do a chair. I had a fairly clear idea of what I thought I wanted and would only look at the fabric swatches that  seemed promising for what I was thinking of. And not having much luck finding what I wanted. Finally, the fellow picked up another book, flipped to a color range that was nowhere near what I had in mind, and said, “Why don’t you look at these instead?” At first I resisted, but to humor him I did and, to my amazement, found something that was just right! It wasn’t anything that I imagined would have worked.

A couple of years ago, my walls needed re-painting. Instead of going to Home Depot or the paint store to study tiny chips of paint, I called a professional decorator to help me, and she chose wonderful colors based on her expertise in decorating. You see, a few years before that, I decided a hallway in my house needed sprucing up and so I went to HD and, from the “oops” table of paint, chose a raspberry color that looked lovely in the store and on the chip, but NOT, unfortunately, on the walls. And the more I tried to fix the mistake, the worse it became until I had to wallpaper over the entire mess.What I had started to do to save money by buying  cheap paint and doing it myself turned into anything but…and I have still not lived this incident down in my own family. Ouch!

The moral of the story? It rarely ever pays to DIY when it comes to things outside of your area of expertise. My experience in design in no way makes me an expert in home decorating. And anything I do attempt will take me twice as long as it would a professional to do. The illusion of saving money is eaten up by the cost of my time to do what I’m not good at and the results could be disappointing.  And when you are so close to the situation, you can’t always see the forest for the trees. It can take someone looking in from the outside to point out the obvious and better choice.

What are you not an expert at? If it’s design, then let a professional designer come to your rescue! Marketing your business is best handled by someone who does it every day and can be an ally for growing your business. Don’t “paint your walls” with something that will  have to be papered over to make it workable again. Save your time for what you do best—running your business.

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Ignore Print at Your Peril

Friday, February 27th, 2009

With all the talk about on-line digital marketing…email, social media, search-engine marketing, blogs, etc…you’d think that print collateral has gone the way of the buggy whip. And while all of the aforementioned marketing channels are certainly relevant—so is print!

A Parks Associates study recently found that 21% of Americans had never visited a web site, sent an e-mail or used a search engine. In European countries like France, Belgium and Austria, that percentage climbs to to more than 40%. Even more surprising, despite the high rates of connectivity in countries like Japan, the percentage of people who don’t use the Internet is close to 85% in Asia as a whole.

Some segments of the population can still be better reached by print than on-line marketing. For example, a survey showed that 85% of women aged 25-44 read direct mail pieces while only 53% read email marketing messages.

What this all means is, don’t neglect traditional marketing in the rush to embrace the new. Especially if you research your target audience carefully, print collateral still has an important place in your marketing communications mix.

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Posted in design, marketing | 1 Comment »

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