Are You Getting Stuck into Social Media – Or Just Getting Stuck?

Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook – three of the most popular and often used social media sites for business people and entrepreneurs across the web. Are you one of them?

With so many corporate entities and businesses making the most of these social media sites today, it would be a crime not to join them. Social media can be intimidating when you first think about using it, which is why it makes sense to do some recon work first. Don’t jump in with both feet until you know where you are going to land. Making an untidy entry into social media is not a good idea. It can lead you to make mistakes – all of which will represent your business. So plan ahead and use the planning as a springboard into your social media activities.

One of the easiest ways to get used to how social media sites work and how other businesses use them is to stand by the sidelines and watch for a while. Pick a couple of business people or businesses you admire and follow them on Twitter. Give them the thumbs up on Facebook too and find out more about how they operate. How do they interact with their followers in each case? Each social media site works in a different way so you need to be sure you understand how to use each one to its best effect.

Of course the whole social media scene is very much a learning curve in itself. But if you plan in advance, do your homework and know how to use each site to its best advantage, you will at least avoid making some of the simplest mistakes that plenty of other people have made before you.

The truth is that social media is a powerful way to get in touch with the very people who could become your customers in the near future. Breaking down those barriers to get to know them is half of the battle – and it is a battle that can be won on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Have You Forgotten About Offline Marketing?

There is no doubt that the internet has become the focus of all our lives over the past decade or so in particular. This has led to many new and exciting ways to promote your business. You can have a website, you can have countless social media accounts and you can have a blog. There is plenty more you can do to promote your wares online too.

But where does offline marketing sit in the big mix now? Remember that? Offline marketing is a totally different concept to online marketing but it doesn’t mean it is no longer relevant. We might still go online and check emails, surf websites and engage with each other on Facebook, but we live offline lives as well.

This means you have to focus on both methods of marketing if you are going to get your business in front of as many people as possible. Even if you own a purely online business that doesn’t have a bricks and mortar shop front, you have to recognise that there are different ways of engaging with people.

The trouble is that it seems as if some businesses have forgotten all about offline marketing. This is why it pays to call in the experts. You can gain access to a far wider range of ideas on marketing simply by consulting someone who knows what they’re doing. There is no shame in not knowing anything about offline marketing – after all, the onus is all on social media marketing and emailing newsletters now, isn’t it?

So maybe it’s time we swung things back in the opposite direction. Not to ignore online marketing, but to redress the balance so we can make the most of both forms of marketing. They take very different approaches and very different skills, but they can both help to enhance and develop any kind of business, no matter what it is you sell.

It’s understandable that you’d want to make the most of this big new shiny thing called the internet. After all it is developing at a rate of knots. But there is something quite homely about traditional offline advertising too, isn’t there?

How can you tell if your logo is good enough?

Hop on the internet and it won’t take you long to find reams of information about logos. What makes a good one? When is it time to change an old logo and revamp it into something new and more modern? How do you know if you’ve got a real stinker?

Logos are one of the things we do here at Ratio7. We’ve got years of experience in knowing just how to create the best logo for any business. A logo is one of those strange and wonderful things that are hard to describe – you know a bad one when you see it, and you know a good one too. But putting each type of logo into words is incredibly difficult, which is why it’s always best to get the experts in to design a new one.

A good logo is something that instantly brands your business. A bad logo will brand it too, but not in a good way. The worst kind of logo is arguably one that you look at for five minutes, and you’re still not sure what on earth it is or what it represents.

If you’ve got a good logo it will get positive responses from your clients. It will also be recognisable, even if they see the logo outside of its usual placement. For example if a client happens upon your social media pages and sees the logo before reading any text, will they be able to recognise it as yours? Furthermore will it give them a positive image they like? Positivity is a major aspect to remember here, as the logo has a major job to do to represent your business.

Great logos look good whatever size they are as well. If your logo looks great in large format but practically disappears when it has to be shrunk to fit a magazine ad, it’s time to get a new one.

In short, if you’re not sure how well your current logo is performing for you, you can always contact us here at Ratio7 to find out more about getting a brand new logo designed with just you in mind.

Add Special Zing to Twitter

You are running around social networking land like mad, trying to make an impression for you and/or your business. You are trying to build your brand-either corporate or business. You are on LinkedIn, Facebook, FriendFeed and Twitter (perhaps more). LinkedIn and Facebook offer nothing in terms of customization, but Twitter…ah….

While Twitter provides easy to use background template designs, they are used by the vast majority of Twitter members and don’t allow for adding graphics or text. Your Twitter background is an opportunity for more people to learn about you and see a link to your website or blog.

However, Twitter does allow for you to upload a background as a single page. A graphic designer can create a custom background and embed your logo, your image, a bio and links which acts like an advertisement for your business or services! Be forewarned. Links are simply text, they are not hyperlinks so people cannot click on them. This is Twitter’s fault-not your designers!

Ratio7 offers full service graphic design, including Twitter backgrounds as well as WordPress blog and site themes, print, logo and Web design to make your business more visible! Call or email us for a free consultation now.

Today’s Business Card

Despite advances in technology, Web design and capabilities, a business card still makes an important statement and is a necessary tool for networking. If you are still using one of the 1500 business cards you bought 5 years ago, it might be time to have a designer review both your design and the content on the card. With the advent and popularity of social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as well as blogs, you need to provide a variety of ways for people to contact you. Besides, business cards continue to change shape, size and material so it might be time to break out and have some fun with that tiny piece of cardstock that represents you after you’ve walked away from an in-person meeting.

What changes can you make?

Ratio7 finds that clients are increasingly choosing a portrait set up vs. landscape. See below for sample.

Consider adding all your social media contact info, a brief overview of your business or service offerings, or just a striking logo  on the back side in a contrasting color. See below for sample.

Try selecting a unique material to make your card stand out. Cards come in wood, metal, vellum, plastic, aluminum, cardboard and more! To generate ideas, check out the Flickr business card group here.
Small changes like rounded corners, or even one rounded corner, make your card stand out from the pack. Raised lettering, a punch out on the card, or a magnet feature are all options.

Finally, do add all of your social meda contacts on your card. This can increase your following and contacts and gives your network the ability to find you and what you do in a variety of locations.

Ratio7 is a full-service media and graphics firm and can create a striking, yet affordable new look for your business card. Just contact us for a free consultation!