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Branding

02
November

Instagram Stories: 7 tricks and 7 ideas to market your business

November 2, 2016
In Branding, Business, Social Media
By Cris CM

  This functionality may be new to the Instagram platform but it has been out there on Snapchat for quite a while. Instagram stories are similar to Snapchat stories in every possible way: you can post both photos and videos, customize them with text and color doodles, add filters (though not as elaborate as on Snapchat), only your followers can see them and they just last for 24 hours. I've had a Snapchat account for some time now but I have never posted a public story. The amount of work that goes into growing an audience on a new platform has been keeping me from adding it to my business strategy. That's why I got really excited when I heard Instagram was launching their stories. We now have the...

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06
September

How to set up an image-based email signature on Gmail – Step by step tutorial with images

September 6, 2016
In Branding, Tutorials
By Cris CM

  Whenever I create an image-based email signature for any of my clients, the next natural question is always "How do I set it up on my email account?". After a pretty long time offering this service, I can say most small business owners I've worked with manage their emails through Gmail. That's why I have decided to create this quick tutorial in 5 easy steps including images for reference. Other email services may have a different interface but I'm sure the process is very similar. I hope you find it useful!   Step 1. Prepare your images The first thing you need is obviously your signature images. Your email signature can include one or several images. What you need to keep in mind is you can...

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28
April

My Small Business Toolbox – 13 online resources that will make your digital life easier

April 28, 2016
In Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media, Web design
By Cris CM

  In this day and age, the majority of small business owners have an online presence either on social media, a website or both. This means most of us have a computer around and need to use it for many different tasks during the day: creating digital content, planning a marketing campaign, keeping track of statistics, etc. There are a ton of tools and tutorials out there that can help us with all these processes but it is difficult to keep track of all the new possibilities as they come up. Today I want to share with you some of the things I have on my toolbox. I hope you find them useful! If you regularly use other handy resources, please,...

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04
November

Now that I have my logo, what can I do with it?

November 4, 2015
In Branding, Business, Marketing
By Cris CM

  You have read a ton of articles about the importance of having a professional logo for your business. You have done your research and have found the perfect designer who was able to translate the idea you had in mind into graphics. You have paid a good amount of money for his/her services and you have end up with a beautiful logo you are very proud of. It really represents your values and you know it will grab the attention of your target audience. That's a huge step, but now what? Here you have some ideas of what you can do with your logo to help you improve your visual image and marketing campaigns. The basics These are the first items that come to mind...

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09
April

Know your files: A quick guide to JPG, PNG, RGB, CMYK and all that jazz

April 9, 2015
In Branding, Business
By Cris CM

    I'm sure every small business owner with a minimum of online presence has asked him/herself these questions at least once: Is it better to use my logo in PNG or JPG for this? What's a vector file? What's the difference between RGB and CMYK colors? Even if you aren't online the time always comes when you have to order some profesionally printed business cards or posters and you are asked to send the design in AI format. What does that even mean? Let's find out!   JPG and PNG: image file formats JPG or JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and it is one of the most commonly used formats for image files on the internet. It was originally developed to be a standard for professional...

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25
March

20 Classy Fonts to Download for Free + March discount!

March 25, 2015
In Branding, Freebies
By Cris CM

    Another collection of free fonts to help you find the perfect match on your creative projects! These are great for wedding stationery and high end or vintage style graphics. Click on the following names to download all of them: Coneria Script  ·  Mrs Eaves Italic  ·  Foglihten  ·  Cinzel Decorative  ·  Rechtman  ·  Constantine  ·  Edwardian Script  ·  Quattrocento  ·  AC Mountain  ·  Eight Fifteen  ·  Signet Roundhand  ·  Bell MT  ·  Imprint MT Shadow  ·  Frosting for Breakfast  ·  Commercial Script  ·  Sverige Script  ·  Charlemagne STD  ·  Parisienne  ·  Felix Titling  ·  Optimus Princeps   I've also just created a coupon code in my shop with a 15% discount on OOAK pre-designed logos and add-ons (business cards, brochures, flyers, social media...

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17
March

“Everyone” is not your target market

March 17, 2015
In Branding, Business, Marketing
By Cris CM

    Everytime I start a custom logo or website design project with a new client I send him/her a detailed questionnaire in order to get to know them and their businesses better. It is extremely important to have this extra information in order to start working on the initial design concepts. Having a clear aesthetic idea is never enough. One of those questions I always ask is "Who is your target market/audience?". Very often I receive the wrong answer: "Everyone" or "Men and women ages 15-65". Why is this an incorrect approach? Well, it is really simple: you can't speak to such a wide range of people using the same language -copy, images, products- and attract them all. If you try to reach different...

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08
September

Why you must have a logo or improve your current one?

September 8, 2014
In Branding, Business, Marketing
By Cris CM

  First impression. That's the main reason why a business needs a professional logo design. I'm sure you have heard this many times before. It is one of the most important reasons but there are some others that you should consider. Differentiation is essential, especially when you have a small business. Even if you are selling handmade bookmarks or bracelets that you make on your spare time. And here's why: if you search for "handmade bracelets" on Etsy, Pinterest or Instagram, you will automatically get hundreds of designs from different sellers, all of them mixed with images of personal craft projects by other people who are not looking for sales. One ot the tools you have to gain attention on this...

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