1. Start with a logo design, slogan and mission statement
All future marketing decisions hinge on this first step. What’s your logo and slogan? The look and feel of those two impact a website and other collateral pieces. At RCG, we enjoy brainstorming with a client to develop a memorable logo and slogan.
We’re proud of the logo and slogan we created for our legal client. Bischoff Martingayle: A Reputation for Results.
2. Decide the necessary stationery: business cards, letterhead and envelopes are a must
The most important aspect of a marketing strategy: consistency. Everything must look the same from notepads to folders to business cards. A clean, professional fleet of collateral materials says to the broader community: “We’re here to play.”
Invest in quality printing and spend a bit extra to do it right the first time. Take a look at some of our Creative Branding.
3. Leave behinds for business development
Go beyond the typical business card leave behind. Let the potential client see what you can do with a sharp flyer, brochure or portfolio folder. Here’s a flyer we recently put together for Newtown Building Supplies.
4. Invest in a custom website
I know what you’re thinking. “I’ll just create my website on a site like Wix.com, make a few tweaks and that’s that.”
Wrong.
A custom website is an investment, and if you opt for a cookie-cutter approach, you will limit yourself and your flexibility with future site changes. It’s important to understand a huge amount of your marketing will center on the website. Again, get it right the first time.
At RCG, we work closely with your team to determine the style and tone of the site and can even help to write much of the content. Look at the website we just completed — in conjunction with our friends at Marathon Consulting (they did the design and build of the site) — for ESG Companies, a prominent development company in South Hampton Roads.
5. Professional head shots and staff pictures
Image is everything. Invest in making everyone on your team look their best by hiring a photographer for headshots. A person who visits your website may choose to use you (or not) based on how you look. It can be that subjective.
Headshots don’t have to boring, either. Check out this picture from our recent shoot for client Bischoff Martingayle.
Attorney Bill Bischoff
6. Facebook page (free and easy to update)
A Facebook business page takes only a few minutes to create and can be a huge asset to your company’s marketing effort — IF you know how to create content that gets results (“likes,” shares and comments).
The RCG team recently put out a creative request to help us reach 1,000 fans on our own Facebook business page (we had 850 fans at the time). The post was so popular that we ended the day with nearly 1,100 fans PLUS 3,400 people who saw our post and, thus, interacted with our brand.
7. Announcement press release sent to local media (with professional head shots)
Want people to know you’re ready for business? Have a skilled PR firm draft a compelling press release and disseminate it to the media. We did just that for Newtown Building Supplies and, sure enough, landed the young company premium coverage in the Sunday edition of The Virginian Pilot.
The Virginian Pilot — February 16, 2014: At Work With…D.J. “Jimmy” Rogers, owner, Newtown Building Supplies Inc.
