Color increases brand recognition by 80%.

As a web agency, one of the most common conversations we have with clients is regarding their color palette. Many small business owners are confused about color, and tend to want to design their brand around their own personal preference, without even considering what would appeal most to their audience. For instance… If you are a consultant and your primary client is a 45-60 year old male executive, chances are that a pink website is not going to attract their attention. On the flip side, if you work primarily with stay at home moms, then corporate blue may bore them away.

Understanding color meanings (both positive and negative), and how they relate to your target audience (age, class, gender) will help you create a stronger brand palette. Take a look at the following infographic on color theory. Do the colors you use for your brand work for your target?

Google has a new social network.
It’s going to be a Facebook killer.
We’ll never use the Internet the same way again.
Google+ is the future of social networking.

We all love a bit of drama, so many of us ran out and set up accounts right away. (Current estimates are that there are 40 million G+ accounts). Who doesn’t want to be on the cutting edge, one of the dragon slayers who put the sword into Facebook? Well, as it turns out, about 740 million Facebook users still haven’t made the switch.

Google Plus (Google+ or G+) is the latest social network that people are buzzing about. With the very recent launch of brand pages, businesses are getting even more interested in how to capitalize on the site’s growing popularity. If you’re thinking about joining the world of plusses and circles, here are a few things to get you started.

It’s not Facebook, or Twitter
It’s human nature to compare something new to something familiar. But, oftentimes the comparison is not quite right. This is what I’ve found with Google+ We all want it to be like what we’re already familiar with (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) but in reality, it’s not. But, since you can’t describe a color you’ve never seen before, I’m going to draw a few comparisons to help you better understand.

After a decade of garnering awards on behalf of their clients, One Lily is again recognized for ingenuity and outstanding design – this time for their own website.

Apple Valley, California. November 2, 2011 – One Lily, Inc. has long received international attention for helping smaller clients outcompete their larger opponents. Today the firm was again recognized for their design excellence, and this time it was for their own website that showcases their services and capabilities. One Lily was awarded a Silver Davey Award from among nearly 4,000 entries worldwide.

The Davey is an international creative award focused exclusively on honoring outstanding creative work from the best small firms. The Davey Awards are so named to honor the achievement of the creative “Davids” whose strength comes from ideas, intelligence and out-of-the-box thinking, not a “Goliath’s” bankroll.

“Helping our clients succeed first has always been our approach,” stated One Lily President Angela Nielsen. “When one of our clients’ websites wins a design award it’s always a joy to see their reaction. So in many ways, receiving this award now reflects that our clients always come before we do. But it is exciting to join their ranks. Now I know firsthand what they experience!”
“Great work is about fresh ideas and exceptional execution, not the biggest budgets,” reflects Nielsen. “That’s why our slogan is ‘Strategy. Design, Marketing.’ We always focus on smart execution to level the playing field for our clients, and the Davey Awards embody that same philosophy.”

About the Davey Awards:
The Davey Awards is judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 200+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current IAVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: Brandweek, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, Fry Hammond Barr, HBO, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and Yahoo!. For more information, and a full member roster, please visit www.iavisarts.org.

About One Lily Inc.:
One Lily is a full-service web and print design firm located in southern California that provides hosting, website maintenance, corporate identity packages, and resources for branding, copywriting, search optimization, and online marketing.

Contact:
Angela Nielsen, President
(760) 434-0000

http://www.onelily.com

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Where Do You Start?

The question we get asked often is which social media networks should a small business owner join. Or worse, the client comes in ready to join them all! While we firmly believe there is a social media network for every business, we don’t believe that every business should be on every social media network. There is still a business to be ran, and plunging into every possible network out there is quite time intensive. And we definitely don’t recommend that you join them all and then automate everything (see our blog post on automating social media).

The Big 4 Social Media Networks

We’re sure you’ve heard of the big four… Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and newest kid on the block – Google+. Almost all small businesses should be able to find a home in at least one of the big four… if not several. When deciding where you want to begin, it’s our recommendation that you start where the majority of the people already are. Our infographic on the big four helps to break down the stats on each of those social media networks.

Quick Stats on the Big Four

Facebook = 800 million users
Twitter = 200 million users
LinkedIn = 115 million users
Google Plus = 50 million users (and growing fast)

Understanding Facebook

Facebook is a social networking website connecting friends, family, and businesses. To get started on Facebook – you must first create a profile. This then becomes your “personal” connection on Facebook. You can then seek out friends/family/colleagues/etc and request to “be friends”. Typically your personal profile should be kept personal. Connect with people you know in real life, and those you’ve met virtually. Others will likely “friend request” you as well. You can set your privacy to allow the whole world to see your updates, or set it where only the friends you accept can see your updates.

The Facebook Fanpage is the page you create for your business. You cannot create this page until you have created a personal profile. Keep in mind, once you create this fanpage, it does not automatically give your business fans access to your personal profile, that is still kept hidden from them unless you make it public.

In using Facebook for business, you could post items to your wall which would be relevant to the audience that has “liked” your page. These will likely be clients, prospects, colleagues, etc. Posting your blog posts, sharing articles relevant to your industry, uploading photos or videos of your staff – these are all excellent ways to start building your fan page content. Keep in mind however, Facebook is meant to be a conversation – so encourage interaction, respond to questions or comments. Branch out to other pages and participate in their conversations as well.

Facebook isn’t expected to be instant communication, meaning you don’t have to reply the second someone reaches out – but you should reply to questions and comments within a day or two, if not sooner. People will lose interest in your brand very quickly if you take 2 weeks to get back to them.

Last but not least – don’t use Facebook as a sales platform. There is nothing wrong with sharing specials or the like, but if this is all you are doing on Facebook – then people will move on very quickly. They want to be educated or entertained. It’s best when you can work in a combination of both.

We find that the majority of businesses can get a good return on their investment of time using Facebook. It has the largest audience, hence the greatest reach.

Understanding Twitter

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, known as “tweets”. Twitter is not like Facebook, and should not be considered the same type of social network just on another platform. Think of Twitter as a cocktail party. If someone asks you a question, you don’t turn around and call them back 3 days later with an answer. You have a very short window in which to reply to them before they turn and walk away and ask someone else.

On Twitter – there is only one type of account to create (no distinction between personal and business – though you can decide how you want to use Twitter). Twitter is a lot more active, fast paced, than the other networks. Unlike Facebook, you don’t “friend request” others. You actually find those on Twitter that you’re interested in following, and from their profile you can “follow” them. Similarly, others will “follow” you. There is no permission requests necessary.

Keep in mind – Twitter is NOT a numbers game. The goal if Twitter is not to have the most followers, or to follow the most people… the whole point is to actively engage and participate in conversation, in real time. Think about it – if you’re following 15,000 people, how can you possibly pay attention to their tweets and reply/connect with them? You can’t. Follow an audience of others that you truly want to learn from, talk to, and genuinely want to know more about. Keeping the number of people you follow small, you’ll be more able to get involved. Again, back to the cocktail party concept — if you attend and event with 30, you’re more likely to be able to connect with each person there, have a conversation, and strike up a relationship – on the other hand, if there are 300 at that same party, it’s going to be nearly impossible for you make connections and engage with everyone.

Like Facebook – Twitter is not meant to be one-sided. Don’t just use Twitter to push your own agenda/content. Take an active role, retweeting content of those you follow that might be of interest to those that follow you. Reply to people when you are mentioned, a simple thank you goes a long way.

Twitter will take more time for most people, and really needs to be treated like an active conversation. If you aren’t there, you’ve missed that conversation. It’s isn’t for everyone, and for certain businesses we recommend they stay away from Twitter if they can’t dedicate the time to actively engage.

Understanding LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 120 million members and growing rapidly. LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals. Think of LinkedIn as the world’s largest chamber of commerce event.

Professionals create their online profiles, which are very similar to resumes. They list job information, education, affiliations, etc. Then connect with others they know either in the real world or virtually. Any connections you have, are able to see your other connections. Others hoping to connect with someone, may come to you if you are the connection between them and that person.

LinkedIn is used for business connecting, job hunting, joint venture development, and isn’t as “social” as the other networks. Because LinkedIn focuses strictly on business, you will find that the majority of the conversations on LinkedIn are business related.

You can post updates on your LinkedIn account that will broadcast to the network you are connected with… but the best way to get involved on LinkedIn is to join groups. There are tons and tons of groups to choose from. Some are public, some are private and require approval from the group administrator in order to join. You can also create your own group!

For many small business owners, LinkedIn doesn’t require the same type of time commitment as the other networks – unless you are actively involved in several groups. Participating in sharing knowledge with other members will help establish you as an expert in your area/industry, and tends to open up doors for meeting others in similar industries.

LinkedIn is a great business platform… but is not where you are likely to build a raving fan community (like you would at Facebook or Twitter). We do recommend that all small business owners at a minimum create a presence at LinkedIn.

Understanding Google +

Google Plus came on the scene as a mixture of some of the other social media networks, claiming to bring in the best parts of them, but do them better. While it’s too early to predict how Google Plus might change social media, or it’s significance to business owners… one astonishing piece of information is that it grew faster than any other network, reaching over 50 million users in a matter of months instead of years.

Google Plus lets your organize your friends/contacts by topic: friends, family, colleagues, college buddies, roommates, ex boyfriends, etc. The idea behind circles is that as you share information to your network, you can choose specifically which of your circles to share this information with.

Google Plus offers virtual chat rooms where you can start up video conversations and talk with your friends, it also has group messaging, where you and friends in your circle can chat amongst yourselves. Like Facebook, you can share videos, photos, links to websites you like, and of course status updates.

Admittedly I don’t know much more than that about Google Plus. I am a Google Apps user, and we were the last to be allowed to join Google Plus, so I’ve just recently setup an account. However, in my opinion, Google Plus appears to be trying to outwit  Facebook – and I just wasn’t impressed. Until Google gets it’s numbers up to compete more with the big 3 (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), you won’t likely see me hanging out over there.

Other Social Networks

Aside from the big boys… there are TONS of other social networks out there. There are other general networks, as well as social networks specific to certain industries (entrepreneur networks, human resources networks, medical networks, etc). You can check out some of the following if you’re looking for more networks to join… MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, Hi5, Orkut, Perfspot, Zorpia, Netlog, Habbo, Ning, Tagged, MyYearBook, Meetup, Badoo, MyLife, Classmates, Entrepreneur Connect, PartnerUp, StartupNation, Biznik……. the list just keeps going and going. Try searching on google for social networks in the industry you are in, you’ll be surprised by what you might find.

Final Thoughts

Social media platforms come in all shapes and sizes, and there are definitely networks out there perfect for you and your business. Choose wisely, find the networks where you’ll have the best reach, and connect with the right people. Don’t join all the networks just because you can, otherwise your time and attention becomes so divided between them that you will find you aren’t getting as much out of them as you could. And don’t jump into multiple networks all at once. Start with one, get your footing, and then branch out to another if necessary. But remember – social media is meant to be social – share and engage.

One of the questions I get asked most often from our clients and prospects is whether or not I can help them automate their blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. They want their social media profiles to be on auto pilot – feeding one to the other so they never even have to login to their networks.

The first question I ask them is, “why would you want that”?  And the overwhelming response is… “because that makes it easy, I’m just too busy to be bothered”.

Who said marketing was easy?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember marketing ever being “easy”. I’ve been doing this for over a decade now, and if there was an “easy marketing bus”… then I certainly missed it. Marketing isn’t easy folks, and it’s certainly not something you can put on auto pilot and never look back.

“We really don’t care about you enough to come here and talk to you personally.”

Is that really the message you want to send to your clients and your prospects? Because if you automate your social media, that’s exactly the message you’re sending.

Not sure what I mean by “automating social media”?

• Setting your Twitter or Facebook account to post automatically to the other every time you post to one.
• Setting a DM (direct message) to go out automatically to new followers on Twitter.
• Setting your blog to automatically push the latest posts to Facebook, LinkedIn, or elsewhere.

People don’t sign up to social media sites to receive marketing messages from robots… they want to talk to real life human beings… they want to be “social”… hence SOCIAL MEDIA folks.

Every social media account is different, treat them that way.

Many small business owners manage several different social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc). And many find it tempting to use automation tools to update them all at once. (Or worse, their marketing manager or PR firm told them that’s how it should be done.)

The problem is that people use each social network differently, and they expect you to do the same.

To maximize the effectiveness of each post you really should tailor your messages to each audience. You don’t want Twitter hash tags in your Facebook updates… and you don’t want to say “Hello Facebook” to your LinkedIn audience. Otherwise, you’re back to ‘We really don’t care about you enough to come here and talk to you personally.’

Using social media channels to spread your message and reach wider audiences is a must these days… but it’s simply not a one-sided conversation. You need to be present, you need to proactively engage in social media for the best results. You can’t do that if you set up a week’s worth of posts on Monday and think you’re done.

If you aren’t automating your social media — Good for you!

If you are… now might be the time to rethink your social media strategy. Show up, engage, show your fans/followers that you really care — and watch the magic that happens!

Firm garners Silver Award for ingenuity in design and marketing services.

Apple Valley, CA. October 11, 2010 – The International Academy of the Visual Arts today named One Lily a recipient of their Silver Award in the W3 competition for outstanding websites, web marketing, web video, & mobile apps.

One Lily was recognized for “demonstrating the out-of-the box thinking and creative execution that exemplifies what the Web is all about” said Linda Day, the Executive Director of the IAVA. “On behalf of the entire Academy, congratulations… for their dedication to pushing the limits and finding new ways to raise the bar in Web Creativity.”

As a 2011 W3 Award Winner, One Lily was selected from among over 3,000 entries from the US and several other countries.

“We are honored by the recognition,” reflected One Lily President Angela Nielsen, upon news of the award. “Competing in W3 against some of the biggest agencies in the world makes it even more gratifying. Even though it’s a great honor, our satisfied and profitable clients are much more important than any awards. We’re just happy because it means one more client can truly say they have an award winning website.”

About the W3 Awards:
The W3 Awards provides international recognition for outstanding work by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide. The W3 was the first major web competition to allow small firms such as One Lily to compete against Fortune 500 companies and international agencies in a blind competition to level the playing field.

The W³ competition is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing firms. IAVA members include executives from organizations such as Brandweek, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, Fry Hammond Barr, HBO, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and Yahoo!. For more information, and a full member roster, please visit www.iavisarts.org.

About One Lily Inc.:
One Lily is a full-service web and print design firm located in southern California that provides hosting, website maintenance, corporate identity packages, and resources for branding, copywriting, search optimization, and online marketing.

Contact:
Angela Nielsen, President
(760) 434-0000

http://www.onelily.com

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First published on Inspired Magazine.

They say the proof is in the numbers.

If that’s the case – then there is no denying that social media is more powerful than ever, and growing faster and stronger every day. There are many different social media networks out there, but this infographic will provide some very interesting statistics on the big four… Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

This infographic is an update to a previous infographic we did title “Still Think Social Media Is A Fad?“, written only 5 months before this one… before Google+ was even on our radar. My how fast things change.

Press releases are also good for giving background information for feature stories, however, it is important that your release is formatted appropriately and gives the appropriate information in a succinct manner. Following are essential steps in creating a high-quality press release.

Where it All Begins

Most press releases begin with “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” or “HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL…” followed by a release date. This information is presented flush left and in all caps prior to the headline. This lets the news agency know when the information can be released.

Develop a Strong Headline

Headlines should be relatively brief, and written in bold. You may even choose a type size that is slightly larger than the rest of your text. Your goal is to hook media outlets with an interesting headline that they can easily skim. For instance, “Flying Pigs Reported at John Smith’s Farm” will probably generate more interest than “Hogs Transported by Commercial Air Service from John Smith’s Farm to Local Meat Processing Plant.”

Create the Press Release Body Copy

Most written news stories begin with the location and date. Your press release should be no different. Follow this information with an em dash, also known as a long hyphen. This is achieved by typing two hyphens one after the other in programs like Microsoft Word. After the em dash, write a brief lead consisting of one or two sentences that describe the high points of the article. Like the headline, these sentences will be skimmed, so they should provide information that will hook the reader.

The body of the press release should contain two or three standard paragraphs that provide details such as who, what, where, when, why, and how. You can include quotes from people directly involved in the story, as well. Keep in mind that short sentences and compact paragraphs with quality verbs and nouns are much easier to read than long sentences with a lot of adjectives and adverbs.

Stick with facts. The body of your press release should include any goals, projects, services you offer, events, products, or people who are involved with the story. Provide information that verifies what you’re stating. It might even be good to create an outline that lists these things.

Finally, pull the body of your release together with a summary paragraph that consists of a few sentences that provide links or references to further information about your company.

Contact Information

Close your press release with contact information that is pertinent to the current press release. This will include your official company name, a contact person, physical address, telephone and fax numbers, Email addresses, and a Web site address. You may also include a mobile phone number, as well. After this information, signal the end of the release with three hash marks (###).

Press releases are relatively simple to write. It’s merely a matter of hooking the reader and providing information that is informative, and, if possible, entertaining. It is also important to time the release to coincide as closely as possible with the actual event. You can find further information on how to write press releases by checking out the following Web sites:

• www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Press-Release
• www.inc.com/guides/2010/09/how-to-write-a-press-release.html
• www.mediacollege.com/journalism/press-release/format.html

From Infusionsoft.com

Your website is the “storefront” of your business (even if you have a literal storefront, too). Your website needs to attract customers and keep them coming back for more.

Do you know if your website is currently doing that? If not, you can ask yourself the following eight questions to find out.

So pull up your website and ask yourself:

Where do your eyes go first?

You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of your audience…make sure they’re seeing something important.

Can you tell what the website is about?

Again, you only have a few seconds to communicate your unique value, so be clear and compelling.

Is important information above the fold?

Make sure your opt-in forms and Unique Selling Proposition are available without scrolling down.

Are the benefits highlighted?

Your visitors want to quickly learn “what’s in it for them.” Spell out the benefits clearly on the homepage.

Is there a clear call to action?

If they like what they see, prospects need to know what to do next. It can be to buy now, start a free trial, or simply download a free report.

Are the colors and font distracting?

Jarring colors, quick animation, and gaudy fonts can really be distracting. And if your visitors are distracted, they’ll click away.

Do you feel personally connected?

Consumers want to buy from people, not machines. Connect with your prospects by being honest, straightforward, and using a conversational style.

Are there links to social media?

Many people want to do a little more research before buying. Linking to social media sites gives your potential customers another glimpse into your company (and perhaps a few testimonials from other customers).

Once you determine a few areas where you can improve, develop a plan to start implementing changes. You don’t have to do them all at once – just do a few at a time until you have a website that really converts.

To your success!