Branding Checklist For Small Business
So some people ask, “What is Branding?” Steering clear of any cattle, branding in business simply means the identity of a business or product. A well know example would be Kleenex. Kleenex has done such a great job of branding that many people don’t say, “I need a tissue,” but they say, “I need a Kleenex.” Kleenex is the name of the product; but it is now interchangeable with the type of product it is.
A top priority for any business should be to create a unique branded image and protect that image at all times. This means that any time you print business cards, brochures, promotional products, produce videos, post on social media, create custom apparel, or do any other forms of marketing, you should stay consistent with your brand. You have many competitors both locally and online that offer the exact same service, so how do you differ from them?
Below are 3 key points to use as a simple and easy checklist to make sure you are staying true to your branding when doing your marketing.
- Always use your logo. Think about how many people know the McDonald’s arches. Better yet, think about how many people DON’T know what the McDonald arches represent. While you may be a small business and your logo won’t be recognized nationwide, it will be recognized within your local business region if you brand it properly. Don’t skew the proportions of your logo and don’t change the colors. Sometimes you have to print black/white and that is okay. The ultimate goal is for people to be able to recognize your logo without having the business name printed below it. That’s successful branding!
- Stay true to your company colors. Most companies have certain colors used with their logo and their marketing theme, which is great. When possible, always use the color combination in both your marketing products and when printing your logo. This consistency of color branding reinforces your brand.
- Develop a tagline that highlights why your company is different from competitors OR a tagline that is catchy or funny and represents the mood of your company. Always use your tagline on any printed products.
Overall, the main theme to remember in branding is consistency. Always keep a uniform look and make sure your employees understand this as well so your branding comes across consistent in all forms of communication. Over the long term, your branding will pay off big time and your company will have a much better recognition with not only your current clients, but also with potential clients who have yet to use your products or services.
What NOT To Print On Your Business Cards
Business cards are a staple of any business. There are very few people in business who can get away with not having business cards. For the rest of us who need business cards, it is very important to have a professionally designed business card in order to portray a positive image of our company. There are many “design your cards online” type of websites out there; however, these are almost always amateur looking designs that will make your business look unprofessional. Is it worth saving 20 bucks on your order of business cards in lieu of having a great design? Certainly not! The most important aspect of any marketing piece, including business cards, is the element of design. Over the past few decades of designing and printing business cards, I have seen many business card designs that were absolutely horrible and unprofessional. As a matter of fact, it is getting worse to the point of an epidemic due to the explosion of “Do It Yourself” cheap business card websites. My suggestion is . . . If you are NOT a designer, opt to have a professional designer layout your business cards for you. Your business card is an extension of your business self and it often times presents a first impression of you and your business. Do you want your first impression with new clients to be positive or negative?
Here are 15 Pitfalls to avoid on your Business Cards:
- Low resolution images that will print blurry.
- Free emails such as Yahoo, MSN, GMail, etc.
- Outdated picture of yourself.
- Phrase on back of business cards that says, “These cards were printed FREE at www.^!&t@p#!#t.com.
- Gramatical Erors (Seriosly, no mispellings)
- Blank to write in name of salesperson.
- Too many different fonts.
- Colors with strong contrast such as Green on Red.
- Long distance phone number if soliciting local business.
- Microsoft looking clipart.
- Font size 8 point or smaller.
- Too much info.
- Cluttered layout.
- Thermal printed business cards. Really? That’s so 1980.
- Thin card stock. Thicker is better.
Oh That Feels So Good
Luxury Finish Business Cards
January Offer Of The Month
50% Off Luxury Finish Business Cards
Everyone loves to save money, right? Of course! Here is an offer that is way too smooth to pass up. For the month of January 2012, we have our Luxury line of Business Cards 50% off for the 1000 and 2000 quantity for 2 sided printing. That means you can get 1000 business cards for only $49. Wow! This pricing includes full color printing on both sides of the cards and you won’t find a thicker business card with this card stock being 150# premium silk cover.
If you don’t already have a print ready design layout, no problem, because we also do business card design. Most business card layouts are only $40. Our team of expert graphic artists can assist you in creating an effective copy to market your business.
The Luxury Business Cards have an ultra-soft finish that will have your customers caressing your business cards. These cards have that same effect that the satin edge of baby blankets have for babies. You know what I’m talking about . . . those babies just keep on caressing that blanket edge until they fall asleep. Now I’m not saying your customers will be sleeping with your card, because that would just be … weird. But they will like the feel of the card and will remember your company much better because they have something pleasurable to associate your company with. So go ahead and take advantage of this offer and you will feel good, or at least your cards will feel good.
Full Color Beach Balls Are Finally Here
24" Beach Ball Printed with Full Color Logo
With all of the technology out there in printing, there are not any domestic factories that produce full color printed beach balls UNTIL NOW…. We now offer custom printed beach balls printed with your full color logo. No longer do you have to settle for a 1 color pad printed imprint. Go full color and make a statement. Here are some pictures of a full color beach ball that we just printed. Look at the great detail of the logo. Imagine the possibilities we could do for your next set of beach balls. Now, be warned that printing in full color does cost a bit more than printing 1 color promotional beach balls; however, also know that the impact they make will be much bigger. Plus the better looking a product is, the longer that product will be kept by the end user.
We have all different sizes available with a crazy number of beach ball colors and color combinations to choose from including solid colors and multi-color beach balls. Beach balls are great for hotel and condo gift shops, beach supply stores, pool stores, conferences, concerts, and giveaways for any beach or pool themed event. Below are a few other shots of these full color beach balls.
Half Price Postcards and Half Price Door Hangers
Low Priced Postcards and Door Hangers
Are you looking for a way to get your foot in the door with new clients? Try Postcards or Door Hangers. They are cheap on your budget; however, they can make a great impression. Try advertising one of your top sellers or a popular item with an unbeatable deal and generate some phone calls. Right now is the time to get postcard and door hangers to advertise for 2012 because through the end of December, they are 50% off the normal price. What a deal!
Postcards can be handed out at events or they can be mailed. Do you have a mailing list but don’t have time to address and stamp thousands of postcards? No problem. We offer centralized mailing. All you have to do is supply the address list in a spreadsheet format and we will do the rest. As long as your postcard is no larger than 4.25″ x 6″, the postcards still quality for the postcard postage rate. Any larger than 4.25″ x 6″ and the rate is the first class letter rate. Current rates as of December 16, 2011 are $0.29 for a postcard and $0.44 for a letter. The bonus of letting us do the mailing is that we can get bulk postage rates and save you any where from $0.03 to $0.05 per piece on your postage.
Low Priced Door Hangers Printed in Full Color
Door hangers are a perfect way to mass distribute special offers and coupons to neighborhoods and businesses. You can pass them out yourself, send out your kids (slave labor), or hire temporary help to distribute your door hangers out all over town. Door hangers always work best when there is an eye-catching design on the front along with a money saving coupon. Generating calls is what these marketing pieces will do and then it’s up to you to close to the sale when you speak to them. Door hanger pricing in quantities of 1000 or more is cheap and can pay for itself with just a few phone calls.
If you need help with design, no worries. We have expert in-house graphic designers capable of doing any design, no matter how complex. Just give us a call at 800-773-9472 to place your order and be ready for a bombardment of phone calls from clients after you distribute your postcards and door hangers. But don’t wait, because the half price sale only lasts through December 30, 2011. Do you want to boost your conversion rate from passing out door hangers and mailing postcards? If so, follow up with a phone to each customer and watch your conversion rate go through the roof. Since the phone call will be at least the second contact with them, most of them will already feel like they know you and you will get a much warmer greeting.
Quick Way To Boost Your Business
Are you looking for a quick way to boost your business and generate some phone calls or website visits? How about a car magnet? We have full color car magnets so we can get crazy with your design and really attract some attention to your driving billboard. I always recommend magnets to be placed on each side of your vehicle as well as on the back if there is room. With the car magnets being on the sides and the back, that covers you while at traffic lights, which is when they will get the most attention. After all, we really don’t want the person driving next to us with his eyes on our magnet while driving. We don’t but it will happen with our vibrantly colored graphics printed on the magnets of virtually any size. You just measure you areas and we can create a custom size for you within 1″ increments. We offer both a high gloss finish as well as a matte finish. Here’s a picture of our own car magnets:
Perfect Imprints Vehicle Magnet
You better believe that this will turn some heads. But please, turn them when you are stopped. Thank you.
I do want to mention a few tips on caring for your vehicle and your vehicle magnets.
- Remove the car magnets often. Especially important with dark color vehicles and in hot climates.
- When the magnets are removed, always store flat.
- Never roll the magnet up while in storage.
- If storing more than 1 magnet together, be sure to not put the magnet surfaces facing each other.
- Only apply to clean surfaces on your vehicle.
- Make sure the vehicle surface is dry before applying.
- Be sure that all air pockets are out of the magnet when applied to prevent the magnet from falling off due to the wind from driving. The magnet should be completely flat against the surface.
- Wait at least 2-3 days after applying a surface wax to vehicle before reapplying the magnets.
- Never pull the magnet against the surface of your vehicle. Always lift directly away from the surface.
- If a vehicle is newly painted, wait at least 90 days for the paint to completely cure before applying the magnet.
- Routinely wipe the magnet down on both sides with a soft damp cloth to prolong the life span of the magnet.
- Remove the magnets before entering automatic car washes (Do I really need to mention this? Yes. Believe me I do. You know who you are)
- I recommend removing the magnets if temperatures reach 100° F or more.
- It’s best to remove the magnet if traveling at high speeds for a long time.
- Your logo and/or business name.
- Your phone number in large font.
- Your website.
- Very brief overview of products or services offered.
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