Month: June 2011

Cost of Logo Design–3 Ways to Dramatically Lessen It!

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Logo design can be expensive. In fact, most corporations spend thousands upon thousands on creating brands.

And even though cheap and free solutions run rampant online, obtaining one of these can result in a cookie cutter logo–it won’t stand out above the crowd because it’s not uniquely designed for your business, ministry, or artistry.

Typically, design agencies charge at least $75 per hour. Some freelancers charge less than that, but still, the money adds up.

How can you dramatically lessen the cost of logo design?

Here are some ideas to help you:

1) Do as much research as possible up front.

Ask yourself important questions, like “What am I trying to communicate with this logo?” and “Who is my target market?” If you already have a logo, analyze why it’s not working for you.

2) Provide a rough sketch to the designer.

Designers think visually. If you give them an idea what you are looking for by sketching it out, they will be able to satisfy your vision of your logo more quickly. This will save you money!

Communicate up front all your expectations to the designer. The more they know, the more effective your logo will be, and the more money you will save!

Now that you’ve given him all the information and your vision up front, any written estimate will be accurate and you will have no surprises when the bill comes due.

3) Don’t try to change the job specifications in the middle of the project.

Decide up front what you are wanting. This is why initial analysis and thorough research is so important.

If you decide from the beginning that you want blue angels to represent your logo, but then change your mind and decide you want red fairies when your designer has already done the majority of the work, you will be increasing the cost.

You can’t expect the designer to charge his original estimate when you have made a dramatic change and it’s not in the original parameters.

Changing job specifications will mean the designer will have to work longer or buy more artwork. There is no magic button that a designer can push to make your vision come true. It takes skill and knowledge to implement a vision into a tangible design that can be used online or offline. If you change your mind in the middle of a project, it will take more time to complete that project and you will have greatly increased the cost of your logo design.

But following these three ideas when hiring a designer will dramatically lessen the cost of making a logo!

And when you have a dynamic logo, you have built not only a brand, but a brand that sizzles!

Brand Identity-Make Your Brand Sizzle by Building Your Passions!

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Is your brand falling on deaf ears? Is it falling flat of your expectations? Or perhaps you’re just beginning to think of starting a business. Either way, this video will help you make your brand sizzle!

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For more ways to make your brand sizzle, download my free report at Make Your Brand Sizzle!

Want to get started immediately? Get started right away with my online branding course.

Branding Definition – What It Is And 3 Ways to Make Your Brand Sizzle!

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What is a brand? Why should you care? And how can you make that brand sizzle?

Today, I am going to share with you a branding definition and explain why it’s important and what you can do about it.

A brand is an image or identity that captures the essence of who you are as a business. It includes a logomark and your business name.

Face it. On the Internet, image is everything. Your prospects will only look at your site for a few seconds until they make a decision to stay or go. This is usually decided based on first impressions. And if you don’t have a brand that distinguishes you from other companies, you will make no sales, have no conversions.

As a graphic designer and Internet marketer, I have a unique vantage point in creating brands that sizzle. I understand thoroughly how to construct a logo and I know the importance of making that brand visible across the Web.

So how can you make your brand sizzle? Keep reading to find out!

3 Ways You Can Make Your Brand Sizzle!

1) Build your brand from your passions

A brand identity is all about the essence of who you are. Spend some time brainstorming on the answer to key questions like, “What am I in business for?”, “What makes my product or service different than my competition?”, “What is my personality and how do I want it reflected in my business?”

A brand is more than a perceived image. It is about who you are, what you do, and whom you serve. Making your brand a reflection of your passions, purpose, and mission for your business will build credibility for your brand. This in turn will build profits.

Your brand will truly sizzle!

2) Know your audience

If you aim at nothing, you will hit at nothing. You cannot possibly be all things to all people.

Niche marketing, or affinity marketing, is very powerful. Decide in detail who your audience/target market is. Who are you in business for? Who can most benefit from your product or service? Whom do you have an affinity for? Who can you relate to?

Also ask questions like, what is their income level, education level, gender, age, marital status, interests, etc. The more specific you are, the better. If it helps, even cut out a picture of your ideal prospect and post the picture on your monitor. When you create your brand, create it for that person. And additionally, when you write an article, or send an email, or produce a video, create that marketing piece for your ideal target market!

Finding a pain point of your audience and finding a way to solve that problem is one of the best ways to build your brand. If you can communicate to your audience in that way you will have a brand that sizzles!

3) Create a unique logo design

Beware of services that promise images for cheap and free. Why? Because these images are not specifically tailored to your Unique Selling Proposition, target market, or message you want to get across.

Plus, cheap or free logos look all alike! You will not stand out above the crowd. If you feel you must use one of these due to budget constraints, at the very least understand the process behind creating a logo for your brand.

If you do not treat your logo seriously by putting some time and effort or investment into it, it will reflect poorly on your business. Why should your prospects take you seriously when you don’t take yourself seriously?

So what about your logo? Are you proud to show it off or do you know you can do better? Invest in the look of your logo and your brand will sizzle!

To learn more about creating your own brand image and how you can make that brand more effective, download my FREE report, 10 Ways You Can Make Your Brand Sizzle at http://www.makeyourbrandsizzle.com

Want to get started right away to make your brand sizzle? Check out my extensive course at http://www.brandidentityquest.com that will teach you how the basics of brand design and marketing.

Dana Susan Beasley is principal and publisher of AngelArts, and the author of a 3-month graphic design and marketing course called Brand Identity Quest. An experienced and creative graphic artist, she has been helping companies, organizations, and artists reach new heights in their branding for over 17 years.

 

Branding Definition-What It Is and Why You Should Care

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Branding is one of those words that gets bandied around a lot. It loses its meaning after awhile.

So you may wonder, what is branding, and why should you, as a business owner, organizational leader, or artist, care about it?

In this article, I am going to share with you, from the perspective of a graphic artist and Internet marketer, a branding definition that will help you make a brand that sizzles!

You as a business owner, ministry leader, or artist need to pay keen awareness to brand building, especially in this Internet age we live in.

It only takes a few seconds for a prospect to decide whether or not to click on your link. Is your lack of branding or ineffective branding keeping prospects away from your product or service?

So if the answer is yes, then what? You need to build an identity, with an effective image, that sets you above your competitors. A brand that reaches your target market, brings name recognition, and furthers your brand visibility. A brand that compels an online visitor to click on your link, to subscribe to your mailing list, and ultimately, buy your products.

Even if you are part of a network marketing organization, a franchise, or direct selling company, you need to brand yourself.

Why? Because primarily you need to be investing in yourself. You need to have a way to distinguish yourself from other associates or representatives. And in the worst-case scenario where your MLM, franchise, or direct selling business goes bankrupt, you will have already built a following, a fan base. You won’t lose as much business because you have already built yourself as a brand, not that failed company.

So what is a brand? What is a good branding definition?

A brand is a logomark that encapsulates the unique selling proposition of a business.

But a brand is so much more. Here are just some of the things a brand does:

  • Communicates the identity of a business through that image or symbol.
  • Builds name recognition and grows in value over time as that brand gains visibility.
  • A successful brand brings customer loyalty, almost like a trusted friend.
  • Consists of a logomark and business identity name. Some brands contain only the company name set in a specific font style.
  • Distinguishes a company from competitors.
  • Protects ownership of intellectual property, especially if trademarked.
  • Can be a business or a specific product or service. Corporations have several brands that they manage.

What is your brand doing?

To learn more about creating your own brand image and how you can make that brand more effective, download my FREE report, 10 Ways You Can Make Your Brand Sizzle at http://www.makeyourbrandsizzle.com

Want to get started right away to make your brand sizzle? Check out my extensive course at http://www.brandidentityquest.com that will teach you how the basics of brand design and marketing.

Dana Susan Beasley is principal and publisher of AngelArts, a creative arts agency and publishing house, and the author of a 3-month graphic design and marketing course called brand Identity Quest. An experienced and creative graphic artist, she has been helping companies, organizations, and artists reach new heights in their branding for over 17 years.

Artists and Writers: What Is Branding, Why You Need to Know About It, and What You Need To Do About It!

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You’re an artist. You make jewelry. You paint original oil landscapes. You have a whole laundry room stacked with music CDs you had professionally produced. You’re ready to promote your artwork and you’re all ready to go.

Or you might be a writer. You’ve got your book proposal done, ready to send off to publishers. You might even have an agent.

Or you may even be a crafter who sells handmade items on Etsy.com.

But you forgot one important detail!

Your artistry, writing, or crafting is a business. And in order to treat it as a business, you need to treat it seriously.

This means you need a brand.

But what is a brand?

A brand is an image or identity that captures the essence of who you are as an artist or writer. It includes a logomark and your name.

Face it. Image is everything, whether you plan to promote yourself online or offline. On the Web, your prospects will only look at your site for a few seconds until they make a decision to stay or go. This is usually decided based on first impressions. And if you don’t have a brand that distinguishes you from other artists, your CDs, jewelry, crafts, or paintings will still sit in your storage room collecting dust!

I’m sure you’ve heard of the slush file. The stacks and stacks of manuscripts that acquisition editors have on their desks. How can your manuscript or artwork or music stand out?

And on the Web, your prospects are going to be skeptical. It takes trust to make a purchase, especially online. Some of your prospects are going to be downright scared.

It’s not like there’s the reliability of a national brand like, say, Thomas Kinkade or Michael Crichton. Your artistry or writing is an unknown entity. And an unknown entity is full of danger.

Buyer beware indeed.

So start thinking about your artistry or writer or crafter image. Who are in artistry for? Who are you writing for? Whom do you make crafts for? How did your artistry or writing or craft business start? What makes your art or writing or crafts unique?

What simple image represents your art, writing, or crafts? Are you a fine artist? How about brushes? Are you a jeweler? How about a simple drawing of one of your pieces? Are you a photographer? How about a simple photograph, one of your signature pieces? What about your writing? Are you a romance writer, science fiction, children’s author? Your chosen genre and audience for writing will determine your image!

Whatever you do, put some serious thought into the branding of your artistry or writing. Then watch your art, writing, or crafts get noticed! The result? Increased sales, a book proposal landed, an album deal, a magazine gig!

Who could argue with that?

To learn more about creating your own brand image and how you can make that brand more effective, download my FREE report, 10 Ways You Can Make Your Brand Sizzle at http://www.makeyourbrandsizzle.com.

Want to get started right away to make your brand sizzle? Check out my extensive course at http://www.brandidentityquest.com that will teach you not only the basics of graphic design and marketing, but how to build an effective brand that gets noticed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6358373

Branding in Marketing–Tips from a Young Actor that Will Rock Your Video Marketing! Part Three!!

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Here is part three of my interview with my nephew, Jacob. Passionate about acting and an aspiring entrepreneur, he has some interesting thoughts on acting as it relates to video marketing.

In this video, he shares about where to look and not to look for a video, how to project your voice, how to gesture and much more!

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Want more information on how you can make your brand sizzle? Download my FREE report that reveals 10 Ways to Make Your Brand Sizzle!

Brand Positioning Strategies–3 Lessons that Will Help Your Brand Thrive in Any Economy

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I once heard the story of two detergent companies who struggled during the Great Depression.

One company decided to pull back on their marketing to save costs. The other decided to advertise even more.

Which one survived?

The one who positioned their brand by putting it repeatedly in front of their customers.

Which brand was that?

Procter & Gamble.

I wanted to know more about this story, so I looked it up on the Internet.

Procter & Gamble’s surviving and thriving during the Great Depression is an inspiring, instructive story. Following are three lessons that will help your small business through any economy, including a struggling one:

1) Don’t Hold Back

Procter & Gamble struggled like everyone else during the Depression. Inventories piled up when regular customers cut back on orders.

But P&G realized that customers need soap even in a bad economy. Why not buy it from them?

What did they do? The company did not hold back. They invested money in advertising to get their brand in front of their potential customers.

What about your brand? Are you holding back on your marketing to cut costs?

Think again! You want your brand in front of people. This is the only way your brand will gain position in the marketplace.

Find ways to double your efforts in marketing your brand. By keeping in front of your customers, you will put your brand on top, even in the worst economies.

Maybe you really can’t afford much of a marketing budget. If so, think of using “sweat equity.” How can you use free or low-cost ways to get your brand in front of your prospects? Whatever you do, give it all you got! The survival of your brand depends on it!

What kind of brands from your company do people need even in a bad economy? Develop and market these and you will thrive!

2) Flow with the Times

What I found even more interesting about this story is how P&G pursued innovative marketing strategies to position their brand on top.

They went with the times. They could see that radio, a relatively new medium, was the way to advertise. They sponsored daily radio serials which eventually came to be known as “soap operas.” They branched out into producing more soap operas and in 1950 made the first television soap opera, The First Hundred Years.

What about you? Are you able to go with the times? Have you learned everything you can about Internet marketing? This is the medium that’s taking the world by storm!

And there are many avenues of online marketing: article writing, video marketing, social bookmarking, pay-per-click, banner ads, ezine marketing, just to name a few.

Study the trends and get smart. Realize the next marketing wave of the future and get in on it immediately. The companies who do this with their brands will position themselves as leaders even in the worst of economies.

3) Identity with Your Niche

This is probably my favorite part of the P&G story: the company identified their target market as homemakers. But not only that, they identified with their market by creating the character Ma Perkins, a kind widow. The audience fell in love with these stories!

Not only did P&G go after the target market of homemakers, but they were determined to solve their pain, even at great risk to their company! They really believed in what they were doing and put the resources behind it!

You see, back in the 30s and 40s, laundry was a backbreaking ordeal for homemakers. Soap flakes were the only thing on the market, and even that was not effective.

P&G spent many years developing a new product called Tide. It revolutionized the life of the homemaker and was an instant hit! Tide solved the problem of long hours trying unsuccessfully to get clothes clean. Coincidentally, Tide was launched at the same time as automatic washers. Talk about timing!

What about your market? Whom do you have an affinity for? What solution do you have that could solve your prospects’ problems? What innovative ways can you relate to your customers?

Are you determined to solve their problems? Put your resources into it? Are you aware of market trends? What do your prospects need, want, and desire?

So are you ready to position your brand as a leader? Then follow these strategies and never forget the inspiring story of Procter & Gamble! You, too, can survive any economy.

In fact, you can thrive!

To learn more about creating your own brand image and how you can make that brand more effective, download my FREE report, 10 Ways You Can Make Your Brand Sizzle!

Dana Susan Beasley is principal and publisher of AngelArts.biz, and the author of a 3-month graphic design and marketing course called Brand Identity Quest. An experienced and creative graphic artist, she has been helping companies, organizations, and artists reach new heights in their branding for over 17 years.

Branding in Marketing–Tips from a Young Actor that Will Rock Your Video Marketing! Part Two!

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Here is the second part to the video I did with my nephew, Jacob Turner! He has some incredible ideas on how to improve your video marketing through acting and theater techniques!

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On this video, Jacob shares how to do improv, how to memorize lines, why you shouldn’t use a teleprompter, and much more!

It is so packed I had to split it into three parts, so I will be sharing that next week!

Join My FREE Teleseminar to Celebrate the Launch of My Brand Identity Quest

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This is an announcement I’ve been waiting to make for MONTHS!

After much hard work, I am finally able to launch my new online course, Brand Identity Quest.

And to celebrate, I am holding a special launch party on Monday, June 13 at 1 pm EST.

What is involved in this launch party?

First of all, I will be offering a free teaching on branding in marketing. This teaching, entitled “3 Ways to Make Your Brand Sizzle,” will help you discover practical ways to make your brand stand out above the crowd.

Then, I will be announcing my new course and a special promotion that will never be repeated again. Plus, one listener will be selected at random to receive my course for FREE!

Sign up today by clicking here!

See you on the call!

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