We have a winner!  Congratulations to Latasha Josey!  I’ll be contacting you soon on how you can claim your 100 postcard prize!

One popular way to gain new customers is through direct mail.  It’s great when you have a specific message you want to get out to your audience in a visually appealing way.  UPrinting.com is giving you the tools necessary to reach 100 customers via direct mail!  Keep reading to learn how you can win 100 high quality postcards for your business.

Prize Details:

One (1) Inspired Graphics Media reader will win 100 5″ x 7″ postcards on 14pt Cardstock Gloss; Front Only printing and only 2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time

How to Enter:

To qualify for your chance to win, just leave a blog comment with the following information: 1) why you’d love to win the postcards, 2) your biggest marketing challenge, and 3) whether you will need a postcard designed if you win.

Want an extra entry? Like the Inspired Media Facebook Fan Page, and post that you’re a fan in a new blog comment.

Want one more entry? Follow me on Twitter at @InspiredMedia1 and post that you’re a follower in a new blog comment.

One winner will be chosen use Random.Org.  Winners who I am unable to contact and who don’t claim their prize within 48 hours of being sent their “You’re a winner” email notification will forfeit his or her prize.  In the case of no winner due to a prize being forfeited, I will again use Random.org to choose an alternate winner.  This giveaway is limited to US residents who are 18 years old and above only.

Deadline:

You must act fast!  I’m only accepting entries until Friday, June 3, 2011 at 11:59pm CST to comment and be entered for your chance to win the die cut business cards.  I will randomly pick one winner with random.org and announce it on Monday, June 6th via the Inspired Media Facebook Fan Page and/or this blog.

Disclaimer: This postcards giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting online printing, no monetary compensation was given for hosting.

Having a web site can be one of the best ways to promote your business, if done correctly. This article offers 3 things your web site must have in order to succeed. They are simple, yet often ignored tips that could mean the difference between closing a sale and losing business to a competitor.

1. A design consistent with your brand. Your web site should reflect the adjectives you want associated with your business. For example, if your company is known for simplicity, consistency and being professional, then it wouldn’t make sense to have a web site with flashing lights that looks different on every page. I once saw a web page that was all black and white with a photo of the business owner as its only graphic. This entrepreneur noted that he spent so much time tending to the needs of his clients that he only wanted to share the basics on his web site. If potential clients wanted more information, they should contact him. While this may not work for everyone, it was very consistent with his desire to be client-focused.

2. A clear description of your products and services. What exactly does your business do? A site visitor should be able to figure this out by reading your home page or at most by visiting your Products/Services link. This area needs to be written as simply as possible. It is not the time for buzz words or flowery language. If your current business description reads something like this, “XYZ, Inc. provides dynamic lifestyle products and services to those who want to reach the next level of success,” then it’s time for a rewrite. Potential customers won’t know if you’re operating a day spa, running a clothing company, or selling magazine subscriptions. Be clear. Tell customers what you really do.

3. Easy-to-find direct contact information. Picture this: your dream client has just arrived at your web site. This IS your target consumer. Not only did this person read over your clearly written product/service descriptions, but he or she is convinced that you must be contacted today. In fact, if the work goes well, this person would like to be a repeat customer. After scanning your page from top to bottom, this dream client can’t find a way to contact you directly. They found a “Contact Us” page, but there’s only a form there. Who knows how long it’ll take you to reply? Guess what happens next? Dream client leaves your page and likely chooses a competitor with a clearly visible phone number and email address. We live in an age where someone can get a business idea one day and set up an entire web site, Facebook fan page, and PayPal account the next. While this is refreshing for business owners, it also provides a good way for scammers to prey on innocent victims. These days, many people need more than a “Contact Us” form to trust your business. Having a phone number or direct email lends credibility to your company by providing a person behind the screen. It also helps show that you will be accessible for any questions or problems that may arise once you start doing business.

These are just 3 tips to get you started on creating a web site that will not only be visually appealing but also bring you business. If you need help or have questions, contact us via form, email or phone.

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Does your web site need a face lift?  Then enter the “Show Your Web Site Some Love” web site redesign contest, sponsored by Inspired Graphics Media.

While you’re out shopping for flowers and candy for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, why not pick up something for your business, too?  Enter now to win a FREE web site makeover for your small business.

In this digital age, your web site is often more important than your business card in making a first impression.  Your web site not only has to capture the attention of potential customers visually, but it also has to have compelling content to make them stick around.  This can be hard for an entrepreneur who wasn’t trained in marketing and design, but Inspired Graphics Media is here to help.  Enter our Show Your Web Site Some Love contest to win a FREE web site makeover to make your first impression your best impression.

In the video below, Dequiana Brooks, Founder & CEO of Inspired Marketing, Inc. introduces her new training series: Monthly Marketing Moment.

The first training is FREE and can be found at http://www.inspiredmarketinginc.com/7websiteessentials

Exciting News! Inspired Graphics Media now offers web site reviews. This service is perfect for overwhelmed do-it-yourself web designers and frustrated entrepreneurs. Let CEO Dequiana Brooks review your site and help you turn it back into the profit center you imagined. Click here for more details or to book your review.

Tired of internships where you only make copies and fetch coffee?

Want your work to make a difference in the company?

Interested in marketing or design?

Inspired Marketing, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing firm, is hiring marketing and design interns for both our planning execution (Inspired Graphics Media) divisions. Marketing interns will assist in developing and promoting our services while creative interns will design for both client and internal projects.

This internship position is ongoing and requires a commitment of 10 to 15 hours a week.  It is an unpaid position.  Interns will receive professional development opportunities, such as skill-building in social networking and branding, running marketing promotions, graphic/web design skill enhancement, project management, mentorship by CEO Dequiana Brooks and real-world marketing experience.

Primary Responsibilities:

Marketing Intern

• Create copy for the mailing list and small business blog
• Manage Twitter and Facebook feeds
• Assist in running upcoming promotions/contests
• Assist in developing market research plan

Design Intern

• Design for both client and internal projects, including web sites, logos, eBook covers
• Some web design coding may be required

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with social networking platforms
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Marketing background a plus
• Self-starter – interns may work remotely and have the ability to execute independently
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Your own computer and high-speed Internet connection
• Graphic design skills (for design intern) – Adobe InDesign, Dreamweaver and Photoshop preferred

I’m Interested! How Do I Apply?

Please email info@inspiredmedia.net the following items:

• The internship you’re applying for
• Your most recent resume or work history
• Links to your work (for creative interns)
• Why you’d be perfect for the job (we’ll accept a traditional cover letter, an audio clip or even a video)

Administrative internships are also available.  Email us for more information.

Dequiana Brooks, the founder of Inspired Graphics Media, had her work featured in the iZania Black Business Network newsletter.  She contributes to the site’s public blog with articles on marketing and technology.  The support is appreciated!  Read the newsletter here.

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The small business expertise of Inspired Graphics Media’s Founder & CEO, Dequiana Brooks, was featured in Gemini Magazine’s Summer 2010 issue.  Gemini Magazine showcases the beautiful varieties of real women around the globe.  It was honor for us to include TWO articles in this issue: “3 Summer Business Building Tips” and “Financing Your Small Business.” Get a preview of the articles here: Gemini Magazine Articles – Summer 2010 (Word 2007) or Gemini Magazine Articles – Summer 2010 (PDF).  For those who were unable to get a hard copy of the magazine, I will be posting the articles to my blog, Entrepreneur Resources by the end of August 2010.  Remember, Inspired Graphics Media is here for your writing needs, too.  Schedule your free, 30 minute consultation today!

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Okay, the title of this article may be a bit harsh, but I still urge you to rethink your small business’ use of flashing text, scrolling photos and music as the first things potential customers see on your web site.  Remember, your site visitors are coming to you web site to learn about your products and services, not to be entertained by your logo dancing across the screen.  Here are a few questions to consider before asking your web designer to create a Flash intro for your site:

1. What is the purpose of creating this Flash intro? If small business owners are honest with themselves, they will find that many just want a Flash introduction for their web site because it looks cool.  The idea of a mini-movie starring your company is exciting, but if it will not enhance your brand image or is irrelevant for your industry, leave it out.  Now if you own a video production house, make jewelry, design clothes, take photographs or engage in another industry where visuals are important, then a Flash intro may be appropriate.

2. Are you hoping to reach those who use mobile phones? Well, you may be reaching fewer than you think.  Nothing annoys me more than seeing a web site on the go, checking it with my Blackberry and being met with a blank screen.  You see, many smartphones are unable to process Flash, which means these mobile users cannot access your web site.  Unless these potential customers are extremely interested in your site, they may not remember your web site address when they access to a computer with Flash enabled.

3. Is your target market patient? The more things you pack into your Flash movie – graphics, text, music – the longer it takes the home page to load.  Remember, the home page to your web site is your business’ first impression.  A slow loading page could get your business labeled as slow to respond and inconsiderate of customers, especially if said movie ends up being 60 seconds of text and graphics spinning across the screen to your favorite music.

4. Will a Flash intro hinder the SEO (search engine optimization) of my web site? Unfortunately, the answer is yes in many cases.  According to Google’s webmaster central, the search engine has made improvements in how it indexes Flash web sites, “Google can now discover and index text content in SWF files of all kinds.”  There are still some limitations.  For example, if the text of your Flash introduction is pulled from an HTML or XML page, that content won’t be considered part of your Flash home page.  Remember, when your web site comes up in Google you want to not only see the title of your web site but also a text description that lets potential customers know why they should visit your site.  While Google can now index Flash pages, there is no guarantee that other search engines, such as Yahoo and Bing can do the same.

If I haven’t convinced you to reconsider the Flash intro for your small business web site, then please make sure to include 2 very visible buttons: skip intro and music off.  While some potential customers will sit through an intro page once as a precursor to the true content of your web site, it is unlikely that they’ll sit through it a second or third time.  The “skip intro” button allows them to get right to the heart of your site. The “music off” button is equally important as every site visitor will not share your taste in music or be in a setting where music is appropriate.

Lastly, before asking your designer to hit “publish” on your business web site’s Flash intro, put yourself in your consumers’ shoes.  If you were a potential customer and happened upon this web site, would you be excited to visit it or annoyed?  Would you quickly click away or would you eagerly look for the products/services page?  Remember, your small business web site is for your target consumer, not you.

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Every product or service must meet a consumer’s unmet need.  You may be left wondering – who is this “consumer” person, and how do I reach him or her? Generally speaking, a consumer is someone who uses goods or services. What your business is most interested in is finding its target consumer – that group of people who is both interested in your product or service and willing to purchase it.

Defining a target audience can be easier for an existing business because it has the ability to analyze sales data and survey existing customers about their purchase habits, product preferences, and demographic information. But what about those new businesses that have only a handful of customers or have yet to make a sale? While you may not have much customer data to go through, you can still define your target market. I will assume that you’ve already determined that your product or service will meet someone’s need.  Now you need to further define the characteristics of the people who would be best served by your business and use them to create a target consumer profile.

For example, if you ran a daycare center that was open from 6pm to 6am, then parents working late shifts might be a good place to start your consumer profile.  You’d want to understand the demographic information of this group – age, gender, income level, ethnic background, education level, hobbies and interests, household size, marital status and more.  Some of this information can be found in local Census data or through a Google search, while other pieces may be gleaned from a poll of businesses around the center.  Once you know these basic pieces of information, you can take your target consumer profile a bit further.  In our daycare example, you may find a target who is a 25-45 year old single mom making $40,000/year or less and working in a hospital or factory setting.  If your research shows that there are enough women who fit this profile within commuting distance of the daycare, then you may decide to market your business exclusively to local factories and hospitals as an incentive they could offer to potential employees who are open to working a later shift but don’t because they lack childcare.  Remember, this doesn’t mean your business will turn away customers who don’t fit your consumer profile.  It only means you are being more targeted in your marketing approach.

If you are still not convinced that targeting is important, consider these three benefits:

1. Defining your target consumer is important because it helps to focus your business. Rather than trying to please everyone, you can target your marketing efforts to the one group that is most interested in your business.

2. Concentrating on a target consumer can save your organization money. Your R&D and Marketing budgets can go further because you will only be in places where your target will be looking rather than anywhere you can find ad space.  Remember, it is better to reach 500 people when 95% of them are highly likely to buy your product or service than 5000 when only 1% of them are to your business.  Back to our daycare example.  It would be better to advertise with a local temp agency that specializes in placing employees with manufacturing jobs than to run an ad in the sports section of a newspaper (unless, of course, your research showed these women were sports fanatics who read newspapers regularly).

3. It is easier to build genuine relationships with one or two target groups. Most people want to feel valued, even in business.  By partnering with your customers and making products or services that fill their unmet needs, you will create a group of people who identify with your brand.  They will feel like your business really cares about them.  When people feel valued, they will likely tell someone else.  When friends ask them for a late night daycare recommendation, for example, your business will be top of mind.  Getting loyal customers who spread the word about the greatness of your business can be the best marketing dollars you spend.

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