Instagram is a great social media platform for most businesses and is a platform you absolutely should be investing time into growing. Successfully cracking Instagram will allow you to make sales, gain new followers, and increase engagement.
There really is no right or wrong answer to how often should you be posting on Instagram to fully utilise the platform. If you scour the internet you will find several different answers but this will be entirely dependant on your business.
At the bare minimum, you should aim to post to your grid daily but you must remember that what your posting is more important than how often, if you regularly post the same posts using the same hashtags Instagram could shadowban you as it could flag as spam. We think you should invest time into good quality engaging content as this is likely to benefit you more than just posting for the sake of it.
Renaming your business
Your businesses name is the most identifiable front of your business therefore it is very important that you have a strong and memorable name. Although most business names are adaptable if your business has changed or expanded you may wish to change the business name completely but what does this involve?
Firstly, you must choose your new business name, this is not always an easy task with so many businesses out there you want to use something brand new, memorable and a name that is adaptable so you won’t need to change it again. We always advise that you do a trade mark search before changing your name.
You will also have to inform all of the appropriate organisations such as HMRC Revenue and customs. You will also need to update all of your suppliers and customers. Lastly you will need to re-brand – chances are all of your website, logos and flyers will need to be re-branded.
Is there still a place for flyers?
For decades flyers have been a popular choice of marketing for many businesses but with social media growing rapidly year by year and online marketing becoming the most popular way to advertise your business is there still a place for flyer marketing?
Studies show that although in a modern world everything is online that there is still a place for flyers, statistics state that almost 50% read addressed mail. Figures also suggest that addressed mail flyers are more effective than door dropped flyers.
Many businesses still user flyers to advertise and there are several reasons for this. Now more than ever they are cost-effective and you can be very creative with design to ensure your flyer catches the receiver’s attention.
A well-designed catchy leaflet is an invaluable tool in promoting your business. So, you must make sure your flyer is vibrant and eye-catching. And make sure you shop around for the best deal as many companies offer very competitive prices and offers.
3 ways to revamp your business card.
Your business card says a lot about your business, handing out your business card during a network event is a fairly common procedure for business owners, therefore your business cards needs to be appealing, memorable and informative.
So how can you revamp your basic, dated card to bring it up to speed with modern business cards? We have listed 3 effective ways you can revamp your business card.
1. Add some colour – long gone are the days of simplistic white business cards. Adding a splash of colour can ensure your business card is easy to find and memorable.
2. Use both sides – only using one side of a business card is a wasteful use of valuable space. You could add a special offer or highlight your social media links.
3. Eco friendly card – now more than ever people are wanting to save our planet and living a more eco friendly life. Revamping your card and making it eco friendly is appealing to more potential customers.
How to choose the perfect logo
The logo for your business is one of the most important parts of branding your business. The logo will be the face of your brand so choosing the right one can be a daunting task. There are several things you need to consider when choosing your logo.
– Colour – this must correspond with your whole brand
– Design style – the logo represents your business so making sure the design fits in with your business is very important. An arty business will usually go with a more creative, light-hearted design whereas a food business will usually go for something simple and recognisable
– Use – consider how you plan to use it – will you be having it embroidered on to t shirts etc.
– Format – not all applications use every format, do some research before deciding
– Be original – coming up with a fresh new logo will improve business – you don’t want to create something similar to a current brand.
The effects of window display posters
Window display posters may not seem like the most innovative form of marketing or advertising. It’s a rather traditional method that has been improved over the years with new technology and design software, but the aim of the game remains the same, to grab attention and spread the word about a particular offer or line of products. By designing new window posters every month you can ensure you always have one key message to shout about, and keeping to this commitment will keep you on your toes. Just be sure not to push sales and offers too much because you may be considered a budget brand if you do so, and if only 10% of your items are on sale, people may walk into your store to be rather disappointed. This is why you should have one or two big sales every year and go all out, but no more, not if you want to maintain a positive reputation and sell products at standard rates more often than not!
Web branding: Do pop-up ads actually work?
In recent years, advertisements have become more obnoxious, pervasive and intrusive. According to a recent consumer survey report, pop-up advertisements have hugely interrupted the browsing experience in every aspect. Creepy pop-ups tend to stalk users with the same ad and brand in every website they visit.
Most Internet users feel interrupted, overwhelmed and stalked by digital pop-ups and they feel that advertising companies should come up with better strategies. However, many users have embraced ad blockers as a standard part of online browsing. These ad blockers are extremely common with over 198 million active users and over 500 million downloads. All these blocking sends a very clear message to advertising companies. Mobile users have also embraced this trend and over 419 million mobile users use an ad blocker on their phone. Therefore, all this blocking means that pop-up ads have become too intrusive and too annoying, so isn’t it about time companies looked at different options?
What should your business card include?
A business card is essential in marketing your brand, creating awareness and providing information at a quick glance. There is no need to make your business card complicated, as keeping it simple and to the point is so much more effective.
The first thing your business card should have in clear view is the company logo, this is how you improve brand recognition and awareness. To accompany the logo, the card itself should follow the companies brand identity, using the brand’s colours and typography throughout.
The name of the employer should be printed and their job position clear too. This should be followed with contact details for the customer’s ease of access to speak to an adviser. Make good use of your business card and use both sides- the reverse side could include social links, driving clients and potential customers to your social media platforms to learn more about your company.
Branding your packaging like a pro
When a company sends you goods that are in an unbranded box it doesn’t give you much confidence. You may wonder if they even developed the goods themselves or have their own storage and distribution, or perhaps you’re wondering whether they’re just a drop-shipper. In most cases, having items arrive in unbranded packaging is a little amateur, and no business should be doing this. Your company should get a feel for your brand, and have your logo, font and colour themes incorporated into the packaging helps deliver more customer satisfaction, and it allows the customer to really feel connected to your brand. It also improved brand recognition too so be sure to package like a pro if you’re looking to start a new business. Remember a brand is not just a logo on a website it’s everything about your company, and packing is one of those elements.
Choosing a colour theme that works for your business
When you’re creating a brand, one of the important aspects you will need to consider is your colour theme. Every business has its own unique identity and a colour theme can play a crucial role. Coca-Cola as an example is famous for its red and white branding, and that bold red colour is displayed on their product packaging, website and social media channels.
When you’re conjuring up your perfect colour scheme, you should consider colours that fall in line with your target audience. We’re not saying you should always be stereotypical, but if you’re a flower maker, you may want to avoid blacks and greys as these are not representative of the bright colourful flowers that your customers will come to know and love. You may also want to think about colours you feel reflect you, especially if you’re the driving force behind your business. Try making a few different colour schemes to start off with, and go from there. When you find that perfect colour or combination of colours you’ll know it.