FINALLY, spring has arrived! And, just as you get the urge to shake out carpets and wash windows, use the time to clean up your Marketing “house.” Here are some chores:
1. Check that your fonts and type treatment match across all your printed stationery and business cards. If you use black for the address on your envelope, but a different color on your letterhead, make a note to change that before the next print run.
2. If you have a blog or news section on your website, make sure you update it. Take a moment to write in advance a few more entries. Make a monthly appointment to keep the writing up. Even brief entries are better than none or very outdated ones.
3. Proofread your website. You would be shocked how many typos and editorial inconsistencies we see! Tip: Take 10 minutes each day and read aloud one section at a time. Reading aloud is an excellent way to hear and spot errors that the eye just glosses over when reading silently.
4. If you or your marketing department take the in-house photos for printed communications, make sure the resolution on the camera is set at a high resolution, which ensures better print quality. Your camera’s manual should tell you how. Typically, you select “menu” and then “resolution,” “image quality” or “image size.” Choose either “high,” “best” or the largest pixel number shown. Press the “set” or “ok” button to lock in your choice. Tip: Taking high resolution photos eats up memory. Regularly download and/or erase images.
5. Scan and upload all the latest newsletters, brochure and other printed materials to your website.
6. Liven up your employee newsletter with a new feature–perhaps wellness tips, a closer look at a department or even a restaurant review of local lunch places.
Flodin/Lazzaro knows how to not only craft a fundraising pitch using the right persuasive tone, but also how to build relationships and foster dialogue through ongoing development communication. A community of donors wants to feel a part of a bigger, important and ongoing effort of change and improvement, as well as be acknowledged for the generosity of their time and resources.
Shown here is the annual donor magazine for the Department of Psychiatry & Behaviorial Health at Mount Sinai-St. Luke’s Roosevelt. The publication is chockfull of updates on important programs enabled by the generosity of the department’s givers. It also features photo essays of recent donor events and notable news where money is being spent. The back page consists of the publication’s only direct appeal for help, though an envelope for convenient giving is tipped into the piece.
TIP: Whether it’s ongoing donor communications such as this, engaging blogs targeting this audience of givers, materials for fundraising events (invitations, programs, posters), or direct mail and email campaigns, Flodin/Lazzaro has the voice and vision to communicate cost-effectively—and beautifully—for our clients’ development needs.
> If you need help with development outreach, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
Of course it is! Take advantage of the Valentine’s Day month to focus or enliven your communication strategies. We have helped a multitude of clients publicize how they raised heart health awareness (see top image in a hospital employee newsletter), launch an important heart health initiative (see middle image, a postcard campaign for a hospital’s new neighborhood cardiovascular office) and feature heart health tips in a community publication (see bottom image), among others, and all during the month of love.
Tip: Keep in mind that the US Department of Health and Human Services has designated a number of national health observances, more than one for every single month! Check out this site for a current complete calendar and lots of inspiration for communication efforts.
On more than one occasion, Flodin/Lazzaro has either launched a client’s brand-new publication or has completely redesigned an existing one.
One of the first decisions is what to name (or, in some instances, rename) the newsletter or magazine. A name has to pithily speak to the content and mission of the communication vehicle and be something that its audience can easily remember and anticipate.
Simultaneously with design ideas, we brainstorm a list of possible names and submit them to the client. Typically, it’s often our first choice that is chosen as the favorite.
> If you need help launching a publication, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
