Posts

Four Things You Can Do for Your Internet Marketing Now

/0 Comments/in , /by

Online marketing—every business needs it! Why? Because the Internet is THE number one source for business referrals. A strong web presence is critical to the success of your business. It is the go-to place to find just about any product or service you can imagine.

New to the world of cyber marketing? Here are four things you can do for your Internet marketing now.

1. Understand the different types of online marketing.

Content Marketing: This inclusive term describes the most published Internet marketing content—also known as blogs—that is used to attract customers. Typically, this type of online marketing is linked to other types of web marketing. If your website features blog posts, it will be more relevant to most search engines, which, in turn, will make it easier for potential customers to find. Content marketing also can serve as a “soft sell” for your product or service, bring attention to the need for that product or service and then drive business to your company.

Search Engine Marketing: Pay Per Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are the most widely used forms of search engine marketing. With PPC, a sponsored ad is put into the results of a web search. Whenever someone clicks on the ad, the business placing the ad pays the search engine provider an agreed upon amount. On the positive side, PPL guarantees your business a constant presence in search results but it comes at a cost. SEO, on the other hand, concentrates on moving your business up in the rankings and it’s free.

Social Media Marketing: Geared more to a younger audience, this type of online marketing has grown in popularity. While it’s inexpensive, it requires a bit of acumen to implement. You might want to reach out to an experienced Phoenix Internet Marketing Company for this one.

2. Identify your target market.

If you are going to put the time and money into online marketing be sure you are going after the right target market. When you have a good idea of who your customer is you can generate better attention-getting advertising and promotional material to lure them in.

So how do you find that audience?

Start by identifying the problem your product or service solves. Next list the characteristics of an average customer in an effort to pinpoint your target market. It’s also important to know who makes up your primary audience. They are the ones who need your product or service the most. For example, if your business specializes in home security systems, your primary customer may live in a residential area with a high crime rate.

3. Take steps to increase web traffic to your site.

The Internet has become a dog eat dog world when it comes to driving customers to your website. The competition is fierce and it’s every business for itself.

What’s a business to do? In cyber space content is king. Use it to entice potential customers to visit your site. Make it easy for visitors to share their experience on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and other social media sites.

Including an irresistible offer and a call to action on each page also can drive web traffic. Make sure your visitors know exactly what it is you want them to do. It could be signing up for an e-newsletter or a free 15-minute consultation. Offering something that relates to your business and appeals to your target market is another way to increase web traffic. It can be a free ebook, white paper or anything that’s been specifically written for your target customer.

4. Boost your website ranking.

Search engines continue to drive the majority of visitors to websites. That’s why it’s important to have a website that is search engine friendly. Also, every page should be optimized and designed for mobile search. Keywords and keyword phrases also play a critical role in boosting your website ranking. Keywords are what someone types into a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo Search, Ask or Bing, when they’re “searching” for something. Generate a list of keywords or phrases people might use to find your website. Take advantage of tools, like Google Keyword Tool, to get an idea of the most searched phrases. Integrate several of them throughout your website in titles, content, even rename your images to contain the keywords or phrase.

Another way to boost your website ranking is by adding captions to your pictures and images that incorporate your keywords. Add an ALT tag to describe the image. Don’t forget to include the same keyword phrase in the text near the image.

Search engines want to be sure users have access to the most up-to-date information. So be sure your website content is updated regularly. Doing so tells search engines that your site is ever-changing and current.

Like it or not, Internet marketing is here to stay. In the future, it will become an even greater force when it comes to how businesses do business.

Whether you’re new to online marketing or a seasoned professional, implementing these strategies can help you break down barriers and use this modern communication tool to your advantage.

Need help creating a web presence? We’ve got you covered! From August 1st – September 30th get 15% off our web design services.  If you’re a member of NAWBO get an additional 5% off! Don’t miss out contact us today.

local search results matter mobile

Why Local Search Results Matter

/0 Comments/in , /by

In today’s ever-changing world of technology telephone books and newspapers are becoming things of the past. Instead, it’s all about Search Engine Optimization. Simply put, SEO is the practice of improving and promoting your website to increase the number of visitors it receives from search engines. People are constantly looking for places, items of interest or things to buy close to where they are. The question is: As a business owner, what are you doing to benefit from that? If you put your business in front of them via search engine marketing, they can easily become your customers.

In your quest to expand your customer base, you may have heard of local search. For the inexperienced, local search refers to such things as SEO services and pay per click advertising that are tailored to a specific local business listings.

Reasons Why Local Search Matters

Local search results are key. Are you one of those business owners who is confused about the new-found importance placed on geography and don’t really understand the difference between improving local search results and more traditional SEO? It’s not so difficult to understand that yesterday’s way of improving your Internet search rankings just don’t work the way they used to. It’s not enough to be found online. Today’s SEO services are smarter and rank web pages by their closeness to the search, quality of the website and their relevance to the search terms that were used. That’s why it is critical for your business to show up in local search results.

Take advantage of search engine advertisements. This is one of the primary ways local search results can benefit your business. For example, say that a web user is searching for a digital marketing agency in Phoenix. They type those keywords into one of the many search engines and await the results. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was your local business listings that showed up? You would have to own a digital marketing business in Phoenix for this example to work but you get the idea.

They allow you to cast a wider net. The secret to having your company’s listing appear in local search results is understanding that search engine services don’t’ simply consider your website when calculating their results. Also taken into consideration are your social media presence, online customer ratings and whether your website boasts a responsive and mobile-friendly design. Basically, the search engines scan your content to see what kind of impression you leave on your local Internet world.

It’s easy to target only local customers. Once you get the hang of search engine marketing, you can fine tune it to your business needs. For example, if you were a digital marketing agency you can target those who need your particular services. By doing so, you will save time and money by not marketing yourself to people who don’t need your type of business. When you are targeting local business listings over time, you will see a marked improvement in your customer base.

It’s the wave of the future. Like it or not, search engines are here to stay. Employing this marketing method makes you a savvy business owner because you are bringing your business to your customers instead of the other way around.

Add your address to every page. Localizing your SEO services is key to getting people to convert into buyers or visitors to your local store. Make it easy for them to find you by including your address in a prominent place on each page of your website. Doing so also reinforces your location to the search engines so when someone is searching for localized information your pages will be indexed.

Go into detail. For instance, sticking with “Digital Marketing Phoenix,” in order to provide the user with more detail about the search. Instead, you may consider providing a page on “digital marketing agencies in Phoenix.” The link is relevant to the person searching and this is a great way of attracting targeted links back to your most important webpages.

Make an impression. The implications of this are that to appear in local search results could mean adjusting your website to be more customer friendly. Encouraging your regular customers to leave reviews of their experience and to mention you in social media also plays a large role. Together with the appearance and navigation of your website reviews, SEO services help establish the trust needed to transform web traffic into customers. Improving your profile in local search results now requires a coordinated effort to make sure that all your internet marketing efforts are working together to establish that trust and that you have an active and engaged customer base.

Overall, local search results DO matter. It’s not likely that SEO services will take the place of other types of marketing, such as blogs, websites and large-scale media campaigns. But do not underestimate its power. It can be extremely beneficial, reach local businesses and achieve noteworthy results.

If you still need help navigating local search let us know!  You can contact us at 602-535-2188 to schedule a no obligation consultation.

Or.. just click here to send us an email!

I love facebook social media powerhouse

4 Reasons Facebook Will Remain a Social Powerhouse in 2015

/0 Comments/in , , /by

With Facebook announcing its Q4 2014 results in just a few short weeks, here’s look at why this media giant will remain the powerhouse in 2015 when it comes to social media.

  1. Facebook is Effective at Building Trust

I remember the day it happened. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I was among them. As we all sat around our computers, Facebook users squawked as soon as paid ads hit their feeds at the beginning of 2012. With that said, paid ads have been extremely successful resulting thousands of dollars of revenue gains since they’ve hit the scene. However, brand awareness and trust has been built on the platform with big companies growing their audiences and being more relevant than ever. In a study produced by Simply Measured of top 100 companies, there were a collective 1.1 billion fans and 77 percent of those companies and individual audiences of greater than one million fans.”

Fast forward to 2015 and Facebook fans are now accustomed to viewing branded content more than ever. Take that one step further. They’re proven to become more trusting to those large brands by becoming fans themselves in support of the brands they follow.

Those ads weren’t such a bad thing after all!

  1. Larger Fan Base = User Recommendations

For companies, brand loyalty is the result of all that good trust juju that’s being built everyday on Facebook and other social media. It’s no secret that people want to connect to the companies and public figures they love by understanding them socially and emotionally. It’s as close to being personal with them as they can get by easily connecting at no cost—a huge benefit on both sides!

facebook top 25 pages liked in jan 2015

 

However, this kind of brand loyalty and growing fan base also translates into user recommendations. Think of this as the digital word-of-mouth if you will. As of January 2, 2015, aside from Facebook itself, Coca-Cola and YouTube round out the Top 25 Facebook Pages for highest number of fans. On the far right of this chart you’ll see a 1-10 rating on how likely a fan is to recommend the page to friends. More raving fans translates into more engagement and more of a following. Woot! So.. there’s no time like the present to grow your Facebook fans!

  1. Facebook Balances Brands and What Traditional Users Want to See

Facebook relies on users and their engagement to grow their financials. So, posts that are more engaging are the posts that Facebook juices in order to drive that engagement. One thing that Facebook is great at is listening to its audience. While there’s brand loyalty and fan base growth on Facebook, this came loud and clear in a recent Facebook survey that users don’t want to see their newsfeed spammed with sales pitches.

So Facebook is adapting. Yes, again. It’s good news for users, and not so great for marketers. New 2015 algorithm updates reflect different outcomes for brands as engagement remains their focus. What this means for branding is that there will be even less visibility to those posts that solely push people to enter promotions, to buy a product, enter promotions and or sweepstakes or reuse of existing content from ads. Posts with a hard sell take the back seat! (See example below).

 

example of bad executed fb ad under new 2015 algorithm changes

Facebook’s example of what NOT to do with an ad!

 

How they’re accomplishing this is that Facebook is simply lessening the competition in the News Feed so that more relevant content gets seen. According to a recent blog post, Facebook remarked “This change is about giving people the best Facebook experience possible and being responsive to what they’ve told us”. Kuddos to you for listening, Facebook!

  1. Facebook Continues to Develop What Page Admins Want

Part of this new January 2015 Facebook update, businesses that have Places Facebook Pages, which simply means having a brick and mortar location, admins are becoming a bit happier! They can now toot their horns a little louder by adding maps, ratings and check-ins to their page. This awesome update gives users more assurance about local brands/businesses they follow while also upping their street cred!

Facebook Places page new feature example

No matter what kind of changes that Facebook is going to make, businesses everywhere are going to stay the course, post their content and pay for ads to be in front of their audiences. They key is going to be relevancy with a focus on giving your audiences the info they want without being perceived as giant spam machine. So.. quit spewing mindless content so Facebook AND your users will love you! Their loyalty will be proven in your  Facebook “Likes”.

 

About Us: Infinite Reach Agency specializes in advanced Facebook marketing through ad placement and daily social engagement. If you have questions on this topic or have questions on how to implement a proper Facebook ad campaign, contact us for a complimentary 30 minute consultation! We’re happy to help!

What are Hashtags? by Infinite Reach Agency

Hashtag 101: Never Fear, Hashtags Are Here!

/0 Comments/in /by

This post may seem like it’s a little late, however, you wouldn’t believe the number of people who are too afraid to ask. I hear it all the time; “we know people are using them—what exactly are these silly phrases that start with a pound sign. Is this just another dumb trend?” So.. never fear my social media friends, hashtags are here to stay…and after you read this, you’ll know exactly what to do and how to use them!

If you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google+ for marketing, you’ve likely seen or heard of hashtags being used. They look like a string of words put together, and seem a little pointless at first. Why would anyone want to look at a string of jumbled letters?

Well, they are extremely useful for your marketing! And truth be told, used strategically, they can really jettison your online marketing.

What Exactly Are Hashtags?

You use the # symbol with relevent words that link to your post. The idea is that they help reach other people outside of ones friends and followers. They identify messages on a specific topic which then form on lists out in social media.

Hashtags help group a lot of posts together when people search for those them—they can find many opinions or posts about a particular topic as well as other like-minded people.

By doing this, you’re instantly boosting your market reach beyond those who are already following you.

It’s also great for you. You get to track discussions, and see what people are talking about. You can then link those popular discussions to your content and boost your reach that way.

Wouldn’t it be nice to market without too much effort?

Using Hashtags Effectively

While you can put as many hashtags in as you want, minimal appears better. Hashtag overload makes it difficult for people to see what your content is really about. It also makes it more difficult for others to share (especially on Twitter!).

From an SEO perspective, using too many hashtags can be used as keyword stuffing—which then reduces your effectiveness in the online world.

So the basic rule is no more than 3 per post.

Be sure to avoid punctuation in your hashtags. They’re not supported and will only make part of your tag linkable. Numbers and letters are perfectly fine.

Also, don’t pile them at the end of your post as you write a tweet, put your #hashtags inline or inside the post with the #awesomecontent you’re writing! It avoids duplication and saves character count for your smiley faces! 🙂

Some “Do’s When Using Hashtags:

Do keep an eye out for the trending hashtags. These are the ones that people are looking for, and could really help you boost your reach. Twitter shows them on the left-hand side to make it easy for you. Think about ways your business links to those trending tags, and then add them in.

Do use the tags for commentary or to bring out specific emotions. Have a sarcastic blog post you want to promote, add a sarcastic hashtag to make people smile.

Do boost your marketing by using hashtags! If you’re promoting your business it’s very important to keep in mind that Google is all about your brand. Don’t forget to use one of the three of your hashtags as the name of your business. This way when it’s searched, all of your relevant posts will appear in that list.

Do use hashtags strategically to get you places you want to go and remember they’re collecting your posts into search results for others. That results in a boost of the number of people seeing your tweets or status updates, without having to follow you right away. Upside is…they get to know and trust you and then follow you to do business with you!

And that’s #hashtagawesomeness!

oh and one last point. Did you know that you can also search for hashtags on Google? Just put your topic with your hashtag symbol in the search bar and several hashtag lists will appear in the results! #Goodstuff!

Enjoy a little more about hashtags by watching this video below—it’s a lot of #fun!

#marketingwithhashtags #whatarehashtags #infinitereachagency

Question for all of you. What is the most OUTGRAGEOUS hashtag you’ve come across??

 

Become Your Personal Brand

/in /by

Those who know me know how much I love my coffee. Also those who know me know that at least one day a week I love to write blogs early in the morning from my favorite espresso café while sipping my delicious cup of creamy goodness. This past week my special morning ritual was only slightly interrupted by a conversation taking place next to me that I couldn’t help but overhear.

Two professional ladies were having a small debate on personal branding. My ears perked up and I listened quietly as they bantered back and forth completely unaware that I was being mindful of their conversation. Let’s face it, being a fly on the wall has its advantages. As I sat sipping my coffee, their thoughts continued. “There is so much competition these days that it doesn’t matter if you are a brand or not, you have to do something extraordinary to get noticed” one gal said. Not finding that answer good enough, her friend responded “That’s exactly the reason! If you brand yourself correctly, you will get noticed and you’ll be extraordinary.” While they continued to share their thoughts back and forth I found myself agreeing on both sides. You DO have to do something extraordinary, but it’s never been more important than today to be a significant brand in the marketplace. Your survival is counting on it.

Let me explain further. It’s been said many times that the downturn of 2008 created an atmosphere for the time of the entrepreneur. Mid and upper level managers were let go from companies as there were a lot of changes in the workplace to maximize dollars and consolidate positions and centralize operations. Nearly 1 in 10 of those laid off during the recession stopped looking for other work and started their own businesses. According to an article by USA Today in 2009, most of those were consulting businesses, eBay businesses, and multilevel marketing companies were even on the rise. Circumstances pushed them into business. As a result, competition is deeper and wider than it has ever been and with changes in technology, it’s easier for people to go into business at a lower investment level thus making it more affordable. Combine that now with a saturated market of the same widget or service you sell. With that kind of competition, if you don’t stand out from the pack, you have a high probability that you’ll end up failing before you can even get started. With the market so saturated, they won’t even know you’re gone as there is someone right behind you ready to fill your shoes at any given moment.

So the question remains, how do you become your own personal brand and set yourself apart?

“It’s about getting out of this thing of fitting in and shifting gears to being the one that stands out.” -Seth Godin

It’s evident that you need a great business plan with a solid marketing strategy included in there somewhere. When you get down to brass tacks, the brand needs to start with you. Here are 5 ways to help you achieve a personal brand and set yourself apart from your competition.

#1: Become Your “Thing”dolly kennedy

Dolly and Paul Kennedy started The Dolly Steamboat tours on Canyon Lake, Arizona in 1983. Together they ran a wonderful tour operation for 4 years and then sold their business to another couple in 1987. You might not think that is very long to have a business, and for some, it’s not. It’s what happens next that is astonishing. Dolly Kennedy became the “thing”. She was the experience of boarding the Dolly Steamboat incarnate. She transformed herself, dressing in late 1800’s lace, hats, and dresses and reinforces her business brand everywhere she goes. While she’s not officially the owner of Dolly Steamboat, she is still on with them as a marketing representative out in the community going to marketing events and promoting the Dolly Steamboat brand 25 years later. I was fortunate enough to photograph Dolly and become her friend. She’s an amazing woman full of knowledge and wisdom…and she’s created a personal brand for her business that’s like none other. Simply put, she’s become a legend and people all over Arizona know her and what she stands for. She became her “thing”, and still is today.

#2: Be An Expert In Your Field

love is the killer book

One of the quickest ways to become an expert is to take all of those years of experience and share your knowledge of what’s important to your clientele. Give some biz love and share some of those nuggets that you’re holding on to with dear life. I’m not saying that you should give away your trade secrets or the ways in which you set yourself apart from your competition. Trust me, I learned the hard way on that one and it was painful. However; if you have a piece of knowledge that can further someone else, freely share it as it will do wonders for your personal brand! This principal is outlined in the amazing book Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders. Tim became the go to guy for three areas which made him an expert. He gave away is knowledge, his network and his compassion. This principal works.

#3: Create Online Content That Supports Tasks #1 and #2

Expand out from your face to face contacts and reach into the electronic world with rich content that will help others grow and position yourself even further. If you haven’t started blogging or video blogging (even better) yet then do it now. What are you waiting for? People want to identify emotionally and personally with a personal brand—and connect. Write a weekly newsletter, or give away a free e-book on how to best use your product. Just be true to yourself as you write. Give your audience the gift of knowing you and you’ll be well on your way. Just be sure the content is of value and meets their needs.

#4: Get Out In The Community And Own Your Own Zip Code

david arvin speakingDue to our diverse offering at Infinite Reach, LLC, we have the opportunity to learn while covering educational business events. While photographing a recent small business conference that featured keynote speaker David Avrin “The Visibility Coach” I was delivered a message with a punch. He said that today’s business culture is no longer about whom you know, but rather who knows you. Don’t worry about trying to conquer the world overnight though. Start small and create a plan. Some of the best advice I’ve received as a professional photographer and business owner comes from long time photography industry leader, Skip Cohen. His advice is to “own my own zip code”. Go local…..to targeted networking groups, chambers, and association meetings. While you own your own zip code, grow that network of people that knows you. Pass your snazzy business card that we helped you design and truly go for that super-duper first impression experience (you can read more on this here). The point is, get out there and meet people and then promptly follow up that same day/night to make a connection and lasting impression. Nothing fancy here—just a quick “great meeting you today” email will do wonders in growing your network. Make it a priority to make sure people know you. If you don’t, your competition will.

Also, take on leadership roles with support teams and volunteer opportunities. My friend Lynda Bishop is a shining example of a personal brand. I guarantee she’s doing all of the things that are on this list. As past president of NAWBO Phoenix and most recently, the founder of the Phoenix Chapter of the Young Entrepreneur’s Academy–how she does it all and gets any sleep is beyond me. In my opinion she’s super woman! Have you see her Mini Cooper yet? It emulates exactly who she is as a person! Even her license says “SSPUNKY”! People revere her; she’s freely giving of her knowledge, her network and her compassion. She’s present and she’s making the difference in people’s lives all around her and is a perfect living example of Tim Sander’s principle mentioned above.

Don’t forget to get into a speaking circuit to help build your personal brand. There are a ton of opportunities for people to speak to different organizations. Look to associations, clubs, colleges, mentor programs. All of these have opportunities to speak. If you have stage fright, learn to deliver a great talk by attending local Toastmaster’s club meetings. You’ll come away with the power to deliver a strong message in no time!

#5: Use Social Media

Use it or lose it…I’d rather you use it. If you’re not using social media to reach your clients and colleagues, change that up and start right now, but be consistent. Google and other search engines use algorithms that rank what the plus bookyou based on how popular your posts are by how much interaction from your crowd that those posts receive. Think of it like a popularity contest. Sites like Facebook need to see that you’re posting relevant and excitable information in order to continue to bump you up in the newsfeed. The more likes and shares you get, the happier Facebook is and rewards you for that. And you thought that all ended in high school. Next find the social media platform that works for you and is where your clients are. It could be a mix of two or more. Or you may feel that you should be on all social platforms. Number one on my list is Google+. I know it can be confusing, however; author and business visionary Guy Kawasaki believes in this platform so much so that he authored an e-book called What the Plus! and then gave it away free as a download on the internet a few years back. You can download it here for free, too. (That’s good biz love! Note: load times vary.)

Consistency, consistency, consistency. Whatever you do, be consistent and stay out there in front of people. This will be integral to the way your brand and message will be conveyed to your audience. Not only that, but be sure to listen to the responses you’re getting. People tend to be more honest online than in person. They’re not afraid to tell you how bad your product sucks via email or in a Facebook post. Look at these as opportunities to better yourself and your company. There’s no better way to change with the ebb and flow of business than by listening to your audience and knowing what their likes, dislikes, or next move(s) are. Once you master this one, you get to add the word “visionary” to your LinkedIn profile.

Unless you’re lucky enough to win the lottery, building a personal brand takes a lot of work. Create a strategic yearly plan on how to build your personal brand and then be mindful in following it. In the meantime, go for it!

Let me know your thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them.

Kristi Church

close up business cards

Business Cards That Pop: Creating a Super-Duper First Impression Experience

/in /by

This past weekend I had the opportunity to dine at a new local eatery. Simply upon driving up to this new establishment, one is pulled away to a feeling of eating someplace Martha Stewart herself would frequent.

I walked into The Henry with a smile from ear to ear with the expectation that it would be as much of a breath of fresh air on the inside as it was on the outside…and it was. The building is more wide than deep and the lounge that runs along the front of the restaurant provides simple, yet elegant seating that becomes what I call impromptu gathering space. It’s the perfect area to wait for your table or have a bite on the spot if you’re just planning to dine on foods that are easily eaten without much effort.

The contemporary colors of cream, steel blue, gray and black were mixed with different beautiful patterns and textures and everything from the floor to ceiling drapes to the elegant chairs in the lounge to the wall coverings, remind me of a place that I’d love to dig into, be comfortable, take off my coat and stay awhile. Founder Sam Fox knows the importance of signature branding and his use of hammered steel and brass accessories throughout the restaurant consistently reinforces The Henry’s concept of being “the greatest neighborhood restaurant”. There was an incredibly delicious fragrance wafting out of the kitchen that had my attention. Looking around at all the happy faces, my perception is that this was surely going to be an amazing experience…and it was.

Gifting the first impression experience.

This is my case in point. We sometimes forget as business people that perception is reality and first impressions matter now more than ever. I’ve been fortunate to have always been on top of them, delivering a solid hand-shake with eye contact and a smile that would even melt the angry heart of The Hulk. Strategically I’d use first name recognition out of the gate while our initial conversation was an opportunity to learn about the other person so I could use that info in building our relationship later. I delivered a great first impression experience.

Then there comes the moment at hand, when you deliver your business card. There really are three ways these next few moments can go. 1. Upon receiving the business card the new contact says “Oh nice.”…and that’s where it ends. 2. The acquaintance takes a quick peek and drops it into a purse or tucks it into a pocket, continues to smile and nod (red flag inserted here!! “Danger Will Robinson, Danger!”), while you babble on. Or 3…Your new best friend grabs it up, flips it over and has no problem interrupting anything you might be saying at the moment to proudly gift you back the approval we all LOVE to hear. “Wow…I love the color and how it feels! Nice business card!” BAM!! That’s what I call gifting the super-duper first impression experience!

Your business card helps tell the rest of the story and is an extension of who you are. It’s the icing on the cake to your awesome introduction and great first impression that you’ve just gifted a new contact. It can also be used to start the story on the front end to break the ice. Think about it. Not all of us can deliver a super-duper first impression experience as described above. If you have an incredible business card, it not only gives a strong impression of your brand, but also gives you instant credibility. So what if you have a sweaty palm or have the handshake of a limp cold fish…you hand over that stunning business card and none of that will matter! The clouds will part; the angels will start singing and light will suddenly appear over your head. You’re somebody…that obviously has something worthwhile to say! And that’s an experience your new best friend will not soon forget.

So how do you create a business card that makes such an incredible statement? Here’s a few tips that will change the way you design your next business card and help you deliver a super-duper first impression experience going forward!

Simple is not just better, its best.

What is the message you really want your business card to say? Can you get that point across with just your logo and simple contact information? Is it unique? Designing a clean and unique card that will stand out in a sea of other business cards will allow the person on the receiving end to comprehend your brand and message immediately. Is it consistent with your brand?

My good friend and client came to me with a troubled heart. She said that at networking groups when she saw her business card get passed around the table it appeared like any other card and blended in with everyone else’s. While it did convey she had a wedding cake business, it was printed on thin stock so it was easily bent and flimsy. It had a design that was out of style by at least 4-5 years and no longer suited her business goals. The fonts on the front of the business card were a telltale sign as they outdated her design.

I went to work creating Sue’s new brand identity and design. I listened to her long-term business goals and what it was that she intended to say to her clients when they reach out and experience her business card. In order to create a classy, timeless business card we performed a case study of her target demographic. She wanted to get to a place where she could reach the affluent bride and be among the top wedding cake designers in Arizona. Creating a brand and business card that was synonymous with her new message put us right on track. Together, we created a design that would speak to her target demographic and that will also stand the test of time for a few long years. She’s thrilled with the results and has had the opportunity to gift her new contacts the super-duper first impression experience time and time again.

These aren’t your papa’s business cards.

The simple rule only applies to the design. Plan to invest a little more in the business cards so you have a nice weighted 14pt or 16pt stock. Going with a heavier stock conveys a few unspoken facts about you as a business person. 1. That you’re serious. 2. You understand the value of making a strong first impression and 3. That you will take as good care of them as you will yourself. It sets a precedent as to how you’ll care for their business.

If you’re targeting an affluent client, I advise staying away from a glossy finish and going with a nice silken matte version that holds depth of color well. It’ll speak volumes. Remember, we’re looking to drive an incredible first impression experience here. A cheap flimsy business card on glossy paper will not bring you that result.

close up business cards

Not all printers are created equal.

At Infinite Reach, LLC,  we only use top end print houses for all of our work and the work we provide our clients. We’ve been around the block with the economy printers and the mixed results we receive are just not worth the time and effort for the dollars we’re trying to save. One run we might have perfect color, another run there’s a dimple in the lower half of the business card in different points within the 500 card run. It’s simple. If you are going to go with an economy printer, expect economy results. There is a time and place for every print job, however, if you really want to garner maximum impact and gift that super-duper first impression experience, invest in a good print house that you can rely on to be consistent each and every time.

That’s not to say that not all actual print machines within a print house are created equal either. Even top level printers can have their inconsistencies. Color variations can happen from machine to machine within a print house. They’re not all calibrated equally. If you’re using deep or dark colors for your main business card color you may see slight variations between runs. This is normal. If the colors are seriously out of whack—definitely reorder. They’ll be happy you mentioned the issue as they might not realize the problem.

Give people a reason….

To either really want to keep your business card for them self, or share your card with others. “If you create a beautiful artifact that is kept rather than thrown away, it will live on,” says Prescott Perez-Fox. Prescott was a contributor to Business Insider in 2012 and goes on to say “people will save a great card even after copying the info—they may even give the card to a friend just to experience it.” This is a perfect business referral. They’ve now become a referral partner and want to see you succeed. Nice!

To expand on Perez-Fox’s thoughts, do something that may feel a little archaic and follow up with a hand-written thank-you-for-the-meeting note (very classy move, I might add). Include a few more of your business cards and say something clever like: “I was so happily surprised by the way you responded upon receiving my business card when we first met. I thought I would send you a few more in case you’d like to pass them on.” This shows you believe that your new contact is influential and that’s just good business juju.

So in summary, creating a business card that will pop isn’t rocket science. Keep the design simple while staying true to your brand and message. Less is more. Stick to matte finish, a nice thick card stock and find a great print house that you can rely on. That’ll make all the difference in the world. As for different sizes and shapes—that’s the cherry added to an already delicious sundae. Start with the basics and go from there and you’ll be gifting that super-duper first impression experience yourself in no time!

Are there any other great points I’m missing? Join the conversation!

Till next time,

Kristi