Quiz Yourself for 2016
When a new year begins it often signifies a fresh start. Many make personal resolutions, some change up business or marketing techniques, while others go down a completely new path altogether. Several people seem to think it’s foolish just because of a date on a calendar, or because often times nobody really sticks to what they say. Even if there are truths in that statement, we still cannot forget that one is taking the time out to reassess his or her own life. How can there ever be a wrong time for that? How can it ever be wrong to find a truth, even if it takes longer than expected to get there?
Heading into the new year we thought it would be fun to provide a short 10-question quiz that may help you see something new about yourself, or at the very least, confirm what you may already know. And by the way, quizzes fit into the 2016 marketing trend for interactive content.
So go have a little fun…
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-questions-that-find-out-your-true-self.html
A little more food for thought – what is your life purpose?
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/7-questions-help-you-find-your-life-purpose.html2015 Image Marketing Holiday Party
We had such a wonderful time at our 2015 Holiday Party/Open House last night! It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the season with friends, clients, and colleagues while showcasing our beautiful new office & festive [and very PINK] holiday decor!
5 Tips for Creating Successful Infographics
If you’re not creating infographics for your business, you may want to rethink your strategy. Infographics are all the rage for a reason and visual content brings in powerful results. Consumers find infographics more engaging and easy to learn from, rather than simple text. According to HubSpot, in the past two years alone, the search volume for infographics on Google has increased over 800%.
Here are 5 tips you should keep in mind when creating one:
- The Idea.
Look around at some of the most popular infographics for your topic and know what your goal is. What do you want your consumers to do? Do you want them to laugh, are you trying to teach them something or do you want them to take action? It’s an important first step before you begin your design. On a side note, one of the most effective infographics used by brands is analogy. - Write sparingly.
Infographics overwhelmed with text confuse the reader, and will not keep their attention. Before designing the graphic, write down bullet points of the most important, accurate information on the topic. Your information should be relevant to your message, as well as unique and interesting. It’s important to tell a good story. - Choose a suitable color scheme.
A simple color palette is more inviting to readers and keeps your infographic professional. If you need help picking a color scheme use Adobe Color CC, it’s a wonderful resource. Additionally, you can search on fitting keywords, such as “corporate” or “party.” This website is definitely a step-one before you begin the design. - Limit your font choice.
There should only be a maximum of 3-4 fonts used in your infographic. One for the title, as accent and to draw in your readers. The other two should be used for creative in the body of the graphic. Simple and consistent is what works. - Start designing.
If you’re not a professional designer, Piktochart is a great, user-friendly website. They have a variety of templates and graphics to use. It doesn’t matter how the infographic is made, you just want to follow these steps and make sure it’s optimized for sharing.
For a little inspiration, below is an infographic invitation we created for one of our clients. Now it’s your turn!
Named Top Advertising & PR Agency in Connecticut
It might sound cliché, but to me, this really is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I start getting excited for the holidays around the first week of November, and yes, I had my Christmas Pandora station playing by the middle of the month. There’s something just magical about these 6 weeks, when everyone is in a good mood and excited about what the end of the year will bring.
Here at Image Marketing, we’re especially thankful for a few big things this season. First and foremost, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve once again made the list of Top Advertising and Public Relations Agencies by the Hartford Business Journal. This will be our fourth consecutive year making the list, and we’re always grateful to our clients and colleagues who continue to support a small business. We’re constantly evolving and I hope to be able to share some exciting announcements over the coming months.
On a personal level, I’m thankful for the health of my baby boy, who as many of you remember, was still in the NICU at this time last year. Being a working mom certainly has its challenges, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world. I started this marketing agency at the age of 23 for exactly this reason, to be able to have flexibility in my schedule and be able to lead as much of a well-rounded life as possible. I tell our team all the time, it’s all about work/ life balance and I try to live by that rule every single day.
You’ll be seeing a lot more from me as 2015 comes to a close.. it’s one of my resolutions to be more active on our blog and get to interact with our fans and followers on a regular basis in the new year. Feel free to drop me a line anytime at kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com.
Until next time…
Marketing Tip Tuesday: Thank you notes
Sending a thank you note is one of the most important things you can do after meeting with a potential client. Today, most people simply send an email, but have we forgotten the personal touch of snail mail?
You will probably agree that when a client receives a thank you note in the mail it immediately conveys how important they are. It shows more than a formality, it shows someone actually took the time to hand-write it and send it, and these days that is rare.
Below are a few tips that will help in the process.
- Use professional stationary.
You want to make sure your cards don’t look like a typical Hallmark card. Professional stationary or branded stationary, helps with your brand exposure and also shows your client you are not a newbie. - Write genuinely.
When writing a thank you note, go into detail and be specific, but be sure to sound genuine. You are thanking a potential client, so there is no need for added fluff. - Write as neatly as possible.
This may sound a bit trivial, but messy handwriting can show you were either too rushed or they were not important enough. We suggest you take your time and write the note to the best of your ability. - Write the address on the envelope.
It’s so easy to print labels, but if you’re taking the time to write the letter, take a minute more and write the address. It’s just another special little touch. - Don’t wait.
Send your note out within a week, or your gesture won’t be fresh in the clients mind.
Believe us when we say a little thank you note goes a long way!
#FashionFunFriday: Spice it Up!
There’s another way to spice up fall, and it doesn’t involve a pumpkin spiced latte. It’s simply adding some accessories to your wardrobe!
When you add accessories to the clothes you already have, you can create a whole new look for fall.
A great way to add a pop of autumn color is by wearing a statement necklace. Bauble Bar and Kendra Scott have some great necklaces and they both have a large selection to choose from. Kendra Scott in particular, has so many different color options and one necklace can come in 10 or more colors.
Scarves are also a great accessory to add. They keep you warm, and add depth to your look. To find some unique looks you can shop on Etsy for handmade options. Department stores also have a big selection to choose from if you want to try on an array of styles.
Adding a belt to an outfit is also a good option. You can change up a dress style, or make your black dress pants stand out. There are so many great places to find a belt, Nordstrom has close to 250 belts to choose from, for any style or budget.
So be bold, spice it up and accessorize like never before!
Marketing Tip Tuesday: What Posts work?
When posting on social media, it can be hard to come up with a variety of content for your followers. Although the more you post, the more you can see which type of post is the most successful and receives the most traffic.
What works the best can be the simplest solution, and you should always repeat what works. If your followers interact most with your videos, then post more videos. If they like your tips and tricks, post more of them. It’s that simple.
Facebook and Hootsuite offer reports that show how well your social posts are doing. Each week, Facebook will send you an email with insights on how well your page did, and you can create free reports with Hootsuite without having a premium membership. By using these insights, you’ll be able to see how many people visited your page, and how many likes or favorites your posts had.
It is not a bad idea to try new things, in-fact fresh content is always encouraged, but like the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
#FashionFunFriday: Nail it!
Getting a manicure can become monotonous after a while. The colors all start to look the same, or there is a shade that you just can’t stop wearing. If you want to get out of your nail comfort zone and try some new colors, fall is the perfect time to do it.
Essie just came out with a fall collection of some classic colors, and one of my favorites is leggy legend. The purple shade, “In the Lobby” is a great shade to get you out of a color comfort zone.
There are also amazing shades of red and purple that will accent any fall outfit. Butter polish is a more natural way to add color to your nails. The Ruby Murray shade (third color is) is a beautiful deep berry color, that is the best mix of red and purple. Click the pic below to check out all of the colors on the website.
For a go to brand, OPI is always coming out with great new colors, and now you can get some of these colors in gel too. Beauty Geeks.com came out with a color review on the OPI Venice Collection. This collection has classic fall reds, and also has some great neutral colors that look greatany time of the year. To see their entire review check out their post here..
Start autumn off the right way and nail it!
Marketing Tip Tuesday: Pin Away!
We love these tips that the Pinterest Marketing Team posted. Pinterest can be one of the social media outlets businesses might forget to use in order to expand their brand. When we work with a client, we always explain all of the ways that it can benefit their business.
Consider the tips below and get your company going today.
Our top three:
1. Add a link: You want to make sure that your own pins connect back to your website or Facebook page. It will generate more traffic to your site, and educate people about your brand.
2. Create and Pin images with text: What is your pin about? If it is a picture of a flower garden, explain it with a few short sentences.The more information on a pin the better.
3. Pin consistently, at least 5 pins a day: Adding a pin to your boards can be as easy as clicking the Pin It! button. That can take a few short minutes a day, and adding 1 out of the 5 of your own posts would also be great. That way, fresh content is being added every day.
Boscov’s Fashion Week!
We were recently invited to cover our client’s fashion week show featuring plus and petite ready to wear ladies styles! The new Boscov’s store located in the Westfield Meriden Shopping Center is in the middle of a week of fabulous fashion shows featuring the latest and greatest fall and winter looks for women of all sizes and body shapes. Check out some of our favorite looks from Monday’s show and make sure to stop down to one of the remaining shows this week were all participants are entered to win a $200 shopping spree and receive a 20% coupon!
Kelsey wearing a fabulous outfit from Calvin Klein.
Love this gorgeous blue shift dress that model Cassandra is wearing!
Taixa wore this great boucle sweater and Calvin Klein pencil skirt which can be taken from the office to a night on the town!
We love this business casual outfit that Britney is wearing. With the drop stone necklace to add a little pizzazz, this is the perfect ensemble for day to night looks!
Jenna looks fabulous in this fun and flirty floral top and black leggings.