A professional designer adheres to principles of integrity that demonstrate respect for the profession, for colleagues, for clients, for audiences or consumers, and for society as a whole. At INFUSION, we are members of the AIGA, the professional association for design. The Standards of Professional Practice, developed by the AIGA define the expectations of a professional designer and represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.
If you don't have the resources for a website, then spend the money to get a personalized e-mail box for your company. In this tech savvy century, if your e-mail address is your company name @ AOL, MSN or Google, people view you as being small and not technologically competent. This is a quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive tip that is well worth the time it takes to implement.
Example:
Unprofessional E-mail: smithandassociates@aol.com
Professional E-mail: yourname@smithandassociates.com
How do you get started?
Choose and purchase a domain name. A domain name is the name that you would use if you were building a website. Remember, you don't have to build your website in order to have a domain name. If you need help, contact us and we can assist you with how to get started.
Set up your mailbox to match the domain name. (Many businesses use Outlook or Outlook Express) Most domain name companies will give you directions on how to do this. Total time to complete is approximately 1-3 hours depending on skill level.
Ever feel abused by your inbox? E-mail has certainly changed how we as individuals do business; but as anyone who has sat down with their morning cup of joe to an overstuffed inbox will tell you, it is often overused. Here are a few simple tips to help you with your e-mail etiquette.
When talking with new clients about their websites for the first time, one question that always comes up is that of Flash. Should we include it or is it too much. Some people have very strong opinions about this. I believe that there is a time and a place for Flash, and when used appropriately, it can be a powerful marketing tool.
The Hughtrain by Hugh MacLeod is a manifesto on brands, blogs, and the now of advertising and marketing. First published in 2005. Download the complete PDF here.
The market for something to believe in is infinite...
Hugh MacLeod writes:We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people do the same. Everything else
is secondary.We humans want to believe in our own species. And we want people, companies and prod-
ucts in our lives that make it easier to do so. That is human nature.Product benefit doesnʼt excite us. Belief in humanity and human potential excites us.
Think less about what your product does, and think more about human potential.
What statement about humanity does your product make?
The bigger the statement, the bigger the idea, the bigger your brand will become.
About the author:
Hugh MacLeod is a brand consultant, copywriter and cartoonist. Born in America but educated in the UK, he has spent most of his life shuttling between the two countries. He started out in straight TV advertising writing in the early 90s but with the advent of new media it evolved into new brand thinking and cultural transformation. His website, http://gapingvoid.com, is widely read in the blogosphere.
Absolutely hysterical. For those of us who started in the printing world, this is a must see. Enjoy! :)
Below is an article written by Ben McConnell of Consumer Evangelists.
What might marketers and entrepreneurs tackle in 2008? Here's one list, in no particular order.
1. Vow to do more attracting than selling.
To use a high school analogy: Be the charismatic kid with a winning smile, a charming personality and a good dose of humility. Don't be the tard who farts and throws firecrackers at cats in that desperate vein of "Look at me! Look at me!"
2. Adopt the 5th P.
If your company relies on the classic marketing model of the four P's, add a fifth one: Participation. Build a model of how customers, partners and employees can meet, share and participate with the company or with one another.
3. Build a niche.
The future is micro-specific. It starts with people who share highly specific characteristics that defy traditional demographics. Define an ideal customer to the n'th degree, like unemployed college professors who wear corduroy sport coats (with elbow patches) and drive old Volvos.
4. Conduct a word of mouth audit.
Put every customer-facing experience up for review, from reception to the floor person, to accounts payable. Does the customer experience generate good word of mouth, or bad word of mouth? Adjust then measure again.
5. Create a social network.
Do it on Facebook, or Ning or the good ol' analog way: a customer advisory board. Any form of social network among customers, partners or employees (current or former) is a tangible asset. Treat it as you would your grandparents (respectfully), not as you would your younger brother whom you randomly punch in the head.
6. Vow to eliminate a stupid rule.
You know what it is. Customers (or bloggers) have already told you. So eliminate it already. For extra points, give it a funeral.
7. Create a social media training program.
In 2008, expect word of mouth and customer evangelism to be accelerated by social media considerably more than it was in 2007. What people say online will reach deeper into the B2B world, too, like long-term services contracts and enterprise-wide computer systems. Understanding the basics of social media, how it works and the effects it can have on reputation and sales should be part of annual training programs.
8. Ban use of the word "consumer."
Nothing says "I'm like Borat" more than using "consumers" to describe your customers, or end-customers. If you call the sales channel your customers, then their customers are your end-customers. To call them consumers is so Borat-like.
9. Raise the ethics bar.
Be a hero to people who still believe in ethics. Make 2008 the year you set higher standards for ethical behavior. Make the standards clear to employees, partners and vendors. Enforce them. Gaming the system is for congressmen and crooked military contractors.
10. Do what you love.
It may be trite but if you don't love what you're doing, how can you expect anyone else to?
I hate mail.
I'm sorry to say it - I mean I have designed a few hundred pieces of direct-mail during my career - but the truth is that there are few things that I detest more than sifting through piles of envelopes and stacks of useless junk mail. In fact, you can often find me in a "purge" state huddled over my trash can within 20 minutes of receiving the days mail just so I don't have to see it piled up in my "in-box".
That being said, there are a few "standards" that I save from the shredder and recycle bin. Without exception, the stuff that lands in my "take home" pile every day (aside from my favorite magazines and the weekly invoices) are newsletters and updates from vendors, clients and network partners.
Let's face it, in today’s world, busy professionals have a LIMITED attention span. Hectic schedules and overflowing e-mail inboxes force readers to limit their daily information intake to only the essentials. I am not suggesting that you throw your e-campaigns out with the bath water, but you do need to determine if electronic, print, or a combination of both, are appropriate mediums for your target audience and your message.
Here are few questions to help you decide if an electronic newsletter makes sense for your business.
1. Are you presenting critical information that impacts someone else's bottom line? (ie: new legislation, new processes or development or important news about your industry)
2. Do you have a special promotional offer? Discounts and sales make great newsletters because the text is limited and the offer is prominently displayed.
3. Are you positioning yourself as a “thought leader” with your industry? If so, an e-zine may be the perfect avenue for you to promote your brand and your resources.
Although more expensive, printed newsletters are sometimes easier and more effective for the following reasons:
1. The document can be viewed at the leisure of the reader.
2. It physically sits in a work in-box as a frequent reminder.
3. It can be taken anywhere on the go, which benefits frequent travelers (can also be said of many e-campaigns as well).
