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Speedpro Imaging Blog
Speedpro Imaging Blogs to share ideas and trends with our readers and customers.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Marketing Your Business 24 X 7
Monday, April 2, 2012
Loving Some Wall Graphics
Loving Some Wall Graphics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????
Wall Graphics are not just for retailers and consumer brands.
Are you ready for this? Where you work doesn’t have to be boring. From inspiring employees, keeping a creative environment, to making a lasting impression, here are a few ways adding some graphics can go a long way…Turn your conference room into a visually inspiring atmosphere. You need to set the mood, don’t let the mood set you.
Not all of us are lucky enough to have an office with a view. Why not bring the view to your office? Put a printed mural on those white walls and create your own “zone”!
Your company mission statement is important, why not show it off? But, only if you want your employees to share in that mission. Simply placing cut vinyl with your mission statement on it will encourage your employees to share in the company mission. Make your lobby outstanding to those that visit by adding more than just a new stack of magazines. Show off what your company believes in by creating a strong and positive first impression.
Consider your break room. It’s called a break room, please give us one! No matter how much your employees love working for you, everyone needs a break! Give your employees a calming atmosphere and change of pace from the common white walls they’ve been surrounded by all day. Plus it’s a lot cheaper than light therapy! You know they deserve it.
Give us some ideas of your own. What would you do with the empty space in your business? Sell it as advertising space? Why not?
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Getting The Most From Your Next Trade Show
Trade shows are making a comeback from their post-9/11 lulls, with attendance
growing again and booth sales on the rise, according to Expo, an industry
magazine for show planners.
If, like many businesses in the recent past, you dialed down participation in industry conferences, now's a smart time to re-engage. This article seeks to help you make sure the money and staff you invest in a show experience will pay off in stronger customer relationships and profitable sales leads.
Too often, busy small companies begin preparations for shows only days beforehand, when they ship exhibition materials and make travel arrangements. Sound familiar?
That leaves way too much to chance. Instead, you need a long-term strategy for shows that dovetails with the rest of your company marketing. Check out this nine-step plan for getting the most out of your trade-show dollar.
If, like many businesses in the recent past, you dialed down participation in industry conferences, now's a smart time to re-engage. This article seeks to help you make sure the money and staff you invest in a show experience will pay off in stronger customer relationships and profitable sales leads.
Too often, busy small companies begin preparations for shows only days beforehand, when they ship exhibition materials and make travel arrangements. Sound familiar?
That leaves way too much to chance. Instead, you need a long-term strategy for shows that dovetails with the rest of your company marketing. Check out this nine-step plan for getting the most out of your trade-show dollar.
1. The reasons you attend conferences are to connect with current and
prospective customers, of course, and, often too, to learn about new
technologies or products that will influence your future. How successfully you
accomplish this — and whether your time is well spent — is the key.First,
evaluate which shows over the year are worth your while. You want audiences ripe
for your marketing and products. "Set specific trade show goals with
quantifiable objectives," says Jeff Hilton, president of the Integrated
Marketing Group in Salt Lake City. "Build a P&L for your participation and
measure your performance against it." You might, for instance, set a goal of
meeting three new customers on each show day in order to generate a specified
volume of post-show sales. Also, look into opportunities to become a speaker or
a panelist, which gains you recognition and credibility. "Keep in mind that this
process starts roughly one year in advance of the event," says Kevin McLaughlin,
a public relations expert.Then check ways to cut costs. For instance, if you
plan a significant amount of travel, you might rate preferred-vendor status at a
hotel chain.
2. Exhibition handbooks and staffers are a rich and often overlooked
resource. Before a show, identify delegates you want to meet and events or
evening activities that will be profitable for you to attend. "Think of the show
as one-to-one selling, only in an intense time frame," says Ken Cook, managing
director at Peer to Peer Advisors in Wales, Mass. "Each day is a series of
get-togethers with pre-selected target customers in an environment where the
focus is on what you offer."In addition, put in a call to the show PR staff
about a week before opening day. Ask about high-profile speakers or product
debuts — and consider how to mesh your marketing with show promotions. For
example: "If you find the show's PR staff is pitching a story idea to the media
that fits your product, ask if they would include your company's name as an
example in their pitch," says Steve Dubin, president at PR Works in Kingston,
Mass. (See No. 5 below too.)
3. Don't wait until the show to contact your targets. Develop show
mailers (not your usual marketing brochure) that include a teaser or offer to
attract traffic to your booth, or that makes your product distinctive. Such
messages, whether via e-mail newsletters or direct mail, can easily be created
with Microsoft Office Publisher with little expense.
4. As you know all too well, shipments are often lost and travel
arrangements go awry. Do not assume the box of booth materials you ship will
arrive on time and intact. Make sure there's a backup plan for staff, marketing
and anything else you'll need.
5. Shows are an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with
industry editors and reporters to present story ideas, introduce your executives
or spokespeople, and to establish ongoing relationships, says Jody Summers at
Trozzolo Communications Group in Kansas City, Mo. "Done correctly, businesses
walk away having made a connection with industry media as well as their
customers." Don't forget that most shows also publish daily news bulletins, both
print and online, that you can also leverage for recognition.With that in mind,
you might hire a PR firm to manage your trade show appearances, beginning some
months ahead and kicking in during shows. For $5,000 or so, you can outsource
the messaging, materials and mailers, plus gain access to industry editorial
contacts for interviews and stories. You're then free to concentrate on business
and still benefit from a successful show.
6. Don't ever assume attendees will find you. Experts agree you must
devise a way to stand out, but they disagree on the how.Some recommend loud,
bold displays that no one will miss from across the hall. Others suggest the
opposite: "By developing an attractive counter-programming presentation geared
to one-to-one interaction with the personal touch, small businesses can position
an exhibit space that's a haven for the convention weary," says Mark Hopkinson,
a Florida-based public relations executive. For instance, have lots of fresh
coffee to offer in giveaway mugs that include your Web address and phone
number.Or offer online services that let delegates interact with your product or
offerings. For example, Microsoft Office Live Meeting lets you offer live
webcasts or remote-access meetings during the show.One simple draw is to hold a
lottery with an attractive prize. Collect business cards during the show and
then draw one on the last day for the winner. More creative giveaways target the
specific traffic you want by appealing to a special skill or taste. One company
that sells computer servers developed an online puzzle that attendees could
complete only after they returned home. That led target customers to register on
the company Web site after the show was over, says Elliott Black, president of
EMBA, a publicist in Northbrook, Ill.
7. Write down a show pitch and then practice it with every staffer who
will man a booth, walk the floor or attend seminars. Do not wing it. You want
every employee to become an articulate company ambassador and you particularly
want all the messaging to be consistent. Test its effectiveness by tallying the
sales leads you get at the show. Then refine the script accordingly.
8. "Know how to ask questions," says Ted Sun, an executive coach based
in Columbus, Ohio. "Most people at trade shows push their products on people.
But when you sit back and ask questions, you learn a great deal about the
customer." That leads to a long relationship, rather than a one-off deal.
9. Studies show that most trade show leads are never re-contacted or
activated, which wastes the time and money you spend. "Show follow-up should
happen within five days after the show, not several weeks later when the contact
is cold," says Integrated Marketing's Hilton.A good return on your trade show
investment means you need to plan, prepare and then follow up.
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