Design increases profits and builds confidence in customers

"Fancy a 35% increase in sales? Or being able to treble your prices? Do you need to persuade retailers to stock your brands? Whatever business you’re in, thinking differently about design can transform your company." Design Council

Design adds value to your business, differentiates your brand from competitors and should be an important part of your business planning and success strategy.

Design Consultants are your problem-solvers, you may know what your customers want but a design consultant will show you what your customers will love. A good design consultant will help you tell your story in words and pictures that will motivate and emotionally sell how great your products or services are.

With all the available technology at our fingertips, it's empowering to know the vast array of marketing materials available to get your message across. All you have to do is know where your customers are looking for you and a design consultant will work with you to create great ways to interrupt them and grab their attention.

Your company branding should be aligned with your core values so your audience will know and instantly know if you're the right company for them. Refreshing your brand to ensure it does this helps to build confidence in your customers and reassure them that you are the best business for their requirements. We see big brands revitalising their products and branding to enhance their company message and reassure customers they are here to stay and they believe their products/services are the best for you and your brand loyalty is essential to their success.

"Good design creates demand from customers which means companies can command premium prices and generate higher profits." Omagh Enterprises

Design-led businesses who are clear about their offering and target audience are seeing more success in the market place, the recent recession has shown us that's there's no middle ground for 'average businesses selling anything to anybody'

Is it clear from your marketing materials:

Who your business is?

What your business does?

Who your product and service is for?

We are offering a free 35 minute marketing material review to businesses who contact us until January 31st to ensure that your communications match your messages. Email us at refresh@mintcreative.co.uk or 0121 636 0900 to book your free review!

Find out more about the mint magic we've created for established businesses by visiting our website www.mintcreative.co.uk

Is there a place for face-to-face networking in the new world of inbound marketing?

Over the last 10 years, the shape of marketing has changed dramatically from interruption-based outbound marketing (advertising, telemarketing, direct mail, print advertising and trade shows) to inbound marketing (Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube and the blogosphere). Consumers have become more discerning and better at blocking interruptions. People shop and learn in a whole new way today, easily comparing offers on Google, industry-specific blogs and social media. Indeed if you do a search for ‘networking’ on Google, hundreds of pages on social networking will appear with few references to face-to-face networking?

Social networking is a phenomenon. You can target specific markets without leaving your office and entice new followers with the right social media strategy. More and more companies are opting to advertise using You Tube rather than TV advertising at a fraction of the cost and businesses worldwide are connecting on a scale that could never have been achieved with outbound marketing. So is face-to-face networking a thing of the past? There is so much focus on the building social media connections that the power of face-to-face networking has been temporarily overlooked. However, even when working with social media, the relationship needs to become face-to-face at some point in order for any meaningful business to be done.

In the New York Times, Sherry Turkle, a professor at M.I.T., wrote “we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.” In other words, many people now find it much easier and more convenient to message, e-mail, and friend others online than to take the time to truly get to know someone in person. The result may be that we have more connections, but the typical relationship is shallower”. While social media has become a global phenomenon, it is just as unwise to forget about the necessity of building strong, face-to-face relationships because it’s the people who know you the best and trust you the most who can wind up helping you the most. No matter how well the latest tech tools allow us to stay in touch, face-to-face meetings are still very important in the workplace.

A warm handshake, engaging conversation and getting to know customers and prospects on an individual level can play an important role in forming stronger, more meaningful and profitable business relationships. Face-to-face discussions are the foundation of human communication; once established, it allows us to build trust, clearly articulate our ideas and minimize misunderstanding.

Face-to-face communication has several advantages over other forms of communication. We are better able to control the situation we’re in when speaking to the person in front of us. Face-to-face communication is more precise than non-verbal cues. Only by meeting someone in the flesh can you make eye contact, smile and see their facial expressions. More importantly, face-to-face contact helps to build trust. After all, businesses are built on relationships. As the relationship grows and develops, so does the business. Often, written communication cannot fully capture the true tone and meaning intended by the sender.

Whether you’re well established, or starting out; whether your business is expanding or you’re looking for something new; face-to-face networking is a fantastic way to meet contacts, share information, exchange ideas, refer, recommend and learn from others.

Once you have put a face and a personality to your business, you can incorporate face-to-face networking with social networking and integrate it into an effective networking strategy. Combining the two will bring you the most reward. Whether you decide to attend a local Tweetup to meet some of your local Twitter followers or you choose to attend one of the many networking groups, both forms of networking are important. Face-to-face networking is vital to put a face and a personality to a business and to establish yourself with other businesses, social media will enable you to continue networking and marketing.

Own a business in or near Sutton Coldfield? Why not try The Business Growth Network Mastermind Group, meeting every 2nd Wednesday of the month at the sensible time of 9.30am-11.30am Visit this website to find out more and book your place www.angelsinbusiness.co.uk/#GrowthNetwork

Using Creativity to Weather the Storm

In recent times the majority of companies have found themselves struggling to secure customers and attract new business. Sales are low across the board due to an unstable financial climate and an increasing number of job losses in virtually all business sectors. To this end, it is vital to open your mind to the power of creativity in order to think differently and make your company really stand out from the crowd.

Marketing tactics that may have worked perfectly well for you in the past, may not cut the mustard in this current, shaky climate. It has become essential to use creative design and effective communications to survive and thrive in tough these times. You may have noticed that the majority of the ‘big player’ companies have started to aggressively push their products and services via the power of media; millions of pounds are being spent on TV, radio and paper adverts some from companies who have never had to advertise in this way before in a battle to see ‘Who can shout the loudest?’

However, you don’t have to be a huge or well-established company in order to use design, creativity and marketing communications to your advantage. There are many ways in which you can project your company and its products and services into the limelight. For example, social networking continues to play a very important role in online marketing; and it’s easy to see why. With minimal effort you can reach thousands, if not millions of customers, via platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

And, the best thing about social networking? Once you’re set up and have the knowledge to use it to your advantage, the majority of it is free! You can quickly and easily build a profile, add images and get started with your online marketing campaign and specifically targeted advertising. In fact, social networking platforms are so popular that it is now rare for a company to not have a least one online social media profile. So, if you haven’t already joined the online revolution, do it today!

Also consider your current website. Is it up-to-date? Is the imagery still relevant and is the design of a high enough standard for you to stand out from your competitors, provide them with the trust and support they’re looking for? And give your customers the information or product they want as soon as possible? If the answer to any of these questions is no, address them immediately. With millions of websites now online, it can be difficult to get yourself seen – and if your design and messages are unclear, or confusing to the viewer, you’re probably missing out on business.

Finally, ask yourself whether or not you are effectively communicating with your customers; both existing and potential. If you don’t keep up to date with your communications, you may find that your customers start to slip away. A simple newsletter or email can be enough to keep your company in your customers’ mind. If you have any new products or services, or you have an offer, let them know.

Looking for creative ways to promote your business and stand out from your competitors, let’s grab a cup of coffee and see how we can attract new customers, call now on 0121 636 0900 or visit our website for more information at www.mintcreative.co.uk

Goggle-Eyed about Google Analytics?

We’re unlocking the mystery behind the key to your marketing potential within the data provided by Google Analytics.

Once set up on your website, this information is available to you anytime of the day and contains the vital information, which is key to the success of your website.

In a focused 1-2-1 session we’ll explain this data to you, show you what pages are the most popluar, where visitors are coming from, how long they’re staying on your webpages so you can ensure they’re getting the most from the content on your website and you’re receiving quality responses to the investment you’ve made in your website.

This review will take approximately 1-1.5 hours And will leave you with an action plan to improve enquiries or sales from your website.

Book your place before the end of July 2012 to receive this special offer of £150+vat by calling us now on 0121 636 0900

Sending out the right signals with your Brand

You wouldn't send out a distress signal which didn't highlight you were there!
So why do so many people manage to send out the wrong message with their marketing?
You could say that it always comes down to budget but design is an investment in the positioning and future of your business.
Branding is all about being consistent, which in turn projects confidence about your business, service or product.
First impressions last, if the first memory people have about your business is a cheaply produced business card, which has been replicated before by someone in a similar business, that's what they'll presume about what you're selling, people buy from people and branding helps to instill confidence and enables you to be remembered more easily! Why should they invest money in your product or expertise when you don't invest in yourself.
Angela Agnew says "Your brand is the red ribbon which binds your marketing messages together" Your brand should be clear and consistent
Believe in your business 100% that's having no fall back plan or plan B, your confidence and image will show and people will trust in the product or service you offer.

Angels in Business Networking Event

After the success of the Angles in Business launch event in June 2010. The four West Midland business women joined together once again on Wednesday 2nd November 2011 to offer budding entrepreneurs advice and guidance to begin their journey on the road to riches. Pam Neaves, Clare Whalley, Esther Woolley of Sutton Coldfield and Sharon Louca of Tamworth shared their experiences and encouraged others to follow in their footsteps. Once again the event was a huge success with a great positive vibe in the room and lots of useful business tips given to eager business start-ups.

Call us on 0121 636 0900 or visit Mint Creative Solutions

Social Media Trainer Zooms into Action!

Pam Neaves - entrepreneur, designer, trainer and owner at Sutton-based Mint Creative Solutions recently won a competition on Facebook to drive an MX5 GT Brit Car replica at Silverstone. Having already registered herself as a fan of the 'Experience Mazda' page on Facebook, Pam entered the amazing car competition and became the lucky winner of an exceptional driving experience at Silverstone on 23rd October 2011.

Following an exciting confirmation email from Christophe Castagnéra, the Account Director at Mazda – Pam found herself taking on the Silverstone track at full speed this weekend!

Online competitions are proving to be a very popular online marketing activity on social networking sites – and as Pam’s recent experience would suggest, they can be a great way to reach out to potential customers.

Continuing on the motor sports theme – Pam also recently trained the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club - providing them with a tailored social media session, outlining how Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Blogs could significantly increase their member numbers and drive more traffic to their website. In fact, more and more companies are considering social networking for their marketing requirements in recent times – and, let’s face it, Facebook currently has in excess of 800 million active users across the globe – now that’s a huge target audience!

Mint Creative Solutions, who also celebrate their 8th birthday this month, have a clear mission statement – they want to help companies to attract more business and keep on growing! Social media marketing can be a complex process and that’s where Pam and her team can help. If you’re ready to put your company on the ‘fast track’ – get in touch with Pam at Mint Creative Solutions today on 0121 636 0900 to have a chat about your requirements.

Call us on 0121 636 0900 or visit Mint Creative Solutions

Do my customers look for me online?

There’s no doubt that marketing technologies have evolved rapidly in recent years. Brand, service and product promotion via company websites, blogs, social media sites and other online platforms has become an increasingly popular option, as companies embrace new technologies to find their customers, and perhaps more importantly, to allow their customers to find them amongst the competition.

Despite this, many marketing professionals will tell you that they often hear the same statement from their customers - “I'm not sure that my customers will be looking for me online?” It’s certainly a great question – after all, many companies may not understand the importance of having a company website at all, let alone the need to implement other online marketing methods - especially in a very tough financial climate.

However, the many surveys and studies undertaken in recent years would strongly indicate that online marketing really does work. As a collective, we are using online technologies more and more – websites, once the domain of larger companies alone, are now expected as standard for companies, regardless of their size.

Additionally, a growing number of companies have successfully implemented marketing strategies via social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn – and with a huge collective audience to target – it certainly makes good sense. So, do customers actually look for companies online? - the answer would seem to be a definite yes.

Certainly, many factors are involved, perhaps convenience being a key reason, but one thing is for sure, online marketing looks set to remain a popular and profitable option for companies for many years to come.

Call us on 0121 636 0900 or visit Mint Creative Solutions

How does Social Media marketing actually work?

You will have heard about Social Media marketing and the impact that it is having on the success of businesses in recent years. However, you may ask the question “How does Social Media marketing actually work?" As a concept, Social Media marketing can be a little confusing, after all, how can a platform that we use to chat to our friends and family on really produce lucrative results for a business? It’s a brilliant question, and perhaps the answer is a little more obvious than we may think.

Social Media as a concept is booming – in a bid to make the world more open and connected, sites such as Facebook have seen a massive surge in users over recent years. Starting as a relatively small project, Facebook alone now has an estimated 250 million users – and this figure is growing every day. Now, if we think about ‘users’ as ‘potential customers’, that’s a staggering amount of prospects just waiting to be reached, even after demographics and other specifications have been applied to narrow down users to a audience tailored to your exact product or service.

And that’s what Social Media is all about – making your company more visible to a wider audience, it allows you to reach potential customers and provides a platform for them to find you. So, does Social Media marketing work? – the answer has to be a definite yes, with the right profile and great techniques it is possible to effectively market your company using new Social Media marketing technologies and see your profits soar as a result.

Call us on 0121 636 0900 or visit Mint Creative Solutions

Want to attract customers who trust and value your expertise?

Branding that reflects your values and clearly communicates what you do, will attract your ideal customers.

In challenging economic climates, the need to stand out from your competition and adding value becomes even more important, investing in design is your first step to ensuring you get the right message across and it is continually reinforced across all your marketing.

Starting with your logo at the head of your communication, it is important that your ‘brand message’ is aligned across your business cards and stationery, through to your website, enewsletters, printed brochures and all social media these are all opportunities for you to project your brand values, gain the trust of potential customers and retain their loyalty.

It's important to remember: Branding is not what you say you are but what they say you are. Your communication needs to project the message you want people to get!

So, what does your logo say about you?

All our best design ideas start with a good cup of coffee!
For an honest review of your current branding message.

Call us on 0121 636 0900 or visit Mint Creative Solutions