Design, color and trends change often in the design industry and Malena Kaplan knew it was time to update her brand.  Wanting to give her clients a more polished and professional image Malena wanted to include some of the hottest colors found in today’s design industry. Taking inspiration from some of her favorite design elements the new brand speaks well for design services.

Invest, Invest, Invest

That one little word can mean so much and do so much more for your business. Also at the same time cause you the most fear. There are two ways to invest in your business, Time and Money.  Knowing when and how much of both are the greatest challenges a business owner can face. So here are a few things to think about when investing in your business.

Invest Time

• One thing that doesn’t cost you anything but means the most is your time.  Investing time can mean anything from going to seminars, attending webinars, doing market research, reading industry related blogs and articles; to creating new marketing materials.  Keeping your business up-to-date with new trends is vital to making sure your business succeeds. Take this time to make new contacts and to tell your current clients you’re appreciative of their loyalty. Block out 4 hours every week to invest TIME into your business. If you have a business you are passionate about and love, your time is well spent.

 Invest Money

• You are constantly questioning yourself. Can I afford to? What if I lose my money? What if my business fails? These are common concerns, but like the old saying goes “it takes money to make money”.  No matter how tight your money is, you need to invest at least a little bit of money. Use this type of investing in marketing, advertising, joining groups or clubs and business development.

The one thing to remember is if you are unwilling to invest in your business, who will want to invest in you.

By investing in your business it shows that you have confidence and are willing to take a risk on your future.

Do you see it?  Can you tell?  The landscape of marketing is changing! 

Those that are succeeding in business now are those that are embracing the change and adding a touch of creativity and experimenting with different ways to reach their customers.

It’s time to spend some time investing in your business.  Below are a few ideas meant to spur your creativity and motivate you to try some new “one of a kind marketing” approaches, designed especially for the decorating industry?

• Do the opposite…
  Most times companies get caught up in competing for the same products and services as their competitors.  They want the same things only done better.  The clue to a successful business is to stand out among your competitors.  Make a list of all the products and services your competitors offer and then do the complete opposite.  Do they advertise to realtors?  You should advertise to the seller!  Do they only do black and white ads?  You should always advertise in color.  Do they send out email advertisements?  You should send them snail mail.  Do they speak at a local Women’s Club every month?  You should be speaking at a Home Improvement Center.  By doing the opposite of your competitors you will not only be getting yourself in front of a new set of eyes; you will get noticed for being you and not blending into the crowd.

• Create a mascot…
  We all know the GEICO lizard, the swoosh from Nike, the Energizer Bunny and many more; so why not create a mascot or a spokesperson for you company.  It does not matter that you are a small company, what does matter is that people remember you.  Include your mascot in all of your marketing, add him to your car signage, present him at all sponsored events and make him like an employee.  People love them!

• Make an impression…
  When was the last time you received a letter from someone?  In today’s electronic age everything is done via email which makes the long lost art of letter sending obsolete.  Can you imagine the impression you would make if you sent a potential client your portfolio as a hard copy via snail mail?  Are you worried about cost?  Try printing on your own printers, get creative with your binding (ribbons work great), and skip the fancy envelopes.

• Start something new…
  Getting your name out there sometimes can be the toughest part of owning your own business.  Try creating an event that is designed around your expertise.  It can be an annual picnic in the park with a contest to design the best picnic table or how about a neighborhood holiday decorating contest with judging, prizes and a get together afterwards.  Use your imagination!  By spending the time to put together an event that is associated with your industry, you appear as a competent and involved company that everyone wants to be around.

• Record your own video…
  Your day is probably filled with funny mishaps, interesting jobs and office drama.  There is nothing like seeing a business at work.  You may find it mundane and non-interesting but showing your clients what you do each day gives them an inside look at your business.  Just record your day and upload the best clips to YouTube …you never know you may get your clients enjoying what you do and want to be a part of it.

I hope these “One of a Kind Marketing” approaches has got you thinking and will start you using your imagination to grow your business!

Looking for a way to make your monthly newsletter stand out? Check out the mini-mag!

1. Go mobile! It is predicted that by 2015 nearly half of all U.S. mobile phone subscribers will own a smartphone. By optimizing your website for viewing on an iPhone or other mobile device you are ensuring your marketing is reaching all possibilities. Note: Go look at your site on a mobile device you may be shocked at how your site displays!
2. Become an industry guru. Your clients look to you as the expert, don’t be afraid to utilize social media, blogging and email marketing to share your knowledge in an effort to build your personal or company brand. Example: Post short easy to implement decorating tips your clients can do themselves.
3. Develop a referral program. We are in a referral economy where consumers are increasingly relying more heavily on third-party reviews – from friends or online review sites – to make decisions about brand selection. Example: Drive more traffic to your business by offering a paid referral fee.
4. Experiment with QR (Quick Response) codes. It’s a square bar code smartphone users can scan to be taken directly to a targeted Web page. Example: Add the code to the back of your business card which links directly to your newsletter signup page on your mobile site.
5. Less is more! Increase subscriber engagement. Encourage conversations on your social media and broadcast less. The real value in your social media activity lies in interacting with your followers as engagement leads to brand loyalty so start conversations rather than just posting. Example: Find a beautifully designed room in your local town, run a contest and share hints to its location each day asking for your readers to find the spot.  Offer a free design consultation to the one who guess the location first.
6. Its’ the video age. YouTube generates more than 2 billion views a day; that’s double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. networks combined. Example: Gather video testimonials from your customers or feature your team in action and upload them to YouTube. Don’t forget to add a link on your website.
7. Formalize a customer feedback strategy. Develop a strategy for ensuring you are regularly requesting customer feedback allowing you to deal with potential issues before you lose a precious piece of business. Example: Leave a feedback form with each client and offer a small gift when it’s returned.
8. Get more ‘face time’…spend more time with prospects and customers. Social media networking is not enough. Reclaim the lost art of face-to-face communication. Example: Join your local Chamber, BNI or local networking groups.

There are so many different features you can add to your newsletter that can make it stand out in your readers mind and one they will actually look forward to getting it each month.  Here are a few ideas to think about when creating your next newsletter:

Surveys
Including a survey is an easy way to get your readers engaged in your newsletter and sometimes even a  way to get some marketing research out of your newsletter.

Pictures
Adding images is a great way to peak interest in a newsletter a way you can break up the words, enticing readers to do more than just read your newsletter.

Videos
Got something funny, interesting, or relevant to share with your audience? Can you show readers in a video how to do something? Upload it and share.

Blog Post
Do you maintain a blog? Incorporate it into your email marketing efforts. Your blog is an interactive piece of your company; it’s easy to bring part of your newsletter into your blog. In your blog, you can ask your readers if there is anything they’d like to see in your next newsletter. If you’re having a contest (we’ll talk about this later) announce your winner in a blog post (as well as the following newsletter.) Doing this will not only create interaction between your newsletter and your readers, but promote your blog a little more.

Giveaways
WIN FREE STUFF! No three words could ever offer more incentive than these three. The thing about a contest is, even if the readers are REALLY only interested in winning free stuff, it still keeps them around longer than they might have. While they’re scrolling your newsletter for the giveaway offer, they’re reading other items that may be of interest to them.

Questions and Answers
They’ve got questions, you’ve got answers. You’re the professional; they come to you for products, services, or information—let them ask some of the hard hitting questions and prove your worth to them by answering them. It gives you interaction for your current newsletter and content in the next issue.

Dazzle Your Clients with a Mini-mag
Don’t settle for the static one page newsletter format that everyone uses, today’s successful entrepreneur uses the Mini-mag created by Your Success Studio. Cost effective, unique, personalized, the mini-mag assures the world, you are the expert.