Myra Stacey, Author at Print & Web Designer

Did You Know: Marketing, Social Media and Public Relations Tips

by Myra Stacey | Mar 31, 2022 | Uncategorized

In today’s digital realm, the journey from employee to entrepreneur is quite simple. Starting a business is less complex, and anybody can gain visibility, authority, and traffic through social media.

Given that there are about 4 billion social media users today, to say that social media marketing is important would be an understatement. Whether a startup or a multinational corporation, every business in North Carolina uses social media to stay connected with its target audience and get to know them intimately — what they like, what they don’t like, and what they are interested in these days. In fact, because all prospective buyers spend a considerable amount of time on popular platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, social media has become an essential aspect of any business’ PR strategy.

Six social media and public relations tips to achieve your business goals

If you are a new business owner in Cary, NC, looking for ways to enhance your inbound marketing efforts and get hot leads, social media is your go-to tool. A professional social media profile with the right content can help you appear as a credible brand with worthwhile product and service offerings.

Here are some tips to be mindful of to get the most out of your social media account and have a profitable PR strategy.

1. Tap into influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is every business owner’s lifesaver, especially those in the B2C space. Capitalizing on the wider following of popular influencers, you can spread the word about your products. To ensure mutual benefit, offer influencers your products for free or give them a handsome sum for promoting your brand.

A word of caution, though: do not blindly choose any influencer with a larger follower base. Be more careful when picking the influencer after analyzing who your prospects follow the most. When your target customers will see your products in the hands of their favorite content creators, they would love to buy them as well.

2. Use social media to boost your PR strategy

Social media has become a vital part of every brand’s PR strategy, as it helps maintain a positive image in the industry. Using common platforms like Twitter and Facebook, you can announce the breaking news about your company or promote your upcoming products.

There are many ways to use your social media profile as a promotional avenue and maintain favorable public relations. For example, you can use a recent press release summary to caption a social media post. You can also convert your press release into a striking infographic and upload it on social media to catch some eyes.

3. Build stronger bonds with your target audience

It goes without saying that a satisfied target audience is directly proportional to the success of a business. Therefore, keep your existing and prospective customers happy by offering the best customer support. In addition to that, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and stay in touch with them through social media.

Remember, most interactions on social media are public — all your customers can see them and evaluate your brand. So, create a positive impression by quickly responding to queries and extending gratitude for all compliments by satisfied customers. In addition, ask relevant questions for higher engagement and visibility.

Pro tip: Never be overly promotional and engage authentically.

4. Share valuable content on social media

Merely creating a profile on social channels will yield no results. Remember, your sole aim to utilize social media is to engage with your audience, position yourself as an industry expert, stay on top of your customer’s minds, and generate engagement — and a dormant social media account will not create any buzz.

Therefore, stay consistently active on social media and post relevant, valuable information for the benefit of your customers. Heaps of worthy, helpful content will make you come across as an industry leader and drive people’s attention. In addition, posting regularly will boost engagement, visibility, and credibility.

5. Offer to write a free article on a relevant topic for a local newspaper

Connecting with a local newspaper is a wise idea to spread the word about your brand and expand your customer base. Newspapers already have a wider readership, which you can capitalize on. Ask if they can spare a column for you and allow you to write a free article, which their readers will enjoy.

An article in a reputable newspaper will boost your status within the community. In addition, it will drive traffic to your website. If the article is published online, it will improve your search engine ranking immensely. However, do not have ulterior motives in mind while drafting the article — it should be purely informational, not promotional.

6. Communicate with journalists and publishers via Twitter

Sadly, Twitter remains uncharted territory. Yet, it is a great marketing platform if leveraged strategically. You can use Twitter to interact with popular journalists to get coverage of your products or business. However, success will depend on how good your social media engagement and credibility are — every journalist will judge you based on your online presence before promoting you.

Moreover, do not cold-pitch journalists mindlessly with self-centered interests. Take time to get to know their interests and stories. Start by sharing their articles and extending a non-promotional hand of friendship. Eventually, work toward your original intention — to get a positive promotion — but keep the professional friendship intact.

Contact Print And Web Designer for a winning social media strategy!

Are you ready to boost your social media engagement, have a positive reputation, and get more sales? Print And Web Designer is there to save your day! We understand business owners have a lot on their plates, and creating an impactful social media strategy can be challenging. Our proficient team can help you build an impressive social media presence and expand your online reach.

At Print And Web Designer, we also offer varied services, including brochure design, print design, magazine design, and brand design for businesses in North Carolina. We even provide website design in Raleigh, NC — so stop looking for “Triangle web design services,” “Durham web design services,” or “Cary web design services, because we have you covered!

Give us a call today at 336-684-6505 or write to us at info@PrintandWebDesigner.com today.

Color Series: Peri

by Myra Stacey | Feb 25, 2022 | Web Design

Color is not something that most of us give much thought to. The grass is green, the sky is blue, and the snow is white. That said, once a year, the design community comes together to discuss a single color — Pantone’s Color of the Year.

Every December, Pantone announces its Color of the Year. For 2022, Pantone has announced a completely new shade as its Color of the Year for the first time. Traditionally, Pantone picked Color of the Year from its swatch books, so this new color represents fresh beginnings — or does it?

Color of the Year 2022

Very Peri (PANTONE 17-3938) is the Color of the Year 2022. It is a pale violet color that looks very retro — it reminds us of one of Jerry’s shirts from Seinfeld — and spring-like — a carpet of flowering bluebells come to mind. This year’s color is just as attractive as previous choices with delicate purple (or similar shades), such as 2014’s Radiant Orchid, 2016’s Rose Quartz-Serenity blend, and 2018’s Ultra Violet.

Pantone says that Very Peri is “a new Pantone color whose courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.” Pantone says a lot about their Color of the Year.

All of this is easy for Pantone to say. However, for a company whose annual color choice has “…influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design,” they do not say not much to back up their claims. Most of what Pantone says about the relevance of their Color of the Year 2022 to the current atmosphere is not as straightforward or robust as they make it out to be.

Let us talk about color perception.

Cultural factors have a significant influence on the way we perceive colors. Colors have been ingrained in our cultural standards and shorthands as a byproduct of generations of associations in stories and rituals. White is considered clean and pure — no wonder it is the most popular color for bridal gowns in the U.S. Black is traditionally worn to funerals to express bereavement and grief. However, in many parts of the world, bridal gowns are often scarlet to represent prosperity and grace. Some people also believe that white should only be worn during funerals and never at weddings. All of this is to say that, while we all see the same colors, we all perceive them differently.

In simple words: Color perception is a very scientific phenomenon. However, there is a good amount of cultural relativity regarding how people emotionally react to colors.

It is unclear how this plays out in inbound marketing or Sanford web design. If someone is asked what color makes them feel angry, they will most likely say red. However, we are unsure if the same emotional connection holds when a red box of Nestlé milk chocolate flavor hot cocoa mix is grabbed off the grocery store shelf.

Colors are a tool for web design professionals like P&WD. The feelings and emotions we associate with a particular shade are not as important as how the color is used — for example, using a vastly different color from the competition can help a brand stand out.

Color should not be viewed in isolation but in relation to how well it works in a particular application.

So when Pantone says that “Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through,” our designers were unconvinced. Any color Pantone chooses will be used by many designers simply because it is the Color of the Year. It is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To us, this color is all about starting new dialogues, whether on the internet or real world. It is not so much about who is correct or incorrect about a particular color as it is about the fact that we are having a dialogue around individual perception. What some call blue may be considered violet by others, and vice versa.

Is this a good color for use in the digital world?

Will there be a difference in interest around color trends in the metaverse when web designers have handpicked everything you see? That is probably what Pantone is betting on, having announced an entirely new color for its Color of the Year with our online lives in mind.

The team at PWD is concerned about its use in today’s digital world. For one thing, Very Peri is not a very user-friendly shade in terms of accessibility. It only works at the bare minimum of what is acceptable for basic white and black accessibility as it has a contrast ratio of 5.14. Contrast is a crucial parameter for accessible text on websites — the lower the ratio, the more difficult it is for those with poor eyesight to read the text. Five is a passing ratio, but it is also the lowest rating. There are much higher ratings that can be achieved.

Consistency is another factor to consider. Color is becoming more flexible today, which is both good and bad. Colors might not always look the same on different displays. Maintaining color consistency across physical and digital media can be difficult and requires a thorough, rigorous approach.

While Very Peri may have limitations for design professionals, Pantone’s Color of the Year does the job as a catalyst to start conversations.

Contact Print And Web Designer for a winning color strategy!

Do you want to showcase Very Peri’s curiosity and creativity in designs that will take you through 2022 and beyond? We can help. At Print And Web Designer, we offer a full suite of brand design and print design services for businesses in North Carolina, including brochure design, magazine design, and Triangle web design.

Call us at (336) 684-6505 or fill out this online form to speak with us today.

[Project] Pets Uniting People Society Magazine

by Myra Stacey | Feb 4, 2022 | Print Design, Project Files, Web Design

PUPs: Pets Uniting People Society is an organization near and dear to my heart. Putting animals first, taking care of them, and making sure they live their lives as safely and healthy as possible is their mission. I have the privilege of working with them to design their website, https://pupsunite.org/, and their magazine.

Their website contains a library of the magazine PUPs On A Mission

Thank you for the opportunity, PUPs. I love working with you!

“Myra and her staff are across-the-board the best in the business! All wrapped up in a nice package…good quality, good value, professional and responsive…they’re all you need for graphic design! Recommending Print and Web Designer highly for any graphic design project.” ~ Carolyn Hayes, Publisher and Executive Director with Pets Uniting People Society

[Project] Bed and Breakfast Logo Design

by Myra Stacey | Feb 3, 2022 | Project Files

Kathleen is following her dream by opening a bed and breakfast. She wanted a Victorian-looking logo with a modern flair since this elegant Victorian-style home is in the heart of the vibrant South End in Burlington, Vermont. She showed us a picture of a lamp. Working together, we came up with the colors, then the image. We ended with finding the perfect fonts to match. Kathleen will be using the logo labels for her homemade jam and other collateral throughout her marketing.

We proudly present her new logo and Brand Specification Guide.

One more thing. If you’re ever in Burlington, Vermont, book you a few nights at the Burlington Victorian Vacation Rentals and enjoy some of her homemade jam! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/46829883

Thank you, Kathleen. It was a privilege to work with you We appreciate your loyalty and business over the last years and look forward to working you for many more.

Did You Know The Most Common Tax Deductions?

by Myra Stacey | Jan 22, 2022 | Entrepreneurship, Web Design

Did you know Marketing Taxes are probably the most confusing aspect of business management — their numerous types, requirements, ever-shifting rates, and subject-to-change laws are enough to make any business owner go haywire. That said, knowing all tax obligations accurately and paying them on time is crucial for every business owner. This is true for both novice entrepreneurs and well-established business leaders — it is the only way to avoid costly penalties and legal punishments.

To save you from making pricey tax mistakes and tainting your business reputation, here is a list of the types of small business taxes:

Income tax

This is the most common type of tax that almost all business owners are aware of. They must pay income taxes on their annual net income, tips, unemployment benefits, profit from a property sale, investment, and wages.

Payroll tax

The payroll tax, also called employment tax, is levied from businesses with a set of employees. The payroll tax is withheld from each employee’s salary and remitted to the government. While income taxes go into the government’s general fund, the payroll tax is used for specific programs and to fund Medicare and Social Security.

Self-employment tax

As the name implies, the self-employment tax is paid by self-employed people, including freelancers and independent contractors. Every independent worker with yearly net earnings of over $400 is liable to pay some part of the earnings to the federal government.

Excise tax

An excise tax is charged on purchasing specific goods and services, including tobacco, fuel, and alcohol. If your business operations include purchasing these products or services, you are bound to pay the excise tax on all such transactions.

Property tax

Business owners have to pay property taxes if they have a brick-and-mortar store. It is an ad-valorem tax — taxes based on the assessed value of an object — calculated by the local government, and a business owner is liable to pay the said amount.

Save money through tax deductions

The list mentioned above includes major taxes that every business owner must know about — there can be more types of taxes that you may have to pay depending on your local laws. This means businesses worldwide have to reserve a significant chunk of their profit for taxes, which is disappointing — it is disheartening to see your hard-earned money flee!

Therefore, business owners try to save their money through tax deductions. Tax deduction refers to the reduction of the taxable income to lower the tax liability — it is a lifesaver for business owners, as it significantly reduces the amount they pay on taxes.

One of the most common business costs that qualify as a deductible business expense is marketing — yes, the business aspect you probably spend the most on can help you save your money. Lately, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) declared that the business expenses that help you build a positive public reputation would be considered as a deductible expense — so you don’t need to worry if you are opting for slightly expensive Triangle Web Design, Print Design, or Infographics Design Services, after all, it is helping you pay fewer taxes!

After talking to an expert, you can subtract the marketing expenses from your current income, thereby reducing your taxable income. In other words, if you earn $50,000 per annum and your marketing expense is $2,000, you can subtract the $2,000 from your total income and pay taxes only on the remaining $48,000.

We are listing the marketing costs precisely for your convenience so you can claim tax deductions.

Website

As we know, websites are virtual gateways to a business that allows people to understand what the company offers — engaging and customer-centric websites have higher chances of conversions. Therefore, North Carolina-based businesses invest in Durham Web Design Services or Sanford Web Design Services.

Website creation and management costs are higher, especially for well-established firms. Fortunately, it counts as a deductible expense. If you hire a digital marketing agency in North Carolina to handle your brand’s marketing and website, you can apply for a tax deduction.

Advertisement print material

You may not realize it, but the cost of printing adds up fast, eventually becoming a huge business expense. And if you go for colored prints with a gloss finish, it may even cost you a fortune — let alone custom printing!

Here is good news, though: all promotional print materials are eligible for a deduction. So, opting for high-end companies in NC offering brochure design and magazine design should not worry you.

The tax-deductible items include:

Postcards
Business cards
Direct mailers
Flyers
Product brochures
Tradeshow displays

Digital marketing campaigns

Most businesses invest in digital marketing campaigns to expand their outreach, be more visible, reach their target audience, make conversions, and maximize profits. These campaigns are a significant part of most NC-based businesses, as it helps increase revenue. Here is a list of common digital marketing campaigns that are tax-deductible:

Social Media Marketing
Email Marketing
Influencer Marketing
Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Campaign Ads
Google AdWords and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns

Marketing software expenses

Today, there are many marketing software conducive to successful business management. They are designed to automate common business processes, such as lead management, to boost efficiency and minimize human errors. Companies usually buy monthly or yearly subscriptions to such software. Now, you can easily add them to tax deductions and yield financial benefits.

Common software that businesses in North Carolina use, which are tax-deductible, include:

Hubspot
MailChimp
Hootsuite

Start-up marketing expenses

Gone are the days when establishing a business was a mere pipe dream for budding entrepreneurs — the expenses made the venture seem impossible. Today, you can easily set up your small business in North Carolina without having to pay a huge sum of money as tax.

The IRS declared that you could add many business marketing expenses to the tax-deductible list. You can deduct the costs you pay before launching your business from your annual income, thereby reducing your tax amount.

Conclusion

Now that you know you are, in a way, saving when you are paying for that company offering brand design services, infographic design, or magazine design, why not hire one? If you are looking for “Triangle web design” or “Sanford web design” on Google, Print and Web Designer is here to do the needful. We are an NC-based digital marketing company offering marketing solutions — everything from graphic design to keyword research. If you are motivated to scale your business, give us a call at (336) 684-6505 or write to us at info@PrintandWebDesigner.com today.

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