November 2017

Positioning is all about establishing the identity of your business. Positioning of service refers to the impression a customer forms when they come in contact with your business. Put simply, positioning of service poses the question: “Who do people think you are as a business?” The days of simply providing a service or product and then ‘calling it a day’ are over. With so many different businesses out there and such easy access to goods and services via the internet, customers need to know that their values are being upheld by whomever they’re buying from. So how do you improve your positioning of service in order to maintain a competitive edge? Here are a few ways in which your business can improve its positioning of service.

Develop a mission statement

A mission statement clearly conveys what it is you stand for as a business. It is important to know what your values are before you try to position your business. Even more important than this is knowing your customers’ values. Your business values and mission statement should stem from the wants and needs of your customers and what you can help them with. The market is determined by what the consumer believes the producer stands for, and no one wants to do business with a company whose identity they conflict with. Once you have a solid idea of the values you want to uphold for your positioning of service, you should put them in a clear and concise statement that outlines them for your customers and employees to see.

Know what is already out there

Be sure to study your competitors’ positioning of service. It is important that your positioning is different from the competition. Generic or copycat businesses usually go unnoticed or ignored. Make sure your positioning shows that you are unique and that you stand out from the crowd. Another reason to study the competition is to find out what works and what doesn’t. While you want to be unique when it comes to the details of your business, it is important to know what hits home with consumers to ensure they resonate with your brand.

Ensure that your positioning of service is uniform throughout your business

Consistency in a customer’s experience encourages repeat business. It is crucial that you maintain the same standards throughout all facets of your service. You want to ensure that your customers take away the same engaging experience from your website, your emails, and in-person encounters. If your positioning of service is inconsistent, your customers may not recognize the identity you are trying to convey and are less likely to do business with you in the future.

Test before implementing, then listen

A trial-run may be necessary before you roll out anything new. Many successful businesses often host consumer think tanks to test new ideas. This process of testing before implementing will help you determine if your message is achieving your positioning goals with your customers. It is important to note that even when new positioning strategies are implemented, they can always be revised to increase your competitive edge. Listening to your customers is a crucial step that many successful businesses take to measure customer satisfaction and ensure that their new positioning strategies are working to achieve the best results.

Remember, consumers these days are becoming more and more aware of who they are buying from and what their values are. Your positioning of service tells your customer exactly who you are and why they should do business with you. If you don’t feel that your service is conveying the right values to your customer base, contact Linda Fanaras, President/Strategist of Millennium Agency www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customer’s buying decision, giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the branding and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business.  Visit www.mill.agency or book time here.  

We all receive marketing emails from a business we showed some interest in at one point or another. If you’re like most people, you may receive a few marketing emails per day. If you’re also like most people, it’s safe to say that only a select few of these catch your eye while many others go unanswered. If your business’s emails are ending up in the unanswered category, it may be time to revise the content and structure of your emails. Here are a few “Do’s and Don’ts” of successful email marketing.

Do

Use catchy/attention-grabbing subject lines and preview text.

This is the first point of contact between you and your potential customer, it is what encourages them to move forward and read the content of the email. A boring subject line may push you out the door before any of your content is even viewed. Keep in mind that you only have so much space to work with so short and intriguing is the way to go.

Be consistent with your brand.

If your business promotes eco-friendly materials with nature pictures and a green-colored logo, then your email’s content should reflect the same imagery and logo. The average person skims through marketing emails in only a matter of seconds. If a customer doesn’t recognize your brand quickly, you may have already lost them. Remember, your email marketing should work to build your brand, not clash with it.

Show that you know your customer base’s values.

Most people usually want to read information that is relevant to themselves, so you should give it them. For example, if your business is a bank, then it is likely that your customers value saving money. Perhaps open with text that includes this value to catch their attention: “Enjoy saving money? XYZ Bank is here to help you with your goal!”

Don’t

Limit yourself to using only text to talk about your business.

Graphics and pictures catch people’s attention. Many people these days are visual learners as well as visual communicators. Capitalize on this by including relevant images to capture the reader’s attention and drive your point home. A brief warning: Too many images can be overwhelming, try to focus on quality rather than quantity when it comes to imagery.

Make your email any longer than it has to be.

Many consumers don’t like to read a bulky email, especially when it is interrupting their day. Filler and over-explanatory text may cause your potential customer to lose interest in your emails over time and begin unsubscribing. Depending on the type of business you run, a short reminder to your customer that you are there to help may be all that you need.

Forget to personalize your emails.

As mentioned earlier, people like to read information that pertains to them. If your email opens with Hello Jane Doe, it is more likely to resonate with Jane Doe than an email that simply opens with Hello Customer. It may take more effort to personalize your emails, but the effort pays off when more emails are opened after the readers see that the text was intended specifically for them and their needs.

Email marketing is a tricky field to navigate, and every customer is different. If your business’s email marketing efforts are going unanswered then contact Jessica Chabot, Vice President, Client Services of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

Logos. They are the first point of contact between your business and a prospective customer. Some logos are stylish and extravagant while others are simple and subtle, but they all serve the same basic functions. A successful logo will catch the eye of a consumer, inform them in the most basic way about who you are, and instill recognition and familiarity in their memory so as to encourage repeat business. If your business is in need of a logo, or your current logo needs a refresh, here are five principles to help you design your logo:

Color and Shape

Certain colors can incite certain human emotional reactions: red is considered an inciteful color while blue is often considered soothing. Knowing your colors and the psychological effects they may have on consumers is a great starting point for logo construction. Shape also has an effect on human emotions as well. Did you know that the strongest shape found in nature is the triangle? For this reason, many people subconsciously associate this shape with strength and sturdiness. Small details like this can lead to the creation of an effective logo. Make sure you study the effects of colors and shapes on consumers before you roll out your logo.

Know What’s Already Out There

When designing your logo, be cautious of copying an existing one. Try to avoid similar traits to other logos. You don’t want customers to mistake you for, or associate you with, a completely different business, especially if they’ve had a negative experience with that business.

Don’t Limit Yourself

Many businesses utilize acronyms or a full spelling of their business name and then call it a day, but it doesn’t have to stop there. It’s important to be creative and think about things from a different angle than the competition when designing your logo. For example, the arrow under the Amazon logo not only forms a smile but it also points from A to Z, reflecting the nature of their business. These small features differentiate Amazon’s logo from the logos of their competitors and offer a creative way of connecting with their customer base.

Keep it Simple

An overly extravagant or eccentric logo can be a lot to take in for today’s society. People think fast, talk fast, and most importantly look fast. You don’t want your logo to be overlooked because it was too much for a passing glance to take in. Many people are bombarded by symbols and signs on a daily basis. You want to make sure that your logo stands out but is also easy to understand. It is this philosophy that drove Millennium Agency to shorten its title with our Short is Sexy campaign.

Know Your Customers

The jagged bright green letter M tearing through a black Monster can is quite reflective of the energetic nature of the product and its customer base. On the other hand, Teavana’s logo features a zen pose that reflects the calm nature of their product as well as tea culture in general. Make sure you know who your customer base is and what their values are, then try to align your logo’s design with these values.

Remember, a well-designed logo can increase lead generation to your business while a poorly designed one may actually drive away customers who are in need of your products or services. If a new and exciting logo is something you are interested in for your business, contact Linda Fanaras, President/Strategist of Millennium Agency www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

(MANCHESTER, NH | BOSTON, MA) – Millennium Agency is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of the 2017 W3 Silver Award by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Specifically, this Silver Award was in recognition for the website design and development of NCS Regulatory Compliance – Professional Services category. The W3 Web Awards are in recognition of the firm’s accomplishments in website design and development.

The W³ Awards honors creative excellence on the Web and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind award winning Websites, Web Video and Online Marketing programs. The W3 Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. Please visit www.aiva.org for a full member list and additional information. For more information about the W³ Awards, please visit www.w3award.com, or email The W³ Awards at [email protected].

“The Millennium team’s expertise in UI/UX was instrumental in the successful design and execution of the NCS Regulatory Compliance website. It is an honor to receive the 2017 W3 Silver Award be recognized for our digital technology and website design efforts,” states Linda A. Fanaras, President of Millennium Agency.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium is an award-winning boutique digital marketing, content/social and public relations helping companies increase their market share and accelerate growth. Nationally recognized as a women-owned business (WBE and WOSB certified) and certified Google AdWords, Bing, SharpSpring, and HubSpot Agency Partner, the firm works with consumer, technology, healthcare, higher education and non-profits. With offices in Manchester, NH and Boston, call Linda Fanaras at (617) 869-1668 or visit www.mill.agency.