What do the colors of your branding say to your target market? First, you have to identify your target market. Who are the people you want to do business with? That is one of the things a business coach can help you figure out.

As a print shop, ACE Printing & Mailing can help you design your brand to best appeal to your target market.

The first thing to understand about color is that everyone reacts to it. That reaction is mostly a result of the culture and experience of the individual. Meaning that no matter how much science and psychology you apply to your color scheme, you will undoubtedly repel someone. That is just the nature of human beings.

However, there are some instinctual responses to color as well. Almost every culture associates red, orange, and yellow with heat, while blue and green are cool. As the primary heat sources – fire and the sun – tend to be red, orange, and/or yellow; while water is in the blue/green range, these associations make sense.

Additionally, neurological studies show that many colors produce physical responses. Red stimulates the senses and increases blood pressure while blue has a calming influence. Green is physically relaxing while yellow energizes and improves memory.

The Culture Difference If you do not consider the cultural background of your target market, you could end up designing a brand that attracts the exactly wrong group of people.

Red is a great example of how to send the wrong message. In eastern cultures red is generally a symbol of good luck, celebrations, and money. However, in Hebrew, red represents sacrifice and sin.

In China, blue is the color of immortality; but in Iran it represents heaven, spirituality, and mourning. In western cultures being “blue” is not good. However, in Feng Shui – a language many people are learning these days – blue has many positive connections, including love, healing, and trust.

Obviously, the type of person you want to attract is important to how you will attract them.

The Gender Difference There are also some commonalities associated with gender and color preferences.

While both genders tend to favor blue, a color study by Joe Hallock showed that while a large portion of women rank purple as a favorite, men do not. In addition, men tend to favor bright, or bold, colors and women tend to lean towards the softer shades.

Putting it All Together Color arrangement is just as important as color choice. At ACE, we have an Art Director and graphic designers on staff. These color professionals can help you create your brand to generate the greatest impact on your target market.

If you think about it, networking and education-when done well-support and feed each other:

Where do you find out about new products, trends and business practices? Probably from your business or personal networks.

Where can you meet large numbers of new clients or referral partners? At events that have an educational component like trade shows, industry association meetings, and continuing education courses.

You may have already benefitted from combining these two business habits without making it an intentional strategy. But if you want to get maximum leverage out of pairing your networking and educational efforts, try these tips.

When networking:

Be curious. When you ask people better questions, you get better information. Show genuine interest in the people you meet at networking events. Find out what they're excited about, and you'll have a way to keep up to date any new information they have about their industry, their network, and possible connections for you.

Share knowledge. You don't have to give away all your trade secrets, but sharing useful information and contacts with people you meet will make you a valuable resource in your network. The more generous you are with helpful information, the more you build trust. And more trust means more business.

Ask for help. If you know there's an area of your business that you need more education on, ask your network. Either somebody there will be willing to help you, or they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Toot your horn. After you have taken that course or received that certification, let your network know. More expertise makes you more professional to your network, which makes it easier for them to refer you.

When learning:

Be the teacher's pet. You paid good money to get into that class or workshop, and you can assume that the instructor has knowledge you need. Make sure you network with the instructor. They may have just the contact you need to build your success.

Be the popular kid. Don't ignore your classmates. Take every learning opportunity as an extra networking opportunity. Chances are, they don't all do the exact same work that you do-which means they might make great referral partners.

Take good notes. The information you're learning will help you build your business. But it might be something other people in your network need to learn as well. Keep an ear out for ways this information might make you a better resource for your network. Don't worry-they'll pay you back.

We hope you see how combining both of these business strategies can create a synergy that multiplies the efforts of both. By making both a habit, you're growing a combined resource that gives you the connections needed know anybody or learn anything.

ACE is working on something special to help you develop both educational and networking habits to grow your business.

We'll have a BIG announcement coming soon! Watch for it in your inbox, and tell your network.

Waiting for the big announcement? Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services, or call us at 415.460.2800. You can also visit us online at www.acepms.com

Have you ever sent someone a card “just because”? How did that make you feel? And how did it make the recipient feel? Contact without motivation (meaning you want something) is a great way to build relationships, stay in someone’s awareness, and accumulate good Karma points.

What do I Say?
Sending someone a personal note because you want that person to know that you are thinking of him or her is much different than sending a thank you note for a gift you did not like. You are already in the right state of mind; the words will come naturally. In addition, the nice thing about notes is that they are short. You do not have to say much. Keep it honest and to the point.
 

Who Gets a Note?
For relationship building, everyone gets a note. Specifically, you can send thank you notes to:

• people you have recently met with;
• recent customers;
• people who have helped you recently;
• someone who complimented you;
• someone who encouraged you;
• someone who provided you with advice; or
• someone who gave you a great business referral.

You can also send notes of congratulations for:

• achieving a business milestone;
• getting a new job;
• buying a new home; or
• celebrating a personal success.

Other reasons to send a note include:

• sharing personal news;
• complimenting;
• encouraging; or
• welcoming.

Making it Personal


Sending a note is nice. However, sending a note for any of the above reasons proves that you do more than send mass-produced generic messages to everyone in your address book. Instead, you send thoughtful messages to people who make a difference in your life. Sending a hand-written note on your personal stationary is truly powerful. That note shows that you care enough to send your very best, something better than a card from the store. ACE Printing & Mailing is your local source for your personal stationary needs. Letterhead, envelopes, and note cards are just some of the items we can create to help you make your message more personal.

When people think about advertising, they tend to think of commercials, pop-up ads on web sites, or the banner for a product on the free game smart phone apps. Since the primary use of advertising is to sell a product, this connection makes sense.

However, advertising is really about spreading a message. For the message “buy our product,” commercials and web ads are definitely appropriate. However, what about the message, “come to our bake sale”? There are many ways to spread a message that do not include TV, radio, the internet, or a smart phone.

Posters
Charity events and productions at the community theater commonly use posters as advertising. A well designed poster attracts people to a message; they can also become valuable keepsakes.

Political campaigns, especially at the local level are big users of posters as well.

Banners, frequently seen as a member of the larger poster category, make for great advertising.

Because posters and banners lend themselves to long term and/or repetitive display, they are extremely efficient for more generic messages, such as “Open Late,” “Help Wanted,” or “Save the Whales.”

Buttons
For a local election, the Vote for/against message spreads easily with a button. In fact, “campaign buttons” have been in use in the United States since George Washington’s swearing in as President.

The modern button is reasonably inexpensive and easily produced in small or large batches. Because of this, along with their durability, buttons are great for both dated and general messages.

Direct Mailings

In the age of e-mail, a letter or postcard in the mailbox is likely to get more attention now than a decade ago. Similarly, a person will frequently read a physical newsletter from beginning to end instead of just scanning the headlines of the digital version.

Spread Your Message ACE Printing & Mailing can produce your designed posters, buttons, and mailings locally and cost efficiently. If you have a message that does not yet have a look, we have graphic designers on staff that can work with you to visually create your message.