Categories
Design

Here’s What You Need to Know about Typography

Top 10 Typography Trends You Don’t Want to Miss in 2018

 

Font vs. Typeface:

 

The choice you make for your brand’s font is an important one because the right one conveys so much about your brand. So, when choosing your font it’s a good idea to know what you’re actually looking for, which is typefaces. You may see the terms “font” and “typeface” used interchangeably, but they refer to separate facets of text display.

 

“A typeface is a set of one or more fonts each composed of glyphs that share common design features.”Like people, typefaces have personalities and moods. It’s the design we often call today “font” such as Arial, New York Times, or Courier. But the font incorporates the typeface plus the attributes, such as the style (bold, Italic, etc). No typeface is equally created, they come in all shapes and sizes, and each one has its own style and characteristic, just like your brand.

 

2017 top favorite fonts:

 

  1. Helvetica
  2. Arial
  3. Georgia
  4. Gotham
  5. Myriad Pro
  6. Corbel

2018 trends from Marketprofs:

 

  • Serifs will dominate
  • Retro Makes a comeback
  • Bigger is better
  • Cutouts and Overlays
  • Highlights and underline
  • Hand drawn letters
  • Gradients will take over
  • Custom fonts will emerge
  • Colorful fonts will be the new black
  • Transparency in typography

 

How to select the right font for your brand

 

1. Match font with your brand’s tone.

First,  select a font that matches your brand’s identity.

2. Use Hierarchy.

After selecting the fonts placement, rank each font by importance. It’s suggested to never use more than three fonts because it’s messy and inconsistent. 

3. Know the basics of primary font types.

Serif

A “serif” is a small line (sometimes called feet) at the end of each stroke in a letter or symbol. It’s often present in print (books, newspapers, etc.). Sans Serif fonts create a classical and elegant appeal and talks to older audiences.

Popular serif fonts: Times New Roman, Georgia.

Sans serif

Sans serif fonts don’t include lines or embellishments at the end of a stroke. It commonly appears on computer screens and smartphones. Therefore it’s appealing to the younger generation.

Popular sans serif fonts: Helvetica, Arial, Futura.

Script

A highly decorative and elegant font is known as script fonts, with plenty of embellishment and stroke flourishes, and the letters connect. It’s popular in the feminine market.

Popular script fonts: Lobster, Reklame Script.

Handwriting

A casual and personal approach is transpired from handwritten fonts. It’s preferred by businesses who want their brand image to be relatable and approachable.

Examples: Bradley hand, Kristen, and MV Boli.

4. Master mixing fonts.

Try to select versatile typefaces which change smoothly yet noticeably to differentiate between functions within your design.

5. Preview overall design.

See how the font looks within the overall design. The goal is to remain consistent with the template. 

 

Comment your favorite fonts!

 

Categories
Marketing

Why Use Video Marketing?

Video marketing is here, and it’s here to stay

Today, video marketing usage is rising rapidly among brands and marketers. Having a strong video marketing strategy plays a crucial role in the success of your outreach and branding efforts. It’s one of the most effective ways to thrive in your industry and attract more clients. This is mainly because it’s the fastest and easiest way to learn and retain information. Hubspot recently reported that 99% of those who already do use video, say they’ll continue to do so in 2018 and 65% of those who don’t currently use video, say they plan to start in 2018. What does this mean? That video is here to stay.  Think about this: A Facebook executive predicted that the platform will be ALL video in less than five years, and we already see that coming true. 

Other reasons why marketers rely on video:

  • 97% of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service.
  • 95% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
  • 76% of businesses say it helped them increase traffic.
  • 83% of consumers would consider sharing it with their friends.
  • 80% of marketers say video has increased dwell time on their website.
  • 85% of people say they’d like to see more video from brands in 2018.

How to use it to your advantage:

Live Video/ Live Streaming

  • 82% of consumers prefer live video from a brand instead of social posts.

Live videos give a unique perspective on the behind-the-scenes of our company. Here you can live stream interviews, internal and external events, Q&As, presentations, and encourage engagement with viewers by commenting with questions.

Video Tutorials/ Demo

  • 91% of customers have watched a tutorial video to learn about a product or service.
  • 79% of customers would rather watch an explainer video to learn about a product than read text.

Showcase how your product or service works. Here you can take someone who is unfamiliar with your products and walk them through how it works to allow prospects to fully grasp its value and potential.

Brand Video

  • 81% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

A solid brand video is the best way to increase relatability and trust by showcasing your company’s vision, mission, value, or products and services. You can even display your employee’s individual passions to allow viewers to connect. The ultimate goal is to build awareness around your company and attract your target audience.  Check out the Spectruss video.

Case Study and Customer Testimonial Videos

  • The top three most effective video types are product demo videos (49%), tutorial videos (50%), and customer testimonial videos (51%). (Forbes)

One of the most effective ways to build trust is by showcasing your happy and loyal customers. Describe the challenges and how your company helped them meet their goals.

Expert Interviews

  • 94% of marketers who use influencer marketing find it an effective practice, and can generate up to 11x the ROI of traditional advertising.

Find the influencers or thought leaders in your industry and conduct short interviews on camera. This is a great way to build credibility and establish authority with your target audience.

360-Degree/ VR Video

  • 90% of Americans believe that content will be better in 360-degree video than in a traditional one.
  • 59% of businesses that used VR video for marketing purposes said that is was an effective marketing tool.

Virtual reality allows viewers to navigate and control their experience. Brands should consider leveraging virtual reality at conferences and industry tradeshows.

When creating your video, think about these questions:

  1. Who’s your target audience?
  2. What’s the goal?
  3. When and where to share your videos?
  4. What’s the budget?
  5. Are there additional creative requirements?
  6. Who will be featured?
  7. How long should it be?
  8. Is it a series of videos?
Categories
Design

Q & A: Justin Aragon, Creative Director at Spectruss

Ten questions with Justin Aragon, Creative Director here at Spectruss

 

Tell us how your background in architecture has shaped your career?

“Architecture is built for permanence. My architectural training and knowledge of the classics have helped me identify and incorporate the qualities of timeless design to every project. Staying relevant over time is very important to me.”

How does working at Spectruss excite you?

“Working with an enthusiastic team, great clients, unique projects and leading the creative side of the business excites me every morning!”

In your opinion, what differentiates Spectruss?

“People usually come up to me and say… “I can tell when you guys did it.” We’ve built a more modern identity that separates us from others.”  

Describe your creative process.

“Developing a strong concept and letting that blossom effortlessly.”

During the creative process, what should others keep in mind?

“Step 1: Question everything. Step 2: Have an answer. Step 3: Slay.”

What does strategic design mean to you?

“Flawlessness. In reference to the previous question: If you have an answer or a reason for every design decision then you’ve developed a superb strategy!”

Can you give us a tip for success?

“Show… Don’t Tell.”

Do you have any inspirations?

“Less is More – Mies Van Der Rohe”

Are you seeing any trends?

“I only like trends that have an ability to become a classic. But I always feel like the trendy thing to do is to not be trendy.”

Any advice?

“Give white space a chance!”

 

 

Categories
Marketing

Content Marketing: 10 Editing Tips

A few tips to better your editing skills

 

As the content manager, editing is an integral part of my job and is expected to meet high standards. At first, this role was intimidating because I know everyone makes mistakes. After editing hundreds of pieces and learning from past mistakes, my fear turned into confidence. Within this process, I discovered ten editing tips below from hard-learned lessons that can improve your editing skills.

1. Start with technical errors

Here is where you extensively check for spelling and grammar. I recommend using grammar-checking apps like Grammarly.

2. Pick up some of the proofreading tricks below:

 

Switch up the time and setting you’re reading in

Isolate each sentence

Have someone else read it

Read out loud

Change up font type, size, or color

Point at the screen as you read

3. Check consistency

Overall, your content messaging should be consistent throughout your piece. Read through your content and eliminate any unnecessary words that don’t make sense. Sometimes these words are used to express a thought or used repeatedly.

4. Have style manual handy

Having your preferred style manual by your side is extremely helpful during uncertainty.  I personally use the Associated Press Stylebook as a reference guide.

5. Double check EVERY name, link, fact, stat, etc.

You never want to misspell someone’s name, especially a client’s name. Incorrect information can be misleading and audiences will question your credibility. The only way to uncover these preventable mistakes is to question and check everything.  

6. Look for passive voice

This is commonly known as a bad writing habit. You always want to try writing in active voice. Eliminate passive voice by making the subject do the action. For example, “Tickets may be purchased at the gate.” is passive. To be active, say, “Purchase tickets at the door.”

7. Cut down the number of words, but not ideas

Check to see if you’re using words exactly the way you intended. Start cutting down words with adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions.

8. Keep a list of past mistakes

A list of your editing mistakes isn’t there to remind you of failure. It’s there to remind you not to make those same mistakes again.  A successful writer can identify their editing weaknesses, and having this list in front of you can help reinforce them.

9. Use Command + F (Mac) or Control + F (PC)

This simple feature can save you from making a mistake at the hit of a button. All you do is press Command or Control + F, type in your problem word or phrase,  let your browser take you to the word in your piece, and swap it out with the correct one.

10. Finish where you started

Check spelling, grammar, and confirm names one last time before publishing. And again. And again.

What are your favorite editing tips? Share them in the comments section below.

 

Categories
Business

Spectruss Welcomes New Team Member and Promotes Social Media Coordinator

Spectruss, a creative agency, continues to grow 

 

Chattanooga, TN – May 22nd, 2018– Spectruss, a creative agency based out to Chattanooga, TN, is excited to announce its recent hiring of Erin Taylor as the Client Relations and Content Manager while promoting Annie Tarver to Marketing Strategist.  

 

Erin Taylor comes to Spectruss with more than four years of creative writing and client relationship-building experience. After graduating from The University of South Carolina in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Taylor transitioned into the agency environment to enhance her client’s brand image and reputation through her communication skills. Taylor will provide content for Spectruss and its clients, including articles, social media posts, press releases, and any other copy associated with the agency. Other tasks include in-depth market research, review analytical data, collaboration with the creative team, and building and maintaining positive relationships with Spectruss clients.

 

Annie Tarver, who was recently the social media coordinator, attained Hubspot certifications for Spectruss, as well as a Google Partnership. Tarver researches data and trends within the marketplace to coordinate a precise marketing plan while specializing in Google Adwords and Analytics for Spectruss Clients. Tarver is an experienced social media coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the internet industry. She is skilled in Google Adwords, SEO, Online Advertising, Microsoft Excel, and Customer Service. Tarver has a strong media and communications professional presence with a Bachelor’s degree focused in Business Marketing from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

 

For more information about Spectruss, its clients, and services, visit https://spectruss.com.

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About Spectruss

Spectruss is a creative agency based out of Chattanooga, TN that specializes in Marketing Solutions utilizing custom website development, graphic design, photography, online and print advertising, social media management, review management and data analysis. Its mission is to exert passion through every project, design, or website development they touch.

 

Categories
Projects

Disrupting Multi-billion Dollar Supply Chain Industry by Rethinking E-commerce: A Spectruss Case Study

One of the most robust and advanced E-Commerce Platforms in the industry

 

Overview

 

Accuserv, a national distribution company focused on providing products and services to multi-unit operators, always stays one step ahead within the supply-chain industry. The company knew they were embarking on fulfilling a vast need for large multi-unit operators as a unique supply resource, but that was not enough. They wanted to position themselves to take advantage of the latest innovations and technology to provide high-quality and price-transparent products to their growing customer base. So, they reached out to Spectruss to lend a hand. 

 

Challenge

 

In 2013, Accuserv and Spectruss started a journey that would revolutionize and disrupt the entire supply-chain industry. At the time, Accuserv barely had a website, and their branding and marketing was an afterthought. Their partner list included multi-unit, Fortune 500 powerhouses such as Yum! Brands, Humana, Regions Bank, and Chick-fil-A, just to name a few. Our goals over the coming years were to take their brand identity and transform it into a cutting-edge company while building a customized E-Commerce System unique to each of Accuserv’s clients. The result: a complete disruption of the supply-chain industry.

 

Our Approach

Knowing the importance of identity, we started our multi-year project by updating the branding, marketing collateral, and presentational website for Accuserv. This initial project built the base for things to come while giving the sales team the tools they need to land more clients. Next on the agenda, Spectruss set their aim on developing a customized E-Commerce System that would connect with Accuserv’s NetSuite System, and give each of Accuserv’s clients a customized ordering system. Thus, changing the landscape of multiple industries.

At Spectruss, we know a brand represents more than their logo. So, our team enhanced Accuserv’s brand identity and reputation by:

Revamping their brand image

Creating a revolutionary and customized E-Commerce experience

Social media management

Seamless website design

Digital marketing

 

Customized E-Commerce Platform

We created one of the most robust and advanced E-Commerce platforms in the industry that allows Accuserv to assess and assimilate data while customizing the scope of services for each and every client. Now, intrinsically unique operators from healthcare to hospitality can individually access their own customized profile, on their own Accuserv website, populated with all of the products for their specific facility needs.

Our devoted custom approach focused on localization, personalization, and customer experience. We wanted Accuserv’s multiple industry clients to be wowed at its innovative and cost-efficient, streamlined E-Commerce System.

Accuserv is now able to present these benefits to their clients, positioning the company as a disruptor within the multi-billion dollar, supply-chain industry:

Customized E-Commerce shopping experience for each partner

Simple and automatic order generation for effortless fulfillment and processing

Consistent, transparent and guaranteed, competitive pricing

 

Social Media Management + News

Increased brand awareness by creating authentic and shareable content for Accuserv’s social media channels Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

Responsive Web Design

Our professional graphic designers designed an innovative and engaging website that maximizes ease of use for Accuserv’s clients, ensuring user satisfaction and conversion increase. With extensive research and data analysis, we custom built the web pages to achieve SEO support for better search engine rankings and consistency across all mediums. Our web development plans always consist of three necessities: attract, convert, and repeat.

 

Email Marketing Campaigns

Effectively drafted and delivered real-value content that captivated Accuserv’s innovative supply-chain solutions that help their clients succeed. We focused the messaging on valuable and exclusive information by educating subscribers through Accuserv case studies and latest news stories. Our goal was to capture recipient’s attention and share the company’s rapidly evolving capabilities. After distribution, we carefully tracked and monitored performance metrics to improve future campaigns.

 

Results

 

Email campaign open rate: 26% (compared to industry average of 17.7% )

Email campaign click rate: 3.4% (compared to industry average of 2.4%)

 

Testimonial

“Spectruss has played an integral part in building Accuserv to the revolutionary and disruptive supply-chain solutions company it is now. From custom built E-Commerce Systems that integrate into our NetSuite platform, to complete inbound and outbound sales funnel development, Spectruss has been there every step of the way.”

Buddy Bockweg, President – Accuserv

 

Categories
Marketing

Best times to post on social media: Based on new research

Figuring out the best times to post on social media is never easy. People browse at different days and times depending on the platform. The ideal time to post on each social network is when your audience is most likely to see and engage with your content. But, how do you figure out those perfect times? In reality, there are no exact magical times to place every post in front of your whole audience. But, based on research, some posting times are proven to be more effective than others. Sprout Social also furthered this specific topic and researched best posting times for different industries.

Thankfully, there is a handful of secondary research available to use as a resource. In fact, CoSchedule recently combined its data with more than twenty other studies on this specific topic that claims its findings will help you get more traffic, more engagement, and more followers.

Before diving into the best times it’s important to consider audience location. Eighty percent of the U.S. population is in Central and Eastern time zones. So, these time zones would be ideal for a United States audience. If you’re trying to reach a global audience, it’s recommended to create different social handles for different regions. Or, you can target their time zones according to demographic research from Google Analytics.

 

 

Instagram

 

Audiences are engaged throughout the week, thanks to our mobile devices.

Best days: Monday and Thursday.

Best times: Between 8-9 a.m., 2 a.m., and 5 p.m. Avoid posting from 3-4 p.m.

Sunday is found to be the least engaging day.

 

Facebook

 

Facebook is still dominating social media with 1.4 billion daily active users. The best days to post is during the workweek because users are known to be active on their computers and mobile devices. Use Facebook analytics and Fanpage Karma(free) to track data and find best times based on engagements. Analyze every detail of your Facebook’s posts and determine best posting times with Fanpage Karma, a free analytics platform.

Best days: Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Best times: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

Posting at 3 p.m. will increase clicks, while 1 p.m. will increase shares.

 

Twitter

 

Users are often online scrolling through their feed during their downtime. Use Twitter Analytics and Followerwonk to track and determine best times to tweet.

Best day: Wednesday.

Best times: 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 5-6 p.m.

B2B performs 16% better during business hours.

B2C performs 17 % better on weekends.

 

LinkedIn

 

LinkedIn is used by 25% of U.S. adults, mainly for professionals during work hours.

Best day: Aim for the middle of the week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Best times: 5-6 p.m., 5-6 p.m., and 12 p.m.

Best time to post if midweek from 5-6 p.m.

 

How do find the best time to post?

 

Know your key audience

Research and build a profile for your audience based on demographic and psychographic information. What social networks do they check frequently? Where do they get their information? What websites do they visit?

Test different posting times

Figure out best times to post based on previous post engagements.

Consider audience location

Watch competitors

See when your competition receives high engagements and what type of content they are posting.

Continue to monitor and tack

While monitoring the results of your social media marketing campaign is essential, it’s also important to see who is saying what about your business. This provides an opportunity to respond with answers and be aware of what’s circulating.  

 

 

Categories
Business

The Great and Mighty S.M.A.R.T Goals

First, let’s do a brief history lesson on the findings of SMART goals. In the 60’s, researchers began examining the power of goal setting and the first published paper appeared in 1968 by Dr. Edwin Locke. “Toward a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives” confirmed that set goals do in fact result in superior organizational performance. Later in 1981, George T. Doran furthered Dr. Locke’s findings and laid out the main principles of SMART goals in, “There’s a S.M.A.R.T way to write management’ goals and objective.” His simple, yet mighty formulation consist of:                                                              

 

Choosing goals for marketers can sometimes be a hit or miss because you have to play the guessing game at picking the right goal. Incorporating these five areas into your marketing goal will allow your team to hit realistic achievable numbers. Here is how you set it:

 

Specific: Set each particular metric you seek to improve. This includes specifying real numbers, deadlines, and team members assigned. Focused metrics can be coverage, visitors, news flow, number of social media posts, Facebook likes, etc. For example, one of my previous campaigns included, “Increase attendance of University of South Carolina students at the April 27th event by five percent.” Which leads to the next target…

 

Measurable: As shown in my example above, you need to state a measurable objective outcome. Like achieving an X percentage increase or gain at least X positive news stories. Objectives should always be clearly defined and concrete instead of vague like “I want to improve my social media channels.” This is crucial in your planning because not only will it show you where to spend your time and money, but also is the only way to prove it was worth doing. The more specific, and quantifiable they are, the easier they will be to evaluate.

 

Attainable: Well thought-out objectives are realistic. It should be attainable, yet challenging. Your goal objectives should not seem unreasonably high because this might result in failure. Start with your own analytics and based on that starting point, set your objective(s) in small increments towards reaching your overarching goal.

 

Relevant: Each goal and objective placed should move you towards your company’s general marketing plan goal. As well as, remaining consistent with current industry trends. When drafting your goals seek input from management, refrain from lengthy time frames and get a second professional opinion.

 

Time-bound: Creating tangible deadlines will help you and your team defeat procrastination. This builds consistency and enhances productivity.

 

Over time, as you monitor and track your SMART goals, you will start to see your company or organization rise to the top internally and externally. Good luck!

 

Categories
Marketing

Secrets to Getting Your Email Blasts Opened

 

Learn how you can increase the open rates in your emails.

 

 

  1. Appealing subject line

 

To make sure your hard work doesn’t immediately get tossed into the trash, your subject line needs to convince people that your email is worth opening. Introducing the email’s call to action with a short and sweet phrase does this. The subject line needs to make audiences feel special, so use personalized phrases.. Including the words “thank you” have the highest above-average engagement levels (Adestra, 2015). Another way to grab attention is by using numbers and compelling questions, especially if you know it’s relevant to the recipient.

 

  1. Use customized content

 

People are drawn to content that is intended for them. The open rate for emails with a personalized message was 17.6% compared to 11.4% without (Statista, 2014). Hence, do your research and have an understanding of who your different target audiences are and their wants. Then, Segment your subscribers into lists by demographic and psychographic information, to increase relevance. According to the Direct Marketing Association, segmented and targeted emails generate 58% of all revenue. It’s  important to avoid incorporating spam words like: “Free access”, “Get it Now”, or “Winner” that may make the email appear in the junk mail. Also, build organic SEO by including keywords and phrases into your email’s content to create an opportunity for click-throughs to your website.

 

  1. Valuable content builds trust

 

Emails should offer something of value. Whether it’s an exclusive value (offers), valuable information (tips), or emotional value (inspirational), if subscribers receive value from what you, they will start to build trust and continue to open your emails. Keep in mind the frequency of your sent emails. Hubspot reported that 78% of consumers have unsubscribed from emails because a brand was sending too many emails. Eighty six percent of consumers would like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with at least monthly, and 15% would like to get them daily (Statista, 2015).

 

  1. Land email at the perfect time

 

If your first email does not receive your desired open rate, it’s ok because you can use it as an opportunity to test the best delivery time. You want to schedule the delivery time when a majority of your subscribers are actively looking through their inbox. So, once you send a test, analyze and choose the distribution times that produce higher open rates. Hubspot reports that 11 a.m. ET has the highest click-through rate for email sends. Another noteworthy time finding from Tomasz Tunguz is, 66% of unsubscribers occur between 5 and 10 p.m.

 

Categories
Marketing

Don’t Hold Back Your E-Commerce

Take a risk. Increase your e-commerce business to new levels.

 

If you follow these steps, the payoff will be well worth the hard work:

 

Research the Current Competitors in Your Marketplace

Knowing where your business stands among competitors is the most important step to take. Why? Because there are numerous choices online for consumers to choose from. In order to ensure your business is attracting the most attention, it is imperative to see what your competitors are doing well and capitalize on what they are not.

 

Use Google Adwords

With Google Adwords, there are two networks to use in hopes of achieving the highest position possible on SEO:

Search Network

When you advertise on the Search Network, your ad can show next to search results, on other Google sites like Maps and Shopping.

Acquiring the perfect list of keywords is vital to the success of all search campaigns. Fortunately, there is a tool called Keyword Planner that sorts through all past searches for specific words and gives ideas for other words that might work best within the campaign.

Display Network

Advertising on the Display Network allows you to capture potential consumers on their favorite websites, YouTube, Gmail accounts, mobile devices and apps, through different types of ads.

Four different types of ads on the Display Network: 

Responsive Ads

Uploaded Image Ads

Engagement Ads

Gmail Ads

The Display Network gives the opportunity to grab the customers’ attention earlier in the buying cycle. Everyone knows that ads can be very boring and repetitive but by creating ads that are appealing to the eye, consumers’ attention can be caught quickly and efficiently.

 

REMARKETING IS ESSENTIAL

Remarketing ads on both the search and display networks helps potential customers remember your business.

Tip: Tag your site for remarketing – Add the remarketing global site tag and event snippets to your website to show ads to people who have visited your desktop, mobile website, or app.

 

Create Ads to Run on Social Media Platforms

Running ads on social media platforms helps:

Raise brand awareness

Gain bigger followings on social media channels

 

Rigorously Post on All Social Media Platforms

Ideas for potential posts:

Introduce new products

Run promotions

Discuss current social topics

 

Send Email Campaigns

Promote new things happening within the company

Give information about upcoming promotions

 

Applying these steps to your e-commerce business model could help your business reach new heights you never thought possible.

 

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200 W M.L.K. Blvd
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