Create a smart identity
BY CHUCK GREEN With your letterhead and business card, you first begin to build relationships with the people who will make your business a success. With a little creativity, you can turn these run of the mill materials into the kind of marketing tools that keep the mill running.
Establish your identity. Use the graphics and text on your letterhead and business cards to show and tell customers who you are. Because they will accompany many of your other materials, keep them as clean and simple as possible.
Create a logoless logo. If you don’t have the budget for a custom logo, try representing the idea behind your business with a combination of two simple clip art symbols. Here, the sun and snowflake symbols represent hot and cold for a heating and air conditioning contractor.
Include a “benefits” tag line. A statement that explains what you do and how it benefits your customer keeps your business card working for you long after your first contact.
Turn your business card into a mini-brochure. Its simple, just add a headline and brief text to the other business card basics—your name, title, organization, phone, fax, office hours, and your on-line and mailing address.
Limit the number of fonts. Too many fonts make your materials visually confusing. The general rule is: don’t use more than one serif font and one sans serif font family per document (serif fonts have “feet,” sans serif fonts do not). Use bold, capitalized, and italicized text sparingly and it will have a more pronounced effect when you do.
Break the stranger barrier. A personal letter and a follow-up telephone call is a potent combination. By the time you have asked the person if they received and read your letter, you are no longer a stranger.
Part 1: Smart Marketing for Small Business
Part 2: Create a Smart Identity
Part 3: Create a Smart Brochure
Part 4: Create a Smart Flyer
Part 5: Create a Smart Newsletter