The Simpler Group

QR Codes. Who’s Hungry?

Doug Simpler — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:30:49 +0000

Doug Simpler

There may be no larger marketing dinner party to be invited to this year than the Quick Response (QR) code party. QR codes are everywhere. They are on your television, billboards, magazines, emails, even business cards. They are quite effective. The audience has a real feeling of interaction and choice when a QR code is placed in front of them. Combine that fun factor with the popularity of smart phones and tablet PCs, and there may be no better way to generate an impulse purchase decision. But as QR codes become more popular among advertisers, so do their widespread misuse.

In this article I will explore the most common ways QR Codes are being misused and why misuse of a QR code could drive your customers away.

A few years ago, Brenda and I were invited to a dinner party. As we and the other guests arrived our host mentioned that she hadn’t really felt like cooking that day and she wasn’t going to prepare the main course. So there we sat, a house full of hungry guests expecting dinner and getting none. Needless to say, the party broke up early as everyone fled home to their refrigerator or nearest drive-thru.

In a similar manner a great percentage of QR code advertisers leave their audience hungry when inviting them to their website through a QR code scan. To put it simply, the consumer scans the code expecting dinner, and if they don’t get it, they will most likely find someplace else to eat. To keep your consumers eating out of your hand follow three simple solutions with QR code advertising: mobile in mobile out, customize and feeding time.

Mobile in mobile out. The most common QR code mistake is sending the user to a site that is not optimized for the mobile web. Yes, most website will display on a phone or tablet, but think about the end user experience. A mobile site is formatted specifically for the device it displays on. Sites that are designed for the mobile web are easy to read without zooming, the buttons are larger for touch screen interaction, and the content is pared down to the most important elements. If you plan on inviting your consumers to scan a code with their phone or tablet, please do not make the mistake of sending them to a site that is formatted for interacting with a personal computer.

Customize. Let’s face it, from a design standpoint; a QR code is a design nightmare. It takes up valuable space, it’s not very attractive, and those harsh angles and thick lines can turn an elegant white tablecloth place setting into Styrofoam plates and plastic forks before you can say, “Pass the ketchup.” But don’t fret, in the busy world of QR codes there are a few things that can make your checkerboard stand out from the competition. Due to the way QR codes are scanned, a designer can have a lot of fun being creative with a QR code in ways that bar codes never allowed. Try to include within your QR code the corporate logo, a company color scheme or photo, or work the code into your design in a unique way.

Feeding time. Now that you have a beautiful place setting and the casserole is in the oven, once the guests arrive, don’t forget to feed them. QR codes are about much more than generating another hit on your website’s homepage, so don’t send them there. Send them to a coupon for a percentage off, or free item with purchase or possibly even a drawing. If you don’t want to feed them with savings, feed them with information like tips, tricks and trivia, feed your consumers’ minds and pockets with information and savings that will keep them hungry for more.

Are you hungry for QR code marketing with your business? Do you need help optimizing your site for the mobile web? Are you interested in marketing with QR codes? Do you need help customizing a QR code for your business? The Simpler Group can help you with all of your mobile marketing needs with special business marketing packages that include custom built graphics that every company needs. Contact us today for a free estimate.

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About Doug Simpler — Doug manages the creative department at The Simpler Group, he strives to help customers turn vision into reality by creating unique and custom web designs. He also does print design and video/photo production. He loves the rock music, locally grown organic food, swimming, and reading.

Is your logo a no-go?

Doug Simpler — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:21:12 +0000

Logos: every company needs at least one.

Doug Simpler

Some companies have been rocking the same mark for over a century, (Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, Budweiser) some companies have icons that are so iconic they don’t even need text support,(the Nike swoosh, the Apple on your iPhone or the famous Golden Arches). Some companies use a strategy of re-branding every couple of decades to keep things fresh, (Pepsi, AT&T and Canon). What do all of these corporations have in common. A logo so unique, so well designed, so well established, that you can close your eyes and not only see it, you also understand it. The logo is the companies greatest representative. So why is it that so many business owners spend so little time and so little money on their corporate identity?

Lets start with the basics. What is a logo?

A logo is designed as a tool for immediate recognition, inspiring trust, admiration, loyalty and implied superiority. A logo is used to set you apart from your competition or in some cases to tie your business closer to more successful businesses. A logo is a companies best form of identification. It is the driver’s license of the business world.

Consider these two very similar situations:

Imagine you are on the streets of downtown Manhattan, you are standing on the curb trying to hail a cab back to your hotel. A yellow car pulls up next to you. It has the taxi light on the roof, and the logo on the door with rates. The driver look a little sketchy but he says “Hop on in” and you hop on in and tell the cabbie where you want to go. You trust that this guy knows how to drive and knows where he is going and you know he is going to charge you a semi-reasonable rate for this service.

Now imagine this same scenario with some minor yet important changes. The car that pulls up is blue. There is a faded mark on the door, but you don’t recognize it. There is no taxi light. “Hop on in” says the driver as yellow cabs whiz past. The driver looks a little sketchy and I would bet a week’s salary you aren’t getting anywhere near this back seat.

That’s the power of identity. When you combine familiarity with experience the result is trust. It’s true for strangers in cars and it’s true for corporate identity. So ask yourself these questions about your corporate logo:

Can your customers or friends describe or remember your logo?
Is your logo effective without color?
Is your logo scalable? Does it work on a billboard as effectively as a business card?
Do you have access to your logo in a variety of file types (AI, EPS, PNG, JPG)?
Does your logo gain immediate recognition?
Does your logo convey the company’s personality, character or attitude?
Does your logo relate to your clients by conveying a feeling of familiarity and credibility?
Does your logo have association with quality and satisfaction?

Is your corporate logo a no-go? Do you need assistance bringing a new brand to market, re-branding an existing mark or updating an outdated logo? The Simpler Group can help you with all of your corporate identity needs with special business development packages that include custom built graphics that every company needs. Contact us today for a free estimate.

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Roadblocks to effective social networking

Brenda Simpler — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:00:07 +0000

Brenda Simpler

Several years ago, when I began working with companies to implement online marketing and social networking the most common roadblocks that companies faced were time and resources. Most companies were simply unequipped with the time or know-how to execute a social media campaign successfully. In 2010, according to R2I data, 56 percent of companies did not have a refined social media strategy, 45 percent had no plans to hire dedicated staff to manage their social media marketing. As we move towards 2012, another roadblock has emerged more frequently. I see in larger companies a pervasive fear to opening up. Social Media and online marketing move quickly – changing tools, trends and tastes mean an organization needs to adapt and implement quickly or get left behind. Unfortunately, too many mid-level and junior-level employees are forced to spend a large amount of their time justifying things to their bosses and creating corporate policies that will calm executives’ nerves. The medium of social networking simply doesn’t tolerate the standard corporate mentality.

Of these three roadblocks, time and money can easily be tackled by a company that is serious about looking at the marketing budget allocation and implementing a few hours a week of online marketing. The hardest roadblock to move is company culture or a mentality of one sided communication. I’ve found the best way to alleviate the executive concerns about opening up is to start with small steps. Begin by gathering information about the conversation that is already taking place. In most cases there is already a conversation well under way about your product or brand, via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, forums, message boards, and online review sites. As a business you can choose to ignore the conversation or participate. Participation frequently, with timely relevant content and a unified message is the best way to break down the roadblocks and achieve a successful social networking strategy.

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About Brenda Simpler — Brenda manages the marketing and business development at The Simpler Group, she works with customers to drive more traffic to their sites and grow their business with online marketing. She loves The Beatles, gardening, walking her dog and reading.

Social Media: The Strategy

Doug Simpler — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:54:42 +0000

Doug Simpler

The goal through social media should be to become a recognized industry thought leader and the go-to resource for your customer base and potential customer base. Through polling your existing clients you can find what ponds your fish swim, then go fishing. Then develop a blog to post information that is useful and helpful to your clients and potential clients, driving traffic from your social media outlets to your web page. These social media tools allow you to open a dialogue with clients and potential clients with an open online forum. Through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, you can promote company culture, events, speaking engagements, white papers, videos, corporate congratulations, job opportunities, and other information that would be interesting and beneficial to the success of your clients and future clients. Through these avenues you should invite your followers and friends to your website via your blog and public forum. Your goals should be to establish your organization as the true leader in your industry, while creating brand recognition, turning into brand trial, then brand loyalty and keeping a continued focus on retention.

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Social Networking: Chain Gang

Doug Simpler — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:48:46 +0000

Doug Simpler

A LinkedIn account can open doors to new business partnerships, potentials clients, and a wealth of information to aid in building a business. Although it is not exactly rocket science, establishing strong relationships in LinkedIn is quickly replacing lunch meetings and cold calls. The reason why is simple. You can easily meet and introduce yourself to a host of interesting and interested business contacts all with a few minutes. More importantly, you gain exposure to many other business owners and clients from across the street as well as across the world!

There is a failure for business owners when using LinkedIn! About 80% of LinkedIn profiles are filled with resume information instead of business information. If you are asking yourself why this matters, the answer is quite clear to any marketer within a hundred paces. You have to present yourself in such a way that it shows visitors why they would want to meet you and what you have to offer as a connection. Be realistic, when you look at your LinkedIn profile, do you see a business that is credible? Your LinkedIn profile should be the online equivalent of your elevator speech because you only get 9 seconds to impress the person who reads it. The definition of bad is if the person comes away from your profile unimpressed. Worse would be if someone elects not to read it at all.

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YouTube: Video Killed the Radio Star

Doug Simpler — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:45 +0000

Doug Simpler

YouTube is the most important Social Media avenue of the last decade and it was only present for half the decade. But it is a bad assumption that viewers will come to you, or automatically think to look you up on YouTube. Every time you post a video that’s relevant for general sharing, blog about it, tweet it or add it to your Facebook Page. The last two actions are easy through YouTube’s account settings that automatically publishes news of a new video if you’ve linked up the social services. It’s easy enough to embed the relevant video in a blog post using HTML and will help push users towards your video content. In addition, don’t shy away from allowing embedding of your videos on other sites – the more views the better.

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Social Networking: You’ve got a friend in me

Doug Simpler — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:49:05 +0000

Doug Simpler

One of the most successful social sites to consider adding to your social network strategy is Facebook. Creating a Fan Page is simple, but truly utilizing it to its fullest potential takes some guidance.

A Fan Page allows a business to build a community, similar to Twitter. However, unlike Twitter, you can add and customize a great deal more.

At the very least a business should update their Fan Page “status” to keep consumers informed and engaged. A more advanced technique would be to add resources such as white papers, video and blog entries. These kinds of resources give consumers a reason to visit the Page and interact with the brand.

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The Rockin’ Robin (tweet tweetly-tweet)

Doug Simpler — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:29:30 +0000

Doug Simpler

Twitter connects you with your consumers in real-time via the web, desktop applications, and even mobile. Finding a way to offer value while humanizing the business can lead to a stronger following and increased word of mouth marketing. Additional Twitter Tools allow searching and trend following.

With Twitter, business owners are able to cater to their consumer’s needs instantaneously. In a world where everything needs to be done yesterday, a quick response can create a lifelong customer.

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Social Networking: What’s blog got to do with it?

Doug Simpler — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:23:00 +0000

Doug Simpler

When most businesses begin a social media campaign, they tend to focus on Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites. They usually forget to incorporate their own site and tie their social profiles together. One great way to bring it all together is the creation of a blog or social hub. Why push your consumers to connect with you on other sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), but not give them a reason to visit yours?

Building and writing a blog may be time consuming, but it creates a way to connect with users on your own website. Additionally, creating useful content such as how-tos or industry insights can keep customers engaged. Giving consumers a reason to visit your site is extremely important. A blog can pull consumers to your site and into the sales funnel.

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Social Networking: Let’s stay together

Doug Simpler — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:16:36 +0000

Doug Simpler

The first step is to define what social media outlets you want to use and how you will use each outlet. Then, develop a uniform message to apply to all social media avenues but customize your message based on the platform you are using. For instance, Facebook language can be lighter and feature more company culture, industry events, where as a LinkedIn profile should be more polished and business oriented. Most importantly all of the lines of communication should drive brand recognition, brand trial, brand loyalty and retention.

The goal is for your social media followers to stay with you and view your company as a reliable resource, an industry leader and someone they aspire to do business with. This will be best accomplished by taking the hard sale out of your social media campaign and replacing it with useful information that only an industry leader can provide. Your followers should want to click on your next video, blog entry, etc. So this information cannot be hyper-sales driven. It must be something that says “We are an industry leader, we have a lot of great information, we are willing to share this information with you because your success is important to us.” The best way to build new business and keep old business is by establishing an active relationship. Suggested avenues for our initial launch into social media are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the addition of a blog and public forum to our existing website.

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