IN THIS ISSUE

SMARTER Goals
Branding
Web Marketing

082608: ENewsletter

Thank you for attending our session on Marketing & Technology at the United  Church of Christ New Church Leadership Conference. We have added you to our communications system and hope to share important tips and secrets of marketing that you will find useful in your ministry.

S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals

-Conditions that will exist when the desired outcome has been accomplished.

-A time frame during which the outcome is to be accomplished.

-Resources the organization will commit to achieve the desired results.

Click here to use our mini goals workbook to record goals, work priorities, specify the success criteria and when completed, to comment on the end results.

BRANDING

Sometimes finding the right color combinations can be really touch when starting at the beginning. If you already have a logo, or branding guidelines, you have a starting point.

But if you are creating a new logo or look and feel, the first thing you should do is decide which style the logo should reflect. And with style comes typefaces and color choice. Color plays a major part in all this. It symbolizes a certain mood. Does your house-style need cold or warm colors?

Colors reflect a certain personality and they also have several meanings. For example, blue stands for sky, heaven and water. It reflects freedom and peace, but it can also mean cold, protective, authoritative or technical. Red is the color of blood, it reflects courage, romance, but it also means hot, dynamic, vital, commanding or alert.

Colors affect us psychologically; it all depends o the circumstances. For example, black may signify mourning, but a tuxedo is also black and it signifies elegance.

We all prefer bright vibrant colors over dull grey, but sometimes grey can be stylish too; it all depends on how we apply it in our design. But we should also be aware of the fact the meanings of color are different depending on the culture. For example, in most Western cultures, white symbolizes purity and elegance, cleanliness. However, in many Asian countries, white is also a color for death and mourning, and used for funerals.

As with any design endeavor, make sure that you don’t only understand the psychological effects of colors but that you also know the nuances of the culture and audience you are designing for! This way you’ll have a better chance of success in achieving the emotional impact you want.

Check out http://kuler.adobe.com to experiment with color pallets. The kuler desktop features drag-and-drop themes, Random Theme RSS feed, and more.

Web MARKETING

Without An Online Presence You Are Potentially Missing Out On An Unlimited Number Of Customers! Marketing on the Internet is not really a choice anymore, but has become a necessity in today's marketplace. For those who haven't developed a web site for their business yet, now would be a good time to start. Local competitors may already have one.

The following are 10 Reasons why a business should have and online presence.

Open 24/7 - By automating a web site, a business can be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No extra staff costs and no overtime rates to pay!

Low Cost - Compared to other media, the Internet enables a business to advertise within their budgets. It may not be a replacement for marketing, but the Internet is another tool to offset advertising on television, radio, or in newspapers, magazines and even by direct mail.

Credibility – A professionally designed web site, makes it easy for a small business to have the appearance and credibility of being a large corporation.

Technology To Compete - In the past, a small business usually lacked the resources of their larger competitors. Today a small business can access much of the same technology as the giant corporations. They too can use auto-responders, accept online payments and even deliver products over the Internet.

Targeted Markets – The Internet has opened up all sorts of niche marketing opportunities that either never existed before, or were too expensive to tap.

Local Audience – the Internet is the first stop for people to access information about products and services from the comfort, convenience and privacy of their own home or business. No fuel costs, no traffic jams … no time wasted.

Global Audience - The Internet breaks down geographical boundaries and limitation. With the help of search engines, people can now locate and buy products and services from every corner of the world.

Interactivity – The Internet is a dynamic information source. Internet service can save money and increase business efficiency. They can also open the door to exciting new marketing opportunities

Automatic product updates through the use of databases

Automatic web site content and image changing

The increasingly common use of live video and audio streaming

Customer Feedback – The Internet makes it possible to capture visitor information. Keeping in touch (via email) helps to cultivate long-term relationships.

Use of Time Sensitive Promotions – It is easy to quickly change promotions or offers on the Internet. Emails can be sent out or a
website offer changed almost instantly. Time sensitive promotions such as running contests, or product specials can be a good way to attract traffic and sales to an online business.

Frequently Asked Questions - Questions that may normally be answered by phone can be answered on the Internet. A website can list the answers to the most frequently asked product or service related questions. This can save on phone bills and free up a lot of time and maybe an extra employee.

Surveys – The Internet offers quick and easy ways to conduct low-cost market research. A survey on a web site, or sent by email, can quickly and inexpensively test responses.