With gratitude to our friends at Hootsuite, we’re sharing their article on how to gain Instagram likes and comments through the use of friend groups. Since posts with more engagement get more reach, this “secret” technique can help you get in front of more people, and ultimately gain more followers.
We love Pinterest. Whether we’re planning a party, redecorating our homes, or just dreaming about the life we wish we had, Pinterest is our electronic scrapbook, vision board and shopping list all rolled into one. The user interface is seamless and each click feels native and intuitive.
Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) provides retirement benefits to city, state and other public sector employees. IPERS members include teachers, social workers, park maintenance staff, firefighters, police officers, and many others who keep Iowa communities strong and safe.
We’ve worked with IPERS since 2004 when they came to us for a rebrand, starting with their logo. We developed a brand mark that incorporated the state of Iowa shape and an oak leaf, representative of the state tree and longevity. We’ve since helped to integrate their brand into everything from the website and the State Fair booth to even the rugs in their lobby. We’ve also refreshed their print collateral, striving for more clarity on topics that can be confusing for many people.
You know not everyone is an ideal client. In fact, the wrong client can be downright bad for business. They cost money, drain morale and worse yet – may refer you to other prospects just like them!
Lisa Kamphuis, ARNP launched her holistic healthcare practice, Whole Woman Health, in 2002. She came to us in 2015 because business was lagging after a chance in insurance billing practices, and she was ready to bring her brand and identity in line with her vision for the future of the clinic.
If your office is large, or working from multiple locations, you may already be “Slacking”. Slack is a mobile and desktop text-message-style communication tool that has become commonplace for co-workers. It almost completely replaces inter-office email and serves as the new “water cooler” for social chit-chat among team members.
However, Slack isn’t appropriate in all situations. There are a few times where good old email may be the best communication tool:
The concept of the Law of Attraction has been around since the 1930s, but it seems to be in the media frequently lately. The Law states (in very simplified terms) that what you imagine clearly, you can help bring to fruition.
Our last blog post discussed the importance of customer reviews, with ideas for how you can ask for reviews without being pushy Today, we’re sharing tips for responding to reviews:
Above all else, make sure you’re using the right voice for your brand. If your company has a casual vibe, your response should be friendly and informal. If your company is a bit more buttoned up, respond accordingly.
You might have the most honest, sincere, genuine team on the planet, rooted in family values and always willing to go the extra mile, but at the end of the day, what do your customers trust, above all else? Reviews. More and more, customers turn to consumer reviews on Amazon, Google, Facebook, or Yelp for the unfiltered story of your company.
Sadly, most customers won’t take the time to write a review unless they’ve had a terrible experience with your company. This can mean you’ll wind up with a whole slew of horror stories in your reviews – detailing the rare occasions that your team falls below the mark of exceptional service – rather than the stories of the superior product or service you provide 99% of the time.
So how can you avoid ending up with a “1 Star” rating overall, and show that these poor service experiences are not the norm? Ask for reviews from happy customers! Here’s how:
Ask Via Email: Send an email shortly after a purchase or visit so the experience is fresh in the customer’s mind. Be sure to provide a direct link to leave a review on your desired platform to make the process easy.
Encourage Check-Ins: Encourage people to check-in at your business. Facebook will automatically send them a reminder to write a review for your business. In all likelihood, only people who like your business will want to check in, so you’ll get positive reviews. Pro tip: Be sure you have free wifi to make check-ins simple!
Add Physical Signs: Post signage at your location asking for reviews or Facebook check-ins.
Work the Ask into Your Sales Process: When your sales or customer service team talks to clients, this can be a very natural time to ask for a review. The team member can explain that reviews help other customers who are researching them, and give a genuine look at their products and services.
Begin to organically work these review requests into your processes, and you’ll see your “star” ranking increase over time.
We recently shared the five key questions we ask clients who want to rebrand. From evaluating your market and market position to ensuring your logo is flexible enough to meet changing media demands, there are lots of factors to consider before confidently moving in the direction of a rebrand. And it’s not a decision to be made lightly! Hiring a professional agency to conduct an in-depth brand study, then guide you through the identity development process is an investment. Plus, you’ll need to nail the roll out of the new brand, which is another major cost. You’ll replace uniforms, building signage, print collateral, your website, and all other assets where your logo is present.
Clearly, we understand the magnitude of such a shift, and know the importance of a well-executed rebrand.
So, how did we know it was time to turn our attention to our OWN brand? This year marks our 25th anniversary, which is a natural time to pause, to evaluate what’s working well, and to make refinements. We certainly didn’t enter the branding process thinking “Our logo is horrible! We need something new!” But we did say “We’ve had the same look for quick awhile. Let’s do a persona study to make sure we’re projecting an image that matches our brand today.”
We ended up with an identity system that is the fresh, fun and modern, and lends itself to animation and movement. Our bright color palette speaks to the energy and creativity of our team. Overall, we are thrilled with our rebrand, and excited to continue to evolve as our business changes!
