A Quarterly Graphic Design & Printing Newsletter SPRING 2018
NETWORKING FOR LEAD GENERATION: 6 QUICK TIPS By Tingalls Graphic Design
Are you doing lots of networking, but not getting the leads you’re hoping for? Or, thinking of mingling with other business owners and professionals but don’t know how to get started? Here are quick tips to help you start getting more leads from every networking event… BE SELECTIVE WHERE YOU NETWORK You can’t get leads if you’re networking with the wrong kinds of people. Even if you’re only attending events on a monthly basis. Take a peek at your target audience’s profiles on LinkedIn. Where do they network? What groups are they involved in? Those are the organizations you should be visiting and joining.
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EASE INTO IT Once you introduce yourself to a group of individuals, ask them how they got into their line of work and what they like best about their job. This approach is good because people generally like talking about themselves and it feels more inquisitive about who they are and less about what they can do for you.
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INVEST IN NICE BUSINESS CARDS AND PRINT COLLATERAL Your business card design should be well thought out and speak visually about your brand. Once your business card is designed, make sure you order through a high quality printer. Have you thought about a unique business card that stands out such as a unique shape?
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MEET THE ORGANIZER Introducing yourself to the networking organizer can certainly be beneficial. Let the organizer know what you are trying to accomplish by coming to the event. They can make introductions as well.
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FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP! So many leads fall flat because businesses don’t do what they said they’d do—follow up! Call or email new contacts who were interested in your products or services immediately while the connection is still fresh.
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DO I HAVE TO INCLUDE LLC IN MY LOGO DESIGN? By Tingalls Graphic Design
We get asked this question a lot during our logo design process. Our advice is to include it so you’re covered. As part of your company’s entity formation, you are required to include the LLC in all of your forward-facing client correspondence. This includes your marketing pieces. Leslie Elkins, Co-owner of Kramer. Elkins & Watt, LLC says, “The only requirement for a logo is that it does not infringe on the rights of any other individual or entity. For example, if you try and use the Nike swoosh, or anything resembling that symbol for your new running shoes business, Nike is going to come knocking on your door with a trademark infringement suit, and they would win, handily, meaning you would be out of business fast with a hefty fine to pay. Check out KEW’s posts, “The Unicorn Cat,” and “‘Disparaging’ Trademark Seekers, Rejoice” for more information about infringement at kewlaw.com Below are some examples of how you can include the LLC portion of your company’s name without hurting the overall design and aesthetic appeal of your logo.
7 WAYS TO NINJA THE HACKERS AWAY FROM By Tingalls Graphic Design YOUR WORDPRESS WEBSITE Are you worried about hackers getting into your WordPress business website? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. Cyber threats are a much bigger concern than they used to be, and with so many large organizations being affected by online attacks, smaller businesses are paying more attention to online security than ever before. While it’s true that a lot of smaller companies and organizations are susceptible to cyber hacking, it’s generally because they don’t follow basic online security best practices. To help you avoid being an easy target for thieves on the internet, here are seven ways you can keep hackers at bay from your WordPress site…
#1 Use Strong Passwords This is such simple advice, but it’s so important. When you have a very basic, lowstrength password, hackers can break into your WordPress site within seconds.
Add in some longer strings and special characters. When creating a password, make it 10 characters long and include an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number and symbol. i.e. duH7fx48%!
#2 Update the WordPress Platform Regularly Often, online hackers target small business with outdated CMS software; ones with known security issues. By simply updating WordPress platform when you’re prompted (or working with your web design team to do this for you), your site will be less vulnerable.
#3 Choose Plugins Carefully Every plug-in running on your website has potential security vulnerability. Be careful which one(s) you install so you don’t have any unnecessary code within your website. Review the last time the plugin was updated and check to see if it offers ongoing technical support. Keep only the plugins you need and delete all others.
#4 Get Solid Web Hosting With a good web hosting package, your website won’t be crammed onto a server with hundreds of other businesses, online casinos, or adult websites. That’s a simple way to keep your data away from theirs, and to avoid being picked on by hackers. Ask your hosting company if they offer Secure Certificates (SSLs) and/or dedicated IP addresses.
#5 Protect your Passwords A hacker doesn’t have to break into your website by using sophisticated tools if they can convince you to send them your login credentials directly. Be very cautious who you share this information with, particularly when it comes to email or text as these are not secure forms of data transfer.
#6 Backup Often Not every hack can be prevented, but if you have regular backups of your website data it should be easy to undo the damage by rolling back to a previous version. Make sure you are keeping safe copies of your content somewhere where they can be accessed and restored quickly.
#7 Appoint Someone as a Look Out Once someone has gotten into your website without your knowledge, it’s important to detect the problem and make any repairs quickly. That’s much more likely to happen if you have an experienced IT firm or web team monitoring traffic and activity on your website.
OFFSET PRINTING OR DIGITAL PRINTING? By Wells Print & Digital Services
If you ever have wondered why your printer ran your print job offset vs digitally or vice versa, here is a quick snap shot on the two different processes and their strengths and limitations. OFFSET PRINTING: The offset printing process begins with an image being burned/etched onto a plate. Once on press, through the roller system, this image is transferred to a rubber blanket and then onto a sheet of paper. The term “offset� means the ink is not transferred right onto the paper. The advantage of offset printing is the ability to print in large quantities cost effectively. (The more you print the less per piece). Also, it offers the use of custom inks, Pantone, metallic or fluorescent colors with superior print quality. The initial offset set-up takes longer and is more expensive, but as the quantity increases the cost per piece comes down dramatically. DIGITAL PRINTING: There are no plates used in this process, images are digitally transferred by rollers/drums using toner or some liquid ink (Think laser printer/copier). An advantage of digital printing is the ability to print a smaller quantity to the exact number of pieces needed, say a run of 10 or 100. This keeps the cost of materials (paper, toner) down, so there is less waste. The set-up costs are generally lower for digital printing compared to offset. A unique advantage that digital has over offset, is that it can run variable data. This means that each printed piece can have a different name, address or number. Offset printing cannot give you this option. The print quality has also improved immensely over the years making the digital process more comparable with offset. Offset and Digital both have their place in the printing market. Each have specific benefits depending on the requirements of your printing project. If you are in need of a large quantity of printed pieces or a specific Pantone color, offset would be the best choice. On the other hand, if turnaround and the need for minimum quantities are what you need, then digital would be the way to go.
W INS A N ADDY!
DIRECT MAIL STILL GETS RESULTS! By Wells Print & Digital Services
Direct mail is proving to be a profitable way to tell future customers about your unique products and services. After analyzing data the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) found that direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate, compared to 0.12% for email. Overall, the DMA found the direct mail’s response rate is actually from 10 to 30 times that of digital. Direct mail continues to be a viable marketing option. You control who receives your message, how many people you want to reach and when it is delivered. People/customers respond positively to receiving and handling tangible objects. Mailing lists or databases allow marketers to be more selective and personalized in determining the best target audience for their message or product. For example, if you want to reach households with specific income levels, professions, hobbies, male/female/married, etc. Also, Direct Mail is trackable, allowing you to monitor the results and the ROI on your marketing piece. Direct mail can include a wide variety of marketing materials – postcards, newsletters, brochures, catalogs, etc. Large and small companies both are using direct mail because they know it is one of the most streamlined and profitable ways to reach new and existing customers. A few things to keep in mind when producing/designing a direct mail piece: • T ry to engage your potential customers with an exciting offer using effective art/design work for your product. • Make sure you are offering a product or service that can benefit your customer and your direct mail piece directly shows how. • Have a deadline or expiration date for your offer prompting potential customers to act quickly. • Make your offer stand out in the printed piece, do not allow it to become lost in unneeded clutter while your customer is reading. • Keep the message simple for potential customers by limiting conditions, restrictions and disclaimers on • Make sure it is easy for the customer to contact you by Including a phone number and email address. If you have an idea for a Direct Mail marketing campaign or any questions, please contact us at Wells Print and Digital. We look forward to working with you on your next Direct Mail project.
• Direct Mail Still Get Results!
• 7 Ways to Ninja the Hackers Away From Your WordPress Website
Contact: Steve Namio 608-274-7474 steve.namio@printanddigital.com www.printanddigital.com
Contact: Tara Ingalls 608-268-5525 tara@tingalls.com www.tingalls.com
FRESH INK IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
c/o Wells Printing and Digital Services 3121 Watford Way Madison, WI 53713
• Do I Have to Include LLC in My Logo Design?
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