Are You Missing the Most Important Step in Content Marketing?

With the rise of social media marketing and a series of ongoing changes in the way search engine algorithms work, it's no surprise that content marketing is all the rage with companies of all sizes. As businesses rush to get out more articles, blog posts, press releases, and social updates, however, many are missing a very important step: building trust and credibility.

In short, what they are forgetting is that content alone doesn't draw views or attention on its own – great content over time does.

When you post something that's interesting, timely, and easy to follow, people like what you have and respond to it. Better yet, they remember where it came from and look forward to reading or viewing your content again and again. That repetition builds up trust, and it makes you their first stop once they're ready to move forward or make a buying decision.

None of this happens overnight, however, and it can't take place if your content isn't noteworthy. That means you don't just have to commit to producing great articles, videos, and ideas, but to doing so over the long term. It typically takes 5 connections with a prospect before a sale is made with a product offering. With a service offering it takes even longer with 7 or more touch points to elicit a response.

Trying to take shortcuts might remove some of the trouble and expense in the short term, but it also makes it impossible for that sales-oriented chain reaction to ever take place. As you begin, though, remember not to miss this most important step, because your content has to stand out before it brings viewers back... and you might need lots of great content to turn those viewers into buyers.

Is your content marketing building trust and credibility over the long-term? Call Bull’s-Eye today at 404.352.3006 for a consultation or checkout our website: www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

Another New Client! Welcome Manhattan Associates!

Bull’s-Eye welcomes another new client! TechServe Alliance is a technology trade association. It is a collaboration of IT & engineering staffing and solutions firms, clients, consultants and suppliers dedicated to advancing excellence and ethics within the IT & engineering staffing and solutions industry. We look forward to working with them on their marketing creative service needs! Glad to have you onboard! www.techservealliance.org

Another New Client! Welcome LPL Financial!

Bull's-Eye welcomes another new client! LPL Financial, provides an integrated platform of proprietary technology, brokerage, and investment advisory services to over 13,500 financial advisors as the nation’s largest independent broker/dealer. In addition, they support over 4,000 financial advisors with clearing services, advisory platform, and technology solutions. We look forward to working with them on their marketing creative service needs! Glad to have you onboard! www.lplfinancial.lpl.com www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

LPL Financial La Jolla Commons Tower

Bull's-Eye Creative Winter 2014 Newsletter

Find out what Bull's-Eye been up to with it's Winter 2014 Newsletter. Lot's of completed projects, industry articles and tips! 

Another New Client! Welcome The Gunnery!

Bull's-Eye welcomes another new client! The Gunnery, is a coeducational boarding and day prep school for students in grades nine through twelve. The private school is located in Washington, Connecticut. We look forward to working with them on their marketing creative service needs! Glad to have you onboard! www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

Another New Client! Welcome Georgia Gwinnett College!

Bull's-Eye welcomes another new client! Georgia Gwinnett College is a premier 21st Century Liberal Arts College where learning takes place continuously in and beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. Its cornerstones are the innovative use of educational technology and a commitment to an integrated educational experience that develops the whole person. Bull’s-Eye will be working on extending their brand identity and presentation development. We look forward to working with them! Glad to have you onboard! www.ggc.edu www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

Another New Client! Welcome Cumming!

Bull's-Eye welcomes another new client! Cumming is an international project and cost consulting firm that delivers creative, customized solutions to a vast portfolio of clients worldwide. The company provides a solutions-oriented suite of services that specifically addresses clients’ unique challenges. We look forward to working with them on their creative service needs! Glad to have you onboard! www.ccorpusa.com www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

What Is A Brand Audit and Why You Need One

Brand looking a little rough and spotty? We’re not talking Tide detergent here.

Logo look like something from the 1950s? Nothing says a tired company as an outdated logo.

Creativity looking like something a teenager came up with? Sure, he was cheap but do you want your company to look like it?

Marketing materials looking unfocused with no continuity? Prospects lose interest if they can’t figure it out right away.

Presentations boring and long-winded? Nothing puts an audience to sleep like a dull presentation.

Is your competition’s brand as poorly focused and outdated as yours? Better hope so because if not, you’ve already lost the game!

That’s where a brand audit comes in! It’s the best tool most companies need without even realizing it!

What’s a brand audit? 

It’s simply a review and evaluation of an organization’s, and usually their competitors’, materials and their perceptions in the marketplace. Then, recommending ways in which they might be improved, better coordinated, and made more effective. A brand audit answers these important questions:

1. What are you saying? 2. What are customers saying? 3. What is the competition saying?

Auditing a brand means discovering the reputation that you already have—the perks, the pitfalls, and the competition. The audit process illuminates brand equity and liabilities so you can know what people are really saying when you’re not in the room.

In today’s crowded and volatile marketplaces, branding provides quick recognition and quality assurance to potential customers. It is as important as money in the bank, Indeed, the visual elements that identify an organizations brand are always among its most valuable assets. Make sure yours is the best it can be!

What are the audit advantages?

An audit's advantages are three-fold—in savings, impact, and planning. Savings because it uncovers items no longer effective....Impact by pointing out small changes that can produce big results...and Planning because it provides awareness and a roadmap to the first step in deciding what should be.

Many small and mid-size companies don’t have the time or resources to investigate how consistent and well branded their materials are. For larger companies, particularly divisions of still larger ones, an audit is a way to ensure that branding guidelines are being followed.

What does an audit uncover?

An audit uncovers the greatness already present inside an organization, though it may be hiding or lost amidst the noise. Sifting through all past and present marketing materials to better grasp exactly how you’ve positioned your brand to date is an essential step in the process.

Lastly, the audit examines the competitive market to see what the other guys are doing in your field. This comprehensive process provides a clear scope of your brand’s existing reputation—its best and worst sides, and everything in between.

A brand audit might be just want your company needs to get in focus and back on track. Call Bull’s-Eye Creative about a brand audit today, 404.352.3006 or for more information check out our website: www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com/brandaudit.php

Cleanup Your Corporate Communications for Maximum Impact!

Given that we design websites, brochures, direct-mail, and dozens of other kinds of projects every week, it's no surprise that new clients tend to ask us what “works” in creative marketing communications.

What is surprising, though, is that many of them already know… if only because it surrounds them everywhere they look. They just don’t see it because it's not there: clean and uncluttered!

The biggest design esthetic going right now could be summed up in three simple words: clean is in! The trend that Apple started several years ago is blossoming all around us, with minimal color palettes, simple graphic layouts and flat color graphical techniques.

This is partly a preference for simplicity in design, of course, but it also represents clarity of thought. When your design is clean, it focuses on the benefits and advantages of the product or service in communication and not tricky techniques or gimmicks.

The simplicity in design is not a fad or trend but a realization of the core basic principles of marketing and advertising: to be as direct as possible with clarity of purpose and message.

Start getting more with less with the design of your marketing materials, call Bull’s-Eye today at 404.352.3006 for a free consultation or check out our website: www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

BrightStack Overview Info-graphic

When a Yardly, Pennsylvania marketing agency contracted with Bull’s-Eye, they were looking to create a visual overview graphic for one of their clients. The client, BrightStack, is an information technology (IT) provider. Info-graphics was the chosen technique for its adeptness at taking complex information and representing it in a user friendlier format. Using the clients branding, typography and color palette, “Information bubbles” were created as the focal point of the piece to convey the firms wide array of services. A “people” timeline was designed to represent the firms inception to current history. The numbers can be updated on an as needed basis as the company grows. The firm plans on using the info-graphic for its website and other marketing initiatives.

The agency was extremely pleased with the final result and complimented the Bull’s-Eye team on its creativity and professionalism. www.brightstack.com

BrightStack-Infographic