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FIND THE RIGHT CREATIVE AGENCY, CREATE A SHOWSTOPPING LOGO AND MAKE YOUR MARK IN 2021.

SEVEN QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN HIRING A CREATIVE AGENCY

Creating a winning partnership

BY HANNAH MASSEN

Finding the right creative agency for your business is as important as having the best attorney or financial planner. Whether you don’t have the time, or staff, to manage marketing, PR, and social media on your own, or you recognize the value of having experienced marketing professionals take over this part of your business to leave you to concentrate on the bigger tasks of growing your business, working with a creative agency is a proven way to help you reach – and exceed – your marketing goals.

But just like you wouldn’t hire a project manager without confirming that it’s just the right fit for your company, there are a few things you need to learn about the agency that you’ll be partnering with before you seal the deal.

Here are seven questions to ask when hiring a creative agency to confirm that it’s the right “fit” for your business and to ensure not only smooth sailing ahead but the creation of the perfect partnership. ■ Can you show me your case studies? This simple yet effective question can help you decide whether this is the right agency for your business. Case studies not only show what kinds of clients the agency typically works with but also demonstrates their ability to follow through on creating brand experiences. Be sure to pay attention to the quality of their own website and social media feeds, too. ■ What does your process look like? Every agency is unique, but they should all have an established process for getting things done. Ask your agency to walk you through their entire creative process, from initial planning to materials production, and find out what they expect from you at each stage. ■ What is your team’s experience level? There are small, niche agencies with incredible staff and established corporations that hire entry-level freelancers. You won’t know whom you’re hiring until you ask. ■ Who are some of your previous clients? While not necessary, it is nice to see proven results from past clients within your industry. It is also important to make sure that the agency is currently not working with any of your direct competitors to avoid conflict of interest. ■ Who will be my point of contact? There are a lot of moving parts involved in marketing. From strategy to web design, you will have a lot of different people doing a lot of different things.

Hence, you need to identify the person who will be your go-to throughout the process. ■ How do you plan to execute marketing differently than our current approach? There’s a reason you’re hiring a new agency. Your team needs change instead of the same old thing that didn’t work, and the agency you hire should be able to present a new approach. ■ What will you need from us? Whether it’s a necessity or a nice-to-have, your agency will likely be asking you for your input or business materials on a regular basis. They’ll appreciate you being an active and considerate partner, just like you’ll want the final word on every project. ■

Hiring an outside creative agency not only frees you up to ensure that you have the time needed to work on the “big picture” aspects of growing your business but will assure that you are getting fresh, creative ideas from experienced professionals who know what works, and what doesn’t, in marketing. The key is finding the right client-agency fit.

Pump up the promotions

WHY SALES PROMOTIONS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER, AND HOW THE RIGHT PROMOTION CAN PUT YOUR SALES GROWTH IN HIGH GEAR

BY HANNAH MASSEN

Sales promotions can do more than boost awareness of

Syour business. A well-developed promotion can provide the incentive many people need to try a product or service. Not only can a great promotion drive potential customers right to your door to take advantage of a limited-time offer, but effective promotions can both boost your sales growth and build repeat business. Simply put, if you’re ready to enhance your bottom line, launch a new product, or create a buzz about your business, it’s time to pump up your promotions.

Although they may seem similar, promotions are not to be confused with marketing or advertising. Think of marketing as your overarching umbrella. It encompasses all of the strategies, activities, campaigns, and outreach efforts your brand executes to raise awareness about your business. Advertising is a single strategy meant to call attention to a particular product or service. While businesses may use ads to announce deals, the goal of a promotion is to bring in business. This usually involves the use of an incentive to boost purchasing motivation.

It isn’t hard to get stuck in a sales promotions rut, especially if your business has a new sale every week. Once your messaging starts to sound the same, customers will tune out your on-air ads or mark your newsletters as spam. ■

These creative sales promotions strategies will help you increase revenue and maximize your market exposure.

Go for the upgrade

Everyone loves a good sale, but savvy shoppers are especially skeptical of “one time only” offers and recurring sales. Instead of marking down your products or services, offer an upgrade (the “premium” package sold at the “basic” price). Another option is to bundle your products with exclusive add-ons. Try selling two complementary products together for a slight discount or including an access code to free printables, instructional videos, or other helpful downloads. A little freebie goes a long way

You can increase the average value of your orders by throwing in a free gift when your customers reach a certain price threshold. For instance, if you have a lot of orders totaling around $50, consider offering free shipping at $75. If you run a brick-and-mortar business, choose a small item to give away instead, like samples or merch – which doubles as advertising for you. Amp-up your social media

Speaking of free advertising, creating engaging social media content is a low-cost, highly effective way to promote your business. With people spending more time online than ever, now’s the time to make your online presence a priority. Make sure you focus your efforts on the two or three platforms where your audience spends the most time and stick to your brand’s unique voice. Replying to comments, launching polls, and spotlighting customers increase your engagements and give you the opportunity to talk to them directly about what your business is doing next. Make the VIP list

Customer loyalty is key, and many businesses garner it through creating a rewards program. But you can’t expect to gain members overnight; you have to promote your loyalty program and make it worth your customers’ time. The perfect example here is Costco, and if you’re a member, you’re well aware of the perks: you can use their gas stations, buy items in bulk, and receive free samples every time you shop. They also limit the hours that non-members can shop, making the flexibility of shopping early in the morning or after work worth the membership fee. Hyper-targeted sales

Your promotions typically won’t appeal to every type of customer, but in the age of data-driven personalization, launching hypertargeted sales has never been easier. Start by segmenting your customers based on their needs and shopping habits, then create tailored content to send to each group. You also can create discounts for top customers, based on their purchasing history. Support a local cause

Sponsoring or supporting a local cause is a great way to get your name out there or make a positive impact on your community. Customers are more likely to buy from brands with similar values, so donating a portion of your sales proceeds to a nonprofit is a win-win for everyone. Make the experience interactive by hosting a (virtual) fundraiser or class. This doubles as the perfect photo-op for social media and beyond.

I’ve got 99 problems, and my logo is all of them.

IThe logo is the heart of a company’s brand and often the first contact many have with your business, making an excellent first impression crucial. Designers agree there are five qualities that make a logo stand out. Use these principles to make your mark.

1. Simple is not boring.

The Nike swoosh. Apple’s namesake symbol. The Target bullseye. Some of the most recognizable logos incorporate simple, intuitive design. People focus on a logo for a few seconds, making a simple design easier to recall. It’s key for marketing and brand awareness. Focus on shape, color pattern, and emotive fonts that will effectively illustrate your brand.

2. Stop having an identity crisis.

It is all too common to forget to incorporate your brand's identity and goals in logo creation. Ranging from subtle nods to the obvious, when executed well, it can make your logo iconic. Think FedEx, Tour de France, Toyota, and Amazon.

3. Jump off the tightrope. Balance your brand.

A well-balanced logo is harmonious and polished. People respond best to symmetry. It is the reason Comic Sans is one of the more deplorable typefaces. A structured logo echoes the structure and stability of your brand.

4. Opposites attract.

Opposing elements give your logo the wow-factor you want to associate with your brand. Experiment with differing fonts, shapes, and color contrast for a standout design.

ake your mark

TOP QUALITIES OF SHOWSTOPPING LOGOS BY KAZIAH HOWARD

5. This isn’t Game of Thrones, but hierarchy does matter.

What’s your why? The five Ws are a lot of information to convey in a logo. Place essential points – like your business name – at the top or center, with additional brand identifiers below or surrounding it.

Your business should stand out, and so should your logo. Apply these tips to create a brand asset that goes above and beyond, providing instant brand awareness for your audience. ■

Social media primer: Facebook

If you love Facebook marketing for your business because it’s free,

Iyou are in love with nothing. No more than 6 percent of your followers will ever see your organic (aka ‘free’) posts, which is much lower than years past and is intentional on Facebook’s part. Why? Money. Facebook likes to make money, so it rewards businesses that spend money on its platform.

Don’t fret - there are some tricks to increase the number of people who see your organic posts before you spend money on Facebook advertising. Here are some tips to working with the Facebook algorithm from Hootsuite.

■ Start conversations that get people talking to each other.

According to Facebook, one of the algorithm’s key ranking signals is whether a user has previously engaged with your page. And while no one is going to interact with your brand page like they would with their friends’ pages, those likes and shares go a long way towards increasing your reach on future posts.

That means you have to put in the elbow grease before the algorithm can start to recognize and reward your page’s value. And by elbow grease that does not mean shoddy, obvious engagement bait. (The algorithm can tell, and it will down-rank your post and maybe even your page.) Pro Tip: The best way to earn more engagement is to be genuine. You don’t have to be controversial, you can try curious, funny, interesting, or inspiring. ■ Post often and consistently.

Pages that post often are more likely to be meaningful to their audience. Therefore, posting frequency is a ranking signal that can affect how high up in the newsfeed your posts are placed. ProTip: Look at your page’s analytics and create a content calendar so you always have something relevant to post. ■ Post high-quality videos longer than 3 minutes.

In May 2019, Facebook announced that the newsfeed will increasingly show quality, original videos. The algorithm is increasing the influence of these three ranking factors: • Loyalty and intent: Videos that people search for and return to; • Video length and view duration: Videos that people watch past the 1 minute mark, and that are longer than 3 minutes; • Originality: Videos that aren’t repurposed from other sources Pro Tip: Try using Facebook live video, which averages six times more engagement than regular video. ■

Anatomy of a good Facebook business page

1. Focus on the customer: Show images and content that interest them, not what you want them to see 2. Mix up content: Post videos, tips, cool photos and inspiration 3. Keep your images updated: This includes your logo, your banner. 4. Create a group: This helps organic reach because people engage with groups of like-minded people 5. Complete your profile, completely: This sounds like a no brainer, but it’s not uncommon for businesses to not choose a category or even have a broken url link.