Our Guide to Making Promotional Mugs as a Business

Is your business shaping up to be the king of promotions? If so, then you have got to get into producing your own promotional mugs for your clients. When it comes to making something memorable and highly personalized, this product is your perfect cup of tea. There are many viable benefits of producing promotional mugs, and it’s much easier now to make it happen!
As you pour in your time and resources into this project, remember that your goal here is to successfully pull the customers or clients in with your product and branding. In this article, we will guide you through each step of the promotional mug production process as you take on this next stage of your business:
Benefits of Producing Promotional Mugs
As you venture into this new promotional aspect, take note of the following benefits to help set your goals for this project:
1. Personalized marketing: With so many businesses going through digital marketing and other viable mediums, you can stand out from the crowd by starting more personalized and specific projects. By producing promotional mugs, you can effectively make connections with your customers as they enjoy your unique branding identity. By buying into your signature style, you also are able to effectively pull customers in to continue supporting your business.
2. Effective branding: Having your own line of promotional mugs is like telling a story to your customers. You are able to identify more with specific customers, such as among employees enjoying coffee in the break room. With your recognizable design on the cup, branding opportunities are made more effective as they attract customers to your business. You could also take a look at custom branding options like stickers with your mug packaging to make it stand out.
3. Fast and easy to produce: Compared to the more traditional time of manufacturing, now is the perfect time to make use of state-of-the-art printing technology. You can now come up with more signature designs for promotional mugs without stepping into the factory. You can do it through your computer screen with a web-to-print portal, all thanks to the professional help of brand management companies.
How to Produce Promotional Mugs
Now that you know more about its benefits, take note of the following steps to produce your promotional cups successfully:
1. Know what your clients want: Your first priority is going through background research on your customers or clients. You can do this effectively by having a focus group discussion or through surveys to get a feel for the overall taste and preferences of your customer/client base. This will help you come up with great designs for your promotional material.
2. Come up with designs: Now that you have some ideas about what the product may look like, be sure to come up with a few sketches or design boards to effectively make your vision come alive. Don’t worry if you are not as creative or artsy. There are viable tools and experts who can help you flesh out your vision.
3. Partner with a brand management company: If you want to effectively come up with promotional mug ideas for mass production and excellent branding opportunities, have a professional team back you up. With the help of a brand management company, you can easily frame the success of your venture into promotional mugs.
4. Make viable prototypes for testing: Before you start mass production, you need to first come up with prototypes of your promotional cups. This will help you to effectively refine your final product if there are any errors to be corrected.
5. Get feedback from your clients/customers: Using your prototypes, you can get the opinions of clients or customers about your product. This will help you to also get a hold of the demand for your promotional mugs – it’s like having a pre-sale.
6. Mass produce the mugs: It’s now time to print out and produce your mugs! Get into mass production mode and shipping with your brand management company by your side to effectively oversee the success of the finished product.
Conclusion
At this point, you now know the benefits and methods of having promotional materials for your business. With the previously mentioned benefits and process in mind, be sure to produce quality and unique promotional mugs today to take your branding and business forward.
Are you hoping to produce high-quality promotional products? We at Optamark Graphics can assist with that. We have a professional web-to-print portal to help your product vision come to life. Consult with us today to produce highly marketable promotional mugs!

Elements That Improve Your Ecommerce Site, Besides Design

Having a great web design for an eCommerce website is one way to attract online shoppers’ attention, but it is not everything. Different factors still contribute to how your site and business perform. More than the visuals and promotions, the online store experience should also be improved.

If you want to be on par with other online stores, here are the different elements that can help improve your eCommerce site’s performance:

1. A Clear Purpose

Buying and shopping are two different things. As an eCommerce site owner, you should know its difference. Buying is a more intentional type of purchase. People already know what they are looking for when they buy. They make fast transactions, they are all about convenience, and if they need to make choices, it is all about assortment.

Buying is different from shopping, which focuses on the experience. People who shop takes more time to find the right item. They need to ask questions, touch the products, inspect, and check more options.

Amazon, for example, is optimized for buying. If you assess Amazon’s site, you will notice that it does not offer the most user-friendly experience. However, it does not matter because they are a site for buyers, those who already know what they will get.

Be clear about what type of experience your shop offers. If your online shop offers high-end items, maybe you should invest in giving your site visitors excellent user experience. If you target the lower end, you understand that they are mostly on budget, so they often know what they are looking for.

2. Emphasized Key Drivers

You probably have heard this a lot of times, but your website reflects your business. It is the extension of your brand and the items you sell. Your website acts as a display of your brand promise.

If you think that product images are your edge over other eCommerce websites, consider experimenting with 360-degree photo functionality. If you believe people prefer your site because of your more affordable pricing, highlight it, or make a price comparison.

Apply this important strategy, especially when battling with giants like Amazon. Because you are aware that you cannot compete by offering your customers free shipping or the lowest discount, you can focus on what you have and design your site experience based on it.

3. An Experience for Your Site Visitors

According to Entrepreneur.com, Apple.com is the best brand-oriented e-Commerce platform. It is because their website reflects the personality and promise of their brand. Their website is so sleek and streamlined that it solidifies the brand’s image.

Apply the same principle to your site too. Your website’s aesthetic is not only about the logo or the colors you used, but also about the feeling or after-thoughts that your site visitors would get after interacting with your brand.

4. Alignment and Integration

One way to make your store better than others is by giving a good service. That can be translated into how both your online and physical store functions.

For example, a customer would like to buy the dress you put on sale on your website. However, there are no more stocks of the size she wants. She did her research and saw that your physical store still has a supply of the same dress on her size. She mentions the discount your eCommerce store offers, and the store manager allows her to make the discounted purchase.

There is no line or disintegration between the two stores, and it gives a better buying experience to the customer. Not all is about the brand visuals; consistency among different channels is also crucial.

5. A Clear and Transparent Message

An excellent eCommerce store would not only bombard people with the products they sell; they also tell them why they do it and how they can help. It is vital that every website, even an eCommerce site, have their “Mission” or “About” pages. That way, you can communicate your objectives clearly and transparently.

Also, produce blog content for your website, even if you are an eCommerce site. Apart from acting as a traffic driver, it is one way of owning what you sell and the industry you are in.

Conclusion

Your eCommerce site is how customers get to know your brand, so it is vital that you improve it in all of its aspects. Having an online store, especially when you also have a physical store, should not be limited to your site’s appearance. Be well-rounded and consider these five elements we mentioned.

When it comes to brand consistency and integrity, having a graphics team that can also translate your brand message to your storefront can significantly help. If you need a brand management company that prioritizes your success, you are in the right place. Contact us today, and we will help you get new customers, build sales, and more.

 

6 Branded Merchandise Ideas to Use Amid the Pandemic

In this trying time, you have no choice as a business but to try to find a silver lining if you want to maintain your operations. Despite the global pandemic threatening life as you know it, you can still find ways to rise above this unpleasant situation. As the economy reopens and businesses are encouraged to run with strict safety measures, you should look for a way to promote your business.

One way to do so is to come up with branded merchandised items and have them sold or distributed. However, be sure that these items are relevant to the current plight and use them to send a strong message of hope, resiliency, and positivity.

If you are not sure how to proceed with your branded merchandise, here are six practical ideas that you can consider:

1. Custom t-shirts for powerful statements

Topping the list is a custom t-shirt that you can print with a powerful statement, as people love to wear strong words up their sleeves. This is a straightforward yet the best approach to convey a message about the COVID-19 crisis that can resonate well with your customers. At the same time, be sure to incorporate inspirational or funny messages relevant to the global pandemic.

2. Color-coded necklaces for emotional representation

It is understandable that people may find it hard to decipher and unleash their feelings during this challenging time. The chances are that they’re faced with pent-up emotions, such as stress, confusion, and anxiety. You can help your customers identify their feelings and release them by wearing color-coded necklaces. Be sure to incorporate proper color representations and let your customers wear them based on what they feel.

3. Keychains for heartwarming quotes

When it comes to branded merchandise, keychains are the most utilized among businesses. Why not use them during this global pandemic? To make them more personalized, be sure to attach or engrave warm quotes to boost your customers’ spirits. The more heartfelt and authentic they are, the better it will be to comfort them!

4. Puzzles for creativity

Now that most family members are confined in their homes’ comforts, let them take a break from hooking up online. One bonding activity is playing puzzles as a way to kill boredom and bond with the family. As a business, you can create fun and unique puzzles and sell them to various households. At the same time, be sure to incorporate proper branding on these items.

5. Umbrellas for social distancing

Umbrellas will undoubtedly work for your branded items. To stay relevant, however, it’s best to have umbrellas to encourage social distancing. Take, for instance, a village in India that had 10,000 umbrellas for the residents where everyone’s required to use them along with their masks. Why not do the same for your local business? Distribute them in your locality as you do your part in helping your community!

6. Coloring books for therapy

Did you know that coloring is actually therapeutic? It can allow people to release their emotions through colors. That said, what better way to help ease anxiety levels than to design coloring books for your customers? Doing so can be a great way to promote your business while giving your customers some form of therapy.

Conclusion

This list of six branded merchandise ideas can help you promote your business in the face of a global pandemic. At the same time, they can help uplift your customers’ spirit despite the ongoing crisis. Whether it’s a t-shirt, necklace, keychain, puzzle, umbrella, or coloring book, you can take your business up a notch while increasing your relevancy and taking the utmost social responsibility!

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the best way to promote your business is by distributing branded merchandise to your customers? As we specialize in print, promotional, and digital products in the US, we can help with your branded merch efforts – get in touch with us today!

6 Reasons to Use Poster Advertising for Your Media Mix

In this digital age, you may think that posters are no longer relevant today. Today, it’s common for marketers to use the web to promote their brand and sell their products or services, whether on websites or social media channels. Because of this, they no longer prioritize traditional forms of marketing, such as print, TV, or radio.

However, you might be wondering why you still see posters splattered in many places. The chances are that you see them posted on public surfaces and business establishments to advertise a product, promote an event, or even educate the public. This is primarily because they are still considered powerful forms of print advertising!

If you are still unconvinced of its effectiveness and purpose, here are six valuable reasons you need to employ poster advertising for your media mix and your business’s growth:

1. They are cost-effective marketing materials

When it comes to traditional advertising, posters are considered cost-effective as they cost less when compared to radio and TV advertising. Sure, you may have to pay for the materials and printing, but they still won’t cost you as much as the alternatives mentioned. Besides, they are effective at catching the audiences’ attention and influencing their purchase decision, which is why they are worth the money you spend on advertising.

2. They are highly visible

Keep in mind that there’s a significant difference in advertising in the digital space and the physical world. Being able to see and touch a tangible material can make lots of difference in influencing your target market. What’s also great about posters is that they are highly visible. When incorporated with striking messaging and compelling design, they can take the spotlight and earn your audience’s attention.

3. They can captivate the audience

In line with being highly visible, well-designed posters can immediately grab the viewers’ attention. Whether in shopping centers, washrooms, or pantries, the audience can’t help but take a look at them. They can go as far as stirring the emotion or influencing their purchase decision. If you’re fortunate, these posters can even convince your target market to buy your product, hire your service, or attend your event.

4. They are very flexible

Another benefit of utilizing poster advertising is how flexible and versatile these materials are. Seeing that they come in various shapes, sizes, designs, and styles, you can post a large one, use multiple fonts, play with color psychology, and incorporate effective images. You only have to be creative in incorporating all the visual elements and come up with highly effective materials.

5. They are credible

Posters have long been utilized in the world of marketing and advertising, which is why they have long earned the trust and confidence of the public. This means that viewers can easily and quickly absorb and trust the messaging without thinking twice about a brand.

6. They are a powerful medium

What’s great about posters is how they cause a rapid response in customers. When viewers see them, they are more likely to get interested in what you have to offer. With great visuals and excellent messaging, they are more likely to move your audience and keep them hooked, which may eventually convert them into valuable long-term customers.

Conclusion

Poster advertising has long been proven and tested to be highly effective. As discussed above, they are cost-effective, highly visible, capable of captivating the audience, flexible, and credible. Ultimately, they are considered a powerful form of marketing that you shouldn’t neglect because they can take your business up a notch!

Why not consider employing poster advertising for your media mix? Optamark Graphics specializes in print, promotional, and digital products in the US. If you’re looking to create, design, and print posters for your marketing efforts, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

3 Steps to Design a Shirt to Increase Brand Exposure

There are many ways you can increase your business’s brand exposure. You can go about it digitally and set up a social media account to interact with your community. You can also use physical solutions, such as setting up billboards and posters to tell people all about your business.

That said, one of the best ways to expose your brand to the public is through business events, conferences, and even charities. You can go to these events and hand out flyers, but one way to really draw attention is by giving out t-shirts with your design!

A great t-shirt design can spread awareness of your brand for many years. It encourages people to wear them multiple times to different places, which equates to free, long-term marketing for your brand.

So, how do you design such a t-shirt? Here are the steps you can follow:

Step 1. Understand the shirt’s purpose

The first thing you need to do is understand what you plan to do with your shirt. Obviously, you want to use it to gain exposure for your brand, so the design has to reflect your brand’s identity.

Start with the right logo placement, as you want this to be clearly visible. Next, pick the right colors that complement your logo and draw attention to it. All the elements of the t-shirt must work together to achieve the intended purpose.

Step 2. Pick the right shirt

While the shirt’s design is critical, the type of shirt you choose is also important. For example, if your business is based in a hot climate, you want to opt for light materials like cotton to keep the wearer comfortable. On the other hand, if you’re in a colder climate, you may opt for shirts with long sleeves or thicker material.

Either way, you must pick the right type of shirt to work with. That way, people will be more likely to wear your shirts and spread awareness about your brand.

Step 3. Create a stunning design

Once you have the purpose and the type of shirt sorted, now is your chance to create a design that will give your brand the exposure it needs.

You can take inspiration from many sources, such as social media platforms, art websites, and even your business’s logo. What’s important is that you gather ideas from as many resources as possible. That way, you and your team can find the best choice and develop unique designs that will work perfectly on your shirts.

Conclusion

With the designs ready, now’s the time to have the shirts printed. There are many printing services out there, and some specialize in t-shirt printing. Take time to select the right service providers to work with, as the quality is vital to expose your brand the right way. You wouldn’t want the design to start falling apart after a few uses. You want it to last for many years so it can continue spreading awareness about your brand and attract interested individuals to your business.

Are you looking to have your designs printed on quality shirts? Optamark Graphics can offer you the shirt and print quality you need to boost your brand. Get in touch with us today!

5 Effective Print Marketing Materials to Utilize

Despite the rise of digital marketing in recent years, print marketing is still seen as an effective method. It’s easy to think that printed marketing materials have become obsolete due to the rise of technology, yet other forms still outperform some of the latest methods. Print marketing materials can even generate higher results compared to an online strategy. One of the reasons is that people consume information on paper differently, in which they get to focus more on what’s written and understand it on a deeper level.

If you want to implement print marketing in your business, here are five effective materials that you should utilize:

1. Business Cards

Business cards may seem invaluable, yet they have a significant impact on your marketing efforts. In fact, well-designed cards are very effective as it is one of the easiest ways to promote who you are as a company. Wherever you are, whether at an event or at a restaurant, handing out your business card to a potential client can bring plenty of opportunities for your business. This is because these cards let you connect personally that you don’t get from online marketing. Also, the more you become personal with clients, the more powerful your promotion will be.

2. Brochures & Flyers

Despite the power of online marketing, not everyone trusts what they see online, which is also the reason businesses online have strategies in place to build trust. Brochures and flyers are an effective way to gain customer trust, especially in physical spaces where people don’t have access to computers. These printed materials will help you build credibility and trust not only online, but also as customers talk about you through word of mouth.

3. Banners

Banners, such as pop-up ones or even table-stand ones, can easily catch the eyes of potential clients. They are a cost-effective marketing tool that you can place outside your building to bring awareness to your business, product, and location. On top of that, you can also use banners for your events and trade shows to introduce to passersby of what you do or offer.

4. Physical Promotional Products

Physical products for promotion, such as pens, power banks, or thumb drives are excellent ways to build and spread brand awareness. You can place your brand name and your logo on these products to be brought home with your potential clients. Make your promotional products useful, so when a potential customer uses it, they will be reminded of your brand and what you can do to help them.

5. Postcards

Similar to brochures and flyers, postcards will let you promote your brand and build engagement and trust with your customers. However, this type of printed tool targets a specific audience: those who look forward to their mail. This means that you need to dive deeper into your customer base and identify the individuals who are still relying on direct mails as a means of communication with a business.

Additionally, this material allows you to get more personal as you can send a greeting card on a holiday or a thank you message to those who have chosen to work with you.

Conclusion

With the digital world getting overly crowded, marketing through printed materials is a great way to reach your audience. The five print marketing materials mentioned are those you need to consider investing in if you want your business to grow. At the same time, keep in mind that the design of your physical marketing materials is crucial, which is why you need to find an excellent graphics company to make your printed materials stand out.

Optamark Graphics is recognized as an innovative brand management company that focuses on lasting relationships and collaboration. If you are looking for effective print materials to increase brand awareness, and ensure business growth, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

How to Choose a Custom Printed Box for Virtual Event Giveaways?

As every moment passes, 2,760 packages are delivered worldwide, which means approximately 16 billion packages are shipped every year. Such growing popularity of mailed gifts has made it challenging for companies to think out-of-the-box for gift ideas that need to be mailed.
The fact is that the challenge is only intensifying with virtual event gift boxes turning increasingly popular. The question arises, how can you make your business catch-the-eye then? The answer to your question is the Custom Gift Boxes.
In case you are organizing a virtual event or considering sending a holiday or thank-you gift box to your buyers, a customized gift box will help you stand out and put your company’s action better than several other parcels that appear at the recipient’s doorstep.
Custom Gift Boxes – Why?
Custom gift boxes help to add a flywheel approach to your promotional product list. One benefit of changing your package into a gift is that this creates great enthusiasm for your company that people enjoy to share, and this results in creating brand ambassadors who boom your brand’s exposure. It’s the ability to build satisfied consumers and use that same tempo to compel recognition, which helps actuate the company.
So, let’s look at why a custom box is so significant and how it can set your company apart from others.
Make Your Box a Gift!
To start with, the complete purpose you are shipping a swag box would be to either give or praise your candidates or event attendees. These days, consumers are doing their maximum shopping online; they order a box for themselves almost every day. Therefore, to make your gift sense like a gift, the easiest and best way is to make it appear like one.
Let’s illustrate it in this way. When you buy a gift and bring it to your friend’s birthday party, do you carry it in a traditional brown bag, or do you cover it in a pleasant wrapping paper, perhaps with ribbons and bows? I’m quite sure it’s the latter.
You can make your swag box a perfect gift by simply following the same procedure. Certainly, shipping gets a little bit in the way of stuff; however, you can still make shipping boxes amusing and customized. It’s the way to make your swag box seem like a gift.
Promote Excitement
Getting ready for an event? I presume the entire aim of your swag box is to make people enthusiastic about it. Or if you are only shipping out gift boxes, then the aim is to get people fascinated about your business and your brand. Well, nonetheless, it all comes down to inciting sentiments.
So, assume this. You’re going to your doorstep to grab your mail from the mailbox, and you see two stuffed parcels inside. The one you see is a regular shipping box that is likely to hold one of the many household objects you just bought online. While the other is a beautiful textured box, branded on its side with a fun phrase. It will stand out, and ironically, it won’t look like anything that you ordered.
Now, can you decide which one you’re going to open first? I know I’ll go to the second one.
Let’s take a more practical example. What if you are a user of a monthly subscription box like Birchbox or Hello Fresh? These are boxes that you are keen to get in the mail every month. The reason behind why they look so attractive is that they are made with elegant colors and branded logos.
That is the strength of the custom boxes. People are drawn to the glitzy and flashy things as consumers. As per a market research company Ipsos, 75 percent of customers are concerned about product packaging design. That’s a completely astonishing percentage, but it’s not a waste of time to concentrate on your package’s look.
Increase Brand Exposure!
Did you even know that if they can, 90 percent of customers will reuse a package box? I’m the living example of that percentage.
I attended a virtual conference recently organized by Commonsku. Sending out virtual event swag boxes to a range of registered attendees was the part of their event plan. I was among one of those lucky winners of a custom-designed box that had different promotional products included. The box was indeed beautiful and was crying to be reused. Now, it is the happy new keeper of my very expensive tea collection. Whenever I brew a new mug, it reminds me of Commonsku’s event and the unforgettable experience.
That is the strength of a custom swag box for your event or company. It’s all about making an impression that lasts. And a custom box will help you to spread the word if you are organizing a virtual event.
Just imagine-because of your custom packaging, 40 percent of customers are more likely to share pictures of your brand on social media. To increase exposure to your event in a cost-efficient way, custom packaging plays a major role. It creates something share-worthy for your already committed attendees.
Three Steps to Sending a Custom Gift Box!
So, are you willing to invest in your custom swag box, but where to start? Fortunately, the process isn’t that complex at all! However, before you start buying, it’s good to have a strategy in mind. To help get you moving in the right direction, here are a few steps.
1. Identify and Consider Your Budget
The first step to consider before making any purchase is to decide your budget. As far as customization goes, the double-edged sword of customized boxes is that there are no limits or restrictions, but like everything else, the more you do, the more costly it will become. Therefore, determining your budget will help assess how far you can go with the customization and how large you go with the box size.
Firstly, decide whether a custom box would make sense for your situation. We’ve already outlined the advantages that one can have, but there are scenarios where the budget is not wise. And that’s all right, as long as you make a good decision for your business. We recommend that at least 100 custom boxes should be ordered to be worth the price. Nevertheless, you can also buy as few as 12-15 custom boxes. In that case, a standard white box could be a decent purchase if you plan on buying just a small number.
In case you have a very broad recipient list, then custom is the path to choose. When you determine the total quantity you will need, always bear in mind that custom boxes are usually retailed in increments of a dozen.
The next step is to access the size that would work best for you. You will need to keep two things in mind while choosing the ideal size:
a. The type of products you are going to put in your custom box
b. The shipping costs.
Every brand has a different swag box, but we have a few recommendations based on our experiences. Bear in mind that the typical swag box has 2-6 products inside. We recommend going for the following three sizes:

2. Plan your Timeline
Planning properly is an extremely important consideration for shipping custom boxes, and we can’t emphasize this enough. Are you planning for an event or sending a gift for a particular holiday? Then keep in mind that you have a very crucial deadline for your custom box arrival.
If you are thinking of sending a custom box with swag items inside, then it is vital to know that the whole project takes about seven weeks from start to finish. This also comprises the boxes’ printing process, which takes about 15-25 working days or sometimes a month.
Keeping this in mind, it is advisable not to hurry when it comes to Custom boxes. The more time you spend, the better the outcome will be, and the less tension you will suffer in the end. With a decent amount of time, the procedure would be closer to perfect.
3. Create your Design-Plan
After determining the budget and planning the timeline, then comes the time for the most interesting part, the design. Certainly, it is significant to plan how you want your custom box to look like.
Don’t fuss about your lack of Photoshop skills, as you don’t have to stress the actual design process. This is what our DMG crew is here for. But considering that only you know your clients, prospects, and event attendees best, the box’s overall idea and design would be most useful from you.

  • Come up with a few bright and pleasant colors that will match your organization or event brand.
  • Utilize the innovation of the brand of your company by incorporating your logo.
  • You can come up either with a branded hashtag or expression for your gift box. This will also help in better interaction at social media as people will have a primary spot to post about your box-related content.
  • To help fund your custom box and attract sponsors, an excellent way is to open the ability to have their logos displayed on your box.

Our team will do the rest once you finally decide the appearance of your box. Our brilliant team of graphic designers will coordinate with you to build a look that portrays both your business and your event. Here’s a look at the work we did for CSTA, a customer who hired us to build their virtual event swag box strategy
Now Take your Call!
We believe most of these tips have helped boost some creativity for your gift campaign or virtual event. Swag is indeed a very effective tool to communicate with your audience, but then something that is sometimes ignored is the delivery method. Once you integrate a custom swag box into your promotional product strategy, you’ll reach one step closer to communicating well with your customers or event guests in the most intimate way possible.
Please remember that the purpose is not to let your ability to organize a successful virtual event be disrupted by a custom swag box, nor will it get in the way of any other task. And for this exact reason, our skilled team is here to guide you through the entire process. It will help develop a personalized technique that will be designed just for your organization and its objectives.

 

4 Types of Fonts- How to Choose Fonts for Promotional Materials

One fallacy in marketing and communication that has definitely been relegated to the past is that content is much more important than aesthetics. Current consumer practices show that this could not be further from the truth, as many people come to value the manner in which a message is presented almost as much as the message itself.
After all, a truth, poorly expressed, is a lie. Whether this expression is in the clarity of the words used or in the design of its presentation, one thing is certain: design and delivery matter.
One crucial consideration in graphic design is fonts. What fonts should I choose? How big should the text be? In this article, we will go over these questions and more so that you can make better decisions about the design surrounding your messaging.
The Four Font Families
There are four major font families, and they are characterized as follows:

  • Serif. Serif fonts include older styles, such as Times New Roman and Baskerville. They are characterized by the little tails at the end of each letter, with the belief that these little tails actually increase readability. They are often used to give a sense of formality to the body of the text.
  • Sans serif. Sans serif fonts are known for their straight lines. Verdana and Helvetica are some examples of these fonts. These days, they are growing in popularity because they are versatile and positively received. They are also regularly used as titles and headlines because of their boldness.
  • Script. Script fonts look like natural handwriting. Some of the most popular examples are Snell Roundhand and Brush. These are normally used for more creative businesses and establishments, such as coffee shops and bakeries, as they bring a sense of the familiar and casual.
  • Display. Display fonts include all those highly decorative fonts you see, and they are used very sparingly unless appropriate. Wingdings is a special example of display fonts. Other fonts of this family have seen use in horror movies and science fiction.

How to Choose a Font
Every graphic design project relies on a certain tone or mood, so the fonts and typefaces you choose should match the mood you’re trying to achieve. As such, horror fonts like Chiller wouldn’t really fit the promotions of a medical blog, but they might be appropriate for the promotions of a horror podcast.
Make sure to examine a font on its own and against the rest of your materials to make sure it’s an appropriate fit. If you are still not sure, show it to someone else and get their opinion.
Now, depending on how you intend to deliver your message, try to look at it from different angles. If it’s meant to be used for a billboard or poster, try looking at it from a distance. Does it look too bland? Is it difficult to read? Does it stand out too much?
The right font will give you satisfactory answers to all of these questions and deliver your message with ease.
Final thoughts
Whatever message you hope to deliver, and whatever industry your business is operating in, it is critical to employ good design techniques in all of your promotions and related materials. Choosing the right fonts, sizing them correctly, and positioning them well are all elements of good graphic design practices.
If you’re looking for a graphic design partner for your business so you wouldn’t have to worry about fonts at all, send us at Optamark a message. We have the expertise and experience needed to help deliver your message accurately and beautifully.

 

5 Major Ways to Use Graphic Design for Digital Marketing

Content is a crucial aspect of digital marketing. However, visual appeal is just as important as content, and by showcasing captivating graphic designs, you can attract the attention of your target audience and convey your message effectively. To learn more about using graphic design to boost your digital marketing strategies, read the list below:

1. Invest in the right tools and resources

The key to creating an effective digital marketing strategy is by utilizing the right tools and taking advantage of the best resources. When you are armed with these, you can ensure your success with graphic design in digital marketing by reaching your target audience, expanding your reach, and enhance your sales.

To make sure that you are using the right tools, hire talented graphic designers who can help you execute your vision successfully. They have the skills, experience, and know-how to deliver your marketing strategies in the most visually appealing way possible.

2. Establish a solid brand identity

Whether online or in-store, shoppers are overwhelmed with a huge number of brands they can choose from. To stand out from the shelves and get your business noticed by the consumers, make sure to establish a solid brand identity and graphic design that helps you become distinctive from your competitors.

Get started by creating a logo and choosing a color scheme that expresses your marketing messages consistently. With an established brand identity, you can raise your brand awareness and recognition among the public and connect with your target market.

3. Utilize color theory

The colors you use in your product packaging, website, ads, logo, and other marketing tools and strategies affect your sales more than you realize. Be sure to understand the role of colors in psychology and the purchasing decisions of your customers by studying and utilizing color theory. This is a vital aspect of graphic design in marketing that, when used properly, can encourage your target market to do your desired response and respond to your call to action.

4. Try a minimalist approach

As they say, less is more. At present, many businesses apply this old adage in graphic design and their business marketing tools and strategies. Using a minimalist approach is all the rage nowadays. To achieve this successfully, turn only to a digital marketing agency that specializes in graphic design. They can create a minimalist design that works best for your digital marketing tools and strategies.

5. Make your website accessible on mobile devices

More and more users use their mobile devices to access websites or do online shopping. Because of this, it’s important to optimize your website and have it mobile-friendly. Work with a skilled graphic designer to ensure that your website has a mobile-friendly design and guarantee a positive user experience for your visitors.

Conclusion

Driving your marketing strategy effectively can be successful by following the best practices in graphic design. Keep in mind the mentioned tips above to utilize proper graphic design and collaborate only with talented graphic designers to create the look and feel that you are going for and the designs that work best for your business.

Optamark Digital is an established digital marketing agency that offers top-quality digital marketing services, including graphic design, video production, email marketing, and more. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you grow your business!

 

Is Print Advertising Dead? 5 Facts To Know

While digital advertising and social media are becoming increasingly popular in recent years, print media is still a dominant avenue for promoting brands. The internet and social media are powerful tools to wield, but if you don’t know how to manipulate them to your advantage, you won’t achieve much success.

When we talk about print advertising, it doesn’t just refer to the flat photo ads embedded in newspapers or magazines. Print media is everywhere in the real world, in the letters you receive in the mailbox, the logos and taglines plastered on brand merchandise, and the posters and billboards you see when you walk around your city.

There is still an argument to be made for print media and all its iterations. If you are wondering if it’s still worth investing a portion of your marketing budget for offline ads, here are five facts that may help you decide:

1. Conversion is still higher with print

Americans spend an average of two and a half hours a day on the internet and social media platforms but only 45% said they would act on digital advertisements that they receive. Conversion is still higher with printed media, with 79% of consumers saying they will respond to direct mailers. What this means is that you may spend the same amount of marketing budget on both avenues but you will probably get a better return on your investment with print.

2. Print reinforces online advertising

We may make the mistake of thinking that print and digital media work exclusively. Statistics show that a combination of print and digital advertising can improve an online campaign by 400%. There is a greater chance of success for your marketing strategy if you utilize both avenues.

3. Consumers still trust print media

While it may seem like we are consuming all of our information online, 82% or four out of five American consumers still trust ads in print media in contrast to 25% of who say they trust digital advertisements. The volume of advertising may be increasing online, but at the end of the day, print still offers a high level of credibility that is crucial when swaying purchase decisions.

4. The print is more memorable

According to a study by a Canadian firm, they found that a person’s ability to recall a brand’s name based on a printed ad received by direct mail was 70% than a digital one. The study supposes that it may be because direct mail requires 21% less brainpower to understand

5. More people are likely to ignore an email

While email marketing can reach millions of people with a single click, it doesn’t guarantee a response. Many users have boxes filled with spam mail that usually go directly to their trash. Statistics show 80% of snail mail is opened while 80% of electronic ones are not.

In conclusion

It isn’t time to rule out print advertising just yet. We don’t spend our entire lives on the internet, and not all of our purchase decisions are influenced by digital ads. There is still plenty of opportunities to capture customers’ attention through printed media. So until we are all glued to a digital screen 24/7, print advertising isn’t dead.

Are you looking for a printing shop for your marketing needs? We offer services to create high-quality promotional and merchandising materials to promote your business. Browse our portfolio online and order your new

 

Designing Letterheads Right: A Simple Recipe For Success

While some business operations warrant more effort than others, it’s imperative every aspect should be treated with the utmost priority. As an entrepreneur, you must treat your business like a machine—once you deem that everything is working, it will work as intended. The simplest parts, such as your business letterheads, are part of these seemingly insignificant details.

Letterheads used to conduct business with potential partners, as it presents your company in the best possible way. They need to be well-designed and equipped with the right elements, especially since visuals convey a thousand words.

To ensure that your business invests in the right letterhead, here are the three most important elements you need to incorporate:

1 .  Your company name

The purpose of your letterhead is to let the reader know about your company. Leaving your letter blank is like sending an anonymous letter, which can be frustrating to read. Without an identity imbued in the letter, how do you ensure that the contents deliver the right impact?

Ensuring that your company’s name is presented warrants as a compelling introduction, but more importantly, it lets the receiver know that your business is real. With that being said, place your company’s name at the top of your letterhead. This allows the receiver to know that you mean business, thereby urging them to read further.

2.  Your logo

The most successful businesses are identifiable due to their logos and slogans. A bitten apple, for instance, signifies the technology-driven Apple. The fast-food giant Wendy’s offers a red-headed girl, which people now recognize as their ultimate symbol. To distinguish yourself from the rest, a well-made logo must be present.

The top of the letterhead is the ideal place for logos, just beside your company’s name. Others find that using logos as watermarks work best, but the idea is to place the logo on the most visible spot. This boosts brand awareness, further prompting the receiver to read the contents of your letter.

3.  Contact details

Your letter will likely be a proposal for partnership—in case the recipient is interested in engaging with your company, your contact details should be ready. Your contact information should be readily available on your letterhead, as with your email address and website. Your social media channels will also help. Not only will they be able to successfully contact you for concerns, but showcasing that you have multiple contact details assuages any doubts. With such a secure company, they’ll be convinced that they’re in capable hands.

Designing It Simple But Compelling

Given that letterheads are incredibly important to business, most make the mistake of creating an overly complicated letterhead. Keep in mind that intricate isn’t always effective—while ensuring that the receiver is provided with enough information about your company, proceed with caution and don’t overwhelm them with information and design.

Letterheads should have information neatly arranged, preferably in designs that are easy to grasp. With that being said, make sure to proceed with simplicity in mind. Your main goal is to convey a message, after all—never deter them from focusing on the message!

For compelling letterhead designs and other visual projects, Optamark Graphics is the place to call. We offer you compressive digital marketing solutions across the United States, deeply rooted in industry knowledge and experience. Allow our experts to futureproof your business—reach out to our team today.

3 Strategic Locations for Distributing Promotional Flyers

While many people move mostly in a digital space, physical marketing is still important in the promotion of a brand. Small- or mid-sized businesses especially benefit from the distribution of flyers and other such promotional materials. Also, the distribution of flyers also accounts for that small portion of the population that is not on the internet, which is still around 30 million Americans.

There are few things that can match a well-designed and informative flyer. Not only can it capture members of your target market that are more difficult to find, but it can also promote your brand and business in unique and inventive ways. However, even the best-designed flyer won’t be effective without proper distribution channels.

In this article, we are going to talk about the best places you can distribute flyers to promote business. Here are some of them:

Local newspaper distributors

Even if the majority of the news is now distributed online, newspapers are still a popular choice for most people. However, taking out a full-page (or even just partial ads) can be expensive for a small business.
As such, you can go to your local newsstand and leave out your fliers, which costs nothing if you’ve built a solid relationship with your local news distributor. If you’re lucky, they might even agree to let you insert your flyer into their publications before they are sent out.

Other businesses

One of the easiest ways to ensure that the local economy stays strong is for local businesses to band together and form great relationships. If there is a business nearby that provides goods or services that relate to your enterprise (that do not necessarily compete), it might be good to carry flyers and pamphlets promoting each others’ businesses.
It can even be as simple as placing one of them on a corkboard in another person’s business. It doesn’t stop there, as you can put up flyers in your local coffee shops, gyms, community centers, and so on.

Go door to door and car to car

In small communities, going door to door and leaving flyers on the windshields of cars can be effective ways to raise awareness of your business. This is especially important if the business caters to homeowners and their houses. Not only would they be getting information about a beneficial new business in their area, but they would also be getting it from the most reliable source.
However, before distributing in public spaces, make sure you know the rules regarding the handing out and hanging up of flyers. Follow the rules and regulations strictly, so your business does not get a bad rap.

Conclusion

Whatever industry you might serve and whatever your target market might be, it is important to consider every option when it comes to marketing.
Yes, having an online presence might benefit you, but there are many instances and circumstances that require more traditional means of advertising, such as flyers and pamphlets. Keep the tips above in mind so that your business doesn’t miss out on any opportunity to gain more visibility.
If you need help designing your flyers, send us at Optamark a message. We have experience in various fields and methods of marketing as well as graphic design.

Why Product Packaging Matters in Marketing

Attaining success in the world of business relies not just on the quality of your product. Product packaging also matters, and this impacts your customers’ purchasing habits and decisions more than you might think. Because of this, it can be said that your packaging is as crucial as your product itself.

To help you learn more about why you should take your product packaging seriously, here are some of the reasons why your packaging matters in marketing:

1. It serves as an effective marketing tool

Your packaging has a more important role than ensuring that your product retains its excellent quality when your customers consume or use your item. It says a lot about your brand and your product at a glance—even before your customers get to try what you offer.

Your well-made packaging can act as a marketing tool that can help you promote your offerings with the power of in-store advertising. Therefore, it’s important that your packaging conveys the message and values of your business.

2. It affects the purchasing habits and decisions of your customers

Color psychology plays a major role in marketing. This is because your brain responds to colors in various ways, which is why the colors of your product packaging can highly affect the purchasing decisions and habits of your customers. Because of this, you have to choose the colors of your packaging wisely.

To ensure that your product packaging’s colors reflect your message and brand, it is best to work with an experienced designer from an established digital marketing agency to help you decide on the color scheme for your product packaging. You may look into photos of various product packagings for inspiration and do your research on color psychology.

3. It makes your brand easily distinguishable

Every successful brand is considered memorable because of how it stayed true to its branding and delivered its vision and values well to its packaging.

When designing your packaging, make sure that your business logo is placed front and center. Use your signature color scheme to allow your customers to remember your product every time they are shopping.

Avoid making big changes in your packaging unless necessary. As much as possible, make only minor changes in case you need to revamp or refresh the look of your product packaging.

4. It sets your brand apart from your competitors

Stores’ shelves are filled with lots of products that are competing against one another to capture the attention of customers. To make your product stand out from the shelves and get it noticed and recognized by shoppers, make sure that your product packaging is unique, eye-catching, and can easily be set apart from your competitors.

Conclusion

Failing to recognize the importance of your product packaging to your business could mean setting yourself up for failure. This is because effective product packaging can act as a marketing and communication tool for your business. Therefore, when trying to come up with the look for your product packaging, work only with a reputable digital marketing agency.

At Optamark Graphics, we offer digital marketing services that can boost the growth of your business. Get in touch with us for a free digital audit!

 

Be Professional by Using Presentation Folders

Nothing annoys a person more than being presented with disorganized documents and materials. Nothing screams unprofessional more than looking like you aren’t prepared for the day. What is the use of dressing professionally and looking the part when your presentation materials are chaotic?

Presentation folders are a fantastic tool you can use to help organize your marketing materials and to present accurate information and documents to your colleagues, clients, and other professionals.

Here are some reasons your company should use presentation folders:

It’s a great company tool to present to clients

Whether you’re in a tradeshow or a meeting, having a presentation folder to give to your clients is a great way to start a conversation. Ideally, you would want your presentation folder to have complete information about your company and the products and services.

The great thing about giving presentation folders to clients is that they will have a physical copy of the information they need from you and could look for a digital copy as well. Presentation folders are meant to act as an offline version of your website and should be more accessible to your clients in the appropriate moment.

It’s an excellent hospitality gesture

Giving out presentation folders during meetings and trade shows are an excellent way to make a client or potential lead feel welcomed. It’s a better way to share information about your company and services rather than bombarding them with information by saying too much. Sometimes it can be challenging to absorb spoken information, which can easily be forgettable. So handing out presentation folders are vital because it will help your clients remember your company and your services.

It holds all the necessary documents

Presentation folders can also be used during seminars and training sessions. Handing out these folders to participants will make it easier for them to digest all the information during the conference. Should it be challenging to take down notes, presentation folders should provide all necessary learning materials.

During meetings, presentation folders are a huge help so that clients and other colleagues can keep track of the flow of your presentation. The best thing about it is they can look back at it without the hassle of having to go through you to get the digital copy of the documents. It is a convenient way to pass information to your clients and colleagues.

It represents your company’s image

An essential factor to consider when creating your presentation folders is that it needs to look professional and show your company’s image well. Working with the right graphic designers to help you build these folders and files will help convey your company’s message correctly.

Expert graphic designers should know what kind of design works for different industries so that your clients will adequately understand your company’s image and branding and potential leads.

Conclusion

Presentation folders shouldn’t be ignored because they are among the best traditional marketing tools many companies use. With these folders, you are disseminating proper and curated information for your clients to absorb more efficiently.

At Optamark Graphics, we offer digital marketing services that can boost the growth of your business. Get in touch with us for a free digital audit!

 

4 Tips To Make Your Business Greeting Cards Stand Out

They might seem out of place, but personalized greeting cards can have many positive effects in any business setting. Business owners can send cards to customers on special occasions to make them feel valued, or to suppliers to show appreciation and a willingness to continue working together.

However, sending a business card has to be done with careful thought and specific purpose. After all, you want the gesture to mean something so that it doesn’t just get tossed aside. To help you craft genuinely thoughtful business greeting cards, here are four tips to keep in mind:

1. Customize It

Instead of sending out generic holiday cards, use custom greeting cards to make your message more meaningful. You can order customized greeting cards that feature your business logo and a heartfelt message to express your sentiments.

By sending out customized business greeting cards, you get to make the reader feel more special. Moreover, they’ll know it’s from your brand, which helps to strengthen your image. You don’t want your greeting cards to get lost in the sea of greeting cards your customers get, especially during the holiday, so take the time to make yours stand out!

2. Keep It Short And Sweet

There’s no need to write a paragraph-long message for your business greeting cards. Instead, keep it short and sweet. However, your message should be sincere and reflect your company culture. If possible, hand-sign each card and include all the key members of your staff. Doing so will show the reader that you took the time to send a card because you truly value them.

3. Get Creative

It’s easy to place the greeting card in an envelope and send it. As mentioned, the people your business may be sending it to may already have a lot of cards to open, and it could get easily lost if you place your card in a generic envelope. That’s why you need to be more creative. Make the envelope stand out by adding colors, graphics, and so on. If you can do more, why not send a small package along with the greeting card? That way, yours will definitely stand out, and the recipient will take the time to read your message.

4. Send It With A Purpose

Let’s face it—these business greeting cards are still a form of marketing. There’s nothing wrong with showing your appreciation while also making an impression to do more business. You can do this by adding a call to action, such as a discount for future orders. You can also add your personal business card or even offer a reward for referrals. There’s nothing wrong with marketing a little with your business greeting cards.

Conclusion

Business greeting cards are not only great for showing your appreciation, but they are great marketing tools as well. That is why you also need to put some time and effort into it to yield better results for your business. After all, you’re already investing in these greeting cards; so why not get something more out of it?

Keep your business greeting cards creative by following the tips listed above. Make sure that they stand out so that they don’t get lost.

Let us help you make business greeting cards that will stand out. Here at Optamark Graphics, we can make creative greeting cards for any use and occasion. Contact us today.

Why Custom Envelopes Help Grow Your Brand

With the thousands of insincere and largely monotonous online customer chats and emails that are becoming common in today’s world, the emergence of custom envelopes and business letters are beginning to break the trend. As a step to innovate, businesses are creating more meaningful methods to communicate with customers.

Custom envelopes are like the perfect gift wrapper to a treasured surprise. But why exactly is it more preferred today, and why should it be your next investment as a business?

To answer those questions, this guide contextualises the allure and sheer originality that it provides towards sharing your unique business message with your customers.

1. It Provides Personalised Branding

As earlier mentioned, online messages and emails that are sent to customers might be numerous and structured, but they still fail to get the point across. The sheer volume of messages reached online is already a definite turn-off. It makes businesses seem impersonal and far-removed from their customers—making it a poor image for your brand.
With custom envelopes, you’re setting the image that you want to make an effort to sit down with your customer and connect with them. The letters that you put in each envelope can make your business more personalized in branding, giving your clients more time to really savor your business’ message. Thus, it will have great returns on investments as it is a cost-effective method of getting your point across.

2. It is a Daring and Original Form of Communication

Another advantage of using custom envelopes is its very daring and creative approach, especially amidst all the technology that customers are bombarded with. Imagine the shock and amazement customers will feel when they reach your letter—it catches them off guard, thus maximizing the emotional impact between you and your consumers!
The letter also becomes a keepsake, in a way, as it reminds them why it was the right choice to enjoy your business. It makes them realise that you are not afraid to think outside the box and be intentional as a brand.
Aside from the daring and originality, custom envelopes are also legitimate means of communicating nowadays with customers. It may seem ironic that the rise of letters is more effective in communicating than with a text message or an email. The fact remains, however, that people are becoming tired of the internet. There are even individuals who do technological detox and deactivate their social media accounts because of its toxicity.
The solution then is through custom envelopes and letters. It not only infiltrates the digital space wall, but it’s also perceived as more “gutsy,” which is highly appreciated among your receivers. It’s friendly too—it’s essentially like saying “I want you to enjoy my business. Here are some things that I know you will love. Hope to see you soon!”

3. It Invites a Positive Customer Response

As a result of the daring communication and personalized approach to branding, the positive customer response it results in can also be considered another benefit. Custom envelopes and business letters let the customer know that you care about them. It makes them feel appreciated and happy—in fact, it could even be a highlight to their dreary workday! Thus, it reawakens them to buy more products or get more services from your business again.
Customer satisfaction will be at an all-time high as well, and you can also bet that more will follow. Your custom envelopes will make you memorable, which the customers you send it to will surely take note of. It’s almost like having physical proof that you really care for customers, which is something people in today’s age hold in high regard!

Conclusion

Custom envelopes are the perfect wrap-up to your core message as a personalized, customer-friendly brand. If you really want to stand out as a business, consider acquiring custom envelopes today!
Do you want a professional touch to your custom envelopes? We can provide you with stellar graphic design services to effectively get your message across. Get in touch with us today and find out how you can reach out to your consumers even better.

 

4 Reasons You Should Use Promotional Products To Advertise Your Business

Ever thought about different ways you could promote your product or business all the more? Going traditional may not be such a bad idea—there’s a reason these strategies have persisted for a long time.

Even though the promotional landscape has drastically changed within the last decade, many businesses have succeeded in getting new customers through promotional products. You won’t have to worry about waste, either—customers usually use these, and if not, they tend to give it to their friends or family.

Here’s why you should consider using promotional products to advertise your business:

It’s Budget Friendly

You might think that shelling out extra money for promotional products is expensive, but they’re actually quite affordable. Compared to other forms of advertising, promotional products are a cost-effective way to help you advertise your business over a period of time—usually months. Integrating this into a well-structured marketing plan will guarantee you a wider and more sustainable way to get in touch with your customers. The products don’t have to be large to make a statement. It could be anything from a business card to a sample of your product.

It Makes Your Customers Come Back

Distributing promotional products to customers, especially on a regular basis, will encourage your customers to choose your business over any other brand. It also communicates to your audience that your business isn’t afraid to spend a little to give customers a free taste of your products.

You can also opt to reward loyal customers through special gifts or personalized products—a customer that feels taken care of will genuinely see a reason to keep doing business with you. This will not only encourage customer loyalty but establish a good relationship with them.

It Generates Quality Leads

Sending out promotional products can actually give you quality leads, as they have the power to convert people into returning customers. Sample-sized products are a fantastic way to convert since it allows them to try it for free and see how much they like it. To encourage the recipients of your promotional products to come back, make sure to include links to your website and social media profiles so they can find out more about your products and services. This will also increase the traffic to your website—hitting two birds with one stone.

It Boosts Brand Awareness and Visibility

One of the most potent benefits of using promotional products to advertise your business is that it increases your brand visibility. Many people may have heard of your company for the first time upon receiving the products, which is important—this means more and more people are hearing about you! Using relevant promotional products to promote your business, like a free tumbler if you’re a company that sells organic juices, will make it easier for people to recognize your brand.

Final words

Marketing your business using promotional products is one of the most effective ways to reach your intended audience. Even if an uninterested person gets a hold of your product, they’re likely to know someone who will appreciate it and hand it over to them instead—giving you a new and potential customer.

Need print and promotional products for your business? Optamark Graphics is a full-service brand merchandising company in the US with global partners in China and India. We help you reach your target audience by supplying eye-catching merchandise and products. Get in touch with us and we’ll love to help you out!

The Best Ways to Feature Your Custom Packaging in Your Ads

One possible but not often taken route to ensure a product will sell better is the quality of its packaging. Custom packaging can maximize the presentation and highlight the value of both your product and brand. It can add to the overall selling power and appeal of any product under the right circumstances.

The pandemic doesn’t have to hold back your business

Many large brands rely on in-store purchases from brick-and-mortar businesses, like grocery stores and retail outlets, for their revenue. In the wake of the coronavirus, extended stays in quarantine have forced them to pull back marketing on all fronts.

That has led to a boom in business for smaller online companies, as the digital space expands to become the largest in terms of customer interaction. Many businesses figured out models of operation that work for them, maximizing their profits and giving them a firm foothold.

In the age of online shopping, though, most customers are only able to enjoy your luxurious packaging once it arrives at their doorstep. If marketing and branding were the purposes of the packaging, then it hasn’t been given a chance to do its job.

That’s why it’s best to include your packaging in your ads

Various marketing campaigns on Facebook have shown that showcasing your custom packaging in all its creative glory has resulted in lower costs per acquisition and higher returns.

Now more than ever, cutting costs and improving your profits are important. It is a strange time, though, because online businesses are booming intensely and online commerce is more competitive than it has ever been.

Make an unboxing ad

An unboxing video can take your possible customers on a journey to enjoying your product. Such videos are often a taste of what it’s like to buy or own the product you’re selling.

There is a simple power in taking a flat-lay video that features everything that comes in the box. Choose a background color that is pleasing and relevant to the colors of your brand or logo, lay the box out, and film its inspection while music plays in the background.

All this is far more effective if your packaging is unique and creative. It can serve as an additional selling point and added value.

You could also let an influencer or YouTuber open your box

There is a lot of controversies when it comes to the effectiveness of influencers, but a paid collaboration with a respectable influencer can be a mutually beneficial partnership. Make sure to highlight in your agreement with your influencer the need to focus on the packaging.

The selling point of using an influencer to market your product is their closeness to your target market. They often serve as ambassadors or representatives of your target market who have built up credibility as consumers. Lending this credibility to your product and its magnificent packaging can help it go a long way.

Conclusion

These days, the unboxing video is an important way for people to determine whether something is worth buying. That’s because the insights of a skilled video blogger or influencer can bring up product features that your customer might not have noticed. It can let potential customers experience your product before they even buy it.

For more information on creative packaging and video ads for your product, get in touch with us. We at Optamark have the digital marketing resources and expertise you need to take your business to greater heights.

6 Business Card Trends for a Great First Impression

The business card is a pocket representation of your business. These little squares of paper can pack a punch in making a stellar first impression. They haven’t lost their charm even as industries are increasingly turning digital-you can still meet potential customers in person, after all!

As much as it tends to be important for a business operating online to be backed by a reputed IT firm (similar to BedrockIT, for instance), so is a business card for both online and offline enterprises. Creating an excellent first impression is extremely important in customer conversion. A boring, black and white business card with awkward typography immediately tells a potential customer that the business probably isn’t very modern and up to date. On the other hand, a bright business card with arresting visuals immediately communicates to the customer that the business is fun and engaging but highly professional about their work.

Here are six business card trends that could immediately transform your business’ image at first sight:

1. Fun-Shaped Business Cards

Having differently-shaped business cards would be the fastest way to make an impression! The standard size for business cards in the US is 3.5 x 2 inches and generally have sharp corners. Consider changing things up a little by rounding the corners or making it circular-shaped-but still keeping it small enough to fit in a wallet!

There are no limitations to your business card. The more creative you can get, the better.

2. Textured Business Cards

Instead of having a smooth and clean business card, play around with the texture of your card’s surface. This is sure to grab your customer’s attention-especially if they fish for it from their wallets!

Whether it’s etching the text on your business card or using a different kind of card stock, this will definitely invite your potential customer to revisit your card. After all, that will make your card more memorable-and your business will be too!

3. Hand-illustrated Business Cards

Having personal and unique illustrations on your card tells customers that your business is a highly approachable one. These illustrations tend to soften the usually stuffy nature of business cards, transforming what is typically a transactional item into something more intimate and unique.

4. Minimalist Business Cards

Minimalism had its moment in the early 2010s, but it definitely still has its appeal. Clean and attractive symmetry with some geometric motifs tends to grab the attention of your customer, especially when pertinent information is presented without any obstruction. Colors tend to be kept at a minimum and are complemented by sans-serif fonts. If you want to convey the dedication of your business to its craft while remaining visually appealing, this trend is your best bet.

5. Monochromatic Business Cards

Similar to minimalist business cards, these involve crisp lines and congruity, but these use only one color. The timeless black and white is still an option too, as this will never go out of style. Sticking to several shades of one color will allow you to emphasize other design elements of your business card while still keeping it interesting for your clients.

6. Brush-stroked Business Cards

Another way to add a pop of character to your business card without obscuring information is by adding colorful brush strokes. This adds a layer of warmth and personality to the cards, reminding your customers that they’re also dealing with humans. It definitely tells people that your business is fun and engaging, too!

Final Thoughts

When promoting your business during networking events, an attractive business card is a surefire way to make people remember you. It’s basically a foldable piece of advertisement-one that could give you more business with its use!

Optamark Graphics is a full-service online printing and marketing agency with offices in the United States and India. We offer all types of printing, promotional, or signage product needs. Have anything we can help you with? We have global support around the clock, so be sure to drop us a line and we’ll see how we can help!

 

9 factors to consider when choosing to own a Franchise

When considering starting a business venture, one may also have to consider owning a franchise as a way of avoiding some disadvantages that accompany starting a business from scratch in the real sense of it. So you need to know the factors to consider when choosing to own a franchise.

There are a lot of advantages to owning a franchise. One attractive reason is that you would be building on an already developed and established, tested, and trusted structure as opposed to starting out your business and struggling to carve a niche for yourself. Brand reputation takes a lot of time, energy, and experience (good and bad) to build. Starting out by owning a franchise means that you are given a head start in your chosen industry.

Another advantage of starting a franchise is that there are so many options in every industry to choose from. You wouldn’t need to stick with a brand that doesn’t suit your every need just because there are no alternatives.

After deciding to own a franchise, the next hurdle to cross is what franchise to choose. Owning a franchise without considering a lot of factors to know if it suits your business goals would mean shooting yourself in the leg in the long run. One thing to note is that franchisors are mandated to file with the relevant Federal and State authorities. To make sure you’re on the right side of the law, remember to always refer to your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for guidance when choosing your franchise.

Below are a list of 9 factors to consider when choosing a franchise:

Finances

You need to make reference to Article 21 of the FDD to look up the financial standing of your potential franchise. Be sure to confer with your accountant too to make sure that the franchise is in a good place financially.

Background checks

You would need to check the history of the franchise to understand where they are coming from and to know if they are a credible and reliable brand to work with. Articles 1, 2 and 3 would provide guidelines on this.

Market Information

Before you decide to own a franchise, you should have credible information on how profitable the market would be in the long run. There is no use starting a franchise on a dwindling market structure.

Restrictions

Serious franchises place certain restrictions to protect their brand identity and ensure brand uniformity across all borders. You should understand these restrictions to know if they suit your business needs and goals.

Royalties

Article 6 of the FDD would come in handy here. There are certain payments you’d make in the form of royalties on a continuous basis, even after you have paid the initial lump sum. Understand how these royalties are calculated, the durations you need to pay them and if the arrangement is something you can conveniently work with.

Royalties

Article 6 of the FDD would come in handy here. There are certain payments you’d make in the form of royalties on a continuous basis, even after you have paid the initial lump sum. Understand how these royalties are calculated, the durations you need to pay them and if the arrangement is something you can conveniently work with.

Support Structure

Does the franchise have the right structure to provide support for your business whenever you encounter problems? How willing are they to help you through crisis situations? You should consider these.

Investment

How much can you invest in the franchise and how much is required for you to invest? Consider these to know your financial standing after you purchase the franchise.

Direction

Look at your interest, needs and abilities and see if the chosen franchise would align with what you want for yourself in the future. Is that particular franchise something you would find fulfillment from in the future?

Territory

Article 12 of the FDD would help you with information as to what territories your franchise would thrive in.

Take advantage of the opportunity Optamark gives to own a franchise that is well-founded, has a reliable market structure and is ready to support you all the way from start to finish.

Printing, marketing and signage: The three pillars of a business

There are many pillars of business success chief among which are printing, marketing and signage. They can be regarded as the 3-in-1 business success factor because they are interrelated and work together to ensure that businesses thrive and achieve the goals for which they were set.

Optamark understands the importance of these 3 factors in business growth and development and as they have done for years, continue to strive to ensure that quality printing, marketing, and signage projects are not only accessible to large, medium and small-scale business but are also delivered in time. At Optamark, we are in the business of providing quality printing, marketing, and signage services to ensure that your brand gets the needed visibility.

What’s more, to enhance your experience with us and to make our services more conveniently available to you, we have launched our online portal to your advantage.

The Optamark Portal…

Our Optamark portal links you directly to Optamark graphics services, with personalized features that help you gain access to our various services. On the portal, you can easily request for any of our printing services and other various marketing materials of your choice.

The portal is so user-friendly that it gives the same effect as though you were speaking directly to one of our seasoned customer care agents. Its self-explanatory structure ensures that you never have to get hooked or at sea at what the next step to take is.

All you need to do is login into the secured portal, state your needs, and watch us do the best we can to ensure your maximum satisfaction.

We bring your printing ideas to life…

Our portal/online printing functions is a convenient way to print out your great designs without any hassle and in as little time as possible.

To print, you just need to log in your details on the Optamark portal, upload the file you wish to print, and then submit it to the nearest Optamark graphics center. We would take up the process from there.

After vetting it and ensuring that it is perfect for printing, we immediately take it for printing, and shortly thereafter, you would have your fresh, well – printed materials in your hands. This is by far, a stress-free, time-saving and cost-effective means of printing when compared to traditional printing processes.

We enhance your marketing experience…

We all know how difficult and time-consuming the traditional marketing process is. Optamark comes in to simplify the process for you. When you need to host business campaigns or whatever type of marketing activity you want to engage in and you’re looking for a fast, reliable and cost-effective way of having your marketing delivered to you on time, look to the Optamark portal.

With just a click to order on our portal, you would have your quality marketing materials delivered to you in the speed of light.

Improving your signage…

Signages, no matter where they are placed or seen tell a lot about your brand. They tell your brand story. It is up to you to determine what idea prospective clients have to tell about your brand when they see your signage.

With Optamark online portal, you can plan, design, and execute your signage ideas from start to finish. You are also afforded the opportunity of consulting with our experienced graphics specialists whenever you need to.

Redefine business success; work with us…

As you already know, printing, marketing, and signage are a 3-in-1 factor to ensuring business growth. To excel in this area, you need to work with an experienced graphics brand like Optamark to bring your business goals to reality.

6 Mistakes commonly made with Structural Packaging

Beyond selling their products and making a profit, brand owners find a great sense of purpose in adding more value to their customers and the society at large. Nothing does this job better than structural packaging. The best brands are the ones that always understand the important role of structural packaging. It plays in boosting its market position, visibility, and creating value in the lives of their customers. So beware of the structural packaging mistakes.

Brand owners want their packaging to be more than just that- packaging. They want their packaging structure to tell their story and to leave a positive lasting impression. It is not on just the individual consumers but their environment and economy also. For example, some brands have through their packaging, provided means to enhance economic, environment and social stability.

More than ever before, brands are increasingly looking up to design agencies for their structural packaging projects. While this is a good thing, brands need to be careful while choosing agencies to work with. There are a lot of complexities involved in structural packaging that if not handled with care, may frustrate the project and give rise to losses that would have easily been avoided if due care, expertise, and skill were utilized.

For example, when it comes to 3D capableness, many brands assume that the ability for an agency to successfully handle 2D branding translates to an ability to handle 3D too. Unfortunately, they soon come to realize that 3D branding require much more skill and expertise than they anticipated after the damage has already been done.

To avoid these terrible situations from occurring, below are six of the very common mistakes brand owners and agencies alike make while working on some structural packaging projects and avoid structural packaging mistakes.

1. Underestimating the complexities involved in structural

One common mistake branding agencies make is underestimating the difficulties involved in 3D projects and as a result, leaving the projects in the hands of freelancers.

Freelancers are not always the best hands for all aspects of 3D projects and because the best 3D freelancers are usually difficult to book due to their tight schedules, agencies may have to opt for the less experienced ones who may not end up doing the perfect job.

Agencies who have no choice but to use freelancers should ensure that the necessary arrangements are made as early as possible and that these freelancers work only as important supports in the project team.

2. Using 2D companies to handle 3D Projects

Many agencies describe themselves as “multi-disciplinary” when in fact, all they specialize in is 2D alone. As a result, they end up deceiving brands to let them in on their 3D projects when they don’t have the requisite structure and expertise for it, leading to project failures. Brands should employ due diligence in ensuring that they only hand their 3D projects to companies that have the capacity to handle them instead of relying solely on the presentations of the design agencies.

3. Neglecting the importance of transparency in communication when working on projects

Transparency in two-way communication is very important especially with 3D structural packaging projects.

To achieve the best results, promote loyalty and trust, and to ensure that the result is exactly what was intended, all parties involved must ensure that communicator lines are kept open and transparent and that there is constant liaison between all parties from start to finish.

4. Skipping the gun

Agencies may present visual representations that are so good and high in quality, that clients may be so excited and assume that these representations should go into production straight away. Clients should understand that the visual representations, no matter how good, still need to pass through complex processes before final production.

5. Confusing top graphics design agencies with 3D

Clients should understand that there is no “one size fits all” approach to 3D projects. Not all top graphic design agencies have the necessary skill and expertise to work on 3D projects. Clients should beware.

6. Comparing 3D project timelines and designs with those of 2D

3D project timelines and designs are by far more complex than that of 2D. Clients and agencies should avoid assuming they are the same in order to achieve lasting success in their 3D structural packaging projects.

Increase your Customer Base through Employee and Brand Culture

Mr. TED Talk, Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why.: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action once implied that your culture is your brand. And we say that no truer words have been spoken especially as it relates to the business world. In other words to Increase your Customer Base through Employee and Brand Culture. following is the idea.

Your brand culture (as reflected by your employees) is simply the values and knowledge that is shared by your employees. There are so many factors that are responsible for rapid business growth – employee culture remains among the top 5. It’s basically a factor you simply can’t ignore if you want your business to not just survive but thrive.

Employees carry in their hands, the power to make or mar your brand. This is why every prudent business brand ensure that they invest in employee communication and in nurturing a good working relationship with the employees. By doing this, you can easily develop your brand culture and ensure that your employees absorb it for the growth and development of your brand.

How you can achieve

Rob Gray, a formidable business writer, and consultant once discussed. How important it is for brands to invest in their relationships with their employees and customers. According to him, “Businesses exist to make money. But in order for a company to turn a profit, its employees must be clear as to what is being asked of them. And motivated to work in the right way to achieve those objectives.” Gray says this can be achieved by giving your employees a sense of purpose and promoting certain values that help your employees grow personally and impact the business positively.

Again, the brand should establish easy-to-understand core values that reflect the characters of the brand. And tells everyone what the brand stands for, how they operate their business, and what they expect from everyone they intend to work with. For example, at Optamark Franchise, their core values are seen to be transparency, trustworthiness, respect, and passion.

Like Optamark, the core values shouldn’t just be written for people to see. It should be obvious to everyone, even strangers, the first time they walk into the brand’s office environment.

Here are 4 ways to bring value to your brand:

  • First, create the leadership values that you wish to grow into your brand culture
  • Constantly communicate and re-establish these values until they stick
  • Commit to the values yourself – lead by example
  • Enforce penalties and disciplinary actions against defaulters

In all these, it is important that we emphasize the importance of communication in achieving a positive brand culture. Communication should not be by words alone but by actions too. By doing this, you’re creating a culture of positivity and passion for your employees to work with and for your business to thrive. Hence, you can increase your customer base through employee and brand culture

The benefits of franchising with Optamark.

As a leading brand in graphic communication and marketing, Optamark offers you and your brand the best services. With more than 40 years’ experience in the industry, and with a reestablished brand structure, Optamark is the “go-to” for anything related to graphics communication and marketing.

Franchising with Optamark means that you are partnering with an industry leader with relevant industry experience and an unbeatable track record in performance and profit-making. Optamark leads to visual communication and marketing. Their stability and reliability over the years have endeared them to the hearts of their teeming customer base that spans over 600 locations, cutting across North America and the UK. To know more about franchising with Optamark, simply fill out the form.

Why the New Year is the perfect time for remodeling your business brand

It’s 2020 already and you’re probably working towards your New Year resolutions. Resolutions help you restructure your life and change your life’s trajectory. You can do that with your business too. You can take advantage of the unlimited possibilities the New Year has in store for you to remodel or rebrand your business so that it fits with your current goals. Let us tell you how you can remodel your business brand in these easy steps.

Rebranding your business affords you the opportunity to stay ahead of your competitors, helps you to reflect the changing goals, values, vision, etc. you may have for your brand, helps you stay innovative and up to date with current trends and helps your target audience find a connection with your brand. All you may need to push your business to the next level in 2020 is a rebranding and restructuring process.

When you have finally made the decision to step out of your comfort zone to rebrand your business, here are some things you need to take note of for the prices to go on smoothly and remodel your business brand:

No half-baked job

Don’t fall into the trap that a lot of business owners make when they say they’re rebranding–changing the logo or color scheme and that’s all. Rebranding your business is a whole process and changing logos is just a small aspect of it.

To effectively achieve the aim of rebranding, you have to go the distance. It starts with knowing why you want to rebrand and making sure that those reasons are reflected in every single facet of the rebranding process. Let your employees, partners and clients know what to expect and what changes will come with the process. Be careful with your choice of words, especially when drawing up things like your new motto, etc. Working with a marketing team like Optamark Print and Promotional can help alleviate some stress during the rebranding process.

Have your rebranded materials ready to meet up with your deadline

Whether you are a small business, a startup, or a large business, early in the year is the perfect time to execute your rebranding plans and to set you on the go. It helps to take advantage of the fresh start a new year provides. Rebranding processes may be more complex for large businesses than it is for small businesses and you may need to elongate your rebranding timeline to accommodate.

If you’re rebranding for a large business, it’s okay to roll over plans to the mid-year, using the early part of the year as a time to kickstart planning.
If you want to start your rebranding process but you have, it’s best you talk to Optamark Print and Promotional, the best team in the design and marketing game.

Optamark Print and Promotional have experienced consultants and advisors who will guide you through the process of rebranding your business.

How to Create a lasting Impression on Your Clients Through Gifts

Gifts are a way of showing appreciation to your clients for being the driving force that kept you in business all year round. Clients are an integral part of any business and determine whether a business outfit grows or declines. To create a lasting impression on your clients through gifts, be sure to select the best holiday gifts that they will really appreciate for a very long while.

How to Create a lasting Impression on Your Clients Through Gifts

  • Be Unique: You don’t need to be conformist when it comes to giving out valuable gifts to your clients. Be creative. Don’t just go out to any gift outlet to purchase gifts for your clients, show them how much you really appreciate them by branding gift products with your name or even customizing them to suit your client’s taste.
  • There’s no use in giving out gifts if they can’t serve a purpose apart from providing aesthetic value. Let your gifts be something they can use or something that adds value to their life.
  • You can kill two birds with one stone and give branded gifts. Create a win-win situation by giving your clients thoughtful gifts that make them feel loved and appreciated, while also spreading your message to potential clients through gifts with your business’ branding. Adding your logo or other unique visual designs on the gifts will ensure that everyone knows they come from you, thereby improving your brand awareness.
  • Another idea is to use your gifts to help the less fortunate. Here at Optamark, for example, a percentage of gift card sales are donated to charity. Everyone loves to be associated with a thoughtful brand that has the best interest of the public at heart.

Conclusion:

We hope that you can incorporate some of these ideas into your holiday’s gifts to your clients. Giving something that they will love and appreciate will impress them and ensure ongoing stability and visibility for your brand.

How to Improve Your Digital Marketing Strategy Through Print

In today’s business world, digital marketing has taken over the marketing industry. Companies are fast dropping the established ways of traditional advertising to include the use of social media to market their brand. While this is certainly not a bad strategy, it is easy to sometimes forget that traditional method of advertising. Digital Marketing is fast-evolving, too, and could be combined with digital marketing measures to bring about better results.

How digital marketing helps in growing business

  • To drive traffic to your social media pages, include your social media URLs in your printed materials. Like business cards, magazines, labels, etc. The more places you make your social media available, the more people see it.
  • Social media pages don’t always give you the desired effect when it comes to brand visibility. Particular posts and contents that attract high commitments do so for just a short time. To bring about best results, you can direct traffic from your social media to your prints that produce a much constant effect.
  • Talking face-to-face and giving out prints to possible customers is still a very effective way of marketing your brand. It affords you the opportunity to create a personal connection with your customers. It can help you see their feedback as you talk. You can promote your social media on your prints for better results.
  • You can use prints to produce traffic to your social media accounts and improve brand awareness by creating images and videos. Encourage users to share them on their personal accounts with hashtags to create trends on social media platforms.
  • Take advantage of social media’s cost-effectiveness to carry out research on the general acceptability of your products and then adapting the results from this research into producing catchy prints for your events.
  • Social media platforms have many “influencers,” popular accounts that have a lot of sway with a large audience. You can increase your chances of being noticed by high-profile digital influencers by mailing them creative graphical representations of your products. If they like your products, they may mention your business on their social media accounts and could encourage their audience to become your customers.

Conclusion:

These are some benefits of digital marketing for any business. If you have some more points, let Optamark know about it and we will spread it. After all, knowledge should be free.

Digital Or Traditional Printing Methods: Factors to Consider

Having to choose between digital and traditional offset printing methods isn’t as easy as it may seem. When juxtaposing the many benefits of both methods, it can seem like having to choose between 12 and half a dozen. Because you must make a choice to enable you to progress quickly. We have come up with factors you should consider to help you facilitate your decision-making about digital or traditional printing methods:

Factors responsible to choose between Digital or Traditional Printing

  • Cost effectiveness: Because you are a business aimed at profit maximization, you should be able to draft your budget. And choose a printing method that best suits that budget. You don’t have to bore holes in your pocket just to print. In this light, it is advisable you go for digital printing as it has a reputation of being cheap. In comparison to offset printing although, traditional methods become cheaper as the quantity of your prints increases.
  • Time effectiveness: If you’re on a tight schedule, digital printing is better for you. As offset printing takes a lot of time to produce.
  • Customization: If you intend to create a personalized effect with your prints by customizing them. To suit individual preferences, digital printing is the way to go. As traditional printing methods don’t offer you this opportunity.
  • If you are big on sizes, then you should consider traditional printing methods. As they don’t limit the sizes of prints you can produce. Unlike digital printing that restricts the length of prints.
  • You should also consider making your choice on digital or traditional printing by the type of design you want on your prints. If precision and uniformity are important to you, you should consider choosing offset printing methods. Digital printings are impossible to achieve some types of unique inks like fluorescent inks, etc. Traditional printing methods also help to bring special finishing touches to your prints that you can’t get via digital printing.
  • As regards using some kind of paper for printing. Digital prints cannot work with certain kinds of papers and you would have to stick with offset printing. Quality-wise, traditional methods are better too.

Conclusion:

Optamark helps you achieve your printing aims to a very high degree of precision whether you finally decide on digital and offset printing.

Using Flyers for Advertising

One of the oldest methods of advertising is using flyers. Flyers are a great marketing resource and strategy for all companies, not just those specializing in events or sales. While flyers may have seemed to become obsolete in today’s tech age, Technology only aids the marketing world now with providing online digital flyers as a way of marketing. Nonetheless, here are some reasons why flyers have been and will continue to be a great asset to any marketing strategy:

Flyers are extremely low cost

Flyers are probably one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available today. Instead of investing thousands of dollars in expensive online marketing, billboards, TV advertisement slots, you can pay a professional graphic designer to design a flyer for your marketing campaign. Afterward, you can easily run off copies of the flyers for a few cents or you can post the flyers on social media to increase brand awareness.
burger flyer

Flyers provide high impact

Flyers can easily and quickly reach a large audience, sometimes faster than other means of marketing. They also take the guesswork out of where or when would be a good time to promote your company. Simply hand out flyers or post one in areas where your target audience would see them. With flyers only requiring a spot for posting, many local shops and restaurants are usually very welcoming to businesses posting a flyer or ad in their store.

People love physical marketing

Having a nice, well-printed flyer in your customer’s hand is always a good thing. Spend some extra money to get your flyers printed in high quality on high-quality paper and your customers will take notice of the extra mile your company went to get their business.

Do you have a flyer design already and are in need of a printing service? Perhaps this post inspired you to add a flyer design to your current marketing campaign? Contact us at Optamark Graphics and we can help with all your flyer needs, from concept to design to print to delivery!

Graphic Design Terms 102

Sometimes communications with your graphic designer or graphics department can feel as if your talking to someone in a different language. What are these terms? What do you mean is it RGB or CMYK? Monochromatic?  To the non-art enthusiast, these terms can mean anything. But in the world of art, graphics and printing these terms have specific meanings. Here are some Graphic Design terms defined to help make your communications process easier!

1. RGB:

RGB is the standard color mode for images shown on screen. RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue, the three colors of light that are used to display images on digital screens such as cell phones, tv’s or computers.

2. CMYK:

CMYK is the standard color mode for images that will be printed. CYMK stands for Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, and Black (Key). CMYK is also known as the four-color process or four-color printing. Unlike RGB which is light based, CMYK printers use ink or toner.

RGB                             CMYK

3. Monochromatic:

Monochromatic describes a color palette that uses various shades of one single color.

4. Analogous:

Describes a color palette where the colors used are next to each other on the color wheel. These are usually seen in nature.

5. Complementary:

Describes a color palette where the colors used lie directly across from each other on the color wheel. These tend to be a bit alarming at first, however are a great strategy to employ when you require specific visual elements to stand out.

These are only some of the many terms used in the print and graphics Industry that may be a little tricky to remember. Do you need help with a design for your next project? Contact us here to speak to a member of our design team!

Promo Products in Marketing

At first, it might be difficult to envision how using a cup with your logo or t-shirt with your logo could help your companies marketing practices. These are simple items, something that almost seems too small to have an impact. However, there are many reasons explaining why and how promotional products work to improve your companies marketing. Here are some of these reasons:

    • Customer’s love them!

One of the main goals of every company is to have a strong brand awareness with the public and their target audience. You want your brand to be remembered and recognized by all who see it. Promotional products work to increase your brand awareness. By sending customers or giving out promotional products with your company logo/branding there is a higher rate of customers remembering your brand! Not only does the one who receives the item remember your company, but all those who stop to admire will remember your company as well!

    • Promotional Products increase sales

It has been proven that promotional products increase sales. Customers generally don’t know what they need until someone tells them. Let your company be the one telling your customers through promotional products. Promo products encourage customers to look into your Brand, see all that you offer and see how they can find a way to buy your product or utilize your service.

    • Promotional products are cost-effective.

Marketing campaigns can get expensive pretty quickly. For that reason, promotional products can be a great, easy, and most importantly, cost-effective addition to your marketing campaign. Because promo products are often bought in bulk quantities, there is only little to spend for a large amount. Not to mention, they can reach a larger audience than other traditional methods.

These are just a few of the explanations on how promotional products can help with your marketing strategy. Need some more information or a quick consultation? Contact us here and speak to a member of our team!

Graphic Design Terms 101

Sometimes communications with your graphic designer or graphics department can feel as if your talking to someone in a different language. What are these terms? A bleed? A crop mark? To the average individual, these terms can mean anything. But in the world of art, graphics and printing these terms have specific meanings. Here are some Graphic Design terms defined to help make your communications process easier!

    • Bleed

the bleed on a design is when the edges of the artwork extend past the “page edge. This helps prevent any unwanted white borders from being kept in the final piece.

    • Trim mark/crop mark

This mark is a thin line that marks the final size of a piece after it has been cut down. These marks let your printer know where each document should be cut and the finished size of the product.

    • Margin

the margin is considered the safe zone of your printed piece. Any art or text placed within the margin won’t run the risk of being cut off, for example your copy or any important content.

Design terms media 1

These are only some of the many terms used in the print and graphics Industry that may be a little tricky to remember. Having some troubles with your designer or printer? Contact us here at Optamark Graphics for all your design solutions!

The Right Color for Promo Products

Imagine living in a world without color. It’s hard to picture, especially because color is such a huge part of our lives. While many of us may take color for granted, color has a major impact on our decisions and emotions. For example, think about when you go shopping, do you tend to gravitate towards certain colors over others? Maybe bright colors in the spring? Maybe red’s and greens in the holiday seasons? Whatever the case, consumers rely heavily on color to make their decision.

So why does color matter when selecting a promo product to represent your company?

  • 1.Target Audience

  • The color of your promo product should determine your target audience. If you are trying to attract a younger audience to your business consider using Bright, fun colors on your products. If you want to attract an older, mature audience, try using neutrals. Color also conveys many emotions. If you know the general mood or emotion of your target audience you can use color as a tool in your marketing strategy.

  • 2.Brand Image

  • Think about your brand image. Now think about your marketing? Is your current marketing meeting the same “mood” of your brand? Color is a great aid in enforcing your brand’s mood. Are you a fitness based company? Consider using cool blues to enforce motivation and tranquility. Business geared towards kids? Consider using bright yellows or reds to enforce the fun and exciting aura of your company.

    Having difficulty determining a color for branded products, consider these questions: What color suits your brand personality and the characteristics of your products or services? What do you want customers to feel when they interact or associate with your brand?

    When it comes to marketing, the colors representing your business can have a major impact. Who would have thought something so overlooked can be one of the number one decision making motives?

    Are you looking for promo products in a wide range of colors? Check out Optamark’s vast selection of promo products all available in different colors here.

    Ways to Improve your Customer Service

    Customer Service is the biggest driving force of maintaining a strong client retention rate. Customer service can spread your business greatly through word of mouth, but the impact it will have on your company depends on if your employees customer service is good or bad. Here are some tips for creating a positive and helpful customer service reputation:

    1. Pay attention to employee personalities

    Face to Face interactions as well as on the phone interactions are the number one areas of customer service complaints. Customers remember if your employee who answered their question was helpful and approachable or were rude and unwilling. When making decisions on who should deal with customer interactions, remember to pay attention to the personalities of your employees. Aim for those who fit the “Friendly and approachable” mindset.

    2. Inform your staff

    When starting new procedures in the company regarding customer relations, make sure every memeber on your staff is well informed. This includes much more than telling them what the new procedure is such as how to handle customer questions or complaints regarding the change.  An employee who is not well informed or confused will be unable to answer customer questions which in turn can lead to poor customer service.

    3. Provide other means of customer service

    Aside from phone calls and face to face interactions, there are other platforms that can influence your customer service. Ensure that your company’s website is descriptive and can answer many basic questions that do not require a phone call. Consider adding a FAQ page or a Direct messaging/chat section on your site for quick and easy solutions.

    4. Be Proactive

    Instead of simply reacting to problems AFTER they occur, try and figure out solutions to common problems BEFORE they happen. Be aware of potential areas or services that can create conflicts between employees and customers. Ask customers what they would do to improve your customer service or their experience with dealing with your company. Remember to always remain Professional when handling any customer service interaction.

    5. Employee Incentives

    Employee Incentives are a great way to boost positive customer service interactions in your company. Offering gift items to your employees or departments with the best customer service rating or the lowest amount of complaints against is good way to create friendly competition amongst staff. Consider giving high quality promotional items such as the ones found on our promotional products page here such as photo frames, cameras or speakers.

    Should you (and your employees) wear your own branded clothing?

    Having company branded clothing is an effective and easy marketing tool. Customers who purchase your branded clothing work as walking advertisements for your company. Even better, the more people who wear your company branded clothing means that more people are seeing it and wondering where/how they can get their own hands on that item. But, should company branded clothing be worn by only consumers who purchase them? The answer is no! Everyone should be able to wear company branded clothing, especially those who work in that company from the employees all the way to the big boss.

    Wearing your company’s branded clothing tells your consumers that you are not only stylish but that you believe in yourself and is proud of your company. Here are some other reasons why you need to include your own clothing into your wardrobe:

    1. Promote Confidence

    Having confidence and pride in your company shows your customers that you, the owner, cares. Often the stigma is that company owners or leaders only care about the profit. By proudly wearing your own brand, you are showing others that you care about the company and them. Not only that, but it helps convince customers that you are prepared to invest time and attention into them.

    2. Promotes Trust

    Wearing branded clothing around your customers shows to them that you are a well-established company and that you take your business seriously. This encourages them to trust in you and your suggestions when dealing with customers. Customers need to know that the person or company they are doing business with is credible and legit, and wearing branded clothing can assist in establishing this.

    3. Showcases Teamwork

    When your entire staff wears your company’s branded clothing as a group, it shows that your company is very unified. Customers will be greatly impressed with the level of cohesiveness your company possess. Not only that, but customers will view this as a level of professionalism and will expect that whoever they interact with on your team will treat them with the same respect and professionalism they portray.

    Use these tips to help increase your brand awareness and make lasting impressions on the customers that you interact with daily. If you don’t already have branded clothing for your company, let Optamark help you! Click here to check out all our promotional products including a wide variety of clothing options.