Threefold Design

We have extended our discount on the new 14pt Uncoated stock through April 30, 2010.

Written by: Mason Hipp, smallfuel.com

So far in our Marketing Essentials series, we’ve explored how to discover your brand, creating a marketing message, and the importance of web presence, no matter what your business.

Now it’s time to focus our attention on the humble business card – one of the cheapest, most effective marketing essentials every business needs.

Have you ever stood in the checkout line of a store and noticed the rack of business cards waiting for your attention? Did any of them catch your eye?

Probably not. Stuck in a rack that holds sometimes up to 20 competitor cards, those little cardboard pieces didn’t engage you at all. You probably didn’t even notice the business name printed on even one of them. You very likely left them all there, paid for your items and walked out the store.

Your business card has a very important job. A business card is a low-cost multisensory marketing tools that convey your brand, your message and the personality of your company in one powerful shot.

Think about it – you can touch a business card and feel the quality the company stands for. You visually take in the colors and design to feel the emotional impact of the brand and message. And you read the information on the card.

Your business card is often the first impression and contact people have with your business. It tells people about your business, gives them a way to contact you, creates a memorable effect and allows people to pass on your card to others – that’s free marketing for you.

Read on to learn how to get the most from your business cards.

The Dos and Don’ts of Business Cards

“There’s a problem with your card, sir.” You may have heard that when a clerk tells the person in front of you at the checkout line that card payment didn’t go through as expected.

The same line can be said for many a business card out there. Here are some important business card mistakes to avoid – and some tips on what to do:

Be true to your brand
Having a unique card is a great idea, because you do want to influence people with it and be memorable. But if your business car is too unique, too funky, or too interesting, people don’t remember your business – they just remember the cool card they have.

Make sure your business card reflects your brand and image. The colors and design should match that of the main feature of your logo or website banner. Stay consistent with your image for a sure hit.

Don’t Cheap Out on Quality
Money is an issue for most small business owners, and scrimping where you can to invest in other areas is important. Your business card is not the place to do that, though. Low-quality paper stock, amateur design or home-office printing reflects poorly on your business.
That costs you sales instead of saving you money.

Avoid homemade cards at all costs, even if you only want 50 or 100 cards. The expense of professional design and printing has come down considerably and it’s within reach of all small business budgets. There’s no excuse to neglect better quality that enhances your image.

Don’t Get Too Complex
There are some beautiful design concepts out there. Graphic art is truly a technological wonder these days. It’s tempting to let loose and create the most stunning card ever.

Rein in that enthusiasm. Business cards that are clear, uncluttered and simple are often far more effective than wall-to-wall colored images with meticulous attention to the tiniest detail. Use your logo and minimize the use of colors. Avoid too much splash or an overly difficult font to read.

Be Bold without Screaming
Color impact does play a big part in the effectiveness of your business card. Pay attention to the emotional impact that color can have on a person’s state of mind. The proper use of color can enhance the positive image of your business.

Garish, loud colors scream for attention. They leap up, leap off the card and shake people by the shoulders. That’s not the effect you want your business card to have. Do a little research. Select colors that convey the image you want for impact, not implosion.

Think About Your Sizes
Two sizing issues come with business cards: the size of what’s on the card and the size of the card itself.

If no one can read your small font, you’ve lost opportunities to reach consumers. If the logo is so big that it overwhelms the contact information, toss more customer leads out the window. Keep logos visible but balance the size with the space of your card, and make sure fonts are easily readable at a glance.

Also, if no one can tuck your card away easily for safekeeping to retrieve it later, they’re not going to keep it. Your card gets thrown in a drawer or worse, thrown away. Avoid odd or oversized cards and pay attention to shape.

How to Use Your Business Cards

Here are some tips on how to use your business cards effectively to tap into all the marketing potential:

Always have business cards handy. Your business card should be traveling with you each time you leave home, no matter how casual the occasion.

Give a small supply of cards to network contacts. Let people market for you and make sure they have your business card handy to pass around.

Exchange cards with people. At events, meetings and gatherings, ask people for their business card. It puts them in a positive, receptive mood, and they’re happy to take yours in exchange.

Leave some cards in smart locations. Find related businesses that aren’t your direct competition and ask if you can leave cards for them to offer their client. This also opens for networking opportunities.

Attach your card to your product. Staple your business card to bags, tie it to gift baskets, attach it to documentation… Each time a customer receives something from you, he or she should also receive your card.

Write on it. Never underestimate the power of writing a secondary email, your cell phone number or a relevant note on your business card. People feel special to have custom info and take greater care not to lose it.

Business cards have too much power to be slapped together without a care. They can help seal a deal, land a sale or promote your business properly. With a little thought and foresight, you can create – and use – a beautiful business card that provides strong positive influence.

For a limited time, we are offering custom notepad printing at 25% off! These are great as promotional items for your business. (Discount expires 3/31/2010)

For more information on our notepads, click here.

We have a new paper option to add to our extensive choices, 14pt uncoated. And to welcome it into the TFD family, we are offering 20% OFF of the stock through March 31, 2010! This is the best pricing we have ever offered on business cards!

This stock has no coating of any sort, and is the best option for those of you who prefer to write personal notes, extra phone numbers, etc., when you hand them out. Let’s just say that if you want to scribble on a card, without it smearing all over, this is the stock for you.

Find out more about our business cards by clicking here.

Written by: Mason Hipp, smallfuel.com

Do you think your business doesn’t need a website? Do you believe that people in your town don’t care about the Internet? Do you feel that selling locally absolves you of web presence?

You might want to think again.

According to eMarketer.com and Techweb.com, nearly 400 million North American residents had Internet connection in 2007. By 2008, over 67% of Canadians and 70% of Americans were plugged into the Internet. In early 2008, 7.8 million Canadians were online every day, and 172 million Americans were online as well.

Not too shabby.

What are these people doing online? They’re surfing the web, culling information on what they want and need, from music to online education to telephone numbers to store hours. They’re being entertained, they’re getting informed, they’re making decisions…

…and they’re shopping.

No matter what type of business you have, from local to international, from small to mega-corporation, from car mechanic to sports equipment store to handcrafting artisan, you need to be online. Ignoring the Internet’s existence translates to neglecting your business.

Not An Online Business? Not A Problem.

A website doesn’t mean you need to sell over the Internet or get into ecommerce. Web presence can be as simple as a single profile page and some contact information. Consider a website as an introduction to your business that gives consumers the information they need to know.

Web presence is a virtual 24/7 sales representative working hard for you all the time, every minute of every day. Having a website conveys credibility, helps reduce your workload by answering questions and encourages consumers to become customers.

Information, Please

A website is a great place to pitch your products or services, and it helps cut down your workload by giving people answers to their potential questions.

Include information most frequently requested by customers. List your products or services, indicate your location, post your store hours, add an FAQ page and have past client references. Make it easy for consumers to access your business and learn more about what you offer.

Contact information is crucial. If people can’t contact you, how can you sell to them? Clearly post your email address and/or a telephone number where people can reach you.

Low Cost, High Returns

The cost of having web presence is very low, but there are some expenses involved. They’re tax deductible as a business expense, though, and the potential for high return makes the cost worth it.

You’ll need web hosting (or a place to put your site in the virtual world), and that averages about $250 a year – or even lower. Choose a hosting service that offers good support and one that you can reach easily for help.

You may need to hire a designer to help build your site properly. Shop carefully and compare the quality of services, not the prices. Ask for samples and client references, and make sure you know what you’ll receive for your money.

There are also many do-it-yourself web presence options, too, if bootstrapping is a consideration. Do make sure that the DIY option you select offers quality design templates and options. Keep in mind that most free options are noticeable as such, and that clients may think you cheap for choosing free.

Before making a move to build a site or to have one built for you, consider branding and design carefully. Have a nice design that reflects your business brand and one that shows you’re serious, not skimping. Be consistent with your business colors and logo, too.

You’ll need content as well, and you can write your own or hire a skilled copywriter for your needs. Your content should clearly indicate who you are, why people should choose you and the benefits they’ll achieve from your products or services.

Little Details that Matter

Select a domain name that is the same name as your business (or a shorter version of it if your business name is long) or a name that is extremely representative of your business. Think carefully and choose a domain that is easy to say, type, and remember – being memorable gains you customers.

Choose a design that reflects your brand, your image and your business. Be consistent with your brand throughout all your marketing. Convey a good emotional impact, a clear message and the same image. Help people associate feelings with your business to reach them easily.

A website is built like a physical store. There is a door to enter (your landing page) and pages people can visit (your departments), as well as a general flow of traffic around displays (your navigation). Plan how you want people to arrive, what you want them to see first and where you want them to go after they arrive.

Using your Website as a Marketing Tool

Some people erroneously believe that slapping up a website instantly brings in customers and fortunes. That’s a myth. Today’s Internet is very crowded and competitive, and people won’t find your site unless you tell them about it..

Exposure doesn’t mean extra work for you. Add your website address to your business card. Put up a sign at your store. Tell friends and family; spread the word. Integrate your website address on your answering machine message and include it in your email signature.

Ask customers if they’ve seen your new site, too. Promote your website all the time. Give people a business card and point out your site address. Tell them to visit and give you feedback or indicate there’s more information about your business easily available.

You can also use email marketing to promote your new site launch. Email marketing lets you send out a message to people that tells them the big announcement.

The more that people see your business name – no matter where or how – the more exposure that brings you. Presence keeps you in the mind of the consumer, and the more they think of you, the more likely they are to buy.

One surefire way to maintain that presence is through the use of business cards – no, they haven’t gone out of style and yes, your business needs them, even if all your business is carried out online. In the next article of this series we’ll teach you about the types of cards that gets pocketed, when to give them out and where, and fast tips to get the most from a true marketing essential.

Written by: Mason Hipp, smallfuel.com

Reaching consumers with your message is one of the top Marketing Essentials. If people don’t hear what you’re saying and see what you’re showing them, why would they do business with you?

But what is your marketing message? What are you trying to get across to people? It’s simple: You know their problem, you have the solution, and you are the best business to buy it from.

That’s easier said than done, of course. It’s difficult for many small business owners to figure out exactly how to market that they can solve problems. One of the most common mistakes is touting features or going on about being the best.

Everyone is the best these days. No one wants to hear it again. And yet, you need people to hear you, feel your message and believe it. How?

Creating a solid marketing message makes a difference in whether consumers pay attention to you, whether they trust you and whether they decide to buy. It combines specific elements to:

• Grab people’s attention and interest
• Tell consumers how you solve their problem
• Convey why people should trust you
• Indicate why you’re different or special
• Show why people should choose you

By following just a few easy steps, you can compel interest and evoke the power of a message that people not only hear but feel as well.

Identify your target market

Every business has a target market, and no, it isn’t everyone. Before anything else, you must know the consumer who will buy from you intimately.

What is this ideal customer like? What is his or her personality? What demographic does the individual belong to and do you know his or her realistic income? What kind of shopping preferences does the customer have?

Find your market’s needs

Now that you know your ideal customer, identify this person’s problems. Everyone suffers, whether it is mental, physical or emotional – and people want to ease suffering quickly. If they know you care, you have a better chance of making them a customer.

Know your customer’s problem. Make sure that your message tells consumers that you understand their pain and that you empathize with their suffering. How do they hurt? What are they feeling?

Offering a solution

You’ve identified your target consumer. You know the person’s pain and problem. Now give them the solution and present the cure to their suffering. Address the situation in a way that makes the consumer relive his or her pain so that it is clearly felt – and so that the person sees you can ease the hurting.

Benefits tie in closely at this point. The ways you change a person’s life convince consumers that you offer what they need. Your benefits establish that you can remove the suffering and help consumers achieve their goals.

Minimize the risk

Remove as much risk as you can when presenting your solution. Consumers need to feel that the end of their anguish will happen quickly and easily. Banish the uncertainties and make your solution one they can implement right away, if possible.

Also, remove any barriers to taking action. People are increasingly busy and tired of jumping through hoops to get what they want. Make it easy for people to choose you. Keep in mind, too, that the more you do for them, the happier they’ll be – because it’s easier to pay someone to help us than to help ourselves.

Show them proof

People are funny creatures sometimes. No one likes to be the first to try something new or the only one standing in line. Consumers are more likely to buy if someone has already bought and had good results and a great experience. If it works for others, it’ll work for them.

Show your target market that people in the very same situation with identical pain have had positive results. Present proof that what you sell works, that it eases suffering and offers the cure. Word of mouth referral is the best marketing.

This is where testimonials, before-and-after stories, case studies and statistics come into play — the more measurable and credible the proof, the better. It makes your message more believable and backs up your promises.

Be different

You have competition out there, offering the same solutions that you do. What makes you different? Why is your solution better? Why should people choose you over someone else?

This doesn’t mean bad-mouthing the competition or putting them down. It’s often a better idea to avoid comparing your solutions to everyone else’s to boost your reputation. All you need to do is know why you’re different – and communicate those differences clearly.

A solid marketing message captures the elements of knowing your audience, their problems, and your solution. Communicate these elements to consumers in a credible, believable manner.

Use your message everywhere — on fliers, in your website copy, on your business card — and you’ll quickly be on your way to small business success.