Minuteman Press Kloof

Unique Business Card Design Ideas

April 19, 2017
Looking for inspiration for business card design in Pinetown and surrounds? Whether you are starting out with a brand new business that needs an eye-catching card, or you are thinking about a complete brand makeover, Minuteman Press Pinetown offers premium business card design and printing that caters to your needs.

Not too long ago, business cards were limited to simple, ‘safe’ designs that were somewhat on the conventional side. Businesses today have a lot more creativity to use. An unusual business card sends prospective customers a powerful message right from the start. The look and design of a card will often be the deciding factor in whether your card is truly seen (and kept) or whether it is briefly glanced at and tossed or filed away to be forgotten. If you are still not 100% sure what direction to take with your business card, it can be very useful to view some clever examples. To help provide you with some inspiration, we have rounded up some of our favourite business card design ideas that are anything but ordinary!

Business Card Design Inspiration

In no particular order, here are some spectacular ideas for business card design in Pinetown…
1. Transparent
Image via: allBcards.com

Transparent cards are printed onto special plastic. They have a modern, minimal look that is eye-catching because it is so different from regular opaque cards. This type of card works especially well for those in creative industries, as well as those in the home décor and design fields. But, thanks to its sleek look, it would work for almost every contemporary business that does not require a more traditional approach.
1. Hanger
Image via: artisaway.com

This quirky card is ideal for those in the clothing business. Whether you are a fashion designer, stylist, fashion editor or even a seamstress, clothing manufacturer or buyer, the hanger has an unusual shape that makes it instantly interesting from a visual point of view. To make it even more effective, try to make the card a standard card size without the hanger part sticking out. As cards are often stored in wallets, a longer card may end up broken if it does not easily fit into a card slot in a wallet.
1. Pop Up
Image via: theendearingdesigner.com

What makes this style versatile is that it can work with almost any design, for almost any industry. You can use illustrations and bright colours, or opt for photographic images instead. Pop out cards are easy to design and print, with no special equipment needed. A few simple cuts are required to allow the pop up to pop, which can either be done by the designer or yourself.
1. iPhone
Image via: cardview.net

Mimicking the screen of an iPhone, this modern card is clever while still retaining a professional edge. This style works especially well for entrepreneurs, sales agents and professionals who deal with people frequently. It will also work well for those in the technology industry. It may not be a good pick for those in very conservative or traditional industries however.
1. Google
Image via: theendearingdesigner.com

There are many variations of the Google style business card design. The basic idea uses your name on a Google search page. This one takes the concept one step further by creating a mini laptop. This is a great choice for anyone in the technology industry. Those in online marketing will especially find this a good choice. In an industry that does not use internet too much, it may not be such a good fit however.
1. Stocks
Image via: RethinkCanada.com

There is much to be said about creating an industry specific business card. In this example, a financial advisor is using a clever stocks graph card. But it isn’t limited to the finance field, either. You could create a bread shaped card if you have a bakery, or a dog bone shaped card if you have a vet or pet supply store. Other variations include camera shaped cards, shoe shaped cards, leaf shaped cards and many other uniquely shaped cards that reflect the nature of industries.

Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do for your business card design in Durban, contact Minuteman Press Pinetown to find out more about our card design and printing services!
What is Large Format Printing?

March 11, 2017
A type of advertising that has consistently grown in popularity over the years, large format printing refers to prints of a larger size. As you might have guessed from the name, this type of printing supports maximum print roll width. This type of printing is typically used for everything from banners to posters, wallpapers, murals and other larger sized advertisements.

Large format printing is a good choice if you have materials with a lot of graphic elements, or a poster, banner or large scale advert that is an unusual size or shape. As there is a huge area to work with, this type of printing is an excellent way to advertise events, promotions, products or any other news that you want to be visible. The wide images and larger than life sized text ensures that brand messaging is highly effective, creating maximum impact and reach for display advertisements.

Everything You Need to Know About Large Format Printing

Like regular sized prints, large format printing is printed digitally on a roll of material. This can range from gloss paper to canvas, PVC, vinyl and various other materials. The main different between this type of printing and regular sized printing is that the printer itself is designed to a larger scale.

Some of the most common applications and options for large scale printing include the following:
- Posters. While smaller sized posters can be effective, too, what makes larger sized posters work is their high level of visibility. Whether you require a poster for a private function, or a corporate event such as a trade show, launch, promotion or sale, a large poster is almost always the simplest and most effective way to reach your customers.
- Banners. Banners are one of the top display advertising options, with numerous benefits that range from versatility to re-usability, visibility and cost-efficiency to name just a few. Printed on vinyl, banners are excellent for exhibit displays, trade shows, launch events, on-site promotions and many other applications. They are also long-lasting and highly durable.
- Wall Graphics. These are a fun way to promote your product or business, while also adding interest to your walls. Wall graphics are printed on sticker paper, with a wide range of sizes and shapes available. They can be easily removed, and last a long time. These can be very useful for shop windows, but also work outside of the corporate world as well for kids’ rooms and private events.
As a specialist in printing, Minuteman Press Pinetown offers high quality large format printing in Durban. Contact us today to learn more about this service, or to request a quote.
Factors to consider for Newsletters

March 1, 2017
In their original form, newsletters were designed to be letters which deliver newsJ. With the advent of social media and the increased connectivity, news travels fast. There are certain considerations you need to have in mind when you come up with your newsletters:
- Determine who the target audience is: the news you will share with employees or clients will be different and this needs to be reflected in the newsletter.
- Bite-sized news: we live in a
  society used to 140 character tweets. You need to bring across your points with the least amount of words, otherwise, you lose your audience.
- Tell a story: you value the information which you are putting in that newsletter hence your sharing it. You want the readers to be able to retain that information and the best way to do so is through incorporating stories in the way you present the news.
- Have a call to action: apart from people knowing what you set out in the newsletter, you need to elicit action from them. Make sure you include things which call out for action – by so doing you would have fully engaged your audience.
- Paper quality: the choice of paper type, size and quality depends on the audience and also the intended shelf life of the newsletter. If you are sharing information which is not constantly changing with a long lifespan, you can go for more sturdy paper.
If you are looking for a printing company in Pinetown to handle all your printing requirements, from black-and-white copies to full-colour printing, we have the solution for you. Please get in touch with Minuteman Press Pinetown for a printing quote.
Are Banners an Effective Marketing Tool?

February 22, 2017
Are Banners an Effective Marketing Tool?

Wondering whether printed banners are a worthwhile investment for your business? There is no doubt that banners have gained a loyal following over the years, and for good reason. This type of display advertising is one of the most cost-effective, simple solutions that offers many advantages to businesses wanting a reliable, efficient way to promote their products and services.

Banners are typically made from vinyl, but could also be printed on canvas or other materials. They come in a wide variety of styles – retractable, hanging, standing, vertical, horizontal and plenty of other formats. While they are especially useful for events such as trade shows, launches, conferences and exhibitions, they can also be used to promote specials, store discounts, new products and just about anything else you want to highlight.

Top Reasons to Consider Printed Banners

What makers printed banners such an invaluable marketing tool? Some of the top reasons to consider display banners include the following:
- Cost-Effective
Banners are inexpensive to produce, making them a popular choice for small businesses as well as larger companies on a tight budget. Many print shops such as Minuteman Press Pinetown offer banner printing in Durban at reasonable costs, allowing you to produce your own banner in-house and pay only for the printing. This can cut costs down drastically, while still providing the visual equivalent of a radio ad as far as reach is concerned.
- Targeted Reach
Another major benefit is the ability to target your key audience in a highly visible way. While many other advertising methods also allow you to target your ideal customer, display advertising methods such as banner advertising can be done simply by placing your banner in an area frequented by your ideal target market. At trade shows, this benefit is especially valid, but it also assists you when promoting products at an event or even promoting products outside your store to encourage people to visit.
- Brand Reinforcement
Branded banners help to reinforce your company name, logo and image whenever they are seen. In high traffic areas, this is key to reaching large numbers of people over the course of any given day – sometimes multiple times within a short space of time. A semi-perminent banner displayed outside of your premises will ensure brand recognition and help to keep your business in your customers’ minds.
- Reusable
Yet another benefit of banner ads is that they can be reused again and again. Once it is printed on durable, strong vinyl, you can use your banner as often as you need to at events, trade shows and conferences for years to come. Most banners are easily portable, retracting or folding easily, with no additional costs to reuse them as frequently as you like.

A beautifully designed banner is without a doubt a powerful advertising tool. Make sure that your printed banner sends the right message with the help of professional printing solutions from Minuteman Press Pinetown!
Booklets – Great Advertising Tools!

February 8, 2017
Let the book speak, customers can judge your business by your booklets

Booklets are a small, thin book with paper covers, typically giving information on a subject. They are still being used as promotional and advertising tools today. Such booklets are effective because they are able to professionally present brands to a specified target market. Booklets are great for broadcasting information about not only the product but also the company.

Minuteman Press Pinetown offers affordable and professionally designed booklets that can be tailored for any purpose. This cost-effective product has gained popularity among South African businesses as an affordable option for their mass printing needs.

Let the book speak

There are many uses for booklets aside from marketing. Companies can use booklet templates to communicate personal proposals to customers. It can also serve as informative guides to your business or act as mini catalogues to showcase the best you offer. Companies also use it as customised notebooks for clients -it can also add a personal touch to marketing presentations.

Contrary to the old saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ your customers will definitely judge your business based on the marketing material you present to them. Booklets let your customers into your world by getting them to know:
- who you are,
- what you stand for,
- what you have on offer,
- how you deliver your products and services,
- where your products and services are available.
If you are looking for a printing company in Pinetown to handle all your printing requirements, from black-and-white copies to full-colour printing, we have the solution for you. Please get in touch with Minuteman Press Pinetown to get a printing quote.
Ranked #1 in category by Entrepreneur in 2017

January 11, 2017

Minuteman Press International is honored to once again be ranked #1 in category by Entrepreneur in 2017 for the 14th straight year and 25 times overall!

Minuteman Press is the world’s largest design, printing, and marketing franchise with over 950 locations across the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In addition to achieving its #1 rating in category, Minuteman Press is proud to once again join the Entrepreneur Franchise 500, one of the most prestigious and comprehensive franchise rankings in the world.

“We are thrilled to receive such high distinctions from Entrepreneur,” said Bob Titus, Minuteman Press International President and CEO. Bob adds, “To be ranked #1 in category for 14 consecutive years and 25 times overall is the direct result of the hard work of our corporate staff, our local management and field support teams, and most of all our franchise owners who follow our tried and proven system. It also shows the continued strength of the Minuteman Press franchise system as well as our business model. This is a tremendous accomplishment and honor.”

https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/minutemanpressintlinc/282585
Letterheads

December 13, 2016

Uses of letterheads:

A letterhead is a heading at the top of a sheet of paper: it indicates the company or document name. It displays the company’s professionalism on correspondence. Some businesses use personalised letterheads. Letterheads have several uses.

Personalised letterheads:

Personalised business letterheads show the professionalism of the business: it indicates a proficient corporate institution. You personalise your letterhead by placing the company’s name in the header or contact area – it indicates a more personal interaction with your clients on a professional level.

For assistance with your a personalised letterhead Minuteman Pinetown will be happy to assist you.

Usages of letterheads printing:

Letterheads are however not limited to only businesses there are a variety of methods to make use of letter heads whether you are a individual or a much smaller company. Letterheads can be used for minutes of meeting, tenders or notices, approval or legal notices and inter-departmental communication.

If you are looking for a printing company in Pinetown to handle all your printing requirements please get in touch with Minuteman Press Pinetown to get a printing quote
5 Printing Terms Explained — Blogs

December 3, 2016

Terribly confused about the jargon in printing? The art of print design can be confusing and unfamiliar if you do not work with it every day. Minuteman Press Pinetown has put together a short glossary for you to use on your journey through our world:

Colourimeter

This is a device that measures the absorbance of particular wavelengths of light by a specific solution. Basically this is the device that helps transform the ink in the printer into the exact colour of your picture. This is to ensure the quality of the image is preserved at all temperatures, pressures and humidity levels.

DPI

Standing for dots per inch, DPI is the detailed ink output of your prints. Different prints require different DPI in order to maintain clarity and quality. Ideally a higher DPI is better for images, but will use more ink.

RIP

Raster Image Processor – a software accessory that works as an enhanced printer driver, producing the highest possible quality output for text, bitmap graphics and vector art. An RIP isn’t essential, but it’s a useful add-on for large format work.

Large Format

Most printers print up to A3 on sheets or rolls, large format (or wide format) printers take printing to the next level from A2 to about 64 inches
wide. Excellent for signage, banners and personalized wall paper.

Finish

When the printing people ask about finish, they want to know the feel and texture of the paper you want. This could be matte, gloss, laid, etc. The finish can enhance the impact of your prints, so choose the one that suits you best. Ask for samples if you are unsure.

Whether you know the lingo or not, all your printing needs will be met at one of the leading printing companies in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Minuteman Press offers end-to-end printing solutions for your home and business. Contact us today for more information.
Color is More Than Icing on Your Marketing Cake — Blogs

December 3, 2016

What is your favorite color? When we exchange answers to this question and relieve what seems to be an innate color curiosity about each other, we feel just a little bit closer and our guards lower a bit, inviting further interpersonal discovery.

That is because color is a point of bonding and comfort, even from our earliest days as our parents choose to dress us in traditional blue or pink to designate our gender (green or yellow for those wishing to remain neutral). As childhood advanced and we gained modest independence, we may have chosen to paint our bedrooms vibrant gold so we can retreat to joy or stark black if our teen years found us a little “goth.”

Through our lives, we will continue to make choices based on their influence every day, so if you have a message you want to project to other human beings, consider color to be a potent ally (or your worst enemy, if you choose them without care). The power of your color palate in marketing should neither be dismissed, nor is a point of intimidation, but it reason to secure experts within the digital print, design and marketing industry, one that operates best as both an art and a science.

Nick Titus, Marketing Representative for Minuteman Press International, imparts his knowledge about the sense of urgency that the right color can lend to your particular objective. He says, “Color can trigger certain ‘hot buttons’ that motivate people to take action and this can be used to your advantage in marketing. For instance, you will notice that PayPal and other “submit” buttons for monetary transactions are typically yellow because yellow is often perceived as a safe color; while information buttons are usually blue, as blue can be more intriguing.”

Drawing from the rich history with color and its use in the process of helping people bring their various messages to life, whether building a business, a charity or a personal project, Nick speaks on behalf of his corporation, a fantastic legacy in marketing services that unites people with their goals and does so with unmatched style. He adds, “There is a tremendous amount of thought that must to go into creating a great marketing piece and we care about each and every one. Your local Minuteman Press is ready with contemporary, technical expertise and just the right captivating, artistic touch needed to help your message resonate with the people who matter most to you…which makes you and your business matter to them.”

Up to 90% of a person’s initial assessment may be based on color alone (Kissmetrics)

Let’s take red for example, a most powerful color with a firm claim on the human perspective since our Stone Age forefathers ground ochre (a red-shade courtesy of iron oxide) and used it to bring early artistic renderings to life inside caves. Red is energizing and alluring. It excites our feelings of leadership, ambition and determination. It can make us hungry for food and love and restaurants capitalize on this all the time. It can be said that too much red can make us agitated. Of course, every color has its particular effect and the dynamics are complex because it all boils down to context. Red might motivate us to take action or to get hungry, but a well-placed stop sign does just the opposite.

Color use is similar to explicative use in terms of context. “Holy $%$!!!” can be an exclamation of joy if you find a $100 bill during a morning run…or it can be an exclamation of horror if you’ve wandered into the street staring at Google News, only to look up and see and oncoming bus. Context matters in color use and that is why it’s best to construct a marketing campaign with a certain degree of understanding and a partnership with B2B services industry professionals.

The color green has been credited with enhancing performance on creativity tasks, according to some studies

Many of our favorite brands can be identified based on the colors of their logos and elicit emotional responses that last. The “golden arches” of a famous fast food chain wouldn’t quite hit the mark if they were grey and arch-rival cola beverages pit blue/white/red vs. red with white script. The leader of the modern print industry, Minuteman Press International, made orange and green famous and thousands of B2B clients are put at ease merely at the sight of the colors representing this industry-leading marketing services provider. After all, the colors you select to promote your business can embed themselves positively within the heart of your target audiences, to the benefit of your bottom line.

Here is some “technical candy” on color from Dave Scadin, Co-Director of Training for the award-winning training center at Minuteman Press International:

“In today’s world color has become a simpler thing to achieve. With Color digital presses we consistently print in beautiful colors. The technology that we use in the World of digital is CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). These 4 ‘reflective’ primary colors can produce about 16 million combinations of colors. But when a specific color is required we can still use the Pantone Matching System,” according to Dave Scadin, who has been an invaluable source of instruction for thousands of new franchise owners for decades and whose expertise is the reason training is not destined to be a reason for Minuteman Press franchise complaints. Quite the contrary is true. After two weeks of initial training with Dave and the rest of the training department, Minuteman Press franchisees enter their communities with confidence about all aspects of running their businesses, including the use of color and best methods to create their clients’ printed pieces, customized to suit their particular needs.

Your brain amps up on blue: Apparently, we become more alert and perform at an enhanced cognitive level when exposed to blue light

While the technical expertise from the training department of Minuteman Press International can provide a snapshot of the science of color, Jim Galasso, Minuteman Press Regional Vice President in CT, takes a moment to reflect on the art of color and why it matters so much. The messages we hope our target audiences will receive when we design and print everything from banners to business cards depend upon the expert use of color, something for which there are no Minuteman Press franchise complaints. On the contrary, the way in which Minuteman Press merges the technical and artistic rendering of color is nothing short of superior.

Jim says, “The impact of color has been a marketing tool probably sin
ce before Dorothy landed in Oz. The movie creators captured our eyes by going from a dismal black and white sky, to a beautiful blue sky, with yellow flowers and her ruby red shoes. All the colors in that scene put an immediate impact on the viewer which related to
a much nicer, peaceful place to be. Today, colors continue to have related meaning to all of us.”

Stronger connections can be made with color

Not too long ago, photos from the Civil War period were enhanced with color and the results evoked stronger connection to the people and events of the period than the black and white versions could effectively communicate. The colored versions were shared millions of times, mainly because the color spoke to us and we wanted to share what we felt, to connect about something that matters. This desire to connect is what printing in color can do for your marketing, for the connection you hope to make with others, no matter what your motivation. Our world comes alive with color and it affects our minds, our choices and our senses of loyalty. Science is now acknowledging that color is more than a tool for artists, it is a force; and in business, we can use it for our own good.

As Jim Galasso notes, “With all the different blends of colors today in the world of digital technology, a simple brochure can become the most important piece of reading material. People tend to remember more things when color is used. So, from a Henry Ford quote, ‘You can have any color so long as it’s black’ was born the Minuteman campaign since 1975, ‘Put a little color in your printing!’ If you have been using black and white or single color printing, try using multi color printing and you’ll probably see better results!”

The venerable leader of the modern printing industry, Minuteman Press International, proudly supports nearly 1000 centers worldwide. They are the experts in the precision use of color from the technical to the artistic, benefiting grateful clients from many cultures and with various needs.
Social Media Marketing for Creatives

November 28, 2016

Social media marketing is a thing these days and everyone knows it. But are you confident about the way you use social media? Have you found the best solutions for your needs? I’m here to share my favorite social media and the best ways to boost your marketing game in them as a creative! So let’s dive into this!

For starters, you should get clear about what is that useful information you’re sharing with your audience? Are those great blog posts? Beautiful photos? Infographics? E-books? Newsletters? Whatever that is, there might be a different way to show it off and get all the attention in your direction. Want to know how? Read on!

TWITTER

Twitter is like an old friend that has always been there. I was using Twitter before I started to actively use Facebook and I have experienced many different times in it. I believe that we still have some great times ahead of us.

What I love about Twitter? It’s simple. It’s a great way to communicate, feel like a part of something bigger – part of some community that you have a choice to build up yourself. You can go on the Twitter on any time of the day and there’s always something happening. People are discussing, offering, commenting.

What I use Twitter for? I use it to share, mostly. I share my blog posts and some special offers, I share great articles I’ve read, I’m sharing some occassional photos and ideas, insights. Most of the things I share with my Twitter followers are about freelancing, traveling, working remotely, startups and so on. Also, I like to participate in some discussions or read them – that’s an interesting and easy way how to get to know new opinions about pretty much anything!

What’s the best way to work with marketing on Twitter? Keep in mind that sharing is caring! Twitter is built on community, therefore you have to gather around yourself those who will be good ”listeners” to what you’re willing to say. What is your main message? Are you helping new bloggers? Are you boosting up designer careers? Or offering killer websites for creatives?

LOOK FOR THE AUDIENCE THAT WILL BE WILLING TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.

Afterward, it’s just a matter of time when they will start to love you! Share insights in your field, insights in your daily work, your thoughts about related topics and interesting articles you’ve read or written yourself. Spread the world with good and useful information!

What are the best tools to use for Twitter? Buffer, Hootsuite or CoSchedule are social media scheduling apps (read comparison of Buffer and Hootsuite) for a variety of social media, not only Twitter, but I do suggest you to one of these right for this platform. It’s a great way how to reach out to the audience that you can’t be in direct contact with because of different time zones or you just don’t have time to share things daily. Set it up for 4-5 tweets a day in different times and it will work like a charm!

unfollowers.me is a way to control your Twitter followers and people whom you’re following. You can see inactive accounts, scams, etc.

What not to do on Twitter? Don’t use Automatic direct messaging. Please! It says absolutely nothing and most people don’t read them anyways. If you want to say Thank you! for someone who has followed you, write them personalized message, stating their name, adding some relevant question, etc. Build relations!

PINTEREST

Pinterest is social media superhero these days. I love, love, LOVE it. As many other bloggers out there, I can honestly say that Pinterest is driving a huge number of people to my website (more than 40%). I knew about it ever since it appeared, but I re-discovered it only a few months ago. And you know what? Yes, you guessed it – I LOVE it!

What I love about Pinterest? It’s visual & it has tons of useful information within it. You can have fun while doing a job, you can learn while marketing and entertain yourself while promoting. Pinterest is like a party for workaholics. Educational party, but it’s still a win-win!

What I use Pinterest for? I use it to promote my blog posts, share my new designs and learn A LOT of new information along the way. I follow boards related to my field of interest & therefore everything I see on Pinterest is relevant and interesting for me. I can scroll as far as I want and I will see more and more new information.

What’s the best way to work with marketing on Pinterest?First of all – keep in mind that timing doesn’t matter on Pinterest. Pinterest is showing you the most relevant and interesting content tailored to your interests. Therefore the main thing for anyone who’s marketing on Pinterest would be to pin and repin things daily, but without any timing requirements. You should add one of your pins for any 10 other repins you’re making. How many pins daily? It’s up to you, but seems that around 50 pins daily is the jackpot number! Another good thing to keep in mind when getting to know Pinterest marketing: group boards. Use group boards to share your own pins and repin others as well. Therefore you’ll have the option to reach a wider audience than yours only! Anything else you need to know about this – you will find on Pinterest! If you’re willing to get more into Pinterest Marketing, you should check out this Ultimate Guide for Businesses.

What are the best tools to use for Pinterest? You should keep in mind to pin vertical pins, therefore the most important tool would be anything that can help you to make such photo/banner: Canvas, Adobe Photoshop, etc. But as soon as the photo is good to go, you can use such sites as Pingroupie to search for relevant and interesting group boards. Also, you can try out Viralwoot for Pinterest promotion. Viralwoot is a website where you can promote your Pinterest pins, follow people and get new followers.

What not to do on Pinterest?

DON’T MAKE IT ALL ABOUT YOURSELF.

Share useful and interesting information for your community. Don’t get boring and don’t repeat yourself! It’s ok to share your blog posts 2-3x a week, for a bigger audience – more, but mix it up with other kind of interesting information!

REFRESH YOUR BUSINESS GRAPHICS: MARKETING & BRANDING DESIGN

FACEBOOK

There are several ways how to use Facebook for your business. It’s a common thing to share your interests with your closest friends, but how to reach out to a wider audience? I’d suggest Facebook groups! I also have a Facebook page myself but I haven’t worked on it that much yet.

I FIND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA MUCH MORE USEFUL FOR MY NEEDS, BUT FACEBOOK GROUPS HAVE OPENED MANY DOORS FOR ME!

What I love about Facebook? It’s a whole another story when comparing to the rest of social media. The primary goal for Facebook is to connect friends, therefore you have to find a way how to show off your business as it would be interesting for your closest ones. What does that mean? It means new, interactive ways how to boost your readers to come back for more, to be willing to see more and to interact with you – like, comment and share to reach out to a new audience.

What I use Facebook for? Besides keeping in touch with friends back home, Facebook is my new connection manager: I am active in several groups where I get into discussions, share my thoughts and insights (without getting all spammy and stuff), make new connections, useful for my daily dose of creativity and my business goals as well.

What’s the best way to work with marketing on Facebook?Yes, there are advertisements, Facebook pages, spammy commenting and sharing. Facebook is full of opportunities! But this time, I’m willing to share what I know: how to market in Facebook groups? Most important thing would be to find some groups that fit your interests. It’s relatively hard to find ”hidden treasures” just by search option since many amazing groups have some ”weird” names. But I can help you with some starters. Facebook groups for creative business owners: Coffee & Creatives, For Love + Money; Facebook groups for freelancers & digital nomads: Freelance to Freedom, Digital nomad girls, Digital nomads. And there’s much more! But what to do with that? Be a part of it is the short version for my answer. Comment and communicate, help people, share your knowledge, share interesting (and related) blog posts in comments or posts (not the most important thing to do), make your name unforgettable! Establish yourself as someone who knows what you’re doing. You’ll build your connections, reach out to new audience besides your friends and after all – spend some good time and learn some new things along the way.

What are the best tools to use for Facebook? I am not a big fan of Facebook tools since I don’t really use them, but here are some! The same scheduling apps that are mentioned along with Twitter can be used for Facebook pages and groups. Agorapulse also can be used for Twitter, as well as Facebook, but you can use this website as your Facebook dashboard to easily manage whatever is happening there. Shortsack is a Facebook tool for marketing campaigns. It offers ready templates, option to follow your campaigns and basically makes Facebook marketing easy for you!

What not to do on Facebook? Don’t forget about borders! Each group is meant for a specific audience. Don’t share your holiday photos on DIY creative group (even better: share them only with your friends!). Be careful about who you trust, don’t publish any personal information and even better: don’t publish personal photos (besides some setups) in these groups. Such photos can easily get stolen and reproduced. You never know! Also – do-not-get-spammy. Whether you’re sharing information on your timeline, on your Facebook page or in Facebook groups. Be mindful about the amount of information you’re sharing!

INSTAGRAM

Instagram is a social platform I personally don’t use for my business (more about that two weeks from now!), but I’ve looked into its options anyways, by managing Instagram account for my client business. Instagram is strongly visual platform and right now it has actually decreased the number of visible description amount after what you have to press ”Read more” to actually read everything. Although it tends to keep it all image-based, more and more people manage to add amazing stories to their photos.

What I love about Instagram? It’s beautiful! I believe it’s the most beautiful platform of all since most of the serious instagrammers are sharing some decent amount of high quality photos.

What I use Instagram for? As mentioned before, I don’t use Instagram for my business, but I do use it for inspiration. Seeing all those wonderful photos, insights in creative lives, products and processes is really inspiring for me. For my client’s business – I use it to share almost everything! Daily life photos, photos from events and courses, advertisements, ”flashbacks” and so on.

What’s the best way to work with marketing on Instagram? Instagram is a strong marketing tool for those who have strongly visual business: products, photographies, designs. But it doesn’t end there! Literally, anyone can find Instagram useful for their business, you just have to get clear about what you’re willing to share. It’s important to share often since Instagram feed is just rolling on and not everyone scrolls right till the last photo they saw before. Therefore 1 time a day is great! For big businesses with many followers – even more. But it’s up to you! For more new followers you can use relevant hashtags and like other people photos related to your field – to pay attention. Other than that you can gain new followers and share your products with them, but don’t forget to add some personal insight, ”behind the scenes” or sketch. That’s what makes Instagram more interesting for your followers! Read on about how to take your Instagram marketing to the next level over here.

What are the best tools to use for Instagram? Iconosquare is an option to see everything that’s happening in your Instagram online (as you might know, Instagram itself doesn’t offer this option). Latergram.me and Schedugr.am are Instagram scheduling apps you can use to prepare your post beforehand.

What not to do on Instagram? Just like on Facebook you should be aware of your privacy and what you should and shouldn’t be sharing. Other than that, try to keep your Instagram clean and eye-catching and don’t post horrible photos with super-low quality! That’s not something that will get your business going. If you don’t have any good photos related to your business, leave this for later!

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

There’s more. There always is more! Social media like LinkedIn, Google+, Periscope, Tumblr and the list goes on! Not a secret that there are plenty social media that can be used to promote your business without any additional cost, but in the same time – you should be mindful about where you spend your time.

Google+ was really popular for bloggers few years ago before Pinterest got so popular. I haven’t used it at all since I don’t believe that I’ll be able to reach out to my audience there. LinkedIn is a social network for professionals with impressive CV’s and willingness to establish new contacts. I’m on LinkedIn, but I’m leaving it as an occasional publishing option where I share some of my offers from the website and other relevant information. In the same time, it can be really useful for big businesses in some specific fields.

But the rest I’ll leave up to you!

-Ieva Laicane
Use Presentation Folders as Part of Your Winning Negotiation Strategy

November 16, 2016

Find us in boardrooms

At Minuteman Press in Pinetown, we are proud to be an integral part of many successful business negotiations. To tell you a secret, we have an inside nick name for ourselves – The Deal makers! Despite the fact that we’re not qualified negotiators, our presentation folders create a professional approach in boardrooms across the city.

Serious content needs serious presentation

Bringing people around to your way of thinking is never easy. When it comes to negotiation, you need to make sure you’ve planned a winning strategy.

Set out your intentions early.

Research in the Journal of Applied Sciences suggests that the first five minutes of a negotiation can predict the outcome. Be likeable, and use professionally printed presentation folders to demonstrate that you mean business.

Drop anchor

According to Current Directions in Psychological Science, staring high in negotiations (even if you know the number is ridiculously more than you’d actually be satisfied with) forms an “anchor” which affects the numbers that follow. Stating something like, “We would like to make it clear that we are not willing to drop below R100,000” early on in the process leads your opponent to consider your opinion as the starting point of the negotiation.

Grab a java

Good news for coffee-addicts: the more caffeine in your system, the less like you are to budge in a negotiation!

For all your business printing requirements, from impressive presentation folders to eye-catching business cards, we would love to be a part of your business success. Contact us today for a quote.