A good logo is the foundation of your company, but how come it costs so much?

A good logo is the foundation of your company, but how come it costs so much?

There are so many different questions that you can ask when it comes to logos and logo design. But, do we understand just how important a logo is?

What is the purpose of a logo?

Before even touching on the subject of price, let’s ask ourselves why we need a logo:

  • To establish a brand
  • To have an identity
  • Create a good first impression
  • To be remembered
  • To create credibility

The essence of a logo cannot be undermined. Without it, you have no brand.

Anyone can create a logo that looks sort of professional and modern, but not everyone can create a company identity, contained and conveyed by one picture, that satisfies the following criteria:

  1. When people see the logo, they instantly recognize the company.
  2. When they see it, they instantly feel like it is trustworthy.
  3. Did you know that a logo directly affects the esteem of a company? You want to inspire high esteem for your brand.
  4. People want to associate with the company. They want to become your biggest fan, cheerleader, and ambassador. A ‘paint’ logo will not induce this feeling.
  5. A good logo will imply that there is no one else quite like you. No other company can really compete.

These five results are what make a good logo, well, good!

It’s all about the intrinsic value, not the price

Because of crowdsourcing, the price that graphic designers charge for professional logos has come under tremendous pressure. Competitive sites such as 99 design, create an overflow of supply at tremendously discounted rates. But, have you ever asked yourself the question, “Why hasn’t the value of designers come under the same pressure?”

The problem is not that there are more designers creating logos and doing so for less. The problem is – there are fewer designers who offer (real) value.

Designers gave birth to logos like those of Coca-Cola and Starbucks out of relationship and effort. You can see the difference, can’t you?

Professional designers have a process they follow to help them journey with their clients. They need to understand their clients and their clients’ product.

They conduct comprehensive and thorough interviews to know exactly what a company’s identity is. They research the industry, the competition, and history/origin of the company. They create drafts and concepts that best define the company’s core, as they uncovered it, through the interviews and research.

An iconic logo like that of Harley Davidson, as an example, cannot happen without professional designers using their tools, experience, and knowledge to build a creative expression of their discovery.

In conclusion, I want to rewrite the title of this article…

A good logo is the foundation of your company. That is why it costs so much!

Don’t settle for second best. Get Mirror Marketing to create a logo for your company that is:

  • Timeless
  • Iconic
  • Inspiring

Contact us now, or leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you soon!

5 Steps to creating a killer email campaign

5 Steps to creating a killer email campaign

One of the biggest factors of effective marketing is relationship. Out of sight, out of mind – and that’s what happens when a competitor ends up in your client’s inbox and you are nowhere to be found!
But, don’t fear, because Mirror Marketing is here – and we are going to let you in on a few great tips to creating a killer email campaign.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

You know who you are targeting, you understand what they like and you know your product is the best thing that can happen to them. So, what’s the first thing you should do to your email?

Make it BEAUTIFUL.

You should choose images that are relevant to them and your product. Experiment with layouts, until you find the best one for your recipients. Make everything vividly colorful, or bland and neutral – as long as that is what your ideal client loves to see.

Everybody loves win-win situations

Relationship is the most important factor of effective marketing. Every relationship has at least two parties – both give and both receive.

If you want your recipients to participate, to buy, to click through or to reply – give them something and they’ll feel compelled to reciprocate.

This is where good quality, expert advice can be a massive motivator. If people feel that they can always turn to you to get the right information regarding your niche, they’d frantically search for an opportunity to return the favor.

You should have one campaign at a time

This is the third step in creating a killer email campaign, and everyone probably just stopped and scratched their heads. “One campaign? But, what about Social Media? Ad Campaigns? Sales Letters?”

They should all collaborate with each other! Make sure that no matter where your client’s see your name, they see the same images and message coming through. You might have a few different parts that make up your marketing efforts, but they must all work together as a whole.

Copy that speaks their language

When you create the copy for your email, it is critical that you speak their language.

From the headers to the signature, make sure that with every word, they know you are writing to them.

Make it easy for them to click through to your landing page. Don’t strictly reserve a spot for your links at the end of the email. Include them throughout your copy and see the sales climb.

The Eagle has landed

The most difficult challenge you can face when you are trying to grow your business is getting people’s attention and persuading them to buy.

If you have recipients ready to buy, don’t make life more difficult by linking them to your home page and leaving the treasure hunt to them. Link them to your landing page, where it takes a few seconds to fill in the forms and get access to your products.

If you follow these tips, you will be surprised at how quickly your email campaign will generate a return on investment. If you have any questions, please contact us or leave us a comment. We look forward to hearing from you.

Professional Product Shots are essential – right?

Professional Product Shots are essential – right?

“Don’t judge a book by its cover!”

This is so true and wise. We are surprised when we look past the “cover” and discover things we never imagined. Nonetheless, have you ever wondered where the saying even comes from?

It’s really simple – people do not read books with boring or amateur covers, no matter how fantastic the actual pages… This is also true for your business.

3 REASONS WHY PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT SHOTS ARE NECESSARY

  1. Studies have shown that your visitors remember only a 5th of what they read! The rest are things like pictures and visual hooks. People are judgmental, we’ve established that! The better your product shots look, the more you’ll sell.
  2. Are you doing business or is it your hobby? Your product shots will either boldly state that you’re here doing business and that people can buy quality things from you, or cause them to doubt your legitimacy and remain sceptical. You want to gain more customers, not scare them off.
  3. It is easier for people to buy tangible products. They get to hold it and test it. Once they experience their life with your product, it solidifies their need and they jump right onto the wagon. With online business, there are no tangible products to hold. Your product shots need to be so professional that it becomes tangible in their minds. Put them in the picture and they’ll put your product in their pockets.

But it’s not so easy to take these professional pics yourself, right?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHER

To get the most bang for your buck, you want someone who understands what you see in your mind’s eye, someone who can recreate that for you!

  • You should hire someone who has experience in taking product shots. Taking excellent portrait pictures will not automatically qualify a photographer as the perfect candidate; there is an art to taking professional and persuasive product shots. Find yourself a specialist.
  • Ideally, you want someone who has experience with a similar product or industry.
  • Don’t forget to look at samples and ideas. This not only helps you find the right photographer, but it also makes it so much simpler to explain what you have in mind.

It can be quite a mission to find the perfect match; we get that. That’s why we suggest you make it simple and cut out the drama and interviews, the uncertainty and checklists. Contact Mirror Marketing today for your product shots!

Social Media or Social Mania – Your perspective could dictate your results

Social Media or Social Mania – Your perspective could dictate your results

The world, as we know it, is changing…

No more business cards ?
No more newspaper ads ??
No more direct mailing ???

What is this social media monster and what has it done with real marketing!

Unbelievably, this is how some people see social media’s relationship with marketing – It’s a monster and they cannot understand why they need it.

Why do we need Social Media?

Have you ever heard the expression, being a fly on the wall?
How great would it be to listen to conversations without people knowing it; to have secrets at your disposal that give you an edge; the ability to know which moves to make and when to make them.

Every business would say yes if you could give them insight, such as this, on their target market.

Ironically, every business can have this kind of insight; they could literally become a fly on their target market’s “wall”.

Why is it so effective?

Becoming a part of your prospects social life is social media – not marketing, at least not to them. They don’t perceive it as publicity!

They want to be in touch with businesses. They want to be heard.

With social media, people don’t change the channel when the ads come on; they don’t see your posts as marketing – they just want to read what’s on your mind!

Social media also allows you to respond immediately; instant gratification has become a characteristic of the millennial generation, being there when they need you is a great way to build relationship and loyalty.

Even though your content strategy is the most important part of your marketing, as you pursue a higher position on search engines, Google favors companies that have a strong presence on social media – It is the fastest way of sending and increasing traffic to your site.

The more people visit, the better you’ll rank! (And the more you’ll sell!)

(Did you know… Social Media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than any other form of marketing?)

In our day and age, if you don’t have a social media presence, you might be considered flaky or insignificant. Yes, it might seem difficult; it might even seem impossible to some – but there are marketing teams that can have you painted on Facebook walls and Twitter feeds in no time! Get ‘Linked In’ with them today!

Hello, Headlines! Capture their attention and you capture their hearts

Hello, Headlines! Capture their attention and you capture their hearts

When it comes to online marketing, what is the most important thing to remember?

Is it to write valuable and informative content?

That’s a wise decision – but not quite what I’m looking for.

Is it to be the expert in your niche?

Yes, if you want to attract tons of traffic, you have to become an authority. Still, not the MOST important aspect…

Hook them with your headline

You see, I can write the best piece of content on the internet and still convert no one. Writing the content has never really been the problem… Getting people to read it, however, that is a completely different ball game!

Deciding on the right headline for your content should be as much of a priority as writing the actual content. If your headline doesn’t hook me into wanting to know more – it’s like there was no content, to begin with.

There are many different kinds of headlines – from the direct headlines to the testimonial headlines – and each one fit for a specific goal and an intended audience. Once you’ve identified your target audience, you should be able to identify your ideal headline type.

Am I saying that when you hook a reader with a headline, your job is done?

Not at all! There is so much more to an effective headline

A great headline can do more than just captivate a reader; it can convey an entire message in itself. The most effective headlines are those that,

  • Hook your target audience and …
  • Summarize the entire purpose or message of your copy, while still creating a burning desire in them, to absorb all the information you have to offer in the body of your article.

Capture their attention – promise them something for their time – and you capture their hearts!