Category: Digital Branding

When Should Your Startup Expand Into New Verticals

Steven on November 9, 2020

Growing a startup into a successful and viable long-term business is the goal of every entrepreneur. Expanding your idea from a single concept into an expansive business with multiple different revenue streams and geographic distribution is a fun and exciting challenge. Exploring new verticals is an excellent way to grow and protect your business from market fluctuations and changes; diversification is the key to success.

Finding the right time to move into a new vertical can be challenging, though. Move too soon and you risk overextending yourself, but move too late and you risk your business stalling. In the following article, we’ll provide you with some advice on how to find the best time to move your business in exciting new directions.

Expanding Vertically

Vertical expansion is the process of moving your business into a new field, with the goal of diversifying your operations, risk, and revenue streams. When executed at the right time and into the right areas, vertical expansion can take your business to a whole new level, complementing and synergising with your existing business operations.

Aaron Babb, Director of Aevum Health had this to say on the importance of expanding his business, even when he was in a comfortable situation – “New verticals relating to new markets or revenue streams are an incredibly powerful business growth technique that allows for expansion without significant additional costs. In a small to medium-sized business often your biggest issues are cashflow. Seeking out and finding new verticals allows for additional revenue once set overheads have already been established boosting business cash flow.”

Test the Market

As most startup entrepreneurs will know, not every idea is a golden one. Some things appear great on paper, a sure-fire path to success, but once they are moved into the marketplace they fall apart. Testing your idea for vertical movement is important to not only evaluate whether it is a viable idea that the market will accept, but also if the timing is right.

Gary Vaynerchuck, prolific social media magnate and business advisor has this to say on testing the market “If you’re worried you won’t be able to communicate your idea to the existing market, maybe your idea needs some rethinking.”

A small market test may demonstrate that while the move is something your customers are ready for, your business isn’t in a place to make the move with the attention and focus required.

Get the Timing Right

Timing is everything when it comes to expanding your business into a new vertical. If you make the move too soon into your startups’ lifecycle then you risk derailing your core concept by spreading your resources too thin. If you make the move too late, though, you risk being too heavily integrated into the core business platform. Keep vertical expansion constantly in your plans, regularly assessing when the best time is to move forward without diverting mission-critical resources, but while you are still small and agile enough to move and adapt into a new area.

Identify the Motivators

One of the most important questions to ask yourself when considering moving your business into a new vertical is why you are doing so? Identifying the motivations behind the move will help you to thoroughly assess whether now is the best time to be making a change.

Tim Ferris, author of the 4 hour work week “The question you should be asking isn’t, “What do I want?” or “What are my goals?” but “What would excite me?”

If the motivation for exploring new business avenues is the wrong thing, then you risk the idea falling flat. Vertical expansion should be done at a time in the business when you have a solid footing in the core business vertical and have maximised your current potential. If the motivation for expanding into a new vertical is because your competitors are doing so or you are just looking for a new challenge then the timing may not be right.

Moving your startup into a new vertical will almost certainly be harder than it was launching the idea initially. When a business is just starting it can afford to be much more dynamic in its movements and decisions. It can also afford to make mistakes and recover from them with relative ease. Once a business has been established, pivoting into a new vertical is much more difficult as you have to carefully balance the existing business operations, staff, and customers while trying to launch something new. The cost of failure is much higher, but the benefits of success are too. Identifying the right time to make the move is critically in boosting the chances for a successful expansion.

Digital Branding Legal Branding SaaS Branding

Keeping Home Improvement Clients Safe and Happy During The Pandemic

Steven on October 30, 2020

Despite the many changes resulting from the national pandemic, the home improvement industry has seen a significant business spike. As more people remain indoors, the desire to create a safe and decent environment to live in has increased. While this is great news for contractors, acquiring new clients still comes with some challenges.

COVID-19 Fears

Though homeowners understand the importance of keeping up with maintenance and repairs, fear of contracting or spreading the coronavirus causes some hesitation. As such, local home service providers like an Orange County insulation installation contractor or a San Diego County rodent proofing company must develop strategies to put their clients’ minds at ease. Continue reading for some practical solutions.

Get Educated

Before you can ensure your home service clients that you have their best interests in mind, you must get educated. Learn about COVID-19 in your service area. What are the rules and regulations set forth by the federal and local governments? What recommendations have been provided by the CDC? What are some health and safety practices that other home service providers are using?

Develop Workplace Safety Procedures

After you’ve done some research on keeping clients and employees safe amid the pandemic, you should develop workplace safety procedures. Here is a look at some things you might consider adding:

All contractors must wear PPE at worksites.
Contractors must get screened and tested regularly for COVID-19.
Should an employee become sick, they must go home, and quarantine, and clients notified immediately.
When possible, contractors should commute separately.
Staff should properly sanitize work areas throughout the workday.
Keep onsite crew to a minimum during projects.

Once you’ve developed new workplace safety procedures, ensure that your crew fully understands what is expected of them. Then, add this information to your company website and social media pages so that potential clients can see what you’re doing to ensure everyone’s well-being.

Offer Virtual Solutions

While in-person meetings are common during a home improvement project, this practice is risky in the middle of a pandemic. Whether you need to meet with your clients to go over the blueprints and budget or to discuss changes along the way, utilizing digital resources like video conferencing software is highly recommended. You can schedule meetings that provide an in-person vibe without putting anyone in harm’s way.

Project management software is another digital solution that can enhance productivity. Such platforms allow you to communicate with key players from subcontractors to clients, on vital project information. You can delegate tasks, share blueprints, provide a budget, manage teams, and maintain timelines in real-time. It reduces your need for in-person meetings and dramatically reduces everyone’s risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Ask for Testimonials

Word of mouth remains one of the most effective ways to acquire new clients. The pandemic may have resulted in many people’s social distancing, but they can still spread the word about your home improvement business. Digital branding solutions like positive customer testimonials or reviews go a long way in decreasing your target audience’s fears.

When you complete a project, ask your clients if they’d be willing to record a video or write a review on your company website. They could talk about their initial fears, how you and your crew accommodated their needs, and their satisfaction with the finished product. As interested parties inquire about your services, the positive testimonials and reviews put their minds at ease.

If you’re a home service provider who experienced a decline in business during the pandemic, you’re not alone. Though homeowners are interested in keeping their homes safe and comfortable, the fear of the coronavirus causes them to put off much-needed services. If your business will survive these trying times, it is vital to make necessary changes that accommodate your clients’ needs while ensuring their safety. Using strategies such as those provided above, you show your target audience just how committed you are to keeping them safe, which can ultimately grow your business.

Digital Branding

How Webinars Can Benefit Nonprofit Branding? Free Tips & Advice.

Steven on October 26, 2020

If you’re new to the trade, branding is probably the last thing that comes to your mind when you think of organizations that deliver true social impact. However, a well-organized nonprofit branding is crucial to the successful development, functioning, and aim completion of the org.

A strong and reliable brand:

Helps your nonprofit stand out amongst other competitive foundations, so your brand message and efforts to spread your cause gain popularity and reach a large audience.
Grows your nonprofit’s visibility, generates support, boosts fundraising, and helps obtain other donations.
Attracts and engages potential volunteers to join your team and contribute to your work and mission.

According to LiveWebinar.com, online seminars are an excellent approach for a present-day organization with modern visions and ideas to manage successful and efficient branding. These web seminars are a low-cost alternative to in-person and events, that help you describe your nonprofit in a more human way to gain attention and help. They offer you a valuable opportunity to reach many people around the world and raise awareness about your cause.

So how to create an impressive and memorable online seminar to promote and grow a nonprofit organization? Check out the following tips and guidance on how to run a successful webinar to boost the progress of a non-business entity:

Tell the Nonprofit Story

The primary goal of nonprofit branding is to both convince the mind and touch the heart and thus favor an organization traditionally dedicated to furthering a particular social cause or advocating a shared point of view. So, start the webinar with enticing storytelling about the org while keeping in mind the following tips.

Mind the difference between the personal brand and the brand promise. This way you can best empower the cause for achievements.
Show how you spend funds and donations.
Talk about what are the current obstacles and needs of your organization.
Convince and intrigue the audience to build trust in your cause.
Be sincere and tell authentic statements.

The webinar offers practical methods to justify them with facts and data in the form of diagrams, tables, and graphs. This information, presented professionally, proves to the attendees that your org has a real impact.

Build Empathy and Emotion via Compelling Content

The webinar serves great for that because it allows you to intertwine the presenter with inspiring multimedia to convey the spirit of altruistic work you and your staff do.

A great way to build empathy is through creating a nonprofit video to explain your mission and to motivate your audience by showing that everyone is valuable and contributes to a cause.

6 Steps On How To Start Your Own Video Production

Increase Your Reach

An aspect of successful branding is to reach as many people as possible, and a webinar is becoming one of the best options for that. There are attendees who already interested in nonprofit activities and willing to register. A great way to further better your funnel is to offer an online course as free training for anybody onboarding the cause.

How to Optimize Your Online Seminar to Attract Even More Participants?

Well, consider leaders or virtual leaders of another organization or individuals competent in your field to take part in the webinar as guest speakers, panel participants, or moderators on a specific topic. This is an innovative approach to grow your nonprofit’s reputation amongst a new audience and spark curiosity towards your work.

According to tech professional Antoine Bechara, guest speakers probably have their own audience and if you help him or her to leverage it to the fullest, you can further increase interest in your nonprofit and cause. Always encourage both speakers and viewers to spread the word about your organization. If your message is authentic and right, you’ll be surprised by the extent of the results possible!

Choose High-Quality Leads

No matter how many presenters there are, or whether you or someone else runs the webinar, pick a host who is a professional for a successful event and branding.

A qualified presenter:

is aware of the webinar topic and all details related to it;
is intelligent, confident, but not arrogant, and has excellent public speaking skills;
focuses on the goals of the webinar and chooses the most suitable strategy to run it;
carefully lays out the content and doesn’t miss important points within the allotted time frame.

Eager for inspiration? Read “Branding Strategies That Can Propel Small Businesses”

Increase the Traffic to Your Website

As an activist of a nonprofit, you probably own a website about the org and the work you do. It’s important that you promote your site to increase awareness about your mission. Use the webinar to introduce your website to your target audience.

According to volunteer management experts Volunteer Mark, an online seminar offers you an ideal opportunity to share info, organization details, and how to register and volunteer rights. Direct your viewers to the website and encourage them to share it.

Final Thoughts

So, if you struggle to promote your nonprofit and accomplish your aims, focus on an approach to develop strong branding. It builds a reputation, increases awareness, and helps you raise money. Webinars are a sustainable and efficient way for your brand strategy to reach many people and potential contributors.

Stick to our detailed guide and tips on how to run your webinar to make sure that your nonprofit stand out and make the impact you desire.

Author: Dimitar Karamarinov

Dimitar is an award-winning digital multi-instrumentalist with authorship in a broad range of digital medium and multimedia starting as early as 2006. With over a decade of experience in audio, graphic and motion design, along with various forms of business and communication, Dimitar Karamarinov gains experience with companies of grade Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Inc 5000, and multi-continent companies, along with various charity initiatives under his belt. Dimitar Karamarinov is proactive in appearance on established media such as Forbes, Metro News, CMSWire, BBN Times and more.

Digital Branding

Is Your Product Packaging Hurting Your Branding Efforts?

Steven on October 16, 2020

Because consumers have access to so many choices, we typically see how a company presents itself before we ever try one of its products. Branding, as a result, can be just as important as the actual quality of your product — especially when stocked with other products in a supermarket or listed on an online storefront.

Your product packaging could be the first encounter a new customer has with your brand. It needs to quickly communicate what you’re trying to sell, what makes it different and why the customer should buy that product rather than any of the others stocked in the same place. There are also practical concerns — like functionality or stackability — that may make product packaging less effective than it could be.

These are six ways to tell if your product packaging may actually be hurting your branding efforts and what you can do to design packaging that sells a product, rather than hold it back.

1. Your Packaging Doesn’t Tell and Sell

Good packaging should both tell a customer what’s inside and sell that product. With a glance, a customer should have a decent idea of the product inside and why it’s unique.

Simple or subtle design elements can communicate a lot about what makes your offerings unique. Bold color schemes and elegant fonts can suggest high-quality, luxury items. Textures, earth tones and agricultural imagery, on the other hand, can tell a customer that they’re looking at a product that’s organic, all-natural or sustainably made.

Some of the success of your product containers may be dependent on your branding. If your brand doesn’t really tell the story of your company — what you sell and why you sell it — it may be hard to correct brand-aligned packaging that effectively tells and sells. In this case, a rebrand or smaller adjustments to your company’s look may be the best option.

2. Your Packaging Is Wasteful

Wasteful or unnecessary packaging is bad for everyone and the planet. It often costs more, may generate hard-to-recycle waste and could alienate customers who are looking for ways to reduce their consumption.

Simple tweaks can make product packaging much more eco-friendly and efficient. Switching to sustainable packing materials, for example, or opting for biodegradable plastics, can reduce waste. Typically, you won’t need to rebrand to manage wasteful packaging. Tackling inefficient or non-sustainable product containers is a good place to start if you want to make your brand seem greener or cut back on manufacturing costs.

Wasteful products — like those in plastic clamshell containers — can also be hard to open, combining the problem of wrap rage with growing consumer dislike of plastic packaging. While containers pose a very temporary inconvenience for customers, they can still be frustrating, and may even make a customer less likely to buy from the same company.

3. Your Packaging Makes the Product Hard to Use

Hard-to-use packaging can hurt any product, even if the packaging is an effective brand ambassador in every other respect.

For example, a company may manufacture a cleaning spray in a distinctive bottle that is, unfortunately, not ergonomic or makes it hard to use the last of a product. This product may secure the first sale with its look, but turn off a customer from future purchases because it’s hard to use.

Ease-of-use should be one of your key considerations in package design, along with look, durability, stackability and sustainability. Simple usability testing or fielding feedback via email surveys can give you a sense of how well your current package design works and how it could be improved.

4. Your Packaging Is Inconsistent

Consistency in branding is one of the marketer’s best tools. With consistency, it’s more likely that customers will really remember your brand. With awareness, they could develop a preference for your products and may even recommend your business to friends or family.

Products in the same line should look like they’re coming from the same company. This helps build brand awareness, and it may even encourage customers to buy other products you sell if they have good experiences with your company.

5. Your Packaging Is Hard to Ship or Stock

Unusual packaging can help a product stand out. However, it can also make items more expensive to ship or stock. Packaging that’s not durable enough may also sustain damage in transit, potentially making a product unsellable.

Simple changes can help here. Square or rectangular boxes are always going to be easy to ship and stack. Looking to your competitors may also help. If they’re well-established, their packaging may provide hints for how you make your offerings easier to transport or shelve.

These changes may also provide an opportunity for making your packaging or containers more sustainable and more durable or efficient at the same time.

6. Your Packaging Is Hard to Understand

If a container makes any claims, it should be in the language that a customer speaks. Clearly communicating benefits with phrases your target audience will understand can help make sure they don’twalk away confused about what your product offers.

Understandable doesn’t always mean simple. Some businesses — like those manufacturing supplements, high-end skincare products, electronics or niche items — may have a highly informed customer base. These consumers can have different vocabularies and may expect clearer, more direct descriptions of how a product works.

References to specific ingredients, like vitamin C, creatine or rosehip oil, could confuse a general audience, for example — but the benefits they offer may be perfectly clear to certain customer segments.

How to Keep Packaging in Line With Your Branding

Packaging and branding that work together will be essential if you want to attract customers and keep your business growing. When evaluating your products, it’s best to make sure their containers effectively communicate the benefits. They should also be easy to use and open and, whenever possible, generate minimal waste.

Infographic created by Chicago Tag & Label, a custom label manufacturer

Lexie is a branding enthusiast and web designer. She loves checking out local flea markets and taking her Goldendoodle on hikes. Follow her on Twitter @lexieludesigner and check out her design blog, Design Roast.

Digital Branding

How Does Technology Increase Workplace Productivity

Steven on October 15, 2020

How Does Technology Increase Workplace Productivity?

Innovative Technology Solutions is a leading IT services company

Digital Branding

7 Tips to Help You Build a Strong & Reputable Brand

Steven on October 7, 2020

When you create your brand, you have to think of coming up with a creative logo, an impressive color scheme, and a catchy slogan. All this is imperative, but there is much more to creating a strong brand in a competitive market. Remember, everything you do in your business influences your brand perception in the market. Well, building a robust and reputable brand requires effort and a lot of creativity. We have compiled a few tips and a guide to help you get started.

Determine how people see you

Your business brand is not what you say but rather how everyone else sees it. As an initial process of building a strong brand, you have to know what people think about it. For example, do a Google search on business to check out for any reviews online or ask your close allies how they view your business. You can have business experts conduct an analysis from the general public on your behalf.

Perfect Your Personality

It would be best if you started thinking of your brand as a person with specific traits. With this in mind, ensure that whatever your business does and creates does not contradict your business’s personality. A brand’s personality is the commitment to fulfilling promises and business values, mission, and vision. Yes, your brand personality also needs to be reflected in your brand design, image, and colors. How you treat your customers should also reflect the personality of your brand. If you feel that something you are doing does not support your brand, you need to change it to keep your business personality alive.
Invest in your online platforms

There are several online platforms these days, including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, website, and many more that give you a place to engage your audience directly. You only need to take time and identify which one works well with you and which one can help you reach your target audience. Through these platforms, you can market your goods and services hence building on your brand. You can also empower your customers as well as express the purpose and mission of your business. Remember to be as authentic as possible in your online content and interactions.

Have consistency yet remain flexible

Most of the strongest brands are consistent in everything they do and have gained their customers’ loyalty due to consistency. However, even with consistency, you need to be flexible enough to take in new ideas to grow your business. Be flexible enough to change the business tactics that no longer work for you. Ensure that you review if the actions that you are taking to scale up your brand are working. Conduct brand audits from the perspective of your suppliers, customers, and employees to ensure that your brand’s impression is how you view it. Ensure that your brand thrives and showcase your strengths as you work on your weaknesses.

Get ready to build your brand awareness.

Even as you work within the business to build your brand, you need to think outside the box on how to build your brand’s awareness. Creating brand awareness among your potential customers can make it strong. For example, you can use a technique known as entertainment marketing where you use pop culture to grow your brand. You can use movies, music, celebrity endorsements, characters, product placements, and other approaches. The bottom line is that you have to go the extra mile and think outside the typical marketing techniques to grow your brand among your target consumers.

Maintain value

For your brand to be strong, you have to do something that puts you ahead of your competitors. Have a unique product proposition regarding the value of your product or how you handle your customers. Also, ensure that your products and services are on par with what you are marketing to your potential customers. Do not create a false impression of your product. Do not overcharge your customers! Let the product price go hand in hand with the quality of your product or service.

Associate your brand with strong brands

According to Sham Hyder, the Founder, and CEO of Marketing Zen, connecting to another brand could either weaken or strengthen your brand. Thus, to enhance your brand, you have to associate with strong brands, and vice versa is true. For example, you can associate with strong brands through authority blogging. You can create nice business blogs and post on high authority sites. The sites have high traffic, and therefore posting blogs there will create brand awareness for your potential customers.

Wrap up

Building a strong brand takes a lot of effort and commitment. Ensure that your product and service are a clear reflection of the personality of your brand. Moreover, be consistent, market your brand, maintain the value of your product, and associate with strong brands to enhance your brand’s growth.

Digital Branding Personal Branding SaaS Branding

Do Press Releases Still Work for Startups and Online Businesses in 2021?

Steven on October 1, 2020

Press releases are among the most commonly used public relations tools that companies can apply to their effective PR campaigns. Anyone who has created a press release or has had one written up for them knows that they are many benefits to press releases, like contributing to improving the recognition, reliability, image, reputation, prestige, revenues, and visibility of brands companies.

They are just one of the first steps in an effective PR campaign; from there, they can provide backlinks and many other benefits to a company.

In this article, we will look at:

1) What are press releases?

2) How do Press Releases Help SEO?

3) Are Press Releases Still Worth it?

4) Advantages of a press release

5) How to make Press Releases effective

1) What are Press Releases?

Nowadays, press releases can be created in written, audio, or video format. It is a way of getting the word out there, distributing, and announcing events to media outlets about any important event that is happening or about to happen.

It can be hard to get the media’s attention, and it is even more challenging of media outlets. After all, they need to filter all the information they are getting sent because they want to publish only the best, more exciting news. That is why platforms like Pressfarm exist so that it makes it easier to find media outlets through their databases.

2) How Do Press Releases Help SEO?

Having any information posted about a company or event on heavy traffic news sites is beneficial for a company’s brand and SEO.

The way that companies can achieve SEO is through backlinks. When media outlets start spreading the word about a company, they will not only get backlinks from those new sites, but they can also receive a high number of backlinks from people who will read the news.

Backlinks are fundamental to SEO. On a basic level, the more sites that link a company’s information, the more authority Google awards the site. Backlinks are considered to be a proxy for authority since more popular and authoritative sites will have more sites linking into them. Building backlinks can be one of the most difficult tasks for SEO and building high-quality ones are even harder, but combining methods like obtaining them naturally, buying them, or possibly using tricks like PBNs can be considered the best link building method available because it helps companies build links rather quickly, they are all completely natural and won’t result in any penalties if done right.

There are many press release tactics that can be quite effective, but companies and individuals quickly realized that it was easier to get links from the press releases themselves instead of from news publishers. A reason for that is press release spam because instead of creating high-quality news stories to improve their business, companies distribute as many press releases as possible to as many platforms as possible “spamming” media outlets, which decrease the importance of the press release on certain sites.

So, in order to maintain high-quality backlinks and interest up, companies should not just post a press release for the sake of getting a backlink, but post it actually to attract the attention of media outlets.

3) Are Press Releases still worth it?

Publishers will always be in need of news topics, so no matter what, as long as companies have news, press releases will always be useful. Press Releases can be effective not only with backlinks, but also with social media likes, shares, and comments.

The question that does get asked though, is why press releases seem to be less popular than before. As mentioned before, it is because of press release SPAM. As the Internet and SEO became more popular, media outlets received many pieces of information, so they need to start filtering news stories that can make press releases a less effective SEO strategy and how accessible it is.

However, again as mentioned before, if companies focus on the right things, which can improve the business, services, or products and create an effective press release that is focused on getting the media’s attention instead of just trying to grab backlinks, press releases are more than worth it.

4) Advantages of press releases

Press releases can give any business amazing results regardless of its size, profit margin, profile, and industry. Here are some of the main benefits of press releases.

Instant Exposure

When it comes to press releases, the two things that are the most important are content and distribution. Each type of content plays a significant role in an effective strategy; landing pages help companies introduce their brand and goods to the world and convert leads into customers. Blog posts allow companies to establish a personal connection with readers by answering essential questions, offering advice, and sharing insight with audiences. While landing pages and blog posts will help, press releases allow companies to build trust and authority on different fronts; it will enable media outlets to cover the store and prospects a new reason to visit the brand through websites or landing pages.

Increased Sales Potential

Press releases not only bring credibility and allow companies to stay in the public eye, but it also increases a company’s profit margins. Writing and distributing press releases for different occasions and highlighting key benefits and features of products can position the company’s merchandise on top of any others currently available on the market.

Chance to boost the effectiveness of marketing plan

Press releases represent an affordable marketing addition that companies can add to their campaign. There is no way that companies can go wrong with these tools because they are designed to be controlled by their creators in terms of targeted audience and message.

Opportunity to brand yourself as an industry expert

As mentioned before, press releases are a great way to build trust and credibility in any industry. If a company has a great PR campaign, it will offer them a chance to brand themselves as a high-authority business owner and show off their products’ unique attributes.

Increased traffic to website

People are now flocking to the Internet, looking for unique insights and exclusive stories. Companies need to try and use any PR tactic to push their feature to the top of a potential client’s newsfeeds and boost exposure. Using press releases and including a few links to organic content can guide potential readers to other platforms to promote and sell their goods.

Companies can boost their website traffic through press releases by optimizing key elements, including keywords, headlines, videos, photos, hashtags, and descriptions.

Important SEO benefits

Press releases that are published on different media outlets can offer companies valuable backlinks to their website. By optimizing content, companies can also increase visibility online and make their content searchable on the Internet, which allows them to unlock instant SEO benefits.

Ultimately, the company needs that one media outlet on a renowned site, and things will fall into place. If they target individual reporters, there is a higher chance of getting featured. They do not need to use press release platforms to make a press release useful, they might need to email media outlets personally or message them on their social media profiles.

If companies and individuals opt to use platforms to create an effective press release, they can use press release agencies like Pressfarm to help them with any public relations needs. Some services they provide include templates for companies to create their press releases and press kits, a media outlet database for companies to find the appropriate media outlets for their business, and packages for companies that need assistance in creating an effective public relations strategy.

The packages that Pressfarm provides include; the Starter package, the Launch package, the Campaign package, and the Enterprise package. The Starter package is a great start for small teams looking for the fundamentals to take their communications to the next level, the Launch package is ideal for growing companies to increase press coverage, improve effectiveness and personal communication with the media, the Campaign package is for businesses to gain full control of their company and stay consistent across the globe, and finally, the Enterprise package also allows companies to gain full control of their brand and stay consistent and is ideal for companies preparing for a big product launch or multiple stories to pitch, but need a PR expert to help them reach leading press contacts.

Within the packages, some of the services provided include a professionally designed press/media kit, press release proofreading and review by PR Experts, a personalized PR action plan on strategies and PR industry trade secrets to maximize press coverage, a tailor-made PR media list of 500+ contacts by Account Executive for initial PR outreach, access to startup directories and review websites to improve SEO and gain exposure suitable for all companies, access to PR contact per month of media outlets and influencers for a full year, and finally priority email support. When it comes to press releases and SEO, Pressfarm also helps increase release visibility in relevant search results across major search engines.

A press release, especially when managed by a PR company, is way more than just writing a piece about company news and publishing it on a newswire service. It is just one element of an effective PR and media strategy. A professional PR agency should align its client’s PR strategy with its commercial, operational, and business strategies. It enables the agency to plan when and what they are going to release to the media. A good PR strategy will develop an interesting angle on the information given to them and turn it into something exciting and original.

They will then publish it onto any newswire service with no SEO benefit, but they will use their knowledge of media strategies to get the press release, and other information picked up by media outlets as a news story because this is where the real value is. A good PR company can turn a press release into an actual piece of news written up by journalists through practical outreach work. The press release is no longer what it started being; it has now become an article in a publication and media outlets will often include a backlink in the articles.

Something to remember is that backlinks are usually “follow” (they pass on link equity to the site) because there is no reason to make them “no-follow.” The reason behind it is because the article had to go through an editorial process to get published, it means that it is not low-quality link spam. When it has been published, the client’s site gets a direct SEO benefit, which is really great for SEO and is a great example of how PR and SEO work well together.

Some things that companies need to understand is that not every press release that gets picked up by media outlets and written into an article will include a backlink, and even if there is one, sometimes it will be “no follow” but PR professionals know that companies will get more backlinks in this instance because it reduces the most risks of penalty. Which means that when managed effectively through a PR service, press releases can still provide a lot of SEO benefit.

Conclusion

As long as press release distribution is not abused, it will always be useful for SEO. Just one press release to a high traffic site could bring in tremendous results. Companies need to create innovative, original, and exciting content, something that will set them apart from the rest of the competition. Employing PR agencies can take the stress out of it and also yield great results. PR agencies also know the right people and the format of presenting content to various media outlets within the company’s niche to focus on the right outlets and target audience.

Digital Branding

Creating A Web Design That Narrates Your Brand’s Story

Steven on September 22, 2020

Every brand has a unique story, which is something that the audience wants to know before becoming customers and loyalists.

Being able to narrate it well enough is the key to engaging them and winning their trust. The design of your business website serves as the best storytelling platform because this is where most of the potential buyers are bound to come.

However, storytelling through web design takes a lot of creativity, strategy, and clever thinking.

Right from choosing the colors, visual elements, content, and navigation, you need to nail everything to create an impactful storyline. Here are some measures you can implement to do it effectively.

Focus on their problems rather than your company

Although you will be tempted to talk about your offerings, it is far more important to focus on customers’ problems when you weave a story for your brand. Their pain points will have them hooked to your story, which subtly draws them to explore more and know you better.

Take them towards a solution and they will buy it. Moreover, the problem-solution approach shows your interest in customers’ well-being and wins their trust and loyalty without much work.

Accentuate your USP and core values

Before you start designing your website, you need to identify the USP and core values you want to highlight. They should reflect everywhere, specifically the home page where the user lands and gets the first impression. The “About Us” page is another part of the site that needs to accentuate these elements. Everything else has to detail around the USP and core values because you would want them to be the heroes throughout the user journey.

Be consistent with the brand narrative

Your web presence is just one element of your brand because it appears at a lot of other places- print ads, billboards, media ads, product packaging, and more. It is vital to be consistent with the narrative everywhere. Amazingly, you can create your own website for free and share your story just as it is everywhere. No one knows your brand better than you, so go ahead and say it all on your website. Make sure that you follow the same visuals as well, right from your logo to colors and font styles. Similarly, pay attention to the tone of voice and content.

Create navigation for the story

When it comes to storytelling through web design, creating navigation is extremely important. Give the visitor a route to the next piece of information as they would want the narrative to unfold naturally and subtly.

It doesn’t make sense to paste all the information on one page, rather let them explore the site to pick their interest and make them stay. The placement of call-to-action buttons can act as navigational cues. Consider creating a roadmap that makes the journey easy for them and drives them effortlessly towards engagement.

Finally, keep the design simple and human-centered so that the audience connect with it emotionally. The modern website users are savvy and only exemplary designs can impress them, so make genuine efforts to engage them with authentic storytelling.

Digital Branding

Make Your Company Mean Something: The Importance of Instilling Company Core Values

Steven on September 20, 2020

Here’s a quick question: what does your company stand for?

If you’re anything like most small business owners, you didn’t see that question coming. Not only that, but you probably also don’t have an answer. After all, you’re in business to make a profit, right?

Well, that’s true, but it’s important that your small business also stands for something. Company core values can make a big difference in the performance of your business. And these values shouldn’t just be on paper. Everyone in the organization should know, embrace, and practice them.

Continue reading to learn about the importance of instilling core values across your organization.

Image by Neypomuk-Studios on Pixabay

Creates a Company Identity in the Marketplace

In the modern marketplace, only companies with a clear identity have a good chance of standing out from the competition.

There are a number of factors that come together to help form a unique identity for your brand, and one of those is your company’s core values. If you think about some of your favorite brands, you’ll certainly realize that they stand out because of more than just the products they offer.

For example, think about Nike.

The company’s shoes and apparel come to mind first. But it’s also impossible not to think of the company’s dedication to helping athletes, and pretty much everyone else, do what they love without fear. Their “just do it” campaign no doubt ushers consumers into one of the company’s core values.

As a business owner, your company’s core values will help shape its identity. If you’re big on environmental conservation and your company has sustainable practices, your consumers will think of the planet every time they interact with your brand.

Photo Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Attract Customers

In one survey, 62 percent of customers said they consider a company’s ethical values and authenticity before making a purchase.

If your company stands for something that resonates with your target market, you’ll be in a better position to attract customers easily. If your target audience is highly environmentally conscious, for instance, they’ll be more likely to buy from you if one of your company’s core values is environmental conservation.

And like Nike’s campaign, you can also let your customers know about your core values through strategic brand messaging.

Attract the Best Talent

If you thought it’s just customers who care about your company’s core values, you couldn’t be more wrong. Turns out your current and prospective employees care about your organization’s core values as well.

Don’t buy that?

A 2019 survey established that a whopping 77 percent of professionals consider a company’s mission and workplace culture before applying for a job.

Your company’s mission spells out your core values. It’s these values that define your workplace culture.

If your company doesn’t have any recognizable values, it’s clear you’re missing out on the best talent. Even your current employers can jump ship when they realize that your company doesn’t stand for anything.

Company Core Values Will Drive You to Success

As a small business owner, it’s understandable that your primary goal is to turn a profit. However, consumer behavior is changing. The modern consumer cares more about company core values than your product. So do your employees.

You now know how instilling company values can boost your business.

Keep reading our blog for more branding tips and insights.

Digital Branding

Get Connected! How To Write a Business Email in 7 Simple Steps

Steven on September 20, 2020

How many times have you sent an email to your colleagues without the email attached?

Have you ever responded casually to an email only to realize later that the CEO was on the email

Business emails seem like they should be so simple to write. But, often they are not.

Professional emails are legal documents. You should not write them the same way you write emails to your family and friends.

If you want to know how to write a business email, here are 7 tips to help your emails look and sound more professional.

Photo by Germann Altmann at Pixabay

1. What Do You Expect From Your Email?

First, know what the purpose of your email is. Are you looking to make a sale, network with a new client, or solve a problem with a new product? Do you want to remind a colleague of an upcoming deadline or thank your team for their hard work?

Let the recipient know what you expect from them and include everything they need to accomplish it.

For example, if you need someone to analyze the cost projections for a quarter, make sure there is a link to the projections or they are attached. Explain what they need to review and how the analysis will be used. Clearly state the deadline for them to complete the task and get back to you.

Photo by Gerd Altmann at Pixabay

2. Know Your Audience

Make sure the tone and style of your email are appropriate for your recipient.

If you’re writing to an executive in your company or a prospective client, your email should be more formal and polished.

If you’re writing to a colleague or someone you have an established working relationship with, you can be friendlier and less formal.

When you’re following up on a meeting, you may want to include detailed notes to recap everything that was said and make sure everyone knows their action items.

On the other hand, if you’re asking your colleague for a report, you can usually just ask the question without going into all the reasons why you need it.

3.“Brevity is the Soul of Wit”

This popular quote from William Shakespeare is one of the best professional email writing tips you will ever receive.

Most people receive too many emails in a day. Knowing how to draft a professional email that gets right to the point will be greatly appreciated by your recipient.

Keep your emails brief, concise, and focused. Limit the topics within an email to one or two subjects at most. Use direct, simple sentences. Don’t include filler words or information that doesn’t relate to the topic.

Photo by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

4. Know How to Write A Business Email in the Proper Format

There are many different types of business email writing tips and templates you can use and follow. But almost all of them will include the following items: Subject, Greeting, Body, and Signature.

Subject Line

Keep your subject line brief so your recipient can read it all on any device. Even the best email app for mac or pc has a limited number of characters it shows in the subject line.

Write a subject that clearly describes what the message is about. Use regular capitalization – don’t write your subject all in capital letters.

Greeting

Use a brief friendly greeting that addresses the recipient by name when you know it.

If you’re addressing someone you know well, you can use an informal greeting like “Hi” or “Hello” followed by their first name.

More formal greetings will use last names and titles. For instance, “Dear Mr. Jones” or “Greetings Dr. Johnson”.

When you don’t know the name of the recipient, traditional greetings such as “To Whom It May Concern” are also acceptable.

All words in a greeting should start with a capital letter. Every greeting ends with a comma.

Body

State your reason and the main point of the email right away. Include any supporting information the recipient needs to know.

A block style with single-space paragraphs is usually the easiest and cleanest format. Include line breaks between the greeting, body, closing, and signature.

Try not to use bold, italics, or color fonts unless it’s necessary for emphasis. Use easy to read fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial.

Closing and Signature

In a formal email or with a new contact, keep things more formal with closings such as “Kind regards”, “Thank you” or “Sincerely”.

Follow-up emails, internal communications, and people you are more familiar with can use more casual conclusions such as “Thanks” and “Best”.

Your email signature should include your name, title or position, and contact information. You may also include a company logo, name, address, and website link.

5. Proofread your email

The last step of how to write a professional email includes proofreading. It’s very easy to be in a rush, type an email quickly, and hit send, but you should avoid that as much as possible.

Always take an extra moment to review what you wrote. Check for spelling and grammar errors. Confirm that your facts are correct and that you have included all the necessary links or attachments.

Read the full email back to yourself, aloud if you can. Always consider your email from the other person’s point of view. How will they read it? You may realize that the tone isn’t as professional as you need it to be. Or, you may realize you’re being too formal in a situation that needs to be more casual and friendly.

6. Remember to Follow-up

It is appropriate and expected for you to follow-up on your email.

If you haven’t received a response in a couple of days, you should reach out again with a friendly follow-up to see if they need more information or had any questions.

7. Email Etiquette

You want to make sure everyone who needs the information receives it. Be cautious of overusing the CC field. If someone doesn’t need the information, don’t include him or her.

Consider the timing of your email. When possible, avoid sending an email after-hours or when you know someone is on vacation.

Know How to Draft a Business Email

Business emails have a specific style and structure to create effective and efficient communication. Knowing how to write a business email properly will greatly impact the impression your writing gives others.

Explore our website to learn more about business communication and branding.