SuccessBlog

Success Designs Seeks Graphic Designer

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:25:13 -0600

Success Designs seeks a talented and self-motivated graphic designer, part time or full time, to assist with concept, design and execution of a wide range of marketing materials. Looking for creative thinking individual who understands marketing/advertising with strong design and layout skills.

Job Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):

Assist in coming up with creative concepts and strategies for clients.
Complete a wide variety of print and web projects from start to finish (brochures, coupons, flyers, ads, menus, signage, websites, email campaigns, etc.)
Expand upon existing branding for current clients as well as build brands from scratch for new clients.
Photo editing, retouching and cropping from backgrounds.

Qualifications:

At least 2 years of graphic design experience in a professional setting.
Expert knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign with ability to create detailed compositions.
Solid understanding of design layout, color, balance, typography.
Efficient, organized and detail-oriented with ability to work independently.
Bachelor’s in design or marketing related field preferred.
Website design experience a huge plus.
Writing skills a plus.

Send resume and portfolio to mandy@successdesigns.net.

Ghastly Good Deals at the Marketing Madness Auction

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:53:21 -0500

If the cost of media has you spooked, check out the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge’s Marketing Madness auction featuring great buys on media space, graphic design, photography, football tickets, parties and more! You’ll find devilish deals while networking with local professionals and enjoying complimentary spirits.

The event will be held Oct. 21, 2010, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Juban’s Restaurant. Download the Bid Book containing over 85 items totaling $75,000 in value, and start planning your bids!

Minimum bid per person is $50. Seating is limited, so RSVP today at http://www.aafbr.org/events! Halloween costumes optional. You won’t find such incredible deals offered anywhere else, plus, by participating, you’ll be helping to support AAF- Baton Rouge’s many important initiatives in support of our community. Proceeds to benefit AAF-BR scholarships, programs, workshops and public service activities.

And don’t forget, if you pay the night of the event, you save 5% on items purchased. Learn more at http://aafbr.org/.

Logo and marketing materials for Marketing Madness were designed by Mandy Porta, owner of Success Designs and fundraising chair for the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge.

Top Social Media Tips Presented at Coastal Social

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:41:38 -0500

A day at the Coastal Social conference held in Baton Rouge revealed key insights into the best practices for utilizing social media for business. Following are just a few of many tips and tools social media gurus brought to the attention of over 300 attendees.

Win big but fail small

Tom Martin, @TomMartin
When beginning to using social media for your business, take small risks that have huge potential.

Markets consist of human beings, not demographics.

Jason Falls, @JasonFalls
When using social media to communicate with your audience, treat your market as human beings. Use a human voice. Become part of a community and listen to people. Build and earn trust among your community by providing value, being honest and participating in conversations. Conversational marketing success occurs when genuine participation not motivated by marketing goals earns your audience’s permission to share information that is.

Twitter Strategy: Share good “stuff”

Jason Falls, @JasonFalls
The best way to gain followers is to provide value to your audience. Share things that people would be interested in. Avoid pitching, illustrate your expertise (not a laundry list of services), over share content by others, and make your conversations about your customers (think consumer centric, not product centric).

Don’t run from negative feedback, respond to it appropriately

Jason Falls, @JasonFalls
When encountering negative comments about your company/brand in social media, respond by acknowledging their right to complain, apologizing (if warranted), asserting (if warranted), assessing what will make the person feel better, and acting accordingly (if possible). Sometimes all it takes is an apology. But remember, sometimes a turd is just a turd. Don’t let that person who repeatedly gives negative feedback without good reason stress you out. You can respond publicly to show you’ve made an attempt at resolving the situation, but move on.

The goal is not to be good at social media. The goal is to be good at doing business using social media as a tool.

Jay Baer, @jaybaer
Social media should be used to meet overall business goals. The number of followers and fans gained is not a key success metric. Look at how you’re reaching your goals. How much traffic are you gaining to your website through social media? Are you collecting Twitter handles in customer contact forms to see how many of your customers are following you on Twitter? Take a long term look at the results of social media (6-month intervals) to gauge trends over time.

Social media is less a role and more a job function.

Paul Chaney, @pchaney
Social media for business is best done when multiple people can be involved in the process of engaging and creating content.

Get into the content mindset.

Rick Burnes, @rickburnes
Look for content opportunities in everything you’re doing. There’s always something you can talk about, especially if you’re passionate about your product/service/industry.

Social media means real business

Greg Cangialosi, @gregcangialosi
Social media can bring business success. How do you measure it? Track links to your website acquired through social media, leads you’ve gained and customer acquisition and retention.

Construct a relevant audience

Caroline Barry, @TweetCaroline
Jump into social media by finding like-minded people talking about related topics to your company/industry, then listen and engage.

Have your network in place before you need it

Julien Smith, @Julien
Start building your social networks now so that when you need to tell your fans about something quickly, you already have everything set up and in place. Don’t wait until a crisis. Building tribes is critical.

Your Audience is an Asset

Julien Smith, @Julien
Create a network of people to support you. Be in it for the long haul. Relationships become stronger over time. Everyone wants to do business with people they like, so be likable.

The world will never need more advertising.

Julien Smith, @Julien
It’s not about advertising. It’s about connecting and communicating.

Save Time with Social Media Management Tools

Coastal Social speakers noted several useful tools for making social media management much easier.

Hootsuite.com – Free social media management tool (create keyword streams and schedule tweets/posts)
dlvr.it – Automatically feed a blog to social media outlets
kurrently.com – Real time search engine for Facebook and Twitter
Radian6.com – Web-based social media monitoring and engagement platform
Socialmention.com – Real-time social media search and analysis
Viralheat.com – Real-time social media analytics
Trackur.com – Social media monitoring tool

Mad props to the Baton Rouge Social Media Club and all involved for putting on a fantastic conference! So many tips and insights were discovered at Coastal Social that I’m sure I’ve missed some really good ones and some from the other really great speakers. In fact, as the day went on I took more in and and took less notes, so help me out. What great insights did you learn at Coastal Social? What was your favorite tip/comment? What did you take away from the conference that you plan to put into practice tomorrow? Please feel free to comment!

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Social Media Marketing: Does Your Business Need It?

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:51:56 -0500

As the Internet age has taken hold, a lot of ideas about what businesses need have changed and evolved. It used to be that a busy location and low prices could get you by, whereas now most companies need a host of online strategies, like search engine optimization, just to compete. As the web has spread, so has the list of “must haves.” But is social media marketing one of them?

For most businesses, and most marketers, the answer is going to be a strong “yes.” The reasoning has to do with sheer math: there are more than 400 million people on Facebook, over 100 million on Twitter, and 50 million on LinkedIn. That’s a market no one can afford to ignore. There’s never been a more affordable way to build brand awareness in your community and keep customers informed of your latest news and specials. To top it off, social media can help to boost your search engine optimization efforts and drive customers to your website, ultimately generating leads and sales.

But before you run off to use social media to explode your online sales, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself:

What sets your company apart?

What unique benefits do you offer your customers? Is it low prices, high quality service, or a fantastic reputation? Knowing, and understanding, where you fit in the marketplace is the most important first step in social media marketing, since it allows you to expand your branding efforts and spread that message consistently.

Do you have a unique viewpoint?

The biggest problem for any Internet searcher – or shopper – isn’t finding some product or piece of information… it’s finding the right one. Too many sites and profiles look and sound the same. Develop a unique and interesting viewpoint or personality, and you can cut through the clutter.

Can you find and engage large numbers of fans or followers?

Social media works a bit like an avalanche: you need size and momentum to truly make a powerful force. Begin your campaign with the idea that you’re going to find lots of customers, and lay the groundwork appropriately. Be sure to interact with your fans – unlike traditional media, social media isn’t a one-way street. Treat social media as a tool to build relationships and trust, rather than to blast your marketing messages, and you will be much more successful.

Can you keep your social media posts up to date?

To gain and keep your fans and followers, be sure you can find the time to keep them interested in your company with relevant, up-to-date posts. Few will want to follow a stale Twitter or Facebook page.

The number of people using social media sites gives it the power to transform your business. Ask yourself these questions, and then jump on in – there are literally millions of customers for you to connect with.

Feel free to comment. What are the factors that cause you to be weary of social media? Have you had success marketing via social networking sites?

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Social Media Conference Coming to Baton Rouge

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:06:52 -0500

Coastal Social, the inaugural Gulf South social media conference, is coming to the Baton Rouge River Center on September 29, 2010 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Social media professionals, enthusiasts and business owners are invited to learn from leaders in social media marketing through workshops, roundtable discussions and a keynote address. Speakers include Julien Smith, New York Times best selling co-author of “Trust Agents” (with Chris Brogan); Jason Falls, principal of Social Media Explorer; Paul Chaney, author of “The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media”; Rick Burns, Inbound Marketing Manager at HubSpot and more!

An exclusive CEO Forum sponsored by the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to help business leaders understand the social media tools that can help increase their success. The one day conference costs $149, and registration is open at http://coastalsocial2010.eventbrite.com. Learn more at http://www.coastalsocial.com. Save $50 off registration with the code “225SocMe”!

Coastal Social is presented by the Baton Rouge Social Media Club, a group founded by social media professionals and bloggers in the Baton Rouge area. Learn more about the club at http://brsocme.com/.

As one of the event sponsors, Success Designs created the logo and magazine ads for Coastal Social. Look for our table at the event!

4 Tips for Successfully Marketing to Millennials

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:12:06 -0500

Marketing to the Millennial Generation, also known as Generation Y, can be lucrative for businesses and brands, but it can also be a challenge. Listed are a few key points about this diverse group of individuals to guide your marketing communication with Millennials.

The Millennial Generation – one of the most diverse and well-educated generations to date – is aging. They are coming of age and are finally responsible for making their own purchasing decisions. Despite the current economic state, this group of young professionals and students has a good bit of dispensable income, and they are happy to spend it. While this is great news for merchants and businesses looking to target this generation, there are a few key characteristics of Millennials that are important to keep in mind when marketing to these individuals.

1. Use non-traditional and guerilla advertising tactics.

Millennials often resist conventional marketing tactics. Creating promotions that are nontraditional and utilizing the latest technology are essential when communicating with this generation. Embracing technology as a fundamental aspect of their existence, this wired generation is constantly checking their Facebook updates and Twitter feeds, whether it be via their smart-phones or laptops. Millennials look for ease and convenience in life, so chances are they won’t be interested in any type of advertising they have to work for. Bringing your brand to them, where they live, work and play, is the best way to make sure it’s remembered among this group.

2. Encourage individuality and social change.

Dubbed as the “Sunshine Generation,” Millennials maintain high levels of optimism and confidence. So what does that mean for marketers? Scare-tactics don’t work with this generation. Millennials have been empowered by their parents to take control of their own destinies, and they firmly believe in themselves. Promotions that encourage social action resonate highly with Millennials, since they want to make a difference.

3. Don’t alienate Millennials’ parents with your message.

Many members of the Millennial Generation value their parents’ opinions. They admit their parents often influence their buying decisions, especially when it comes to major life purchases such as insurance, vehicles and homes. It’s important for high-involvement products and brands to consider this when marketing to Millennials. If marketing messages become too targeted, alienating parents, the audience may be more inclined to purchase the product they deem worthy of their parents’ approval.

4. Communicate your product/brand’s service and value to the customer.

While many claim this generation is not brand loyal, the truth is that Millennials value quality and service. They are price-conscious but willing to spend more for higher quality products. Effectively promoting the service and benefit your product provides to the consumer will guarantee that they remain loyal to your brand no matter your price or the competitors’.

Millennials as consumers are a diverse group. Many have made assumptions about their purchasing habits for years, but research proves them wrong. Communicating in non-traditional ways with optimistic and parent-friendly messages to the world’s most educated and diverse generation to date will ensure short-term growth and longevity.

Feel free to comment. What are some other great ways to reach Millennials? What has worked for you?

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Marketing Tips from Ascension/Baton Rouge Locals
Marketing and Consumer Trends for 2010
Free Marketing Ideas
Tools for Business Growth

Third Party Resources

Baton Rouge Business Report: Here Come the Millennials

Marketing Tips from Ascension/Baton Rouge Locals

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:18:52 -0500

The hardest part of marketing a business is determining which methods will generate the best results. What really works? I’ve asked some Ascension and Baton Rouge locals to give their best secrets for generating business for their companies. This is what they had to say:

—-

What has generated the most business for Success Now over these past 13 years? Two key marketing strategies I learned from my own father, which led to his amazing entrepreneurial success, despite all the obstacles he had to surmount:

Doing all within my power to help my clients and audiences succeed as much as I want to succeed.
Providing service which exceeds expectations, regardless of what is necessary to make that possible.

Carol Pierce, Owner
Success Now
http://www.jumpnow.com

—-

Social media marketing has increased the sales of Sweet Wishes Café in Baton Rouge by about 18 percent. There are 3 important criteria for a successful social media campaign. First, there must be engagement (conversation). Second, your company should offer unique, compelling offers that can’t be found elsewhere. Third, take into account SEO (search engine optimization). Meeting these three criteria translates into more customer recognition, loyalty and sales.

Tiny Malone, VP
Advantix Marketing
http://www.advantixmarketing.com

—-

I have spent thousands of dollars on traditional marketing but have found that the best form of marketing is to network and build relationships. I do IT and mobile technology consulting, and most people could care less about the technical details about the technology they use. They mainly just want it to work. While working with clients, I try to break down complicated techno babble into simple terms. I also try to find out more about my client, what their business is about and what they like to do in their free time. Attending networking events, such as Ascension Chamber of Commerce events and BNI groups, helps to find new relationships to build and associates a face with a business, something that traditional marketing usually doesn’t accomplish.

If you are not asking for referrals, you are missing out on the most effective form of marketing. After I complete a job for a client, I always ask them who they know that could benefit from my services. If you are doing your job well and have built a good relationship, your satisfied client will help you grow your business. There have been many times where I was competing with some larger IT companies to sign a client, and a referral from one of their colleagues or friends helped to get the job.

Ben Marcel
Wireless I.Q., LLC
http://www.wirelessiqllc.com

—-

What we at the Mac Consulting Group have learned, as we try to get the word about our Apple Training Courses, is that indirect marketing works best.

Allen Hancock, President
The Mac Consulting Group, Inc
macconsultinggroup.com/schedule

—-

Don’t be silly; think smart like “Smarty Pants” and market your business. Branding means prosperity.

Karlyn LeBlanc
Smarty Pants Village - Premium Service Educational Toy & Party Boutique
www.smartypantsvillage.com

—-

At PLUSone, we’ve relied upon the success of our last project and that relationship with our clients to lead us to our next success story. We make every effort to treat our clients like VIPs, and this has led to repeated referrals and ongoing project opportunities. This level of attention to detail and customer service dovetailed with our unique service offerings in our industry has led to our success.

Fritz Embaugh
PLUSone Design + Construction
www.plus1dc.com

—-

Thanks so much to everyone who shared their secrets for success! At Success Designs, we’ve found success with two key ingredients: Networking and SEO. Networking through the Ascension and Baton Rouge Chambers of Commerce has helped us to meet several potential clients, and handing out professionally designed flyers, seed packets and business cards at these events has certainly helped us to stand out. We also receive several inquiries from our website from those who’ve found us in search engines. We have worked to rank on the first page of major search engines for key terms, and we provide lots of information on our website to stand out and keep potential customers interested.

Feel free to comment. What are some other great marketing tips? What has generated the most business for you?

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Free Marketing Ideas
Marketing and Consumer Trends 2010
Branding Basics: How to Build a Brand

Tools for Business Growth

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:48:37 -0500

Like planting a garden, marketing a business requires careful planning, constant care and routine analysis. From breaking ground to analyzing results, listed are seven tools/tips to help you evaluate your marketing plan and grow your business.

CULTIVATOR

Cultivate your foundation for marketing, and break ground to allow room for expansion. Set goals and map out a marketing plan. What material do you have to work with? Do you know what to add, remove, or change in your marketing environment to improve its condition and foster business growth?

TROWEL

Dig for new marketing opportunities. Create space and prepare for new additions to your marketing landscape. Are you ready and able to accept new marketing opportunities that present themselves? Do you know the limits of what you can support?

TRANSPLANTER

Transplant existing marketing strategies to achieve maximum results. Reallocate resources to areas most in need. Is it worth sacrificing print production quality to save on printing costs, if it means you can afford better design? Will switching from postal mail to email marketing really achieve the same results, but for less money?

WEEDER

Weed out stubborn, outdated marketing practices once and for all! Do the same problems keep resurfacing, inhibiting the health and overall success of your marketing effort? Perhaps it’s time to update an old logo to more accurately represent your current brand image, or maybe you could let go of that Yellow Pages ad you bought years ago, pre-Google?

SEEDS

Plant the seeds for business growth. Put new marketing strategies into place. Is it time you add social media to your company’s marketing mix? Does your website have a mobile site counterpart? Have you considered developing an iPhone app?

WATERING CAN

Nurture your marketing efforts. Continue to supply your marketing efforts with the resources they need to remain strong. Are you running ads but not investing in the writing or design of them? Do you have a website but haven’t yet integrated search engine optimization?

WATER SENSOR

Assess your needs for success. Evaluate your marketing efforts on a routine basis – are they producing the results you desire? What adjustments can you make to improve performance?

Did you find my blog post helpful? Subscribe to the RSS feed, subscribe by email, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to stay up to date with our latest posts on various marketing topics.

Marketing and Consumer Trends for 2010
Dramatic Shift in Marketing Reality
Branding Basics: How to Build a Brand

Success Designs Owner Mandy Porta Awarded AAF-BR President’s Service Award

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:27:35 -0600

Mandy Porta, owner of Baton Rouge website design and marketing firm Success Designs, was awarded the honorable President’s Service Award on February 20, 2010 at the annual American Advertising Federation - Baton Rouge (AAF-BR) ADDY® Awards show.

Porta’s long list of club contributions and her unwavering commitment to AAF-BR made her the outstanding candidate for receiving this year’s President’s Service Award (formerly the Silver Medal), which is presented annually to the club member who has given the most toward the betterment of AAF Baton Rouge and its activities during the previous calendar year. Porta was selected by the AAF-BR board of directors based on nomination letters written and submitted by club members.

Porta currently serves as Communications Co-Chair on the AAF-BR board, a position she volunteered to assume in November when the former co-chair unexpectedly stepped down from service. In less than two months, Porta made a lasting mark on club communications as she worked diligently to redesign the printed monthly newsletter and weekly E-News bulletin and oversaw the redesign of the club’s membership application, signage, and stationery package, all of which were far above and beyond her “regular” responsibilities.

Porta’s willingness to help often led her to become involved in other areas of the club, too, including helping the Programs Committee bring national online and social media celebrity Gary Vaynerchuk to Baton Rouge for a seminar attended by nearly 275 local and regional business professionals.

Before making the move to Communications, Porta served AAF-BR as Workshops Chair, where her accomplishments were no less impressive. Within the first three months of her tenure, Porta successfully coordinated and implemented more workshops than had been done in the past two years combined. And she did all of this while running her own business, making time for her husband, and settling into a new home.

“She handled her AAF-Baton Rouge workload professionally and gracefully, and it gave me tremendous peace of mind knowing she was handling the responsibilities of Communications for the club,” said fellow Communications Co-Chair Kelley Criscoe.

In response to her award, Porta says, “I’m honored to have received the AAF-BR President’s Service Award. Everyone nominated for this award is truly deserving. They have all put a lot of effort into this club, making it a true asset to any business involved in advertising.” Spoken like a true winner.

Social Media Techniques by Gary Vaynerchuk

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:51:04 -0600

The social media revolution has changed the way we live our lives and conduct our business. Learn social media techniques that will improve your sales from a master marketer at an upcoming event in January in Baton Rouge!

Two clubs, the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge and Sales and Marketing Executives of Greater Baton Rouge, are joining forces to host this social media event on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. Tickets are $10 for AAF-BR and SME-GBR members and $25 for the general public. Call the Independence Theatre box office at 225-216-0660 or go to theparktheatre.com to purchase your tickets.

Gary Vaynerchuk will decode how social media platforms work in tandem to give your personal brand strength and reach and turn you into a force to be reckoned with. Gary has captured attention with his pioneering, multi-faceted approach to personal branding and business. After primarily utilizing traditional advertising techniques to build his family’s local retail wine business into a national industry leader, Gary rapidly leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV, his video blog about wine. In so doing, he learned that the Internet offers up potential via these free tools for businesses and individuals alike to develop their own brand. Gary will touch on his core themes for best utilizing these tools, including why listening is more important than speaking, the importance of authenticity in business, and what it means to “scale your caring.” Learn more about Gary at garyvaynerchuk.com, or catch him on Twitter where he has over 840,000 followers!

Join Gary at a Wine and Cheese Reception before the event from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Cost to attend the reception is $250. Contact Connie McLeod at 225.231.5549, ext. 3529.

If you are interested in sponsoring this event and promoting your company, product or service to an interested audience of advertising leaders, executives and business owners in south Louisiana, go to aafbr.org to learn about the different levels of sponsorship available.

For more information, please contact Connie McLeod at 225.231.5549, ext. 3529, or Richard J. Dixon at 225.928.1700.

Success Designs will have a table at the event, so stop by and say hi!

SuccessBlog

Success Designs Seeks Graphic Designer

Job Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):

Qualifications:

Ghastly Good Deals at the Marketing Madness Auction

Top Social Media Tips Presented at Coastal Social

Win big but fail small

Markets consist of human beings, not demographics.

Twitter Strategy: Share good “stuff”

Don’t run from negative feedback, respond to it appropriately

The goal is not to be good at social media. The goal is to be good at doing business using social media as a tool.

Social media is less a role and more a job function.

Get into the content mindset.

Social media means real business

Construct a relevant audience

Have your network in place before you need it

Your Audience is an Asset

The world will never need more advertising.

Save Time with Social Media Management Tools

Social Media Marketing: Does Your Business Need It?

What sets your company apart?

Do you have a unique viewpoint?

Can you find and engage large numbers of fans or followers?

Can you keep your social media posts up to date?

Social Media Conference Coming to Baton Rouge

4 Tips for Successfully Marketing to Millennials

1. Use non-traditional and guerilla advertising tactics.

2. Encourage individuality and social change.

3. Don’t alienate Millennials’ parents with your message.

4. Communicate your product/brand’s service and value to the customer.

Related Articles

Third Party Resources

Marketing Tips from Ascension/Baton Rouge Locals

Related Articles

Tools for Business Growth

CULTIVATOR

TROWEL

TRANSPLANTER

WEEDER

SEEDS

WATERING CAN

WATER SENSOR

Related Articles

Success Designs Owner Mandy Porta Awarded AAF-BR President’s Service Award

Social Media Techniques by Gary Vaynerchuk