Richard Associates Newsletter

I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving with your family and friends! I was able to fit many visits into the long weekend. And, lucky me...I'll be busy in the coming weeks and into the new year. Lots of speaking engagements and appointments!

Discover 0ur "Marketing Matters" seminar series! Join me and Gregg Oliver of GO Direct on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 9-11 a.m. for "How to Make Your Advertising Work for You." Learn the secrets to defining your target market and motivating your audience with your message. It's the perfect tutorial for business owners who create their own ads!

Additional seminars in the series cover networking, marketing and other business topics to help you succeed. You'll find topic overviews highlighted below in the "Newsworthy" section.

Has your business grown in 2012 as you had hoped? Do you need to reach your target market, expand your client base, or increase your ROI? At Richard Associates, we work with businesses to develop marketing solutions and select media for your advertising efforts to help make your business as effective and successful as it can be.

We are currently booking appointments for strategic sessions in December and January. Contact us today to get ahead of your competition!

A key to branding is consistency in marketing materials. You'll find guidelines in "Jumpstart Your Business" below. There's also a list of local networking events, a networking tip, and links to articles I think you will find interesting.

Happy Holidays!

Best regards,

Susan Richard

P.S. Check out our new "Marketing Matters" seminar with Gregg Oliver from GO Direct!

Brand Guidelines

In larger organizations, a creative team or ad agency may develop brand guidelines for the company or a product line. Yet, as a small business owner, you may need to develop them yourself. Brand guidelines show the correct and incorrect usage of the brand identity. The document allows you to maintain consistency in your marketing materials that are created by you or external resources. It guides the images as well as text.

Hieroglyphics Logo Usage and Accent Colors

What color is your logo? When initially developed, your logo should be shown in black-and-white, and then in color. That way you are able to see what it will look like in its basic form. Most organizations use their logo in their company brand color and black. They do not allow use of it in any random color. In addition, be aware of accent colors that may or may not be used with your brand. As you can see from this newsletter, my logo colors are purple and blue, and my accent colors are green, and I use orange also on my website. Be sure that you aren't using too many colors in your advertising. To limit the usage to a few colors allows your brand to shine.

Typestyles and Fonts

What typestyles or fonts do you use in your advertising? Again, these should be limited to 2-3 fonts. Maybe one for headings, a second for subheads, and a third for body copy. The typestyle should reflect your brand. If you have a daycare, you may use a fun typestyle to convey the lightheartedness of childhood. If you have a financial services organization, you may use a more straightforward font, like Times New Roman or Helvetica, to convey the serious nature of your business. All chosen typestyles should be easy to read.

Images and Photography

How do you convey the feeling of your business? Through images and photography. Are your images customer-focused or product-centered? When using images of people, be aware of ethnic diversity, yet consistency in the types of photos (posed vs active).

Copy and Messaging

Throughout your ad copy, be consistent in your message and tone. Do you want to convey a friendly, approachable tone or more straightforward and businesslike? In addition, the length of the copy, whether it's short and sweet or prose-like, presents an identity for your organization.

Branding guidelines are a way to frame your communications to current and potential customers. Remember, even the pictures in hieroglyphics have a guide to the message.

Send Thanks

In these super-technological times, a hand-written note is especially appreciated. After all of your networking efforts and building relationships, you'll receive referrals from clients, colleagues or other people in your life. When you get a referral, be sure to acknowledge it with a thank you note. In our fast-paced world, a "thank you" goes a long way. People will remember your professionalism, respect and politeness.

Who have you sent a thank you note to recently?

Seminar Series

We are collaborating with speakers to provide engaging and useful information for business people. Take a look at the "Marketing Matters" series which covers networking, marketing and other business topics to help you perform at the highest level.

Target Marketing

Do you feel like your advertising doesn't really work for your business? And people aren't responding? We will be partnering with Gregg Oliver of GO Direct on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 9-11 a.m. to discuss how to find your target market and develop powerful ads in How to Make Your Advertising Work for You. You'll learn how to reach your ideal audience and create ads that get results!

Networking

To enhance your professional skills, join us for Networking I: Successfully Promoting Yourself and Your Business. Maximize your efforts by creating a great "30-second commercial" and making a favorable first impression! Make your resolution to improve your skills...New schedule for the new year!

Create your own no-cost sales force! Join us for Networking II: Making Connections and Building Your Referral Network. Find out how to make connections that last and build your business! New schedules are being planned.

Professional Development

In addition, join us for the 4-Week Business Success Program. This program allows you the opportunity to focus on specific aspects of your business over a 4-week period to get ahead of your competition...fast! Visit our website for more info.

Take a look at our colorful and easy-to-navigate website to find out more about our services! Plus, don't forget to "like" us on Facebook.

Home Business Tips
How can you create true work/life balance while working from home? Read this article from Entrepreneur.com for 8 Mistakes to avoid.

Richard Associates...Your Marketing Partner

At Richard Associates, we provide customized marketing services to help you succeed. From advertising that works to seminars designed to enhance your professional skills to business consulting that focuses on your goals, our services are developed with your needs in mind.

We understand that marketing is an investment in your business. And, you'd like a return on that investment. That's why we focus on results-oriented efforts that measure your success.

We build client relationships into marketing partnerships. Working with you.

Call 215-595-8959 · Website www.richardassociates.net