Lately I’ve had a few projects that were dependent on photos that other people sent me. It has become pretty typical when I request photos that people send stuff that is, well, not so great. You don’t have to be a pro or have a fancy camera to take a photo that can be used in […]
Years ago, I managed documentation projects for a group within a major multinational corporation. All of our documents (and web content) were localized into Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian.
Whether for a blog or a small business, you usually need to include graphics in what you do. No matter how compelling your words are, that graphic helps you to get attention and set the tone.
Event management has become a big part of what I do. One thing I stress is that every event needs a documented plan: it starts with strategy and then dives into the tactics. Not only does this give everyone a single “plan of record” to refer to as they work on the show, it helps you with planning […]
A few months ago I needed to quickly come up to speed on using the GoToWebinar platform for a client. Webinars are all the rage these days, so this was a nice bit of knowledge to get into place and I was happy for the opportunity. So, as I typically do, I am sharing […]
Use quality images from stock photography websites to give your blog posts and collateral a more polished look and attract more eyes to your content.
These disrespecting ads mislead, sensationalize, and exclusively target emotional triggers to suck browsers into opening an email or clicking that ad.
Writing and publishing can be a very rewarding experience, but it takes a lot of work! I was recently asked for some information on how to get started in self-publishing. As I often do, I am posting my answer here.
13 tips to help you plan your new blog or newsletter before you launch it to make sure it projects the professional image that you want to portray.
We are a melting pot of lots of things including faiths and we are all free to express that. Just go into it knowing that not everybody in your audience will agree with your sentiment, and some folks will feel uncomfortable about it.
Choose a color for your brand that is meaningful to you and that you love, but take the extra step to choose the most easily reproducible shade of that color that you can.
Repurposing existing design work for another deliverable is a great way not only to make better use of your design budget, it helps you achieve a consistent look and feel across projects. But this means having to do some up-front planning and having to keep your projects organized. Keep your files clean as you work, or plan on time after the deliverable is sent off to clean up the files.
What are the common-sense rules to naming files? Does it really matter? Even though your computer allows you great flexibility in naming files, think ahead to how the file will be used. Take pity on the user that will have to type that name into a web browser, and be mindful of how the name will look once the escape codes are entered in place of spaces.
Knowing that you need a website is just the beginning. It doesn’t have to be an overwhelming project to put a site in place. If in doubt, get a simple site up now and flesh it out later.
An intuitive domain name is essential to give you a memorable web and email address.Here are a few tips for choosing the right domain for your website.
Giveaways typically have multiple purposes. They are a way to attract people to your booth, they provide a way for you to collect leads which hopefully turn into sales, and they are a way for you to promote your brand to prospective customers. However, these purposes can sometimes be at cross-purposes. Exhibiting at a tradeshow is expensive. Get the most from your tradeshow budget by not just driving “traffic” to you booth, but by driving “prospective customers” there.
No matter how great you are at planning, we all get hit with rush projects sometimes. Having a great working relationship with an agency is your first step toward being able to pull of small miracles when you need to do a rush project. Be aware of the risks, look at where you can simplify what you need, and be sure to let your agency know you appreciate their work.
In everything in life, you get what you pay for, and online printing services are no exception. Customer service became the final deal-breaker that caused me to choose just one of these services for all of my future online printing needs.
You don’t have to call it a “blog” in order to have a spot on your website to say what you want to say. But if you call it a “blog,” you must keep it current or it will be worse than no blog at all.
You don’t have to be a graphics expert with expensive software to get good results. Know the basics and nobody has to know that you’re not a pro.
Every time you communicate for your company, you are wasting an opportunity if you don’t use your brand. Use letterhead PDFs for all your emailed documents to help keep your brand in front of your customers.
Set up vanity URLs to hide a messy folder hierarchy, save users from too much typing, and keep your URLs pretty.
Keep in contact with your customers to keep them informed about things that affect them, but balance this with the need not to annoy them with too much contact.
Time is money, so anything you do to alleviate confusion for your agency can make a big difference to the cost of your project. Communicate clearly and make sure nobody has to make any assumptions.
When it comes to merchandising, the item you select becomes an extension of your brand. Make sure that it is something that reflects the quality of your brand and that it is something that your customers will relate to you.
Don’t detract from your brand by using en email address from anywhere other than your own domain.
What separates legitimate email marketing from spam is the opt-in. Be careful not to over-communicate, make sure to consistently demonstrate value, and you just might have a successful email marketing campaign.
Long-copy sales pages can be an effective way to sell your product IF you take care in the writing and design.
A style guide is the way that you can make sure that everyone writing content for your company is using tone and vocabulary and presenting your brand in a consistent way–whether it is web copy, brochures, technical papers, or even correspondence.
Succeed by helping your users succeed. Reference cards help create power users and cultivate existing customers into continuous “upgrade” customers by making your software or API as easy as possible for them to use.
