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As storytelling becomes more and more part of marketing, another trend is coming clearly into focus: Brands are becoming more visual. Businesses that aren't ready for this visual revolution will get left behind. more
When you see a screen displaying some type of message, image, or video, you are seeing a digital sign. These design tips will help you with your first digital display, and these marketing tips will help you create an ongoing digital display strategy. more
We might be living in the age of the Internet, but print collateral is still a part of just about every organization's marketing arsenal. Here's what you need to know to make good choices when purchasing printed materials. more![How to Design Your Business Card With Psychology in Mind [Infographic]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/daily-chirp/ThePsychologyofBusinessCards-peek.jpg)
When creating a business card, keep in mind that it will be a memento in someone's wallet or purse to remind them of your meeting. So make sure your card includes these top 5 elements of the well-designed business card. more
Protecting your brand, one of the most fundamental aspects of your market presence, is not something that should be taken lightly or ignored. From the very beginning of your business, you need to create and maintain a solid intellectual property (IP), patent, and copyright strategy. more![How to Amp Up Customer Engagement and Revenue With Online Merchandising [Slide Show]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/121101-couple-making-online-purchase-lg.jpg)
Does your website make it easy for customers to find and purchase the products they want? Here's a 10-point outline of an online merchandising strategy. Have you covered all your bases? more
However efficient your organization's processes may be, you're almost certainly experiencing endless rounds of revisions in the development of creative—ads, graphics, emails, press releases... Follow these rules to stop the madness. more
"In sports, the best coaches find hidden talent to help propel their teams," writes Greg Zakowicz at the Bronto blog. "In email marketing, that means finding underused tactics." A perfect example of a hidden email talent is the use of symbols in subject lines. Since few email marketers are using subject-line symbols, they can be a great ... more
Marketing folks and designers have the same goal: well-designed sites and well-executed campaigns that convert viewers into customers. But getting to that goal can be challenging. Start by understanding the ways in which marketers and designers are similar, where their differences lie, and what they can do to minimize conflict ... more
When everything's going well, it's easy to find yourself in an email-marketing rut. Perhaps you've gotten complacent with ROI that's good—but not great. Or maybe you're boring your customers with the same campaigns they've seen a thousand times. "Whether you want to shake things up or simply polish off the dullness," writes ... more
We've talked plenty about Pinterest's potential to spread the gospel of your awesomeness, but what about the lessons its success can teach us about creating fashionably cutting-edge Web design? Here's a big one: According to Babar Suleman, writing at The Daily Egg, "Pinterest's meteoric rise to social media ubiquity is powered by its ... more
Visual content is crazy-hot these days, and the hottest place for sharing it is Pinterest. Traffic to the virtual pinboard site has shot up exponentially in the past year. But how effectively are businesses sharing their visual content on Pinterest? Unfortunately, not very. Most companies grab images from wherever they ... more
Marketers remain bullish on the potential of QR codes, but a Temkin Group study in April found that only 24% of US adults are actually using them. So notes Dan Wilkerson in an article at Mashable. According to Wilkerson, there are five common mistakes being made by QR-code marketers that are turning ... more
We have short attention spans, and we don't have a ton of time to learn. Plus, the success models of companies like Kickstarter make it clear that the case-study video plays a pivotal role in today's business success stories. So how do you make a crowd-pleaser video that gets real results? ... more
Looking at the evolution of social media over the last few years, you can plainly see that it's now being driven by imagery. Consider Facebook's Timeline (and its acquisition of Instagram) or the rise of Pinterest. However, we forget that email, too, is a social medium. So now is a ... more
Websites are great ways to relay lots of information—and that's a blessing and a curse, as business sites pack in as much about themselves, their products, their customers, their services, as they possibly can. Against that daily data barrage, the use of imagery can pay off big, KISSmetrics tells us in ... more
Small businesses can learn lots from design firm Method's socially appealing philosophy. Case in point: Method's Interaction Design Director Ben Fullerton recently wrote an eloquent article for Fast Company about turning website design pixels into a brand experience for users. Here are our favorite bits of advice from the article: Embody what you ... more
The growing popularity of visual content platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram shows that people crave eye candy. But do companies need to hire expensive graphic designers or buy expensive software to create visual content? Not at all. Businesses of all sizes can craft inexpensive visual content that engages current ... more
Many brands recognize the potential of Facebook's Timeline, but they don't really know how to use it to their full advantage. Learn six straightforward ways to optimize your brand's Timeline to drive better marketing performance. more
Let's say your small business doesn't have the resources to hire a professional copywriter for email campaigns. That means you—or someone on your overtaxed team—is trying to create effective messages without a solid knowledge of what works and what doesn't. So, what must you know? In a post at his blog, pro ... more
Those of us who spend a significant amount of time watching online video are likely smitten with the inspirational TED talks. But the local TEDx events are equally enchanting, and they offer great lessons in experiential marketing. more
"When you think about your creative content, many factors come into play: your copy, your font choices, the layout and, of course, the images you choose to communicate your message," writes Jessica Hughes in a guest post at the Emma blog. "In short, looks count," she says. When you're selecting stock ... more
Usability testing is the most powerful, most effective thing you can do for your website, yet people assume it's too complicated and expensive. But almost anyone can do usability testing—from start to finish—in about three weeks. more
Even when elements of your email campaigns deliver strong results, there's always a chance you can do better. Consider the case of a tried-and-true call-to-action (CTA) button used by HubSpot. During a slight redesign, the inbound marketing firm decided to test a few alternatives. "We were pretty shocked to discover that ... more
"Countless small businesses send out countless emails every day," writes Gary Levitt in an article at MarketingProfs. "If you were to sift through campaigns and results (as I do), the mountains of data would suggest two breeds of email campaign: the outstanding … and the invisible. Your emails need to ... more
![Does Your Brand Have a Visual Hammer? Laura Ries on Marketing Smarts [Podcast]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/01012_laura_ries_podcast_lg.jpg)
This week's guest , Laura Ries, believes in tying a brand's core message (the "verbal nail") to a striking visual image (the "visual hammer"). Her premise is straightforward: To leave a lasting impression on the mind of customers and potential customers, brands must rely on images because they wield a ... more
In our latest Marketing Smarts Podcast, we talked to Alicia Arnold, senior VP of digital at Hill Holliday, about the myths surrounding creativity. At the center of our conversation was one myth: Creativity cannot be taught. more
Graphic Design online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing
Be sure to check out our Upcoming Online Seminars. Tune in LIVE or watch the recordings at any time.
Broadcast on Apr 11, 2007 with Dana VanDen Heuvel
Explore the world of Social Media and how it relates to B2B marketing. You'll leave with an understanding of the strategy, tactics, tools, techniques and measurements you need to establish as you venture into the world of Social Media. more- Broadcast on Feb 22, 2007 with Nick Usborne
During the course of this seminar you will be taken through each of the steps necessary to create a quality newsletter that will hold the long-term attention of your readers and deliver revenue. more - Broadcast on Jan 25, 2007 with Lee Marc Stein
This 90-minute session will offer dozens of examples of good and bad creative. These examples will come from both B2B and B2C efforts, and from lead generation as well as direct sell campaigns. more - Broadcast on Dec 7, 2006 with Gerry McGovernThis seminar is packed full of practical advise and real world examples. For 12 years, Gerry has worked with some of the best organizations in the world (BBC, UCLA, Microsoft, Pioneer, HP), and has written four books on the subject of web management. more
- Broadcast on Dec 6, 2006 with Gerry McGovernResearch indicates that 90 percent of people visit less than 10 percent of content on typical websites. This 10 percent is the killer web content, and this seminar will help you create this content so that your website will be a success. more
- Broadcast on Nov 30, 2006 with Cyndi Greenglass
In this seminar, you'll learn how to develop an offer strategy based on your marketing objectives, and how to match that strategy to multiple target audience segments. We'll examine the differences between lead generation and direct sales offers. more - Broadcast on Aug 24, 2006 with Stephan SpencerThis virtual seminar is going to get "hands on" with reviews of actual email campaigns submitted by MarketingProfs members. If you've ever wondered what you were doing wrong with your email marketing, this is the seminar for you. more
- Broadcast on Jul 25, 2006 with Kelly GotoVeteran Usability expert Kelly Goto takes you through the basics of informal usability testing—demystifying it in the process. Learn about rapid testing techniques that enable you to ramp up, execute and implement results in just a week. more
- Broadcast on Jul 6, 2006 with Ruth Stevens
In this seminar, we'll go over sample campaigns, discuss the campaign strategy and background, and then analyze the campaigns effectiveness in terms of copy and design. As a result, you will have a complete picture of what worked, what didn't, and why. more - Broadcast on Oct 6, 2005 with Kelly GotoThe seminar focuses on understanding how business goals translate into an iterative web development process targeting short term goals with long term vision. more
Graphic Design Take 10 Webcasts—tactical marketing know-how in just 10 minutes from subject matter experts
In this Take 10, Dan Hill, an expert in consumer and employee behavior, uses insights provided by eye-tracking studies to explain why certain images have such tremendous impact. more
Broadcast on Dec 24, 2010 with Michael MillerIn this short but extremely tactical presentation by online marketing specialist Michael Miller, he explains not only which online video formats to pursue, but also how to implement them to create more interesting and engaging viewer experiences. more
Broadcast on Aug 13, 2010 with Bob DeStefanoIn just 10 minutes, Bob DeStefano will show you how to boost your leads by fixing your forms. Bob will share a number of successful tips and best practices you can put to work to optimize your forms for conversion, and turn your Website into a lead generation machine. more
Broadcast on Aug 6, 2010 with Michael MillerThis short webcast provides detailed recommendations for planning and setting up a YouTube video shoot. Michael Miller shows you how to prepare a script and storyboard, what equipment to purchase, and how to set up your shots. more
Graphic Design marketing guides and reports for the busy professional
- Lead Generation How-To GuideGreat product, great sales team, great marketing collateral - now what? People to sell to, of course. Put your lead generation tactics under the microscope with this enlightening how-to guide. Get more and better qualified leads, faster today.
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