Sign Marketing 101 Archives | Page 4 of 5

Keep It In the Community: Local Marketing

Matt Medel December 19, 2013 0 Comments

In our incredibly shrinking world, “local” sounds almost anachronistic. When we can have BFFs across the country or across the globe up close and personal at the stroke of a screen, when couples have transcontinental relationships, when our food is shipped fresh and bright to grocery store shelves from another country, does GPS makes sense anywhere except in a vehicle?

Surprisingly, yes. The Go Local movement is gaining ground. From farmer’s markets to Yelp reviews, Google Maps to hyper-local ezines, people are hungry to learn more about their immediate neighborhood. Until we can drink virtual latté, this trend will likely continue.

What does Go Local marketing mean for signage?

Sign up for the local angle. Consider affixing “Buy Local” decals to your products or packaging to remind customers you’re a local business, and that by buying your products, their dollars remain in the community to boost the local economy. Your in-store banners and external marketing products such as sandwich boards and spinner signs should all carry the “Buy Local” theme.
Socialize locally. Social media is global, but that doesn’t mean your business can’t play up the local focus. On your Facebook page, for instance (yes, your business definitely needs to have one), you can reward new and existing customers who “Like” your page — which also tells other site visitors that they prefer to shop locally. The thank-you for a “Like” can be anything from a one-time discount to a small gift with their next purchase — a simple way to acknowledge support and let them know you appreciate their business. Be sure to include an image of your “Buy Local” signage on your Facebook real estate.
Support the community. Does the high school football team need signage for their stadium? Could your town’s SeniorCenter use some help hanging holiday banners, balloons or lights? Every community offers numerous opportunities to make a difference — and the positive PR for your business is a nice side benefit.

Who knows, with all this local emphasis, you might just find a new best buddy across town, rather than across the world.

The Grandfather of Creative Genius

Matt Medel August 22, 2013 0 Comments

In Marketing Magic/Part 1, author Debbie Millman discussed how to become a brand genius. Now she deconstructs the creative process itself as she recounts the wisdom of iconic graphic designer Milton Glaser, famous for the I♥NY logo and the poster of Bob Dylan in profile, his hair a psychedelic swirl.

Celebrated as the greatest living graphic designer, Glaser offers a wealth of insight that can help business owners create compelling signage. Take this story of how he became an artist:

“When I was a very little boy, a cousin came to my house with a paper bag. He asked me if I wanted to see a bird. I thought he had a bird in the bag. He stuck his hand in the bag, and I realized he had drawn a bird on the side of a bag with a pencil. I was astonished! I perceived this as being miraculous. At that moment, I decided that was what I was going to do with my life. Create miracles.”

While a sign doesn’t have to be fine art, there’s no telling where tomorrow’s critically acclaimed work will originate. You might think you’re simply designing a banner for your business — but if the combination of design, colors and verbiage strikes a chord, in the cyber age anything is possible. Thanks to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and many other social sites, unknowns become global sensations literally overnight.

Or maybe it’s a banner flag: the hybrid that makes a bold statement for your business, and is made to endure for seasons to come. At 11.5 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide, banner flags are hard to miss. And with our full-color UV-protected dyes and free design, proofing and logo re-creation, all you need to add is the creative genius.

So go ahead: create a miracle and let that banner wave all over cyberland, drawing customers to your door and kudos for your artistic brilliance. We’ll just remain quietly in the background.

Real Estate: Get Ready to Move!

Matt Medel April 11, 2013 0 Comments

Question: How is real estate like a Zumba class?
- Answer: Spring is a super time to move!
Real estate yard sign placement strategies

Question: How is real estate like a Zumba class?

Answer: Spring is a super time to move!

And while the sign of someone who’s Zumba-ready is a spandex-clad body and athletic shoes, real estate signs can range from basic yard signs to big directionals to super creative car magnets. The key isn’t just the signage you choose, but how you use it.

So you’re ready to move: Selling a home involves a great deal of time, thought and effort. If a real estate agent or broker is handling the listing, one of their first tasks is creating and placing a real estate yard sign on the property that states the agent’s or broker’s contact information. (If a party is selling the home directly, the sign will usually state, “For Sale by Owner”.)

Next comes sign content. Most critical: the name and phone number of the contact person — unless the sign is advertising an upcoming open house, in which case the sign should state the open house date, time and location (if the sign is placed elsewhere than on the property for sale). And while it can be tempting to create a colorful sign, what’s most eye-catching is a real estate sign that uses only two colors, such as red on a white background on blue on a white background, both of which are easy to read. Red is deemed most effective for attracting potential buyers.

Real estate yard sign placement strategies

Once you’ve created your real estate sign(s), placement is crucial. You may want to use multiple signs, depending on where the home is situated. For a house located mid-block, a single sign facing the street will be noticeable to people driving by from either direction. For wider properties, or those where the home is set far back from the road, we recommend placing a real estate yard sign at each end of the property.

For corner lots, place signs on both perpendicular streets to attract traffic traveling the main road and side street. For country properties that may be far from the beaten path, add spinner signs or big directional signs to attract the attention your property deserves.

Finally, let the web bring you buyers. Today most real estate firms offer a virtual tour of featured homes on their website, so potential buyers can get a sense of their new home before ever setting foot on the property.

Seven Sure-fire Tips for Real Estate Signs

Matt Medel February 21, 2013 0 Comments

Assess your audience
Tell them what to do!
Testing, one, two
Sell the steak
Be sure to proofread everthing
Balance visual and verbal cues
Learn from the masters

When it comes to real estate success, it’s not what you say so much as how and where you say it that makes the difference. Try these tips to create real estate signs that will have competitors asking for your secret:

Assess your audience

While some crossover artists are able to bridge diverse worlds (think Adele’s blockbuster album, “21”), this is a rare gift. It makes more sense to sing (or write) to your intended audience. Imagine a group of teen girls turning out to hear the latest rock band, only to watch the group take the stage and croon Frank Sinatra ballads! They’d request refunds. So if you’re selling upscale, designer homes, don’t create signs that appeal to young, middle-income families. Instead, make wealth your central message: “A home for people who appreciate the finer things.”

Tell them what to do!

It seems so obvious it’s often omitted: let prospective homeowners know what action you want them to take: stop by this weekend for an open house; call now for an appointment; email for a full-color brochure, etc.

Testing, one, two

Before you order dozens of signs, test your message on a market sample to make sure it generates the desired result.

Sell the steak

Yes, it’s common practice to sell the sizzle, but then your prospects won’t really know whether the house you have to show them will meet their needs. So give ’em the WIIFMs: “What’s In It For Me?” All the features — and all the benefits.

Be sure to proofread everthing

Did you notice the “y” was missing from “everything”? It’s all too easy to skip over a typo, or leave off essential information, such as your phone number or address. While the team at Super Cheap Signs takes pains to turn out a perfect sign every time, you have the final say. This is “y” it pays to have a fresh set of eyes review everything.

Balance visual and verbal cues

Don’t create a gorgeous sign with lackluster content, or sparkling copy with poor design. Aim for both excellent graphics and high quality content to captivate your prospects. If you need help, just ask us.

Learn from the masters

Do your homework, study what works and what doesn’t, and incorporate the best ideas into your own real estate yard signs. Who knows, someday a recording artist might immortalize your business in song!

Thirsty for Success: A powerful slogan

Matt Medel January 17, 2013 0 Comments

Invest in a campaign you believe in! Give your customers something they'll remember and hold onto. — Invest in a campaign you believe in! Give your customers something they’ll remember and hold onto.

The stunning success of the California “Got Milk?” campaign is legendary, and the powerful slogan is now part of the American lexicon. While this kind of advertising accomplishment is exceptional, it’s not the exception; any brand can apply the same principles used to develop, launch and maintain a landmark campaign — or build name recognition for their business.

Here are some of the most valuable lessons from “Got Milk?”. They’re especially relevant for real estate professionals and investors looking to dominate their market, which our real estate signage solutions have been helping them to do for years:

Make New Friends But Keep the Old. Focus first on keeping those who are brand-loyal, because they’re your best source of increased sales.

The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) chose to target regular milk drinkers, who constituted more than two-thirds of the market and were already favorably disposed toward the product — and thus more open to influence, especially in the short-term.

Entice your existing customers with discount offers and specials before expending energy attracting new business.

Be Candid. If you employ a “Candid Camera” approach to discover how consumers feel about your product or service, you’ll be able to develop strong brand positioning based on these insights.

The “Got Milk?” ad agency removed all the milk from company refrigerators, placed video cameras inside, and recorded employee reactions to discovering there was no milk. In another research study, consumers were asked to forgo milk for a week, then report back. Their stories provided fabulous fodder for future ad direction.

Cozy Up. Find a strategy that speaks to the consumer’s heart — or stomach, or bank account — and go the distance with it.

When the CMPB tried to sell more milk based on its health value, people yawned. But when the CMPB heard what consumers were telling them — that food choices drive milk purchases — they came up with the winning “deprivation strategy”: chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lost their cachet without the classic accompanying beverage.

What “goes with” your product or service like peanut butter with jelly? Put that on your yard sign or sandwich board and gauge how customers respond, then tweak your strategy accordingly.

K-I-S-S (Keep It Super Simple). A great ad campaign that is too clever can lead to the opposite result from what you intend. Consumers must be able to easily grasp your message and understand what action you want them to take. This is where a powerful slogan is key.
A great example of a simple, memorable slogan that could lead to an enlarged customer-base and generate new interest in your brand!

In two words, “Got Milk?” functioned as a hook, a call to action and a take-away that could be adapted to a variety of placements. Think, “Got House?” if you’re a real estate professional, or “Got Lumber?” if you’re a builder.

Got the idea? Great. Just order it on the yard sign, banner or car magnet of your choice, and we’ll take it from there.

Horsing Around on Company Time: Office Fun

Matt Medel January 3, 2013 0 Comments

Because too many people are accustomed to the idea that going to work means checking your “real self” at the door, many small businesses have been striving in recent years to make work more fun. This is a little like saying, relax and enjoy the dental visit. (Unless you happen to be a dentist, in which case you can substitute “proctologist” in that last sentence.) Making work fun is somewhat of an oxymoron — which is not a fancy term for the geek down the hall.

But going to work does need to be an enjoyable experience if people are going to give it their best. This doesn’t mean standing around the water cooler “dissing” the boss or the company, telling off-color jokes or getting your kicks at someone else’s expense.

True fun springs from the same well of ingenuity where all great ideas originate. Consider a friendly competition, as in sports, for instance. Two chefs in a busy café can spontaneously decide to see who can flip the most flapjacks; two waitstaff can see who can get to customers’ tables the fastest.

This can lead to some really creative signage. Smart small business owners might want to invest in a few of our blank yard signs and handwrite an appealing message such as: “Are We Having Fun Yet?” in permanent marker, giving it that personal touch that says the boss believes in balance, not just balance sheets. Then post the sign in the break room, or wherever your team congregates out of customer view. One manager presented a newly engaged employee with a plaque that read, “No Business During Fooling Hours”. This won her heart — and her continued company loyalty.

The important point is that employees be permitted to generate and implement some office fun that is not distracting and enables them to be even more productive. As long as what people come up with is safe, above-board, and harms no one, encourage your team to enjoy themselves. Happy people make a better business. Believe us: we know!

QR Codes: Is Your Signage Scannable?

Matt Medel July 27, 2012 0 Comments

In a virtual world, the strange little black-and-white block patterns known as QR codes are a super way of marketing on the fly. Place a QR (“quick response”) code on your yard sign, banner or business card, and potential customers will be able to download all your relevant information into their mobile device.

QR codes are an excellent tool to help you capture people’s attention at the most unlikely times and in the most unusual places. Here are five quick ways QR codes can enhance your business:

Lose the wait. How do you spell boring? W-a-i-t-i-n-g: for a subway, a bus, a train or a plane. Help alleviate tedium and market your business at the same time with QR codes: add one to a political yard sign, sandwich board or real estate sign. People can download all the information into their smart phone, then peruse your website at their convenience.
Educate. Whether someone is a first-time home buyer or real estate investor, real estate can be a complex proposition. You can use a QR code to provide consumer information, enabling people to knowledgeably compare properties and cut to the chase when they contact you. Include the QR code on your commercial real estate signs, custom sign riders and business cards, too.
Show, don’t tell. Real estate professionals can use QR codes to create a compelling visual of homes for sale, such as a code composed of tiny images of houses. Use Fancy QR Code Generator to add graphics. Just be sure you test the code thoroughly first, to ensure it works properly! If you’re not sure how to do that however, you might consider using an SEO Reseller.
Tell, don’t show. On the other hand, political candidates may wish to use QR codes to send constituents to an audio or video of them addressing the pertinent issues of the campaign. When someone scans the code off a political yard sign or vinyl banner, presto: they’re taken to a link that plays your campaign message.
Share and share a Like: Be a smart digital marketer: create a mobile-specific site or Facebook integration page that encourages people to “like” your real estate business or political campaign. People want to share what they like, and liking begets business — and votes.

Spinner Signs – High Impact Advertising With A Human Touch

Matt Medel April 5, 2012 0 Comments

When business is slow, some business owners can go into a tizzy. But instead of spinning your wheels, simply start spinning; this will help a lot.

How’s that again?

Advertising is all about spin. Now you can literalize it, with spinner signs. Durable, double-sided 16×48″ signs made of 10mm Coroplast construction that announce your business in full color vinyl glory. And because spinner signs are mobile, they’re an ideal form of advertising in cities that have strict ordinances regulating signage.

Spinner signs are a superb way to maximize employee productivity during a downturn. Select a gregarious employee to become your human directional advertisement, create an eye-catching spinner sign, and send your employee outside to drive more traffic to your business.

How can a spinner sign help your business thrive? Let your creativity run wild! An accounting office dresses one spinner sign holder as the Statue of Liberty during tax season; another spinner dons an Uncle Sam costume. Real estate professionals might want to dress their spinner sign employee as a house key.

Encourage your spinner to be as imaginative as possible. One spinner sign holder was doing such an amazing dance routine at a busy intersection, drivers stopped at the light were mesmerized — and of course they noticed where his sign was pointing. Talk about human directional advertising!

Let your employee spin to the beat, and bring in the biz! Rain or shine, with this low an investment, spinner signs are the perfect high impact advertising with a human touch for any size business.

Be Easy To Find: Business Cards and Business Card Magnets

Matt Medel July 26, 2011 0 Comments

You know the drill: you’ve looked everywhere for that scrap of paper where you jotted down an all-important phone number. If only you’d programmed it into your phone. Oh, how frustrating…

Not if you have a business card magnet…

Business card magnets are perfect for home or office. Your customers will probably stick the magnet on their refrigerator door, which means when it’s time to call the vet, the hair stylist, the personal chef service, or any business that delivers to the home, your contact information is right there.

Business card magnets also serve as a reminder to use your service. Your potential customer might be stuck on the exact name of your company, yet be thinking, “Gee, it would be great to see if that family catering place could come up with a creative spread for our family picnic.” On the other hand, if there’s a business card magnet on the fridge or filing cabinet, they’ll be on the phone with you, pronto.

And Business car magnets go hand-in-glove with printed business cards. These days, when websites are becoming as de rigeur as cell phones, it’s easy to overlook a paper promotional product. Yet the best way to help someone you meet at a networking event remember your website is to give them a business card.

While some companies offer standard business card templates, our business card are custom designed, so your card will be as unique as your company. Why blend in when it’s much more beneficial to stand out?

So get your customized business cards and business card magnets- and get more business!

Visit our website today! www.supercheapsigns.com

Also add us on Facebook and Twitter and get our news fast!

How to Install Vinyl Lettering

Matt Medel March 2, 2011 0 Comments

Vinyl lettering can be the perfect way to add a professional look to your business while driving traffic. However, the only way it’ll look professional and bring in new customers is if it is installed correctly. You’re probably reading this article because you have already ordered some vinyl lettering and are just now trying to figure it out how you get it from the box it was delivered in to your storefront window. This guide is here to help you with the installation of the vinyl lettering so that you can quickly get that lettering working for you.

Step 1) Be sure to clean the surface you wish to apply the lettering to. If this surface is a window outside, let it warm up a bit in the sunlight. It’s preferable to have a warm surface for the decals to mount on.

Step 2) Position the lettering on the surface and tape the sides down so you have an idea of what it will look like. Measure and make sure the lettering is straight and in the right place. Check twice! Or even three times!

Step 3) Place masking tape only on the top half of the lettering so you have a way to lift the letters off the wall without losing their position.

Step 4) Cut every letter apart so they each have their own hinge. This way you can install one letter at a time and check your progress along the way

Step 5) Apply fluid and spray the adhesive on the decal.

Step 6) Let a squeegee be the only contact that applies pressure to the lettering adhesive

Step 7) Slowly pull back the application material and check for air bubbles.

Now you can sit back, relax and admire your handy work! Try to maintain your lettering by keeping the window clean on both sides. Preventing dust particles from getting under the lettering will extend the life of it. But do try not to scrub at the lettering. This will only lift the edges off the window and create curling.