All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Infographics, Marketing, Social Media
What’s Trending…
Choose a topic currently trending in your industry or that of your client. Yahoo! and the various Social Media outlets are great sources for quick, current topics.
Keep A Stash
When the clock is not your friend, you need to have a reserve that you can quickly draw from. Try to jot down some topics and/or write a few lines about a particular topic so that when your back is against the wall, you don’t need to waste time trying coming up with new ideas.
Change The Format
Rather than being “informative” and using the written method, choose to do an instructional video on a topic you have adequate knowledge of. This can be a very effective and engaging form of blogging. You can also choose to create a quick Infographic as another great way to convey key information in a visually pleasing and quick manner.
Quality vs. Quantity
Writing about something you are passionate about or have adequate knowledge about is a sure way to write well. But to produce this kind of blog, don’t get caught up in the 700+ words of your average, well-researched blog post. Stick to what you know and convey it in a confident and concise manner. Direct, key points work best.
Use Imagery to Fill White Space
Using relevant imagery to support your topic is a great way to fill up the white space of your blog. In your spare time search for & purchase various images on iStockphoto or 123rf and keep a reserve that you can quickly draw from.
End with a Call to Action
Calls to Action take a little more pressure off the writer and puts some of the onus on the reader. It’s another great way to engage your readership by creating dialogue about your blog and hopefully a following.
Save Editing For Last
Once you start to write, write-write-write! Don’t stop to correct, edit or add hyperlinks, images or anything else. Save the clean up work for last.
Last Words
These simple steps will allow you to create a quick yet informative blog in a fraction of the time. Remember folks, you’re not going for a Pulitzer. So do what’s needed, do it well and then click post.
All Posts, Branding, Marketing
In this time of economic hardship, every business big or small is hurting. Declines in product purchasing, or rationalizing the use of a costly service has many business owners trimming their financial trees. However, I believe during this time of Thanksgiving, it is important to let your faithful customers/clients know just how much you appreciate them sticking with you and giving you their business.
Chachkies (Yiddish word for small gifts or collectables)
Small token gift ideas from business owners to customers can be accomplished in a cost-effective way. Great, inexpensive product marketing sites like Vistaprint offer a variety of low-cost options that tout your brand while reflecting your customer appreciation. And Vistaprint is almost ALWAYS HAVING A SALE! Understand that this inexpensive token of appreciation can translate right back to you with consumer loyalty and an increased revenue stream. This category of business branded items can include:
E-Cards
If money is tighter than your pants will be at 6pm this Thursday, an inexpensive, higher-end E-card might be just right for your limited budget. There are some great options out there with music and scrolling imagery using Flash Animation that will convey glad tidings to your customers/clients. Some clients might be happy that you are choosing to reduce your carbon footprint by not sending traditional, printed cards. Check out some great interactive options at http://bit.ly/Q5qQUH or http://bit.ly/Q5sHsH.
Holiday Rewards
Let your customers know how special they are with a one-time Holiday special/promotion for them remaining dedicated customers. Make sure to let them know that you are holding the special at this holiday time in tribute to them. If it’s a product, give them a percentage off their next order. If it’s a service, give them $ credit on their account.
These small giftings for faithfulness should be a key consideration for small business owners. Although I recognize that most don’t have the extra funds lying around to use on what might seem like a frivolous expenditure, the long term affects on those relationships are worth it. I believe that it’s important to keep your business in the minds of your current clients since the impression can go a long way to keep those customer’s repeat business AND referrals to their professional & personal networks. And if you do it right, you’ll see the ROI on this token of appreciation and jingle all the way to the bank.
All Posts, Branding, Content & Copywriting, Marketing
Since 2000, UPrinting.com has remained in a class all by itself as an environmental-friendly online printing source for marketing & branding materials such as brochures, business cards, and so much more. In contrast to some of its industry contemporaries, UPrinting.com offers more customizable brochure options, a larger selection of templates as well as stellar customer service to create a top-notch user experience. And in the era of social responsibility to our environment, UPrinting.com offers eco-friendly printing that makes users feel even better about their products and UPrinting’s social and environmental awareness.
As you can see to the left, UPrinting.com offers an extensive line of products to give your business (or a clients) the branding edge with quality brochures and a wide array of other marketing materials.
Less Trees & Chemicals, A Better Brochure!
Create Impactful Impressions!
Ever receive a brochure that looks like it was designed and printed by a child? Nothing is worse for a small business than to appear small by skimping on their marketing materials such as brochures. You want to give a great impression when you hand your business literature to a prospective client or customer. UPrinting.com uses provides a quality product geared to enhance the appearance of your own products or services.
Customization on a Whole Other Level!
Oh how I wish I knew about UPrinting.com years ago! One of the fun parts of my job is to create something unexpected & atypical designs for my clients to showcase the range of my talents. Especially with brochures…you can create them in any size, folding options and paper stock. They even give you full creative license to develop you’re own signature brochure by choosing every component including background colors and innumerable stock photography options!
So unlike some of it’s competitors, UPrinting offers premier, high-quality brochures with unlimited options that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Thanks UPrinting.com for giving me the designing edge I need to bring my clients brochures from vision to creation!
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Social Media
I
n this ever growing age of technology just about everyone is using social media for their business as a tool for sharing information. A few weeks ago I published an article via Patricia Redsicker’s website about this very topic and now I’m bringing this very important information to the Design Theory readership.
The e-patient movement actively uses social media to inform themselves and each other about health and wellness issues, breakthroughs and programs. Social media is not only quick but also quite cost-effective. But when it comes to the sticky topic of patient privacy and HIPAA, the fast and fun use of social media becomes guarded like the White House.
Healthcare businesses want a seat at the social media table too but come under heavy scrutiny (and sometimes fire) for using blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other channels. Although there’s no rule saying you can’t use these platforms for healthcare marketing, no one wants to pay heavy fines for breaching the laws protecting patient health information.
So let’s take a look at 5 ways you can ensure HIPAA compliance within social media use.
#1. What’s the Motive?
The primary goal of any social communication from a healthcare practice or marketing company should be to educate and help patients, families, and employees improve their knowledge of health-related topics and their overall well-being. That said the information should be generalized to protect the personal identity and likeness of any patient.
#2. To Post or Not to Post
Make sure you do not post any protected health information (PHI) or patient related imagery that can be linked back to a particular person via any social media channel or professional blog. While it is acceptable to post photos of your facilities, staff, and marketing images for different campaigns, be sure to crop out images of patients visiting your business unless they have consented in writing.
#3. Monitor Your Online Discussions
If a healthcare business is using social media to reach patients and colleagues alike, tread lightly when engaging in online discussion forums that go from generalizations to specific advice. Healthcare professionals need to proceed with caution and may want to include a disclaimer on blogs and web pages where they provide health information. Another layer of protection is to always encourage people to consult with their own physician or come to the office for an in-person consultation.
#4. Get it in Writing
A great way to market within the healthcare community is to publish “human interest” stories, which include stories from real patients. These important stories can be published on social media channels as long as they don’t violate HIPAA. If you are interested in using a patient’s likeness for any kind of promotional use, you are required to get written authorization granting permission to use protected health information (PHI) for specific marketing literature, campaigns or videos.
#5. Go With Your HIPAA Gut
If you’re in doubt about any content that you are creating, publishing or sanctioning others to publish, go with your gut – the age old saying “if in doubt, don’t” should be your general rule of thumb. Also any concerns or questions as to whether or not a line is being blurred or crossed should be vetted by HIPAA-trained staff member to ensure compliance.
Consider This…
It is perfectly fine for healthcare companies to use social media for broadcasting their message, engaging a following, and driving traffic back to their website. But all this must be done within the HIPAA confines to ensure that they don’t get into any kind of legal trouble. Violations of the unauthorized disclosure of identifying health information can result in fines up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment in addition to sanctions for an ethical breach.
What’s Trending…
