Branding Archives

The key to professional branding is consistency. Of course, your brand assets need to look professional and visually pleasing, but the consistency in implementation is crucial. Many entrepreneurs who don’t have a design background and go the do-it-yourself route, or hire freelancers for one-off projects, end up with inconsistencies across their different brand assets. You can have beautiful graphic design pieces in place to promote your business, but if there is no cohesiveness, your branding won’t come across as professional or be memorable. To help you avoid this mistake, let’s take a look at some guidelines and resources on how to match your website and other branding assets.

Set the Right Design Direction with Your Logo

Your entire visual direction for your branding assets should be determined by your logo. If you haven’t launched your business yet, tackle your logo as the first creative project, and then strategically build out the rest. When you are making creative decisions for your logo, don’t simply go by what looks pretty, rather focus on landing on a design that will convey the right message that is aligned with your business’ core offering and values. You can achieve that by choosing the right colors. Different colors evoke different emotions so make sure you study the psychology of color and pick a color palette that speaks to your core demographic.

Develop a Brand Consistent Website

Once you have finalized your logo, it’s time to build out what’s arguably, your most important brand asset and promotional tool – your website. All too often entrepreneurs make the mistake of building a custom website or purchasing a template and treating the logo as merely an afterthought. If you have your logo in place first you can incorporate your branding colors, complementary photos, and images. To make sure your website and logo are well tied together, visually implement the core color of your logo throughout your pages as accent colors. You can also use your logo’s secondary colors to establish an even stronger connection.

Use Visual Aids Across Your Branding Assets

Tying your website and other branding assets together isn’t limited to repeating the core color and including your logo consistently. There are a lot of visual aids you can use to create brand consistency. You can leverage these tools to instantly boost the quality of your brand assets and to strength your branding:

Images: Images are a great tool to create consistency across all of your promotional material. Using professionally shot photos in your social media posts, flyers, website header, etc. can easily elevate your design. The trick is to find a set of photos that you love and to use those exclusively across all of your brand assets. This will give your designs much needed cohesiveness.
Icons: Another way to separate your designs from amateur attempts is through the use of professional icons. The trick is to stay away from cheap looking clipart and to stick to one set of icons. There are a lot of free icon sets available that you can find and download online. Once you pick a set, use it across your presentations, website, business card, etc. where appropriate.
Fonts: Similar to photos and icons, fonts are a great way to elevate your designs and content. When it comes to fonts you want to be careful not to use too many different kinds. Choose a couple of fonts that read well and are visually pleasing and use those exclusively through all of your content pieces.

Some Free Resources to Help You with Implementation

Creating a beautiful brand that’s also consistent across all of your different items can be intimidating, especially if you aren’t operating with a large budget. Luckily there are resources available that you can use for free to build out matching brand assets for your website. Here are a few free tools to get you started:

Paletton: This tool lets you find matching color combinations quickly through an interactive color wheel.
Business Cards: One of the most effective offline promotional and branding tools is still your business card. This resource lets you create free printable business card designs in minutes.
Burst: This resource allows you to search and download high-resolution images that you are allowed to use for commercial projects.
Free Icons: As the name implies this website offers professional icons that you can download for free.

The resources and tips listed in this article will help you come up with your own designs as a quick solution. If you are looking for fully custom branding, our team at Millennium can help you succeed.

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.  

Your business logo can make or break your brand. Whether you are just starting your business or considering a rebrand for your existing web business – make sure your logo is spot on. All of your brand assets; such as your website, social media accounts, business cards, posters, etc. will derive their creative information from your logo. This article will cover five business logo design tips that can help you elevate the quality and longevity of your logo.

1. Don’t Be So Literal with Your Graphic

One of the first decisions you need to make when it comes to your logo is whether you are going strictly text-based or including a graphic. Your business logo graphic is not only a visually pleasing touch, but it should represent your business and resonate with your customers. A mistake many entrepreneurs make is to go very literal with their graphic choice. For example: just because your business is an email client application doesn’t mean you are restricted to using an envelope logo graphic. Many of the most famous web brands don’t even include a graphic at all. When you do go the brand mark route, think more abstract than literal. Amazon, for example, uses a cleverly pointed arrow indicating they sell everything from A to Z. Use our custom logo design services to get a professional logo based on your very own brand/brand guidelines. Our talented team of designers is on standby to assist with your project. For a quick do-it-yourself solution, you can try an application like Logo Creator.

2. Get Your Brand Colors Right

When it comes to color choice don’t just go based on your personal preferences. Of course, this is your logo and you have to love it but keep an open mind. Each color has a different psychological impact so it’s important you choose one that’s aligned with your business values. Blue for example is associated with trust, stability and intelligence while red indicates strength, power and passion. Once you find a core color that conveys the right message, it’s time to find an accent color or two. It’s recommended to stick to 1-3 colors for your logo. As soon as you start to incorporate more colors the design can quickly get too busy. Design rules are broken successfully all the time but that typically requires an experienced designer to pull it off.

3. Be Deliberate in Your Font Choice

Your logo font is another opportunity for brand messaging. Another mistake many small business owners make is choosing a font simply based on style preferences. Just like colors, fonts are often associated with different meaning. Whether you got with a serif, sans serif, script or any other font style should be determined based on what reads best for your target audience. Once you understand which font communicates the right message and is pleasing visually, it’s time to find a font that pairs well – if you choose to incorporate a tagline as well. Pairing fonts is difficult even for experienced designers so try a free tool like Canva to find a winning combination.

4. Keep it Simple

A rule of thumb for business logo design that can’t be repeated enough is “keep it simple!” It’s easy to get carried away with beautifully designed graphics, complex color combinations, fancy effects and more. A logo is not an illustration or art piece to admire but it should be memorable. The purpose is to build a memorable brand and a simple logo with clean lines is much easier to remember. When in doubt don’t use more than three colors, don’t incorporate more than two fonts, and use a simple graphic.

5. Your Logo Is Only as Good as Your Implementation

Once you finalize your business logo, it’s time to show off your hard work. Sadly, implementation is often where things go wrong. The perfect logo will look terrible if you use the wrong file type and sizing, as the result will be a blurry or a skewed version of your hard work. Before uploading your logo to your website, make sure you know exactly what the file type and sizing requirements are. The same goes for your social media accounts or any other place where you are showcasing your brand.

Designing a logo for your web business, or any business for that matter, is an exciting task during your start-up phase. This is a good time to slow things down to ensure you are going about the design process in a deliberate way. Don’t rush through it just to get a logo in place and don’t get so involved that your efforts result in an overcomplicated design. Whether you create your own business logo or hire a designer, keep these tips in mind – you’ll end up with a professional-looking logo that you can be proud of.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a national, award-winning, digital, creative, content/PR, and video marketing firm. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, our team unites creative branding and data analytics to accelerate our clients’ growth, while combining our clients’ vision with our marketing expertise to increase sales opportunities and drive brand success. From video advertising and web design to social media and PR, Millennium can guide your marketing efforts every step of the way. Contact the professionals at Millennium Agency to learn more!

If you are in the process of designing a logo for your business make, sure you set aside enough time to give it the attention it deserves. Many entrepreneurs rush the design process and simply choose a design they personally like. Of course, you have to love your logo, after all it’s your business. However, your logo is the foundation for your entire brand. Make sure it doesn’t just speak to you but that it resonates with your core demographic. Here are some tips and guidelines on how to create a perfect and timeless logo for your business.

Start with the Right Color Palette

One of your first considerations when it comes to logo design should be color choice. Don’t simply go with your favourite color or copy a pretty color pattern you found in a competitor’s logo. Different colors convey different meanings. For example, orange stands for vitality, playfulness and friendliness while dark blue is interpreted as trustworthy and mature. It’s no surprise businesses in the finance industry often opt for a blue color palette. Be sure to go with a core color that captures what your business stands for.

Consider the Meaning of Fonts

The font(s) you use for your business name and slogan also requires careful consideration. Different typefaces communicate different meanings. For example, Serif fonts are often looked at as sophisticated and formal where Slab Serif is interpreted as bold and trendy. Choose your font or font pairing based on what most accurately reflects your business’s values.

Find the Right Graphic and Layout

Once you have narrowed down your color and font preferences it’s time to have some fun. Use a free tool like the GraphicSprings Logo Maker to see what your logo would look like with different graphics. If you are creative you can hand draw different ideas or use a program like Illustrator. If you aren’t the do-it-yourself type or don’t have a creative background you can hire a professional designer of course. Ask to see different concepts showcasing different graphics and layouts so you can see which option works the best.

Make Sure Your Logo Stands the Test of Time

Designing a logo that looks pretty is only half the battle. As you follow the tips above there are some logo design principles you should keep in mind to make sure your logo ages well and looks professional at the same time.

Keep it Simple

One of the key differences between Fortune 500 company branding and small businesses is the complexity of the logo. Meaning small businesses often go the route of complicated graphics with lots of detail and literal interpretation of the product or service the business offers. Larger corporations typically go for abstract shapes that are clean and simple. Try to keep your design as simple as possible. A simple design is more memorable and lends itself better to building a recognizable brand. In addition, try to avoid effects and any trendy design techniques. These can date your logo quickly, which may require you to undergo an expensive rebrand a few years down the line.

Limit Colors

In line with keeping things simple you should also try to avoid using too many colors. Of course it’s exciting to add multiple colors as it can result in beautiful art work. However, your design can quickly get too busy. Something else to keep in mind is to avoid using heavy gradients. Of course, there are exceptions to any of the tips shared in this article but sticking to them will guide you in the right direction.

Make Sure Your Logo Scales

Before you finalize your logo make sure it scales. It might look beautiful on your tablet or laptop, but what happens once dimensions and scale come into play? One day you may want to put your logo on a large billboard or banner at a tradeshow or use it in a traditional newspaper ad. To make sure it looks professional in those circumstances test the scalability of your logo by increasing and decreasing the size to the extremes but don’t stop there! As you scale your logo, also try it out in just black and white. There are instances in print and web where you are limited to black and white. It’s good practice to make sure your grey scale logo looks just as good as your color version.

Before You Go…

The tips and design principles outlined here are simply a guide. You want to inject your personality and business values into your branding. If that means breaking some of these rules that’s fine of course. If you don’t have a design background and want to play it safe make sure to revisit this article when you’re ready to design your business logo.

About Millennium Agency

Much like produce from a grocery store, your brand can become outdated or, in other words, expired. That’s why a brand refresh, or upgrade, could be in your future. Your brand goes far beyond a flashy logo or an inviting color scheme. It’s the story of you and your business that comes together under one roof. Make sure your story is still being heard with a branding refresh.

How to Rebrand Your Business

The following are a few tips and tricks on refreshing your brand.

Reestablish Your Brand’s Audience

When first creating your business, this was most likely a huge part of your branding. You had to find and establish your key demographic(s), so you knew who you were marketing too. However, as you build your business and become more successful in your industry, you may find that your initial target audience has shifted. Your brand now has key, first-hand market research of what works and what doesn’t, and who is buying from you and who isn’t. Once you’ve established, or reestablished, your target market, you’re ready to start rebranding to fit that audience’s preference.

Give your Logo a Facelift

Changing the look and tone of your logo can give it a new appearance without all the headaches. If your business has already matured in its industry, a whole new logo could confuse your clientele. A smaller-scale logo refresh, including changes to the font and color scheme, could be exactly the fresh take your brand needs.

Redefine Your Mission Statement

There are ten important questions to ask when creating your mission statement, some that you should ask yourself include: why are you in business, what is your business, and how are you conducting business? Your messaging foundations may change as your business grows, and that’s okay. That is why redefining what your mission, vision and goals are is so vital in a rebrand. By answering the why, what and how of your business, you can effectively redefine your mission.

Update your Brand’s Slogan

A good slogan captures your company’s mission and values in a catchy way. If your mission statement and values have been updated to reflect a different goal, then changing your slogan to match that is a good idea. However, if your core values have remained the same and your slogan still grabs the attention of your audience, then changing it isn’t necessary. Your slogan is part of your brand that is recognized easily by your clientele, it’s important that you mustn’t them by changing too much about your brand.

Is a Rebrand in Your Future?

Now that we’ve established the different elements that could be included in your brand refresh, how do you know whether a rebrand is in your future?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Are we shifting into new products, services or markets?
Are our sales increasing rapidly or hitting a dead-end?
Are our competitors starting to rise above us?
Does our business feel out-of-date?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, that is your indication that a brand refresh could be in your future.

The most important point to keep in mind is that your brand is your business’s story. Share it often and share it proudly. No matter the changes you make to the look of your brand, keep the overarching message the same and you will come out on top.

About Millennium Agency

The Coronavirus has caused a major shift in the advertising and marketing world. Brands are scrambling to figure out the best way to market to an audience whose behaviors and routines have drastically changed. With customers and clients now staying indoors and presumably spending most of their time online, digital advertising has now become every brand’s best defense against COVID-19.

Even when the economy bounces back, new routines have been made by consumers who have spent the past few months shopping online and intaking all of their news, updates, etc. in digital form.

Below, you can find a few examples of how advertising has been and will be changed by the pandemic, and how digital advertising is emerging as the most powerful tool for businesses during a time of crisis:

New Consumers

- As mentioned above, companies and businesses are no longer targeting and marketing to their usual audiences. Consumers are spending more time than ever before online and brands who were previously marketing themselves in an offline fashion are now forced to do a 180 and revisit their entire marketing strategies. Studies have shown that in the month of March alone, retail categories online have seen a 74% rise compared to 2019 for eCommerce, while other categories such as home furnishings and DIY products have also had a dramatic rise in sales.

Marketing Plans = New Channels

- OOH (Out-of-Home) Advertising now seems like a thing of the past. Billboards, bus stop advertising, airport banners, etc., are no longer a viable piece of a marketing plan. What was once gaining momentum in overall spending in the marketing world has now taken a back seat to digital. With the new remote consumers that COVID-19 has created, the only way for brands to gain exposure, reach their audiences, and get their messages out in the world is by positioning themselves right in the front doors of consumers. Whether it be through digital banners, webinars, social media advertising, YouTube videos and ads, or even email, capitalizing on the various digital marketing channels available today is now imperative in keeping a brand and company alive.

- Digital marketing on social platforms can be the most effective strategy in marketing – even before COVID-19 – but especially during rough times like these, social advertising allows for a very connected form of marketing from brands to consumers. Take advantage of this. Talk with your consumers, let them know that you are here for them, and establish connections with them that showcase another side to your brand that, under normal circumstances, your consumer would probably not get to see.

Less Competition

- As companies and brands are having to cut marketing budgets and utilize their spending in different sectors, the space for advertising and overall competition has dropped. In fact, CPM and CPC prices have dropped 47% due to the decline in competition in online advertising. This has opened a door of incredible opportunities for marketers to acquire new customers and promote their messaging at a much lower cost.

It is no secret – advertising is one of the main lifelines of success for any business. In a time of crisis, most brands will discredit the importance of marketing and decide to cut spending/budgets – this will not only kill your brand from an economic standpoint, but most importantly, from a consumer-relationship standpoint. Do not let this happen to you.

Here at Millennium Agency, we want to help you and your business in any way we can – that’s what we are passionate about. From PR and digital advertising to content writing, whatever your business needs – we want to be there with you to celebrate the achievements together. If you are interested in learning how we can help and would like to engage in our marketing and consulting services, contact us directly or call 877-873-7445.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, leading woman led B2B brand, message positioning and digital marketing agency who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customers’ buying decisions, without being the lowest-price solution – giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the brand and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. Our process is proven, and we have the stats to share. To learn more about Millennium Agency, call 877.873.7445 or visit www.mill.agency.

Face it. The COVID-19 pandemic is more serious than any of us originally thought. It’s costing lives, jobs, and will severely cripple the economy for years to come. And, as far as we can tell it’s not going away anytime soon. For most individuals, this virus has quickly reshaped the way we work, the way we shop, and the way our kids learn. For business owners, it will mean months of lost revenue and some seriously tough decisions.

While many companies view marketing as a luxury line item in their budget, the truth is that even in the worst of times it’s anything but optional. When things get dire it can be natural to hoard every scrap of cash like the last bag of toilet paper in Costco. However, it’s essential to remember that no matter how bleak the market gets, companies need to advertise to be found by customers.

But that doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. In this blog we offer insights on how to market intelligently and efficiently over the next several months and most importantly–how to engage with your customers empathetically during such an unprecedented crisis.

Step 1: Whatever you do, don’t go dark.

Keep your customers informed.

The COVID-19 pandemic is no reason to stop keeping your customers informed about any changes to your business. Utilize your social media channels and your email lists. We understand that resources are scarce, and you have a lot of problems vying for your attention but consider this–your customers are just as desperate for answers and just as short on time as you are.

If you inadvertently waste their time by failing to keep them informed of your changing business practices, it will leave a much stronger negative impression in their mind than the average sub-par customer experience. If you need a better reason than that, consider the fact that this step doesn’t have to cost you a penny–just some attention and time.

Tips for staying current.

Here are some tips for keeping customers in the loop during the COVID-19 pandemic:

If you have a physical location, then update your Google listing to reflect any changes in your hours of operation. If you have multiple locations, make sure this is catered to each specific address.
Don’t just update your company’s homepage, but every page of your website to ensure you aren’t sending mixed signals. Don’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop you from updating your website. Have you changed your events page to reflect cancellations? Are customers still able to schedule appointments that your staff can’t fulfill? In the 21st century, your website is the lifeblood of your marketing operation. Always, always, always keep it up to date!
Post on social media. Whether, it’s one sentence, or one paragraph, on TikTok or LinkedIn–if your customers are there, then you should be too! But it’s not enough to post once and forget about it–your customers might have questions, and studies repeatedly show that building a relationship with your customers on social media is one of the best ways to earn their loyalty. If you have any staff members with especially short to-do lists, now is the time to get them up to speed on social media management.
Don’t forget about email. It’s still the most direct way to communicate with your customers, and it crushes social media in conversion rates. Take all of the most valuable information from your Google Business listing, your website, and your social media channels, put it in an email, and send it to your customers so they know what’s going on.

Step 2: Figure out what your customers need.

Take the time to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If you were them, what would you want to hear from your company right now? Even if it’s just as simple as affirming that you understand what they’re going through, it can make a huge difference. This will vary wildly depending on what your product or service is, but no matter what you sell, there’s something that your customer needs right now that you can provide, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read comments on social media or business review sites. Is the customer satisfied? Are they disappointed or angry? Are they neutral? Are they not saying anything?
Look at feedback and survey responses and speak with your customer service staff. Focus on the trends. Is there something that keeps coming up? Are your customers angry about shipping delays, product shortages, event cancellations?

Even if you have to step outside your specialty, it’s essential that you take the time to figure out what your customers or prospective customers need right now.

If all else fails, it never hurts to ask them. Whether that’s in the form of an email or a personal call–reach out. Social distancing doesn’t mean anti-social.

Step 3: Offer to help.

Customers remember generosity.

Once you’ve identified your customers’ most urgent needs, offer to help in whatever way you can. Provide discounts on critical products, extend your customer service hours, issue full refunds or business credits for canceled events. Offer services to those in need pro bono. We know the COVID-19 pandemic has left many people strapped for cash, but companies who make a good faith effort to help out during this crisis will be rewarded for it in the long run.

There are ways to do this without breaking the bank. You can create webinars for your loyal customers with platforms like Webinars OnAir , or MeetCheap–both cost less than $20 a month. For a more intimate setting, you can also coordinate a lesson completely for free on Google Hangouts, Uber Conference, Skype, or Zoom.

Companies helping during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below are some of our favorite examples of companies that have gone above and beyond in the interest of helping those in need.

Dollar General extended their morning hours of operation for senior citizens only so that their elderly customers can shop without risking exposure to COVID-19. Of course, no idea is too good to copy, so dozens of companies have followed suit.
Sprint has provided unlimited data for customers with metered plans, waved international calling fees so customers can contact loved ones in harder hit countries, and they’re offering 20gb hotspots for eligible devices to make it easier for customers to work remotely.
Facebook is offering up to 100 million in ad grants across the globe for small businesses to spend on marketing to compensate for lost revenue.
LinkedIn is offering free classes to help remote workers and teachers adapt to the sudden shift from the classroom to the chatroom.

Remember that the person you help today could become a lifelong customer tomorrow. Isn’t that worth the cost of a little generosity?

Step 4: Get personal.

Find ways to connect.

With businesses trying their hardest to put on a professional front at all times, it can be easy to forget that behind every single company is a team of people doing their best. Finding ways to connect with your customers will help you both in the long run.

If your staff has switched to remote work, cultivate photos of their home offices to share on social media.
Use your email list and social channels to share personal anecdotes of the challenges you’re going through, and what you’re doing to tackle them.
- If you have the resources, film a CEO message video to address the challenges head-on. The CEO of Marriott hotels delivered a truly heartfelt message to his staff and the public about the severity of the challenges they’re facing and vowed to not take a salary the rest of the year to help preserve as many staff positions as possible.

Engage with video content.

Video messaging is so powerful at capturing emotions because we are hardwired to mirror the emotions we see on the faces of people around us, but we have to see your face for that to work. Fortunately, in this day and age you can film HD footage straight from your cell phone.

We’ve outlined a few quick pointers to get the most out of the camera in your pocket. Or, if you’re local to New England, we’d be happy to film your CEO message video pro bono at our Manchester offices.

Film in a quiet room.
Shoot next to a window with ample natural light, but don’t film towards the window. Keep the window parallel to the camera, so that the sun lights your subject from the side.
Speak from the heart and ditch the corporate speak.
When in doubt, keep it short.

Producing personal content and helping your customers is one of the best ways to get “Earned Media”. Hearing good things about your company from someone other than you is worth a lot more than any paid promotion.

Step 5: Follow up.

If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to get worse before it gets better. Like all marketing efforts, it’s not enough to do something once and be done. You need to follow up with your customers. Keep a conversation going, continue to ask what they need, and keep trying to deliver in whatever way you can. Now is the time to support each other.

If you don’t have the financial capacity to give away free products, give away your expertise. Produce a series of simple video tutorials, or a podcast with relevant insights, on a weekly basis.
Utilize free design services like infogram to produce thoughtful infographics for social media. Use one of the free stock image sites like Unsplash and photo editing services like PicMonkey to create unique imagery relevant to your customers.
Write an eBook to distribute to potential leads through email.
If you do create some killer content that’s worth promoting you can always apply for discounts and grants for ad credits like the ones we talked about on Facebook or other platforms.

This doesn’t have to be expensive, all it takes is time. Mobilize your homebound team members and empower them to make content that is both personal and unique to their area of expertise. Your staff is one of your most valuable resources and the chances are pretty good that they want to stay busy.

Conclusion

If you build a relationship now, your customers will remember it. Once you cultivate a relationship there are many ways to maintain it. Whether it’s with one customer or 1,000. Insightful social media content, automated email messages, and even direct mail all have their place in the customer relationship cycle. For a free consultation about your COVID-19 pandemic crisis response, or to schedule your own CEO company message video, contact Linda Fanaras, President & CEO of Millennium Agency at [email protected].

Be a Marketing Hero. If your company is already taking steps to help out during this tough time and you’d like to be featured as one of our Marketing Heroes, then send an email to Robb Atkinson at [email protected].

About Millennium Agency

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, businesses large and small have been feeling the impact. With over half the country ordered to stay home and businesses forced to shut down, it’s crucial – now more than ever – that your COVID-19 communication plan is clear and effective.

Internal vs. External Communication

There are various aspects to an effective COVID-19 communication plan. You’ll want to have both an internal and external communication strategy. Your internal plan should be your process of reaching employees through emails, flyers/posters, talking points, FAQs, etc. This should be a reliable area where you and your employees can directly speak to one another and ensure that feedback from both parties is heard and acted upon.

For your external plan, this should focus on you as a business, creating specific ways to reach clients, stakeholders, media, suppliers, etc. Anyone who is involved with your business aside from your internal employees.

The most important part of your communication plan should focus on your internal team. Employees are relying on their managers and CEOs to be honest, state the facts and be clear with expectations and future decisions – good or bad. Aside from being direct with your workers, there are many things you can do to ensure your employees feel safe and secure working for you and your business in a time such as the COVID-19 crisis. These additional areas include promoting safety steps at work, safe travel procedures, and work from home policies.

Communication is Key

These are difficult times for businesses and their employees. Having a clear, concise and honest COVID-19 communication plan within your business is what will guarantee you the most positive outcome during and after this crisis. Ensuring the safety and satisfaction of both your internal and external teams is your top priority and will help lead you to success even in the worst of circumstances.

Millennium Agency is taking the COVID-19 outbreak seriously. We believe in clear and concise messaging when it comes to PR and crisis communications. We’ve helped hundreds of corporations both large and small craft effective marketing and communications plans that can help build confidence, eliminate fear, and navigate turbulent times.

If you believe a comprehensive COVID-19 communication plan can positively impact your business and would like to engage in marketing and consulting services, contact us directly or call 877-873-7445.

About Millennium Agency

If you’re a website owner or designer, you’re probably always on the hunt for more bang for your buck, in terms of conversion. There’s nothing more frustrating than keeping track of your analytics, seeing that you’re getting tons of website visits, but having nothing concrete to show for it.

Regardless of what result you’re seeking, generating leads, generating sales, or simply enhancing customer engagement, it can be difficult to find ways to improve conversion. Or, at least, to find ways that work for you.

There are plenty of tactics out there that are worth a try, but here are five proven ways to jumpstart your conversions and make an impact on your follow-throughs with a powerful SEO (search engine optimization) strategy.

Reduce Potential Risk and Maximize Potential Benefit

Conversion doesn’t always come down to your advertising techniques — but the rate of conversion and the method of advertising does have a lot to do with each other. Marketing influences conversion a significant amount, and one of the most tried and true ways to deliver marketing effectively is to reduce risk while highlighting benefits.

Your potential customer is weighing the advantage of conversion (of taking whatever action you want them to take) against the potential for backlash. You can help tip that balance in favor of conversion by first providing a guarantee along with your special offer. Guarantees along the lines of “money back after the first month if you’re not satisfied” or “free returns, no questions asked” catch the eye of the customer and make her more likely to opt-in.

At the same time, it also builds confidence, which is a nice perk.

The second part of highlighting the benefits of your product or service should be applied on a personal level, rather than generalizations. The best way to do this is to approach your marketing and advertising tactics from the perspective of the customer. What will your product or service do for them? Why should they invest now? What difference is your product or service going to make from the moment they do invest?

While these are “classic” and commonly used methods of marketing, their impact on conversion can’t be denied. Highlight benefits. Reduce the potential of risk. Encourage conversion.

Keep Actionable Content Above the Fold

This holds with both websites in general and specific pages, such as landing pages: don’t make people search for a button to click or a form to fill in.

If you’re generating leads, or if you’re including CTAs in your content, you should pay careful attention to the placement of the actionable content. Buttons, forms, and the like should be linked above the fold, so that your potential customer doesn’t have to scroll down and search for the next action to take to convert. You should also make sure to include brand visuals, such as your logo, in a highly visible spot.

Make conversion easy. Put your lead-generating forms and your “buy now” buttons where they can be easily seen, and just as easily reached.

Feature Personal Testimonials

If you’re shopping on Amazon, one of the first things you probably do when looking at an item is to check out the reviews. If customers see that there are no reviews, they are more likely to back-click right out of there. Review-less products are intimidating, and do not lead to conversions.

And if that’s true, then the opposite must be true, too: reviews can influence and cause conversions.

It usually takes more than just a thumbs up, like, or even star rating. Consumers often look for reviews that have the ring of authenticity, which include personal details and notes that do prove that the other buyer purchased, used, and recommended the product.

In that same vein, one of the best ways to up your conversion game is to include detailed reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers. However, this is not to say that every single review needs to be five stars, over the top, and full of long-winded praise. Even if you have overall positive testimonials that still mention suggestions of how to improve, that can be a benefit to your conversion rate by adding the much-needed human element.

Highlight Rarity

This is a great tip that can be used in a variety of ways, regardless of what product or service you’re attempting to sell. Put the focus on the rarity of the product or of the service, or at least of the offer that you’re currently offering.

This can be done in several ways. If you have a special deal running for the next week, put a countdown clock near the advertisement copy. If you have a product for sale, include the amount of stock you have left available, as in “Act fast! Only three left!” If you’re selling a course, even if it’s online, keep the “seats” limited and highlight that there is a shortage of available enrollments.

Make it rare, and that in itself will push your potential customers and clients to convert.

Be Clear And Forthright

Think about the traits that you appreciate when making a purchase. Do you like knowing exactly what you’re getting, what the risks are, what the benefits are, and what you can expect from the company you’re buying from?

If that’s the kind of shopper you are, that’s the kind of shopper your customer will be, too.

Be clear and forthright about what you’re offering. Yes, you want to talk about your services and products. But make sure that you stay in the realm of reality, and include all the information that your customer might need, including information like size, color, uses, manufacturing materials, and so on. As a bonus, you can include tutorials for your products, or suggestions on innovative ways to use them. Everyone loves bonus content!

Whichever of these methods you choose to utilize in your website design — or even if you decide to give all of them a shot, which is what I recommend — make sure to keep track of your conversion rate once these techniques are implemented. Keeping your conversion rate rising is contingent on keeping track of that rate — and making adjustments as needed.

Author Bio

Sofia Paterson is an enthusiastic freelance content writer and digital marketer who likes to explore new ideas through creative writing. Her specialty include online marketing, engaging content, and graphic design.

About Millennium Agency

Introducing an updated brand or a launching a brand refresh is a common strategy to strengthen your company’s image and presence. A lot of successful companies have rebranded throughout the years for many reasons, including that their brand has evolved beyond its previous identity and is ready for new look and feel. Whether your company is introducing a completely new look, making a few updates to its logo, or creating a completely new brand from a merger or acquisition, you should have a process in place for a successful rollout. Follow the steps below to ensure a seamlessly executed and successful launch.

Step 1: Develop Your Story

Why does your company need to rebrand? It is because of a merger or spinoff? Does your company need to compete with a different, or larger, market? Or is it driven by modernization and/or simplification? Whatever the reason that led your company to rebrand, be sure to have a clear backstory that you can share with employees and customers about why your business chose to reinvent itself. People feel like they are a part of something when they hear the rationale behind decisions.

Step 2: Involve Employees

Involve your team with the rebranding process from the very beginning. Ask employees for their input and gather ideas as you create your new logo and messaging. Continue to keep your employees in the loop as you narrow down your options. By making employees feel like they are an important part of the rebranding process, you are letting them know they are valuable to your company and that their ideas are worthwhile.

Step 3: Schedule and Prepare

Create a timeline of the rebranding process and the launch dates using a simple spreadsheet or project management software. A timeline will keep everyone on track and will help you determine when specific audiences, such as employees and important clients, should be informed of the rebrand. In addition to determining dates, you will also need to plan for how your clients, customers, and the general public will be informed. Will you make an announcement on social media? Write a press release? Create a video for widespread distribution? Be sure to have a plan in place to generate buzz about your digital rebrand and inform all relevant stakeholders.

Step 4: Prepare Collateral

A common mistake in the rebranding process is forgetting to update key collateral and/or keeping old brand materials in circulation long after the rebrand launch. To prevent this from happening, make a list of all materials—digital and print—with your old logo and make it a priority to have everything updated before your launch date. Use our list to get started:

Physical signage (such as posters, displays, door adhesives, signs)
Letterhead and e-letterhead
Envelopes, notecards, labels, folders, and other stationary
Business cards, manuals, and reports
Merchandise, sales materials, and marketing collateral
Newsletters, e-newsletters, flyers, brochures, catalogs, and calendars
Email signatures
Website
Social media profiles (including profile pictures and header/cover images)
LinkedIn profiles for current employees
Online directories and online advertisements
Forums and message boards related to your business

Step 5: Create Momentum

Before the big launch day, let some of your loyal customers and followers in on the rebrand with email teasers or social media posts. Don’t reveal everything, just let them know that a changeover is happening soon to garner interest. You might add a “coming soon” page to your website or a countdown to your launch date to build excitement.

Step 6: Make a Splash

On the official rebrand launch day, it’s all about making a big impression. Cover as many outlets and avenues as possible. Send out a press release and post your blog on your updated website. Run a few digital and print advertisements. Create a video to share on social media—or better yet—have your CEO live stream the official launch to pique the interest of news media and the press. Saturate your audience with images of your new logo on your social media channels.

Working with a marketing and branding agency will help you create a new brand that you are confident about. The experienced branding and PR professionals at Millennium Agency can help you create a high-impact design with a strong brand identity to attract prospects, tell your story, and ultimately build brand awareness and market share. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you refresh your brand or design a completely new look.

About Millennium Agency

Creating a strong marketing strategy can make or break your brand. It’s often difficult to distinguish if a marketing trend that worked last year will be a flash in the pan or continue to rise in popularity. We wanted to note five marketing trends that will shape how brands advertise in 2020.

Voice Search

Voice assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo continue to boom in popularity and accumulate in living rooms across the globe. Marketers looking to get ahead must recognize the growing popularity in voice search. 55% of homeowners are expected to own a smart speaker that’s able to draft to-do lists and order products on demand. These devices are gaining traction with early and late majority consumers as well (34% of consumers are thinking about purchasing one).

People are happy with their digital assistants – over 93% of people. The same trend goes for other technologies, with 71% of wearable device owners (think FitBit, Apple Watch) plan to conduct more voice searches in the future. All of these combined show that half of digital consumers worldwide could be engaging with voice assistants in the future – making shopping easier than ever.

Conversational Marketing

Instant gratification from brands is more important than ever. We’ve seen the rise of chatbots and live chat in Facebook marketing but also on other websites as well. Actually, 36% of companies use live chat for marketing, sales, or other customer service needs. It’s better at engaging with customers in real time as well as generally being faster, giving consumers the instant answers they want and need.

Chat is continuing to be an effective way for marketers to communicate (87% of worldwide smartphone owners use messaging apps). Not only that, but it’s also becoming a popular way to begin consumer relationships. During a global survey, 40% of people said chat was how they first started shopping online. What’s more? 65% of people from that survey said they were more likely to shop from a business they can contact via chat.

Diversity in Marketing

While this trend isn’t new, diversity marketing continues to be a key part in many marketing plans. One of the biggest reasons is that their market is changing. In fact, the US Census shows that 50% of America’s population will be composed of minority groups by 2024. It makes sense that brands want their advertisements to look like their market.

It’s crucial that brands understand this impact as well. Successful campaigns have the impact to not only sell but can change people’s mindsets after a purchase.

Digital Detox

Social media’s popularity is rising, but so is cell phone addiction. Originally, 2.82 billion users were projected to be using social media in 2019. Now, it turns out, that number is much higher – by almost a billion. It’s shown to be a popular tool for marketers and influencers, but 18% of adults cite technology as a significant source of stress. Even big companies like Apple are pushing limits on screen time, with new updates to iOS systems.

65% of Americans surveyed believe that a digital detox is needed in their life, but the follow through is not as strong – only 28% have done so.

Interactive Content

So, people are putting down their phones more and more? There are still creative ways to get consumers to pay attention. An average person’s attention span is getting shorter, but interactive content, like video or a survey, are becoming one of the most popular ways to combat it. 91% of consumers now prefer visual and interactive content as opposed to plain text.

Not sure how to fit these new trends into your marketing plan? Give Millennium a call – we can help your brand expand into new markets in 2020.