How To Make A Lasting First Impression For Your Brand

A small business owner shaking hands with a client after making a good first impression of his brand

In today’s competitive landscape, making a strong first impression for your brand could be the difference in someone choosing your business over a competitor’s. If you want your small business to stand out in the market, it’s essential to craft a memorable brand image that will resonate with your target audience.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some effective marketing tips to help your brand make a positive and lasting first impression.

How to Make a Lasting First Impression for Your Brand

Uncover four key insights into crafting a brand presence that leaves a lasting mark on your customers and prospects alike:

Plans for a brand to make a lasting first impression on a desk
How can your brand make a lasting first impression?

1. Establish a Professional Website

In the digital age, having a professional website builds credibility and attracts customers. Your website serves as the online face of your brand, providing visitors with valuable information about your products or services.

To ensure your website makes a positive first impression, your website should be . . . 

  • User-friendly. Visitors should find your website easy to navigate and understand. Your site should have a flow to make it seamless for users to explore with clear CTAs (calls to action) to move visitors toward making a purchase, booking a service, or contacting the business.
  • Visually appealing. There’s a science to color and design, and visitors will see right through a website that had no time and effort put into its design. Your website shouldn’t be filled with ads, difficult-to-read fonts, or eight different colors.
  • Mobile-responsive. Some of your client base might be on a computer. Others may be on a tablet or mobile device. If you want your site to attract the highest possible number of visitors, then it must be accessible across multiple devices.
  • Optimized for SEO. Optimizing your site for search engines will improve your site’s visibility and attract organic traffic.

Takeaway: Establishing a professional website that is user-friendly, visually appealing, mobile-responsive, and optimized for SEO will help make a positive first impression for your brand.

2. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence

Social media platforms offer a valuable opportunity to engage with your audience and showcase your brand’s personality. But have you ever visited a company’s Facebook or Instagram account and realized they hadn’t posted in a few months? Visitors are often left to fend for themselves or become “detectives” in finding the information for which they’re searching.

That’s why consistently posting relevant and engaging content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Nextdoor, or other platforms can answer the questions for which visitors might be searching all while helping your brand build awareness and establish credibility in your industry.

Aside from posting consistently, here are a few ways you can actively engage with your clients on social media:

  • Respond to comments and messages promptly.
  • Stay up-to-date with current trends.
  • Note what type of content with which your visitors engage, and then share more of that content on your platforms.

Takeaway: Build positive brand awareness by maintaining an active social media presence through consistent posting and active engagement.

3. Invest in Quality Creative Assets

Compelling creative assets are essential for capturing the attention of your audience and conveying your brand message effectively. Invest in high-quality assets, including photography, videography, graphic design, and marketing materials, to convey professionalism and attention to detail.

Similarly, well-crafted copy that speaks to your brand’s values and resonates with your target audience can help you make a memorable impression and differentiate your brand from competitors. Whether you collaborate with in-house creatives or contract with a marketing agency like Paragon Marketing Group, we recommend having talented professionals create visually stunning content that reflects your brand’s personality and values.

Takeaway: Investing in high-quality creative assets can help your brand stand out and leave a lasting impression on potential customers.

4. Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Delivering exceptional customer service is key to making a positive first impression and building long-term relationships with your customers. Your branding never stops at the sales or marketing side. To maintain a positive reputation and establish your brand as one where people want to give their business (and continue giving their business), you need to provide extraordinary customer service. A few ways you can accomplish this include:

  • Responding to inquiries and concerns quickly. If there’s been an issue with a client’s service or product, one of the best ways you can manage the problem is by responding quickly so that the client understands they’re a priority. Often the way in which you defuse a tricky situation can become more memorable than the issue itself.
  • Address customer feedback and reviews thoughtfully. As a small business owner, it’s never easy to receive a critical review or negative feedback. But that doesn’t mean you can’t respond professionally, even if the review was unkind or untrue. Plus, other prospective clients will be watching and reading what you respond. How you respond will tell them whether or not your business is worth considering.
  • Go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations. There are so many ways you can accomplish this. Whether you offer a special discount, give extra attention to detail to a customer’s account, follow up on service where a client had concerns, or even offer a listening ear, you can always find a way to exceed expectations. Your customers will not forget how you made them feel.

Takeaway: By prioritizing customer satisfaction, you can create a positive reputation for your brand and earn the trust and loyalty of your audience.

Here’s a Quick Recap:
  1. Establishing a professional website that is user-friendly, visually appealing, mobile-responsive, and optimized for SEO will help make a positive first impression for your brand.
  2. Build positive brand awareness by maintaining an active social media presence through consistent posting and active engagement.
  3. Investing in high-quality creative assets can help your brand stand out and leave a lasting impression on potential customers.
  4. By prioritizing customer satisfaction, you can create a positive reputation for your brand and earn the trust and loyalty of your audience.

Crafting a strong first impression for your brand is essential for small businesses looking to succeed in today’s competitive market. By following these marketing tips and investing in your brand’s online presence, design, and customer service, you can create a memorable and impactful brand image that resonates with your target audience.

To learn more, please visit our website at paragonmarketinggroup.com or call us at 262-443-9092 to learn more. We’re here to help you elevate your brand and make a lasting impression.

Unbelievable Myths About Graphic Design

Employee performing graphic design on his computer at Paragon Marketing Group

There are many myths regarding graphic design out there, especially when it comes to getting professional graphic design for your business. Today, we’re going to share three of the biggest misconceptions business owners have about graphic design, and what our recommendations are to combat those misconceptions.

3 Common Graphic Design Myths

Today, we’re going to dispel a few misconceptions about graphic design. Here are some of the biggest ones we’ve heard:

a professional designer hoping to dispel graphic design myths
Do you believe one of these graphic design myths?

Myth #1: Graphic Design Is Just About Creating Logos & Designing Pictures

Perhaps one of the biggest myths we hear from people is that graphic design is just about creating logos or might include designing a pretty picture. So first, let’s get clear about what graphic design actually is.

  • If there’s information to display, it’s a graphic designer’s job to display that information. Good graphic design takes it a step farther: displaying that information in an eye-pleasing way.
  • Graphic designers are responsible to get a message across while representing your business. Good graphic design should represent your brand (your business). Great graphic design will tell a story.
  • The designs are the end product: every logo, billboard, sign, flier, brochure, (and more) that you’ve seen were made by a graphic designer. So while graphic design does include logos, it also includes a lot of other things, including brochures and billboards.

Myth #2: Graphic Design Is Easy & Anyone Can Do It

Our response when someone says they don’t need help because they can just do graphic design him or herself is, “Yes, you can, but . . . “

  • It won’t be done as efficiently or as personalized as a professional designer would make it.
  • Using a free/cheap design program runs the risk of having the same artwork as someone else.
  • It’s easy to download “free” images online that turn out to not be free and are actually illegal to use due to copyright or trademark.

Ultimately, the goal of graphic design is to make your brand unique to only you and your business – and you can’t achieve that if you’re using the same artwork as everyone else or breaking copyright laws.

Myth #3: Professional Graphic Designers Are The Same As Everyone Else

When it comes to marketing, there are so many specialized roles. And you rarely hear someone say, “Oh, Google Ads? I’ve been on a computer, so I’m an expert.” Or, “anyone can be a professional web designer!” But when it comes to graphic design, many people believe that professional graphic designers and their 10-year-old niece, Sally, can do the exact same thing.

Unlike the average person, a professional graphic designer . . . 

  • Understands the fundamentals of design 
  • Knows how to force the viewer’s eye to go where you want it to go
  • Realizes why some colors do or don’t work together, font choices, etc.

On the other hand, the average person may understand when something looks good, but can they say why it looks good?

Often, the average person doesn’t understand the technical side of graphic design.

Here’s a Few Takeaways:
  1. Good graphic design should represent your brand. Great graphic design will tell a story.
  2. Using a free/cheap design program runs the risk of having the same artwork as someone else.
  3. Unlike the average person, a professional graphic designer knows how to force a viewer’s eye to go where he/she wants it to go.

If you’ve been harboring one of these graphic design myths, we hope we were able to dispel it for you!

At Paragon, we understand how professional graphic design can be a huge asset to your business marketing. As always, we want to be a resource for you. So as you have questions, we’ll be here to answer them.

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out our podcast, the Main Street Marketing Podcast, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your audio platform of choice.

5 Ways Graphic Design Can Improve Your Brand

Why should I have professional graphic design?

Graphic design is a must for all aspects of your business right now! From website content to social media posts to email marketing, graphic design can go a long way in improving your brand. Take a look at what’s trending and learn how graphic design can improve your brand.

5 Ways Graphic Design Can Improve Your Brand

Can graphic design really improve your brand? Check out these 5 simple ways graphic design could help you build better brand awareness for your business:

1. Flexible Aesthetic

When choosing what aesthetic you want to use to represent your company, the possibilities are endless! Right now, all sorts of designs are trending. From 3D design to minimalism, your business can go in virtually any direction. It’s a good idea to look at your target audience and consider what they would interact with most. You can post different graphics to see which receive the most interaction. You can even do formal research based on their age and what generation your main demographic is and look at what that generation is most likely to look for aesthetically.

2. Simple Data Visualization

Customers want to know numbers and stats in the quickest and easiest way possible. Of course, you’re the expert so information about your service or product may seem second-nature to you, but complicated to your audience. Data is constantly being circulated nowadays and it’s important to find ways to communicate it in the simplest way.

3. Social Media Carousels

Rather than trying to jam pack a bunch of information into one image or Instagram description, try disbursing your information over a couple of slides, like this. This is a great way for you to communicate a greater amount of information to your audience without overloading them.

4. Retro Palettes

This could be due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but many people have found themselves clinging to comfort and nostalgia lately. Retro fonts and color palettes have been resurfacing and there are so many fun things your business can do with it. Using imagery of nostalgia can be used as a sort of security blanket for your customers, making them feel safe and comfortable with your business.

5. Sustainable Packaging

Graphic design plays a huge role in the physical packaging of your products. When thinking about the wrapping itself, consider the possibility of positive packaging. Not only are people starting to love the look of sustainable boxes and bags, but you’re doing good by being environmentally-conscious. Just like eco-friendly products lead to the simplification of materials, professional graphic design leads to more sustainable packaging. Most imagery or text included on the packaging will have a more organic, simple approach to match the physical packaging.

It’s incredible how many ways you can improve your brand with graphic design! It can be used on so many different platforms like your website, social media pages, email marketing, physical packaging, magazines, and more. If you have questions about how to incorporate these trends into your business, Paragon Marketing Group is here to help. Contact us today!

Design For Your Target Audience

Design For Your Audience.

All businesses have a target audience, and it’s important to define who that is! When you are making your marketing materials, whether it be a printed brochure or a website, you need to design for your customer, not for you. It’s all about what your potential customers are looking for and want.

Considerations When Designing for Your Target Audience

You should ask yourself the following questions:

  • What colors reside with your target demographic?
  • Are they searching the web on their phone, a tablet or a desktop?
  • Are they readers? Or visual people?
  • What drives them to make a purchasing decision?

Color Schemes & Functionality

When designing materials for your business, step into the shoes of your target audience and consider what they are looking for. According to a study compiled of information from The New York Times, Harrington College of Design, and other sources, the older end of the Gen-Z generation (1996-2015) enjoy muted and pastel colors, like spearmint and blush pink. Their style is influenced by the 80s and 90s, so try bright colors like yellow (named “The Color of Gen-Z”). Millennials and Gen-Z are automatically attracted to a service or product that is aesthetically pleasing to them. Of course, the quality of the service is always important, but initially attracting them and bringing them in relies a lot on visuals.

If you’re attracting an older audience, those who are a part of the Baby Boomer and Gen X generations (1943-1960, 1961-1980) enjoy a much more mature color palette. Warm yellows and whites, pale blue, and jade green, and shades of grey are comfortable and classic for these generations. Of course, this is not exact science and varies from person-to-person, but this is a good baseline to start. These generations may not care as much about aesthetics as they do about the functionality of a service or product. But your website is often the first time new customers interact with your business, so it’s worth thinking about.

Smart Devices & Navigation

Combining what your audience might enjoy aesthetically with a website that’s easy to navigate will attract current and new customers. Of course, Millennials and Gen-Zers might be accessing your website on their smartphone more often than on a laptop or desktop like Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers. In 2020, it’s safe to assume most people own and use a smartphone, so it’s always good to make sure navigation is easy regardless of the age of your target audience.

Aesthetics & Information Channels

You should also consider the amount of text on your website. Millennials like a very minimalistic look. They can be easily overwhelmed and distracted, so have a simple, straightforward point when explaining your services. Further, Millennials are more likely to seek out services from word-of-mouth. The Gen-Z generation, however, likes to use the Internet to research a business and their options. Gen X-ers are oftentimes quite direct and like to engage in honest, open conversations. Because of this, it’s important to consider bringing honesty and transparency when explaining a product or service to them.

To find out more information or if you need help finding the design and color palette perfect for your website, Paragon Marketing Group has the people and resources to help make all of it come to life.