More Than Just Ink On Paper

Getting people to laugh can be a highly effective marketing strategy. However, before you jump right in, it’s imperative to decide if humor in marketing is right for you and your business. After all, the best marketing is engaging, memorable, and shareable. Humor, when done correctly, checks all these boxes.  Pros to Incorporating Humor into Your Marketing Strategy Humor helps your advertisement stand out by grabbing people’s attention. This is why it is often easier for people to remember comedic advertisements. Your company becomes more relatable and trustworthy. Your marketing will become more likely to be shared because people like to spread laughter. Some companies have gone ‘viral’ for their humorous marketing advertisements.  Cons to Incorporating Humor into Your Marketing Strategy Not everyone has the same sense of humor. Something you find hilarious may flop on your audience, causing your company to appear unprofessional. The...

We all work in customer service to some extent…it just depends on who the customer is. If you’re in an office, it’s your boss who is the customer. If you’re in retail, it’s the shopper who is the customer. And the list continues. So, it bears repeating that customer service is important. Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that our customer service skills could be honed a little bit. Or, maybe you have a new employee who doesn’t see how valuable good customer service is. Well, either way, here are a few ways to brush up on your customer service. The Importance of Caring for Your Customers Customer service, or customer care, is vital to us all. It’s the difference between keeping and losing customers to the competition. One wrong move, and we might lose a valuable customer. Customer service is how we respond to customers, and it entails a lot of duties. It’s not just how we answer the phone. It’s how we help them when they...

Business people collect a lot of business cards; in fact, there are so many that sometimes these items get lost in the shuffle. But there is a way to print business cards to let your message not only dazzle the recipient but help you get truly noticed.   Let’s take a look at spot UV coating! It is a magical way to make your images and message pop and get noticed. What is UV Coating? UV coating is a clear compound that is applied to wet paper, then instantly dried by ultraviolet light. The UV portion of spot UV comes from the ultraviolet light that is used to instantly cure the glossy varnish. And there’s no need to worry about toxicity because UV coatings are environmentally safe. They are free of solvents and do not emit volatile organic compounds or VOCs when cured. It dries at a fast speed, making it easy to add detail to your marketing materials. Due to its eye-catching appearance and versatile applications, spot UV is one of the most popular printing te...

When asking employees what makes a meeting worth attending, 62% said “clear,” “specific,” “defined,” and “concrete” information should be given. This may sound like basic information, but many bosses hold meetings that are contrary to these terms. So how can you ensure you’re not making this mistake? Here are 10 tips to keep your meetings effective and productive. 10 Tips to Make Your Meetings More Effective 1. Determine why you are having the meeting. Try to pinpoint exactly why you are holding a meeting for these particular people. Start by identifying the purpose and desired outcomes of the meeting, then include it in both the meeting invitation and the meeting agenda. 2. Determine the appropriate attendees. You won’t hurt anyone’s feelings if they aren’t invited to the meeting. In fact, people don’t want to waste their time if they aren’t the appropriate people to handle the topic o...

Time management is something we all strive to improve. When you think you have it down to a science, a big project comes along and stretches us. But we all know that time management is the key to being successful.   These tips will help you re-evaluate your time management skills in case you have been bombarded by stress. Delegate. Okay, we said it. Delegation is key but make sure you give the job to the right person so you don’t feel like you have to micromanage them. Don’t multitask. It feels like we are being more productive, and people often applaud it but don’t fall into the trap of multitasking. Studies show we are actually less productive when we spread our attention among several projects. Instead, make a list of things you need to do and cross them off as you go. That way, you won’t forget a project, but you can get it off your mind right away. Deal with stress positively. We all get stressed out at times, but it’s how we han...

Trade shows can be tricky. They can cause a lot of anxiety when you are preparing for the unknown. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to ensure you are successful. Here are a few to add to your to-do list. Start early. It should go without saying, but sometimes we procrastinate starting to plan for a trade show because it seems daunting. This is to encourage you to start as soon as possible so that you will be prepared for any problems that might arise. Prepare your team. Be sure to have team meetings regularly and at least a week before the trade show to discuss items such as dress code, hotel, transportation, duties, and responsibilities. Make sure everyone knows their schedules at the booth and contact information in case they get lost or have questions. Be active on social media. This is important to do before, during, and after the trade show. Include your booth number and hashtag so people can find you easily. Tweet about the upcoming show and give glimpses of...

Public relations help your company look good in the eyes of the public and create more sales. PR can be a powerful marketing tool because it is regarded more highly by consumers, given that it is a third party advertising your business. Even better, it can sometimes be possible to use unpaid tools, such as media, the internet, and business networks.  Marketing vs. Public Relations On the surface, PR and marketing may appear to be the same; however, there are key differences. Marketing promotes your businesses’ products and/or services. Public Relations focuses on promoting a positive reputation for your company. The goal of marketing is to increase sales, while PR’s goal is to generate a positive reputation. Marketing generally targets the consumers, while PR aims to reach the public, especially stakeholders and media.  3 Tips for Developing a PR strategy A good PR campaign will cause the public to think more highly of your business, increasing ...

Branding helps your business create the desired image of your company by clarifying and expanding what your company stands for. According to Kotler and Keller, "Branding is endowing products and services with the power of a brand." It helps put your business above the competition by giving customers an idea to attach themselves to. It affects consumers, employees, and shareholders.  Brand vs. Products Branding can be challenging to understand, but it helps to know the difference between a product and a brand. A product is an item or service your company is selling. Although unique products or services are excellent, they can usually be easily copied by other aspiring entrepreneurs. A brand is the idea and image behind the product. It is the promise made to the customers regarding what the product can deliver. It fulfills the customers' desires while creating an emotional appeal for customers to attach themselves to.  Why Focus on Branding?  So, ...