Professional Services Marketing

If you were marketing on the Internet awhile back,, you probably remember that images were an expensive, time-consuming luxury.

 If you wanted to make your own, you could use The Package – Adobe Photoshop. It’s never been cheap and the learning curve was steep.  You could hire a designer to make one image or graphic at a time. An of course your herder required a web designer (often a temperamental type who charged a lot and disappeared on ski vacations when your site went down).

Today we have so many options. Almost anyone can work with images.

On the other hand, we also need images more. We’re more visual and graphically oriented. Just about every blog post, presentation slide, and ebook requires illustration. My first ebooks didn’t have a single image and they sold very well. Not today!   

Here are 3 tips for creating and using images in your online marketing:

1 – Your website needs a professionally designed graphic header.

But if you call a designer and say, “Make me a header,” you might be surprised … and not always in a good way. You’ll get far better results when you give your designer a clear idea of what you want before you place your order. You can do this in two ways:

— Go to Fiverr.com and order a handful of WordPress headers; usually your $5 will get you a few variations from each designer. You’ll have a pretty clear idea of what you don’t want. You might be able to use your design “as is,” but that’s rare. Usually you’ll need some revision and probably a professional designer who charges more than five bucks.  

– Play with a graphics package and sketch out your own design. The professional will sharpen it up and make it look, well, professional. This solution works for my clients (I can often do the draft) and for me too.

2 – Logos  can backfire. 

Recently I worked with a client who chose a logo when she started her business about seven years ago. She’s totally identified with that logo. Unfortunately, the logo’s clarity disappears in smaller sizes and the color doesn’t go with anything except maybe lime green or pale pink.  Trying to incorporate this logo into a bright graphic header has challenge more than one designer.

Many profitable, high-profile online businesses don’t have logos at all. If you choose one, test with different backgrounds, colors and sizes. That’s not hard to do with a basic graphics package.

3 – Your widgets will “pop” when you create a graphic message to announce an event, webinar or program.

An announcement “New webinar” can disappear but a colorful file will fit nicely into your widget, with big bold type and bright, tasteful colors.

If you’d like to get started right away, you can take advantage of this special offer from Nicole on the Net – a cool graphics package priced less than three cappuccinos.

The special ends tomorrow (although the regular price is still pretty much of a no-brainer).
Sticky Social Media, from Nicole Dean. She’s been around awhile and she’s one of the Internet’s good people.

It’s a good implementation product with several videos showing how to use tools to create and customize graphics, using free and paid packages. You’ll also get a handy collection of graphics that usually cost a lot more than the whole package, plus bonuses.   

Get the special before tomorrow Wednesday, October 9th: Click here:  http://coachglue.com/products/aff/go?r=3024&i=37