Arianna’s Bakery came to us asking for a quick update to their logo before we started redesigning their website. Focusing on their star product of delicious looking chocolate rolls, this updated logo takes their original design (bottom) to a new level and a great direction for their forthcoming website.

How much does a quick logo design like this one cost? It might be much more affordable than you would think. Message us today and find out!

As many of my clients are service-related small businesses with modest marketing budgets, and perhaps not a whole lot of experience in the realm of advertising and marketing, I wanted to share some thoughts and tips on advertising and marketing for service industries.

If I were to ask you to think of a specific advertisement, the first thoughts that probably come to mind are car dealerships, restaurants, clothing stores and other retail outlets. These businesses most often advertise for a reason–because retail-based businesses are going to get the quickest and most immediate results. You can advertise something people immediately need or want, put a limited sale on the advertisement and, G-d willing, results will come in–especially if people will be going to. or passing by your brick and mortar store in their normal daily travels. This article is not for those retail outlets; these thoughts are for real estate agents, professional organizers, handy-man and other services which probably do not have a brick and mortar presence in the areas in which you serve.

Advertising for service-based industries and home or small businesses isn’t about attaining immediate results or sales, it’s about raising brand awareness. The same brand awareness that brick and mortar stores automatically get from being on the side of a busy road with good signage. It should be the goal of service industries to relay a message through their advertisement which says, “When you need this type of service, remember me.” This, of course, can be done many ways. For example, you will typically see a real estate agent’s face on nearly everything they put out. Why? Because a real estate agent is the ultimate “one man band”, and they have to sell their knowledge and experience by way of brand awareness–a simple picture of themselves. Their ads are going to convey trust, confidence, expertise, and above all a smiling face, branding them as friendly and easy to get along with. These industries should be marketed in multiple places so that just like a retail store, you happen across them many times. When the opportunity comes for someone to sell or buy a house, the goal is for the prospective client to remember that smiling face above that of your competition. They may not remember how many times they saw your smile, or maybe even where, but it was a long-term investment to get that call spread across multiple media platforms.

How to get the best bang for your buck:

Most marketing gurus say that you should never expect immediate results from advertising but to instead plan on building your brand and recognition for at least 6-12 months. It is best to plan ahead for marketing in your yearly budget, not as a last ditch effort during a sales slump. Because of this, a small consistent ad for a year is going to be more effective than a large one for a month.

It’s best to diversify your marketing budget to as many mediums as you can. If you have a print ad running, try a targeted online ad. Another great way to get your name and brand out to potential clients on a budget is being creative with promotional products. Montgomery County, Maryland just started charging 5¢ tax on every plastic bag used in stores. Suddenly everyone is carrying their reusable cloth bags to avoid the 5¢ fee. Your potential and current customers would be more than happy to accept a branded cloth bag from you. The cloth bag–pictured to the right–can be made for as low as $1.10 per bag. These solutions don’t have to break the budget!

Other ways to get your name out there:

Along with consistent marketing to your target audience, it is great to supplement with other “boosts” as budget and time allows. In this do-it-yourself age, holding a local workshop or seminar is a great way to build trust and further establish yourself as a resource, and as an expert in your field. When I was studio manager of a portrait studio, the owner arranged to speak at a local “mom’s group” on “how to take better pictures of your children”. He left nothing behind by explaining composition and how to properly light pictures. The moms loved it! Who wouldn’t want an hour of professional portrait photography training. All the while we were showing his own photos as examples on a slideshow to illustrate his points. The studio was busy for a while after that one meeting with people scheduling portrait sessions after seeing first hand what an expert he was at photography and knowing his craft. He didn’t sell himself once during the class, but people knew they wanted in.

If holding workshops isn’t your style, try writing articles in local newspapers or online  publications to establish yourself as an authority. If you know your product or service well enough, chances are you have something you can share about it. Jot down some insights and have a trusted friend or family member read it over to give you feedback. If you’re confident in it, send it out to local newspapers. Most will allow you to run these types of self-promoting “articles” free-of-charge so long as you make them appealing to a large audience.

At the end of your first year investing in marketing, look at the overall picture of your efforts. Did you bring in more leads this year than last? Did more people come to your seminar, or visit your website? It’s likely those people won’t say “I saw your ad”, unless they are cashing in on a specific coupon, like discounted pizza. You will have to wait and see the differences and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.