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As 2016 chugs along, you’ve probably given your business plan some thought on how you can really rock it this year. In my opinion, one of the most beneficial steps you can take in improving your business plan is to reevaluate your marketing and advertising strategies. Have you been running the same ad month after month? Is your website in desperate need of a facelift? I’m a creative person and trained in marketing, so I notice and appreciate good campaigns. This year, consider these pointers as you contemplate how to improve your marketing and advertising campaigns.
Colors
I am a big fan of color. Have you ever noticed how much more your eyes are drawn to a full-color ad compared to a black and white one? Or how you’re attracted to items that are a particular color? There have been actual studies done on what colors work best in “x” and “y” situations. Do a little research and you’ll discover when to use red instead of purple if you want to illicit a certain reaction from your audience. Just remember to not go overboard – pick two to four signature colors for your brand and use them interchangeably.
Fonts
I am also a big fan of fonts. I love how many different kinds there are, even though the massive selection can quickly become overwhelming. From bolds to italics, serifs to sans serifs – wait, serifs…? A serif is a small decorative line that’s added as an embellishment to the basic form of a character. The most common serif typeface is Times New Roman, whereas the most common sans serif (without serifs) typeface is Helvetica. Serif fonts are generally used in print while sans serifs are generally used in digital. So the next time you’re scrolling through fonts, take some time to notice the differences between the two.
White Space
Are you ever immediately turned off by advertisements that are jam-packed with information, pictures and other clutter? As high as the urge is to put as much information on your ad as possible, don’t. The more white space you have in a design, the better. Remember that people are only going to glance at your ad for a second or two, just like you do with ads, so convey your most important information and leave it at that. This usually includes your company name, logo and website. Think about it: if you have a good logo, people will remember it, and in turn they will remember your company, and then they’ll just look you up online. Don’t take up valuable real estate with unnecessary information.
Take some time this year to reevaluate your marketing strategies. Maybe your brand needs a makeover or you have some extra dollars to spend on advertising. If you begin putting these pointers into practice, you’ll be well on your way to running a successful marketing and advertising campaign.