Employee Recognition: 5 Ways You can Motivate on a budget

The first Friday in March is Employee Recognition Day, but you don't have to wait until then to show your employees how much you appreciate them. Though the economy is on the upswing -- finally -- many employers are still feeling pinched, especially when it comes to budgeting for pay increases and other employee motivating benefits. But even if you can't afford a grand gesture, showing your employees how much you value their contributions is still a must.

Why is Employee Recognition So Important?

It may help to think of employee recognition efforts as an investment in your company's success. While it's true that motivated employees work harder and take more pride in their work, empirical evidence also supports the benefits of recognition. 

A study of more than 4 million employees found that regular praise and recognition has a positive impact on employee performance, specifically resulting in:

• An increase in individual productivity
• More engagement between colleagues
• Increased employee retention
• A decreased number of on the job accidents
• A better safety record
• A greater number of positive comments and loyalty scores from customers

Now that you know how important recognition is, here are a few budget friendly ways to honor your hard-working employees.

1. Just Say Thanks

A survey by Dr. Bob Nelson, noted author and motivational guru, asked employees to rate their most-desired and least desired forms of recognition. Guess where "cash or cash substitutes" finished? Near the bottom. You heard that right. Only 42 percent of those surveyed deemed monetary reward as very or extremely important.

So what grabbed the top spot? Ninety two percent of those surveyed rated "support and involvement" from their supervisor as the most desired motivator. Similarly, "personal praise" took second place with 79 percent describing it as very or extremely important. These statistics underscore the impact an employer can have, even without the backing of a huge budget.

Sometimes, it's enough just to express your gratitude. Make it public by posting a handwritten note on their office door or wall, sending out a company-wide email, mentioning them in a newsletter, or praising your employee at the beginning of a meeting.

2. Break Time

Maybe you can't afford to give them a raise, but can you spare an hour here or there? Instituting a recognition program based on off-time shows you care without cutting into payroll too sharply. Consider offering an extra hour at lunch, providing an early dismissal on a day of their choosing, or adding a few extra minutes to breaks every day for a week. If you can afford it, comp time is always appreciated and gives employees the break they need to recharge and come back re-motivated and ready to work.

3. Take 'em to Lunch

Recognize hard work by treating that special honoree to lunch. Find out their favorite eatery and order take-out, or go all out and have a sit-down nosh together.

4. Added Perks

Some incentives come at absolutely no cost to your bottom line, but can make a big difference to an employee. Reserve that prime parking space for them for a week -- or a month, if you're feeling generous. Ask one of the top managers or execs to stop by the employee's desk and offer a personal "thank you." Post a congrats message to Facebook or tweet it out -- with your employee's permission, of course.

5. Gifting

If you have a small slush fund available, purchase some small gifts from nearby businesses. What employee wouldn't love being surprised with a free car wash, movie passes, or a gift card to Starbucks?

Whichever low budget option you choose, be sure to tailor it to each individual employee. After all, thanking your workers in cookie cutter style doesn't exactly scream, "You're special! I value you as an individual!" With a bit of forethought and planning, you can give morale -- and productivity -- a boost.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with human resource needs through employee newsletters, training manuals, business cards or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

Skating Towards Your Success

The winter Olympics are here, and people around the world are tuning in and watch their nations' athletes compete on the international level. The athletes are an amazing testimony to what the human body is capable of, and they often leave the rest of us breathless as we watch them complete complex maneuvers seemingly effortlessly.

One event that helps to truly capture both the strength and coordination of an athlete with flawless precision is skating. Those competing are able to keep themselves perfectly balanced on thin blades while speed racing or ice dancing and spinning. The performances are often inspirational, and the process these skaters take to reach this level is nothing short of incredible.

The training process

Often from a very young age, skaters who have begun to compete on increasingly higher skill levels will wake up before dawn, just to get a few hours of practice in before they attend school. Once school lets out, they're back on the ice, rehearsing and training for several hours before homework and bed.

As with many other elite athletes, homeschooling is not unheard of -- to give these hopefuls more time to train. Olympic dreams are what propel these athletes forward, and when we see them step out on the ice this winter, those years of preparation will come to fruition in that one moment in time.

One of the most important people in the lives of these young athletes is always the coach. Parents, friends, and family members can all offer support along with help getting the skater to their practices and competitions, but no one can compare to the coach when it comes to the potential success of the athlete. There are as many coaching styles and theories as there are people, and no one athlete is guaranteed to work well with a particular coach. The right coach and athlete relationship, however, has the potential to maximize the athlete's career. 

What we can learn from Olympic figure skaters

For many business professionals, tasks that don't produce an immediately tangible result (such as marketing or networking) are the hardest to invest their time. Many of us would much rather focus on the business in front of us, even though solid marketing and networking offer us genuine room to grow.

We need to think like figure skaters. When they're getting up at 3:30 or 4:00 am to go train, they don't know for sure they're ever going to see the international stage. It might be years before they have the skills to travel and compete. This doesn't stop them or discourage them. Even when they don't see results right away, they keep trying until they succeed.

Similarly, success in business is never a one person job. No one person is going to bring a company to the top, and no athlete can will themselves to the gold. In the same way, success in business means being careful and selective about who we choose as partners and allies. Solid partners can make an enormous difference in a company's growth and success, as we're able to trust these allies to have our best interest in mind.

As we all settle on our couches this winter to watch these amazing athletes from around the world, we should remember the work they enthusiastically did to get there, and it should inspire us. We can use that same work ethic to help bring our companies forward until we also obtain the gold.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations market through publications, direct mail or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

What is Content Marketing and how does it work, exactly?

You've probably heard all the buzz about content marketing, yet may still be wondering what, exactly, it is. Content marketing is simply the new form of marketing that uses informative content, rather than blatant sales pitches, to attract potential customers. Instead of proverbially bashing people over the head with whatever you're trying to sell, content marketing entices them to come to you to learn more about your product, services, and brand.

So, how the heck do you do that?

Create a two-way conversation.

Old school advertising was pretty much a one way street with the company doing all the talking. Content marketing turns it into a two way conversation by actively engaging the audience. Do this by encouraging comments on your blog posts and social media sites, holding contests, or otherwise reaching out to your audience for input in your publications or direct mail.

Keep up your end of the bargain.

Asking for audience participation is good, but it's not so good if you do nothing with the information you gleaned. Reply to audience comments; respond to their requests and needs. Perhaps a certain aspect of your website keeps getting the same complaint. Hold up your end of the conversation by acknowledging the issue and perhaps even tweaking whatever's wrong to better fill people's needs.

Make it easy to find you.

Of course, you won't have any conversations at all if people can't find you. In addition to a user friendly company website, you should set up a blog and accounts on your chosen social media platforms that all easily link back to your website. When you share a blog post or add new information to your website, share the link across your media channels including your publications or direct mail.

You don't have to go nuts and join every single social media platform out there. Instead, focus on the ones where your target audience is most likely to tread. Learn more by analyzing the social media habits of your target demographic, then go where those folks go.

Fuel your audience with quality content.

Keeping your audience engaged means keeping up a steady flow of quality content. Again, you don't have to go nuts trying to post something new and exciting every five minutes, but you do want to add fuel to your content marketing fire with fresh content on a regular basis.

Note the keyword "quality" here. Provide content that's polished, informative, compelling, and even entertaining. While text may make up a good chunk of your content, also take advantage of the power of pictures and videos. Include them in related posts, or let them fly solo if they say all they need to say on their own.

Since people are none too fond of reading the same stuff again and again, make sure you cover a variety of different topics that are relevant to your audience.

Don't bombard your audience.

Bombarding your audience can consist of that aforementioned strategy of beating them over the head to "buy, buy, buy" with every post you create. But it can also include posting at such a rapid and fanatical rate that your audience has no time to absorb, respond, or even breathe.

More is not necessarily better, especially if the more is of poor quality. Over posting can not only mar your reputation as a professional, but it can backfire in a big way. Instead of being attracted to your company, you may instead find your audience fleeing in droves, leaving you with no one left to talk to but yourself.

Mastering the art of attraction is just one aspect of content marketing, but it's one of the most essential for eventual success.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with content marketing through publications, direct mail or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

You, Sales, and Copy

Before we start, let's get one thing clear. This post is not about the copies we make for you on our copy machines. It's about the copy (text) that appears on your website and in your publications or promotional materials. No matter what type of business you run, copy affects every part of your business. It's the cornerstone of your marketing, and it affects the executive team, the HR department, and every aspect of the organization.

How?

To answer that question, let's first take a look at what copy is and what it is not. Copywriting is the act of producing written text (copy). It's not the same as "copyright," which refers to one's legal right to produce and publish content. Wikipedia explains copywriting as "writing copy (text) for the purpose of advertising or marketing. The copy is meant to persuade someone to buy a product or influence their beliefs."

That second part is especially important because it's the key differentiator between success and failure in copywriting. Weak copy will be thrown in the trash, while good copy will move the recipient to the desired action you want them to take. This applies not only to advertising and marketing but to any type of business and even personal communication.

Effective copywriting is sometimes referred to as "a salesman in print." It can be seen in brochures, billboards, websites, emails, TV and radio ads, catalogs, and many other places where the goal is to move someone to a desired action. That action might be purchasing your product, engaging with your company, or picking up the phone to request more information. In short, copywriting is all about making the recipient move and act.

Copywriting dates all the way back to the nineteenth century, when the newspaper industry was beginning to boom. At that time, copywriting referred to the words written by journalist being copied from their desk into the newspaper. Times may have changed, but copywriting is as crucial now in helping to sell your products as it was then in helping to sell newspapers.

Good copywriting answers the problem of how to get more sales.

Two big buzzwords today are content marketing and inbound marketing. Both essentially refer to copywriting. While effective copywriting is part science and part art, the fact is that anyone can create copy that moves people to act. Well crafted copywriting doesn't need to be full of hype or written with bold typefaces and capitalization that beats people over the head.

There are three basic steps you can take to create compelling copy.

1. Know your audience. It should be a given that you know exactly who you're creating the copy for. The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to create powerful copy. A demographic profile can help you not only create your copy but also know who you will be sending that content to. The following are some examples of data you'll find in a demographic profile:

• Gender
• Age
• Family Status
• Income
• Occupation and Industry
• Interests and Organizations

2. Focus on them, not you. Everyone wants to be the center of attention. This applies in copywriting as well. The focus should be on the recipient, not how great you are. Your copy should answer the question: How will the products and services you offer benefit your customers and make their lives easier? Your copy must be able to answer the #1 question in every recipient's head: "What's in it for me?" In terms of copywriting, your product or service is far less important than its ability to fulfill your customers' needs.

3. Always include a call to action. Always. No matter what marketing medium you use to send and communicate the copy, there should always be a call to action. Never assume that the recipient will know what you want them to do next. Tell them exactly what the next step should be. Should they call, fill out a form, or visit your showroom? Make it crystal clear.

It takes time, skill, practice, and patience to become a master copywriter. For businesses that want to produce effective copy that moves people to act, following these three simple steps can go a long way toward achieving that goal. Communication tools may be expanding and evolving, but one thing will never change: the need for good, effective copywriting. Bad content produced across multiple marketing channels will work just as poorly as it did across one.

Change the words used to communicate your uniqueness and to tell your story, and you will change your business.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with copy that sells please visit www.printingartspress.com

Does Your Advertising Have a Goal?

You know all about the importance of setting personal and business goals, but what about setting goals for your advertising? Such goals are also important to the success of your sales and marketing efforts.

The three traditional goals of advertising are to inform, persuade, and remind. However, you should add one more goal to that list, especially  if you run a small or medium sized business. That goal is to break even on the cost of running your ad. If the ad makes money immediately, that's a bonus.

Why just break even? 

Your strategy should be to create an ongoing relationship, not just a one-time transaction. You want to build a base -- a growing list of customers who come back to buy over and over again. Long term growth and stability are the keys, not just one time, short term gains.

"The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time." - Henry Ford

Advertising your business is important. Advertising your business on a consistent basis is even more important. Your business has to get noticed. It needs traffic, and that traffic needs to buy.

Instead of thinking about advertising your business as an expense, think about it as an investment. It's an investment with the goal of breaking even quickly while generating ROI for years to come.

Here are eight reasons you need to advertise consistently with a purpose and goal in mind.

1. Get Noticed -- At any given time and in any market, only 2 to 4% of consumers are ready to buy what you sell. It's nearly impossible to predict when this group is going to actually make the purchase. They'll buy from the company that comes to the top of their mind when they're ready. The company that's most consistent in being seen and getting noticed will win the business most of the time.
2. Remind Them -- People tend to forget quickly. Busy lives and long to-do lists can make anyone forget about your business. Just because you sent one postcard doesn't mean a prospect will remember your business when it's time to buy. In the advertising race, the tortoise beats the hare.
3. Your Competition -- Your competitors won't quit advertising anytime soon. You shouldn't either.
4. Shifting Quicksand -- Your market is constantly changing. You have to be nimble and adjust with it. Change up your ad copy and design. Test it, measure it, and tweak your ads until you achieve your desired return on investment.
5. Momentum -- Advertising consistently not only informs your audience that you mean business but also serves notice to your competitors that you're in it for the long haul. Advertising boosts the morale of your own staff as well, signaling the vitality of your brand.
6. Current Customers -- You know your competitors are nipping at your heels, trying to steal away your customers. Don't take your current customers for granted in your ad campaigns. Remind them on a regular basis the unique value you bring to the table and deliver for them. Don't assume they know already.
7. Past Customers -- One of the fastest ways to boost sales is to reactivate past clients. Most customers leave a business because they feel unwanted and neglected. Tell them you're sorry and that you want them back. Give them an incentive to come back again. Many will come back. This time, don't neglect them. Communicate regularly and tell them that you appreciate their business. Advertising is not just for boosting sales; it also works for retaining customers. It's much cheaper to retain a customer than to find a new one. Advertising to current and past customers is an investment that makes lots of cents!
8. Competitive Advantage -- Nothing helps you maintain a lead over your competitors like consistent advertising. Whether you're there now or you'll get there soon, once you have the lead, keep the foot on the pedal, so the competition has little chance of catching up.

You must have both strategic and monetary goals in mind when advertising your business. When done with a purpose and vision, your ad campaigns will produce real ROI and real customers who will pay you back for years to come. To start and build momentum, advertise consistently. You'll end up creating your own economy.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with advertising please visit www.printingartspress.com

Four Steps for Brand Consistency on a Budget

All companies can benefit from developing a consistent brand image. The brand definition and features may encompass everything from logos to color palettes to fonts, but it must be maintained consistently across marketing collateral, presentations, correspondence, and proposals. Your brand image may even influence your office décor, if you have logos or product photos as part of your furnishings. Keeping everything in sync is difficult, especially as time passes and the company grows or expands its product line. Here are a few tips to help you keep your brand elements consistent.

1. Develop an updated logo.
In the long run, it pays to have a professionally created company or brand logo as the centerpiece of your company's identity. A custom logo doesn't have to be expensive, but it should be simple, eye catching, and unique.

Unless you're a graphic artist or you already have a great one on staff, work with a designer for logo creation. While there are libraries of standard logos you can choose from, it's worth it to have a logo custom designed by an experienced graphic artist who can capture the essence of your business. Try to resist the temptation to design your own logo using PowerPoint or a similar program because it will probably always look amateurish. You also won't be able to generate all the different file types you need for various media.

2. Pick a color scheme.
Once you've found a graphic designer to work with, ask him or her to create a corporate color scheme for you while they're working on the logo. The color scheme should include two or three colors that coordinate well together, and it should include light and dark shade variations of the chosen colors.

The experienced eye of a graphic artist will come up with fresh designs and color schemes that you'll love, even though you might not have considered them on your own. When you settle on your colors, you can ask the designer to provide the Pantone color code values and the CMYK equivalents to prevent inconsistencies that occasionally occur if people try to "eyeball" the correct shade on future documents.

3. Create a style set and templates.
If you use page layout or word processing applications, you'll want to create a custom style set that includes fonts, heading styles, margins, and spacing defaults so your documents always have a consistent look and feel. A graphic artist's expertise will come in handy here, too, by giving your documents an appealing look.

Consider installing the style set for new employees when they join your company, or have IT set them up for you, so employees automatically create consistently formatted documents and presentations. It's a huge time saver when you don't have to reformat every document before publishing it.

4. Post a branding "book" or style guide.
A style guide doesn't have to be complex, but it does need to make the guidelines for logo usage and other branding elements clear. To help ensure consistency, include the standards for color values, official product and company names, and links to corporate templates. It only makes sense to have a style guide if employees will use it, so try to keep it simple if you can.

Creating a recognizable brand requires consistency to avoid muddying brand identity. By following a few guidelines, you can help ensure that prospective customers will instantly recognize your brand.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with branding please visit www.printingartspress.com

Words Your Customers Love to Hear

Next time you're creating a marketing promotion regardless of the media channel, you may want to include one of these "magic" words that customers most love to hear:

• Guarantee. Not only does a guarantee show confidence in your products, but it also removes the risk of trying your product, giving potential customers the added persuasion to purchase your product over another.

• Instantly, immediately, or fast. We all love fast results or solutions, so it's no surprise that people love instant gratification.

• New. Today's society is always on the lookout for the latest and greatest products available. However, be aware that the novelty of "new" can wear off. After a while, customers often fall back to their familiar, tried and true products again.

• Save. Saving money is something that everyone wants to do. Whether you offer an exclusive savings promotion, a discounted package deal, or even a money saving coupon, your customers will be listening.

• Results. The word "results" also means success. It's a powerful word because of its inherent promise of a better outcome.

• Discover. The word "discover" offers a promise of something more to come. Like unwrapping a gift on your birthday, discoveries always bring a sense of excitement and adventure.

• Easy. People love to purchase things that are easy to figure out, easy to assemble, easy to manage, and so on. The less effort required by the customer, the better.

• Free. Although the word "free" is often overused, it continues to be the number one attention getting word. Use it sparingly and only when you truly have something free to offer with no strings attached, such as a free sample, free trial, free shipping, or buy one get one free deal.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with  marketing promotion please visit www.printingartspress.com