Graphic Design Infinite Reach Communicating Visually

The Ins and Outs of Graphic Design & Communicating Visually

November 16, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Branding, Social Media /by Janelle Nodar

Graphic design is everywhere around you! It delivers messages on everything from what cereal to buy at the store to what the discount or promo code is for a certain week. From street signs to billboards to the logos on your t-shirts to the packaging of that online order you purchased, graphic design is a way to quickly communicate an idea using visuals.

Words, photos, illustrations and text are just a few examples of how graphic design is displayed on things we see on the daily. Graphic design is a way to tell a story in a matter of seconds with only a few words, or simply an exciting/eye drawing image.

Layout

A page full of words is still an example of graphic design. Think of a magazine article – there is a variety of ways the words can be organized on the page. You can divide them into columns or bubbles, you can stagger certain words and place images in between paragraphs, add a header to the page – the possibilities are seemingly endless. The page layout depends on the message and the audience, but it is nonetheless graphic design in some way.

Typeface

The text you decide to use alone communicates an idea. Compare Times New Roman to any other font. Times New Roman is commonly found in newspapers and academic journals/articles, typically to communicate formality, importance, or professionalism. Since this is historically how this specific font has always been used, when you see this particular font you take the information that’s written with it seriously. Not many designers would use this text to design a poster because it’s not visually stimulating enough or appropriate. Each font you consider when designing something needs to be appropriate for the particular audience you’re targeting the image to.

Images and Words

Graphic designers often use photos and illustrations along with words because it’s an effective way to convey something quickly. Imagine you’re driving and see a billboard advertisement with a picture of a juicy steak that says “Hungry?” right underneath. Go ahead and compare that to a billboard with only words saying, “Eat a juicy steak if you’re hungry.” Which do you think is more effective?

Logos

One of the fastest ways to communicate something is with a symbol, such as a logo. Most companies/brands will use color and imagery to reflect their values. As a company or organization develops, their specific logo slowly yet surely becomes a part of them – synonymous with their reputation. Logos are a symbol of trust and ownership of a product.

When you see a little white apple, you most likely associate that with Apple, the multinational technology company. When you see that huge yellow and red ‘M,’ you think of McDonald’s. The logo instantly communicates the value and safety of that certain product. The second you see a certain logo, you immediately decide if you trust that brand and want to use those products.

So, Graphic Design…

So, what exactly is graphic design? I hope this blog post summed it up for you! It’s a fast and effective method to communicate visually with a certain audience. Every logo, text, layout and image screams a message. When designed well, your audience will immediately understand its quick coding system. The world would be a much more difficult place to decipher without graphic design.

Do your marketing materials need a refresh? Lucky for you, now through November 30th, Infinite Reach is offering 15% off all graphic design projects! Including flyers, social media graphics, business cards, sales sheets, posters, brochures and more! Contact us today!

Infinite Reach Facebook page likes blog post

How to Increase your Facebook Page Likes

October 17, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Internet Marketing, Social Media /by Kellie Meisenheimer

Now that you have created your Facebook Business page, you may be wondering how to build a following and get Facebook page likes. Well, unfortunately there is no one, simple trick to gain followers. It takes time and commitment. You have to be dedicated to providing your fans with quality content and a reason to engage with your brand. These tips will help you get started growing your following.

Fill Out Your Page Completely

When you create your business page make sure you complete all the sections. People want to know who you are and what you are all about. On your ‘About’ page, make sure you include a complete description of your business, along with your website, address, and your hours of operation. The more information you give your audience, the more chances you have of connecting with fans.

Another aspect of your page that you should pay special attention to is your profile picture and cover photo. These images are often the first thing people see when they come to your page, so you want to make sure that they look professional, and are in keeping with your brand.

Promote Your Page Outside of Facebook

Once you have created your page, you will want to let your current clients, customers, and friends know about it. There are many ways to promote your page outside of Facebook. The first thing you should do is include a link to your page to your email signature. This is usually very easy to do, a quick google search on “how to add a Facebook link” to your email platform will provide you with plenty of information on how to install the link.

The second thing you can do to promote your page outside the platform, is to include a Facebook link on your website. There are several ways you can do this. You can add it to the header and footer of your pages, or place it in the top corner of the page, depending on your current layout. You can also include a link to your Facebook page in your blog posts. The easier you make it for people to get to and like your page, the more likely you are to grow your following.

When it comes to growing your fan base, the key is to promote, promote, promote! The more you promote your Facebook page, the more people will see it. You can promote your business page on your other social platforms. You can add links to your Facebook page in you twitter posts, and in your Google+ updates. Including a link to your Facebook page in your LinkedIn profile can be invaluable in reaching like minded people to connect with on your Facebook page. After all, you are already connected on LinkedIn, so you must have some things in common already. It is easier to convert those who are already interested, or those who feel they have a connection to you and your brand.

There are many ways to gain followers on Facebook. When you are trying to gain an initial following, the more your fans know about you, the better. The more connected they feel to you, the more connected they will feel to your brand. Now get out there, promote your new Facebook Business page and grow your following!

infinite reach instagram social media take over

Instagram Is Taking Over Social Media – Do You Agree?

September 14, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Marketing, Social Media /by Janelle Nodar

If you’re not addicted to checking your Instagram feed at least five times a day, you probably know a few people who are. Instagram is quickly becoming the most popular social media app – not only for its ability to share photos, but because it’s become more of a network. It’s great for new membership growth, for social sharing, for ad sales, for engagement and so much more.

This social media app was launched in 2010. Look how far it has come in just six years:

Instagram is growing 5X faster than social media in general.
Earlier this year, they announced the user community reached more than 500 million users.
More than 300 million people use Instagram every day.
80 million photos and videos are shared daily. (Insane!)
According to eMarketer research, 51.8% of social network users will use Instagram by 2017. (Which is not too far off from right now. I can’t believe it’s already September!)

Instagram For Business

“Instagram lets you bring your business to life on mobile. And now, Business Tools give you the ability to stand out, learn more about your followers and reach more customers on Instagram.”

This social networking site is a place to share photos and videos with friends and family, but also where businesses can grow and thrive. If you’re trying to raise awareness of your business, get people to your website or store, or even sell more products, this is the place to go.

Selling

If you’ve been a true Insta fan since day one like myself, you’d know that there are way more ads than there used to be. Through endless scrolling of the app on my phone, I’ve noticed myself stopping a lot more times just to see what exactly the “Sponsored” ad is this time that’s interrupting my scroll. This is because the network opened their ad platform to many Facebook Marketing Partners, such as Hootsuite and Kenshoo.

Through the new providers, marketers and brands, both big and small, are able to buy ads and start reaching out to Instagram users via ad content. Now that there’s a massive audience on this social network alone, there’s money to be made. After Instagram made this announcement, brands quickly discovered its selling power – especially eCommerce companies, more specifically those who target millennials.

“Electronic commerce or Ecommerce is a term for any type of business, or commercial transaction, that involves the transfer of information across the Internet” (Source). Instagram’s engaged audience is ideal for Ecommerce because you can directly market something to them by placing something visually striking in front of a person’s very eyes.

Once you see the “Sponsored” ad, you also see call to action buttons such as “Shop Now,” “Install Now,” “Sign Up,” and “Learn More.” This explains why, according to Yotpo.com, 30% of Instagram users have purchased products discovered on Instagram. Ads seem to be really working!

You Can Now Zoom

Instagram has taken a step towards fixing its photo and video size problem by installing a new feature – pinch-to-zoom. This allows people to finally take closer look at the images and videos that their followers post on this social media site. This small addition was something the world has been asking for for months! It truly does keep getting better.

Personally, Insta is my go-to app when I need my social media fix. It’s fun, interactive and let’s you be completely creative. For years it’s been making their users happy, and now, consumer brands happy as well. Take advantage of all this app/site has to offer.

How do you use Instagram? Whether it’s for personal use or for your business, I’d love to read about it in the comments!

Infinite Reach Building Twitter Engagement Blog

Tips for Building Twitter Engagement

September 7, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Internet Marketing, Social Media /by Kellie Meisenheimer

Twitter is an extremely popular and important social media platform. It currently has over 270 million active monthly users who send more than 500 million tweets per day.

Can you even imagine…500 million tweets a day? It is mind-boggling to say the least. (don’t worry, I am not going to advise you to send millions of tweets per day!) If you are still asking yourself whether Twitter is important or not when it comes to your social media presence- the answer is Yes!

Now that you know you need to be more involved on Twitter, here are some excellent tips for building Twitter engagement and gaining followers.

Building Twitter Engagement

Building engagement on any social media site takes time and attention, and Twitter is no different. (Check out this article on Facebook Engagement) Everywhere you look these days you see people interacting with social media. But they are not just blindly following everyone, they only follow brands that they feel offer them something of real value.

There is some confusion as to what exactly engagement means in the social media world. What engagement means on Twitter is, any time someone reacts to your posts or talks about, or to, you. That is, whenever someone likes, re-tweets, clicks on, or comments on your posts. As well as any time someone responds to you, sends you a message, or mentions you in a tweet.

Include Images in Your Tweets

Now let’s talk about how to build this engagement. One of the best ways to get attention is by using images in your tweets. Sandra Vega from Twitter reports that Tweets that include rich media like images and video’s, get an average of 313% more engagement and over 50% more re-tweets.

Images can include photos, funny memes, inspirational quotes, video’s, or infographics to name a few. Funny and inspirational posts are great for building engagement. Everyone likes to laugh and they feel more inclined to share something that makes them feel happy.

Use Hashtags in Your Tweets

This may seem like redundant advice. I mean it is Twitter, and they did invent the Hashtag! But most people either don’t use hashtags, or worse yet, don’t use them correctly. Hashtags were invented by Twitter as a way to categorize the posts.

The most important thing to remember when using hashtags is not to use too many. Nobody wants to read a post that is all hashtags. It becomes hard to read and looks more like a commercial or sales pitch than real, sincere content. Your followers can see through shallow attempts to get their attention by using a lot of hashtags. The general rule is not more than 3 to 4 hashtags per post.

Include Links in Your Tweets

Now that we have talked about images and hashtags, the third thing you should be including in your tweets is links to articles and websites. Providing something of value to your customers means searching out articles and websites that can help your followers solve a problem or issue they may be having.

Including a link to a credible and authoritative website will not only help your followers, it will help you in many ways. It will help you become more credible and authoritative. This is one of the times when being ‘guilty by association’ is a good thing. It can also help you gain followers.

When your current group shares your tweet, their friends naturally become curious about the company they are re-tweeting. Then they make their way to your page. It is a win-win. Believe it or not, it strengthens their relationship with their friend at the same time it allows them to grow a new relationship with you and your brand.

Navigating the Twittersphere can be confusing, but if you follow these three pieces of advice you will do well. As a matter of fact, Sandra Vega of Twitter says the formula for the perfect Tweet is (Image + Hashtag + link). So get out there and create an engaged following.

If you have any questions or need help with Twitter or any other Social Media Platforms, contact us today!

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Pinterest: How to Pin for Your Business

August 17, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Social Media /by Janelle Nodar

What exactly is Pinterest? For those of you unfamiliar with this amazing social network, Pinterest is “the world’s catalog of ideas.” Find and save Pins of recipes, DIY projects, parenting hacks, style inspirations and many other ideas.

Other social networks like the ever so popular Facebook are often what businesses tend to flock to, but many don’t realize how the visual aspects of a platform like Pinterest can also benefit them as a whole. Here’s everything you need to know, including tips and tools to help you get more from Pinterest.

How Does It Work?

The first step to use Pinterest is to sign up and create an account. It’s extremely important that businesses sign up specifically for a business account, which have similar features but are ultimately different than a regular account. But don’t worry… you can convert your personal account to a business account!

Business accounts have access to Pinterest Analytics, which helps you understand how people are engaging with content from your site and Pins from your profile. When you sign up as a business, you’ll also get updates on future products and services that Pinterest builds for businesses particularly. Not only is an account free, but you now have access to features that will help your business thrive on the platform.

To sign up for a business account, you’ll need to enter some personal information: your email address, a password, the name of your business and what type of business you run. After this is completed, you can start to set up your profile.

Another wonderful thing about this platform is that you can access your home feed from your laptop or mobile app. Since I’m always on my phone, I find the app to be the most convenient; I’m guilty of endless scrolling! On your home feed you will see the most recent Pins from the accounts that you follow. It’s the perfect setup for seamless browsing.

Across the top you’ll see a search bar. To the left, there’s the Pinterest logo (which takes you back to the home page when clicked), as well as menu options for Analytics and Ads. To the right there is a drop-down menu, which displays links to all of the categories you can browse through on the platform.

Go a little more to the right side and you’ll see a “+” button and a chat button.

The “+” buttons allows you to add a new Pin or create a new ad. When clicked, the chat bubble button shows a drop-down menu with three options: News, You and Messages.

News displays trending Pins and other site updates
You shows your notifications from other users that interact with your Pins
Messages are your messages with other Pinterest users

If you don’t know what Pins and Boards are, I’m here to help! In the simplest terms, Pins are the content, like articles or images, that you share on Pinterest. Boards are how you choose to organize that content. You can’t start Pinning until you create a board.

Creating Your Boards

To create your first Pinterest board, you have to go to your profile where you’ll see a red Create Board button. Once you click that, a box will pop up with the information you need to fill in about the board.

Here you can enter a name for your board, a description of what it’s about and the category it falls under. While these may be optional, I would suggest filling them out because they can help people discover your boards more often.

Another cool feature is keeping your board secret, if you’d like to be the only one to have access or share with only a few people rather than all of your followers. You can also add “Collaborators” where you can invite other Pinterest users who can contribute Pins to that specific board. These Pins will show up on both your profile and the other users’ profiles.

After you fill out all the information that you’d like, you’re all set. You can start Pinning!

Adding A Pin

To add your own content to Pinterest, such as a blog post (think a board titled Blogs), go to the board that you’d like to Pin to and click the “Add a Pin” button. You will then be asked if you’d like to ad a Pin from the Web or from a personal file on your computer. You could also use the “+” button on the top of the page.

If adding a Pin from the Web, Pinterest will prompt you to enter a link to the page you’re pinning from. From there, you’ll be taken to a page that populates images from the site that you’re pulling from, where you can select the picture you want to show as your Pin by clicking the Pin It button.

You’re going to then see a box that allows you to create a description for your Pin and choose the board. When you’re done perfecting your new Pin, click the Create button. Pinning a link from the Web will ensure that when someone views your Pin, it links back to the website it originally came from.

Interacting With Other Pinterest Users

Unlike most social networks, Pinterest isn’t centered on interacting with users. What makes Pinterest so unique is that it’s much more about sharing and saving content… but it IS still a social network, so there’s a way for users to connect with other people. You can repin someone’s Pin along with many other methods of interacting.

Likes: Liking a Pin is any easy way to connect with another Pinterest user. These likes also appear on your profile, so you’re able to view it later on if you don’t end up Pinning it right away. All you have to do is hover over the Pin that you like and click the heart button.
Comments: Like any other social network, you can comment on another user’s Pin. To do so, click on the Pin you want to comment on and then you’ll see a comment box to share your ideas/remarks/observations.
Tagging users: If there’s a Pin that you think your coworker or friend will love, tag them by using the @ symbol. Similar to Twitter, you just type the @ symbol and the username of the person you’d like to tag, and they’ll be notified of your comment.
Messages: Other Pinterest users can send and see your private messages. To send a message, click the Messages option in the little chat bubble icon at the top of the page.

Engaging with users in the community helps build your brand!

Pinterest Analytics

You’ll find your account’s analytics page by clicking on Analytics at the top of the page. You will see a drop-down menu where you can either click Overview, Profile or Audience.

When you select Overview you’ll see statistics about profile, audience and more. Here you can see data from your profile’s average daily impressions and viewers, your average monthly viewers and average monthly engagements. Pinterest analytics allows you to learn valuable things about your audience.

Tips & Tools

Pin like a pro
- Pin at least once a day so your followers get fresh content in their home feeds.
- Don’t just Pin your own stuff. You can tell a richer story by adding Pins from others. You could even partner with bloggers and lifestyle websites to Pin their content. Your followers will appreciate the Pins, and the bloggers will appreciate the referral traffic.
- Make sure your Pins link back to somewhere helpful, so that Pinners can have a better experience and so that you can get more referral traffic to the right places.
- Once you’ve make it easy to Pin from your website, you might also want to create new Pins just to share on Pinterest.
- Just like with boards, thoughtful descriptions will make your Pins more inspiring and searchable.
Engage with other Pinners
- Create group boards and invite people who love your brand to contribute.
- Make it easy for people to Pin your stuff by adding the Follow button to your website. Include a Pinterest link in emails and your social media posts to make sure people know you’re here, too.
- Consider how your Pins will look in feeds, not just on boards, since most people will find them there.
The Image
- Use high-quality images. Make sure they’re well-composed and in focus.
- Go for taller Pins. Vertically-oriented Pins look better on mobile screens.
- Pins with multiple images can work well for Pinners looking for how-to’s, but keep it to four images or fewer so it doesn’t look too crowded.
- Minimize the amount of text on an image. Make sure it’s easy to read on mobile screens.
The Description
- Every Pin should have a description that gives context. The best descriptions are positive, helping people imagine what they might do with the Pin while also providing extra information.
- Write thoughtful, timeless copy. Pins last forever, so avoid descriptions that focus on timely promotional information.
More You Can Do
- Use Rich Pins wherever possible so your brand and other useful details stay on the Pin as it gets repinned.
- Link out your Pins to places that help people. For example, a movie Pin should lead to a trailer or a review, and a product Pin should lead to where a Pinner can make the purchase.
Get Specific
- Think about what people who are looking at a certain Pin might have searched for. Was it a sweater, or was it an argyle sweater? A blue sweater or a cashmere sweater? Mention the most compelling and distinct parts of the Pin in your description, and your Pins are more likely to surface when people get specific in searches.

I wish you luck growing your business with Pinterest! Need some help managing your Pinterest and/or other social media accounts? Infinite Reach takes social media off your plate so you can focus on what your business.

We’d love to hear from you! Contact us today.

Infinite Reach Agency Building Facebook Engagement

4 Tips for Building Facebook Engagement

August 10, 2016/0 Comments/in Internet Marketing, Marketing, Social Media /by Kellie Meisenheimer

Building Facebook engagement can be tricky even for a seasoned expert. The most important thing to remember is that you are not just building a customer base, you are building relationships. If people feel like you care about them they will be more likely to engage with you and your brand.

Engagement on Facebook is anytime someone shares, likes, or comments or your post. In general, you will get more engagement from posts than you will get from shares. But if you do share a post, at least write something; add your opinion of why you agree or disagree with the article or post.

There are many ways to build engagement on Facebook and you should do what works for you and your company, but these tips will help you get started building those relationships.

1: Include Quality Images

Including images in your posts is a sure fire way to build engagement. People are very visual, if you can tell your story with a picture, you are more likely to get their attention and get them interested. Posts that include pictures are twice as effective at building engagement than a status update with no picture.

There are many websites where you can get high quality stock photos like 123RF.com and Gratisography.com. The best place to get pictures for your Facebook page is to take them yourself. People really connect when you get personal, so don’t be afraid to share your own pictures and stories.

2: Use More Videos

Videos are another great way to improve your numbers when you are building Facebook engagement. Adding video to a post can improve your engagement level by up to 12% on average. Facebook did not like the popularity of sites like YouTube so they started giving priority to posts including videos. That means that a post that includes a video will have a much further reach than one without a video.

3: Hold a Contest

People love a contest. 35% of Facebook users admit to liking a page just to join a contest, and another 42% liked a page for a chance to get a coupon or a discount. You can either give away a tangible prize or the prize can be a mention or a feature on your website or Facebook page.

There are many kinds of contests. You can offer a prize to just one winner, or you can give everyone a prize by way of a coupon or discount offer. The keywords “coupon” and “$ off” can increase your engagement 39% to 55%. That is incredible.

4: Ask Questions

Maybe the best way to build engagement is to Ask Questions! This may also be the most obvious but also the most overlooked way to build engagement. Think about it, when you want to start a conversation with someone, you either say something witty, or you ask them a question.

Questions get your fans talking. Perhaps the best way to get anyone talking is to ask them about something that they care about and that is also the best way to get people talking or “engaged” with you and your brand.

Posts with questions get an average of 100% more comments than other posts. These posts get fewer likes and shares, but if you are looking for engagement, there is nothing better than getting your friends and fans talking to you.

Like I said before, building Facebook engagement can be tough, but these 4 tricks are tried and true. If you include at least some of these tactics in your social media plan, you are sure to increase your engagement rate. If you have any questions or need help with your social media needs, please contact us. We would love to talk to you today!

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What it Takes to Be a SMAM

August 5, 2016/0 Comments/in Social Media /by Morgan Hirschi

First of all, you may be wondering, what is a SMAM? In the online marketing world, it is the acronym for Social Media Account Manager. This is the person who oversees an account for your company’s client and takes care of all of their social media needs.

This can include a number of aspects depending on the client. Some clients are interested in website alterations and upgrades for the short-term, while others are looking more for a long-term investment of weekly social media postings.

Whatever the case may be, the SMAM’s job is to provide quality service in a timely manner while building a good rapport with their client. The intention is to increase business, and hopefully revenue as well, for their client through their online presence.

A Relationship

The Social Media Account Manager is in charge of all communications with the client. Whether that is to gather content that they would like the SMAM to use or to get the approval on a design for a change that needs to be made, the account manager is the first point of contact for the client.

This communication may also include in-person meetings at the client’s place of business, meetings online using Hangouts or Skype or even an old-fashioned telephone call. Whatever form of connecting is more comfortable and convenient for the client.

The SMAM also has the pleasure of welcoming each client, letting them know that they are valued and will be taken care of and that we appreciate their business. This can be done in a number of ways, seen in our company website blog, Client Appreciation and How To Show It!

Timeliness

The Social Media Account Manager replies to emails as promptly as possible. They set dates for meetings and make sure that everything is running smoothly with the account.

This means communicating with the web designer, the graphic designer, the marketing manager and the CEO. All of these people contribute to the success of the client and ensure a good experience for each client that they work with during the course of the day.

Informed

The SMAM is also in touch with social media and what is trending, what is working for others in the industry and what can help to enhance the quality of service they are providing at their online marketing business.

They are aware of new developments, software and information that can build their skills and broaden their expertise. Taking advantage of trainings and webinars, as well as reading articles on relevant topics are all part of the Social Media Account Manager’s ability to grow and expand their ability to provide what clients want.

SMAM-tastic

The job that a SMAM does gives the client peace of mind knowing that all of their social media and website needs are being taken care of behind the scenes. They can then invest their time in the other aspects of business ownership that need doing.

The best part of being a Social Media Account Manager is knowing that you are making a difference in someone else’s business, that you are freeing them up to have time to do the work they want and love to do, instead of working to promote their business themselves. And, I think we can all say ‘Cheers’ to that!

Creating Images for Your Social Media

June 8, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Photography, Social Media /by Janelle Nodar

I wish I had that instinct knack for creating images and designing graphics to use for our clients or for our own company’s social media purposes.

Our Infinite Reach graphic designers are truly amazing! Anytime I ask for a graphic to be created or a client even needs a new cover photo for Facebook, I am always in awe with the end product.

As Andy Warhol said, “I never read I just look at pictures” and I’m sure many of us can agree with that statement. There’s no doubt that images are an extremely important aspect of social media marketing. They help to drive greater online engagement and keep users interested. To me, a picture says 1,000 words!

For the Non-Designers…

46% of marketers say photography is critical to their current marketing and storytelling strategies. Both video and infographics have become powerful tools for companies looking to communicate easily with their readers. So, if you’re looking to add some spice to your next social media post, then add some images.

So you want to create eye-catching images. Do you want to engage with your viewers? It can be difficult, but there are some key principles in learning how to create images to use for social that work every time.

Create a Balanced Layout

You want the picture to be simple and balanced. The layout of the objects in your images can make all the difference in the way the final photo turns out. The image below is super easy on the eyes. If the pencils were scattered and the books were all over the place, the photo wouldn’t be as great to look at.

Proximity in Your Images

Something else that’s important when creating your own designed images is the proximity and the alignment. Merriam-Webster defines proximity as “the state of being near.” So in our case, grouping different elements of a picture together so that the viewer can see various parts of the message you are trying to convey.

For example, you don’t want an icon too close to the text of a picture in very close proximity because you want each component of the picture to stand apart and fulfill its own role. Take a look at the ad below. The icon visually communicates details about the brand itself, while the text communicates what this particular chapstick brand does for your lips.

Color

Leslie Cabarga is the author of The Designer’s Guide to Colour Combinations. She believes that color is not just a visual element, but it’s also emotional. She says that:

“A poor choice of colors affects us subconsciously is a fact observed by many real estate agents. Potential buyers viewing a house with ugly wallpaper will often reject the whole house. I recall as a child not being able to eat in a certain restaurant whose walls were painted a pale, 1950s green.”

If color really does elicit emotions in us all, then you can see why it’s so important to choose colors for your images that will draw people in.

Make sure you think about the role the colors will play in your creations! You want to also make sure that you’re creating contrast.

Font

Are you creating a graphic that has wording on it? Be sure to choose fonts that are not only readable and consistent, but also fonts that communicate a message about your brand and your company.

Think of choosing a font like selecting an outfit to wear. The clothes that you choose reflect who you are as a person and also parts of your personality and style. If you walk into an interview for a new job wearing a t-shirt and jeans rather than a suit, you will leave the employer with a very different impression of you.

How to Select Fonts for Your Graphics:

Simple is always better.
Try and steer clear from fancy fonts.
Be consistent by using the same font repeatedly for all of your graphics.

So…

Take notes, non-designers! If you’re feeling brave enough to create your own image, I would love to see some photos in the comments. Also, let me know what resources have helped you nail down some great designs!

Social Media: News, Statistics and Trends

May 11, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Social Media /by Janelle Nodar

Social media is so popular nowadays! I personally always catch myself checking Instagram and Snapchat every chance I get, just to make sure that I’m up to date with the rest of my social media friends!

Also, I love to show what I’m doing in the moment- whether it’s sending a Snapchat of my feet by the pool or posting a picture of my friends and I at dinner on Instagram.

There’s no doubt that the world of social media moves extremely fast and it may be hard to keep up with all of the latest trends and news involving your favorite social media sites. There have been some big things happening in the social media world, so let’s take a look!

Facebook

Facebook is probably one of the most familiar social media sites. It’s easy to navigate and it’s a fantastic way to connect with and update your friends, family members and loved ones. Here are some statistics:

1.09 billion daily active users on average for March 2016
989 million mobile daily active users on average for March 2016
1.65 billion monthly active users as of March 31, 2016
1.51 billion mobile monthly active users as of March 31, 2016
Approximately 84.2% of our daily active users are outside the US and Canada

1.65 billion monthly users… that’s insane! In comparison to other very popular apps, Facebook takes the cake for the most active users.

Twitter

Twitter has changed the way it categorizes itself. As of their April update, Twitter sits as the top free app in the News category in the App Store rather than categorizing itself as a Social Networking site.

Before, when Twitter sat in Social Networking in the App Store, it was ranked 6th. Now that it has separated itself from other social apps like Facebook and FB Messenger, it has moved to the #1 spot in the News category.

While I do believe that Twitter is very popular, at least among millenials, ranking #1 could be a nice change for Twitter as a whole! It will give Twitter the visibility in the App Store that it needs, which can ultimately lead to more downloads.

Snapchat

This is one of my favorite social apps! I used to hate hate hate it, but the more that I used it, the more it grew on me. For those of you unfamiliar, Snapchat is a video messaging app that allows users to send pictures or videos to another user, but they are only viewable for a set duration between one and ten seconds. After that, the ‘snaps’ automatically delete. Here are some key data points:

Snapchat has 100m active users with 400m snaps sent every day (Source: Mashable)
The company is currently valued at $19b (Source: Fortune)
Snapchat Discover is the app’s way to generate ad revenue (Source: MoneyMorning)

As you can see, Snapchat has a lot of great features. Snapchat’s daily video views have also hit 10 billion. It’s reported that there has been a 150% increase in video consumption on this social app in just under a year. That’s some incredible growth. Pretty nuts if you ask me!

Another one of my favorites! Honestly, I’m not sure where else girls can find outfit inspiration, crafting tutorials, and cocktail/healthy dinner recipes all in one app. Pinterest is a pretty amazing place. I’m guilty of browsing through the app pretty much every time I’m bored.

Aside from all of the great things to discover on Pinterest, the app just released Featured Collections, which is a way to take a look at what’s trending but in an even easier way! Thank you, Pinterest, for adding fuel to the fire aka my addiction to this app 🙂

YouTube

Another popular social site that people use not only for personal reasons but companies and businesses utilize YouTube for marketing and company-related purposes also.

YouTube announced that there will now be 6-second ads that can’t be skipped by users. They’re calling them “bumper ads” and are “ideal for driving incremental reach and frequency perform,” according to Google.

Social Media Takeover

So by the looks of it, social media is slowly taking over. It has definitely become a staple in my life, and I know that it has for many businesses and individuals as well.

Social media is an amazing tool and it’s great that we are able to access a variety of information at the touch of our fingertips. As a business, you should be taking advantage of all that social media has to offer.

Any social media trends, new features or stats that have caught your eye lately? I’d love to hear them. Let me know in the comments!

5 Common Myths About Social Media Marketing

March 14, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs, Social Media /by Katelyn Flores

As a business owner operating in 2016 you know about social media, but may still get hung up on some of the myths circulating out there on the web. Social Media Marketing can be an amazing tool to help build brand awareness and also help you stay connected and engaged with your customers. So, don’t let these common myths deter you from trying your hand at social media.

It’s not possible to generate leads for your business on social media

If you put the time into optimizing your social media pages and engaging your customers, there’s no reason you can’t generate leads. Social media is a tool to help build brand awareness and also stay engaged with your customers. Building that engagement is what helps get the conversation started about your company and in turn drives people to learn more about what you have to offer.

Not enough content to post

Sometimes less can be more when it comes to social posting. You want to post quality content that’s relevant to your audience and also something they enjoy seeing in their feed each day. If you’re just posting content to post, that’s not going to get you the engagement you’re looking for and may even lose you some followers. You can also repurpose old content and topics. Now, you don’t want the same post going out week after week, but if a few weeks went by and you know it’s a topic that resonates with your audience, create a new post around it.

There is no way to measure ROI

As companies continue to flock to social media, these platforms are making it easier and easier to help them measure ROI. Most offer metrics on the overall page engagement and even more specific data on how certain campaigns performed. The key is using those metrics with your website analytics to help determine how much social media is contributing to the overall traffic on your page.

You have to be on every social platform out there

You want to be on the same platforms your target audience is on Otherwise, you may be wasting time engaging with people who aren’t even interested in what your business has to offer. There also might be certain platforms better suited for your type of business. So, do some research and find out which platforms your audience is on and focus your efforts on those. Also, if you create too many profiles, it’s going to be difficult maintaining them and you never want a profile sitting out there with no activity.

It needs to be all about my business

This is a big one we cover with our social media clients. Promotional messages are an important component in your social media strategy, but that can’t be all you post about. We have an 80/20 rule, where we do promotional posts 20% of the time and then use the other 80% to post about meaningful and relevant content to our audience. Pushing out more than just promotional messaging allows you to create a conversation and build engagement with your followers.

Want more tips on social media and other topics like SEO and website design? Then head over to our blog!

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