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In the past few weeks, several respected brands took it upon themselves to fix what wasn’t broken by unveiling new versions of their highly recognizable logos.

For the first time in 25 years, Microsoft ditched its italic boldfaced font for a lighter straightforward type coupled with a group of squares reminiscent of its Windows operating system.

After 17 years, online auction powerhouse Ebay, calmed the overlapping uneven letters of its previous logo with thinner, aligned letters.

And in the biggest head scratcher, USA Today launched a new logo after 30 years.  A solid ball has replaced the blue globe with the intent is that the ball will be used as an infographic for the top news in that section.  Okay, if you say so.

Some people are up in arms over the changes.  Others embrace the new designs.   Then there are people who realize it doesn’t matter.  (Cue audible gasp here.)  Yes, fat letters, thin letters, italics, squares, circles….it just doesn’t matter.

• A logo doesn’t increase your visibility.  Your marketing does.
• A logo doesn’t increase sales.  Your people and your messaging do.
• A logo doesn’t build loyalty.  Your product quality and customer service do.
• A logo doesn’t build a strong corporate culture. That’s management’s task.

Now, granted a logo isn’t worthless when it comes to your brand image.  In fact, it is the visual representation of your brand.  Therefore, it should be memorable.  D’uh, that’s a given.  But it should be relevant to your corporate name, image or service.  For instance, if you’re a technology company, a pirate ship is not the best image for your logo.   Just saying.

• A logo should enhance your corporate image.  Translated, this means DO NOT USE COMIC SANS.
• A logo should work in all media.  What looks great on the side of a building may look like a Rorschach test on a business card.
• A logo should not be cliché.  Law firms should avoid using scales.  Medical practices, Caducei.   And Cinnabon, should avoid the EKG readout.

Once you logo has been selected, do not compromise its integrity.  Don’t change the colors for the holidays.  No one needs to see your logo in orange and black to know it’s Halloween.  If they do, you don’t want their business.

To view a selection of memorable, clean, images relevant to their industry, visit the Electrum Marketing logo portfolio. 

It’s okay not to have a blog.   Many people feel this way.  However these same people quite possibly never raised their hand in class, wore head-to-toe beige to the big dance, and never used a calculator’s graphing capability to study the similarities between functions – even when the teacher approved.

A blog can establish your business as a trusted resource in your industry.  A blog can give your business personality.  A blog can help you compete with businesses with marketing budgets exponentially larger than yours.

Raise Your Hand

By writing about your industry and providing useful information, you can, over time, establish yourself as a valued resource that people rely on.  By focusing on being helpful rather than selling, you can build a reputation as a trusted authority.   And, because it’s your blog, you control the content, the timing of its release, and its tone.  Even Control Top Spanx don’t offer you this much control, so take advantage.

Ditch the Beige

Your blog can give your business personality.  Perhaps you have a traditional product in a conservative industry.  There’s nothing that says you can’t inject a little humor into your blog as long as the content is accurate and useful.   Believe me; people will remember where they read a humorous take on asset management.   Keep in mind that you don’t always have to write about your services.  You can boast about an outcome you achieved, introduce your team, or rave about a client.  Just be interesting!

Use What Resources Are Available

Today, the internet has become the primary source for information.  As a result, ranking high in search results is crucial.  When done properly, search engine optimization (SEO) can level the playing field between a small business with a modest marketing budget and a regional chain with a marketing budget that makes Madison Avenue salivate.   Although search engines change the algorithms that affect their rankings almost daily, keywords, incoming links, indexed pages, and social media “likes” and “shares” continue to impact search results. A blog provides you with all of the above.

Don’t miss the boat on this valuable business tool.  Start blogging today.  Need help?  Electrum Marketing can assist you in creating blog content in addition to search engine optimization.

One of my earliest memories is my mom making a red check on the chart that hung on the back of our bathroom door.  I had just brushed my teeth and was simply giddy as Mom took the red pencil that hung on a string near the chart and made yet another red check.  Just look at all of those red checks.  This is great!

My mom gave my sister and me a red check for making our beds, brushing our teeth, putting away our toys and other good habits she wanted us to have.  Although I clearly remember the chart and the red pencil on its string, I can’t tell you if my sister and I were in competition or if we ever received anything other than the red check as our reward.  In hindsight, I certainly hope that I wasn’t duped into being an ideal child so cheaply.  Despite now feeling like an idiot, I am here to tell you that Mom’s red check challenge worked.    We learned good habits.  It was fun.  It was inexpensive.

Could your business learn something from my mom?  Promotions are a great way to generate excitement, teach new skills and build teams.  Friendly competition between departments or locations can knock the dust off of the daily routine that confines us to our cubicles.

A good promotion has:

• A clear goal – learn new skills, increase sales, build contacts, brush teeth
• A reasonable goal – Don’t create a contest that no one can win or one where everyone wins.  Leave that “everybody gets a trophy” hooey to little league.
• A fun theme – no one wants to participate in the Annual Sales Contest but everyone wants to play Big Buck Bonanza!  Hint:  the more fun the contest, the smaller the prize.
• Promotional materials – Make sure your team knows the details with creative fliers and posters.  Just look what mom did with a red pencil.
• An end in sight – don’t make the end date so far in the future that the excitement wanes before the big finale.  Remember that contest we started nine months ago?  Neither do we.

Need help generating excitement around a new product or service?  Want to build a more cohesive team?  Ready to add some fun to your office culture?  Contact Electrum Marketing for creative ideas for successful promotions.

On October 13, 2010, the Plain Writing Act of 2010 was signed into law by President Obama.    Apparently, our government, which cannot reach an agreement on gun control, gay marriage, or healthcare reform – can wrap its bipartisan limbs around clear communication.  Obviously, we don’t write so good.

And while Electrum Marketing tends to avoid politics like Walmart on Black Friday, we salute the brave politicians, who forbade federal “gobbledygook” in documents such as tax returns and college aid applications.   And you thought Thomas Paine was brave for standing up to the British.  Poppycock!   Today’s bureaucrats stood up to jargon and run on sentences.

But even Thomas Paine knew to write his pre-Revolutionary War-era “Common Sense” in a style that common people understood.   He opted not to use the philosophy and Latin references that were popular with writers of the era and instead wrote “Common Sense” like a sermon.  Although he was not a religious man, he knew his audience was and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people.  The result was not only a book with largest sale and circulation of any book in American history (in relation to the size of the colonies at the time), but a surge in support of the patriot cause.

There you have it.  Simple language written in terms that your audience can understand can instill passion and create loyalty.  What rang true for our forefathers can ring true for you as well.  Your brand message should be written for your consumers and not for your colleagues.  Do not promote content that is all about you, your business or your industry.  It should be about your consumer, their lifestyle and their aspirations.  Can you make their life better?  Can you play a vital role in their lifestyle?  Can you help them reach their goals?  If your response is a laundry list of product specs then keep moving.  No one cares about the technical specifications unless they sport a pocket protector and have a slide rule attached to their belt.

Need help with your brand messaging?  Is it written to impress your CEO and not your consumer?  Electrum Marketing can help.  By replacing jargon with benefits, we can create a brand message that resonates with your customers and incites action.

If you are like the team at Electrum Marketing, you take pride in your work and you do your very best to ensure that your customers are satisfied customers.  Actually, at Electrum, SATISFIED is the low end of the scale opposite MANIACALLY CONTENT – but that’s a blog for another day.

Will you always succeed at achieving customer satisfaction?  It’s doubtful.  But when you do, are you taking advantage of your customer’s euphoria and making it work for you?   Carpe testimonium – or seize their testimonial (loosely translated) immediately!

Why testimonials?

1. They are a differentiator for your business.  If a prospect compares your print ad or website against your competitor’s and all things are practically equal (I mean, have you seen those print ads for tires or mattresses?), a testimonial could tilt the scales in your favor.  Let’s face it, if someone believed strongly enough to take the time to vouch for your service or product, it must be stellar correct?

2.  It’s good for your client’s business as well.  Offer to promote their testimonial along with their business affiliation on your promotional materials.  If possible, illustrate how your exceptional service enabled them to improve their service delivery.   Now, you’re both winners!   OMG – this just keeps getting better right?

3.  You may learn something.  You may think you know why your customer uses your services or exactly what appeals to them, but often a few open ended questions such as “Why do you continue to use our services?” and “What do you like best about our services?” may be an eye-opening moment for you.   You may think they appreciate the extra cheese you put on their sandwich only to learn it’s your quick service and convenient location.  UGH!  Think of all that cheese you wasted!  Promoting the benefits that happy customers enjoy can attract more happy customers and drive revenue.

4.  Ask them to refer business to you.  Strike while the iron’s hot.  If they’re happy, they probably know someone else that you could also please.   If they say no, then move on.  Know that they’re lying, but move on.  If they say yes, then hand them a stack of your business cards or fliers and send them on their way.

Okay, so now you’ve identified a few clients who are as pleased as punch.  Now what?  Allow Electrum Marketing to assist you with securing customer feedback, writing or editing testimonials and securing written approval to use customer testimonials in your promotional materials.  Don’t delay.  Carpe testimonium!

Going up?  If your elevator speech is delivered effectively, you could be.

An elevator speech, elevator pitch, or 30 second commercial – whatever you want to call it, can often be your opportunity to make a remarkable first impression.  But just as often, it can uh…be a rambling uh… bit of uh…nonsensical uh…confusing uh….bit of networking sadism inflicted upon captive audiences by a handful of Marquis de Sades who didn’t prepare prior to the chamber breakfast.    You know who you are.  You just don’t know how to communicate what you do!

In addition to being an effective way to make it clear to a prospect what you do, how you do it better than the competition, and how your clients benefit – a proper 30 second commercial conveys respect for other people’s time.  Trust me.  If you pique their attention, they will ask for more detail.  Let’s find out what everyone does first so we can network judiciously after the event.   Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to establish yourself as an accounting expert by reciting your knowledge of the new tax codes – international and domestic – before some bold attendee takes one for the team and tries to wrestle the microphone from your cold abacus-blistered fingers.

Chamber luncheons, corporate cocktail party, or an actual elevator – an opportunity to deliver your elevator speech can present itself at any time so be prepared.  Practice.  Practice.  Practice. And then deliver it like you’re saying it for the first time.

1. Say what you do and who you do it for.
2. State how you do it better than your competition.
3. Give an example of how your clients benefit from working with you.
4. And, close with an offer or invitation.

For example:

Electrum Marketing is a branding agency that helps businesses find, get and keep customers.   Although we design striking logos, clever ads and sophisticated websites, we’re more than an advertising agency – we’re branding experts who create highly targeted, cost-effective strategies that get results for our clients.   We always answer our phones and return emails so contact me if you would like more customers today.

What would happen if you suddenly found yourself face to face with your top prospect who politely asked, “What do you do?”  Would you rattle off a laundry list of services rather than benefits?  Would you present too much irrelevant detail?  Would you talk in circles?  Leave nothing to chance and be prepared!  With 30 second commercial trainingfrom Electrum Marketing, everyone in your organization can excel at this communication tool in order to effectively communicate your brand and build business.

According to Small Business Search Marketing blog, more than 15 million small businesses have a Facebook page.  A recent study by Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey shows that consumers interact with the favorite brands on Facebook more than on any other social network and that 56% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand after becoming a fan on Facebook and 51% are more likely to buy after becoming a fan.

Let’s face it.  Social media is not going away.  Whether you are B2C or B2B, there are benefits of using social media to tell your brand story.  Use it to post articles and tips your customers would find useful, promote the exemplary performance of internal teams, highlight a newsworthy customer, and feature your community support.   However, there are pitfalls if social media is used poorly.  Do not use it for hard selling, posting content not related to your industry, or for humor or political opinion that could offend the reader.

But never forget, if you are not generating new business through social media, then it’s just a hobby.  We invite you to visit, like, follow, and share Electrum Marketing’s content on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages.

Having a website that’s simply an electronic brochure is so 20^th century.  With today’s technology, your website has the ability to be a high performing tool for business development, a valuable resource for your clients, and a means to engage the community.

Do you prominently feature current product or service promotions?  If you’re not promoting yourself, who will?  Place current promotions front and center on your home page.  Make them impossible to miss.

How often are you updating your content?  It is important to update regularly since fresh content not only helps in search engine rankings, but it keeps customers coming back to see what’s new.  When’s the last time your site was updated?  If you had to think about it, it’s been too long.

Does your content help your search rankings?   In 2012, an estimated 3.45 billion local searches will be made, making Search Engine Optimization (SEO) vital.  Even simple changes in text, page titles and URLs can make considerable improvements in search rankings.

Do you use landing pages to increase conversions?  When it comes to online advertising, don’t throw away all your hard work by sending interested customers to your homepage. Create a simple landing page that picks up right where your ad left off with a very clear call to action. Don’t lose your visitor—and potential sale—by confusing them with unnecessary content.

Is there a mobile version of your website?  Nearly half of all Americans (47%) now own a smartphone, 19% have some kind of electronic tablet and those numbers will only continue to rise.  Based on current trends, mobile internet use will surpass desktop use in a few years.

Does your website generate leads for your sales force?  Do you offer any unique value proposition such as a white paper, free evaluation or coupon you can provide in exchange for a prospect’s name and email? 

Does your website contain complicated animations? Flash-based animations can be bad for search engine optimization, but they can also complicate the website experience for visitors. Animations can often be slow to load, which slows down the user and can make them abandon your website.

Does your website contain industry jargon? Write your website copy as if your customer does not understand your industry’s terminology.  Look through your website and highlight terms that are not commonly used outside of your industry and replace them with more common explanations.

Does your website contain excessive images?  Images play an important role in telling your brand’s story.  However, having too many images can slow down the load time for your website in a web browser.  Did you know that search engines consider page load times when ranking websites?

Does your website contain long pages of text? Research has shown that Internet users don’t like to scroll. A product page that takes several scrolls to reach the bottom is a product page whose information will be ignored.   If you have that much information on a page then you are trying to communicate too many ideas.   Keep each page focused on one topic.

Contact Electrum Marketing to schedule your website review and strategy meeting.