crowdspring Blog

My favorite color is blue. And, the odds are pretty good that your favorite color might also be blue. That’s because blue appears to be most people’s favorite color. Three separate studies (more on those below) have revealed blue or blue/green to be the most popular color for both men and women. But, why all this fuss about color? Well, it turns out that color’s impact isn’t limited to the personal sphere. As we’ve explained previously, According to a study examining the effect of color on sales, 92.6% of people surveyed by the CCI: Institute for Color Research said that color was the most important factor when purchasing products. Given color’s power overall, and blue’s undeniable popularity, it’s worth taking a deeper look into this shade. Major brands like Ford, American Express, Merrill Lynch, PayPal, AT&T, and Samsung have embraced blue as their featured brand color. And this is just a small sampling. A 2016 study conducted by Paul Herbert found blue to be the most popular shade used in web design. And research has shown that people associate blue with feelings like trust, reliability, and quality – all good things for any business. Over the past decade, over 220,000 designers on crowdspring have helped tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits, and agencies around the world with web, graphic, product, and packaging design. Here’s what we’ve learned along the way on how you can harness the power of blue for your business. First, the research… The Research It’s easy enough to make specious claims – especially about topics as potentially nebulous as color. But, we don’t roll like that. Call us crazy, but we like good old-fashioned research to back us up. Each of the following studies reveals information that will inform how you can best use the color blue in your small business design. Study 1 In 2003 Philip Cohen, a University of Maryland sociologist, conducted a casual study polling nearly 2000 people. Cohen’s question – “What’s your favorite color?” While Cohen acknowledged that his survey sample was not random (he asked the University of Maryland faculty, staff, and students), further analysis of his data suggested that the results were not dramatically skewed by the sample. In other words, his data was trustworthy. Ultimately, he found that 42% of men and 29% of women chose blue as their favorite color. Study 2 Paper merchant GF Smith and Hull 2017 UK City of Culture organized an online survey in 2017. The survey included 30,000 random participants hailing from 100 different countries. Each participant was invited to proactively select their favorite shade using a color slider. This technique allowed the participants far more specificity of shade than the other two studies mentioned here. The final results revealed a shade of blue/green to be the most popular color. This supports Philip Cohen’s data – which identified green as the second most popular color after blue. Study 3 In 2003, researcher Joe Hallock conducted a survey asking people to identify their favorite..

As I scroll through my inbox, I am greeted by a plethora of phrases that share a common message. “Last Chance!” “VIP Access!” “Limited Time!” The businesses differ, but the goals are the same: Click this link. Now. I find myself romanced by the latter. I don’t want to miss out as the subject line implies. Not everyone is so willing to click. Statistics show us that only 23.9% of sales emails are opened. But don’t get discouraged. There’s a science to marketing and the importance of using the right words cannot be overstated. Word choice can and will have an impact on getting your e-mails opened and read and whether you convert prospects to clients. Let’s look at these magic marketing words that can help you boost conversions and improve the bottom line for your business. What are Power Words? Power words are words used by smart marketers and copywriters to trigger a psychological or emotional response. Power words incite a feeling, action, or opinion. They make you desire a product, click ‘buy now’, or trigger a memory. A strong power word is a difference between a reader adding themselves to your e-mail list, downloading that guide you worked tirelessly on or sharing your well-crafted content on social media. The key to smart marketing words is using the right words at the right time, depending on your goals. Stated plainly, you want to be sure to include one set of power words when trying to promote exclusivity and another when emphasizing urgency. Adding even a single word (if it’s the right word) can dramatically impact the successful outcome. Social Psychologist, Ellen Langer tested the impact of adding a single word in a social experiment where she asked to cut in line at a copy machine. Seems pretty simple, right? The results speak for themselves. “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” – 60% said OK “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?” – 94% said OK “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” – 93% said OK Adding a single word, giving a reason, had powerful results. Even in the third example, where the reason was quite obvious, the results were are clear. What we say and how we say it matters. In fact, as we emphasized in our comprehensive guide on developing a great brand identity for your company, you must be deliberate about everything you do to to create a strong business brand. We have been trying to figure out the most powerful and impactful marketing words for decades. For example, look at this Washington Post ad from 1961: Getting it right the first time is more important than ever before. In the past, marketers had more time to reach the customer. In today’s tech-centric world, they have mere seconds to grab a customer’s attention. How to boost conversions with..

Logo design has come a long way since the start of the 20th century. It’s grown as an art and as a business science. Logo design has also grown more challenging as the marketplace expands and communication has amplified globally. Once upon a time, it didn’t matter if a local small business accidentally shared a logo with another business 100 miles away. The odds were good that the audiences for each business would never overlap. But, that’s no longer the case. The internet has obliterated distance and language barriers. Today, it’s imperative that each company have a unique brand identity, including a unique business name and logo to distinguish them from their competition. (And avoid legal repercussions…) As we wrote in our comprehensive guide on how to start a business: A strong brand identity is the most effective way your new business can gain a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace. A brand represents how people know you (or your business), and how they perceive your reputation or the reputation of your company. In today’s noisy world, a strong brand is more important than it has ever been. In our modern marketplace, it’s easy for the public to look at certain logos and dismiss them as “derivative;” much like viewers watching the Marx Brothers for the first time and saying, “I’ve seen all of this before!” And, of course, they have – but they’ve seen it before because the Marx Brothers invented it. And, just as the Marx Brothers made an indelible imprint on modern comedy, certain logos have made their mark on the world of brand design. These logos have stood the test of time, seared themselves into the public consciousness, and influenced countless other logos that came after them. And, it helps to know where you’ve been to plan where you’re going. So, let’s get started. What can you learn from the most influential logos of the 20th century? 1900 – 1909 Eastman Kodak (1907) The original Eastman Kodak logo isn’t the most impressively designed logo. But, it is one of the earliest examples of the now-standard, classic monogram-in-a-circle logo style. This logo was first revealed in 1907. But, it was replaced in 1935 with a very different design. Kodak’s logo has gone through a number of evolutions since 1907. And, today, Kodak is known by its iconic red and yellow abstract “K” logo. But, their original monogram logo within a circle is almost prescient in its modernity. The three sans-serif initials of the Eastman Kodak Company overlap to create an abstract monogram that wouldn’t look out of place today. Look around the next time you leave your house. I bet you’ll see more than a few logos in this style. Ford Motor Company (1907) The Ford Motor Company’s very first logo, which debuted in 1903, featured a beautiful art nouveau border framing their company name in a serif block typography. The art nouveau features were modern and on-trend for the time. In 1907 Ford rebranded and revealed..

Whether you’re starting a new business or growing an existing business, you need a website. Today’s consumers expect businesses to have websites. They consider a website to be a sign of a reputable business. They want the convenience of learning more about a business whenever they want… and without having to talk to anyone. You simply can’t afford not to have a business website. The problem is that many business owners are intimidated about setting up their own website. We’re here to put your minds at ease. Here are 6 simple steps to help you create a professional business website. Step 1: Choose a business name with an available web domain. Step 2: Get a custom logo designed. Step 3: Choose a web hosting service. Step 4: Register your domain. Step 5: Get your website design. Step 6: Hire a developer to code and deploy your site. Here’s what you need to know… Step 1: Choose a business name with an available web domain. You know that your business will eventually need a website. We suggest that you start planning for that right from the start. That means keeping your web domain in mind when choosing your business name. Today, businesses race to stake their claims to web domains. Having a prime web domain increases the chances that your business will be found by your customers – they’re valuable internet real estate. So, when choosing your business name, make sure that there’s an accompanying web domain available for your business. A common mistake we often see: a business operates under one name but a completely different web domain. This will only confuse your customers and prospective customers. So, what makes a good web domain? The best domains are short, include your business name, and feature a common domain extension – like “.com.” This makes the website easy for customers and clients to find and remember. While .com domains remain the most popular, .net, .biz, .org, .edu, and .io have grown in usage and are worth considering. Aim for a domain that is simply “yourbusinessname.com.” But, it’s also a good idea if you have a small budget, to register any parallel domains (sunshine.com, sunshine.biz, sunshine.net, etc.) and then redirect them to your main website. This way, if a customer searches and gets the domain extension wrong, they’ll still find your business. So, as you consider your top business name options, check to see which names are available as a strong domain. If a nice, short domain featuring your business name of choice is not available, you may want to consider a different name that does have an available web domain. Searching for a Web Domain: To verify that an acceptable web domain for a particular name is available, search here. Your web host may eventually help you register your domain, but avoid domain searches affiliated with web hosting services. Many hosting services will buy the domain you searched (if you don’t buy it immediately) and then offer to sell it back to..

Online commerce has taken the world by storm and forever altered the way we do business. Today’s consumers can make purchases from virtually anywhere – as long as they can connect to the internet. And they do. But, that doesn’t mean that all online businesses are created equal. Simply showing up online isn’t enough to guarantee success. E-Commerce giants Apple, eBay, Craigslist, and Etsy seem to have cracked the code. Together, they brought in total revenues of over $275 billion in 2018. These online sellers are both successful businesses and successful brands. You may notice a few notable companies missing from our list. We recently wrote about 19 important branding lessons from the top 5 U.S. retailers, including Amazon and Walmart. The most successful e-commerce businesses know that their brand identity and brand is everything. As we wrote previously: A brand is the sum total of the experience your customers and customer prospects have with your company. A strong brand communicates what your company does, how it does it, and at the same time, establishes trust and credibility with your prospects and customers. Your company’s brand is, in many ways, its personality. Your brand lives in everyday interactions your company has with its prospects and customers, including the images you share, the messages you post on your website, the content of your marketing materials, your presentations and booths at conferences, and your posts on social networks. We’ve studied what these 4 e-commerce brands are doing right. And, we’ve cultivated a list of 13 actionable branding lessons that apply to businesses of any size or platform – not just iconic internet businesses. Now, if you’re ready to run with the big boys of e-commerce, let’s get started. eBay Evolve to stay relevant. In today’s fast-paced digital world, technologies and trends often become obsolete before we’ve even had a chance to understand them. Online businesses that stand the test of time are relatively rare. And, this makes eBay a bit of an e-commerce unicorn. When eBay was founded, it was one of the first businesses to take advantage of one of the internet’s greatest strengths – connecting people with similar interests across vast distances. The e-commerce auction platform allowed people with niche interests to find other people with the same interests – and buy their stuff. Today, eBay still serves that function. But, competitors like Amazon have raised the bar for e-commerce user experience and driven eBay to become so much more. No longer just an auction site, eBay introduced the “Buy it Now” option in November of 2000. And, as the years passed, sellers started opening eBay shops that were truly dedicated to e-commerce instead of simply unloading a few unwanted items. Today, eBay is taking steps to elevate their overall user experience. They’ve introduced guaranteed shipping times, personalized homepages, price match guarantees, instant selling, and a line of shipping supplies for sellers. The e-commerce veteran is taking cues from their competition and stepping up their game. By evolving to provide a more..

This is the most comprehensive guide online to creating a strong brand identity for your business or organization in 2019.

A brand identity is the most effective way any organization (startups, small businesses, agencies, nonprofits, or others) can gain a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Both new and existing businesses and organization can benefit from reading this guide.

Here’s a complete guide on how to create a great brand identity for your business.

For entrepreneurs who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, cut through a decent chunk of bureaucratic tape, and hand over some cash upfront, opening a medical dispensary is a great opportunity.

A dispensary will allow you to be a pioneer in what is soon to be a massive, national industry.

Marijuana Business Daily projects revenue generated by dispensaries and retail stores to reach between $6.5 and $8 billion in 2019.

When considering this type of business, you are sure to have a lot of questions. People often ask:

How much does it cost to start a dispensary?
What are the legalities of starting a dispensary?
Is marijuana a profitable industry?
Where can I open a dispensary?

Here’s the ultimate 9 step guide on how to start a medical c…

Everyone knows that clients can offer priceless insight into your business.

Your clients have a fresh perspective. They notice things that you don’t. They can tell you if you’re successfully meeting their needs. Or not.

And some businesses – like design, marketing, or branding agencies; interior design firms, freelancers, and contractors; among many others – absolutely rely on client feedback and collaboration in order to do their jobs.

Creative work of all kinds demands a constant feedback loop between client and service provider.

But, it’s not always easy to get clients to spill the beans. And, it’s not always clear what to do with the client’s insight once you have it.

Client feedback, like any data, is only valuable if it’s…

The presidential election season is upon us. Whether you’re ready or not, there’s a flood of new political candidates clamoring for your vote. In fact, at most recent count, there are 24 candidates in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. It’s hard to keep up. But, we’re not here for the politics. We’re here for the branding. With every election season, we’re exposed to a new wave of political branding. We’re inundated with political commercials, lawn signs, banners, and bumper stickers. Indeed, there are so many elements at play in a political brand identity that we couldn’t possibly cover it all in just one article. So, let’s lay out our ground rules. We know that a brand encompasses so much more than design. It’s also the words you say, the actions you take, and the impact you make on the people and world around us. Political branding is about how a political individual, organization, or campaign is perceived by the public. Importantly, in politics, just like in business, your brand is not what you say it is – it’s how others actually see your brand. Since we specialize in visual brand identity at crowdspring, we’re going to focus on the elements that we think are among the most important to a strong brand – logo design and website design. Over the last decade, our community of 220,000 designers has helped many local, state, and national political candidates with branding for their campaigns. We’ve gained many insights along the way. So, who’s doing it right and who’s off the mark? Here are our insights about the branding in the democratic presidential primary race… The Overview: Most candidates running for the Democratic presidential nomination have done very little to successfully differentiate themselves through their branding. Most of what you’ll see are variations on the theme of name-in-a-box (see Tim Ryan, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Bill de Blasio, Michael Bennet or Beto O’Rourke) or plain wordmarks (see Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Marianne Williamson, Kamala Harris, Wayne Messam, Amy Klobuchar, etc.). And, while it’s true that these candidates all generally have more or less professional-looking logos, few of the designs are very effective at differentiating a candidate from their competitors or embodying their vision for America. Finally, remember that these observations do not reflect our political views – it’s all about the branding. With that said, let’s take a look at the best and worst Democratic candidates have to offer. The Best Political Branding of 2020 “Mayor Pete” Buttigieg So, Mayor Pete’s branding gets right what so many other candidates do wrong. His branding is unique and stands out from the pack, while still managing to look authoritative and reliable. Pete Buttigieg (pronounced “Boot Edge Edge” as his clever merchandise tells us) wants the American people to know that his presidency would not be business as usual. You can tell this right away from the visual cues he’s provided with his fresh navy/mustard/dusty aqua color palette. Navy anchors Buttigieg’s brand colors in..

Successful entrepreneurs and small business owners know that products and services don’t sell themselves. The truth is that even if you lack experienced marketers on your team, you must learn to market effectively. Still, many business owners worry that they don’t have any time to market and never get started. As a result, their businesses stagnate or worse, fail. The good news is that marketing isn’t just about big, expensive tactics. Many marketing gains come from smaller tasks that create forward movement. Setting aside just 60 minutes to concentrate on marketing efforts can make a lasting impact on the growth of your business. Here are 12 quick marketing tactics you can execute in one hour or less. Create an editorial calendar Research blog post ideas Respond to blog and social media comments Repurpose old content Communicate to your e-mail list Create a customer survey Record a video Batch post social media posts Share 3 industry-relevant posts from others Analyze your top competitors Submit your business to directories Check for dead links Let’s take a closer look at each of these tactics. 1. Create an editorial calendar If you want your content marketing to be successful and efficient — you need an editorial calendar. Don’t let the name fool you — an editorial calendar is a powerful tool that extends beyond simply scheduling blog posts. Editorial calendars serve as a structural backbone to your blogging strategy. They should be used to brainstorm, plan content, collaborate with others, and keep on track by following systems in place. Once your editorial calendar is set up, never again will you sit at a computer unsure what to write for your blog — you already have ideas and systems in place! Editorial calendars can be created in 60 minutes or less. Popular choices of programs used to create editorial calendars include Trello (we use Trello at crowdspring), CoSchedule, and Asana. 2. Research blog post ideas Your editorial calendar is all set –but now you need content to feed into it. This is the time to build up a log of content ideas. If you are just starting out, coming up with a large list of topics can seem daunting, but rest assured that by investing 60 minutes in this — you are actually freeing up time to be productive in other areas in the future. When brainstorming, consider the following: topics pertaining to your business niche date-relevant topics (think seasons, holidays, quarters) visit competitor blogs and get inspiration from their content take the lead from Google’s autocomplete when using keywords For example, we noticed that many entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners were trying to figure out ways to start a business. We were disappointed with the existing content about this topic. Most posts were short, poorly written, poorly researched, and importantly, not actionable. We developed a connected series of ideas that turned into popular content on our blog, including how to start a business, how to start a consulting business, how to start a real estate..

Online Commerce (eCommerce) is on a tear.

Frost & Sullivan reports that annual B2B eCommerce will reach $6.7 trillion by the year 2020. Meanwhile, eMarketer estimates that global retail eCommerce will reach $25 trillion in 2019.

With so much to gain, eCommerce businesses can’t afford to lose sales due to poor website design.

For most websites, there are established best practices that can help you build a useful, functional site.

But eCommerce websites are unique. They need to manage inventory, process payments and provide a convenient shopping interface.

And, they need to work harder to overcome the inherent uncertainties of the internet in order to inspire consumers to part with their hard-earned cash.

The bottom line is that eCommerce…

Psychology plays a critical role in marketing and design.

After all, design influences consumer behavior.

There are powerful psychology principles in play behind successful product design. Similarly, smart designers, marketers, and business owners leverage psychology to create custom company logos that influence purchasing decisions.

Even simple lines can be powerful psychologically, as we pointed out in our complete guide on creating a unique and powerful brand identity.

Marketers and business owners who understand psychology have an unfair advantage.

But you don’t need a Ph.D. in psychology to apply principles of psychology to your marketing.

For example, you can easily leverage the principles of commitment and consistency to increase …

Rebranding isn’t a band-aid and is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Your valuable brand equity takes time to accrue and it shouldn’t be squandered lightly and without good reason.

So, why rebrand your company?

Rebranding may be the key to getting your business back on track.

Rebranding is rarely a sign of weakness. It’s more often a sign of a company in tune with its customers and its market.

Most successful companies, from Fortune 500 to startups, rebrand.

As we explained previously,

A brand is much more than the name and logo of a business.

Your company’s brand is the sum total of the experience your customers and prospects have with your company.

A good brand communicates what your company does and how it does it. A good brand also e…

Agencies are at an inflection point.

Whether you run a marketing, advertising, design, or another type of creative agency, you already know that it’s tough to operate, grow, and keep high margins in your business.

Clients are cutting budgets and demanding more innovation and creativity.

And, marketing is rapidly changing with new digital platforms, new cultural norms, and powerful younger consumers.

These trends are putting pressure on agencies and forcing the industry to evolve.

Competition is becoming fiercer but resources are becoming more scarce.

Agencies that do not grow will fail.

So, how do successful agencies deal with these complex challenges?

And, what can you learn from the way successful agencies manage their…

When is the last time you didn’t care or want to know if a product or service you liked was recommended by others? Chances are, the answer is never. Humans are social creatures. From the beginning of time, we’ve told and sought out stories about common experiences. We crave social proof. What Is Social Proof? According to Wikipedia, social proof is: a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in an attempt to undertake behavior in a given situation. Social proof is considered prominent in ambiguous social situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that the surrounding people possess more knowledge about the current situation. As we pointed out in Marketing Psychology: How You Can Use Commitment and Consistency Principles To Increase Sales, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, the person who coined the term “social proof”, declares social proof as one of his “6 Principles of Influence”. Influence prompts action, and action equates to sales and growth. Simply put: we want to know what others are watching, buying, wearing, and experiencing — which ultimately influences our decisions to do the same. Our innate tendencies to group together in this way makes social proof marketing tactics very successful. Types of Social Proof There are six types of social proof that can be effectively used by marketers. 1. Expert This type of social proof occurs when an expert in a field or genre recommends your product or service. The experts are somehow associated with your brand. Example: When a dentist recommends a type of toothpaste. 2. User Current users who detail their experience and offer their recommendation of your product or service based on their own experience. Example: Positive reviews on your website. At crowdspring, we include reviews across all categories, but also let clients sort to see reviews from other clients in logo design, website design, and all the other categories of projects we offer. 3. Celebrity Marketing campaigns that feature celebrity endorsement can be very effective. Example: Popular skincare line Pro-Active historically has used celebrities with skin issues to be the face of their product. 4. Crowd Wisdom This type of social proof comes into play when a large group of people includes many active users of a product or service. Example: at crowdspring we show that we’re trusted by the world’s top agencies and Brands. 5. Certification When a product or service is given a stamp of approval by an authority in the industry. Example: When a company can boast an A rating by the BBB. NOT SATISFIED WITH THE GROWTH OF YOUR BUSINESS? Join tens of thousands of successful businesses who used our guide to build a stronger brand and earn a better return on investment. Learn: How to clearly articulate your brand identity. How to define your brand personality. How to set your brand voice. How to identify your brand's audience, and more! We just emailed the guide to you. Thanks! Get the FREE Brand Identity Guide!..

We all want what we can’t have. And we flaunt when we have something others don’t. That’s why zealous Apple fans camp overnight at Apple stores around the world before major iPhone launches. It’s also why certain fashion brands charge tens of thousands of dollars for women’s purses that should cost significantly less. The “fear of missing out” (FOMO) causes consumers to behave in irrational, unpredictable ways. And it doesn’t hurt that scarcity typically creates lots of buzz around a product. In today’s media-intensive culture, buzz can create virality and give your product or service a huge marketing boost. While economics may lay down the foundational laws of supply and demand, marketing can use scarcity to manipulate the variables and win big. Smart marketers and business owners control both variables. That gives them an unfair advantage of influence over pricing and profit margins. Here’s how you can level the playing field and get the same advantage for your business, using scarcity marketing techniques. What is scarcity marketing? Scarcity marketing is a marketing technique based on the principle that people want what is difficult to get. Scarcity is one of Dr. Robert B. Ciadini’s “6 Principles of Influence”. Read about some of the other principles in our prior articles on why your business can die without social proof and how you can use commitment and consistency principles to increase sales. The psychology of scarcity The psychology of scarcity was famously tested in 1975. Researchers Worchel, Lee, and Adewole wanted to determine desire based on scarcity. Their experiment was simple: They placed two replica cookie jars side by side. They filled one jar with many cookies and the other with only two. The question: Which cookie would people value more? Ultimately, the cookie jar with only two cookies was rated as more desirable simply due to their scarcity. Examples of businesses that excel with scarcity marketing Kylie Jenner is the queen of scarcity marketing with her business, Kylie Cosmetics ($900 million). As we previously mentioned, Consider Kylie Jenner, child celebrity turned billionaire. Kylie has a makeup line that promotes exclusivity. She manufactures a limited supply of her makeup collections – to her benefit. The concept of, “limited offers” serves as an exclusive one time only feeling that fans use to think of “now or never”. A simple eBay search on Kylie Jenner reveals products being sold for over roughly three times the original selling price. Exclusivity is working for Kylie. Kylie fuels demand with exclusive Instagram promotions, limited and holiday edition products, and pop-up stores around the United States. It doesn’t take an individual influencer like Kylie Jenner to fuel demand. Even big brands can generate excitement around scarcity. Consider the popular coffee chain Starbucks. Starbucks has positioned itself as the preferred coffee shop. But it wasn’t the coffee that triggered serious FOMO (fear of missing out) in 2017. Let’s get reacquainted with their mythical drink that caused the world to flock to every Starbucks in a 5-mile radius. Introduced on Instagram, this colorful..

Word-of-mouth marketing is powerful. We trust people we know more than strangers who try to sell us things. It’s just common sense. But, in today’s bizarre digital world, a new type of “people we know” has emerged. Let me show you what I mean… In about a month I’m going to a yoga event led by my friend Adriene. Though, to be honest, I’ve never met Adriene – so maybe “friend” is too strong a word. But I’ve spent hours of time doing yoga with her online. So, she sure as heck feels like a friend. Adriene Mishler, of Yoga with Adriene, is a yoga instructor, Youtube celebrity, and influencer. And if she recommended a yoga or health-related product to me, I’d seriously consider buying it. Because Adriene has earned my trust. These new “in-between” people – people like Adriene that we’ve never met, but feel like we know so well – are powerful forces. They’re the face of the newest form of word-of-mouth marketing. And small businesses can really benefit from their endorsement. But, why? It’s all about authenticity. When a friend gives a product or service recommendation it’s not because they’re getting a cut. It’s because they had a really positive interaction with that business. And, they want you to have positive experiences, too. We trust our friends’ recommendations because our friends have earned our trust. Similarly, we trust the influencers in our lives because we’ve invested a comparable amount of time – and participated in a similar amount of positive experiences – as we would with a friend. And, as influencer and social marketing guru Jeff Bullas explains (emphasis added): When an influencer promotes your goods, it has to be done naturally and sincerely because influencers are usually people who have built their credibility by being credible. Repeated positive exposure and repeated exchanges of genuine value enable influencers to earn our respect and our trust. Credibility and authenticity are vital to the influencer/influencee relationship. This is true for all businesses, but especially true for startup businesses. As we emphasized in our guide on how to start a business, early customers who become zealous advocates and write rave reviews play a very important role in helping you grow your business. But, not just any influencer will do. Just like our friends, influencers have certain spheres of expertise. We wouldn’t follow advice on how to fix our car from our friend who knows nothing about cars. And, we wouldn’t embrace endorsements from influencers who have nothing to do with the product or service they’re endorsing. In order for influencer endorsement to have any real impact, your product or service must align with both the influencer’s area of expertise and their audience’s areas of interest. And the influencers must align well with your brand and brand identity. Therein lies the rub. How do you find the right influencers to endorse your brand? And how do you connect with them once you’ve found them? Luckily, you’re not on your own. Or,..

People feel an obligation to do something for you when you’ve done something for them. This is known as the principle of reciprocity. You’re more likely to buy a gift for someone who bought one for you. You’re more likely to invite someone to your wedding if they invited you to theirs. You’re more likely to buy something if the seller gives you something for free. Those free samples at Costco are more than just a fun membership perk — they serve as a catalyst for your purchasing decisions. Reciprocity is a powerful psychological principle that can help you to grow your business faster. Research proves that reciprocity can be powerful Sociologist Phillip Kuntz conducted a study in 1974 testing out reciprocity tendencies in complete strangers. Kuntz mailed approximately 600 Christmas cards out to people he had no relationship or contact with. He wanted to know how many would feel obligated to return the kind gesture. As it turns out, he received around 200 cards in response. One in three of the card receivers were influenced by the Principle of Reciprocity enough to initiate action. The Behavioral Insights Team tested the principles of reciprocity differently. A group of investment bankers was asked to donate a day of salary to charity. While many complied, researchers found that when the request was accompanied by a bag of candy, the number of bankers who opted to donate doubled. That is a very small investment for a big payoff! Bankers weren’t the only ones influenced by sugary treats. David Strohmetz of Monmouth University conducted an experiment with his colleagues on service tips in relation to reciprocity. The experiment, set in a restaurant, showed that waitstaff could increase tips by 3% when they bring candy along with the bill. Tips jumped up to a shocking 14% when customers were offered two pieces of candy and rose even further (21%) when the wait staff delivered a single piece of candy and returned a minute later to give another piece because it had been “such a great table”. How Your Business Can Use Reciprocity To Grow Faster 1. Give customers and prospects a gift before you ask for something. Giving something first can seem counter-intuitive, but offering a gift or service without the expectation of something in return can be profitable. As we previously mentioned, Google Music offers free trials to new users. Google doesn’t ask consumers for any type of commitment before letting them access the free trial: Google offers a 4 month free trial to new users of its music streaming platform. Google acutely knows that if you invest 4 months into streaming music on their platform (which can include building personalized playlists, radio stations), you are much more likely to continue the service. Here at crowdspring, we offer free, no-obligation design consultations every day. We have design experts standing by willing to help potential clients out with everything from logo design to product design — even if it means referring them to our competitors...

Illustrations aren’t just for children’s books and cereal boxes anymore. Businesses all across the web are realizing the power of illustration and putting it to work for their own brands. Successful web illustrator, and influencer of the modern brand illustration movement, Alice Lee observes: The landscape of tech illustration has gone through exciting changes in the last few years. We think that’s a bit of an understatement. Well-known businesses like Slack, MailChimp, Headspace, Airbnb, Basecamp, Dropbox, Salesforce and more have embraced custom illustrations throughout their marketing and branding – and not just for logo design. As a result, their brands have become more visually unique and distinct from their competition. But, brand illustrations aren’t just for big tech businesses. They’re a great way for any business to develop a unique, flexible, affordable, and scalable visual brand. And agencies – as experts in marketing, design, and branding – should be on the front line of this growing movement. Do you know why illustrations are such powerful branding tools? Do you know how illustrations can be best put to use to help your clients? You should. What’s So Great About Illustrations? Illustrations are experiencing a resurgence in popularity for good reason. The most basic explanation is that humans are visual creatures who respond well to interesting visual stimuli. There are oodles of statistics showing how popular visual content is online. People like pictures more than words. But, now let’s focus on what makes illustrations such an effective visual medium… Illustrations can depict whatever content, and in whatever artistic style, you can imagine. Though Photoshop has freed photos from the limited realm of reality, they still can’t match illustrations for the sheer variety of distinctive visual styles that can be achieved. Custom illustrations can communicate hard-to-understand concepts very quickly. This is incredibly useful for businesses introducing new products or complex services (which may be why tech businesses have jumped onto the illustration train so wholeheartedly). Illustrations can capture and communicate emotion very effectively. Considering 95% of purchases are driven by emotion, that makes illustrations a very powerful sales tool. When used consistently throughout a visual brand, custom illustrations (or a brand illustration system) establish a unique, memorable, and easily-recognized visual identity for a business. Where Do Illustrations Fit Into Your Agency? Illustrations are infinitely flexible branding and communications tools. They can serve your clients in a variety of ways. It’s up to your team to recognize the opportunities in each individual client’s unique needs. But, here are a few scenarios to get you started… Illustrations can remove roadblocks When your clients are struggling with a weak brand or brand identity, poorly articulated value, or a failure to clearly communicate what their product or service actually does, that makes it harder for you to help them thrive. Your clients are expecting you to help them increase sales. But, the issues described above are obstacles preventing your agency from accomplishing its maximum impact. Smartly designed illustrations can solve each of those problems – while helping clients..

Austin, Texas – top city for startups in the US

Texas is a state of big ideas and bigger personalities.

So, it should come as no surprise that Texas is a perfect breeding ground for entrepreneurs.

According to the Business in Texas Small Business Handbook, small businesses account for over 98.6% of the businesses in Texas.

In July of 2019, Texas was found to be the best state in the US to start a business. And, its capital city of Austin was recently named the top city in the US for startups.

…Austin appears at No. 1 among the country’s 20 best cities for startups and entrepreneurs, ahead of key markets like Washington, D.C. (No. 2); Seattle (No. 3); Denver (No. 4); and San Francisco (No. 5). The Capital City is first in startup density a…

The Power of Blue in Small Business Branding and Design [10 Tips]

The Most Powerful Marketing Words Your Small Business Should Be Using

The 18 Most Iconic and Influential Logos Of All Time: Decade by Decade (2019)

How to Create A Business Website in 6 Easy Steps

13 Important Branding Lessons from the Top 4 E-Commerce Giants

What is Brand Identity and How To Create a Unique and Memorable One (2019)

Here’s a complete guide on how to create a great brand identity for your business.

How to Start a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Business (2019)

Here’s the ultimate 9 step guide on how to start a medical c…

How to Get Actionable Feedback and Find Out What Clients Really Think

The Best and Worst Political Branding of the 2020 Democratic Primary Race

12 Quick Marketing Tactics You Can Execute in One Hour or Less

5 Important Website Design Features Your eCommerce Site Must Have To Succeed

Marketing Psychology: How You Can Use Commitment and Consistency Principles To Increase Sales

Rebranding Can Revive Your Business – Is it the Right Choice for You?

The Powerful Agency Growth Strategy Your Competitors Don’t Want You To Know

What Is Social Proof and Why Your Business Can Die Without It

How Your Business Can Use Scarcity Marketing To Increase Sales

3 Powerful Influencer Marketing Platforms for Small Businesses

How to Use the Principle of Reciprocity to Grow Your Business Faster

Illustration is a Versatile Branding Tool – Are Your Clients Missing Out?

How to Start a Business in Texas: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2019)