How many of you have tried social media and feel like it's just not your cup o' tea?  Well maybe it isn't.  maybe word of mouth is working or standard marketing practices are keeping them coming your way so much you can't even find time to social medialize.  Then awesome!!!  I'm not a guy who feels like he has to sell it to you but I do believe in the potential of social media still today.  it's interesting how the huge ".com" boom of the 90s kind of leveled off and now over the last decade the web, internet or whatever it was that Al Gore started, seems to be finding its own.

It's a great place to buy and sell products.  A shame the states have to get their grubby hands into it and demand sales tax! (Oh was that out loud?)

It's also a great place to watch videos and other sources of entertainment on demand.  Too bad the "man" has to get his friggin’ paws in there and have an advertisement before you get to what you really want! (That was out loud too wasn't it?)


Well there's always going to be a little crack in the idea that lets others in to get a share of the wealth.  Sad but true.  Maybe you are pro or maybe you are against it but the fact of the matter is, now more than ever, especially the younger generations are turning to the more alternative methods of communications and entertainment.

Are you effectively poised to reach into that world with your product or service? 

I find I end up talking to people who want to make something work but they won't go in the direction of social media because they don't have the time or resources to fund it.  I say to them, if you utilize this, you might find it funds itself but it's not an overnight marketing miracle.  It takes time.  How many times have you gone to the doctor and they say, "Here, take this and in about two weeks you'll start to see the results?"  Many times it's because the doctor knows that in two weeks, most people regardless of body type or age, will start to see the effects of the drug on the body.  Some may see an immediate change in their health - others it may take a while.

With all this instant connectivity out there so many people with a business think the web will bring them what they want and what they need to make their business prosper.  Longevity still is the key to winning that race. It's amazing the stories I hear of people who only recently started doing some business with companies that have been on the market for years and advertising constantly but at this time they need that product or service. However, because those various companies stayed the course and kept their name and brand in front of the public - utilizing a number of avenues - they bit, they reeled them in and now they are customers.

Slow and steady growth gives a tree longevity and strength.  Steady and precise marketing to include social media, will encourage the strength of your company and each resulting sale or connection you make will help guide your marketing path for you as you see where the best results are found.  It's not always a broadcast situation but if you need your voice to be heard and what you have to offer to be seen, then travel many roads and reach many people. 
Crane Design Services can help you with that!

We live in a society full of dreamer, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, churches, retail businesses, etc...  They are all clamoring for you to see only them.  We are currently at saturation status in this country.  You can feel it.  So many different types of businesses or organizations all creating an environment that hopefully you want to come to.  Most restaurants have music; non-profits are constantly doing everything they can to raise awareness and financial support;   Churches are always coming up with ideas to get people out to Sunday services.  This goes on in our society and around the world on a regular basis.  And most, if not all of these events have very honorable intentions and offer something other than just trying to get your attention.  What separates the men from the boys as it were?  Marketing and Design.  And a lot of it.  The truth is you may have an absolutely out of this world idea or event planned.  Without proper marketing and branding and LOTS OF IT you don't get to let anyone know except that small circle.  Here are some helpful tips for you as you go into planning something that you want well attended, or at the very least you want  as many people as you can to know about it:

1) Start early. 6 months is a good time to start planning something, especially if it is a one time or yearly kind of event. 

2) Focus on the event as it relates to your customer base and the public: Laser focus, and not just a general target is what is going to get you the breakthrough into people's brains that you need.  Light is all around us unharnessed but if you harness it, focus it, you can cut thru steel.  Know the people you want to reach, the region of people, the age, you know, the demographics of it all.  Not always necessary but very helpful in planning.

3) Make sure you know your area and region and most of all know how many other events are planned for a day you have in question to do something.

4) Budget financially to have the job done right.  So many times, people ask their staff to make up a white poster board with marker on it to stick in a window and alert people.  Although inexpensive to say the least, if you have put a ton of effort into your venue or organization, why would you slack on marketing and branding?  Keep that effort full of the same passion you have in building your business and people will take notice.

5) Don't be discouraged.  The tortoise won the race because it wasn’t as slap happy and inconsistent as the hare.  Slow and steady DOES win the race.  People want to see how much you believe in what you offer to them, whether it's your normal product or service or something else you are offering to help increase your business.  Don't LET UP or you will be LET DOWN.

6) Free advertisements are usually lacking in effectiveness. Why? Because EVERYONE USES THEM.  Talk about saturation level.  Those free community calendars and local event boards are great as an addendum but if you really want people to know about what you have to offer, utilize your resources more carefully.  Internet, radio, TV and print ads will help but you need to be aware that it takes AT LEAST 8 times for a person regularly hearing or reading something for it "click" in the brain.  It takes an equal amount for them to put all the pieces together and formulate whether or not they are interested in it.

7) And finally if you are starting something that is going to be a weekly event, say "live music" during dining hours or later in the evening, support your local talent but season it with big name talent.  Ebb and flow is the key to people's emotions.  We are used to the ups and downs, it actually creates energy and hope in our lives.  Do that with whatever you offer.  Don't be cheap.  Pay well.  It's how you garner attention. Whatever you are going to do, do it well so that your perspective clientele will associate excellence with you and not just a series of bad attempts to do what everyone else is doing.

We live in such a fast paced society.  Parents and kids are involved in a ton of activities; the daily 9-5 tires us physically and mentally on a daily basis; most people are creating their homes to be more entertainment friendly so they don't pay exorbitant amounts of money to go out and "have fun;" they are cooking at home trying the latest cooking channel creations; there is a more defined effort to bring the family together.  Understand society and people and genuinely connect with them.  They are not your paycheck; they are real people just like you.  Do unto others...

Crane Design Services goes the extra mile.  Always have.  Always will.  To get you the best look you want for what you have to offer.  And we do it at a fraction of the cost of the larger companies.