Bolster Your Marketing Message with Your Phone System

Multiple people call your company on a daily basis for various reasons.  Because of that, your modern phone system should create the right branding opportunities for your company.

Initial message

Many times, this is the very first impression and interaction that a person will have with your company.  Make sure that it’s a good one by carefully thinking of a concise greeting that represents the essence of your brand.  Be sure to bring in the personality of your company into the message also.  For example, if your company is known as wild and zany, don’t have a message that is corporate and dry.  Script out a proper welcome and introduction.  This is one area where it’s a good investment to higher a professional to record your message, if you don’t have someone on your team that would be up to the challenge.

On-Hold messages

When people are on hold, take that as a opportunity to create a better relationship with your clients.  Record on-hold messages that position your company in a memorable way.  On-hold messages can include your latest promotions, company jingle or audio identifiers, or news alerts.  Key with all phone messages is that they are short snippets that can repeat.  Have several in the cue so that the same message isn’t constantly repeating itself (in other words, so that it isn’t obnoxious).

On-hold messages are also another area where it’s a wise investment to have a professional record the messages if you don’t have a team member that can create them.  Also consider a professional recording service.  If there isn’t one near you, there are many resources that you can find online and work with them in a distance relationship.

Individual Messages

Encourage team members to also enhance the company image with branded individual messages.  Depending on the atmosphere of your company, you can leave this to members of your team or you can write a script or provide suggestions on what you’d like said.  No matter what, you should always have leeway for team members to add their own personality and necessary information.

Mascots

Another thing that should be noted is, if you happen to have a company mascot, use your company phone system to encourage a more engaging relationship with that mascot.  You can have a pre-recorded message from the mascot or just a signature saying that the mascot says on a regular basis.  AFLAC does a great job of this because you can press a number to hear the duck quack.

Text Messages

There has been a proliferation of text messaging the past few years.  Companies are now using it more and more as a means of communicating.  If clients have the option of receiving text messages and interacting with your brand this way, develop text messages that are cohesive with all of your other marketing activities.  And again, keep it concise.

The bottom line is: have fun with your phone system while making it easy to navigate and get the information that clients call in for.

Design Considerations For a Logo

Many entrepreneurs jump right into wanting a logo as soon as the ink has dried on the company legal paperwork. Without realizing what goes into making a logo good and timeless, they hire a designer or start creating one on their own. Much time, money, and hassle can be saved if they take a step back and make some considerations when creating a logo.

Versatility
A good logo is one that can be used for multiple applications. This means that it can be used on your website, letterhead, and business cards. Even if right now the only thing you think you’ll use your logo on is business cards, plan for the long term where you’ll need it for multiple pieces of collateral.

Color
As much as we love all the colors of the rainbow, make careful consideration to the number of colors used. When you print materials, it an be quite a bit more expensive to reproduce a logo that is in full color vs. a logo that is only one or two colors. Also, make sure that your logo will always reproduce well in black and white. There may be times (on the back of a post card or in an ad, for example) that you may need to have it in black and white. Also, to make sure the logo is timeless, use colors that are going to be popular long-term– not just today’s trendy, hot colors.

Size
Logos also need to be legible at multiple sizes. It will be much smaller on a business card than it will be on some ads, brochures, or web pages. Fine lines and details will disappear on smaller versions. Be sure to print out your logo in multiple sizes for peace of mind before giving final approval.

File format
Your logo preferably will be created in an drawing program such as Illustrator or Creative Suite. It will need to be created so that it is high resolution (this means at least 300 dpi or dots per inch). A logo created this way will also convert well to other formats.

A website will need a jpg, gif, or png format. A jpg leaves white around image and gif files can some times appear jagged or pixelized. Ask your designer to see the logo in these different formats so you can make sure they convert well.

Following these basic guidelines when having a logo developed will save you money and headaches in the design process.

Note: Illustrator and Creative Suite are registered trademarks of Adobe.

Do-It-Yourself Branding Basics

Branding gurus would like people to think there’s a secret formula rocket science behind establishing a brand. But, there isn’t. If you follow some simple basics, you too can ensure that you have a solid branding strategy.

Don’t spend an entire annual budget on corporate identity and advertising standards manuals- especially if you’re a small business that’s just getting started. In general, you don’t need these tools until the organization has grown in scope to the extent that you need this information communicated to multiple entities and marketing people handling your marketing communications materials.

Save your money for materials that will spread the word about your company and offerings- and a professional-looking logo. There are plenty of freelance graphic artists in the market that will create a logo at a very reasonable cost. Many of them can be found online with a simple search.

The most simple rule of thumb in do-it-yourself branding is: Keep everything consistent. Business cards, letterhead, website, envelopes should all have the same fonts, logo usage, coloring. Product or service campaigns may have their own theme, but your overall collateral materials should be consistent in style and feel.

A company logo should be the same whether it’s in a campaign or advertising. For example, if a logo is green and black on your brochure, it should not be purple and fuchsia in other materials. Why is this important? As people see your brand repeated, it sticks in their minds. Consistency is key in building this recognition.

Take an hour and do a simple branding/corporate identity exercise:

Grab all the different marketing materials you have. Here is a list that might help: logo, business cards, website, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, folders, flyers, note cards, note pads, booklets, sales sheets, binders, sticky notes, mail labels, return address labels, and books.

Once you have them together in once place, look at them and ask yourself:

Are they all consistent in look and feel?
Do the font, color, and style match? If yes, fabulous! If not, how are they different? Decide what brings the most consistency and put together a plan to get them updated. Many times you’ll only have one or two pieces that really need changed.

Doing this simple branding exercise will help you keep your brand consistent while keeping costs down.