New Year, New Look.

Is it time to update your marketing materials?

Ideally, marketing materials are designed to help you close more sales, attract more clients, and save time by cohesively explaining your products or services. However, these materials are often neglected when it comes to updates and changes.

First, take stock of what you’re currently using for marketing materials and determine how much of the information is accurate and up-to-date. Then access what it’s currently being used for, and at what frequency.  And finally, determine if they are necessary and worth updating or should you rethink your strategy all together. Your marketing materials should be making an impact, measured by closing sales and increased awareness.  Take a good look at all your marketing materials to see if any of them are truly obsolete.

Communicate with your sales staff before discarding any seemingly ineffective materials or creating new ones. The staff has a unique viewpoint and a vested interest in new sales materials. A fresh new prospective may be just what you need to be competitive in the marketplace.  Knowing what your competitors are doing is important, and your staff is a valuable resource for that.

• Know your goals. Before producing any marketing piece, you have to clearly understand the purpose of it. Will it be used to generate leads, educate your audience or recruit new employees? Once you nail down your primary goals, nothing in the marketing piece should detract from that message.
• Organize and limit your information. Keeping in mind your primary goals, write down everything you’d like to cover. Now, cut that by half. After all, you don’t want to give too much information. The goal is to entice your reader to contact your company for more. You also need to provide a clear and organized path for the reader to gather content, view images, and take action.
• Hire a professional copywriter. You may think you are a great writer, but often times you know your business too well to be effective.  Others are more apt to write from the clients prospective which will prove greater results.  Remember to proofread, and have others proofread the final content.
• Hire a professional graphic designer. Homegrown marketing materials do nothing for your company’s image. In fact, it does more harm than good. Distributing materials created in a word processing software or other software not designed for page layout communicates to your audience that you are not serious about your business, therefore why would you be serious about theirs.  Hiring a designer with experience in creating printed marketing materials and websites will guarantee you results.
• Use professional graphics and imagery. Again, if you don’t use the best to represent yourself, why would you be the best to do business with? If you can’t afford a professional photographer, have your graphic designer find appropriate and affordable stock imagery. Pictures should complement the copy, not compete with it.

~ Stacey Sharp

For more news from around the office, read the RSA Happenings »

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Kudos

Ron Jeffries

Ron, General Manager of Central States Fair, was recently named Fair Manager of the Year from the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs.  Each year, this regional organization chooses one of their peers to be honored for the work they do within the fair industry, dedication to their community and work they do for kids.  Congratulations to Ron on this well deserved recognition!

Margaret Skillman

Margaret, recently retired from Behavior Management Systems, is the recipient of the 2011 Silver Medal Award from the AAF-Black Hills Chapter.  This award honors those that have dedicated their career to marketing and advertising and has shown leadership within the industry.  Our own Robert Sharp (last year’s recipient) will be passing the torch to Margaret at the annual Addy Banquet February 17th at the Ramkota Hotel.  Congratulations Margaret…and happy retirement!

Steve Barnett

Congratulations to Steve Barnett on winning the election for South Dakota State Auditor.  RSA was pleased to be involved in his election campaign.

And finally, kudos to us!

We were recently awarded 3-year contracts for both the South Dakota State Fair and the Wyoming State Fair.  It has been our pleasure to serve both of these organizations over the past few years and we are honored they continue to entrust us with their advertising and public relations needs.