Developing Marketing Materials For Your Business
All businesses have what is referred to as a corporate identity which is often summarized as branding. Even if you're not a big multinational corporation but just a sole proprietorship or small home-based business that doesn't mean you can skimp on your corporate identity and marketing materials for your business. You may have a product or service to sell the public but how are they going to contact you and remember what you do? That is where branding comes in and if you have the software and technical skills necessary you can do it yourself otherwise you'll want to outsource to a professional. Developing marketing materials for your business is as important as being professional and offering a quality product or service. It is essentially the same as dressing for success.
Marketing materials and corporate identity often include a logo and a slogan which is often placed on business cards, brochures and corporate letter heads. A logo should be clean and efficient as it will be immediately identifiable with your business. Think of the iconic corporate logos from top multinational corporations and you'll get an idea of how important a logo truly is. Ideally the logo will directly reflect what your business encompasses. The logo is the one time where it is prudent to contract out for a professional graphic designer. They will often provide dozens of initial ideas in conjunction with your own and then offer an iterative process to perfect what you've chosen.
In conjunction with the logo, a corporate slogan which is also usually an advertising slogan should succinctly describe the purpose of your business. A good slogan will be no more than a half-dozen words and will epitomize your business philosophy. At this point it may again be prudent to use your previous graphic designer not for the words before the selection of the font. It is often surprising to most small business owners how many fonts are available and how different they may be from one another. Font selection is also important because it will be used on marketing materials and the corporate letterhead for address and other information. It might seem unnecessary to be so serious about the logo and slogan for a small business but if selected correctly these choices could impact the business for decades to come.
The slogan and logo of the two most important aspects when developing marketing materials for your business and lead directly to more traditional documentation like brochures, business cards and mailing labels. The reason why marketing materials are so important is because they are your representative when dealing with potential customers and existing clients when you are personally unavailable. They represent you and your organization's ideals and professionalism and if developed properly make a one-person operation seem as professional as a multinational corporation.
Brochures and mass mailings are the sales pitch to potential clients when you are being proactive in soliciting new business. They will not only have your logo and slogan but also various marketing materials describing what your business does and why these clients should go with your organization. A well designed brochure can easily lead to a number of warm calls, business interactions where the client is already familiar with your company, and significant revenues. If your company has won awards or is an industry leader this is the type of material you would want to include on a brochure.
Business cards can cost as little as $35 for 1000 or as much as $300 dollars for a 250. As is the case with all things business you get what you pay for. It is common practice, especially when networking, for business cards to be handed out and then those same business cards passed on to associates. This type of trickle-down effect means many more individual will see your business card than you otherwise would've thought. Is important to design a business card that is both clean and efficient but also memorable. Nothing is worse than a plain white business card with black or blue text which will easily be forgotten regardless of how good the businesses behind it. Take the time to develop a well thought out informative business card and others will be happy to keep it on their person and give it to others when the opportunity presents itself.
Developing marketing materials for your business is an important step in going from a sole proprietor working out of a home-based office dealing with a dozen or so customers to becoming a professional organization looking to grow. Just as a business owner should not skimp on professional business attire or offering the highest quality product or service, they should also spend the time and money to develop professional marketing materials. These marketing materials are a direct reflection of a business and its owners and employees and can lead to more business if handled correctly. Marketing materials spread the word for you in your absence so let them speak clearly and professionally which will hopefully lead to future success.
