The Beginning

I began working with Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in the summer of 2011. At the the company was undergoing major transformation – changing their services, their focus, and even their name. They also brought on a new marketing director to help give Icicle Creek a new image. The first time Lilia and I met we knew we had a big task in front of us, along with the potential to do something really great!

One of the first things we had to do was create diversity among unity. Icicle Creek had multiple branches doing many different things in the arts world. We had to give each of these branches their own flavor while keeping enough consistency throughout to help people recognize they belonged to a whole.

Our latest posters and designs have captured the hearts and attention of the community. We increasingly receive requests from people wondering how they can get one of these posters!

The Posters

Event posters are some of the most noticed marketing pieces Icicle Creek uses in the community. Lilia and I worked together to create a flexible template for the events showcased in the company’s Performance Series. Each poster uses the backdrop of the mountainous environment surrounding the campus to center the place. The posters showcase the performer’s, each in their own mood, colors and style. Overall the style is consistent while retaining individuality for each show.

The Results

The results? An informed public, sell-out events, marketing materials the community wants more of, and one happy client.

Or, read one of these:

1. Community Farm Connections Print Projects
2. Write on the River Poster
3. E3 Brochure

photo by Kristina B

There are considerable number of positives to business blogging.  Don’t get me wrong in this article – I think most companies should have a blog.  However, putting a blog on your site is not a quick fix; its not an automatic easy way guarantee that your traffic will boom and your website be a success.  Blogs take time, energy, and more time.  And because of this many blogs on business websites can actually hurt the business.  Few things worse looking on a professional site than a blog with one post, or a blog that hasn’t been updated in months or years.  So, take some time to think about if blogging is right for your business.  My suggestion?  Don’t start a new blog if:

You Aren’t Going to Update Consistently

Of huge importance to your blog is your consistency in posting.  I usually recommend clients try to be able to post 1 new article a week, twice a month at the least.  Even more critical though is the commitment to regular posting.  Its fine to even let your readers know how often you plan on posting to help them know when to come back for more.  Its not always easy (email me for my #1 tip on how to post consistently!), but it is important.

If you aren’t going to post consistently and just plan on updating your site with news about your business – don’t call it a blog!  Just have a Recent News section or something.

You Don’t Have Time

Image by TomStardust

As you might be starting to see, writing a blog is going to take some time.  Make sure you know that and plan for it.  If you see the potential for new business that your blog could bring you (many businesses main source of revenue stems from their blogs), plan to spend time on it just as you would other promotions.  You are planning out time for promoting your business, aren’t you?

You Don’t Know what a Blog is

This might seem silly, but many people think that by adding a blog or setting up a Twitter or Facebook account their company will automatically be inundated with orders from the internet.  Again, it has the potential for that, but it does not come easily.  If you don’t know much about blogs spend some time learning.  Read tops blogs in your industry, read blogs about your favorite hobby, read blogs by your friends.  Respond in their comment section and get involved in the site.  Spend time analyzing and seeing what works and what doesn’t in blogs.  Writing for the web is different than writing press releases or sending an email.  Expose yourself to the blogging world a bit before you dive in.

You Don’t Have a Target Audience

Promoting your business in any way begins with the knowledge of who your target market is.  Big businesses spend millions learning who will be most likely to buy their products and even more figuring out how to reach them.  You should always know who you are trying to get to in your marketing, and this is just as important with your blog (and your website in general).  The more niche a blog is, the better chance it has of standing out in an already hugely crowded market.  Also, knowing who you are writing to can really help you decide what to write about.

You Just Want to Sell Sell Sell

People don’t read blogs just to hear about how great your product or company is.  If you are expecting to draw in readers by just blogging about the latest promotion your store is running you probably have the wrong idea of what a blog is.  People read blogs to be informed of something they are interested in.  Continually tooting your own horn gets old quickly.  Make sure you are giving your readers quality content that benefits them.

You Don’t Want Feedback

The best blogs are a place for community to develop.  Authors may be the originators of the discussion, but responses comes from a huge variety of people and places.  New technologies like blogging are all about hearing from your customers and being able to engage them.  Lastly, don’t assume that all feedback on your blog will be positive (plenty of negative comments here), hearing people’s honest opinions can be tough, but its important to stay honest and transparent – something everyone can appreciate.

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Still have questions about blogging or if a blog is right for your business?  Go ahead and contact me for free consultation!

Or, read one of these:

1. 4 Ways to get More Traffic to Your Blog
2. Guest Blog Post on Creating a Healthy Work/Life Balance

From their materials:

More than 5000 people from Wasilla to Walla Walla, have attended the 90 Minute Marketing Workshops and walked away with practical, common sense strategies to help grow their business or organization. In just 90 minutes (that’s a promise) you will learn the basics for writing your own easy-to-use marketing plan and dozens of proven tactics you can take back and put to work immediately. This fast paced, real-world, hands-on  workshop was created especially for small, local businesses and nonprofit organizations that are the backbone of our local economies and communties. For more information and testimonials, please visit www.90minutemarketing.com.

Staying on top of your company’s marketing is more critical now than in times of a booming economy (though you should remember to continue marketing even when things are going well).  With many years in the marketing industry under their belts, the Hokes are sure to present a program to help you find the best ways to promote your company or organization.  You can find more registration information on the Chamber’s website.  I hope to see you at the seminar!

Or, read one of these:

1. A New Site for Apt
2. The 2011 Apt Design Ebook – Creating Work/Life Balance
3. Apt Nominated for Business of the Year

let us know: have you seen an impact on your business due to being in a publication?

Or, read one of these:

1. Apt Design Co-Sponsors Seminar
2. gee whiz: a movie premiere
3. New Projects: Wenatchee Valley Chamber and AP College Football