Depending on the nature of your business, your customers may spend a lot of time on the phone talking to sales reps, customer service, customer support, etc. If you're looking for a great way to add a personal touch to these interactions, consider posting photos of your sales or support staff on your website, business cards, and other marketing materials.
Employee photos are a compelling way to capture your visitors' attention on your website. More importantly, though, conversion rates increase when people can connect emotionally. Photos are a great way to foster this kind of connection between your customers and staff.
Because people buy from people, they are often curious about who they are speaking with. Photos increase interest in day-to-day interactions and help customers and prospects recognize and remember the members of your team, making them more likely to approach your staff at trade shows or other social events.
In addition to posting individual photos, group photos and candid shots of employees at work are great ways to show off your facility, the various skills you can offer in-house, and the potential bulk of your workforce.
Imagine you are in an elevator at a business conference and a stranger notices your name tag and asks, "What do you guys do?" You only have a few seconds to make a powerful mini-presentation before the doors open.
By preparing an "elevator speech," you not only have the opportunity to make a great first impression, but also demonstrate your professionalism and position yourself as an expert in your field in just a few words. An elevator speech should last no longer than the average elevator ride and offer unique highlights of what your company does and the solutions you offer.
Here are a few tips for creating an effective elevator speech:
Pique interest and feature highlights that set your company apart.
Talk about topics of most interest to your listener, focusing on what your service can do for them.
Avoid slang and industry jargon that your listener may not understand.
Motivate listeners to take action by showing your passion for the topic.
Develop different versions for different situations and audiences.
Keep it fresh. Update your speech as your business grows and changes.
Donâ??t be afraid to leave your elevator speech as a voice mail message on cold calls.
Remember practice makes perfect. Ask others for feedback on how to improve your speech. Consider joining a group such as Toastmasters to boost your confidence.
Always end with an action request, such as asking for a business card or follow-up meeting.
Print materials such as business cards, brochures, and fact sheets are a great way to back-up your elevator speech and be remembered. Stop by today for help creating professional marketing materials that help do the talking for you.
Joe Gass @ Heritage Printing & Graphics
5900 Harris Technology Blvd, Suite G, Charlotte, North Carolina 28269 * 704-551-0700    www.heritageprintingcharlotte.com
 22725 Washington Street, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650 *               301-475-1700 * www.heritageprinting.com
 Veteran Owned and OperatedWide Format - Signs, Banners & Banner Stands, Displays, Posters, Wall and Window Graphics, Vehicle and Floor Graphics, Backlit Signs, Retail Point of Purchase, End Caps and Toppers, On-Site Installation, Kit Packing and Fulfillment
Offset and Digital - Newsletters, Magazines, Publications, Catalogs, Conference and Meeting Materials, Brochures, Rack Cards, Presentation Folders and Direct Mail
Being first to market is no guarantee you'll succeed. The business annals are littered with tales of cutting-edge companies that eventually lost out to newcomers who built a better mousetrap that redefined the game.
Google is a great case in point. By 1998, when Google burst on the scene, search engines and directories such as Yahoo!, AltaVista, Excite, Lycos, and AskJeeves were already firmly entrenched. Many people wondered why a new search engine was even necessary.
Then they tried Google. Using a proprietary algorithm to generate its search results, Google quickly gained a foothold and the loyalty of users frustrated by the other brands. Word spread, Google's popularity grew, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Google powers more than two-thirds of all U.S. searches, according to the latest data from Experian Hitwise (February 2011). Yahoo! Search accounts for just a 15% market share, and many of the other search providers in existence when Google began have gone the way of the dinosaur.
Sure, many factors went into the success of Google as a brand, and Internet search is now just a part of what the company does.
But, generally speaking, what are some basic lessons we can all learn from Google and other Johnny-come-latelies who now dominate their fields (Facebook vs. MySpace, anyone)? Lots of things, really, but three really stick out in my mind....
1. Don't underestimate the competition.
2. Don't rest on your laurels.
3. Don't ignore the ever-evolving needs of your customers.
That's pretty sage advice for any company, no matter how big or small you might be.
22725 Washington Street, Leonardtown, Maryland  20650 *     301-475-1700     * www.heritageprinting.com
Wide Format â?? signs, banners & banner stands, displays, posters, wall and window graphics, vehicle and floor graphics, decals, backlit signs, point of purchase, end caps and toppers, on-site installation and fulfillment
Offset and Digital â?? newsletters, magazines, publications, catalogs, conference and meeting materials, brochures, rack cards, presentation folders and direct mail
 Veteran Owned and Operated
Google may be the world's most popular search engine, but it's also a digital Swiss army knife. In addtion to traditional searching, here are 10 lesser-known uses for Google search:
World clock. Find the time in any city by typing "time " and the city name, city and state, zip code, or city and country (e.g., "time New York City"). Google will tell you the current time in that city.
Dictionary. Type "define: " and the term you wish to define (e.g., "define: monarchy"). Google will give you a list of definitions from a variety of online sources.
Currency converter. Enter the amount you'd like to convert and the two currency types to convert to/from. For example, "345 USD to CAD" will show you the Canadian dollar equivalency to 345 US dollars.
Calculator. Enter a mathematical problem to calculate (e.g. "3*2+(9sqared)"), and Google will give you the answer (e.g. "87").
Weather. Find the current weather conditions and forecast for many major cities worldwide by simply typing "weather " and the name of the city, city and state, zip code, or city and country (e.g. "weather Houston, TX" or "weather 90036") in the Google search bar.
Flight tracking. Enter the airline and flight number (e.g. "american airlines 18") to see if it is arriving/departing on time or is delayed.
Package tracking. Enter a UPS, FedEx, or USPS tracking number into the Google search bar, and Google will tell you the status of the package in question.
Stock quotes. Enter a stock ticker symbol (e.g. "AAPL") to see that stock's current trading value and information about its fluctuation for the day.
Unit converter. Not sure how many cups are in a gallon? Google can tell you. Enter your query (e.g. "cups per gallon"), and Google will do the rest (e.g. "1 US gallon = 16 US cups").
Sunrise/sunset times. Want to know when the sun will rise in Singapore? Just enter "sunrise " or "sunset " followed by the name of the city (e.g. "sunrise Singapore") in the Google search bar, and Google will let you know not only the time, but also how long from now the sunrise/sunset in question will occur.
For even more search tips like these, visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html.
Joe Gass @ Heritage Print & Visual
5900 Harris Technology Blvd, Ste G, Charlotte, NC 28269 * 704-551-0700 * www.hpvisual.com
 22725 Washington Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650 * 301-475-1700 * www.heritageprinting.comWide Format â?? signs, banners & banner stands, displays, posters, wall and window graphics, vehicle and floor graphics, decals, backlit signs, point of purchase, end caps and toppers, on-site installation and fulfillment
Offset and Digital â?? newsletters, magazines, publications, catalogs, conference and meeting materials, brochures, rack cards, presentation folders and direct mail
 Veteran Owned and Operated
Social media marketing is becoming an important cog in the wheel of many companies' overall marketing plans. According to HubSpot.com, U.S. advertisers spent $1.7 billion (that's billion with a "b") in 2010 on social media marketing. Of that, 53% was spent advertising on Facebook. Globally, companies spent $3.4 billion on social media marketing in 2010.
Pepsi -- a staple of Super Bowl ads for decades -- has announced that it will not run any ads in this year's game. Instead, the company will invest more heavily in social media campaigns.
So what are the most popular social media channels for large companies? HubSpot reports that 65% of Fortune Global 100 companies maintain a corporate Twitter account, 54% host a Facebook page, 50% have a company YouTube channel, and 33% run a company blog.
Having a Facebook page, Twitter account, or blog is one thing. Keeping it active is something else entirely. Of the companies cited earlier who use Twitter, 82% post multiple tweets per week. Among corporate YouTube users, 68% upload at least one new video per month. On Facebook, 59% post at least once per week. And 36% of corporations with blogs update those blogs at least once every month.
While HubSpot focused its research on larger corporations, social media marketing is ideally suited for small businesses, too. The cost of getting started is minimal, and commitment can grow and scale over time.
If you aren't using social media marketing, I recommend you start. If you can't commit too much time, that's ok. Start small, and build your efforts as time allows. Begin with a Facebook page for your company, a blog (like this one), or a Twitter account. Make a plan for adding new content regularly. And engage with customers who engage with you online.
Once you're started, include the address for each of your social media channels on your website. Add your Twitter name to your business cards. And begin to engage with your customers and prospective customers through social media. You'll be glad you did.
If you'd like to see more from the HubSpot study referenced in this post, visit:
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/8594/Social-Media-Marketing-By-The-Numbers-Infographic.aspx
Joe Gass @ Heritage Print & Visual
5900 Harris Technology Blvd, Ste G, Charlotte, NC 28269 * 704-551-0700 * www.hpvisual.com
 22725 Washington Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650 * 301-475-1700 * www.heritageprinting.comWide Format â?? signs, banners & banner stands, displays, posters, wall and window graphics, vehicle and floor graphics, decals, backlit signs, point of purchase, end caps and toppers, on-site installation and fulfillment
Offset and Digital â?? newsletters, magazines, publications, catalogs, conference and meeting materials, brochures, rack cards, presentation folders and direct mail
 Veteran Owned and Operated
Researchers using data from Twitter, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Google Maps API have mapped the mood of our nation over a three-year span, based primarily on what we tweeted about during that time. A joint venture of scientists at Harvard and Northeastern universities, the study looked at 300 million tweets sent between September 2006 and August 2009. Here are some of the findings:
* Tweeters tend to be happiest early in the morning (around 6:00am) and later in the day (around 10:30-11:00pm). Moods dip to their lowest in the early afternoon, then slowly begin to rise again.
* Not surprisingly, weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) are the happiest days of the week. In fact, Sunday morning ranks the highest overall.
* Thursday -- not Monday -- sees the lowest dip, on average, of any of the days. Our collective mood bottoms out on Thursday evenings, apparently.
Tweets were scored against the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) word list to determine their overall "mood." The researchers say they plan to continue their work into the future, with further breakdowns of weekday versus weekend moods.
More details can be found online at the study's website:
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/amislove/twittermood/
Joe Gass @ Heritage Print & Visual
5900 Harris Technology Blvd, Ste G, Charlotte, NC 28269 * 704-551-0700 * www.hpvisual.com
 22725 Washington Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650  * 301-475-1700 * www.heritageprinting.comÂ
Wide Format - signs, banners & banner stands, displays, posters, wall and window graphics, vehicle and floor graphics, decals, backlit signs, point of purchase, end caps and toppers, on-site installation and fulfillment
Offset and Digital - newsletters, magazines, publications, catalogs, conference and meeting materials, brochures, rack cards, presentation folders and direct mail
 Veteran Owned and Operated
Enjoy Twitter but not willing to pay for it? You're not alone. In fact, researchers at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found that, while 49 percent of Internet users surveyed had used Twitter or a similar free micro-blogging service before, zero percent would be willing to pay to use Twitter in the future. That's right: Zero. Zilch. Nada.
"Such an extreme finding that produced a zero response underscores the difficulty of getting Internet users to pay for anything that they already receive for free," said Jeffrey I. Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future at the Annenberg School.
The 2010 Digital Future Study is the 10th such study performed by faculty and students at the Annenberg School. "Beginning with our first Digital Future Study in 2000, and in every year since, we have found extraordinary levels of shifting views," Cole explains, as well as "evolving attitudes about technology."
Over that time, the number of Americans going online has climbed from 67 percent to 82 percent, the average time spent online has grown from 9.4 hours to 19 hours per week, and broadband use has jumped from 10 percent to 82 percent among home-based Internet users.
In addition to its Twitter-related findings, the 2010 study found...
65 percent of adult Internet users buy online, making an average of just over 35 purchases per year. Books, clothes, gifts, travel, and electronics/appliances round out the top five categories of products bought online.
78 percent of respondents consider the Internet an important or very important source of information, compared to just 56 percent for newspapers. However, 61 percent said that only half or less than half of the information available online is reliable.
70 percent of respondents found Internet advertising "annoying," and less than half ever click on online ads. However, 55 percent said they would rather put up with the ads than have to pay for content.
For more results, visit http://www.digitalcenter.org.
Heritage Printing & Graphicsâ?¦. Improving Your Image in the Marketplace
Signs, Banners, Posters, Displays, Decals, Wall, Window & Floor Graphic, Backlit Signs, Brochures, Booklets and Publications, Marketing Materials & Direct Mail
5900 Harris Technology Blvd., Suite G, Charlotte, NC 28269Â Â Â 704-551-0700
 22725 Washington Street, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650    301-475-1700
www.heritageprinting.com  Â
Twitter is a free, social networking service which offers a new-age way to enhance brand recognition and build relationships with your prospects and customers. Twitter enables users to micro-blog, or communicate through small, quick spurts of content and reach thousands of people every day.
Here are few tips on how to use Twitter as part of your online marketing strategy to target new business in Charlotte and anywhere else in the world.
Create a list of topics for posting before you get started. The more you plan out your endeavor, the more you'll benefit from marketing on Twitter.
Follow your competitors. Your competitors will have already sought out a similar target audience you want to reach, which enables you to catch up quickly. You can also track your competitors' marketing tactics and messaging.
Make a commitment to Twitter before starting. Twitter requires constant involvement and timely follow-up. Without this, Twitter loses its credibility. Successful Twitter marketing also requires intelligent message writing. With only 140 characters at your disposal, choosing the right message and responses is crucial to your success.
Strengthen your brand image. Create an interesting profile by posting photos and information about your company. Be sure to seek out people, companies and groups that you are interested in on a personal level, too, even if they are unlikely to use your services. This helps create a personality for your company, which can help make you seem more accessible and friendly.
Participation is key. Users must be willing to participate in online conversations and communicate with other businesses, consumers, and individuals. Not only can you share your industry knowledge, but it gives you the opportunity to spread the word about your business and share something about yourself with the rest of the community.
Inform people of new products and services offered by your company. The Twitter community is a great way to stay on top of industry news, as well as promote your new products and services. However, don't to make product or service promotions the sole focus of your Twitter account. Twitter is a social network, not a medium for spamming. Be sure to post only meaningful, relevant content that readers will look forward to reading.
Drive traffic to your web site. You can add links to your website, blog or press releases, which is also a great way to increase your company's exposure.
Promote events. If your company is throwing an event or attending a conference, you can tweet (create a status update or post) about it to generate interest in the event. Pre-networking can add value to the relationships you then create in person.
Create unique ways to interact with readers. Engage others in your field by asking thoughtful questions, request feedback on your products, take polls, and facilitate conversation.
Follow relevant Twitter feeds. The owner of a feed will be notified when you follow their feeds, creating awareness and building traffic for your own company as well.
Use it as a back-up form of communication. Twitter is a reliable tool for communicating with customers if your website or email servers go down.
Read feedback about your company without a formal survey. If you search for your companyâ??s name using twitter search, it will return all the tweets where people mention the terms you search for. This is a great way to gain insight on opinions behind the scenes.
Whether you are selling a product or a service in Charlotte, or want to make your companyâ??s name more visible in Europe, Twitter is an advantageous way to attract interest in what your company is all about. If youâ??re looking for other ideas on how to communicate with your prospects and customers, give Heritage a call! Weâ??d love to show you examples of marketing materials that will create a significant impact on your business.
Joe Gass, President
Heritage Printing & Graphics
5900 Harris Technology Blvd, Suite G, Charlotte, NC
704-551-0700
www.heritageprintingcharlotte.com
Many small businesses in Charlotte, NCÂ struggle with creating visibility and name recognition, especially if their business is fairly new to the area or their budgets are tight. Aside from the traditional advertising methods, here are a few creative ways to market your business in the Charlotte area and get your name out there:
Promote a free seminar or presentation. For example, a Huntersville flooring business can offer a free seminar on installation techniques for laminate flooring. Participants not only learn how to install this type of flooring in their Lake Norman home themselves, but are offered special discount prices if they wish to purchase laminate flooring.
Volunteer to speak at a local Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce  meeting.
Donate your products or services to a non-profit organization, church, school, or charity.
Sponsor a local team, such as a community softball team. Coordinate a kickoff celebration such as a grill out or season finale party for members of the team.
Become actively involved in your community, coach a youth sports team or volunteer to help coordinate community events for local civic group.
Look for something unusual about what you do and publicize it. Send out press releases to area media whose audiences are likely to be interested in what you sell.
Offer your product or service as a prize for a contest or a fundraiser raffle. Contact local organizations or radio stations and make them aware of your availability.
Partner with a complementary business and use buddy marketing. For example, a Charlotte pet store and a pet grooming business could share advertising or run a contest together to considerably cut down the cost of business promotion.
Create a contest with a desirable prize that is related to your business, such as free products or free services. Not only can you draw attention to your Charlotte area business, but you can build your prospect database with names of those who register as well.
Start a fundraising team for a local benefit amongst your employees and create friendly competition with other Charlotte businesses.
No matter how you choose to promote your business in Charlotte,  be sure to do it with a smile! After all, you never know when you will meet your next customer.
Joe Gass, President
Heritage Printing and Graphics
5900 Harris Technology Blvd, Suite G
Charlotte, North Carolina
704-910-9914
www.heritageprintingcharlotte.com
Twitter is a free, social networking service which offers a new-age way to enhance brand recognition and build relationships with your prospects and customers. Twitter enables users to micro-blog, or communicate through small, quick spurts of content and reach thousands of people every day.
Here are few tips on how to use Twitter as part of your online marketing strategy to target new business in Charlotte and anywhere else in the world.
Many small businesses in Charlotte, NCÂ struggle with creating visibility and name recognition, especially if their business is fairly new to the area or their budgets are tight. Aside from the traditional advertising methods, here are a few creative ways to market your business in the Charlotte area and get your name out there:
