It’s always interesting to me how things work in cycles. It wasn’t too long ago that everyone said, “You have to have a website; everyone who is anyone has one.” And to a certain extent, at least nowadays, that is true. Recently, you see the same thing happening with social networking. Do you have a Facebook page? A twitter account? Are you LinkedIn? And we see a lot of clients asking for those, just because everyone else has them. Ahh, peer pressure.

We do agree that our clients (and you) should make use of these various communication vehicles. However, like a website, it needs to be done for the right reasons and should be analyzed in the correct way. Otherwise, all social networking will do for you is drain your resources.

So, why do you want to do it? If it’s just to get a lot of followers, your efforts will produce little fruit. But if you use twitter to spark conversations about a particular area of interest, promote your culture and attract clients, if it’s for personal education or connection to certain topics, now you are talking something more strategic. But there are several rules of thumb that this will all always boil down to:

1) STRATEGY: What are your goals? What is your strategy? Does it work for your culture? Is it for customer feedback, more transparency, or research? Outlining your strategy enables you to measure success and know how and when to evolve.

2) CONTENT: Content is king! Without good content, your network will become stale. Have a plan. It can evolve, but have a plan.

3) CONSISTENCY: These forms of communication need consistent updating. If you don’t have a plan or the horsepower to update, reply, and interact, it would be better not to start at all. ( Also, a bonus rule of thumb: start small, then build. This will help you keep things consistent.)

If you figure out these three items for you and your clients, you are off to a great start.

In an upcoming post, we will talk about how to use social networking to build your business. In the interim, what has worked and not worked for you or your clients in this area?

#66 Promoting through design shows can be a good marketing, PR & team boost. Some shows cost money, some are free, like books. Start local.

There are a variety of opinions on this topic and there are a couple simple rules of thumb. For starters only enter shows you can afford or that you think your work has a chance of winning. Beyond that we think design shows or design books are a great way to create reasons to talk about work. And we are not talking about for your ego, we are talking reasons to reach out to clients and talk about accomplishments. Clients like to work with successful people. They also need to hear from you on a regular basis, and having the opportunity to mix in accomplishments with project news is a great way to stand out. Another reasons to enter, other than for marketing or PR, is to pat you and your crew on the back. Even though we think ego should take the back seat to new business we all like to be recognized for the work that we pour our hearts into. Employees like being recognized and being a part of a company that cares about doing great work and is recognized for it. Additionally it is a great way to attract future employees!

Ready to get started? or to look at more shows to add into your marketing plan? Well we suggest looking at your budget and the time you have available to enter first. There are endless shows and books to be a part of. Where do you start? Our thought is start with shows or books that align with the ideal types of work you want to be recognized for, or are really passionate about. Additionally some markets have market specific shows, those are also great because you can then say you are a leader or recognized in that particular space. Along those lines, entering local shows are typically more cost effective, if that is a concern. However, those shows are more likely to get you additional local publicity with clients and potential clients. Always be honest with the work, look at past show winners, is your work at least that good? If so enter it.

Here are some links for design shows: HOW, PRINT, CA, GRAPHIS, American Design Awards, GD:USA, Coupe, AIGA

Here is a site with design shows listings: Dexigner, Notes on Design

Some great resources to follow on Twitter: @HowMag, @Dexigner, @LogoMotives

Here are some publisher & paper company links for calls for entries that are FREE: Rockport, Crescent Hill Books, Neenah Paper, Appleton Coated - U Be the Judge

Tips on how to enter design shows, or things to know are coming up next week. In the mean time what shows or books do you participate in? Any stories of how they have directly brought you work or new employees?