Do Your SWOT

It sounds like a painful physical exercise, but it is not. A SWOT is a very important analysis every company should do before starting any marketing efforts. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  The SWOT allows you to delve deeply into the company and discover what’s going on inside, as well as see how outside factors are impacting the company.

STRENGThS ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________	WEAKNESSES ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
OPPORTUNITIES ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________	THREATS ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

           

Companies should get in the habit of completing a SWOT often. This can serve as a team building activity which allows the company to improve. By looking at the Strengths the staff realizes what's great about the company and becomes proud to work there. Looking at the Weaknesses allows the team to see what needs to be improved. Looking at the Opportunities uncovers ways in which the company can expand. Identifying the Threats allows the company to prepare for potentially adverse situations. Completing a SWOT is essential, and should be one of the first steps before designing a Communications campaign.  Research is essential to be able to complete the Opportunities and Threats analysis since both of these look at the market and competitors. For the inside factors, Strengths and Weaknesses, it is important to step back and look at the company as an outsider would, to ensure the analysis is thorough. If you need assistance with completing your first SWOT, contact us info@archipress-inc.com. We are always glad to assist you!

On Targeting

The days when communication outlets saw the public as a big general mass are over. Television programming was one-size-fits-all, and the public would watch what was provided. Things have changed dramatically. Younger generations demand content that fits their specific tastes. Of course, marketing professionals have taken advantage of this, and with extended research, we now identify people beyond demographics, and we use psychographics to understand people’s lifestyles. With more detailed information, communication outlets can now deliver content to population niches.

Advertising and promotional communications can now reach specific groups of people which allows for more effective results. Before investing in communication efforts, make sure you have done your homework. You need to know who will buy your product. If your answer is everyone, you are a very positive person, but we need to speak realistically. Not everyone will buy your products, but there is a certain group who will. All your communications and marketing efforts must go into reaching this group of people.

Analyze and create a profile of who needs or wants your product. Expand this profile by adding demographic and psychographic characteristics of the customers you already have. Do some research and find how many more people with those characteristics live in your area or in the country (depending on your distribution capabilities), and what media they consume. Once you have this, you can start considering what media you will use to advertise and what messages you want your brand to communicate.

Social Media for Businesses

Social media is user-generated content distributed online and through mobile phones. Social media includes social networking, blogs, photo sharing sites, online forums among others. Social media is used not only by individuals, but also by organizations and companies to connect directly to their target audiences. Compared to traditional forms of media such as TV and radio, social media is free of charge. Social networking is a part of daily life for consumers of all ages, and their tastes demand communication that feels organic or sincere.
Companies and organizations using social media must steer clear of using social media as a commercial form of communication. Instead, it is crucial for these entities to create and maintain a social media presence that engages their consumers.

If you are not Tweeting yet, it is time to start. Assign one person in the company to keep the conversation going. If you are not sure where to start, look for professional assistance. Marketing firms like Archipress, can help you get started and launch your social networking presence. The small fee paid for setting up your social networking profiles is a good investment since these networks provide continuous free pr and advertising for your company. Additionally, you can easily target different populations since these networks make it easy to identify users by demographic and even psychographic variables. Most importantly, social networking increases traffic to your website which is where you want to drive customers to buy your services.

Check out our online social presence in these sites:

https://www.facebook.com/archipress
http://twitter.com/archipress

http://www.linkedin.com/company/archipress-&-design/
http://archipress.tumblr.com/
https://foursquare.com/archipress
http://www.youtube.com/archipressmiami (coming soon)

Business Card Tips

  

Think about the main purpose of those 3” by 2.5” cards that accompany you everywhere you go. Business cards are essential in the exchange of contact information. However, business cards also serve to create lasting impressions of the person who carries them and of the company/organization represented. It is important to keep these three business card purposes in mind when designing and ordering your next set of business cards.

How to design a business card that facilitates contact information exchange?
1. Choose a font that is easy to read.

Good: 305-259-1815 info@archipress-inc.com (Times New Roman)
Bad: 305-259-1815 info@archipress-inc.com (Blackadder ITC)

2. Include only necessary information and leave plenty of white space. You want to ensure that the company name, your name, title, phone number, email and website are included. Remember that 3” by 2.5” is a small space, and it is not necessary to occupy all of it. A business card introduces you. If you want to provide more information, you can do so through a follow-up email or call.

3. Take advantage of new technology such as Quick Read (QR) codes to ensure others record your contact information. Consider placing your contact information QR code in the back of your business card. It makes you look tech-savvy and allows smartphone users to add your information with a click on their phone.

How to design a business card that enhances your professional appearance?

1. Business cards are your initial presentation; do not compromise quality for price. When examined closely, you will see each business card costs cents, and the price difference between a better business card and one of lesser quality will not be significant.

2. Choose a layout that looks organized. Remember to add emphasis to certain parts by increasing font size. Generally, the company name should be in larger font than your name and title.

        

3. Make style choices that go well with your industry. There are different shapes, different paper weights and styles, different printing techniques and different color options to choose from.  

How to represent your company with your business card?

1. Make sure to include your company logo. Logos look better when printed in full color. If you must go for lower cost, you can try a two color print on different color paper.

2. Make sure your company website is also included.

3. If space and layout permit, also try to incorporate the company tagline.

QR Code Essentials

The Quick Response Code (QR) is the way to the future. It has been used successfully for many years in Japan, and it is quickly catching on in the United States. QR codes reinvent the way companies communicate with potential customers, and it provides companies with greater reach to millions of worldwide smartphone users.

QR codes easily connect potential customers to websites, contact information, or to texts. They are ubiquitous, and can go on flyers, folders, business cards, banners, lawn signs, and so many other places. With so many possibilities, what are you waiting for?

We wanted to make things easier for you. If you do not have a QR Scanner yet, here are the top free apps for the most popular smartphones:

Iphone:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/socialwayne-wayne-sutton-qr/id431666415?mt=8

Blackberry:

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/22249?lang=en

Android:

https://market.android.com/details?id=la.droid.qr&feature=search_result

If you are a business ready to access millions of smartphone users, please contact us. We will work with you to find the most effective way to include QR codes in your next campaign or initiative. The best part is that Archipress will track the QR code providing you with key marketing information!