We are big fans of the e-blast! This marketing email is delivered to a large list of subscribers using software such as iContact or MailChimp (to mention just two of many options). The service is typically free or low-cost and is very easy to navigate and manage. Using engaging copy and eye-catching images, Lazzaro Designs has sent out monthly e-blasts (such as the one shown here, top) to highlight a service or a particular characteristic of our work.
A hybrid of a postcard and an advertisement, the e-blast is a cost-effective way to keep your name in front of clients and potential clients, as well as provide easy hyperlinks to drive traffic to your website and your blog. Lazzaro Designs has helped several clients create their own effective e-blast campaigns, as was the case for Consulting For A Cause (see bottom image).
> If you need help creating an e-blast, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
Many of our clients, especially those who are sole proprietors, want to use LinkedIn as a powerful tool to raise their visibility, market their brand and get more clients. But sometimes they don’t know where to begin. We can help. Lazzaro Designs has in the past six months gotten several new clients from the love and attention we’ve paid our individual LinkedIn pages. We’ve shared our learned lessons with several clients, including Mary Lee, president of Innovative Microsystems Consulting, Inc. IMC provides tech network and software solutions to companies. Here’s some of what we did for Mary Lee and what we can additionally do for you:
1. As you can see here, Maryellen provided Mary with a customized LinkedIn profile background with her IMC logo, as well as iconic images picked up from her website. This enlivens her page and promotes her brand across different platforms.
2. We can help you upload portfolio samples to show a real peek at your work and/or services.
3. We can advise you on picking your best professional head shot and help you find a good photographer.
4. Editorially, our writers can clean up your summary and experience sections.
5. We can consult with you about what groups and companies to follow, as well as what skills to display.
6. We have specific tips to share on getting more recommendations and connections.
7. We can also give you advice on sharing updates and posts.
8. We can help you link in (pun intended) your LinkedIn to your company’s website.
In our experience—and Mary Lee’s—using Lazzaro Designs to polish your LinkedIn presence can really be a big-bang-for-a-little-buck effort.
> If you need help optimizing your social media presence, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
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.
Maryellen Lazzaro is pleased to add Yes She Can, Inc. to the client roster. Maryellen has created a favicon for the organization’s website.
Insight: Favicons are images that are used by web browsers to show a graphical representation of the site being visited. They are used in the address bar, in the links bar, in the bookmarking area and in browsing tabs. Some browsers also show favicons whenever you create a shortcut link for the corresponding website in your desktop and your mobile device.
In this case, the client did not have an obvious element in their logo to adapt for a favicon. Maryellen instead used a white checkmark within a pink square suggesting the organization’s mission, which is empowering young women with autism to advance within the workplace.
Maryellen will also be developing infographics for Yes She Can, Inc.
Resource to share: Realfavicongenerator is a free resource for generating .ico files for your root directory. Just provide them with a 260×260 pixel image.
> Or, if you need help creating a favicon, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
