Advertising Blog
why branding, marketing and pr matter
A common misconception that I hear a lot is that public relations (PR), marketing, and branding are all the same thing and that there’s no point in investing in all of them. While there might be some overlap here and there, these are three totally different...
Are you listening or are you hearing your clients?
I read a lot of blogs and articles that always tell you to talk to your clients. Really talk to them and find out what they want. I’ve encouraged you to do that too, but I forgot to mention a crucial piece of that – listening. Today I want to talk about what it means...
the popular marketing technique that boosts authenticity and grows businesses
The world has changed a lot in the last few years and people are craving connection now more than ever. The era of the traditional sales vehicles such as cold calls and sales pitch presentations is slowly fading into the background in favor of a different way to...
The “Math-y Stuff” that Will Grow Your Business
Numbers. Data. Metrics. Analytics. Whatever you want to call them, they matter. I know it seems maybe a little odd for a person in a creative field like graphic design to talk about them, but I have to talk about them – that’s how much they matter. Let’s chat about...
3 Basic Things a Business Should Do Before a Business Crisis Happens
I’ve seen a lot of people online chatting about branding and marketing lately, but they seem to only talk about how to set it up and what it is. They never seem to chat about how a crisis affects a brand. Before any crisis situation even happens, there are a few...
5 Things You Need to Craft a Good Sales Message
I’m not a professional copywriter, but I’ve written my fair share of sales messages over the years. Some were for clients who are struggling with their writing, but most were for me. I’ve also read a lot of sales messages and seen which ones have pulled in customers...
Why understanding where your marketing materials are going to be seen is important
If you’ve ever travelled or have family from another country, you’re well aware of the fact that communication is different in each country. Communication doesn’t just mean language, it’s also gestures, icons, and images as well. Now that the internet and social media...
What is Communication and Why it Matters for your business?
It’s the root of civilized society. It is what lets people connect or disconnect from each other. It’s what is letting you read this blog today! It’s important in business too! Of course, I’m talking about Communication, but what is it exactly. Today I’m going to...
Two Basic Types of Marketing that Work for Any Brand!
Every business I know needs to market their business. Some do this very well and others not so much. It seems like there are new marketing techniques that pop up every day. They all really boil down to two main types of marketing, Transactional and Relational. These...
The Importance of Communications and Sales in Design
If you’ve been around me for any length of time, you’ll have heard me tell you graphic design is not pretty pictures and it’s about communications and sales. Today, I’d like to dive deeper into that a little bit and chat about why it’s a communications and sales tool....
What is a CTA? and Why every marketing design need one?
CTA can stand for a lot of things! It can mean Call to Arms, Computer Tomography Angiography, and even Cumulative Translation Adjustment. However, in the marketing and design worlds CTA stands for Call to Action. A Call to Action is exactly like it sounds a statement...
Asking for Success: 3 ways to ask for client reviews or testimonials
Reviews! Testimonials! Feedback! No matter what you call them they really matter for your business as it is estimated that sales rise by over 50% when a business has around 10 current reviews. One of the hardest things to do for a lot of business owners is to find a...
3 design must haves on mailer postcards
For my clients in the USA, mailer postcards either using EDDM or through their own bulk mailing permits have been a super popular way for them to get their name and message out to potential or current customers. They are probably the number one thing I create and I...
Marketing Through the Mail: Basics about Postcards and EDDM
One of the main things I design all of the time is postcards. I always ask clients if they’re planning to mail them or not. The reasons why are many, but one of them is because I have to create a postcard for EDDM and mailing differently than a non-mailed one and I...
What to Discuss When Hiring a Graphic Designer
“How do I hire a graphic designer? What do I say?” I get asked this a lot especially as I network in my hometown and on the Internet. I figured since this question is so popular, I’d answer here for all of you too! Before you hire a graphic designer determine what...
Tips to Create Eye Catching Social Media Graphics
If you’ve been on the internet lately, you've likely signed up for a social media account. That means you’re busy creating graphics for posts along with videos, reels, stories, and more. While all of these things are important tools for marketing your businesses on...
Why A Good 30 Second Pitch Will Grow Your Business
I’ve been networking since practically day 1 of my business journey. Every meeting in every group I’ve been in wants you to do a 30-second introduction or pitch. Over the years, I’ve ended up getting a lot of attention for my introductions. Today I thought we’d...
Why Your Existing Clients Are Important for Success
I do a lot in my business to help small established businesses use graphic design to get more leads. That means I help them get new customers and that’s been a big focus in the entrepreneur and small business communities for a long time. I see ads all the time about...
How Graphic Design Can Help Your Business During Every Part of the Sales Cycle
Ultimately what I help businesses do is sell things or find the right people for them to sell their products or services. I have a pretty good understanding of the sales cycle because of this. The sales cycle is the term used to discuss the process a business goes...
Ask the Designer: Pitch Decks vs. Media Kits
I was watching a T.V. show the other day about a scrappy bunch of software developers in California. In the show the team of four nerdy guys is preparing for a meeting to present their company to potential investors. They kept talking about their clothes and the demo...