InDesign

InDesign InDesign is Isis Image Design's customer newsletter. We will be bringing you bi-weekly articles with tips on marketing your business or organization, defining your image, and other promotional tips. http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/templates/bulletproof/img/s9y_banner_small.png http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/ 2009-11-16T11:07:06Z Serendipity 1.5.3 - http://www.s9y.org/ en Isis Image Design 2010-01-04T07:19:00Z 2009-11-16T11:07:06Z http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/wfwcomment.php?cid=6 0 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/rss.php?version=atom1.0&type=comments&cid=6 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/index.php?/archives/6-guid.html Start the New Year with a New Image

The Importance of an Integrated Marketing Strategy

In the business and nonprofit world, marketing is everything; however, your marketing plan is only as good as the strategies that you employ. That is why it's important you use marketing strategies that will introduce your company, organization, or event to a broad base of individuals. Before they shake your hand or get your card, they must become aware of your ability to meet their needs.

Your marketing strategy has to be planned, effective, and integrated. Without these essentials, your marketing efforts will not be impactful, causing your message to be forgettable. An integrated marketing strategy is a plan of action that incorporates the use of all mediums (i.e. internet, television, radio, print and face-to-face) to inform and promote your business to prospective clients, customers, or members.

An integrated marketing strategy will help your business or nonprofit gain maximum exposure to a wide audience. It will allow your brand to be known to people and in places that you cannot be.

Having an integrated marketing strategy shouldn’t be an option, but an essential tool as part of your business plan. Without an integrated marketing strategy, you will not gain maximum exposure to a wide audience. Here are the critical components of your integrated marketing strategy:

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Isis Image Design 2009-11-15T07:19:00Z 2009-11-16T11:07:53Z http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/wfwcomment.php?cid=7 0 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/rss.php?version=atom1.0&type=comments&cid=7 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/index.php?/archives/7-guid.html Common Event Promotion Mistakes to Avoid

As the year winds down, many end-of-year celebration are being planned. Many people are bombarded with holiday party and gala invitations. You may even be planning such an event for your nonprofit or business. In this busy event planning season, how do you make your event stand apart from all the rest and entice people to attend?

Common Mistakes
Every event requires planning, no matter how small or routine. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when planning your next event:

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Isis Image Design 2009-10-12T15:00:00Z 2009-09-10T14:58:08Z http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/wfwcomment.php?cid=3 0 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/rss.php?version=atom1.0&type=comments&cid=3 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/index.php?/archives/3-guid.html Should Facebook be the Face of Your Business/Organization?

By Tamara Muhammad, Managing Director Isis Image Design

We are living in a day and time where social networking sites are the places for news, information, and taking care of business. Social networking has become so popular that a growing approach among many businesses and nonprofits is to market their products and services through social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Businesses, both large and small, create their own pages on these sites.

And it’s understandable, especially when having a page on a social networking site is free, easy to develop, and can be accessed by millions. However, having a “traditional” website is still something worth investing in. Unlike social networking sites, websites can include unlimited content, have many pages, and it can be designed to fit the brand of your business or nonprofit. Using these online tools will not only increase your visibility for your target audience, but also create a multi-faceted dimension to your brand.

While social networking sites may be good for announcing promotions or events, the goal should ultimately be to drive people to your website. Why? Remember the 10 reasons you need a website:

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Isis Image Design 2009-09-28T15:00:00Z 2009-09-10T14:57:52Z http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/wfwcomment.php?cid=4 0 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/rss.php?version=atom1.0&type=comments&cid=4 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/index.php?/archives/4-guid.html Do I Really Need a Website?

By Tamara Muhammad, Managing Director Isis Image Design

Over my 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, I have learned that websites are not just an accessory but a necessity. At age 17 I co-founded a nonprofit organization, New Light Leadership Coalition, Inc. (NLLC), and didn’t know where to begin to attract people to our cause. In fact, it was just an idea and very few people were even aware of our existence. We had a message and a valuable service to provide to young people, but no one knew about us. Our first event attracted about 50 people from the local area.

With very little resources for traditional advertising, we started our marketing with a website. The brand of NLLC went out to more places than we could have ever gone. As a result, our event attendance the following year spiked to over 200 people coming to Baltimore from as close as Brooklyn and as far away as Iowa.

It also opened up the doors for us to do training across the country from people who had only heard about us online. Since the launch of the website, NLLC has trained over 2,000 young people nationwide.

Learn about our free website offer (for a limited time only) ->

Websites are a valuable tool and resource that can speak for you when you can’t. And they don’t have to cost an arm and leg to have.
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Isis Image Design 2009-09-14T15:00:00Z 2009-09-10T14:58:29Z http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/wfwcomment.php?cid=5 0 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/rss.php?version=atom1.0&type=comments&cid=5 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/index.php?/archives/5-guid.html Marketing Your Business in a Down Economy

In today’s economy, entrepreneurs are learning creative, innovative ways to market their business and to drive traffic to their websites. Marketing is such a crucial component of helping your business to grow and establishing yourself as a business owner.

Today, we have so many online marketing courses popping up daily on the Internet; however, there are many inexpensive, cost-efficient ways to market your business through the social media sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, and Pingler. The best thing about using these social media sites is you can use all of them without paying a dime and start driving traffic to your website.

Another, way to drive traffic to your website is through Google Adwords. This will immediately drive traffic to your website, but it will cost you. You can market your business through You Tube, on/offline radio shows, or by having a blog.

It’s important that you develop a website that is going to grasp the visitor’s attention in 3 minutes or less. When you have a website that’s long, mundane, too wordy and/or difficult for the viewer to understand than you’ve lost them and you may risk the chance of not having them return to your website. The goal is you want to make your website informative, but also interesting and fun to the person who is visiting your website. There should never be a time when
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Isis Image Design 2009-08-31T16:07:00Z 2009-09-03T13:28:26Z http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/wfwcomment.php?cid=2 0 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/rss.php?version=atom1.0&type=comments&cid=2 http://isisimagedesign.com/indesign/index.php?/archives/2-guid.html Can I Have Your Business Card?

By Tamara Muhammad, Managing Director Isis Image Design

"Do you have a business card?" How many times have you been asked this question and your response has been, "sorry I'm all out." As a professional, having a business card is essential and is your ticket for success. The business card represents you and your business. It gives new contacts a first impression of you and your business. That's why it's crucial to have a business card that's well designed, easy to read, and provides all the information necessary to get in touch with you.

Over the years, I've seen all types of creative business cards--from neon colors to mock credit card designs. And even though these business cards may stand out, the question is, what message do they convey to the new contact? If your business card is printed on neon pink construction paper with misspelled words, what does it say about your business? Since the card represents you, it should have the same look and use the same design as the rest of your promotional materials. This approach will help you to establish a brand for your company and/or nonprofit organization. Furthermore, business cards are essential because contact information can be stored and easily accessed.

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