font Matters

Text & Font Create a Powerful Message


Fonts are my friend. I think I have over 150 fonts in my font book and probably use 150 of them in marketing. Fonts can evoke emotion and thought and using the wrong font could cost you.

Here are some tips for fonts:

1. I try not to use more than 3 fonts per piece. Most graphic designers will tell you to limit to 2, sometimes I break that rule.

2. Make them legible. Don't use too much script or handwriting fonts, your message could get lost if your clients have to think too hard about what the message reads. Try to limit the scripts and handwriting fonts to headings and short verbiage.

3. Make sure not to use colored fonts for large bodies of text. It is hard on the eyes to read light colors or bright colors. Try to stick to black or dark grey for long paragraphs.

4. Don't be afraid to bold or italicize your message, it can get your point across just as well.

Here is a link to some creative ways to use font:
http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design-tips/the-15-best-free-fonts-for-designers-1233380/

FREE FONTS

There are tons of free fonts out there, here are some of my favorite free font sites:

http://www.dafont.com/
http://www.urbanfonts.com/fonts.php
http://www.fontspace.com/

Give Them A Reason To Go

...to visit your website, FB page, blog or business


These days we have a million and two things that pull at our attention. So a call to action from someone has to be pretty compelling. I will be the first to admit, if I can't find it or handle it in 2 minutes or less...it is out of my mind, I am on to something else!

SO, when you are putting together a marketing plan and want your clients to have a specific response ie: visiting your website, reading your blog or stopping by your office give them a good reason and make it easy.

Put partial info on your marketing pieces and ask them to visit your website for the rest. This also saves room on your publications and allows for more information as well as keeps it short and sweet for your readers. This could be giving part of a recipe and having the full recipe on your website or having a day where you are giving something away at your office or featuring a coupon on your blog for one day only.

Give people a reason to visit you, your site or take action.

When people do take action, make it simple. Don't have them fill out gobs of info or fill out a 5 page survey. Respect their time and only collect the data you need or make an optional request of them.

By the way...want to see the COOLEST idea for a new business card that I guarantee will "stick" in your clients mind? Follow me on Pinterest.  :)

 http://pinterest.com/mmarison/

Your Birthday Is A Pretty Big Deal
It's easy to remember


One of the simplest and most effective ways to make a lasting impression on a client is to do something special for their birthday. Birthdays are a big deal whether we admit it or not and when someone remembers our birthday - we remember them.

Here a a few easy ways to make an impression for someone's birthday.
1. Send an e-card and type a personal message
2. Send a $5 gift certificate to Starbucks or Dairy Queen
3. Include a quote with your logo that they may hang on their wall
4. Send a postcard with a funny picture, more people will see it
5. Send a $2 bill with the card, it is unique and they will remember it
6. Celebrate their half birthday too, no one does that
7. Record a birthday video or voice recording and send it instead of a card, its more personal
8. Send a ball - yes, you can write a message on a ball and send it in the mail go to www.sendaball.com for an example.
9. Include a bag of sprinkles in the card instead of confetti
10. Take them out for coffee

Happy Birthday!

Be The Unofficial Expert
Even though you are not


There are 3 kinds of experts:
1. The expert: The official expert in a subject.
2. The unofficial expert: Someone who knows a lot about a subject but not enough to be the expert.
3. The expert researcher: This is the person who is not an official expert, or unofficial expert, but wants some sort of knowledge base, so they learn.

You fall into all of these categories with different subjects in your life.

I for instance am an expert 14er climber. I have climbed 39 of the 54 14ers and have spent over 500+ hours getting to and climbing the 14,000 foot peaks.

I am an unofficial expert in graphic design. I have had some official training but mostly self-taught mastery working with graphic design programs. I can use them enough to produce an awesome end product.

I am an expert researcher in cooking. I have some basic cooking skills, but rely on recipes, cookbooks and the Food Network when I am in the kitchen.

No matter where you fall in any of these categories in any subject, there is always an opportunity to share with your client what you know or have learned. I recently started a series of weekly videos showing clients and colleagues how to use Microsoft Outlook more efficiently. There are so many capabilities, you can not possibly have time to learn them all! So I learn one NEW thing per week, shoot a short video and send it out to a list of interested parties. I am by no means an expert on the topic, but I too want to learn more about it and don't mind sharing!

Here is what my weekly email looks like:

Here is your weekly video on Microsoft Outlook tips. 

*Note: This is in version 2007.

Topic:

How to customize fields in your address book.

Useful When:

You want to add a field to store data specific to your industry.

For example: Loan amount, purchase price, interest rate, closing date etc. 

Click HERE for the short video.

If you found this useful, feel free to pass along to your colleagues, clients and friends. 

Have a great week!

Take a few minutes to share your expertise through an email, a video, a voice-note or a blog! Don't worry if you are not an expert and revel in the fact if you are. Have fun...share what is in that brain of yours!

FREE LUNCH!
An important concept.


We are attracted to the word FREE.

Think about how you feel when you hear the following phrases:

Buy one get one free.
Free shipping.
Free sample.
Free trial.
Free consultation.
Free gift.
Free lunch.


Some of these phrases excite you because you are getting something of VALUE and some of these phrases excite you because you don't feel a need to COMMIT to anything before you figure out if it will work for you or not.

Think about what you could offer for FREE. Could you offer ideas? Could you offer a FREE CMA? Could you give away something for FREE? You may already do it, people just don't know it.

So here is my FREE idea - let people have something for FREE.

Cruise Control Marketing
How to Creating a Powerful Marketing Calendar That Works for You




I have always dreamed of a marketing system that worked on its own. Something I didn't even have to think about. It used to be that I would just wait until I was "out of the weeds" to be intentional about marketing. Mid September I would start to think about the newsletter that was supposed to go out in 2 weeks. I felt like I was up against a constant deadline.

Well - I finally got tired of it and quit resisting the planning and discipline it takes to keep your marketing consistant and in motion. Here are some useful things I came up with to help keep me on target.

1. Set a Master Marketing Calendar

• I created an excel spreadsheet that organized each month and what the major marketing components we have every month. I was able to space out newsletters, postcards, deliveries to clients etc. appropriately to have a balanced and comprehensive marketing plan. I then color coded it for me to be able to read with ease. I even made columns to include notes about the project/marketing piece. I put this schedule next to my desk so I can see it daily.

2. Break Down EVERY Marketing Item

• It is very important for me to break down every marketing action item on a timeline. I find I often don't realize how long projects will take, so spending 5-10 minutes to break out every idea proves VERY valuable. I am already starting on the May newsletter based on a timeline I created well in advance. Having a colleague to help you with this project breakdown can provide insight and actions you wouldn't have considered otherwise. Jan often reminds me to add in a minor detail for her to order paper for my project well in advance so I can print the project. I sometimes miss these "small" details ;)

3. Block Out Time On Your Calendar

• As SOON as I have a project, a deadline, and a timeline, I block time on my calendar so I can TRUST it can get done. I even color code things on my calendar so I can see when my non-negotiable time is. I often shut my door and let colleagues know what I am working on so I can have un-disturbed time to work on it. 

4. Practice Makes Perfect

• I didn't come up with this system over night. It has come from experience and practice and is in constant motion. I am working to refine it and learn from each experience but I get better and better all the time. 

If you are interested in any of my templates I have created, email me at michelle@hometeam-lending.com and I am happy to share!

Go forth and prosper!

The Copy Cat
A fun easy way to stay connected


So about a month ago I found the following FUNNY picture on Facebook about social media explained:

I then decided to take that idea and use it in my industry (Real Estate) and used it in our monthly newsletter publication. Here is what I came up with:

You don't always have to come up with the next best thing, sometimes being a copy cat is just as fun and is very relevant. 

How would Social Media be explained using your industry?