In 2011 my independent graphic design business Prepressology took an interesting turn and I found myself working a lot more with businesses on how they can use social media. Specifically I have worked with several of them to make their Facebook Business Pages look more professional and give visitors a clearer idea of what exactly their business is about. One of the questions that has come up a lot from owners has to do with why it is so important to get “Likes” on Facebook. In my opinion “Likes” are good for business!
One of the key components to an effective Facebook Business Landing Page is the call out to “Like” the business. It seems like something simple but it is really amazing how often someone goes to the Facebook page of a business and never clicks on that “Like” even if they really do in fact think the business is great. This isn’t good because it becomes a lost opportunity for that business. If someone doesn’t “Like” your business page and they travel on to another part of Facebook or the internet, they won’t receive your posts in their feed.
Let me take a moment to explain how this works… When someone comes to your Facebook Business Page and they “Like” the business, this means they have opted in to receive posts from the business on their Facebook Feed. So every time a business updates about a new event and new product or just a message to wish it’s followers a good weekend, that message falls in their feed. They have opted in!
“Likes” are a bit of a numbers game and have become a bit of a symbol of how effective a brand is. For example an independent graphic designer such as myself has about 50 or so likes but a huge corporate brand such as Nike or Coca Cola have millions and millions of “Likes.” As a small business you have to be realistic about how many people will like your business but it doesn’t mean you can’t use Facebook for marketing in the same ways these huge corporate brands do. One of the biggest reasons Facebook, as a social media powerhouse has become so important to businesses is because they allow you to use their network to reach people for little to no cost. In most cases for a small business it is no cost because they can do the posts themselves. The only cost they may have is to work with a designer such as myself to create an effective Facebook Landing Page. In the simplest terms the more likes you have the more people your message has the potential to reach. With social it doesn’t just stop there. The more likes you have the better chances are your message will be shared and there for generate more likes. It’s a nice little pattern of growth.
It has become more and more apparent that Facebook wants to keep it’s users in their world. Pulling in more and more services like Skype and Spotify. With this trend comes the fact that Facebook users are using the search functions with in Facebook to find out about people, places and businesses. Making it more important than ever that businesses, especially local businesses, have a better more professional presence on Facebook. In a lot of cases the Facebook Business Page has become yet another website. Listing key information such as contact info, directions and other details about the business. By getting more and more people to “Like” your business page, you move up in their search results as well. Yet another reason it’s important to gain those “Likes” for your business.
In today’s economy businesses are looking for more cost effective ways to get their brand and their message out to potential customers. What is wonderful about Facebook is that potential customers have already chosen to opt in to receive the information and that information is generated for free (in most cases). Businesses need to take advantage of the opportunities Facebook can provide for them. This is why “Likes” are good for business.
Are interested in taking advantage of the power of “Likes” on Facebook? Contact me today at Prepressology and let’s talk about how we can develop a more effective business presence on Facebook. Also don’t forget to stop by my own Prepressology Facebook Page and give me a “Like”!
So here we are in 2012. Where the heck did 2011 go? Honestly the last month of 2011 really did fly by and that is why it is the 9th of January 2012 before I finally get a chance to post a little reflection of the year. It sure was a crazy, busy year but I am pleased with many of the outcomes. So let’s look back at 2011 and some of the things that happened with me…
Early in the year I left a local print shop where I had been working for several years with the idea that it was time to move on, time for change. It was a bit of a sudden change but it definitely was one that set me on a path to much better things. I took a little time to think about what I wanted to do and eventually settled on a job that had nothing to do with design or printing. It was a traffic data collection job and was just something to help pay the bills. Wasn’t a bad job and really gave me some great opportunity to do some photography. Also gave me a lot of time to think about what it was that I wanted. During that time of thinking I kept going back to how much I truly wanted to work for myself and grow Prepressology into a full time business. I was still doing projects as a freelance designer under Prepressology but wasn’t really finding that I had enough time to market things well. As the hours got longer and longer with the traffic data job, it just came to me one evening driving home that I had to jump. I had to make the leap and I had to make it NOW! So I did.
In beginning of September I made the ultimate jump and decided to make Prepressology my main focus. No more working for someone else and trying to do design on the side. It was scary and maybe a bit crazy but I have no regrets! Since that leap it has not been easy but it has been my own thing and that makes all the difference in the world. I am proud to have made the leap and know that if I hadn’t done it the way I did, I probably still wouldn’t have done it. It’s kind of like that bandaid you hate to take off. What do they always tell ya? Just rip it off… Don’t go slow! Well guess what?! That’s exactly what I did. While Prepressology was started back in 2004, finally in 2011 it was my main focus. I finally was pursuing my true dream and I started working as an independent graphic designer. What an amazing feeling!
Going back a few months before I made the jump with Prepressology I had the privilege of being asked, along with Kitty, by Adam Hay to take over Rookie Designer. Kitty and I had been very active on the forums through the years and always enjoyed Adam’s wonderful work on the podcast. When he approached us we were both excited about the opportunity and it fell right into place with some ideas we had been brainstorming. As we both really enjoy podcasts and design we had thought about starting our own podcast but we didn’t have to with this new opportunity placed in front of us. The best part was sharing with Adam that Kitty and I were dating as well and had originally met through the Rookie Designer forum. He was surprised with this news and even more excited that he had decided to make use the offer. We both felt the project was that much more special to us because of our history with Rookie Designer.
In May 2011 we launched the new website, new brand and new podcast for Rookie Designer. I have to give credit where it is due as Kitty was responsible for the entire project up to where I came in as a co-host for the podcast. She did an amazing job creating a brand and site that really fit what we wanted it to be. Adam specifically asked that we make the changes and make it our own. While some were surprised and disappointed to hear Adam was no longer the voice behind Rookie Designer, his following was very accepting of the change. It has been a lot of fun writing for the blog and recording podcasts, however it has not been as frequent as we had hoped. A lot of that had to do with me going full time on my own and with other big projects we both have been handling. We have talked extensively about how we want to make a change in 2012 to bring more content and more frequent podcasts to our listeners. So be on the look out for that!
The last half of the year was very busy with me working hard at Prepressology and us both working when we could on Rookie Designer. However 2011 did really go out with a bang as I had the opportunity to celebrate the holiday seasons with Kitty and her family in Guatemala. While Kitty has been up to Upstate New York several times of the last few years, this was my first trip to her home country of Guatemala. I spent two weeks with her, her family and her friends over Christmas and New Years. The whole trip was an awesome experience and it was wonderful to spend time with them. It was a nice break from work for the most part. I still handled a few emails during the trip and we did spend a good amount of time talking about what our goals are for Rookie Designer. The trip was nothing short of a spectacular way to end 2011 and everything that has happened.
It was not an easy year but it was one of great change. I am thankful for the changes that happened and for the path that I am not on. 2012 is now upon us and I look forward to what it has to offer. There are projects in the pipes and business has steadily grown. I have no doubt that 2012 is going to be anything but adventurous and amazing!
As designers we tend to be very aware of the environment around us. Unfortunately sometimes that environment becomes much more of a man made one. We tend to forget to look out the window, step out the door and notice where design really all started… in nature. Design by Nature does a wonderful job of opening our eyes as designers to what nature truly has to offer in the realm of design.
Author of Design by Nature, Maggie Macnab is a well recognized designer who started in the early 1980s using her love of nature and design to create some iconic logo designs. Recognized by some of the biggest publications in the industry, Communications Arts, Print, Step by Step Graphics and the New York Art Directors Club, Maggie has a very keen sense of the world around her, especially nature. She wrote Design by Nature to help designers and creative thinkers see what they have been missing, hoping they would have a few “a-ha” moments.
Nature is full of patterns. These patterns have been there for millions and millions of years. They are part of us, even if we have forgotten they are. Design by Nature helps us remember and shows us how these patterns from nature can make use better communicators and designers. From the pattern of how cells form to protect an embryo to the spiral pattern of our universe itself, it is all part of our life and all ties to how we design. Maggie does an amazing job of reawakening us as designers with easy to understand examples and great exercises at the end of each section. You don’t just read about it, you have the chance to apply it right away with these exercises. Making it even more clear just how much is around us and how we really need to look towards it for inspiration.
Maggie includes a wonderful look at a variety of different designers in the industry and how they find inspiration, think projects through and create compelling designs. Each one felt like a chance to get to know these designers a little more. From Von Glitschka and his Samurai Guppy design to Mark Brooks and his Biopolitan poster designs. There are many others that are just as inspiring to read about. It was also great to have the chance to see Maggie’s own design process with the inclusion of her projects such as the identity design for ISTEC (Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium). All of these elements in the books show real world application to give strength to Design by Nature.
Design by Nature is not light reading and it is not meant to be. It is meant to really reach down and grab a hold of you as a designer. Shake you a little and wake you up about the importance of nature around you. This book will make you think and in turn it will make you a better designer. After reading this book, you will see the world a little bit different the next time you look out the window or the next time you walk out the door. To me that is a wonderful thing, as nature is so important to us as human beings and it is there to teach us every day. It has a lot to offer and Design by Nature by Maggie Macnab reminds us that.
You can find out more about the book, other exercising and more about the author Maggie Macnab online at: www.designbynaturebook.com
Over the last few months I have been working with businesses to help grow their social media branding and presence. We all know that sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others have become the center of the internet. It is important that businesses do not ignore this marketing gold mine and Tony DeSare is a great example of someone who truly understands the power of social.
If you are not aware of who Tony DeSare is, stop reading this and head over to his site at www.tonydesare.com. After you have experienced his amazingly talented singing, then come back here to read more about what he did on Facebook. It’s ok, I’ll wait…
Pretty spectacular isn’t he? Ok, so I have to confess that part of the reason I want to write about what he did is the fact that he is from the town where I am living now. He is originally from Hudson Falls, New York and does the wonderful thing of coming home during the holidays to put on concerts. Really showing he has not forgotten his roots. Now that you know all about that, let’s get right to what Tony DeSare did with the power of social.
He decided he was going to give his Facebook fans a little treat for the holidays. I don’t think it’s the first time he has done it but it’s the first time it really caught my eye. He posted on his wall several songs and asked for his fans to pick one so he could record it as a holiday greeting. This prompted a connection with his fans and a way for his fans to feel involved in what he was about to do. This is exactly what social media is all about and what so many individuals, as well as businesses forget.
Voting was done through the comments on the posts. Tony used the power of his personal page, as well as his fan page to learn what his fans wanted to hear. He started in early December and posted a reminder a bit later on because we all know how fast Facebook feeds can be if you have a lot of connections. What I found interesting is that it was just a single reminder on both of his pages and no more. This is important because people may have missed it but you don’t want to annoy others by bombarding your wall with the same thing over and over. It’s a sure way to lose “Likes” or friends.
When the deadline came Tony posted the results with what percentage each song got of the votes. I thought it was another smart move and not just, “Here is the winner!” but rather a thought out post. Showing that what his fans had to say was important to him. Again, making it another way his fans could interact with him and express joy or maybe disappointment about which song was going to be the one recorded.
A few days later Tony DeSare posted his Christmas card to his friends and fans. It was interesting how he chose to take a moment to mention that it was for Facebook based on the results. This gave the video authenticity. That way his friends and fans knew it was not previously recorded but rather a sincere holiday greeting. I am already a fan of Tony’s and this just made me an even bigger one. Tony DeSare clearly knows how to utilize the power of social media. Many people and many businesses can learn a thing or two from him!
Happy Holidays Tony, to all my clients and to all my readers!
May the season bring all you wish for and may 2012 be amazing!
Ok, so the craziness of Black Friday is behind us. Where all the box stores throw all those crazy deals at you to get you to line up hours before they decide to open. Only to have you fight (and pepper spray) each other to get that last 50″ TV for what you think is a good deal.
Today is Saturday and it is an important day too. Probably more important than Black Friday if you care about your local community. This is “Small Business Saturday.” The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. It’s about going out to support your local small business and showing them that you want them to stick around.
We hear every day about how small business is being driven out by the big “box stores.” So why not spend a little money today at your local business that you care about, to show that they matter? Buy that coffee at the local shop, stop at that local bookstore, say “Hi” to the local hardware store salesman and buy a sandwich from the local deli!
As a small business owner, an independent graphic designer, I appreciate what this day stands for and how it helps! So I couldn’t sit back and let it go by. Prepressology, works with small business owners to help market themselves to the community. I believe in working with these people because I want to see small business come back and show that they are strong. Show that the local community wants them here!
Please do me a big favor… Buy Local! Buy Local Often!
Prepressology awarded Certificate of Excellence from Graphic Design USA for Capital District Gold Parties logo identity design.
Hudson Falls, NY, September 16, 2011 – Prepressology (www.prepressology.com), the one person independent design business is excited to announce it has been awarded the prestigious American Graphic Design Award in the 2011 competition for “Logos, Trademarks and Symbols” sponsored by iStockPhoto. Graphic designer Jake Van Ness is responsible for the logo identity design created for Capital District Gold Parties for which the honor was received.
The Capital District Gold Parties identity design was selected by a nationwide panel of judges, including creative professionals from leading graphic design and advertising firms. One of the leading magazines for graphic designers, Graphic Design USA (www.gdusa.com) has been sponsoring design competitions for several decades. Honoring graphic design firms, in-house designers, advertising agencies, publishers and designers of many other media rich products. This is the third time Prepressology and it’s principal designer, owner Jake Van Ness has been honored by the editors. Winning each of the additional years 2007 and 2009.
The Capital District Gold Parties identity project focused on bringing together the idea of standing out among the large sea of gold buyers and incorporating the iconic sky line of Albany, NY. Implementing the office towers and well known Egg from the Empire State Plaza. The logo identity has been used on business cards and party invitations, with future projects to incorporate the identity on a Facebook page, website and other marketing materials.
About Prepressology
Prepressology is a one person graphic design business created in 2007 by owner and principal designer Jake Van Ness. With over 14 years of experience in the print industry in all realms of print from stationery and forms to commercial marketing and multi-page flyers to label and package printing. Experience that Jake relies on to provide clients logo identities, advertisements, stationery packages and many other print design projects to help them stand out from their competition. Please visit the website, portfolio and blog at www.prepressology.com.
Twitter, the 140 character microblogging service, has blown up to be one of the biggest social media and communication tools on the internet today. Business owners can no longer ignore this service and it’s far from too late to join the millions of tweets that happen every day. Let’s look at five reasons why your business should be on Twitter.
1. Your Customers Are On Twitter
Almost any business these days can find a use for Twitter and it’s very likely that at least some of your customers are on Twitter. More and more people are using Twitter to tell about their experiences with products, services and businesses. It’s no longer just the “what I ate for breakfast” service. If your business is not on Twitter then it is missing the opportunity to hear what your customers are saying and you are missing an opportunity to reach those customers more easily than ever before. There are over 150 Million users on Twitter and it’s growing every day. Don’t you think some of those are your customers?
2. Shows Your Business Innovates and Pays Attention to Advancements
While Twitter has been out for several years already, it is still an exciting service. One that people associate with a business being on the cutting edge. Being part of Twitter and using it in a smart, creative way will show your customers that your business grows, innovates and has it’s finger on the pulse of advancements. Even if your business is a small construction business or the local coffee shop, it can give your business a large presence and a larger reach. It shows your business is serious about communicating with it’s customers in ways that are advanced beyond the old fashion face to face conversation.
3. Show Your Business Expertise
Twitter is a great way to show that your business has the knowledge and expertise to provide what your customers or potential customers want. There are people asking questions all the time on Twitter. Search functions and hash tags allow you the access to these questions or requests quickly so you can respond, showing your business is the one they should be working with. By being part of these conversations, it will build your brand and make customers aware of your expertise related to your industry. Customers want an easy way to know who to turn to, so why not make it easy for them?
4. Ability to Network with Other Businesses
Your friends, your family, your customers, your competition and other businesses in the neighborhood are on Twitter. It’s a perfect opportunity to grow your network. Especially with other businesses in your area or even out of your area. Again, if you are a small coffee shop owner who needs supplies, you might find a coffee supplier on Twitter who can provide you a better price on coffee and then they can turn around to tweet how their coffee is featured in your shop. You work together to promote both businesses. Twitter gives you the opportunity to make your prescience known and also allows you the ability to find others you can add to your network. The larger your network the more reach you will have and the more opportunities your business will be presented with.
5. Marketing Has Never Been Easier
Twitter is a free service. Twitter is a service that has the potential to reach millions. ROI can be pretty good with that type of situation. While it is confined to 140 characters, there is a lot you can do with those 140 characters. You can drive traffic to your site by sharing your link. You can also announce a new product or an up coming sale on existing product. Getting more eyes on your press release has never been easier and you no longer have to try to get past the “gate keepers” to get your press release out there. While Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool, it is important not to abuse this power. Your customers don’t want to be pitched to constantly. This is where listening and helping can make your relationship with your customers even stronger. Ironically in this age of impersonal communication, people still want to feel like your Tweets have substance and personality. Learning the balance is key and will take practice.
There are five quick reasons why your business should be on Twitter. There are many more reasons Twitter is an amazing communication tool and it’s important that your business takes advantage of this tool. The next hot thing that every one jumps on will come around but until that happens it’s a good idea to jump on something that is working and can help grow your brand, your customer base and of course your business. So head over to Twitter.com and create an account. Before you know it, your business will have followers and conversations will start. Be a part of it!
I was recently approached by my brother, US Coast Guard Commander Peter Van Ness out of Kodiak Alaska to help him with a very interesting project. The project was to design a coin he could give out to members of his team as a reward for outstanding service and commitment. Such a coin is known as a Military Challenge Coin and there is a rich history involved with such coins. While the history isn’t 100 percent clear, you can read more about Military Challenge Coins on Wikipedia.
Commander Van Ness had some very specific requests for the design and we spend a good amount of time going back and forth with layouts. Some of the specific requests included a die shape rather than just a regular round coin, featuring the Alaskan flag and also featuring the Bravo Zulu mark which means “Well Done.” As you can see below the coin also has the US Coast Guard logo and Homeland Security logo on it as well.
I really enjoyed having the opportunity to work on this project and it was an honor to design something that will have a special meaning to Commander Van Ness and the men and women that receive them.
About a month ago Prepressology was approached to design and print a business card for Bev’s Beads & Bangels, a custom jewelry designers small business. The owner had some specific requests for her business card and some of those included the use of a butterfly, which has become an icon for her business and the use of specific colors – light green and purple. She also had another specific request that was very important. When she creates her custom jewelry there are many exotic beads used and she wanted a way to be able to let her customers know where those beads came from and what they are called. This would allow one of her customers to come back and make a specific request for a type of bead in the future, if they really liked them. So I designed the card with a minimal layout on the back and with plenty of space for her to write this information. Another issue I needed to address was the ability to write on these cards and not having the stock be coated on that side. In most cases, UV coating is very hard to write on with a pen and therefor this design was printed with only the face UV coated. Leaving the back uncoated and easy to write on.
These business cards are a great way for her to promote her business but also double as an information card to be placed with in the jewelry box. The client was very pleased with the results and her ability to communicate so well what she was looking to use these business cards for, really made designing them a wonderful experience.
The PePCon as it is being referred to, is a gathering of top InDesign experts and Adobe InDesign team members, as well as print, design, publishing and marketing professionals. For three days from May 23 to May 25, there will be sessions touching on subjects such as how InDesign can be used in print, ebook and epublishing, interactive design and long document creation. The first two days are the bulk of the conference with the third day being full day tutorial sessions. Some of the speakers include: David Blatner, Anne-Marie Concepcion, Russell Viers, Mordy Golding and Nigel French. You can find a complete list of the speakers here. A few examples of the sessions during the conference are: InDesign to iPad and Adroid Apps, Long Documents: Ten Essential Techniques, Let’s Talk PDF: Best Practices for Print Workflows and Let’s Talk Future: How to Prepare for the Next Two Years. There are many, many more sessions and I recommend you check them out here.
As a long time listener to InDesignSecrets.com Podcast, I am really excited to have the opportunity to attend their event and to also have the opportunity to meet the co-hosts, David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepcion. When Kitty and I started letting people know about our new venture into podcasting with Rookie Designer Podcast, they were nice enough to extend personal invites to the conference and very warm encouragement about the podcast. It was flattering and very much appreciated… Thank You!
Speaking of Rookie Designer Podcast, we are working very hard to bring the new site and podcast to life. We plan to record at least one podcast, hopefully more while we are at the PePCon. We want to share our experiences and reactions to the conference, so hopefully the next time InDesignSecrets.com puts on a conference, you will be excited to attend. Just like we are excited to attend the PePCon in DC.
So jump on over to RookieDesigner.com and bookmark us. You can also jump over to Facebook and fine our page at www.facebook.com/RookieDesignerPodcast and give us a like. We plan to blog some short posts during the PePCon and do a written summary after the event. So keep an eye on the Rookie Designer site for that stuff.
If you are attending the event let me know and hopefully we can set up a chance to meet or compare schedules to see if we are taking any of the same sessions. Just drop me a line in the comments!
In 2011 my independent graphic design business Prepressology took an interesting turn and I found myself working a lot more with businesses on how they can use social media. Specifically I have worked with several of them to make their Facebook Business Pages look more professional and give visitors a clearer idea of what exactly their business is about. One of the questions that has come up a lot from owners has to do with why it is so important to get “Likes” on Facebook. In my opinion “Likes” are good for business!
