by Alyssa Seaney | Sep 2, 2016
Business cards are a tried-and-true method of marketing your business. It’s marketing and promotional material that almost every business owner has, but often doesn’t use to its fullest potential. The first step to using a business card right is to create one that you’re proud to show to people. Hire a Graphic Designer The best way to create an attention-grabbing business card is to hire a graphic designer who has experience creating business cards. They’re going to give you your best results and something you can be confident in. You can still use any printer you want once the card is designed. If you can’t find one locally, try looking nationally to find a contractor. Use Color Correctly You want to use the colors that are associated with your logo and your brand, but you may need to use them differently to make them readable on a small business card. Try out different arrangements to see what works best. Use Readable Fonts If your font is not readable, then the card is useless. Print a test from a sample on your own computer to find out if it’s readable before getting 100 cards printed. Typically, if you can read it okay that way, then it’ll look even better after being printed professionally. Answer the Right Questions The recipient of the card should be able to tell who, why, where, what, and how to do business with the card owner. If people don’t know what you do by looking at the card, then the card is useless without you being there. You want them to know...
by Alyssa Seaney | Jul 26, 2016
Creating Graphics for Social Media Let’s face it: all of the different specifications for all of the many social media outlets is enough to make your head spin. Aspect ratios, recommended pixel dimensions and safe zones are not the same for your Facebook, Google Plus, Google My Business page or LinkedIn covers and can be confusing. If you have decided to use social media at some level, you must also decide how often you will use these outlets and what the best way to present yourself and your services or product to the viewing audience. Here are a couple of facts to consider. Social media is huge in letting a business reach, inform and interact with their audience. Including images when sharing increases engagement - more clicks, likes and shares. That means you have to look good, get their attention and get them to take some sort of action. You’ll want viewers to like, share, repost or click to go to your website or profile page to learn more. But as a small business owner or person not familiar with graphics formats and software, is this something you really want to do yourself? You’ll need to know to edit and use properly formatted images in your online posts and advertising and consistently post to build an audience and a following. So let’s say that you already have a couple of social media accounts. Hopefully you have your Google My Business page and a dedicated Facebook page. What do they say about your company right now? Do they show it in a good light? This is a good place...
