How many advertisements do you think you come across in a day? A handful? A couple hundred? Try nearly 5,000! Each day you are inundated with thousands of ads and sometimes, you aren’t even aware of it. Companies attempt to gain customers by proving themselves through constant logo appearances, media, and advertisements. But let’s be honest, how well do those ads work on you? Not as well as they used to, right? So how do businesses break through to customers when they are swamped with so many messages?
Many business owners want to showcase the products or services their company offers, but aren’t sure how. When you have a variety of offerings, it’s easy to create brochures that have too much information and are not that enticing. What you need is a marketing piece that is focused, easy-to-read, and compelling.
Your business needs a one-sheet (or a series of them!).
Keep reading to find out what exactly a one-sheet is, get the ultimate one-sheet checklist, and learn how you can use this tool productively for your business.
Today is an exciting day! We are hosting our very first guest bloggers! Allison Spooner and Jesse Flores are sharing with us how business isn’t just business. It’s personal. Their insight is on-point and vitally relevant to our efforts to support our clients in an authentic and valuable way in 2016.
So, who are the writers? Allison is a freelance, content wizard. She writes content that helps businesses in Lansing and beyond tell their stories, educate their customers, and promote their brands. Jesse is a startup junkie and tech enthusiast. His most recent endeavor is launching SuperWebPros, which builds Super Websites with Heroic Service for small businesses. Over the past year, we have enjoyed brainstorming with these two content and business gurus and are confident you will enjoy the insight they have for you.
In the evolving world of content marketing, we continually need to refine how we communicate with and reach our customers. Here are a few content marketing trends you should consider as you refresh and plan for this year's blog posts, newsletters, and social media campaigns.
1. Sophisticated algorithms will force you to get serious about quality control
If your goal is to reach users with first-page search results this year, then it's about time you ditched the traditional SEO marketing strategy. The truth is, the game has changed. Google algorithms now evaluate content based on its value to readers who are searching for it. The focus on quality content means excessive keyword stuffing and backlinking won’t do you any good.
The purpose of your business’s website is to provide your customers with information about your company’s products, services, and brand, but is that all it should be doing? Your website has the power to entertain, educate, and delight your customers. Your business may be open 9 to 5, but your website is available to the public 24/7. Are you confident it is working for you? The key to ensuring your potential customers understand how you can help them and are interested enough to contact relies on one simple thing. Your website content.
Today we will explore how to write engaging website content that will captivate your customers and impact your business in a positive way.
Before hiring a new employee, there are dozens of factors to consider. Businesses want employees to have a positive attitude, strong loyalty, and compelling creativity. However, it is arguable that the number one asset companies are looking for in candidates is effective communication and writing skills. Why is this so necessary for the job market you may ask? Today, we will explain why your ability to write and communicate effectively in business will never be obsolete.
Staying on task isn’t exactly every business owners’ strong suit. You may have started your workday with the best of intentions, only to find that by the end of it, you didn’t accomplish anything on your list. And while it’s easy to blame outside distractions for the inability to focus, more times than not, a lack of a solid plan is the number one reason we fail to be productive.
The truth is, the secret to maximizing productivity isn’t complicated. It simply requires that you take a few simple steps to get organized and plan your day effectively.
One of the most frequent questions I have received in the last 12 months has been “How’s business?” And every time I have been lucky enough to say “Absolutely wonderful.” I have had to pinch myself a lot because I can’t believe the success we’ve had this year is real-life.
When people claim that e-mail marketing is dead, it makes our marketing hearts hurt. The truth is, there are more e-mail newsletters in circulation now than ever before. No, that doesn’t mean that they are working. It means it is vital to be intentional with your email marketing strategies and the content you are creating. There are a lot of dead newsletters out there, but not all of them are dead. Because most people sync their e-mail with their smartphones, wherever they go, their email goes. You have the perfect opportunity to connect with your audience in an authentic way if you put your energy in the right place.
If your business publishes blog posts on a regular basis, then you probably have a well-oiled routine. You put your last period on the end of another great post, hit publish, and reap the benefit of short-lived excitement before it is lost in an archive along with dozens of other posts and is forgotten. Kind of sad, but it’s true, right?
As an avid writer, you systematically double check your commas, intently review your grammar usage, and triple proofread your content. Once these tasks are complete, what is the next step? There are many similar tips that float around the Internet of how to become better writers and how to improve your editing processes, but what do you do if you want to refine yourself as a writer on a daily basis? Writing clear messages, staying professional, and captivating your readers with descriptive language is a strong start, but how can you make sure your skills are as sharp as possible?
Thinking about all we have to be thankful for is a good way to do a reality check and inspire us to tackle the end of the year deadlines with smiles on our faces. This year has been one for the books, and I am humbled by all the wonderful things that have happened. My team has grown from one to three, we have surpassed our strategic goals, and most importantly, we have had the privilege of working with more than 30 talented businesses. In honor of Thanksgiving, we wanted to take a moment to share what we are most thankful for.
You know the feeling when you get a new outfit and you can’t wait to parade around showing everybody because it gives you the kind of confidence that makes you feel like you can take on the world? Well, that’s kind of how we feel about our new About Us video. Which is why we couldn't be more excited to share it with you!
Here is an inside peek at what goes on at Rough Draft Solutions!
By now, it is safe to assume that you know what LinkedIn is, but the question remains if you are using it correctly. When was the last time you updated your profile or sent a personalized message to a connection? Are you actively using your profile to highlight how you can add value to your network? Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn gurus tend to dress nicely and instead of posting photos of their pets, engage in conversation relevant to their profession. Whether you’ve been on the site for a while, or you’re just starting out, here are several ways you can ensure to leave a positive impression and improve your profile now.
Calling your brochures boring and ugly may be a little harsh, but it is the wake-up call that many of us need. Today, more than ever, it is important to have brochures that not only inform your potential customers of how you can help them but are also pretty to look at!
The problem is that revamping your brochure or even more daunting, an entire series of brochures, requires time, effort, and money. Three things that often run in short supply! Here are a few of our favorite tips to share with our clients on how to take your brochure from snooze-fest to a stimulating pamphlet your customers will actually read (and enjoy!).
There are countless business articles and blogs circulating the Internet that focus on the clear-cut methods you should follow to reach your goals. They provide a list of steps to take to help your business achieve success. What many businesses don’t talk about, however, are the mistakes they made along the way.
Awhile back, the Business Machine podcast featured Rough Draft Solution's own Amanda Washburn in their series “Learning from Our Mistakes.” Hear the interview for yourself or read on to learn why Rough Draft Solutions was started, what our future looks like, and what mistakes we’ve made along the way. Here is a sneak peek!
Most of us understand that in order to connect with customers and increase our online presence, it’s important to have a company Facebook page. And while you may have dabbled in posting statuses or sharing photos, I would argue that the majority of us don’t exactly know what we’re doing on this platform.
You may be scratching your head wondering, how do I gain a steady following? What kind of content should I post? And does it matter what time I post? Believe it or not, all of these little details directly affect the success of your page. Failing to create a clear strategy (and following through with it) will stunt the growth of your page and will keep you from reaching your desired audience.
Which leads to the bigger question: What is the most effective way to run a successful business Facebook page?
“Avoid using the word very because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired; he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, for boys to woo women--and in that endeavor laziness will not do.” - Robin Williams.
Even though our main goal as business owners and content writers is not to “woo women,” we believe Robin Williams was onto something here.
In writing, each word plays a crucial role in portraying your message. When you write, you lose the power of gestures, facial expressions, and body language. The strength of the words you choose is directly correlated with the message you convey to the reader. If you want to create a powerful and engaging piece, you must use language to its full potential.
Every day the Rough Draft Solutions team meets with clients, writes content, and manages our social media platforms, but what are we like outside of work? Our backgrounds and experiences influence the work we do, so we thought you may enjoy an inside look into our personalities! Who are the writers behind the content, you ask? Amanda, Tracey, and Emily answer the questions you’re curious about.
The first blog post in our Pinterest for Business Series, “Why Your Business Needs to Be on Pinterest,” discussed the two major reasons why Pinterest is beneficial for your business:
#1 It generates sales
#2 It drives traffic to your website
While our hope is that our first post inspired you to create an account for your business, you may be scratching your head as to what to do next. How should you brand your page? How do you gain a steady following? Which resources can help you create eye-catching pins? And most importantly, what is the secret to creating a successful Pinterest page for your business?