YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD PAC-MAN DOWN
You saw it. You clicked on it. You heard the boop-boop-boop of the man in yellow chomping down power pellets like Carl Winslow at Annual Chicago Police Officers' Ball. It's become an Internet meme already, with Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, and text messages buzzing about the good 1 minute, 2 minutes tops you could easily kill by clicking the Google logo on May 21st, 2010. To play Pac-Man, of course. Sweet.
It was a great publicity move for Google. Any time an Internet community buzzes about your company, that's a good thing. But here's the magic: Google and Pac-Man have virtually nothing in common. Seriously. One is a round, bald, yellow hero, the other is a billion-dollar, multi-national company. It's a lesson any business can learn from: you don't have to do what's expected. There's no rule that tells you to dip into your company handbook every time you promote yourself through marketing, hold a competition, or send out a brochure.
To stand out from your competition, try the unorthodox. Tap into beloved, Gen-X memories. I think Rainbow Brite and Mr. Potatohead are still up for grabs—but don't quote me on that. Even if it feels wrong, it could end up working in a way that's oh-so right.
Bonus credit: what childhood pop culture memories do you wish more businesses used (or abused?)
Signing off for now,
www.36design.com
FAREWELL TO LOST: OR, WHY EVERYONE LOVES A FINALE
As a pop television tradition disappears in a puff of black monster smoke, we find ourselves riveted to the end event. Articles, blog posts, tweets, and “what if” forums have sprung to life in the last 48 hours about television's Lost finale event —and then faded back into obscurity. Television spots for ABC's Lost show itself have gone for the handsome sum of $900,000 a pop. That's because like many events in life, it's not how it all began—it's how it ends.
You've seen it happen too, in the contests and special events you use to promote your business. After all, the fanfare doled out for that $100 gas card you give away, or that ritzy toaster with the chrome finish with attached iPod dock, would be nothing without the prize itself. Great endings are great business.
So how can you tap into the potential behind great endings? Connect your clients and customers to your success. Everyone is interested in seeing how their efforts, their patronage, pay off. Viral videos and advertising are a great way to go about this—promote your business through a mysterious phrase, graphic, or video, and tell a story to your client base. You'll attract attention and keep them hanging on till the very end. A good mystery, like Hurley's disarming smile, draws people in.
Signing off,
www.36design.com
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
Even if she enjoys painting her toenails at the dinner table, or if he belches the national anthem in front of your grandparents, saying goodbye to your significant other (and we do mean “other,” here) is a tricky proposition. Breaking up with bad habits is worse. But what's worse than worse? Continuing the practices that result in missed business potential. Today we'll take a look at 3 bad practices in business, and how you can motivate yourself to do the deed.
Sticking with Your Brand. If your brand is blah and people aren't remembering your name, it might be wise to attack the problem at its source: the brand. A brand is the image of your company, and includes such components as logo, business name, and marketing media. Talk with a branding expert and discovering how to ditch the brand for something better is definitely worth your time.
Hanging onto Your Website. “It works for us! It's simple and gets the point across! It's only 8 years old!” Face it: you have customers who are more Web-savvy than you. If your site is years old, there will be a dated quality to your online media—and by proxy, your company—that will send customers scurrying away. Talk to design professionals to redo your look.
Marketing the Same Way. Don't keep marketing your business using the exact same means and expect things to change. Go high tech—Facebook, blog, advertise online—and consider low-tech means such as sales letters, calls, and networking. The bottom line: try something different!
Until next time,
WHAT GREAT DESIGN CAN DO FOR YOU
Great design and success: the two go together like peanut butter and bananas. Design is important because it's more than just flash and razzle-dazzle. It makes a statement that cuts to the identity of your company, forms a platform upon which the other elements of your business spin and perform like the dynamic actors they are.
Great design is the engine behind your brand. When people see your design work—whether it be a logo, your letterhead, business cards, or marketing materials—they will remember that visual and associate it when they hear your name. It's how the mind works. By creating a compelling visual statement right out of the gate, you're setting yourself up for a long-term strategy for big-time results.
But let's get digital for a moment—smart design thrives on the Internet. Specifically: on your website. Well-designed websites attract attention. Not only are they pretty, but easy to navigate structures and appealing visuals bring a site's bounce rate down and increases the average time surfers spend lingering on your site.. What this translates into: more site conversions and more revenue. So the next time you think about design, consider everything that goes along with it. Picture something bigger.
Until next time,
www.36design.com
7 THINGS TO TWEET ABOUT
Hey, high roller! You've taken our advice and have set up a shiny new Twitter account for your business. But hold on there. Think before you tweet. Before you chatter your patrons' ears off or starve your customers for attention, aim to strike a balance. Set a weekly goal for tweets and stick to it. And when you do open up the floodgates, keep your posts diverse. Here are 7 ideas to keep your content fresh and all eyes on what you're putting out.
Examples of your work. Put your portfolio of work front and center and show consumers what you're all about.
Add value. Post links to articles that your viewers would find rewarding.
Updates. Let 'em know what's going on behind those office doors.
Contests. Attract new followers with some fancy new schwag.
News. Whether you make the front page of CNN.com or ratemygarden.com, news coverage establishes credibility.
Jobs. Why bother with recruiting when you can advertise open positions directly to an audience?
“Thank Yous.” Everyone loves a callout. Turn your gratitude into better exposure by calling out specific people and companies.
Thanks for reading! - www.36design.com
Plugging the Leak
It's death by a thousand papercuts. It's one hundred tiny inefficiencies in your business that are adding up to missed potential. It's a slow leak, and like BP, you can't stop it even with billions of dollars and futuristic submarines. But sometimes common sense can make a difference. Put down that report, take a breather, and join us as we tackle some easy ways to make your business hum like a well-oiled machine.
To start, you'll need to take a top-down approach to your company. Many Fortune 500's hire consultants; for you, it may be a matter of taking a deep breath and looking at your procedures from a fresh perspective. The danger here, is getting too comfortable with “the way things are done”—even if they're done in ways they shouldn't. Once you've identified the issues, make a list and tackle them one at a a time.
Pay particular attention to your marketing strategy. You're going to want a plan that provides you maximum exposure while costing minimal dinero. Your brand is key, here. Don't fall into the habit of assuming your company's identity is your business name—a worthwhile brand appeal can be very affordable with the right design work, and provide the muscle for sales today and into the future.
Thanks for reading and remember to visit us at www.36design.com!
HEY TWITTERERS! HERE'S A LITTLE INFO.
So the original title of this blog entry was going to be “Twitter for Dummies!” but APPARENTLY some book franchise already has that trademarked. Bummer. So, in the spirit of humility and to help out the Twitter-challenged among our community, here is our 36design rundown of some commonly used twitter terminology.
Tweet: Simple stated, a post. You only have 140 characters to include, so you'd better make them count.
Re-Tweet: No, it's not an abandonment of a field of battle. A re-tweet is denoted with an “RT”. Use it when you share the tweet of one user with all of your Twitter followers.
Trending Topics: Newsworthy items that are among the most common topics circulating Twitter. A phrase that many people are tweeting about is what makes that a Trending Topic.
@ - the “At” Symbol: The @ sign, followed by a username, publicly states the attached tweets are a reply to (or just a mention of) any specific users. A user can find out what's been said to them with an easy search.
# - the Hash Tag: Hash tags are words that begin with the # sign. Use them to help your searchability when tweeting about popular topics or events.
MONDAY'S MARKETING MOTIVATION
You're fulfilling orders. You're providing your services every day. Despite the recession, you're keeping busy, and juggling the demands of running your own business with a rocking personal life. With days like these, who has the time (or energy) to market? But here's some science I'm dropping on your lap: all successful businesses, even busy businesses, perform some level of marketing. Here are some great reasons to put yourself out there.
Customers are migrating online. Even if you have a solid customer base now, as consumers spend less time reading periodicals and exploring their world, and more time surfing from the comfort of their living room desk, the way they consume products will change. Moving your marketing strategy online is a great way to ensure future viability.
Marketing plants seeds. All to often, businesses stretching out their marketing arm are discouraged when they don't see immediate results. They're miss that all-too crucial element: time. If you advertise to particular clients, expect to hear back weeks, months, even years later, having tucked your telephone number somewhere, ready to retrieve when they're ready to buy.
Make more money. This is a no-brainer. Good businesses succeed. Great businesses grow. Even if you're handling a large bankroll now, your company has the potential to make more money through marketing. And after all, isn't life all about reaching your potential?
SITE CONVERSIONS: “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER!”
You've done it. Crafted a glorious website with all the bells and whistles that you'd be proud to show your mother. When a business completes an effective, professional, fantastic-looking website, it's a time for celebration. Unfortunately, that celebration looses steam when 8 months after launch, your shiny new website still hasn't pulled in a customer. Forget about actually driving people to your site for the moment—let's talk about site conversions. Specifically: for the people who DO surf your website, hooking them into purchasing what you're offering. Here are a few tips.
State your services up front. Too often, sites get in the habit of using flowery language and swooping, grand promises of change that SOUND great—but minutes into the content, users are still confused as to what this company actually accomplishes! State your services or products up front, early in the process, in an easy to digest manner (think bullet points).
Provide a clear call to action. Even if you hook a potential customer, if your site copy just trickles off, your visits will be left thinking, “now what?” Provide a call to action. It can be something as simple as “Call 555-5555 to place your order!” at the end of a paragraph. The advantage, of course, is that people won't have to hunt up the means to contact you or figure out what to do next.
DESIGN IS KING
We freely admit it: we at 36design love great design. We're design-aholics. Put a pen and paper in front of us and watch us smile. We get an electric thrill every time the Photoshop loading screen pops up. So here, in a completely self-indulgent manner, we've prepared a list of the great 4 reasons design makes us smile.
1. It's a tool. Hand out your business cards or send a note with your letterhead, your design is making a grand entrance. Great design is compelling, even when you're not marketing yourself.
2. Great design lives on. Welcome to the Age of the Internet, where snippets of your site or identity pieces can be gobbled up by Google and live in rankings for many years.
3. Design is art. Business is tacky. Necessary, but often cloddish and un-eligant. Design is a peek into a softer craft.
4. First impressions are important. Most often, the first exposure potential customers have with your organization is through your marketing materials, and through that, your design. Great design makes a great impression.
