In the current financial climate, people are being rather more cautious about spending money than they were just a few months ago. We all have to work harder to win the jobs that used to come through the door without much effort. Looking to the future, all businesses need to ensure that they stand out from the crowd in order to prosper, or even survive.

A good way to raise your profile is to demonstrate your expertise in your particular field. And the best way to do that is by giving out some free advice. Now I’m strongly apposed to working for nothing, but having (for example) a section on your website where you talk about industry news and pass on hints and tips can be hugely beneficial. It shows that you know what you are doing, therefore helping a potential client decide that you are the right company to put their trust in. It also gets people looking at your website who would otherwise never find it. This will happen because over time, the regular updates and relevant information you are adding will cause your site to rise up the ranks in Google. That’s quite a bonus.

And the best thing about offering advice to people is that all it costs you is your time. Most methods of bringing in new business will have some sort of monetary overhead attached to them, but here all you really need do is pass on information that you already know. This is also a form of promotion that works equally well in stronger economic times, so getting into it now will just help you out later down the line.

So practicing what we preach, please feel free to email me if you have any questions or would like a chat about using blogs, Twitter, Linkedin, forums or whatever. No charge. Also, if you want to demonstrate your expertise and share your tips for success, let us know and we’ll include them in one of our future newsletters.

I admit it… I’m a fan of viral marketing. I’ve seen some great ones over the years and they are becoming more and more common place in advertising. It’s ridiculous, but a lot of fun and people can’t help but pass it round the office on emails. A friend of mine recently emailed me this viral campaign for Samsung and I thought it was brilliant! If you’re interested in viral marketing, drop us a line. In the meantime, enjoy…

Question:
Is it better for a company to outsource their graphic design or do the opposite – bring it in house?

Response:
As part of design company myself, we work with a lot of SME businesses and organisations. Over time we form really close bonds with a company, to the point where they see us as part of their team, becoming an extension of themselves. Why employ a full time designer, when you could have a team who are available and ready to act whenever you need? You don’t need to worry about employment regulations or being responsible for another persons salary.

I believe having an outside voice is a valuable thing. You can become so close to something that you miss the obvious and what is right in front of your eyes. Sometimes it’s good to have someone outside your company who can bring a fresh perspective.

Personally as a designer, I need to be constantly inspired as an outworking of my creative personality. Being able to work with different companies and organisations means there is still a freshness and variety in my work. If it got to the point where I was only able to work for one company, I worry that I would gradually loose the will to push creative boundaries, to produce the best work possible. I remember learning that when you put a flea in a sealed jar, it learns to jump only as high as lid. Take the lid off, and it still jumps only as high as where the lid once was. How I’ve got to talking about fleas I do not know, but I hope you catch my drift!

Don’t bottle designers, let them run free!

That’s my thought for the day.