Growing Creativity

Creativity. It’s poorly understood. Sometimes undervalued. Sometimes considered rare.

But we can all be creative. I offer these quotes to inspire you to nurture the creativity in yourself and those around you.

Abraham Maslow:

I think...a good question might be not why do people create? But why do people not create or innovate? We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything.

Brenda Ueland:

... imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.

Erich Fromm:

Conditions for creativity are:  to be puzzled; to concentrate; to accept conflict and tension; to be born every day; to feel a sense of self.

Linus Pauling:

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.

Margaret J. Wheatley:

The things we fear most in organizations -- fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances -- are the primary sources of creativity.

Mary-Claire King:

I think there are two keys to being creatively productive. One is not being daunted by one's fear of failure. The second is sheer perseverance.

R. I. Fitzhenry:

Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don't let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.

Tina Turner:

Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with  anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.

Claire Cunningham:

Be courageous.  Be creative.

Making advertising work -- Rule #1 Don't be boring

Advertising isn’t popular right now. It CAN be spendy, but done right, advertising creates interest quickly. Doing it right means three things:

1) Right frequency
2) Right audience
3) Right message

Frequency means repetition. Once, twice, even three times may simply not be enough repetitions for a message to sink in.   Some studies recommend 9 or more repetitions.

Audience is about knowing who buys and showing up where they are.

And then we get to message. Here we mean both what’s said AND how it’s said. Your ad – whether on TV, radio, or the web, in a magazine or newspaper, or on a billboard -- has a split second to grab attention. Promising something that’s interesting to your audience is important. Doing it in an attention-getting way is even more so.

TRUE STORY: Once a manufacturer was disappointed with their ad response. We looked at their ads and said, “BORING.” There was nothing wrong or inaccurate about them, but there was nothing attention-getting either.

We began a new campaign that used fun, unexpected, but familiar images to sell the benefits of these products. Ad readership scores went up and so did inquiry rates.

Trying to bore someone into buying usually doesn't work.

Want To Sell Something? First, Tell Them About It

OVERHEARD RECENTLY:

“We told them about it, but they didn’t come.”

“We advertised, but got no good leads.”

“We tried that once, and it didn’t work.”

Any of these sound familiar? I’ve heard similar things about employee meetings,  planning efforts and marketing programs. No matter the setting, the main problem in each instance  is that basic communications practices aren't being used.

1. REPETITION  Foremost among these practices is repetition. You need to tell your audience and then repeat, repeat, repeat your message for it to get through. Once is definitely not enough!  It’s not that anyone’s stupid or slow. People have a lot going on in their lives so you have to work hard to get through. It can take up to 9(!) repetitions for a message to sink in.
2. USING A MIX  You can boost the effectiveness of repetition by using a variety of ways to deliver your message.Think about your business and your intended audience. What avenues of communication are open to you? Public relations, mailings, advertising, newsletters, trade shows and email are usually possibilities. Use all available means to spread your news. The more, the merrier. And repeat, repeat, repeat.
3. MAKE SURE IT'S MEANINGFUL  If you’re doing the above and STILL not getting a response, you may need to take a step or two back to make sure your message is meaningful to the audience. Some marketing campaigns produce disappointing results because they promote what the company wants to say rather than what the audience wants to hear

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Making your web site look good

The title of this post is misleading. There are lots of sites that look great. My rant is that looking good simply isn't enough. Too many sites are set up for looks and maybe search engine spiders, but forget the human visitor.

Perhaps it's my aging eyes, but 6 point, gray type is not easily readable. Remember, designers, the boomer generation is HUGE and getting older. Do you want to speak to us or PISS US OFF?

Everyone's heard of dressing for success. Well, looks count when it comes to business communication. In fact, looks matter a lot, especially:

1) TEXT
Typeface There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of typefaces. Some are easier to read than others. Make sure your text is easy-to-read. Avoid using more than two or three different faces. Multiple typefaces create a cluttered look.

Size Keep the type large enough, too. 12-14 pt. is usually good, but you may need to offer larger alternatives if your audience is older. You may have to cut back on copy to fit your space.

Color Provide enough contrast between the type and the page background so the text is readable.

2) LINE LENGTH
Newspapers and magazines format their articles in columns 'cause it’s easier for human eyes to track shorter lines of text. Break up your copy into columns that are no more than 3” wide for a cleaner look and better readability.

This is where most common web formats (including this blog) fail -- there may be one narrow column and one wide. Come on, web designers! You're smart. Can't you give us more options with narrower columns?

3) COPY LENGTH
Most visitors won’t have the time or inclination to plow through long text. Keep what you have to say brief. Use bullet points. Offer more information through links. That leaves it up to the visitor to follow what’s of interest.

4) PHOTO/OTHER VISUALS
You know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? It’s true. Use visuals to emphasize your messages. But be picky. Poor quality, fuzzy focus photos speak volumes about an organization. And what they say isn’t good.

5) CONSISTENT LOOK
Once you’ve worked out a look, standardize it. Set up rules for logo usage, color, tag line, layout, and follow them. Consistency across all platforms builds familiarity.

Ya Gotta Be Seen to Sell

“To know, know, know you is to love, love, love you” go the lyrics of an old song. There’s no such guarantee in business, but there’s one truth you can count on – If prospects don’t know about you, it’s hard to sell anything.

The opportunity to sell anything begins with awareness – being KNOWN. How do you build awareness? Through VISIBILITY.

TRUE STORY:

A company introduced a revolutionary air filtration system, but initial interest was nil. Then we started a full marketing communications program -- feature articles, ads, a product-specific web site and demonstrations at trade shows. All this activity got the word out. The result? More inquiries about the product and more sales.


There are plenty of ways to get visible, like:

• Advertising (print, broadcast, web)
• Publicity (releases, articles, interviews)
• Mailings (surface and e-mail)
• Trade shows, expos and events
• Web site, social media

The best mix for your company’s services or products depends on your audience, message and budget. A marketing communications professional can recommend a program that fits the situation.

Get visible!

Smart marketing secrets revealed!

Don’t you just hate info-mercials or junk mail that screams about supposed secrets to success that can be yours for $9.95, $19.95, $99.95 or whatever? Well, here are some real marketing communications “secrets” for you – and there’s no price tag attached.

Ever wonder how other companies keep their sales momentum going? Smart marketing and communications programs are critical. Here are three key marketing strategies you can put to work for your business.

1) VISIBILITY
Awareness is where the selling process starts. After all, it’s hard for someone to buy from you if they don’t know you exist. Advertising creates visibility on a broad scale, but it may not be right for your company. To find a tactic that fits, start with these questions. Who’s your audience? How can you get your company in front of them? What can your company spend? How will you measure how well you're doing?

2) CONSISTENCY
Brand  management is a major buzz-phrase in marketing and communications. But what does it really mean? If you’re a company like Target or Goodyear, it can mean complex product naming schemes and identity standards For many other businesses it boils down to consistency. Determine your message, look and tone and then stick with it. It’s a way to increase cost efficiency, plus it’s easier to make an impression if you look and sound the same over time.

3) REPETITION
Forget everything you’ve heard about the evils of redundancy. The truth is that human beings learn through repetition. In this highly-saturated environment it can take nine or more repetitions for a message to sink in. Here's another reason for repetition:   only a few products and services, like Christmas décor and snow removal, have predictable buying seasons. Most of the time, we don’t know when someone’s going to buy. Since people often don’t pay attention to messages until they’re relevant, YOUR message needs to be out there over and over and….

Verticlal Marketing: Scratching a Niche

Even if you’re selling something with broad appeal – like toilet paper, corn flakes, or cell phone service -- you’ve probably thought about vertical or niche marketing. How do you go about it, though?

Here’s how to be successful:

1) WHICH NICHE?
Choosing the right market for your service or product is where it starts. There are lots of places to go for insights.
· Current customers, for instance. What groups can you identify?
· Take a look at inquiries/leads, too.
· Talking to sales reps can yield information.
· Trade publication articles and market research reports can point out trends.

You may wind up with several market ideas. Pick one. It’s easier to deal with one new market at a time. Plus, while you’re working in this first niche you can establish a procedure to follow in the future.
Not sure how and where to start? Call in a marketing consultant for advice.

2) TALK THE TALK.
To become a successful vertical marketer you may need to learn a new language – the jargon of the market you’re going after. You’ll gain credibility faster by using recognizable images and words.

TRUE STORY: An adhesives manufacturer had a product they wanted to introduce to the hospital market. Their first ads used generic photos and headlines and didn’t generate much interest.Then we brought in nurses who would actually use the new product. They showed us how to depict and talk about the product realistically. The result was an advertising and direct mail program that pulled in lots of well-qualified inquiries

3) FOLLOW THE RULES.
Once you’ve picked a niche and learned the language, it’s about following the basic rules of marketing communications.

1. Identify a Central Message. Pinpoint the primary benefit your service or product brings to this market.

2. Use a Mix. Make use of all the tools you can -- publicity, web strategies, advertising, direct mail and more. Build your entire program around your Central Message.

3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. It takes lots of exposures for a message to sink in.

4. Measure and Learn. Look at results. (Inquiries generated are a common measure.) Find what works best.