Clear Vision Blog

Support your local musicians

mbrennan20 — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 04:41:13 +0000

At Clear Vision Communications, we are big supporters of local music. We want to see more national acts brought locally, and more local acts succeed. With this in mind, we created Rockin’ the Suburbs, a Facebook page to become a source on local shows. “Like” our page, and we will let you know what bands are playing at what venues locally, and when.

We are also hoping to expand the content, to provide reviews and stories about local musicians. Chicago is known for a music scene. There are many wonderful local acts within reach in the suburbs, and they deserve our attention. So stay tuned to our page, and we can keep you informed about what’s happening locally.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rockin-the-Suburbs/116255568440192

Social Media

mbrennan20 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:19:18 +0000

There are too many companies out there who simply create a Facebook fan page, and say they are using social media to help their business. So many of those fan pages are blank. Nothing is being done and nobody is talking. There are things you can do to add some livelihood to your Internet campaign.

A Facebook fan page is a logical place to start your efforts. There are things you can do with it to ensure its effectiveness. First, use it to have a conversation with your friends. It’s social media, and the important thing is to be social. Provide useful tips, and contribute to the conversation within your field of expertise. This will go so much better than selling. Offer tips, be useful and build relationships. Leave comments on other people’s wall. Contribute.

Make sure your page is visually appealing. If you had an event over the weekend, post pictures. Make sure it’s visual. Another great tool Facebook offers to help with the visual is Facebook Markup Language. This allows you to post text and graphics with the freedom of their markup language.

Twitter is also a helpful platform. You can Tweet advice, and tips within your field of expertise. You can also respond to other followers using the @ feature. Your page should be filled with @ Tweets. It means that your having conversations and building relationships. You can also find work on Twitter, using the search feature. I know a few professionals who have done quite well by looking for those, looking for them.

Blogging is also important. In SEO circles there is a phrase: “Content is King.” By routinely blogging, and feeding that blog through your website, you’re allowing keyword rich content to assist your websites ranking in the search engines. Blog about your business blog about your area of expertise. Search engines are looking to rank the websites higher that establish themselves as authoritative in their fields. There are several ways to allow your blog content to populate your website. If you don’t do that, at least provide a link to your blog on your website. It will only help your rankings.

There’s several other sites out there that help. Create profiles for your business in as many places as you can. Keep them current and contribute as much as you can. You never know what will catch the eye of a customer or a search engine.

Do your research. There are many industry-specific social media sites that can help you gain exposure with the right people. Check out your options.

If you have a video camera and are photogenic, consider video blogging. Video is ranking extremely high in the search engines currently, and is a more personable way for customers to see what your business is about. It’s not for everyone, but the return can be high.

Just remember with social media, you get back what you put in. Promote yourself across channels. If you post a video blog to Youtube, provide a link on Facebook. If you blog on Hubpages, link to it in Myspace. Follow people on different platforms and encourage them to do the same.

Just keep finding more platforms and getting the word out, and your customers will find you.

Customize your Facebook fan page

mbrennan20 — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:54:54 +0000

Facebook is the most popular website on the Internet for one reason, because it is one of the best. It’s very clean and functional and provides a service to consumers better than all of its competitors.

That being said, it is also sterile. It’s hard to achieve distinction on a Facebook page, when everyone’s is laid out the same way. Then, Facebook Markup Language (FBML) came along. People were allowed to make some of these changes that will make them more noticeable. All the while Facebook keeps its look and feel.

We’ve recently made some changes to the Clear Vision Facebook page using FBML, and we’d love to do the same for yours. Come, check it out at http://www.facebook.com/ClearVisionCommunications?v=app_4949752878.

In a land of anonymity, where everything looks the same, it is best to draw a distinction between you and your competition. We can help you do that.

A Social Media Example

mbrennan20 — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:54:48 +0000

Do I need Social Media?
There are many business owners who are on the fence regarding the use of social media. They don’t know what it is, or how to use it. So they become skeptics. I want to give an example, to hopefully illustrate the power of a strong social media presence.

Let’s say you live in a large city, like Chicago. Your friends from college who you haven’t seen in years are coming to visit. You don’t want to just sit around the house. So, you begin looking for things to do.

Forget the phone book. It may have listings of each bar or club, but it won’t give you any additional information. If you want to know what specials the bars have on Friday when your friends arrive, or who is playing, you’d need to pick up the phone and call each one. A gigantic waste of time.

You can Google bars in Chicago, and you’d have a little more luck. Now, you have Google map locations, and websites popping up, and information can more easily come together. A little research, and you could plan a fun night.

But people tend to remember the places they had a good time. Last time you had some friends in town, you went to a neighborhood bar that served $2 bottles of beer. Now, in the city, that’s a bargain. They also had a great band that night. So, you begin thinking about going back.

This is where a Social Media plan comes in. You only remembered the name of the bar, because you were on your buddy’s Facebook page, who went with you. Instead of backing out of Facebook, to search for it on Google, you just stay where you’re at, and type the name of the bar into the Facebook search bar.

Now, say I am the owner of that bar. I just had a brand new website built, and I am not super tech-savvy. I don’t know how to change the content in my website to reflect the weekly drink specials, or the live entertainment. Without social media, chances are I would have lost you as a customer.

Even if I had updated that information on my website, chances are, you may not have gone there. So if I did not have it on my Facebook, I still may have lost you as a customer. At the very least, it would have given you the opportunity to consider other options. That’s not something I want to do as a business owner.

With a simple Facebook fan page, I was able to give you and your friends the information you were seeking in a simple format. So for the weekend at least, I keep you as customers.

You can substitute out the bar, and this story will remain pretty universal. As Facebook continues to grow, so do the number of people who check it before they decide on who to go to for a major purchase.

Social media will only help your business stay visible and stay relevant in an ever-changing world.

Copywriting solutions

mbrennan20 — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:59:45 +0000

http://www.matthewlbrennan.com

I wanted to announce my new website matthewlbrennan.com, to showcase some of my copywriting and Internet marketing work. The website provides a background for my 10-year writing career, along with a portfolio that shows some of my more recent commercial and journalistic work. The website provides a second showcase for my work that will prove to be helpful in presentation.

Read about business marketing, web design

mbrennan20 — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:57:47 +0000

I have enjoyed sharing information about the importance of marketing your website here. Websites and Internet marketing truly are the secret to small business success in an ailing economy.

With that in mind, I will be writing about web design, Internet marketing, and copywriting, among other subjects, in two places.

One is hubpages. Hubpages is a community that allows you to write about any subject. It is a great place to share knowledge, and interact with other like-minded individuals. So for more tips on marketing your website, and insight on why it is important to do so, visit my portfolio at hubpages: http://hubpages.com/profile/MatthewLBrennan.

From time to time, I will also be writing various web design articles for Ehow.com. These articles will for the most part be tailored for the web design community. It is important to share and obtain knowledge through colleagues in this business.

The advantages to an original website

mbrennan20 — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 23:47:48 +0000

As a small business, attracting clients can be similar to job hunting. The main objective in both activities is to sell yourself, and sell your services. How do you do that?

By making yourself stand out. A unique, well designed website with original graphics is the best way to do that. It’s no secret that we are in a bad economy. Times are tough for you, and your competitors. Chances are your competitor may have cut costs with his website. If your competitor didn’t, it’s all the more reason to compete for your share of the market.

It’s tempting to buy a template, or try to build your site yourself. But making yourself stand out means putting your best foot forward.

Clean copy with a clear message is important. You don’t want something with misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. You also want to make sure that your graphics are top of the line, and original, and that your website is easy for customers to navigate.

These things will all help your customer’s experience, which will make them remember you. This will pay off big in the end!

Copywriting for Web Designers

mbrennan20 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:36:21 +0000

Most web designers did not enter the field for their ability to write elegant, flowery prose. Strong copy however, is essential for your site, and your client’s as well. Let’s face it. You don’t want to drop 20 hours into the design, and have customers turn away after you’ve used the wrong form of the word its. For those of you of the DIY persuasion, here are 10 basic tips to make sure the copy does not detract from that beautiful design:
1. Use correct spelling and grammar—Your Microsoft Word comes with a spell check. Use it. You can also pick up a copy of the AP style guide, there are also other grammar guides out there. If you don’t take the time to learn this, your potential clients will know the difference.
2. Keep it simple—Whether your client is an engineering firm, a restaurant, or the local gym, keep the copy easy to read. If people see too many words they don’t know, they will navigate away and not come back.
3. Avoid information overload—Don’t use pages of narrowly spaced type. Shorter copy that is well spaced is less intimidating.
4. Know the difference—If a word has multiple spellings, you better know the difference. There is there, their and they’re, it’s and its, are and ours. I once saw a college newspaper use the headline “Keeping are campus safe.” That’s embarrassing. Don’t put yourself, or a client in that same position. Especially after all your hard design work.
5. Be specific—Be careful with words like “great,” “nice,” or “awesome.” Say you’re doing a restaurant website. These words don’t describe the meal. “The tangy BBQ sauce over the tender pulled pork” gives your mouth something it can work with.
6. Hook them, and don’t leave them disappointed—There are plenty of studies out there showing just how quick most users will click away from your site if you don’t hook them right away. So make sure you lead with your strongest point and let them finish with something that makes them feel rewarded.
7. Keep your copy simple and organized—Is a paragraph too muddled? Don’t be afraid to break your ten items into a list. It’ll be easier to read that way.
8. Headlines that matter—Make sure your headlines catch customers and help you sell your products and services.
9. The 5 w’s—This staple of journalism has its purpose on the web as well. Make sure that you are giving your customers what they need to know to make an informed decision. This information should be on your home page.
10. Read your copy outloud—I know it sounds silly, and wives and coworkers may laugh at you. It is the best way to catch a clunky sentence, or the wrong use of a word, that may slip through the cracks if you don’t hear it out loud.

Ten Ways to Improve Your Online Presence

mbrennan20 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:33:53 +0000

Most of us are web designers. There are plenty of resources out there for the right way to fill alt tags, create meta data, and submit to directories. Here is a list of 10 things you can do online and off to increase your online presence and attract potential customers.
1. Write a press release—Your website is newsworthy, so let news organizations know.
2. Do non-profit work—Sure this is a lot of work, but it is rewarding. When you are done, you can show local business owners, and present it in front of the non-profit’s city council to get more jobs.
3. Be an expert—You can write articles, blogs, press releases and join discussion boards relating to your profession. The more active and vocal you are, the more likely you’ll get noticed.
4. Network—Meetup.com is a great resource. Also, any errand you have, make a point talk to the owner. A colleague of mine just picked up a job while doing his laundry at a local laundromat.
5. Ask for links—Do other businesses cater to the same audience that you want to? Don’t be shy, ask them for a link.
6. Work the social media—Social media is about being social. Respond to everyone, be an expert, but go easy on the selling. Use as many sites as you can and use them the right way.
7. Email/Direct mail marketing—Build yourself a nice list. Communicate with them through email or direct mail. Get your business out there.
8. Keep your content up to date—Maybe potential customers visit your site once or twice. To keep them returning, they need a reason. Update your content and keep them hooked.
9. Build specific landing pages—Build specific landing pages tailored for an ad campaign, a special offer, or to target a specific group. Use other items on this list to promote them.
10. Give away stuff—Pens, cards, mugs, etc. Get your URL out there into the right hands.

The technology is so different, but the principles remain

mbrennan20 — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:06:26 +0000

Recently, I found this checklist of things for web designers to consider when they build a site for clients: http://www.bivingsreport.com/2006/web-design-matters/.

The list is wonderful. It’s got everything on there from knowing your audience, to designing for all the different browsers, to making sure the content is readily available and of high quality.

The one thing I noticed about this list, is that it was compiled in 2006. Four years ago in web design, is like 50 years ago in calendar years. The technology advances so fast.

While the technology may move that fast, the principles of a quality site are staying the same. The customer wants the same thing. They want a quality product. While the design draws people in, the quality and consistency of content is still hugely important. Who can forget browsers? Web designers need to be testing across the board.

What the customer sees the first time they click on your site is a reflection of your work. So while the technology is light years apart over this time, the things designers consider should stay the same.