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...ren’t interested in that cool new graphic it took you a whole day to create. S...eks just because they liked the cool graphics that you had. A second cousin to...

... providers offer co-op advertising that groups your offer with others in the same E-mail message. Or you can purchase a stand-alone E-mail for a bit more money. Bulk E-mail is inexpensive when compared with traditional mail, but it does have drawbacks. Some people consider bulk E-mail a subtle form of spamming. If you use bulk E-mail, be prepared for some negative response. Mistake 4: Using Too Many Graphics When someone visits your site, the first page should say, Come in and look around, ' and direct visitors to areas of interest through a table of contents or directory. The first page should be straightforward and should load quickly. Too many graphics and pictures slow down loading. Although graphics add interest, they do little to keep people browsing through your site. Text, not graphics ... already experimenting with the online market or just beginning to consider it as a way to expand your business, knowing the pitfalls can help you make the most of this high-powered marketing tool. Listed here are the six most common mistakes agency owners make when going online to market their products or services. Mistake 1: Having Unrealistic Expectations This doesn't sound serious, but it's a common mistake. Online marketing is designed to work in conjunction with traditional marketing, not as a replacement. Build your Internet site to support your traditional marketing efforts. For example, if you do most of your business in your agency, use your Internet site to drive traffic to your agency. As a secondary objective, you might offer a limited line of products or services for sale over your Internet site, but the primary ...

... Categories Popular Recent All Back Agency Brochures: Getting Back To The Basics 4/30/2013 10:38:09 PM by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. &# 160 AGENCY BROCHURES: GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS No marketing tool can tell an agency's story better or more effectively convince potential clients to put their trust in you than a brochure. Whether choosing a unique graphics approach or a more conventional one, invest in the best brochure possible. It's well worth the effort and expense. But before running to the next graphics designer, ask some key questions to get a product that fits your agency and image. First, how does the agency compare to competitors? Why should a client look to it? What are the unique features of the agency ... The employees, product line, fast service? Second, whom does your agency serve now? An urban or suburban community? Middle class or more affluent? Could a customer supply an enthusiastic endorsement or testimonial? Third, how does the agency rate? How fast has it grown? How fast is its claims service? If statistics are kept, quote impressive ones in the brochure copy. Fourth, what can your clients tell about the agency? Consider putting together a focus group to test a new brochure design or to measure the success of an existing one. Do clients determine the agency's focus, or does the agency attract clients based on a solid image? Once these questions are answered, you'll probably want to use a professional copywriter and designer to get the best results. ...

... PR Newsletters Employees Articles Blog Photos Group Connections Reviews IMMS Library Immerse yourself in our stacks. Take some time and browse through our library. We have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All graphics designer Articles tagged with graphics designer Back Agency Brochures: Getting Back To The Basics This content has not been rated yet. CompleteMarkets Editor 4/30/2013 10:38:09 PM AGENCY BROCHURES: GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS No marketing tool can tell an agency's story better or more effectively convince potential clients to put their trust in you than a b.. All Articles by CompleteMarkets Editor ... (0 ) x No Thanks Loading.. Loading.. x No Thanks Loading.. ...

... , typeface choices, and other subtle communication elements. A focus on identity can build brand awareness for a firm and differentiate its business to key audiences. If done well - think of names like BMW, The Gap, AOL, AT&T , and Nike - identification will play an important role in supporting business growth and future success. Whether you're working with a freelance designer, supervising in-house graphic artists and art directors, or functioning as one yourself, the following guidelines can help you along the way: Watch for red flags. The design should reflect your firm's personality, not the designer's. If you're hiring someone from outside, make sure they ask a lot of questions about your business early on. Original ideas and creativity should be developed after the information-gathering phase. If new hires ... Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back Corporate Branding: How To Stay Original 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Varnell Del Vecchio This content has not been rated yet. Unfortunately, no matter where you look, there's an abundance of communication vehicles suffering from poor design. You'll see billboard signs that are too small to read from even a short distance, newspaper ads with muddied photos, and Web page images so large and out of scale that navigation nightmares seem inevitable. But amateur designers aren't the only ones guilty of miscommunication. Seasoned professionals are also part of the problem. Overdesigned annual reports and brochures can distract the reader so much that important points in ...

...chure. Whether choosing a unique graphics approach or a more conventional...ng tips on the reverse. The copy and graphics present clever enticements to ge...

...eck the specs on your monitor and graphics board. They may already be able to ...isplay, you may need to upgrade your graphics card or monitor to support a higher refresh rate (The PC graphics community recommends using a mon...

...ce designer, supervising in-house graphic artists and art directors, or functi...

...tterhead, business cards, product graphics, or newsletter design is irrelevant...

... would you say that might entice them to do business with you? If you can answer these questions, you're well on your way to developing agency-specific content. Agency-specific content is often found in an About Us or Who We Are section of your site. Other agency-specific content can be found in links shown by words such as contact us, e-mail, locations, and others. Agency-specific content also includes graphics, such as your logo, a photo of your building(s ) and location(s ), plus photos and/or biographical information about your staff. Keep in mind that the goal of agency-specific content is to personalize and humanize your agency. Your agency is more than a nondescript storefront or a series of cubicles in an office park; it's a business operated by people and has ... they know who you are. To create a unique and distinctive site for your agency, I'd recommend following these guidelines. COMPETE FOR ATTENTION Agents have sometimes been criticized for building simple brochure sites that provide only limited information and value to visitors. There's nothing inherently wrong with a brochure site so long as it's very well done. A distinctive Web site projects a professional and inviting appearance, is well designed, offers logical organization and easy navigation, includes plenty of useful and meaningful information, motivates visitors, and generates response. That's a tall order for any site, but it's essential if you want a worthwhile Web presence. Your Web site must compete for attention. Nowhere does this hold more true than in larger metropolitan areas where many agents use similar-looking template Web sites from PIA, SAFECO, ...