• You are your own brand. Jobs will come and go but the brand that stays with you forever is you. Today the way you, as a brand, show up online is as important as the way you show up in person.
• Your online footprint is a reflection of who you are, what you've done and what you'd like to do.
• If you don't tell the story you want people to find - Google will.
• 94 percent of recruiters use or plan to use social media in their recruitment efforts.
• Prospective clients, employers and business opportunities are searching for you -- online -- in advance of a meeting just as they do with any major purchase.
• The lack of a digital presence sends a signal you may have something to hide.
• Traditional resumes are a formality. They don't engage -- they bore.
• Sharing is the new currency in a digital world. Your digital presence allows you to share your views and relevant content with like minded people and to position yourself as an expert and influencer. It's an opportunity to grow your business and expand your networks.
• The line is increasingly blurred between professional you and personal you. You may run your company -- but your company's brand presence alone is not enough.
• First impressions still count. The difference is now they happen on line.

The reality is, no matter who you are, business professional to entrepreneur, CEO to salesperson, your digital you opens doors, creates new connections and keeps you marketable and relevant. It deserves your time.



Joanne Tombrakos, Storyteller. Marketing and Sales Consultant. Adjunct Professor at NYU. Huffington Post

If your small business doesn’t have a website, you’re inevitably missing out on potential clients and potential cash.

Already got a site? Good. Now, let’s talk strategy. Because the quality of that site could also be impacting your bottom line.

“Anybody can buy a Web platform and build a down-and-dirty site,” said Buffy McCoy Kelly, partner and creative director of Charlotte, N.C., ad agency Tattoo Projects. “But an (unpolished site) definitely colors the way you look to the world. It colors your value to the consumer. And it can definitely hurt you.”

McCoy Kelly and other experts in marketing, advertising and Web design were polled to compile a list of mistakes small-business owners often make when developing and maintaining their websites.

Here are their tips, and a handy list of what not to do:

Visual mistakes

• Burying contact information: The whole point of the website is to be a point of entry for a customer. So don’t hide your phone number and email address at the bottom of one tab. And make that email address a hyperlink.
• Failing to embrace “white space”: In a layout, it can be as effective as type. If there’s too much vying for a user’s attention on a site, they won’t know where to go for the answer they needed. So simplify the visuals and focus on one or two key images and short paragraphs.
• Dead links: It’s a good idea to log on to your website from a different computer every once in a while and make sure that there aren’t any links that lead to sites that don’t exist anymore.
• Logos that spin or flash: All experts agree: Lose it now.

Content mistakes

• Too many words: In the “About Us” section, you should be able to give a crystal-clear picture of your business in one short paragraph, about four sentences. It’s OK if you need more space to describe complex, industry-specific products or services, but do it strategically in other areas of the site.
• Typos and grammatical errors: This is an easy way to alienate an audience. Have knowledgeable eyes scan your site to check for these potentially costly mistakes. It’s a service worth paying for.
• Failing to focus on search engine optimization: You could have a beautiful site, but without industry buzz words, you won’t land high on a Google search, McCoy Kelly said. Make a list of the top 25 keywords or phrases that define your business and industry, then build a plan for how to best use those keywords consistently.
• Stale content: Some businesses put up a site and never change it, leading to the question: Is the business still around? One way to show fresh content is to maintain a company blog that’s connected to your website. Another is to connect a feed of your social media updates to your site.
• Outdated calendars: Similarly, if you’re going to post a calendar, update it. If not, nix it.

Big-picture mistakes

• A site that doesn’t mirror your company culture: Don’t be afraid to be a little creative if that’s the culture of your business, but if you’re an attorney or run an accounting firm, projecting a playful vibe isn’t your best tactic.
• Failing to mobile-optimize: If you’re not going to develop a mobile app, invest in a site that works the same on mobile devices. Users hate it when tabs disappear, or when they’re forced to scroll left and right.
• Failing to incorporate social media: If you’re active on social media (and you should be), make sure your social media icons are visible and clickable.
• Being stingy: Buying a domain often costs just $12 to $15, but developing a top-notch website can cost thousands of dollars. But consider Web work the same as you consider advertising, experts say. It’s an advertisement of its own. And a well-built website can also be a money-maker

Do you own a small business and need a website? Do you have a website but need updating it? Contact KrissArt Marketing Design for a free consultation.

Posted in Small-business, Metro-business on Sunday, April 13, 2014 • www.timesdispatch.com

Art Lab is a grassroots non-profit art school located on the property of Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, New York. Art Lab offers four semesters of classes and workshops throughout the year. These classes provide art instruction and appreciation for students of all ages, beginners to advanced levels. Today it is a valued member of New York's arts and educational community and is a vital part of the cultural life of Staten Island.

KrissArt Marketing Design is a Staten Island based company, helping businesses and organizations throughout New York City and all across America, establish a professional brand identity by providing creative graphic design, website solutions, social media marketing and high-quality printing, all at competitive rates.

Let KrissArt Marketing Design assist in developing a professional image and attractive material to advance your marketing strategy. Contact us today.

Etsy has written a great blog about branding. They talk about boosting your sales via for your Etsy shop, but their tips apply to any business.

Read the whole article here.

If you need help with visuals of your business' brand, contact KrissArt Marketing Design at [email protected].

When you are choosing a paper for your project, what do all the paper terms mean? We are going to try and sort that out for you.

Coated Paper
Coated paper has been coated with a surface sealant, typically clay, to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness or reduced ink absorbency. The coating on the paper reduces dot gain by not allowing the ink to absorb into the paper. This allows for cleaner crisper printing, especially in photos, blends and fine details. Coated papers come in numerous options: gloss, matte, dull and satin finish.

Gloss — gloss coated paper has a high sheen. Gloss papers have less bulk and opacity and are typically less expensive than dull & matte paper of equal thickness. Gloss coatings reduce ink absorption, which give the sheet an excellent color definition.

Satin — a satin coating is a less shiny coated finish. It has a lower gloss level than gloss finish, yet a higher gloss level than matte finish. Colors are sharp and vivid.

Matte — a matte coated paper is a non-glossy, flat looking paper with very little sheen. Matte papers are more opaque, contain greater bulk, and are higher in cost. The coating still keeps much of the ink from being absorbed by the paper, which produces excellent, vibrant color.

Dull — a dull finish coated paper is a smooth surface paper that is low in gloss. Dull coated paper can fall between matte and glossy paper depending on the manufacturer.

Uncoated Paper
Uncoated paper stock is paper that has not been coated with a surface sealant. Inks dry by absorbing into the paper. This paper type can dull the colors that are printed. Uncoated papers comprise a vast number of paper types and are available in a variety of surfaces, both smooth and textured. Some of the common types are wove or smooth, laid and linen.

Wove or Smooth — this has a very smooth surface.

Laid — laid paper is created with textured lines on its surface. This finish is used mostly for business stationery elements, like letterhead, envelopes and business cards.

Linen — similar to a laid finish, this paper has textured lines on the surface of the sheet, but they are finer and more regular than those that appear on a laid finish stock. This paper is also used frequently for business stationery.

Coated One Side and Coated Two Sides
This paper is commonly referred to as C1S (coated one side) or C2S (coated two sides). In a C1S paper the coating has been applied to only one side of the paper. C2S the coating is on both sides. Typically the coated side is glossy. You will find this type of paper used primarily on postcards. It gives a glossy feel to the front of the card while using the back uncoated side for addressing.

Weight
The weight of a paper refers to its thickness and is typically measured in pounds (such as 20#) and points (such as 10 PT). The higher the number, the thicker the paper for that “type” of paper. Paper weights in commercial printing can be very confusing. For example, a sheet of 20# bond (probably what you use on your inkjet printer) is about the same thickness as a sheet of 50# offset.

There are three general paper categories used to describe the basis weight of a paper: writing, text and cover.

Writing — a letterhead-weight stock, typically 24# or 28# writing, and often has a watermark.

Text — is thicker than a writing paper, but not as thick as a cover paper (card stock). Text-weight paper is usually a 70#, 80# or 100# text.

Cover — Cover stocks are heavy in weight, rigid and not easily folded. Common weights for cover stocks include: 65#, 80#, 100#, 120#, and 12pt.

If you have any questions, please contact KrissArt Marketing Design. We are happy to help.

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If you are looking to build an online presence, brick and mortar presence, or both for your small business, you should consider flyer printing as one of your advertising tools. Even if you don’t intend to produce immediate sales, promotional flyers, advertising flyers, and other hard copy advertising will really help boost the local interest and send more customers to your business website.

In order to complete a fully comprehensive marketing strategy you need to develop both online and offline advertising strategies and the most effective of which next to paid online adverts is flyer printing. A stunning flyer design that accurately reflects your business needs, image and goals, will display an understanding of your target audience. If you have the appropriate flyer in your arsenal your offline marketing can be the most effective advertising your business experiences.

With a bulk flyer printing service you can also save money and avoid high-cost smaller print shops. You can obtain high quality flyer printing without straining the business budget which is especially important for small businesses that are just starting out or do not yet have enough money in their advertising budget.

Flyer printing is your small business advertising solution that will enhance your presence at promotional events, enable mass awareness for special offers and seasonal sales, and help you better communicate with little to no effort. Handing these flyers out at shopping centers, music venues, outside clubs or just on the street will help expose your business to as many people as possible.

Flyer printing also adds value to your business from the customer perspective. A professional and well made high quality flyer will attract customers to your business when they might otherwise be unsure of your business online. Flyer printing helps bring offline customers online or even just round the corner to your business location because it targets local customers and let’s them know you have something they may be interested in.

You may even be able to target existing customers of your small business through flyer printing. With a database of existing customers, you can alert them to new offers they may be interested in based on past purchases by sending them a flyer through the mail.

- written by taradel.com