Recently I was reminded of the importance of “treating your business like a business.” As I reflect on my business goals one month into 2012, I realize I have to keep this principle clearly in mind: treat my business like a business. If I don’t, I’ll merely have an expensive hobby.

Are you treating your business like a business? Would others—clients, customers, colleagues, employees—agree? Take a look at how you communicate to your target audience. Do your communication tools say that you are taking your business seriously?

If you would like a FREE analysis of your communication strategy to check your communication tools and see if you’re treating your business like a business, contact Eternal Design. We’ll review your business collateral, your web presence, your use of social media, and how you’re leveraging the use of video marketing, and offer suggestions for you to take your business to the next level—and perhaps start “treating your business like a business!”

To learn more, contact Eternal Design today!

Getting your business started with social media can seem like a huge task. Even if you personally are active on Facebook or Twitter, you might be asking “How do get my business integrated into social media?” And more importantly, “What do I do with it once I’m there?!”

In a recent blog post, Social Media Examiner offers several resources and tips to help you get started with social media including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and blogging. When your target market begins following your brand in the social media space, they are in essence saying, “I’m interested in your brand. Please tell me more.”

Additionally, being engaged with your consumers or clients through social media allows you to better listen to their needs. You’re familiar with push-pull marketing—if not the term itself, you’ve employed the strategy. Push marketing is when you push messages to your consumers in an attempt to pique consumers’ interests in a product or business and make sales. Sending out a discount via Twitter is an example.

Pull marketing is the opposite. Instead of pushing information to consumers, consumers pull information from businesses.  In other words, companies create marketing messages in response to consumers’ specific demands.  When consumers make it clear that they want a new product from you, and you deliver that product, you’ve responded to a type of pull marketing.  Similarly, if the online conversation prompts you to publish a blog post that answers questions you heard in that conversation, you’ve just implemented a pull marketing tactic.*

Use social media to engage your target audience and listen to their needs and interests. Employ pull marketing strategies more often and respond to your consumers’ demands rather than merely pushing self-promotional messages in hopes of hitting a target.

If you are ready to get started in social media, contact Eternal Design and allow us to implement a social media strategy for your business that makes actually works. Besides, it’s so much better to hand a prospective client a high quality business card than scribbling your email address on the back of a napkin…

Learn more here: Social Media

*Source: http://www.bloggingpro.com

In today’s online, paperless world one could make the case that printed material is unnecessary and a low priority for a small business. They could try to argue that point—but they’re flat out wrong.

You and I both know that the personal referral—word of mouth—is one of the best ways to build your business. If I’m looking for a house painter, an attorney, or a mechanic, I’m going to ask my friends and colleagues who they recommend. If a friend tells me about a new restaurant, product, or service they’ve tried, I’m more likely to check it out, too.

I’ll concede that referrals can take place entirely over the Internet, especially through Social Media. But when someone takes your business card or brochure, you’re communicating more than just your contact information. The look, feel, and detail of a high-quality printed marketing piece says that you are a professional. You offer quality work, quality service, and can be trusted.

So take a look at your print collateral. What do your business cards communicate? “You can trust me”? Or, “Yeah, I printed these at home on my old ink jet”? If someone asks you for more information about your services, what do you hand them? A sticky note with your web address? Or an attractive capabilities brochure?

If you’re ready to take your print collateral to the next level, contact Eternal Design today. Because having a custom-printed business card is way better than scribbling your website on the back of a napkin…

With logo design, we begin by asking our clients seven questions. This survey helps us get to know our client’s target audience, primary message, and what separates them from their competition or other businesses serving similar clientele.

After reviewing our client’s answers, we set out to develop their logo through a series of prospective solutions. Our client’s first logo draft (“Rev. 1″) will include six unique designs reflecting their responses to our survey. From these six designs, our client is invited to select two for further revision (“Rev. 2″). This revision may include revising colors, typefaces, or mixing in graphic elements from other designs.

After reviewing Rev. 2, our client selects one final logo that most accurately represents their business. We will make one last round of edits on this logo (“Rev. 3″) and arrive at a final design that our client can say, “I love it!” The client receives their logo in both a full color and black/white design and in six file types suitable for any application. Our end goal is to develop a logo that absolutely reflects our client’s philosophy of business, communicates their primary message, and appeals to their target audience.

If you are ready to update your existing logo or create a new brand for your business, ministry, or product, Eternal Design would be honored to serve you. Contact us today and we’ll get our “purposeful philosophy” process in motion!