Marketing Hat for Graphic Designers or Wannabe?s

Many people think that the quality of any graphic design is determined by how aesthetically pleasing it is: Although making the card look good is important, this couldn't be further from the truth. The only true measure of any design, at least commercially, is "How well does it pull?". By pull we mean what type of response does it elicit? Does it pull in calls, or pull people into the store? In essence, does the design accomplish what it set out to do?

From this fact it is not a reach to come to the conclusion that the merit of a graphic designer is based on the performance of his or her designs. You may be able to put together the most beautiful ad that the world has ever seen, but if it doesn't make the phone ring it isn't worth the paper that it is printed on.

By giving clients designs that are not only attractive but, more importantly, that get them the response they need to turn a profit, you are making it much more likely that they will be willing and able to come back to you for future services. In short, if the ad doesn't make your client any money, you don't make any money in the future.

The following text is a breakdown of the different actions to take and ways to make sure that your beautiful design is also a big time moneymaker for both you and your client.

Chapter 1: "BE" the Target Market

There is a monkey loose in your office and you can't seem to get any work done. The only solution is to catch the little distraction and FedEx him back to the jungle that he came from. Question: How do you catch a monkey? You have to get into his head, think like him. You have to "BE" the monkey to find out what is going to bring him close enough for you to catch him.

What does an annoying monkey have to do with Marketing Design? Keep reading.

Every potential customer is like the monkey. They are going to do whatever they want unless you can persuade them to listen to you. You have to get into their head, think like them, "BE" them. A monkey is a simple animal so you can probably get his attention with the stereotypical banana.

Human beings on the other hand are extremely complex. Then you add in the fact that the mailing list is targeted and it can get quite challenging. Following are a few examples:

1) Product = Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream.

Who do you need to "BE"? Probably a woman over the age of 40. Try it. Pretend you are a woman over 40 with crows feet (wrinkles around the eyes, for all you guys) and they are getting worse and worse each day. Did you do it? Are you her? Good.

Now, how bombarded with advertising is this woman over 40 that you're being? Just think about it. PLENTY! So how are you going to communicate to her in an ad to get her to respond?

You may have a headline that pushes the button of how upset she is about those crows feet like, "Crow's Feet Getting Worse as You Age?" You may want to show a before and after shot.

2) Product = New Golf Ball that goes farther and straighter than the competition.

Your target market is Senior Citizen golf enthusiasts in the state of Florida. So what is the number one benefit of this particular product for that target market? To answer that question you should use three things:

? Reasoning

? Experience

? Research

In this golf case, in particular, I can tell you from others' stories that the older the guy, the straighter the ball goes. Practice makes perfect and older people have generally had much more practice. Also, as people get older they start to lose strength over all. This means that they will start to lose distance on their shot. It is relatively easy to tell that the distance factor is going to be the biggest benefit and therefore should be the focus of the ad.

Sometimes it's really easy, most times it's not.

3) Product (Service) = Refinancing.

This example has you trying to determine the biggest benefit of refinancing a mortgage for families with a household income of $75k, revolving debt of $15k and 2+ children. Sound complicated? It can be. Maybe the benefit is getting cash to pay off their debt, maybe it's paying for college, or even lowering their monthly payments. There is no real way to tell just by looking at the situation. Now you are going to have to do some research.

Chapter 2: Research the Target Market

Research can be as in depth as actually phoning some of the people in the target market and conducting surveys, or it is often as simple as talking to your client about his experiences with past customers. Start with the easiest action and survey your client. Here are some good questions to ask:

1. What do your top five customers have in common?

By this I mean, what do your top five customers' orders have in common. Do they all purchase a certain add on? Is there a service that none of them take advantage of? This will help tell you what a "good customer" actually is to that client.

2. What is the most-often-stated benefit of your service?

Is it product? Is it service? Is it price? Ask them, they know and you need to know for obvious reasons.

3. What do they think is the most beneficial part of their service to their customer?

Many companies have already done the research, or have been doing it long enough to just give you the information out right.

It is not always obvious what is going to be the benefit that is going to pull the most response. Use your three assets (Reasoning, Experience and Research) to get as close as possible. As time goes on you will build up your experience, but in the beginning you will need to rely more heavily on your Reasoning and Research. And the easiest and fastest thing you can do is to "BE" the target market.

Now back to the targeted family that we want to refinance their home. Pretend you are a family man or woman with a household income of the $75k with revolving debt of $15K and you've got two kids! Kids can be pretty expensive. So, why would you like to refinance?

Chapter 3: You Want the Customer to do WHAT?

Since you've now figured out what the customer needs to hear to be interested, next you need to figure out what it is you want from them. What are you trying to accomplish? Sometimes it is as simple as getting them to go to your website for more information. Other times you are looking for them to pick up the phone and actually place an order. Whatever it is that you want them to do you need to state it clearly on the promo piece.

For example, if you want them to call and talk to a representative, the card should very clearly say "Call today and speak to one of our representatives for more details." This simple statement tells the customer exactly what you want them to do. It even tells them when to call - "today". Believe it or not, people like to be told exactly what to do in advertising. You should make it easy as possible to make the requested action. The more your prospects have to think, the less likely they are to actually act.

Another key part of the call to action is supplying the proper accompanying information along with the request. In this case, the phone number should be prominent and be the closest element to your call to action. Common sense would seem to tell you that as long as the phone number is somewhere on the promo they will find it and give you a call. The reality is that if the number isn't right there for them to see, your response rate will drop considerably.

Make sure that the call to action is bold and easy to understand. And keep any important contact information in close proximity to the call to action.

These are the three most important steps that a graphic designer needs to take to make a piece that will be aesthetic and pull at the same time. Pull = a call, a walk-in, a buy, a response ? all for more money in their door. Which, by the way, gets you remunerated for your services and is actually your exchange for a job well done. Their customers buying means your customers are pleased and wanting more of your services. And it's a happier, prospering world.

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she's sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at http://www.postcardmania.com

---

To Web or Not to Web?

Do I need a web site? That is the question... Read More

Educating Your Customers

One of the biggest marketing mistakes businesses make today is... Read More

Love My Dentist

I love my dentist! When is the last time you... Read More

Marketing Hesitation Costs Dearly

Timing is everything. Hate to be late? The early bird... Read More

Have You Captured Me Today?

There are many Web sites I visit every day and... Read More

If You Can?t Answer This Question Your Business is Doomed!

How do you answer the seemingly easy question, "What do... Read More

Are You Marketing Backwards?

Marketing is like rowing a boat. When you know how... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 2

Part 1 of this series described five critical components for... Read More

Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Works (Its Cheap, Quick, Affordable and More)

Used the right way and with the right audience, postcards... Read More

Marketing: Can I Trust You?

We live in an unprecedented era of communication. Because of... Read More

What The Heck Is An Eponym, And What Does It Mean For Your Brand?

Today I've decided to share with you a new word... Read More

Produce More Sales from your Email Promotions - Part 2

Do sales come from your ezine regularly? How many well-written... Read More

Massage Marketing Made Easy: A Simple Nine Step Marketing Plan for Therapists and Bodyworkers

Marketing is actually very simple. It involves telling people what... Read More

Burnout

Today I want to share a question from a reader... Read More

What Does It REALLY Take to Be Making 6-Figures as a Service Professional?

Over the past 30 years, I've read so much on... Read More

2 Great, Free Techniques to Get Customers to Come to You, Not the Other Way Around

Here is a powerful tip on how to substantially increase... Read More

10 Ways to Get Your Flyers Noticed

An inexpensive way to promote your services is to createvarious... Read More

2 Step Marketing

Do it Right.I receive postcards all the time. The other... Read More

Identify The Ideal Target Audience With These 5 Tips

Narrowing your focus to one primary group of people is... Read More

Increase New Customer Traffic to Your Business

One person tells another, who tells another, who tells another... Read More

There?s More to Marketing ROI (return on investment) Than Meets the Eye

All too often people look at marketing ROI in terms... Read More

Encouraging Contact

The small time promoter has to work hard and on... Read More

Free or Not Free ? That is the Question

You may be in business for yourself or as a... Read More

Marketing 101: The Power of Marketing

When you hear the word "marketing" what comes to mind?... Read More

How to Use Direct Response Post Card Decks as a Valuable Market Research Tool

Market research specialists have discovered a new tool which enables... Read More

Fax Marketing : Reaching a New Niche of Customers

Traditional marketing and advertising assumes that all of your customers... Read More

To Be Successful Sell to Wants not Needs

My mother used to tell me, tongue in cheek, that... Read More

Marketing and Advertising Techniques of Super Bowl Advertisers

Each year, advertisers with super sized budgets sink millions of... Read More

A Guide to Brochure Printing

Brochure printing can be easy if you first identify your... Read More

Off the Shelf Small Business Mapping Software

All small businesses can benefit from inexpensive off the shelf... Read More

Marketing Yourself and Your Business to Thriving!

We all watch the commercials on TV. We hear them... Read More

The Apprentice: 5 Lessons in Marketing

Donald Trump's hit reality show, The Apprentice is a godsend... Read More

Loan Officer Websites: Your Marketing Hub to Magnetize Realtors

Too many loan officer websites look like congested intersections, information... Read More