Improving the ROI Of Your Content Marketing Efforts

How To Improve the ROI Of Your Content Marketing

Content marketing can be expensive. So how do you make sure your investment pays off?

There are two main strategies for improving the ROI of your content marketing: reduce your costs and increase your effectiveness. This post will look at 8 ways to make sure you keep your content marketing costs down, and your effectiveness up!

1. Document your strategy

According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that have a documented strategy in place are more likely to find their content marketing effective. While 30% of all marketers reported that their efforts were effective, this number rose to 48% for those with a documented strategy.

Your strategy doesn’t have to complicated, but should contain a few key elements:

• Marketing personas: Who are you writing for? Who is your ideal customer?

• Which marketing channels do you plan to use, and how will you use them?
• Who will be responsible for various content marketing tasks?
• Which key metrics will you track?
• How will you calculate ROI?

Recommended by Forbes

2. Use calls to action in every piece of content

This may seem obvious, but apparently it’s not. According to research done by Small Business Trends and Online Marketing Coach, 70% of small businesses don’t even have a CTA on their home page (and I assume the same applies to other pages on their site).

Not every piece of content has to (or should) attempt to promote a product or service. However, each should certainly contain one strong call to action that tells the reader what to do next.

Which type of CTA you use will be dependent on where that piece of content fits within your funnel. For instance, if a blog post is intended to aid readers with researching a product, your CTA may suggest another piece of content that moves them along in the buying cycle.

For each piece of content you create, ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish here?”. 

3. Decide what content marketing success looks like for your business

If you don’t know what you’re striving for, how will you know when you get there? According to the Content Marketing Institute, 79% of the most effective B2B marketers have clarity when it comes to knowing what an effective content marketing strategy looks like; 77% of the least effective marketers lack this clarity.

Be clear about your content marketing goals, and how they relate to your overall business goals. Are you looking to drive traffic, engagement or sales? How would accomplishing these goals help you achieve business goals like increased brand awareness, lead generation or customer loyalty?

4. Lower your content marketing costs by focusing on the basics

I know…easier said than done, right? If you’re a small business operating on a small or non-existent marketing budget, you may need to start with the basics. Cover the bare essentials, and leave the more costly strategies for later.

Via: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2015/12/28/how-to-improve-the-roi-of-your-content-marketing/

Improving the ROI Of Your Content Marketing Efforts

How To Improve the ROI Of Your Content Marketing

Content marketing can be expensive. So how do you make sure your investment pays off?

There are two main strategies for improving the ROI of your content marketing: reduce your costs and increase your effectiveness. This post will look at 8 ways to make sure you keep your content marketing costs down, and your effectiveness up!

1. Document your strategy

According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that have a documented strategy in place are more likely to find their content marketing effective. While 30% of all marketers reported that their efforts were effective, this number rose to 48% for those with a documented strategy.

Your strategy doesn’t have to complicated, but should contain a few key elements:

• Marketing personas: Who are you writing for? Who is your ideal customer?

• Which marketing channels do you plan to use, and how will you use them?
• Who will be responsible for various content marketing tasks?
• Which key metrics will you track?
• How will you calculate ROI?

Recommended by Forbes

2. Use calls to action in every piece of content

This may seem obvious, but apparently it’s not. According to research done by Small Business Trends and Online Marketing Coach, 70% of small businesses don’t even have a CTA on their home page (and I assume the same applies to other pages on their site).

Not every piece of content has to (or should) attempt to promote a product or service. However, each should certainly contain one strong call to action that tells the reader what to do next.

Which type of CTA you use will be dependent on where that piece of content fits within your funnel. For instance, if a blog post is intended to aid readers with researching a product, your CTA may suggest another piece of content that moves them along in the buying cycle.

For each piece of content you create, ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish here?”. 

3. Decide what content marketing success looks like for your business

If you don’t know what you’re striving for, how will you know when you get there? According to the Content Marketing Institute, 79% of the most effective B2B marketers have clarity when it comes to knowing what an effective content marketing strategy looks like; 77% of the least effective marketers lack this clarity.

Be clear about your content marketing goals, and how they relate to your overall business goals. Are you looking to drive traffic, engagement or sales? How would accomplishing these goals help you achieve business goals like increased brand awareness, lead generation or customer loyalty?

4. Lower your content marketing costs by focusing on the basics

I know…easier said than done, right? If you’re a small business operating on a small or non-existent marketing budget, you may need to start with the basics. Cover the bare essentials, and leave the more costly strategies for later.

Via: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2015/12/28/how-to-improve-the-roi-of-your-content-marketing/

Improving the ROI Of Your Content Marketing Efforts

How To Improve the ROI Of Your Content Marketing

Content marketing can be expensive. So how do you make sure your investment pays off?

There are two main strategies for improving the ROI of your content marketing: reduce your costs and increase your effectiveness. This post will look at 8 ways to make sure you keep your content marketing costs down, and your effectiveness up!

1. Document your strategy

According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that have a documented strategy in place are more likely to find their content marketing effective. While 30% of all marketers reported that their efforts were effective, this number rose to 48% for those with a documented strategy.

Your strategy doesn’t have to complicated, but should contain a few key elements:

• Marketing personas: Who are you writing for? Who is your ideal customer?

• Which marketing channels do you plan to use, and how will you use them?
• Who will be responsible for various content marketing tasks?
• Which key metrics will you track?
• How will you calculate ROI?

Recommended by Forbes

2. Use calls to action in every piece of content

This may seem obvious, but apparently it’s not. According to research done by Small Business Trends and Online Marketing Coach, 70% of small businesses don’t even have a CTA on their home page (and I assume the same applies to other pages on their site).

Not every piece of content has to (or should) attempt to promote a product or service. However, each should certainly contain one strong call to action that tells the reader what to do next.

Which type of CTA you use will be dependent on where that piece of content fits within your funnel. For instance, if a blog post is intended to aid readers with researching a product, your CTA may suggest another piece of content that moves them along in the buying cycle.

For each piece of content you create, ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish here?”. 

3. Decide what content marketing success looks like for your business

If you don’t know what you’re striving for, how will you know when you get there? According to the Content Marketing Institute, 79% of the most effective B2B marketers have clarity when it comes to knowing what an effective content marketing strategy looks like; 77% of the least effective marketers lack this clarity.

Be clear about your content marketing goals, and how they relate to your overall business goals. Are you looking to drive traffic, engagement or sales? How would accomplishing these goals help you achieve business goals like increased brand awareness, lead generation or customer loyalty?

4. Lower your content marketing costs by focusing on the basics

I know…easier said than done, right? If you’re a small business operating on a small or non-existent marketing budget, you may need to start with the basics. Cover the bare essentials, and leave the more costly strategies for later.

Via: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2015/12/28/how-to-improve-the-roi-of-your-content-marketing/

The post Improving the ROI Of Your Content Marketing Efforts appeared first on Awesome Website Resources.

Improving the ROI Of Your Content Marketing Efforts

How To Improve the ROI Of Your Content Marketing

Content marketing can be expensive. So how do you make sure your investment pays off?

There are two main strategies for improving the ROI of your content marketing: reduce your costs and increase your effectiveness. This post will look at 8 ways to make sure you keep your content marketing costs down, and your effectiveness up!

1. Document your strategy

According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that have a documented strategy in place are more likely to find their content marketing effective. While 30% of all marketers reported that their efforts were effective, this number rose to 48% for those with a documented strategy.

Your strategy doesn’t have to complicated, but should contain a few key elements:

• Marketing personas: Who are you writing for? Who is your ideal customer?

• Which marketing channels do you plan to use, and how will you use them?
• Who will be responsible for various content marketing tasks?
• Which key metrics will you track?
• How will you calculate ROI?

Recommended by Forbes

2. Use calls to action in every piece of content

This may seem obvious, but apparently it’s not. According to research done by Small Business Trends and Online Marketing Coach, 70% of small businesses don’t even have a CTA on their home page (and I assume the same applies to other pages on their site).

Not every piece of content has to (or should) attempt to promote a product or service. However, each should certainly contain one strong call to action that tells the reader what to do next.

Which type of CTA you use will be dependent on where that piece of content fits within your funnel. For instance, if a blog post is intended to aid readers with researching a product, your CTA may suggest another piece of content that moves them along in the buying cycle.

For each piece of content you create, ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish here?”. 

3. Decide what content marketing success looks like for your business

If you don’t know what you’re striving for, how will you know when you get there? According to the Content Marketing Institute, 79% of the most effective B2B marketers have clarity when it comes to knowing what an effective content marketing strategy looks like; 77% of the least effective marketers lack this clarity.

Be clear about your content marketing goals, and how they relate to your overall business goals. Are you looking to drive traffic, engagement or sales? How would accomplishing these goals help you achieve business goals like increased brand awareness, lead generation or customer loyalty?

4. Lower your content marketing costs by focusing on the basics

I know…easier said than done, right? If you’re a small business operating on a small or non-existent marketing budget, you may need to start with the basics. Cover the bare essentials, and leave the more costly strategies for later.

Via: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2015/12/28/how-to-improve-the-roi-of-your-content-marketing/

Improving the ROI Of Your Content Marketing Efforts

How To Improve the ROI Of Your Content Marketing

Content marketing can be expensive. So how do you make sure your investment pays off?

There are two main strategies for improving the ROI of your content marketing: reduce your costs and increase your effectiveness. This post will look at 8 ways to make sure you keep your content marketing costs down, and your effectiveness up!

1. Document your strategy

According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that have a documented strategy in place are more likely to find their content marketing effective. While 30% of all marketers reported that their efforts were effective, this number rose to 48% for those with a documented strategy.

Your strategy doesn’t have to complicated, but should contain a few key elements:

• Marketing personas: Who are you writing for? Who is your ideal customer?

• Which marketing channels do you plan to use, and how will you use them?
• Who will be responsible for various content marketing tasks?
• Which key metrics will you track?
• How will you calculate ROI?

Recommended by Forbes

2. Use calls to action in every piece of content

This may seem obvious, but apparently it’s not. According to research done by Small Business Trends and Online Marketing Coach, 70% of small businesses don’t even have a CTA on their home page (and I assume the same applies to other pages on their site).

Not every piece of content has to (or should) attempt to promote a product or service. However, each should certainly contain one strong call to action that tells the reader what to do next.

Which type of CTA you use will be dependent on where that piece of content fits within your funnel. For instance, if a blog post is intended to aid readers with researching a product, your CTA may suggest another piece of content that moves them along in the buying cycle.

For each piece of content you create, ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish here?”. 

3. Decide what content marketing success looks like for your business

If you don’t know what you’re striving for, how will you know when you get there? According to the Content Marketing Institute, 79% of the most effective B2B marketers have clarity when it comes to knowing what an effective content marketing strategy looks like; 77% of the least effective marketers lack this clarity.

Be clear about your content marketing goals, and how they relate to your overall business goals. Are you looking to drive traffic, engagement or sales? How would accomplishing these goals help you achieve business goals like increased brand awareness, lead generation or customer loyalty?

4. Lower your content marketing costs by focusing on the basics

I know…easier said than done, right? If you’re a small business operating on a small or non-existent marketing budget, you may need to start with the basics. Cover the bare essentials, and leave the more costly strategies for later.

Via: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2015/12/28/how-to-improve-the-roi-of-your-content-marketing/

Designing for Corporate Identities

Design is difficult to define, because there is a broad range of skills, projects and people involved.

Marketers have their hands in the design pot – often dictating where a design should go and what needs to be changed. Executives sometimes voice their opinions as well, to ensure designs meet a corporate identity. Even the public can get involved – like in the case of Google’s logo update – people on the Web sounded off with their opinions.

The professionals at Virtual Focused Marketing who have to take all of this into consideration are the designers who have to plan, tweak, defend and rework their creative elements. When it comes to corporate design, their hands are often tied by those trying to maintain a certain image and recognition. For those in the workplace tasked with working with designers for the first time, here’s a list of considerations everyone must make when designing for corporate identity:

THE LOGO

The logo of your company should be designed for immediate recognition. There are probably a number of companies that you can identify simply by looking at a logo. The logo is a major aspect of your company’s branding strategy. It is what helps consumers differentiate your company from your competitors. A great logo along with great branding is crucial to corporate identity. Great logos are clean, simple and extremely easy to process making them memorable to consumers. Companies should really consider somehow adding what they actually offer into the logo. Pinterest, for example, has a “pin” incorporated into its logo as users “pin” clippings from across the Web.

TYPOGRAPHY

Well-proportioned fonts have a great impact on your website and marketing collateral. Appealing to visual senses through font can help someone focus on one idea and even act on it simply based on that font. One of the most successful fonts that is quite popular and has been around for the past half century is Helvetica. It is simple yet striking. The typography can enhance a company’s motto or message. Classic serif typefaces such as Times New Roman reflect companies that are conservative. 

COLOR

Designers need to take great care when designing visual identification marks for corporations, especially when it comes to color combinations. As a marketer, executive or the like, it’s important to trust your designer in this area (although everything including colors should be tested for audience response). Choosing the right color is crucial to the overall design since colors have different meanings and theories. Color can tell a lot about a corporation and how it conducts business. The colors you settle for should emphasize the philosophy and strategy of your corporation. Check out what brand colors say about your business here, or how color affects purchases or this infographic (a preview is shown below) on how businesses use color to affect emotion (infographic by Ruby Media). 

QUALITY

Quality is a very important element when it comes to graphic design. It defines your company’s policies, responsibilities and procedures. The quality of your company design is perceived as great quality in the products and services that you offer. Quality should reflect in every aspect of your company if you want to keep your customers coming back. You should not be afraid to splurge on quality design because it is what the customers see before they can actually try your product. This is especially true of Web design. The design of a website must meet consumers’ lofty expectations with elements like prominent and intuitive navigation and site search, as well as common functionality like having the logo in the left-hand corner which will take a visitor back to the homepage wherever they are on the site. Read, “4 Habits of Successful Web Designers.”

BRANDING

Your brand tells how your company is perceived by others. It is more than just the name of the company. Your brand identity communicates your company’s strategy in a way that will attract your target consumer group. Branding is not about giving your customers a choice but showing them that you are the only and best option to choose. It builds credibility and motivates your customers. How and where a company presents its value proposition is a good example of this (here’s what not to do). The image below is a preview of this infographic detailing what makes a successful value proposition. 

COMMUNITY

Building a community is also a crucial part of your business identity. Creating a dedicated and enthusiastic community around your product is a great way to boost your reputation by leveraging this power. While social media is a great place to foster a community (check out these examples), a business will need to ensure its design elements are consistent across channels to give consumers a sense of security that they are engaging with the same company and one that values their engagement across channels. 

DBA SUPPORT

With so many moving parts in corporate identity, a company would be wise to improve its database systems fro better business process. One way to do so is by enlisting the help of a DBA (database administrator) agency that can monitor critical systems round the clock to ensure that your data is well stored and protected. This, among other factors, can ensure designers have quick access to the information they need to uphold corporate identity and make sure those with malicious intent do not. 

– See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/12/24/a-beginner-s-look-at-design-for-corporate-identity.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.w4L8PB6b.dpuf

 

Designing for Corporate Identities

Design is difficult to define, because there is a broad range of skills, projects and people involved.

Marketers have their hands in the design pot – often dictating where a design should go and what needs to be changed. Executives sometimes voice their opinions as well, to ensure designs meet a corporate identity. Even the public can get involved – like in the case of Google’s logo update – people on the Web sounded off with their opinions.

The professionals at Virtual Focused Marketing who have to take all of this into consideration are the designers who have to plan, tweak, defend and rework their creative elements. When it comes to corporate design, their hands are often tied by those trying to maintain a certain image and recognition. For those in the workplace tasked with working with designers for the first time, here’s a list of considerations everyone must make when designing for corporate identity:

THE LOGO

The logo of your company should be designed for immediate recognition. There are probably a number of companies that you can identify simply by looking at a logo. The logo is a major aspect of your company’s branding strategy. It is what helps consumers differentiate your company from your competitors. A great logo along with great branding is crucial to corporate identity. Great logos are clean, simple and extremely easy to process making them memorable to consumers. Companies should really consider somehow adding what they actually offer into the logo. Pinterest, for example, has a “pin” incorporated into its logo as users “pin” clippings from across the Web.

TYPOGRAPHY

Well-proportioned fonts have a great impact on your website and marketing collateral. Appealing to visual senses through font can help someone focus on one idea and even act on it simply based on that font. One of the most successful fonts that is quite popular and has been around for the past half century is Helvetica. It is simple yet striking. The typography can enhance a company’s motto or message. Classic serif typefaces such as Times New Roman reflect companies that are conservative. 

COLOR

Designers need to take great care when designing visual identification marks for corporations, especially when it comes to color combinations. As a marketer, executive or the like, it’s important to trust your designer in this area (although everything including colors should be tested for audience response). Choosing the right color is crucial to the overall design since colors have different meanings and theories. Color can tell a lot about a corporation and how it conducts business. The colors you settle for should emphasize the philosophy and strategy of your corporation. Check out what brand colors say about your business here, or how color affects purchases or this infographic (a preview is shown below) on how businesses use color to affect emotion (infographic by Ruby Media). 

QUALITY

Quality is a very important element when it comes to graphic design. It defines your company’s policies, responsibilities and procedures. The quality of your company design is perceived as great quality in the products and services that you offer. Quality should reflect in every aspect of your company if you want to keep your customers coming back. You should not be afraid to splurge on quality design because it is what the customers see before they can actually try your product. This is especially true of Web design. The design of a website must meet consumers’ lofty expectations with elements like prominent and intuitive navigation and site search, as well as common functionality like having the logo in the left-hand corner which will take a visitor back to the homepage wherever they are on the site. Read, “4 Habits of Successful Web Designers.”

BRANDING

Your brand tells how your company is perceived by others. It is more than just the name of the company. Your brand identity communicates your company’s strategy in a way that will attract your target consumer group. Branding is not about giving your customers a choice but showing them that you are the only and best option to choose. It builds credibility and motivates your customers. How and where a company presents its value proposition is a good example of this (here’s what not to do). The image below is a preview of this infographic detailing what makes a successful value proposition. 

COMMUNITY

Building a community is also a crucial part of your business identity. Creating a dedicated and enthusiastic community around your product is a great way to boost your reputation by leveraging this power. While social media is a great place to foster a community (check out these examples), a business will need to ensure its design elements are consistent across channels to give consumers a sense of security that they are engaging with the same company and one that values their engagement across channels. 

DBA SUPPORT

With so many moving parts in corporate identity, a company would be wise to improve its database systems fro better business process. One way to do so is by enlisting the help of a DBA (database administrator) agency that can monitor critical systems round the clock to ensure that your data is well stored and protected. This, among other factors, can ensure designers have quick access to the information they need to uphold corporate identity and make sure those with malicious intent do not. 

– See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/12/24/a-beginner-s-look-at-design-for-corporate-identity.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.w4L8PB6b.dpuf

Designing for Corporate Identities

Design is difficult to define, because there is a broad range of skills, projects and people involved.

Marketers have their hands in the design pot – often dictating where a design should go and what needs to be changed. Executives sometimes voice their opinions as well, to ensure designs meet a corporate identity. Even the public can get involved – like in the case of Google’s logo update – people on the Web sounded off with their opinions.

The professionals at Virtual Focused Marketing who have to take all of this into consideration are the designers who have to plan, tweak, defend and rework their creative elements. When it comes to corporate design, their hands are often tied by those trying to maintain a certain image and recognition. For those in the workplace tasked with working with designers for the first time, here’s a list of considerations everyone must make when designing for corporate identity:

THE LOGO

The logo of your company should be designed for immediate recognition. There are probably a number of companies that you can identify simply by looking at a logo. The logo is a major aspect of your company’s branding strategy. It is what helps consumers differentiate your company from your competitors. A great logo along with great branding is crucial to corporate identity. Great logos are clean, simple and extremely easy to process making them memorable to consumers. Companies should really consider somehow adding what they actually offer into the logo. Pinterest, for example, has a “pin” incorporated into its logo as users “pin” clippings from across the Web.

TYPOGRAPHY

Well-proportioned fonts have a great impact on your website and marketing collateral. Appealing to visual senses through font can help someone focus on one idea and even act on it simply based on that font. One of the most successful fonts that is quite popular and has been around for the past half century is Helvetica. It is simple yet striking. The typography can enhance a company’s motto or message. Classic serif typefaces such as Times New Roman reflect companies that are conservative. 

COLOR

Designers need to take great care when designing visual identification marks for corporations, especially when it comes to color combinations. As a marketer, executive or the like, it’s important to trust your designer in this area (although everything including colors should be tested for audience response). Choosing the right color is crucial to the overall design since colors have different meanings and theories. Color can tell a lot about a corporation and how it conducts business. The colors you settle for should emphasize the philosophy and strategy of your corporation. Check out what brand colors say about your business here, or how color affects purchases or this infographic (a preview is shown below) on how businesses use color to affect emotion (infographic by Ruby Media). 

QUALITY

Quality is a very important element when it comes to graphic design. It defines your company’s policies, responsibilities and procedures. The quality of your company design is perceived as great quality in the products and services that you offer. Quality should reflect in every aspect of your company if you want to keep your customers coming back. You should not be afraid to splurge on quality design because it is what the customers see before they can actually try your product. This is especially true of Web design. The design of a website must meet consumers’ lofty expectations with elements like prominent and intuitive navigation and site search, as well as common functionality like having the logo in the left-hand corner which will take a visitor back to the homepage wherever they are on the site. Read, “4 Habits of Successful Web Designers.”

BRANDING

Your brand tells how your company is perceived by others. It is more than just the name of the company. Your brand identity communicates your company’s strategy in a way that will attract your target consumer group. Branding is not about giving your customers a choice but showing them that you are the only and best option to choose. It builds credibility and motivates your customers. How and where a company presents its value proposition is a good example of this (here’s what not to do). The image below is a preview of this infographic detailing what makes a successful value proposition. 

COMMUNITY

Building a community is also a crucial part of your business identity. Creating a dedicated and enthusiastic community around your product is a great way to boost your reputation by leveraging this power. While social media is a great place to foster a community (check out these examples), a business will need to ensure its design elements are consistent across channels to give consumers a sense of security that they are engaging with the same company and one that values their engagement across channels. 

DBA SUPPORT

With so many moving parts in corporate identity, a company would be wise to improve its database systems fro better business process. One way to do so is by enlisting the help of a DBA (database administrator) agency that can monitor critical systems round the clock to ensure that your data is well stored and protected. This, among other factors, can ensure designers have quick access to the information they need to uphold corporate identity and make sure those with malicious intent do not. 

– See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/12/24/a-beginner-s-look-at-design-for-corporate-identity.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.w4L8PB6b.dpuf

Designing for Corporate Identities

Design is difficult to define, because there is a broad range of skills, projects and people involved.

Marketers have their hands in the design pot – often dictating where a design should go and what needs to be changed. Executives sometimes voice their opinions as well, to ensure designs meet a corporate identity. Even the public can get involved – like in the case of Google’s logo update – people on the Web sounded off with their opinions.

The professionals at Virtual Focused Marketing who have to take all of this into consideration are the designers who have to plan, tweak, defend and rework their creative elements. When it comes to corporate design, their hands are often tied by those trying to maintain a certain image and recognition. For those in the workplace tasked with working with designers for the first time, here’s a list of considerations everyone must make when designing for corporate identity:

THE LOGO

The logo of your company should be designed for immediate recognition. There are probably a number of companies that you can identify simply by looking at a logo. The logo is a major aspect of your company’s branding strategy. It is what helps consumers differentiate your company from your competitors. A great logo along with great branding is crucial to corporate identity. Great logos are clean, simple and extremely easy to process making them memorable to consumers. Companies should really consider somehow adding what they actually offer into the logo. Pinterest, for example, has a “pin” incorporated into its logo as users “pin” clippings from across the Web.

TYPOGRAPHY

Well-proportioned fonts have a great impact on your website and marketing collateral. Appealing to visual senses through font can help someone focus on one idea and even act on it simply based on that font. One of the most successful fonts that is quite popular and has been around for the past half century is Helvetica. It is simple yet striking. The typography can enhance a company’s motto or message. Classic serif typefaces such as Times New Roman reflect companies that are conservative. 

COLOR

Designers need to take great care when designing visual identification marks for corporations, especially when it comes to color combinations. As a marketer, executive or the like, it’s important to trust your designer in this area (although everything including colors should be tested for audience response). Choosing the right color is crucial to the overall design since colors have different meanings and theories. Color can tell a lot about a corporation and how it conducts business. The colors you settle for should emphasize the philosophy and strategy of your corporation. Check out what brand colors say about your business here, or how color affects purchases or this infographic (a preview is shown below) on how businesses use color to affect emotion (infographic by Ruby Media). 

QUALITY

Quality is a very important element when it comes to graphic design. It defines your company’s policies, responsibilities and procedures. The quality of your company design is perceived as great quality in the products and services that you offer. Quality should reflect in every aspect of your company if you want to keep your customers coming back. You should not be afraid to splurge on quality design because it is what the customers see before they can actually try your product. This is especially true of Web design. The design of a website must meet consumers’ lofty expectations with elements like prominent and intuitive navigation and site search, as well as common functionality like having the logo in the left-hand corner which will take a visitor back to the homepage wherever they are on the site. Read, “4 Habits of Successful Web Designers.”

BRANDING

Your brand tells how your company is perceived by others. It is more than just the name of the company. Your brand identity communicates your company’s strategy in a way that will attract your target consumer group. Branding is not about giving your customers a choice but showing them that you are the only and best option to choose. It builds credibility and motivates your customers. How and where a company presents its value proposition is a good example of this (here’s what not to do). The image below is a preview of this infographic detailing what makes a successful value proposition. 

COMMUNITY

Building a community is also a crucial part of your business identity. Creating a dedicated and enthusiastic community around your product is a great way to boost your reputation by leveraging this power. While social media is a great place to foster a community (check out these examples), a business will need to ensure its design elements are consistent across channels to give consumers a sense of security that they are engaging with the same company and one that values their engagement across channels. 

DBA SUPPORT

With so many moving parts in corporate identity, a company would be wise to improve its database systems fro better business process. One way to do so is by enlisting the help of a DBA (database administrator) agency that can monitor critical systems round the clock to ensure that your data is well stored and protected. This, among other factors, can ensure designers have quick access to the information they need to uphold corporate identity and make sure those with malicious intent do not. 

– See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/12/24/a-beginner-s-look-at-design-for-corporate-identity.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.w4L8PB6b.dpuf

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Designing for Corporate Identities

Design is difficult to define, because there is a broad range of skills, projects and people involved.

Marketers have their hands in the design pot – often dictating where a design should go and what needs to be changed. Executives sometimes voice their opinions as well, to ensure designs meet a corporate identity. Even the public can get involved – like in the case of Google’s logo update – people on the Web sounded off with their opinions.

The professionals at Virtual Focused Marketing who have to take all of this into consideration are the designers who have to plan, tweak, defend and rework their creative elements. When it comes to corporate design, their hands are often tied by those trying to maintain a certain image and recognition. For those in the workplace tasked with working with designers for the first time, here’s a list of considerations everyone must make when designing for corporate identity:

THE LOGO

The logo of your company should be designed for immediate recognition. There are probably a number of companies that you can identify simply by looking at a logo. The logo is a major aspect of your company’s branding strategy. It is what helps consumers differentiate your company from your competitors. A great logo along with great branding is crucial to corporate identity. Great logos are clean, simple and extremely easy to process making them memorable to consumers. Companies should really consider somehow adding what they actually offer into the logo. Pinterest, for example, has a “pin” incorporated into its logo as users “pin” clippings from across the Web.

TYPOGRAPHY

Well-proportioned fonts have a great impact on your website and marketing collateral. Appealing to visual senses through font can help someone focus on one idea and even act on it simply based on that font. One of the most successful fonts that is quite popular and has been around for the past half century is Helvetica. It is simple yet striking. The typography can enhance a company’s motto or message. Classic serif typefaces such as Times New Roman reflect companies that are conservative. 

COLOR

Designers need to take great care when designing visual identification marks for corporations, especially when it comes to color combinations. As a marketer, executive or the like, it’s important to trust your designer in this area (although everything including colors should be tested for audience response). Choosing the right color is crucial to the overall design since colors have different meanings and theories. Color can tell a lot about a corporation and how it conducts business. The colors you settle for should emphasize the philosophy and strategy of your corporation. Check out what brand colors say about your business here, or how color affects purchases or this infographic (a preview is shown below) on how businesses use color to affect emotion (infographic by Ruby Media). 

QUALITY

Quality is a very important element when it comes to graphic design. It defines your company’s policies, responsibilities and procedures. The quality of your company design is perceived as great quality in the products and services that you offer. Quality should reflect in every aspect of your company if you want to keep your customers coming back. You should not be afraid to splurge on quality design because it is what the customers see before they can actually try your product. This is especially true of Web design. The design of a website must meet consumers’ lofty expectations with elements like prominent and intuitive navigation and site search, as well as common functionality like having the logo in the left-hand corner which will take a visitor back to the homepage wherever they are on the site. Read, “4 Habits of Successful Web Designers.”

BRANDING

Your brand tells how your company is perceived by others. It is more than just the name of the company. Your brand identity communicates your company’s strategy in a way that will attract your target consumer group. Branding is not about giving your customers a choice but showing them that you are the only and best option to choose. It builds credibility and motivates your customers. How and where a company presents its value proposition is a good example of this (here’s what not to do). The image below is a preview of this infographic detailing what makes a successful value proposition. 

COMMUNITY

Building a community is also a crucial part of your business identity. Creating a dedicated and enthusiastic community around your product is a great way to boost your reputation by leveraging this power. While social media is a great place to foster a community (check out these examples), a business will need to ensure its design elements are consistent across channels to give consumers a sense of security that they are engaging with the same company and one that values their engagement across channels. 

DBA SUPPORT

With so many moving parts in corporate identity, a company would be wise to improve its database systems fro better business process. One way to do so is by enlisting the help of a DBA (database administrator) agency that can monitor critical systems round the clock to ensure that your data is well stored and protected. This, among other factors, can ensure designers have quick access to the information they need to uphold corporate identity and make sure those with malicious intent do not. 

– See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/12/24/a-beginner-s-look-at-design-for-corporate-identity.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.w4L8PB6b.dpuf

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