Graphic Design

It’s election time again – just like it is all the time these days – and mailboxes are filling up with mailers. These two tips on dimensions and scorched earth policies will help you be successful come election day.

Here at The Rocket Group the office television is often tuned to MLB Network in the background. I’ve come to the conclusion, based on the commercials, the entire network is paid for by our competitors. Commercials for bulk printers, clip art graphic design, template website, and even social media management companies fill the airwaves between pitches.

These are what we refer to as commodity marketing companies. It’s simple point-and-click-add-a-widget-without-a-creative-thought design. While this approach may work for some efforts and businesses it is not business we are interested in working on.

I spent in almost a decade in and around manufacturing so I know how widgets are made on assembly lines. There is actual little thought which goes into the processes on the line as it is usually all automated by that time.

You can do the same thing to market your company, organization, or campaign – which probably consumes your every waking moment and thought – by buying products from services mentioned above. If you are not interested in taking a creative and original approach to your marketing then you are probably not interested in standing out from your competition.

These commodity marketing services may help you but it is more likely they will grab your money and run. You will be left with an inferior marketing product.

What you need is a real live marketing professional, like ourselves or any of thousands across America, who will look you in the eye, walk your floors, and work with you to develop a brand, a message, and graphic tools for the web and the real world which will connect with the audiences you are trying to attract and retain.

These tools, developed in a partnership with you, will help you succeed in making money, raising awareness, and dominating your market.

If you need creative services for your efforts, contact us or any other marketing professional.

If you need clip art which is probably being used by hundreds of other businesses like yours, then watch the MLB Network to see the companies you should call during every commercial break.

Crisp. Simple. On Message: Your quick guide to building a better landing page.

If you have a website, you’ve probably considered (or are already using) a landing page. When done correctly, a landing page is an effective tool for a business website. A good landing page helps you capture leads, build awareness and close sales.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a standalone page that’s distinct from your main site. Its purpose is to promote something very specific, like a workshop or new promotion, and to encourage the viewer to take a specific action.

How do you plan a new Landing Page?

First, keep in mind that a landing page is not meant to be a major source of information, like your homepage and the rest of your site.

1. Determine your promotion

What will your readers get, why do they need it and how much does it cost? Keep your promotion crisp, simple and on-message. Don’t give them more information than they need. In fact, the less copy you can use to get your message across, the better. If you need to, you can redirect them to more in-depth information by using embedded links in your text.

2. Create your call to action

Create a specific action for your customers to take, and place that call to action above the fold. In fact, if possible, keep all your content above the fold. What do you want them to do? Call, sign up or order right away? Make it easy for your customers by telling them exactly what to do.

3. Use vivid imagery

Images > Text. If you can show it instead of say it, do so. Always try to include some type of visual image to capture and retain interest. If you want to see what we mean, check out this collection of 40+ Best Landing Page Designs.

4. Be specific

Don’t be afraid to create more than one landing page for a single promotion. The more targeted you can get, the better! Do you use Facebook or have an email list? If so, create unique pages for each. It’ll also help you to track which of your marketing avenues are responsive to your landing page promotion.

5. Monitor your results

We use CampaignMonitor for our email marketing and they do a great job with landing page campaigns, too!

At The Rocket Group, we have a lot of experience building landing pages and we’re here to help. Give us a call or shoot us an email. We’d love to help you build landing pages for your next campaign!

One recent, and interesting, project we completed was the new logo for the Jefferson City Area Young Professionals.

We have been members of the group almost from their beginning, and Farrah serves on their board of directors, so it was a very good fit for both of us to be working together.

Somewhere in the middle of the project, the board decided to change the group’s name to hYPe as a move to differentiate itself from other more service-oriented groups in our community and create a little buzz. We then shifted focus on the direction of the logo.

As you can see below, we went through several different iterations for their branding. I was partial to a few, others were partial to others. I think we all ended up in the same place with some that is recognizable, stands out in our area, and is drawing the attention they wanted.

Feel free to offer your thoughts on any or all of the looks below. Of course, if you are looking for a new graphic style for your business, group, or campaign…we are here to help.

Thanks for the time.

Gus