SMART goals help you identify areas you’d like to improve and clarify your objectives for a successful social media campaign. They act as a guide to data collection and help your team know which tasks to prioritize. 

SMART Goals

SMART is an acronym for… 

• Specific. Use statistical values to narrow down what and how much you’d like to achieve.
• Measurable. Attribute values to non-numerical indicators of success, being precise in how you’d like to measure. 
• Achievable. Look at past campaigns and use them as a base for how much you think your business can achieve.
• Realistic. Similar to achievable. Make sure your goal is relevant.
• Timely. Set a date for when you’d like the goal to be completed. 

Setting SMART goals acts as a base for your social media campaign.

Create a Social Media Campaign With SMART Goals

SMART goals help create a stellar social media campaign that works for your company. 

Step 1: Set a goal using the SMART goal method, making sure it’s specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Determine what metrics are best to measure. 

Step 2: Determine your target market. This will guide decisions, including which social media channel(s) to use and content to put out. Make sure it all ties back to support your goal. 

Step 3: Create a content calendar. Plan out your content using a calendar. Make sure everything is spaced out, and posts build off each other. 

Step 4: Manage the campaign. Actively engage with customers by replying to comments and answering questions. Adjust your strategy as needed. If you’re not in line to meet your goals, then try new tactics to boost engagement.

Step 5: Analyze the results. What went well? What would you do differently? Why? Use what you learn to create a better social media campaign next time. 

Using SMART goals as a guide can help you get the results you want in your next social media campaign. 

SMART Social Media Campaign Goals

Sometimes, determining what goals to set can be challenging. Here are two ideas to get you started. 

1. Increase brand awareness 

If you’re running a social media campaign, this is a great place to start because it’s the top reason marketers use social media.

To set a SMART goal, answer these questions: 

• Who do you want to increase brand awareness with?
• How will you measure this? Through followers, views, likes, or shares?
• Once you’ve determined how you’re going to measure your campaign, how many followers, views, likes, or shares do you want? Is this goal achievable and realistic? Do you have access to past campaigns to use as a benchmark?
• When do you want to reach your goal? 

By effectively increasing brand awareness, your business will increase sales and traffic. 

2. Improve customer service

More and more customers are looking to social media for customer support. 

One in five people says they use social media for customer support.

To set a SMART goal, answer these questions: 

• How many people reach out via social media for customer support?
• How fast is your current average response time through social media?
• How fast would you like your response time to be? Is this realistic?
• What is your customer satisfaction score for those who sought help via social media? Where would you want it to be? 

Your business can increase revenue, customer satisfaction score, and customer retention by having good customer service available through social media. 

Having goals, especially SMART goals, improves performance and happiness. Setting SMART goals for your social media campaigns can have a significant impact. 

Social media is one of your business’s many avenues to reach customers. Effectively reaching a variety of customers requires an omnichannel approach, including online and offline marketing.

As always, we’re here to help you with whatever print needs come your way, including print campaigns that help boost your social media! 

Color, color everywhere. But what does it mean?

Believe it or not, color has a lot of implied meanings, and it imparts a lot of feelings. Color meanings stem from psychological effects, biological conditioning, and cultural developments.

Color Talks… Are You Listening?

Depending on where you do business, you’ll want to consider color. There are cultural differences, such as red representing good luck in China, but in South Africa, it’s the color of mourning.

For this article, we will focus on meanings in the United States. Take a minute and consider what your color scheme means to the readers. Does it need to be changed so you can reach your business goals? Let’s learn.

Red

Red is the color of passion and energy.

It’s an intense color that is supposed to motivate us to take action. (Remember, stop signs and signal lights use red for a loud caution. It is meant to move us in the right direction.)

Red also stimulates appetite, which is why many fast-food restaurants use this color in advertising and decorating. Red is an excellent color for getting people to “act now.” Think about your brand and what you want to do with the logo and advertising.

Orange

Orange exudes enthusiasm and emotion.

It is supposed to be a fun color that represents emotional strength. It adds spontaneity and positivity and encourages social communication and activity. It’s also youthful, vibrant, and fun. Think about how much fun you want to add to your advertising.

Blue

Blue is the color of loyalty and trust.

It relaxes our psyche and gives us peace and tranquility. Light baby blue is peaceful, while dark blue can signify depth and power. It represents intelligence and responsibility, which is excellent for businesses that want to promote a sincere business image. 

Green

Green is the hue that represents health and harmony.

It balances our emotions and makes us feel safe and secure. It often represents rebirth and new life, just like the grass and trees in the springtime. In our culture, green also represents wealth because of its tie to money.

Purple

Purple typically represents luxury, mystery, and spirituality to people because of its link to royalty.

This color holds a special meaning in religions, including Catholicism, Judaism, and Buddhism. So if you want to add some spiritual dimension, this is a great color to use. 

Yellow

Yellow makes us feel optimistic and happy.

It’s a cheerful color that brings fun and joy into the space. It represents spontaneity and youthfulness. If your target market is young people, try incorporating some yellow into the color scheme. Yellow is a great choice if speed, fun, and low cost are attributes that you want to be associated with your brand. 

Pink

Pink represents femininity and the softer side of things.

Combine it with a bolder color, and you will soften your image. It is known for romance, sensitivity, and tenderness. It’s also a color for passion and love. Pink seeks to make others feel accepted by offering an unmatched level of sympathy.

When you think of advertising, colors are one of your most important choices.

If you have questions about what colors would work best for your print marketing and business materials, feel free to reach out. We want to ensure every element of your marketing efforts gets the intended message across! 

Being an entrepreneur is challenging.

In fact, 20% of small businesses fail within the first year. The world of business can be competitive and cutthroat. Follow these five tips to prepare yourself for success. 

1. Mix passion with skill

You’re going to be pouring many hours and a lot of energy into your business. 

It’s crucial you not only find something you’re passionate about but also in which you have potential. Find the perfect founder, product, and market fit by choosing a business matching your unique skills, experiences, and personality. 

This can be accomplished by zoning in on a unique niche. 

2. Find the right niche

Find the perfect “Goldilocks niche:” not too broad, not too narrow; just right. 

Most successful businesses begin with a narrow niche. This helps you differentiate from your competitors and draw in customers. Once you’ve established yourself, then you can work towards expanding your business into other areas that make sense. 

Be careful when choosing a niche. Try finding one that’s popular all year long and allows repeat business. Although not impossible to succeed, seasonal niches are challenging because they allow for fewer repeat customers and year-long sales.  

Whatever your niche, make sure your business is solving an urgent problem. If not, you’ll fail to make sales because customers won’t see why they need to buy your product or service. 

3. Do your research 

Solid research attracts customers and investors. 

Doing quality research up front helps increase trust in your business. You’ll be able to show your customers and investors exactly why your business can help them and where your information is coming from. 

Furthermore, by researching all facets of your business, you’ll be better able to outsource and hire without being taken advantage of. 

4. Make employees a priority

Employees help you reach your business goals. 

Happy employees are more likely to want to help your business succeed and work towards company goals. Companies with higher work satisfaction scores outperformed lower employee satisfaction companies by 202%!

To maintain content employees, ensure they feel appreciated, heard, and valued. Complimenting employees often while avoiding too much criticism can go a long way toward employee contentment. 

Do your best to ensure your employees are part of the 65% of employees satisfied with their job.

5. Be professional 

Professionalism helps promote company trust. 

Professionalism spans many aspects, including being reliable, using a professional manner, and having business cards. 

Business cards are an easy, cost-effective way to maintain a professional front. They also serve as an effective marketing tool. They’re easy to distribute and provide all the relevant information potential customers need. 

Being an entrepreneur is risky and challenging. Set yourself up for success by finding the right niche that solves a relevant problem and mixes your unique passion and skills. Furthermore, by researching, maintaining happy employees, and remaining professional, you can better navigate the unpredictable business world. 

We print high-quality marketing materials that help propel your business forward. Contact us today!

When putting together a flyer, sometimes the flyer font can be overlooked. 

But, your font plays an essential role in the overall flyer design. Depending on your choice, it holds the information being shared and can convey different meanings. 

Sans-serif vs. serif fonts

Fonts can be classified into one of two categories: sans-serif or serif. 

Sans-serif fonts don’t have little lines underlining the letters, making them good for digital posters. They also tend to be bolder, making them good for headlines. Examples include Century Gothic, Verdana, and Helvetica. 

Serif fonts have little lines underlining the letters. They’re good for body text because they can be easier to read. Common serif fonts include Times New Roman and Garamond. 

Remembering the difference between sans-serif and serif fonts is important when choosing the correct font for your flyer. 

1. Readability is key!

Readability is the most crucial aspect to consider when choosing a flyer font. 

If people can’t easily read your flyer, they will not stick around to try. They’ll get frustrated and throw your flyer out. 

Stick to 10 pt and above font sizes and aim for Arial, Georgia, Verdana, and Times New Roman, as these are easier to read.

Also, be mindful of your dyslexic audience by choosing a font they’ll be better able to read, such as sans-serif fonts, especially Helvetica. With about an estimated 1 in 10 people with dyslexia, making sure your flyer is accessible may be more important than you thought. 

2. Fonts convey meaning

Various fonts add nuance to your design. 

Paying attention to these nuances can help you pair the right font with the message and goal of your flyer.

Check out the following common flyer goals and how to achieve them.

• Formal, conservative, or vintage brand: serif fonts
• High-end buyers: minimalist font
• Convey stability: Times New Roman, Arial, and Cambria
• Convey assertiveness: Impact, Rockwell Xbold, and Georgia
• Show expertise: fancy fonts
• Discount flyers: bold fonts

The little decisions, like matching the right font with your flyer, can go a long way in promoting your business. 

3. Don’t overdo it

With about 200,000 fonts worldwide, it can be easy to choose too many fonts for your flyer. 

But, too many fonts create a busy, confusing flyer design. Instead, stick to about two fonts or one font in different weights. The font’s weight includes the various ways a single font can appear. Font weights include hairline, thin, light, regular, italic, medium, bold, and black, to name a few. Never use more than three fonts. 

If you decide to use two fonts, finding the right font pair can be tricky. Many find pairing a sans-serif font for the headlines with a serif font for the body text to be a helpful guideline. 

Font selection may seem like a small detail, but it affects how your marketing is perceived. When choosing a flyer font, readability and accessibility are the most important factors. 

Whatever font you choose, we’re here to help you print your flyers so you can share your business with your target market!

Try a newsletter when you need to get the word out fast, professionally, and efficiently.

Not only will you have more space for getting your point out, but it also reminds people regularly that you’re ready to do business.

Newsletters are a customizable, affordable, and accessible type of marketing communication.

There are many ways to make your newsletters effective. And it’s time to realize that newsletters are essential to effective email marketing and branding.

Ignoring them can restrict brands from growth.

7 Top Tips for Print and Email Newsletter Marketing

1. Logo placement

Ensure your logo is front and center on the newsletter’s first page or header so that recipients don’t have to guess (or hunt) for that information.

2. White space

Make sure you don’t cram all your great ideas into one newsletter.

Instead, use white space frequently so that it doesn’t look crowded.

3. Keep it simple

Don’t try to tackle too much detail in your articles.

Keep it reader-friendly. This makes the reader want more and allows you to follow up on the article in future newsletters.

It also leaves the reader interested and possibly wanting to contact you to discuss the issues further.

4. Use bullet points

When you have multiple topics, use bullet points rather than writing a lot of paragraphs.

This allows the reader to scan for information quickly.

In addition, embedding helpful links in your email newsletters and giving visual descriptions can attract more readers.

5. Feature pull-out quotes

When someone has something important to say in the article, and it is a great point, pull it aside in the design.

Make it more significant than the regular text by using it as a graphic, not in the article itself. 

Pull quotes provide a teaser that entices the reader into the story.

6. Have someone edit your articles

Don’t rely on your own wits here.

You will need to have another person edit your articles and layout. It’s hard to catch your own mistakes all the time.

And sometimes, you need another set of eyes on an article in case something needs to be clarified. You might know what you mean, but someone else might not. This is just good practice.

7. Make sure there’s a call to action (CTA)

There needs to be a place (or places) where you encourage the reader to take an action that moves them through your sales funnel.

Call-to-action examples include visiting your store, contacting you for a consultation, signing up for your email list, or making a purchase today.

The point of doing a newsletter is to build the business.

Contact us today to learn about our professional paper, color, and design options for your next print newsletter!

Marketing has a powerful impact on your business.

Marketing matches your business with potential customers around the world, increasing sales. Business owners know the power of marketing, which is why the average local business puts 5-10% of its revenue towards a digital marketing budget.

Extraordinary marketing: Grow your business

The main priority of marketing is to grow your business. 

You can use a variety of avenues to reach your target audience. By having a well-defined business plan, target market, and pain point your company addresses, you’ll be better able to reach the people who need to know about your business. 

Extraordinary marketing: Reach your goals

Marketing is a standard method to reach your goals defined in your short and long-term business plans. 

Some common business goals marketing can address include: 

• Increase your business’s market share
• Reach out to community members
• Maintain or increase profits
• Growth
• Establish brand message and voice
• Improve company value

Take a look at your business’s unique goals. Then, pinpoint which ones you can achieve through a marketing campaign. Finally, plan a marketing campaign with well-defined goals and measuring methods. 

Extraordinary marketing: Customer loyalty 

Loyal customers keep your business going. 

61% of small and medium businesses report greater than half of their revenue coming from repeat customers. It would be difficult for a business to survive without repeat customers. Reach your existing customers through marketing campaigns. 

When your customers shop with you, ask them for their contact information. Then you can keep them updated and coming back for more through newsletters, social media, and direct mail campaigns. 

Extraordinary marketing: Reach anyone anywhere

Today’s global, connected world provides many opportunities for business expansion. 

Small and medium-sized businesses now have the tools to sell to anyone, anywhere in the world. Having a larger target market pool increases your business’s growth potential.

Seize this opportunity by having a well-functioning online store. Then expand the scope of your marketing campaigns to reach people around the globe whom you may not have previously considered. 

Extraordinary marketing: Promising channels

Marketing can take on endless forms.

Often, the best marketing strategy is an omnichannel approach. Examples include: 

• Influencer marketing: pay a person with a dedicated follower base to endorse or mention your product or service. 89% say ROI from influencer marketing is about the same or better than other channels.
• Content marketing: create content through various channels to inform customers, driving them to your business.
• Print marketing: create tangible content you can share with your target market. Print boosts customer loyalty and trust. 

Pay attention to the various forms of marketing and find the ones that work best for you. 

Marketing is integral to the success of your business, and print marketing can be especially powerful.

We’re here to help you with all your print marketing. Contact us today to get started on your next campaign! 

Designing marketing materials has much room for creativity, but you should also avoid common mistakes.

If you aren’t a graphic designer, you may be tempted to do your own thing, but there are some definite no-nos in design. Here are nine hints to guide you.

Top 8 Print Marketing Design Hints

1. Have a clear concept for your marketing campaign

When people start designing, they often keep adding to it without a clear idea of the desired design.

This is a big red flag that your design is off to a bad start. You need to know what you want your design to look like.

2. Use symbolism

For example, try to enhance the text’s mood with a sketch, a drawing, an image, or a picture representing what you are trying to communicate.

3. Target the right audience with your print media

Your content isn’t for everyone.

But there’s one particular group of people you should always aim to impress and engage: your target audience.

Think like them. Read like them. Try to entertain and engage them in your words and design.

4. Use white space

Make sure you don’t pack everything into your design.

You may have great design ideas, but you don’t need to use them all in one place. Instead, save some for future projects.

5. Add pictures and graphics

Don’t just pack in the text.

There needs to be a break in the page. Add a pertaining photo or an image of something else with its own caption. Maybe it’s a picture of a new employee, a party you had for your clients or a giveaway.

Sometimes the simplest designs are the most effective, so don’t overdo it with images. There are ways to make your design clean, clear, and attractive without too many graphics. You want it to look uniform and enhance the text.

6. Be consistent across your marketing channels

Whether it’s fonts, colors, or images, make sure you’re consistent.

This helps tie your design down into one visually appealing and harmonious look.

So keep it similar, using specific colors, fonts, or designs.

7. Be careful with the fonts

Stay with two to three fonts throughout the publication you are producing.

8. Choose colors wisely

Understanding color theory and psychology can help you use colors at their optimal best.

Colors can set the tone, mood, and style of your design.

Don’t go crazy picking a variety of colors. Instead, be consistent and keep the colors in the same family.

When it’s time to print your project, please remember us.

We are here to help guide you, answer your questions, and print your project.

Contact us today!

Being a leader is a big job, but what does it mean to be a great leader? And how will it transfer into your marketing efforts?

5 Leadership Tips For Marketers

1. Lead by example

You need to show up and lead in how you work. You will not be an effective leader if you talk a big game but don’t do anything.

If you promise to do something, do it. If you offer to explain something, explain it.

Show your employees how effective you are by how much you do (versus just saying what you do). This translates into your marketing efforts when your business follows through on its promises.

When customers see you are a person of your word, it makes a big statement.

2. Be humble

When someone does something above and beyond, acknowledge them. Don’t always talk about yourself. This is true in marketing too.

Show the customer what you can do to help them, rather than just bragging about your achievements.

3. Take care of yourself

Take part in a hobby that might introduce you to new people and prospects.

Make sure you are getting enough rest so that you are refreshed.

One study found that 45% of adults with less than eight hours of sleep were irritable, 52% lost their patience, and 40% felt overwhelmed.

When you aren’t rested, it’s hard to come up with new ideas for your business, and it’s hard to enjoy yourself.

4. Strategic thinking is a must

To be an effective leader, you must have a vision for where you want to go and what you want to accomplish. This is also true in marketing. You need to know what you hope to achieve with each piece you send.

A strategy fails because it’s not defined and communicated well.

Leaders must understand the company’s business goals and align the marketing department to meet and exceed those objectives.

5. Be comfortable being uncomfortable

In business, you must go with the flow and be flexible with situations. No one could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic, but it impacted all of us.

Businesses need to be able to come up with new strategies when things change.

This is the case in marketing as well, as we need to shift our marketing to reach our audience where they are.

There are so many facets to being a great leader and marketer, and these are only a few. We want to help you continue to be the proactive leader you are.

That’s why we want to team up with you to produce your best marketing products ever.

Contact us today to get started!