28 Apr

Posted at 14:18h in Website Design

Two Roles in the website creation

Today, I wanna talk to you about the difference between web design and web development. These are two separate roles in the website creation process. Some people do both of them together, but not everyone does, as they do involve a very different skill set for each. And there are many jobs available for both design and development separately and together. If you want the short version, web design involves creating what the website should look like and how it should work. Web development involves building and bringing that design to life as a functioning website. But let’s go into more detail on each of those things.

UI User interface and User

Designing a website involves taking a brief and the information that a client or company wants to be displayed on a website and working out the best structure. Web designers think a lot about the user’s journey through the site and arrange the information in a way that means they see the right content at the right time. And they also think a lot about making that information really easy to consume. That part of the design process is called user experience, or UX, as you may have seen it referred to as. But designers are obviously also responsible for a site’s visual look and feel, and that’s called the user interface, or UI.

Website Design

What a website looks like is really important because you have to make sure that the design ties in with the company’s brand and that the information is easy to read and consume, and it’s just nice to look at. So, just like with graphic design, web designers think about typography, colour, positive/negative space, and other design principles.

There are many different pieces of software out there you could use to design a website, but none of them is going to do the hard work for you; they’re all just tools to get your ideas out and create a visual file, or mock-up, to hand to a developer. And we call it a mock-up because it visually looks like a website, but it doesn’t function as one yet. Once the design is completed, that’s generally when the development side starts. And like I said, this involves taking that mock-up and bringing it to life through code to function as a live website that you can put on the internet for people to use.

HTML, CSS, DRUPAL

The base of a website is created using HTML, which organizes the site’s structure in code. And then, CSS is used to style the HTML, that base structure, to match the colours and shapes of the design that the designer created. There are many different programming languages, and not every web developer will know them all. They’ll generally have their own few that they specialize in, but HTML and CSS are the basics that you start with. Developers are responsible not only for ensuring that the site functions correctly, and matches the design but also that the code is written cleanly so that it can load quickly for the user. And usually, developers will use a text editor like Sublime or Brackets to write and edit their code.

Hopefully, from that explanation, you can see what I mean about these two different skill sets. Designers need more of an understanding of design principles and creativity to develop a unique layout that answers the client’s brief. And developers focus more on logic-based thinking and an understanding of how code and technology work. As I said at the start, some people have both of these skills, but it’s not essential to know the development side to be a web designer or the design side to be a web developer. What is essential, though, is having a basic understanding of both of those things.

I’m a web designer, and I have a good basic understanding of code, so much so that I can actually code my own websites. But I don’t focus on that as a career because I prefer the design side, and that’s what I’m best at. However, having a basic understanding of how the website I’m designing will be coded is really useful to my design process. And I always love it when I work with a developer who has a good understanding of design, too, because it means it’s much easier to work together.

So, if you were confused about the difference between these two roles or were trying to decide which would be best for you, I hope this blog helps you. Make sure you give it a thumbs-up if it did. And if you’re new around here, hello, welcome. At BWD, we do both website design and website development. Hope we can work together in the future

 

 

26 Feb

Posted at 14:50h in Video Marketing

Video marketing is expected to go a notch higher in 2019. This will be accelerated by the new video marketing trends that are coming into place. No doubt, video marketing is one of the best promotion strategies you can use to attract customers into purchasing your products.

Customers in 2019 would rather watch videos about your products and services in a bid to make an informed purchase than go through your website or brochure, as much as the latter sales collateral is important its going to be less of the go to sales material moving forward.

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Below Are Some Of The Video Marketing Trends Predicted In 2019.

Short-Lived Video content

Whether you are using Snapchat or Instagram stories, this kind of short- lived video content will really come in handy. It will play a significant role in attracting more customers into knowing your products and services. The video content lasts for a while but it is considerably informative. You can also use Livestream just to attract an increased viewership of your content.

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Streaming Live Video

This is one of the most reliable video marketing trends to occur in 2019. Streaming live video has come into being due to the advancement of social media platforms. These platforms have an increased number of users. You can easily get in touch with your target market. Simply, use the live streaming feature on your Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube and Facebook account to market your products and services.

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Explainer Videos

The use of explainer videos is expected to be on the rise. These videos are used in giving insight to potential customers on how to use a particular product or service. When such information is shared to customers, it will impact their purchase decisions and most importantly attract them to purchasing your products or service. However, there is a catch. Marketers, who intend to use this trend should come up with quality explainer video content.

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Influencer Video Marketing

Influencer video marketing is among the best video marketing trends 2019. It comes as a very efficient way of attracting customers. This trend involves using selected influencers to market your products and services to their audience & grow your existing audience base. Influencers need not be celebrities exclusively but people command authority with an audience they have built over time. This trend is expected to be of much help to marketers in 2019.

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Use of Vlogs

The use of Vlogs to create awareness about products and services is expected to move to a higher level. Marketers are expected to capitalize on Vlogs to gain the attention of more customers. This trend entails creating videos about your products or services and uploading them on your blog. For example in a law firm this would require regular interviews of thought leaders within the organisation positioning the firms knowledge of certain sectors. The videos ought to be of high quality in order to attract more customers. With many customers finding videos more engaging and convincing, this trend is bound to succeed.

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Fighting Ad Fraud

Fraud adverts in form of videos have impacted negatively the legitimacy of video marketing. This is bound to change in 2019. New and effective ways of combating fraud in video marketing are to be applied. The use of reliable ad scam detection systems and advanced AI is going to increase.

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E-Learning Videos

This trend is going to be of much benefit to potential customers. Customers are going to learn about how to use a product or a certain service prior to purchasing it. This being the case, they will always make informed decisions before purchasing. More customers will be attracted to buying products of marketers who are using this video marketing trend since it is very educational.

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Use of Smartphones and Editing Applications

Cutting costs has been a major problem in video marketing. In 2019 the cost is expected to come down. You can now use your smartphone to come up with quality videos about the products and services you are dealing with. These videos can then be posted on your social media platforms or website for your potential customers to see. Using editing applications built-in to your phone you should be able to enhance the quality of your videos. This will be possible for SME’s & start-ups but once a company gets big enough customers will demand a higher quality output.

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YouTube Marketing

YouTube is an important platform in supporting video marketing. Marketers can now upload their videos in a bid to promote their products. This approach is getting better and better as the years go by. No doubt it is going to be an effective component of Video marketing trends 2019. Having an YouTube advertising strategy is becoming the norm with most brand as millions of people now access YouTube monthly.

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IGTV and Vertical Video

The use of smartphones to view digital video has always been on the rise. This behavior makes it very easy for trends like IGTV and vertical video to become more effective Video marketing trends in 2019. Instagram has hence introduced IGTV where video marketing content can be uploaded.

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Conclusion

Many companies have found video marketing very effective in creating awareness about their products and services. 2019 video marketing is bound to grow exponentially as the price of data falls and more people cut the cord (satellite subscriptions) and opt for Internet based services ensuring you have a dynamic and relevant video marketing strategy will be key to standout in the clutter.

 

15 Feb

Posted at 09:30h in Digital Marketing

The world is on a fast track to digitalization and automation. Large companies are working around the clock to innovate new technology and streamline existing tech and with the aim of making user experience more effortless. In this constantly evolving environment, marketers as well as business owners are scrambling to keep up.

However, some trends and proven tactics, which companies can pursue as part of their digital marketing arsenal in 2019.

Voice Search

The search game is quickly evolving and the use of virtual assistants likes Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa are steadily becoming part of everyday life. Voice searching is attractive because it’s so effortless and speaking is considered easier than typing. Plus, it allows you to multitask like a boss.

Implementing voice searching in your marketing strategy will soon become an imperative, as more smart devices are brought into homes, phones, wearable, cars these are predicted to lead the new form of search and ensuring your website is readily able to provide answers to voice queries will put you ahead of your competitors.

Chatbots

Chatbots are specialized software tools and can be used to improve customer experience. Bots can interact with website visitors and instantly answer simple questions. They can even schedule sales appointments and assist with purchases. Not enough businesses have implemented this in their strategy yet, but that’s expected to change soon.

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Artificial Intelligence

According to Cardinal, artificial intelligence will get a little too good at profiling buyers. For the marketers, this is excellent news. With the ability to rapidly analyze data to draw conclusions, AI can improve user experience and help marketers develop a better understanding of their customers. In addition, it can be combined with programmatic advertising to boost sales.

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Micro Moments

The actions of learning, doing, watching, buying and discovering on a digital device can all be described as micro moments. To keep up with users spending short bursts of time online, marketers will have to optimize advertisements to match. This means small, easily consumable pieces of information. After that, your sales funnel must be well-oiled and efficient, demanding minimal exertion from the buyer.

Social Media

Facebook still has a monopoly in the world of social media, but Instagram is rapidly growing and may soon claim the #1 spot due to Facebook’s reputation as the social media platform for old people. That said, social media is an indispensable part of marketing strategies in every single niche and will continue to be so as more mature individuals are on a fast track to becoming regular social media users.

For brands in the consumer goods ignore SnapChat & Twitter at your own peril as these are with most of the woke generation and they are quick to call you out if you not listening there could be having conversations about your brand without you. Also be on the lookout for Lasso & TikTok they still early stage apps but they are growing in popularity because they make it easy for anyone to create and share short videos with fun filters and effects.

 

Video

Video is one of the most popular sources of entertainment in this day and age. Just think Youtube, Showmax, DSTVNow, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Video marketing is a highly effective way to deliver a short advertisement or informative message. As more people cut the cord the traditional ‘30-sec’ advert wont make the cut so your video strategy needs to consider how to you access this burgeoning market as this consumer represents a higher LSM this requires marketers to think broadly about using video as a tactic to promote their brand or service.

 

Live Video

Slightly different from video, live video includes Instagram Live, Facebook Live and YouTube Live. The goal of live video is to really connect with your customers. Allow them to get to know you by offering a behind the scenes glimpse or live Q & A. Brands can curate moments that customers want to access live like events, concerts or exclusive lecturers or product reviews.

 

Personalization

Personalization will improve user experience and advance customer relationships. In the previous section it was mentioned that customers would like to know you. But, more importantly, they want to feel like you know them. Collect data from purchase history, links clicked etc. and provide them with personalized content, e-mails, and products. With all the customer feedback available, 2019 will also be the year of more experimental commerce.

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Visual Search

Like voice search, visual search is on the rise with an even simpler way to conduct searches. Upload an image or point your camera at an object to get results. Large brands have been working on optimizing this technology, which might soon become a common way of conducting searches. However, the technology has limitations and shouldn’t be overestimated.

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Good Content

Good content will entice users into spending more time on your page and thereby improve your Google listing. – Google Marketing Platform predicts that engaging content is going to play a big role in e-commerce strategies in 2019 Authenticity is extremely important to the cautious internet user of today, which is why you must provide your reader with authentic content that includes user generated content.

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Conclusion

To stay on top of every new trend in the marketing game is virtually impossible. Businesses must test what they can, implement what works and let go of what doesn’t. The constantly evolving world of technology requires patience and thorough research. Most of all, it demands flexibility, the ability to adapt and a deep understanding of ones customer. Working with an digital agency that bases its marketing on a sound a tailored strategy that is tangible, measurable & efficient for the client is best practice.

13 Feb

Posted at 06:25h in Video Marketing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UalTfOIDQ7M

Corporate Videos are used to describe what your company does with powerful moving visuals, they can be both live action or animated. The more your customers know about your company the more they will trust your products and services. With videos being shared 1200% more times than text and imagery combined, a corporate video will put you ahead of businesses that are promoting their businesses with billboards, posters and blogs among others.

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Let people know who you are

Corporate videos, unlike television or radio commercials, are not limited to 30 or 60 seconds. This means that you can include a lot of information about your Business, or split it into multiple parts describing different areas. While it is best practice to keep them under 5 minutes, that is more than enough time to get your customer to want to make a purchase or refer your business to friends or family. The subject matter is no limitation either, you can give your customers a guide on how to use your service or product, explain your businesses background, teach customers about your field etc.

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SEO

Your businesses corporate video can be uploaded to youtube, Facebook or the landing page of your website. With Youtube being second only to Google in terms of user traffic and 500 million people watching a Facebook video every day, your conversion rate is bound to skyrocket. Youtube is owned by Google, which means a video that is doing well on Youtube will most likely be found on the first page of Google search. With videos being a lot more shareable than text and image-based content, your corporate video can trend giving you access to new customers from a myriad of social media platforms and search engines.

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Training customers and employees

You can save substantial amounts of money in the short and long term by creating a corporate video specifically for training. They are a lot more effective than a training manual and there is no need to pay for an instructor to come to your business every time there are new employees, this is because a video can provide them with a visual demonstration. A lesson can be recorded once and used repeatedly, thus there would be no need for you to pay for an instructor or ask one employee to take their time to teach another. Complex products and services can be taught by video as well, they are a lot more effective because they give the viewer a visual demonstration.

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Return on investment

80% of people recall a video that they watched 30 days ago, this is because corporate videos combine three different forms of communication, those include imagery, sound and text. The also serve multiple purposes including:

Recruitment

Videos that inspire people to want to work for your company. The video can tell them what your business is about and also give them insight into what is expected of a new employee.

Social media

Social media platforms like twitter and facebook have people watching millions of hours of video each day, getting your video shared and viewed will quickly increase your brand awareness.

Growth in Video appeal

A Youtube report stated that mobile video consumption alone rises over 100% every year, people want to see videos much more than a billboard or any other text based form of outdoor, indoor, digital or social media advertising.

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Conclusion

A video is guaranteed to make a powerful statement about your company, it will give your customers a clear image of where they are putting their money. A corporate video can effectively communicate with your customers, keep them engaged and build their trust.

07 Feb

Posted at 07:18h in Video Animation, Video Marketing

The world is fast growing in terms of science and technology.
This has really changed the way things are being done especially in the business world. Nowadays, companies all strive to make sales and deliver goods and services effectively.


This has led to marketers researching the best ways to get customers to purchase their goods or services. Animated explainer videos are one of the best tools in your marketing toolkit to explain your service or product, below are a few things you need to know before creating an animated explainer video.

UNDERSTANDING THE TARGET AUDIENCE

Before one delves into producing any sort of video for whatsoever means, maybe for selling a product, getting followers or customers, educating, etc., it is important to put the target audience into consideration at first.

For example, a company that is into production of baby creams cannot create an animated explainer video without giving reasons why babies are meant to be properly protected against skin disease and other skin infections. The video should try to understand the Characteristics, personalities and problems of the target audience it is intended to reach out to. If an animated explainer video summarily and satisfactorily states the nature of the problem and how it can best solve it with the purchase of the product or services they offer, then they are on their way to having higher and positive feedbacks.

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KEEP IT BRIEF, SIMPLE AND CONCISE

It is very important to note that animated explainer videos are more like an overview and full 2hr feature film movie. Thus, the content should be clear outlining the goals, aims and objectives of the particular product or services. It is ideally catchy in its introduction, for example, an animated explainer video that is meant to talk about a new trend in security cameras could start up with a very catchy sentence like “Tired of getting burgled due to poor security alarm system?” This sentence is short, catchy and gives a general description of the aim of the video.

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MAKE USE OF A TALENTED VOICE ACTOR

Yes, you could use just about anyone to be the voice for you animated explainer video but certainly, not everyone has the same tone. Before one decides to carry out such a production, there should be much consideration about a professional touch and not just the quality of the video. A professional voice over artist will give a performance over the script which should be able to give the audience different emotions through the length of the video production.

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VISUALS ARE SECONDARY

What is meant by this is that in as much as the target audience wants to see a clearer picture of what is being spoken about it is paramount to know that they really want to hear the main things that they stand to gain or benefit from the said product or services. Therefore, the audio of an animated explainer video is primary and vital to the success of the video. There should be a good background music which is related to the products or services in question. Music is a very key aspect of life that triggers a lot of emotions in an individual. The right tune for the right production will surely bring the right audience.

A example of this is a company that is into selling flowers and love gift packs online can use a romantic song as a background music as opposed to rock n roll to get the audience in the right frame of mind when watching the explainer video.

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CONTACT A VIDEO AGENCY

Most videos these days can be done with our phones but there limits to get a
professional animated explainer that has all the elements of what makes a great explainer, using a agency like BWD Advertising would be an effective way to ensure you have a quality production.

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PICK A GOOD VIDEO SCRIPT

It is good to have a professional copywriter handle this aspect of the video script because before the audio comes up, there must be a story to tell.

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ADD A LITTLE BIT OF HUMOUR

Humour is a great tool to use when it comes to animated explainer videos. Laughter makes a person feel happy it brings about a relaxed state and that is the best time for effective learning according to researchers. When the target audience are happy at the humour employed in the video, they tend to give their full attention and that will eventually lead to a positive review about your product or services which the video is aimed at promoting.

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CREATE A GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY

Videos are very important in the world of marketing, it is a different form of marketing. Thus, in order to create a very successful animated explainer video, a great marketing strategy has to be adopted.

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CUSTOMERS LOVE THE BENEFITS MORE THAN THE FEATURES

Yes, it is true that it is an explainer video which you will surely state the characteristics and features but when the audience do not see what they stand to benefit from the features, they are bound to overlook it.

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ATTRACT THE CROWD BY LAUNCHING

This involves video hosting, marketing and integration into your website. It is a vital aspect that should not be overlooked because it is really a very important step in the creation of animated explainer videos. It is the final step taken to bring the video to the knowledge of your targeted audience.

 

24 Jan

Posted at 09:22h in Advertising, Content Marketing, Corporate Identity, Digital Marketing, Graphics Design, Social Media, Website Design

Social media is an ongoing evolution with platforms accountable for different consumption habits or various forms of communication. It is without a doubt that such platforms are always coming up with innovative twists to existing or new features to add to the different dimensions of the platform, platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, etc. These changes not only give the users an opportunity to engage in a number of different ways with their favorite brands online, but to  also give business owners a chance to captivate their audiences through an array of digital design or artworks.

Text last, visual first

In 2019, visuals are the main priority in addition to short-lived content; video content generally includes live video feeds to draw your target audience in on your brand. Video continues to dominate social media and is an equally big trend for 2019, as it was, for 2018. According to online marketing expert Marcus Sheridan, 80% of what we consume online will be video content, by 2019. Even YouTube continues to go as a platform, giving more and more YouTubers a chance to create original video content for their audiences.

Live feed

Somya Mehta states that live video is something that’s been around for a while, especially on YouTube, but its popularity across Facebook and now Instagram has made it a key opportunity for marketers to look out for in 2019. Mehta  explains that the interactivity of live video makes it a powerful tool for users or marketers to engage with their audience and strengthen the relationship between a brand and its followers – influencing the authenticity of ‘going live’ is another factor that the audience can benefit from, as it helps build trust and loyalty with a brand.

Design explained

Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” A great design is about understanding that fonts, colors and images are simply resources for telling a story. When these resources are put to use correctly, elements of design not only catch your eye, but also convey valuable information, such as your company’s mission, vision and purpose. Unfortunately, most businesses undervalue graphic design, or worse, they think it holds no value at all. If you’re a small business owner, here are five reasons why good graphic design matters, and why it should hold a prominent place in your marketing plan.

Design Matters: What Marketers Need to Know About Color and Typography [Infographic]
Infographic by MDG Advertising

First impressions last

It takes less than 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your content that determines whether they like your webpage or not, whether they’ll stay or leave. Surprisingly, it is the company logo that draws the most attention from visitors. The company logo is an essential asset to winning their trust. Excellent graphic design ensures that your logo looks professional, as well as to clearly show who you are as a company/brand. With such a short time for a window of opportunity to convert a visitor into a loyal customer, don’t leave your logo design to an amateur. Here is an example of MailChimp and a unique use of micro interactions on Femme & Fierce’s landing pages below.

MailChimp
Femme & Fierce

Excellent graphic design tells your story

An image, logo or social media graphic can quickly give a snapshot of your company’s story. Considering this, excellent graphic designers are not simply artists; they are information designers who make the complex easy to understand. It takes takes talent and experience, something many of us lack when it comes to creating excellent graphic design. To ensure your story is heard loud and clear, employ the help of an experienced graphic designer who understands your mission, vision and values, BWD Advertising. Here below is an example of Instagram being the top brand on its own platform.

Instagram

Brand consistency

Do not confuse your potential customers with inconsistent messaging from your brand. It is not advisable to have a different look for your company on social media platforms and another one for your print publications as this does harm to your brand. At every touch point, online and offline, your brand needs to be telling the same story and delivering the same messaging. Excellent graphic design can help keep your branding consistently by creating guidelines that require everyone to use the same fonts, colors, tone and voice – also known as a Corporate Identity. Consistency builds trust and makes your brand feel more dependable, whereby consumers now feel that they know who you are as a company and are more likely to purchase from you and recommend you to other potential consumers. According to Hannah Fleishman, “The international handmade cosmetics company, Lush, believes in ‘making effective products from fresh organic fruits and vegetables,’ and in ‘happy people making happy soap.’ Lush stores, products, packaging, and employees all tell that story.” We admire Lush’s consistency and prominent branding.

Lush

Drive social engagement

According to 3D Digital, social media is one of the best platforms to not only find new customers, but also develop a loyal fan following. And the best way to do that is through excellent graphic design. 3D Digital explains that everything from your cover art to your social posts should quickly help consumers identify your brand. Ensure that your images are visually interesting, however you need to follow brand guidelines. Create shareable content, such as infographics, gifs and memes that help expand your brand’s reach outside of your established follower base.  Above all else, ensure that your story is front and center. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is the perfect example of business with a strong social media presence and social engagement.

Fenty Beauty
Fenty Beauty Fan Page

Attractive attention

What does a subscription form, a stock image and a doctor’s waiting room all have in common? They’re boring! Excellent graphic design is never ordinary as it takes a skilled designer to create memorable, unique logos, well-designed webpages, and marketing pieces that can attract the good kind of attention. Bad design, however, can make you stand out for all the wrong reasons.

GAP

For an example, in 2010, Gap decided it wanted to change its logo into a more modern version and abruptly announced a new logo. The clothing company was greeted by backlash from thousands of angry customers in social media, who were attached to the recognizable blue box with ‘GAP’ written in the center. The new logo (on right), stands for the saying, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” would’ve been sound advice. Its customers were already loyal to the original logo. As marketers, it’s important to include your customers in important educated decisions like changing your logo. Don’t leave your company’s public image to chance. Be sure graphic design is a part of your marketing strategy and that all company employees follow your brand guidelines. When done correctly, excellent graphic design helps your company stand out for the right reasons, but also helps it succeed.

 

18 Jan

Posted at 12:17h in Video Animation, Video Marketing

It can make or break a brand. Content works as a connection between a brand and customers. If you want to win the heart of your potential buyers, you will have to follow the latest trends in content marketing to win their heart and to influence their buying decisions. Followings are 10 content marketing trends in 2019.

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Content Marketing Plan

You will have to start with a content marketing plan to create relevant content to match your business goals. Once you have the proper plan, it will be easier for you to follow it throughout the year. A marketing plan will enable you to create and develop rich content. You will have to focus on creating engaging content to get the desired benefits.

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Relevant and Original Content

Original and relevant content have great value. It influences the buying decision of the majority of customers. If you want to dominate your industry, you will have to always create original content. All you need to do is to understand the demand of your customers and objectives of your business to original write content. If you are having difficulties to express your ideas, you can take the help of copywriters.

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Content Personalization and Interactivity

Personalized content influences the buying decision of your potential buyers. In fact, 78% of customers find personalized content trustworthy. They say that personalized content play a key role to take a decision on a product or service. When there is even slightest interactivity, it can play a significant role in the success of your brand. It will offer more engagement and will create a special place for your brand.

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Live Video

Video marketing was one of the top marketing trends in 2018. It is going to be the key content marketing trend in 2019 as well. However, you will have to follow some proven strategies to create unique videos that can impress all your targeted audience. You can upload videos on your website and social media to get better exposure. Make sure that you are using powerful and original content in your live videos.

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Influencers

You can build a relationship with influencers to promote your content and your brand. They might not promote your content unless it resonates with their individual brand. Therefore, you should invite influencers to create content that adds value for your brand. It will certainly add some credibility to your brand. Influencers naturally share the content with their followers.

Audience

You need to own your own audience. You will have to follow some proven strategies to build your own audience. Simple, powerful and relevant content can help you to find and own your audience. Once you have own audience, it is important to update your content to keep them engaged throughout the year.

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Brand Storytelling

Brand storytelling is an art. You need to master this art to ensure the success of your brand. Brand storytelling is not about your brand only; it is about the experience that helps marketers to create engaging contents. You will have to create stories that are impressive and leave a lasting impression.

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Voice Search

In 2019, you cannot simply ignore voice search. Make sure that your web content is able to answer quick questions. Otherwise, people might not find it worth-visiting. In addition, you will have to make your website mobile-friendly.

Chatbots

Chatbots can provide personalized content and increased customer engagement. Chatbot industry will grow in 2019. Chatbots now offer advanced features to make it easy for users to access your content. A quality chatbot can answer frequently asked questions (FAQ’s). Chatbots can offer a standard level of customer service.

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Social Media

You cannot ignore social media in your marketing plan. Social media has helped many businesses and services to reach global buyers and it is going to influence in the same manner in 2019 and beyond. If you are new in social media, you can start with Facebook and then expand your reach with other social networking sites such as the LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Content marketing strategies will keep changing. If you want a better exposure for your brand or service, you will have to always stay up to date. The key to the content marketing is to write powerful, original, and relevant content and to find the right medium to reach and impress your target audience.

 

15 Jan

Posted at 09:28h in Advertising, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Thought Leadership

A brand is a unique name associated with an image for a product or service that appeals within the consumers’ mind. Briefly, it is a visual and verbal advantage to depict the centre of your business. It is mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme and aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market place that attracts and retains loyal customers.<br></br>

The Bad Factors

  • To think long-term:

In this instance, as the owner of the brand – you must be able to ask yourself some hard questions about what your brand will look like in a few years. In what way will your products or services progress? How will your demographics change in ‘x’ amount of years?

The positive side to this is that you can combat these questions by setting short-term goals for your brand. Exert oneself for a standard set of targets to you help achieve your brand mission and more-so reach your long-term goals sooner than expected, which ultimately affords you long-term success.<br></br>

To know your brand message:

Define your corporate identity with an accurate message to attract your targeted customers. Customers want to have a good and lasting impression of your company to immediately make a direct association with what your company can do for them. It is very important to be transparent, whether it be through your company’s website page, broad advertising media. In doing so, you aim to place your brand in a position where it reflects the identity of your business through successful marketing.

 

Brand Example:

Netflix is a great example of a consistent brand message following through their marketing strategies. This example below is a gif (Graphics Interchange Format) for the email platform.

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The need to adapt and thrive:

The world and the life around us constantly evolve. Forcibly, new versions of technology forge ahead in shaping the future and influence the way in which people interact with brands. Strategically, it is important to make calculated risks in predicting changes and make adjustments consequently. Your brand needs to grow with your target audience. Your brand’s tangible and non-tangible identity reflects on the changes of the entity of your brand ideals.

It is through market research to find out more about your current and potential customers – keep up with the changes your audience exhibits. On assumption, you can promote your brand uprightly, keeping it consistent with your messaging and your brand will be able to adapt, overcome any seen or unforeseen challenges in our present time.

 

Brand Examples:

Coca-Cola’s started the “Taste the Feeling” marketing campaign, giving leeway to their audience to create their own GIFs. Shortly after, they shared all experiences with the product on Coca-Cola’s website resulting in more traffic and increased engagement is driven to their website and social media accounts.<br></br>

Charlotte Tilbury‘s brand uses the GIF as a language of choice for any millennial wanting to express their feelings or ‘feels’ through the medium of quick-burst pop culture snippets. This established format provides an amazing opportunity for email marketers because of its relatively small file size and ability to capture the attention of recipients in ways that still images cannot.></br>

The Good Factors

  • Put the focus on the brand logo and tagline:

Essential to your brand, these assets are the first things the customer sees before, during, and after an acquisition. Make sure that you understand who you are as a brand and then make sure you take the necessary steps to understand your target audience.

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HubSpot – The Power of Advertising Slogans

15 Jan

Posted at 06:53h in Website Design

In this 21st century, online marketing plays a very big role. Various companies try to reach to their respective audiences and consumers by means proper advertising and branding. Attractive and inspirational graphic designs can easily draw the attention of the consumers or the audiences. Various different websites are employing various different kinds of designs to connect with clients.

The styles and designs seem to evolve and change from time to time. Some trends remain popular while others go away. It is important for the web designers to understand this ever-changing trends and keep on drawing more number of audiences. The designs have to attractive, informative, trendy and visually communicative. There are a lot of trends which are expected to become extremely popular in the year 2019. Some of these trends are very popular in South Africa.

Topography and 3D design

Three-dimensional designs are becoming extremely popular nowadays. The 3D designs have complete compositions with depths in them. They appear extremely realistic. With the right color, font, type such as bold or script or sans-serif, three-dimensional designs can look stunning.

Distorted layouts

The asymmetrical design or distorted layouts are slowly becoming the trend of the year. Last year, it became very popular in South Africa. Slowly the rigid designs with grid-based are fading away and new asymmetrical layouts are grabbing the attention. These graphic designs can be said as the creation of the new graphic designers who have very little idea about the grid lines. These designs are refreshing and bring about the beauty, authenticity of the websites. They also help the advertisers connect easily with the younger generation. These evoke curiosity among the clients as well as audiences.

Art Deco

In the year 2019, the Art Deco- enthused designs are expected to become very popular. This trend has been seen to emerge mainly in the logo work. Most of the graphic designers have started to work on the very complicated, intrinsic intense graphic symmetrical work. It involves a combination of sharp metallics and other materials to expose a very luxurious look. This effect can be observed in typography also with the type sans-serifs getting much narrower. These types of graphic designs are very opulent and unambiguous, unlike the pastoral, bucolic work which has governed the online websites for a long time.

Gradients and Colors

The transition of gradients and colors has been occurring for a long time now. The trends and their effective dominance began with the logo designs. The website, especially the clients will heavily demand the color combination and different duotone fades. 2019 may possibly develop an intense taste for duotone gradients.

Warm color palettes

The photos and pictures are flooding online websites nowadays. The bold and saturated duotones have a great possibility of being replaced by the moody and warm color tones. Photos will have much more warm color tones. The warm vibe will become the upcoming trend.

Custom illustrations

Very thick and bold lines dominated illustrations till date. It is soon to be replaced by the recent and slow rise of the elegant and delicate illustration. These types of illustrations are greatly influenced by the natural elements. The trend can appear to be feminine. Along with some premium materials such as the embossing and foil, these graphic designs will become trendy by maintaining the balance between simplicity and maximalism.

Open compositions

After many years of usage of the boxes and the frames, this year will see a new refreshing trend. Open compositions are expected to become very popular. The designers have already started to embrace these types of open compositions, with no restrictions on frames and boxes.

These types of compositions have more white space. All of the elements are loosely tethered in these compositions. These open-styled, broken, loosely attached and seemingly chaotic, compositions demand great concentration and expert mind. They may appear chaotic but are not at all random. It takes much more time to execute an open composition than a closed one.

Buxom serifs

Buxom serifs will become extremely popular this year. Along with sans-serifs and other, buxom serifs will rule the online graphic designing websites in 2019.

Customized designs

The brands are inclining towards more customized designs nowadays. This demand will only rise higher in the year 2019.

Graphic designing is a big part of the online websites today. The main of the designers is to create such designs that can reach to the consumers.