March: Spring Forward…
I took the above picture in our backyard. I had never seen these flowers until moving to Michigan. They're Snowdrops and they'll start pushing through the frozen ground and snow in late February to early March. What a great reminder to push through the difficulty and blossom - even with a less than ideal environment.
Spring into Business
For those counting, I completely missed February's newsletter. Clearly I did not take my own advice from January about making habits in this area! This leads me to my business advice for this month - start a newsletter. I know, the irony isn't missed on me.
Many businesses focus on building their social media presence and developing clients through there. The problem with this is that you can't guarantee the people who follow you are seeing your content whereas with a newsletter, most people are. They may not open it or read it, but they'll at least see the email in their inbox and your business will be on their mind for a time. Social media platforms also can lose popularity with people switching to different ones as they arise.
Consistent follow-up can be your best marketing strategy for keeping clients and developing repeat business. In The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib he talks about this strategy along with other forms of follow-up that help nurture leads. I enjoyed this read and it helped me develop my marketing plan!
Spring into Branding
With entering into Spring this month, I'm starting to think about all the beautiful colors about to appear. The street up to our house is lined with Eastern Redbuds that have the prettiest purple flowers. I also enjoy looking at the little bright green leaves sprouting on trees.
Color is a very important part of branding design. A dusty blue can give your customer a sense of calm, while a bright yellow can excite them. Color affects us, sometimes without us even knowing. This video gives a very basic idea of color in branding.
When I'm choosing colors for clients, I start by really understanding how the client wants to be represented and what colors will help get that message across. I then do a lot of research and build an inspiration board. I select the colors from a variety of images, edit, and land on a palette. If you're building your own palette, there are many resources out there and a particularly helpful book is How to Style your Brand by Fiona Humberstone.
ANK Springs Forward
February was a busy month and it has continued into March. I have enjoyed a variety of projects including working with a consignment boutique, a construction company, a roofing company, and a wellness boutique! It's exciting starting or revamping a business and I enjoy being part of it :).
I hope the newness of Spring encourages you to try something new in your business!