Category: Graphic Design

Your Fonts Matter

Your Fonts Matter

Posted on | by Thomas Scala
Content Writing, Graphic Design

Typefaces can make a significant impact on the success of a project, especially in the world of graphic design and marketing. As a designer, it’s important to understand why Your Fonts Matter and how it can affect the overall perception of a brand or message.

First Impressions Count

The first thing people see when they come across a project is the font. The font can influence whether the reader continues to engage with the content or moves on to something else. The right font can grab the reader’s attention, making them more likely to stick around and absorb the content and help make a positive first impression.

The font used in a project can say a lot about the brand and its values. Different font styles can evoke different emotions, and choosing the right font can help convey the brand’s tone and personality. For example, a playful font (i.e., Earth Days, Playful Child, Artapa) may be appropriate for a children’s toy brand. In contrast, a more serious font (Calibri, Baskerville, Open Sans) may better suit a financial institution. A font can also help to reinforce a brand’s identity and make it easily recognizable to customers.

Readability

Readability is important in any project, and the right font can make a huge difference. A font that is too small or too fancy can be difficult to read and make the content less accessible to the reader. If the point of your writing is to be read, it should be legible where it will be read, print versus digital. Choosing a legible font can help ensure the reader stays engaged and doesn’t lose interest in the content.

Mood and Emotion

The font can also affect the mood and emotion of the content. For example, a heavy font can evoke a feeling of strength, while a more delicate, flowing font can evoke a sense of elegance. The font can also create a sense of urgency, helping to grab the reader’s attention and motivate them to take action. By choosing the right font, a designer can help control what emotions the customer/viewer feels while interacting with the brand making it more effective in communicating the brand’s message.

Accessibility

The importance of accessibility is quickly growing in importance in any project, and the right typeface can play a significant role in making the content accessible to all. A font that is too small or elaborate can be difficult to read, particularly for those with visual impairments. By choosing a font that is easy to read and legible, designers ensure everyone can engage with the content.

Choosing the right font is crucial in any graphic design or marketing project. The font can significantly impact the project’s success, influencing the reader’s perception of the brand and its values, the readability of the content, and the mood and emotion it conveys. By understanding the importance of the right font, designers can help create projects that effectively communicate the brand’s message and make a lasting impression on the reader.

Why The AD Leaf?

Don’t get lost just choosing that random typeface because you like how it looks or because you saw it being used by a reputable company and think that because it worked for them, why won’t it work for you? Our team of trained and experienced designers knows what and why a specific font works (and so much more.) Talk to one of our experts to schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams; call us today at 321-255-0900.

Does Your Small Business Have a Brand Guide?

Does Your Small Business Have a Brand Guide? 

Posted on | by Allison Wetterau
Graphic Design

Does Your Small Business Have a Brand Guide? The FIVE Reasons why you should.  

When starting a small business, it’s easy for you to have the mentality of “jumping right in.” You want to complete and do everything to feel like you are up and running as quickly as possible. While doing all of these things can be an important factor in becoming visible to potential customers, what is more important is slowing down to ensure you are creating a branding guide for your small business. This task is often a task that is skipped and looked over. A branding guide should be the base of your business, and you can create around this guide. This step can be a step that small businesses skip, but if you take the time to complete this in the beginning, you can find yourself more successful in the long term. Here are the top 5 reasons your small business should have a branding guide. 

Consistency

Having an established brand guide can create consistency with your online presence. Showing up consistently in front of your audience can show your audience and customers that you are committed to your brand and small business. Every time a customer or potential customer visits your website, comes across your business card or even scrolls your social media platforms, they are consuming your brand on top of everything else they consume on a daily basis. Showing consistency in your brand will make it more recognizable over time with your viewers. With the digital world being so saturated with influencers, other small businesses, and the daily life of friends and family, consistency will set your business apart from others. 

Setting Standards

A brand guide can contain some of the following elements, Logo, Color Palette Logo Standards, etc. This can set the standards for how your brand should be presented in all aspects of your business, whether that be digitally or in print. It might seem silly to think that you shouldn’t use extra colors or even fonts in your online presence, but even the slightest change in your brand can change how your brand is viewed by your customers. Setting standards can be a game-changer. 

Recognizable 

Keeping your brand consistent can ensure that your brand is more recognizable by your customers. Some of the most popular brands have shown consistency in their brands over their lifetime and can now say they are recognizable to just about anyone. Some examples of brand consistency include Target, Microsoft, Starbucks, and even Google. Target is universally known in my own household, with my toddler, as the “Red Store.” They consistently use the same color, red, in ALL of their stores, branding, and digital footprint. It is so consistent that my three-year-old has already put the puzzle pieces together, and when I say we are going to the “Red Store,” she automatically knows we are taking a trip to Target. Having a branding guide that you continuously follow will help your brand stay consistent, which will, in the end, lead to being recognizable. 

Staying Focused

When you get your business up and rolling, it can be easy to get distracted with product launches, new services, or the day-to-day of what it takes to run a business. This can easily stretch a brand too thin. A brand guide that is clearly laid out can help a business owner and all of their employees stay focused on what is important. Staying focused during times that seem to be stretching your brand thin can create value for your brand. 

Adding Value to Your Brand

Brand consistency over time can create brand value. Customers and consumers will continue to purchase and re-use products that they see or find value in. If your brand is consistent and recognizable, over time, you will create brand value. The value will create lifelong customers.

It’s Time to Rebuild Your Website!

It’s Time to Rebuild Your Website!

Posted on | by Yeammy Torres
Graphic Design, IT Services, Website Design

 

It’s Time to Rebuild Your Website!
When was the last time you updated your business’s website?

 

When was the last time you updated your website? 5 or 3 years ago? With the current speed of changes in the digital world, going months without updating or adding new content to your website is way too much! It’s time to rebuild your website!

Also, it’s important to highlight that in today’s digital and aesthetic day, good design is everything. People laugh at websites from 5 years ago! It’s time to elevate your online presence and make a website that stands out. Whether you’re building a new site from the ground up or updating an old one, keeping your image sharp online can help put you at the top of your game for business.

Think about your own experience online. Do you prefer looking at images or long bodies of text? What colors stand out? Do you like those clunky buttons? Having a sleek website doesn’t have to be hard. With many easy site-building tools on the market today, it’s easier than ever to get an up-to-date look for your online hub. And if you can’t put in the time or don’t quite understand how newer tech works, The AD Leaf Marketing Firm can help with web design too!

 

Why It’s Time to Update That Old Site

  • First impressions are EVERYTHING.

When a customer searches for your product, the first thing they will see is likely your website. Taking advantage of this is crucial in today’s digital world; even word of mouth will lead to potential customers searching for your site for hours of operation, products, and more. Creating a website that answers these questions in a good-looking package means that consumers will have a more enjoyable experience browsing your site. Happy customers = good business. 

  • Your SEO Will Benefit.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is one of the most important factors in making a website. Everything down to the code used to build your site needs to be SEO-friendly to get the best online visibility. Marketing teams like The AD Leaf can help your website rank higher in Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other searches by utilizing key phrases and words. Making sure your website can be found is a great way to reach new and existing customers with good web copy, new blog updates, and more. 

  • You’ll Come Across Better to Customers.

If you put in the time to create a good-looking website, your audience will know that you will put in the time for them too. The best websites are created with the reader in mind; everything from button placement to how the content is written is crafted to make the browsing experience more enjoyable. With a bright, welcoming website, your customers will feel welcomed as if greeted by a friendly customer service representative. On the other hand, an old, forgotten page can come across as untrustworthy.

  • It’s Important to Keep Up With Competition.

Think about this: your competitors probably already have updated websites. With the push for more and more online services, the demand for website development has skyrocketed, meaning you might need to catch up. Don’t be left in the dust. Update your site as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

  • It Creates a Consistent Image.

Having a website accessible from a laptop, phone, tablet, or any other internet-using device is part of being up-to-date. Being visible on all platforms will help your brand stay consistent, creating a better image for you and your product. Combining a fresh new site with high-quality graphic design can be the best way to elevate your brand.

  • Your Audience Will Trust You More.

Let’s be honest. People don’t trust sketchy websites. Just like a house, customers who don’t feel comfortable on your website will leave it. A cluttered, dusty shop isn’t going to sell as much as a shiny new one, no matter the product’s quality.

 

Like an interview, you want your business to make its best first impression. In today’s digital age, people increasingly turn to the internet to search for products and services. Keeping up with current design trends and digital interfaces can help put you ahead of the competition. Whether creating your own site from an easy online source or taking advantage of creative services like ours, get your site up to snuff for the new year.

How does graphic design services elevate my business?

How Does Graphic Design Elevate My Business?

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Advertising, Graphic Design

 

In today’s highly competitive business world, it’s more important than ever to make an excellent first impression. One of the most important ways to do that is through graphic design services. Whether it’s creating a logo, designing a website, or developing an advertising campaign, graphics can help your business stand out from the crowd. 

But What Are Graphic Design Services?

Design is all around us, in the logos we see on products in the store, on the websites we visit, and in the apps we use on our phones. It’s everywhere, and it’s an essential part of our modern world. But what is graphic design, and why do we need it?

At its best, graphic design is all about creativity and communication. It’s about finding new ways to capture people’s attention and communicate your message in a way that is both visually appealing and memorable.

Design is all around us, in billboards, logos, packaging, and more. It’s a crucial part of marketing, as it helps to communicate information about a product or brand in a visually appealing way. Graphic designers use their creativity and technical skills to create designs that are both eye-catching and informative.

It is the art of creating visual content to communicate messages. It involves a creative and systematic plan to solve a problem or achieve specific objectives using images, symbols, or words. Graphic designers use various methods to create and combine words, symbols, and images to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. They may use typography, visual arts, and page layout techniques to create graphics. Typical uses of graphic design include identity (logos and branding), publications (magazines, newspapers, and books), advertisements, product packaging, and websites.

In short, graphic design can help you reach your target audience and achieve your business goals. So if you’re looking to give your business a boost, consider investing in some good graphics.

How Do Graphics Benefit My Business?

Good graphic design art can set your business apart from the competition. By creating a visually appealing brand, you can communicate your company’s values and mission to potential customers.

In today’s world, first impressions are more important than ever, and a well-designed logo or website can make all the difference. Graphic design can also help target specific markets, as different demographics respond to different images and messages.

With the help of a skilled designer, you can create marketing materials that will reach your ideal customer base and help your business to grow.

Why Do I Need Graphic Design?

Graphic design is essential for businesses of all sizes. From start-ups to established companies, a professionally designed logo and website help to create a solid and recognizable brand. Design assets can also be used to produce marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, and posters, which can help to raise awareness of your business and attract new customers. 

There are many reasons why graphics are essential. For businesses, it’s a way to stand out from the competition and attract customers. For individuals, it can be a way to express themselves creatively. And for society as a whole, it can be used to communicate messages of importance (such as public service announcements or awareness campaigns). Whatever the reason, graphic design plays a vital role in our world today.

By investing in graphics, you can give your business the competitive edge to succeed. 

94% of first impressions people make on your company are based on graphic design.

Examples of Assets:

  • Logos
  • Business Cards
  • Print Design (flyers, billboards, letterhead, signage, and banners)
  • Web Advertisements
  • Promotional Item Design (apparel, pens, koozies, etc.)

Graphic Design Assistance

Good design is imperative to a company’s branding and marketing strategy. It can create trustworthiness with customers and help to set your business apart from the competition. If your business needs graphic design, The AD Leaf can help. We have years of experience creating beautiful, compelling graphics that reflect the essence of businesses. Contact us today at 321-255-0900 or email info@theadleaf.com and ask about our graphic design services.

logo design

How a Good Logo Defines Your Business

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Graphic Design

Wondering how a well-designed logo will benefit your business? Every business needs a logo to be successful, but having a professionally designed logo one will help propel your business to success. Having an established logo is worth every penny of the investment. In fact, 50% of consumers are more likely to patronize a brand with a logo that they recognize. 

Logo design is essential to branding. The logo tells it all: what your brand does, represents, and values. It shapes how people perceive you and your business, which in turn impacts their experience with the product or service that you offer them – be it through words on an advertisement or website page. Anything that has your logo on it impacts the consumer in one way or another.

When people say “not to judge a book by its cover,” they usually do anyway, and logo design is the same. The logo for your business needs to be impactful and memorable, as it sets the tone for the rest of your brand. There’s a reason people can remember logos from big brands instantly. 

An unprofessional-looking logo can also damage customer confidence, as they may question how well you will deliver on products or services rendered at their request.

So, what aspects of a logo should you consider?

Color

A brand color palette also plays an integral part in branding, as it creates a visual experience for the consumer. Think of the most iconic brands: that specific blue linked to a particular jewelry store, or yellow golden arches, a blue arrow. Those brands come to mind immediately without even having to say the name.

The color of your brand is not something to take lightly. Colors can help shape mood and subconsciously shape action. For example, blue invokes honesty, loyalty, and trustworthiness, whereas yellow relates to cheerfulness, serenity, and warmth. 

Not only is the color important, but the saturation of colors is another aspect to take into account. Saturation is how vibrant or dull a color looks. Fully saturated colors are in their purest form, rich and bright, while low saturated colors will look more gray and dull.

Your logo should be viewed on light and dark backgrounds, over pictures or video, and on your products. This is why having variations of your logo (black, white, and full color) is vastly important.

Symbol

Something as simple as an apple or the letter “f” has been turned into some of the most recognizable logos in the world. 

When creating a logo, look in the direction of simplicity. Not only will it help the consumer remember the logo better, but it is more visually appealing than a cluttered logo that looks like it has been designed with no intention in mind. Consumers will know that you are serious about your brand and them.

Type

Typography is more important than people realize. Choosing a font for your logo can be challenging but worth it in the end. It may seem tedious when a graphic designer sends logo variations with nearly identical fonts, but type plays a crucial role in overall branding.

The type should not only reflect your brand, but it should be visually appealing as well. Careful arrangement of typography ensures that your design is well-organized and makes it more engaging. Considering different aspects like font selection, color contrast between blocks and fonts, and blank space produce a better visual experience with users.

Readability is a crucial factor when choosing a type for your logo. Script, display, and gothic fonts tend to be harder to read, while serif and sans-serif fonts are easier to read.

Logo Design and Branding Assistance

A well-designed logo is a vital part of any company’s branding and marketing strategy. It can create trustworthiness with customers and help to set your business apart from the competition. If you need a new logo or want to update your old one, The AD Leaf can help. We have years of experience creating beautiful, simple logos that reflect the essence of your business. Contact us today at 321-255-0900 or email info@theadleaf.com and ask about our Graphic Design services.

photos

Stock Photography: Silent Brand Killer or Time-Saver?

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Graphic Design, Marketing, Website Design

 

As a business owner, there’s a myriad of decisions that fall on your shoulders from financial decisions to branding decisions. At the end of the day, you may find yourself wanting to slap on any photos for marketing to pair with your social media posts. But before you press that “Post” button, let’s dive into the Stock Photography vs. Original Photography debate.

First things first, why can’t we simply copy and paste any photo from the world wide web? 

Avoiding Copyright Infringement

The photos that we see on online publications are copyrighted and are unable to be used for commercial and marketing use. Using these photos without the permission of the photographer, company, or publication could result in a hefty fine or further legal action. This is typically when companies look to stock photography. Let’s look at the pros and cons, shall we?

 

The Pro’s and Con’s of Stock Photography

Stock Photography can be a great tool to lean on when deadlines are tight. It can save you an hour’s time of messing with a camera and worrying about copyright when you just need two posts worth of photos. Sprinkling in quality stock photos to buff up your volume of content certainly won’t damage your brand credibility, however, it’s important to sift through stock photography libraries. If the image isn’t blending in with the rest of your content or branding it’ll stick out like a sore thumb. We’ve all seen those generic photos of a group of “business associates” that are giving their best faux laugh with a thumbs up. 

The last thing you want when a consumer comes across your marketing content is generic. It cancels out your credibility of providing customized customer relationships and takes away the originality of your brand that you’ve worked so hard to build. Furthermore, nothing is more embarrassing for a company than when they realize their landing page has the same smiling employee as a competitor company in another state. With the public consuming so much content in a day, you’ll be surprised at how quickly consumers of all ages can spot stock photography usage. 

 

The Pro’s and Con’s of Original Photography

Many business owners think that the option of original photography is an expensive and time-consuming process searching for the right photographer. Websites, such as Fiverr, are a great place to find photographers! You’ll be able to analyze their style, read reviews from past clients, and even find a product photographer for as little as $30. Think of this as a legal investment now that you’ll have complete ownership of photos that you’ll be able to use more than once. Working with a photographer will also assist in expanding your brand aesthetic that consumers can recognize without seeing your company’s name. These photos can present your service or product in your perspective. This is a part of laying down the foundation for building trust and familiarity with customers. 

Due to the majority of people having a smartphone, there’s no reason to not have photos of your product or your employees in action while they carry out a service. By typing in “Basic Smartphone Photography” on Youtube, you’ll be provided with countless quick lessons on how to take the proper photo. Allow yourself to present your own point of view and indulge in your inner creative.

 

Stock Photography vs. Original Photography

 In the end, your own photos for marketing will perform better than stock photography. A while back we had a client that was reluctant to provide his Social Media Specialist with photos of his employees while they were working but was unsatisfied with the performance of their social media platforms. They finally decided to send one photo and amazingly enough, the response and engagement were twice that of any previous stock imagery the Social Media Specialist has used in the past. 

A study recently conducted by “Marketing Experiments” compared the response of consumers to a stock image of a woman vs a picture of a company’s founder. Consumers were 35% more likely to sign up for a free consultation when the founder’s photo was used. Even though it wasn’t likely that visitors would be conversing with the founder, they were able to connect with a real person from the company.

All in all original photography not only saves you money in the end but is a testament to your commitment to being a trustworthy, premium content company. There’s no need to ban stock photography from your marketing content, but you’ll find the best engagement success online with photos taken by you or by a professional. 

Still intimidated by the decision on which images to use? At The AD Leaf ®, we have a team of Social Media Specialists who thrive off of cultivating premium content for a variety of businesses. Let’s work together on expanding your company’s presence online! Give us a call at (321) 255.0900 or, set up a consultation by emailing us at info@theadleaf.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon! 

 

5 Reasons Why Great Imagery is Key

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Graphic Design, Marketing

When we browse through an Instagram profile, whether it’s Architectural Digest or Condé Nast Traveller, we suddenly long for the coziness of home or encounter wanderlust scrolling through images of Italian vineyards. Without a doubt, the beautiful, crisp, clean imagery evokes a good feeling and has an undeniable impact on our brain. Images are a powerful tool to build your brand. And when great imagery is combined with digital marketing, that’s when the magic happens. Why is that? What is the science behind it? It’s simple. Research shows images are processed 600,000 times faster than text! Without imagery, digital marketing won’t strike an emotional chord among your audience. Visual imagery resonates, connects, and inspires. Let’s explore the reasons why great imagery is the key in your marketing efforts:

1. The right imagery will attract an audience. It’s true. In an age of visual culture, if you want to create the biggest impact from the get-go, imagery is king. Written content will only take you halfway. If your goal is to stop your audience in its tracks when scrolling through hundreds of posts on their Instagram feed, focus on your visuals. The right tone, resolution, and even subject matter are things that should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy. In fact, imagery is 10 times more likely to generate audience engagement than content without images.

Build Your Brand

2. Imagery boosts engagement and connects. Research shows posts with imagery cultivate more engagement than links, videos, or text-based updates. And more engagement means more leads. On Facebook, posts featuring imagery account for 93% of the most engaging posts. That’s a pretty big deal! If your engagement is dropping and you’re scratching your head at what you’re doing wrong, take a look at your visuals. It may be time to rethink what you’re posting on Instagram and break your visuals down to even color science.

3. Your imagery reflects your brand. Do you want your brand to stand out and be memorable? Focus on your visual strategy. It’s not just about the brand logo. New companies and brands struggle to build your brand identity through imagery. Being mindful of the color tone and how it flows through your digital efforts, is something that should be considered. Use visuals that reflect the mood of the content. Pro tip: Lean on color theory and psychology.If you’re trying to convey happiness, use imagery that evokes joy: bright colors. Remember, you’re aiming for emotional impact. Connecting with your audience is key and the formula is simple: great imagery.

Build Your Brand

4. Your audience will remember your message. Text-based content is inefficient on its own. You can write a paragraph of content on your skincare brand, but users will struggle to connect if it’s just that. However, if you include a great on-brand image with your material, people are more likely to remember you and refer back to your product. According to the Social Science Research Network, 65% of people are visual learners, including myself. Want to captivate me? Tell me a story through a passionate image!

5. The digital world’s platforms are image-centric. It’s not rocket science to figure out why Instagram and Pinterest are taking the world by storm. What do they both have in common? That’s right. It’s Images. Image focused platforms are becoming increasingly popular. I think we can all agree pictures have become the universal language of the world. If you haven’t considered Instagram or Pinterest vital in the health of your brand, hopefully, you learned an important lesson today: a picture is worth a thousand words.

Great imagery comes with great responsibility. If done right, a picture inspires, evokes emotion, and engages people. Most importantly, it tells a compelling story when text may otherwise fail to personally resonate. Humans are wired to need visuals. How often have you become distracted or bored? Imagery is your chance to grab someone’s attention! It’s time to harness the power of visual imagery.

If you’re struggling to tell a compelling story and feel your brand is not performing to its full potential, hey, it happens. It’s natural to feel frustrated because you’re not getting any or enough engagement on your content. You’ve worked hard to introduce your business to the world and sometimes a little more push is just needed to unlock your brand’s full potential.

At The AD Leaf ®, we’re here to help study and build your brand, strategize, and offer solutions for your digital media portfolio. Feel free to give us a call at 321-255-0900 or you can email us to info@theadleaf.com. Let’s make great things happen together.

Content Marketing

Making Creative Content with Results

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Content Writing, Email Marketing, Graphic Design, Marketing, Social Media

Content marketing is a tried and true method of grabbing your audience’s attention. However, this has its downfalls because you have to compete against your peers. You want your content and blogging to stand out. This is why giving your content a creative spin is so important. There are a number of ways you can help your content give an extra twist.

Decide What You Want To Market

Before you get into the nitty-gritty of making your content, you first need to decide what exactly you want to market. Perhaps you have a new service you want to announce to your customers, or maybe you just want to amplify a service most of your customers did not know you offered. Whatever it is that you want to market, make sure that your marketing focuses on this product or service. You want to make sure that its usefulness and benefits are still the main focus.

Define Your Audience

You want to make sure that both the concept you are marketing and the marketing you plan to execute revolves around your target audience. Who do you believe will benefit the most from this product or service? 

For example, if you are a roofing company that wants to market your shingle repair services, you want to market yourself towards homeowners. If you want to go further, you may want to research online search trends to see further demographics who might be interested in your services, such as gender and age.

Types of Creative Content

Now that you have decided what to market and who to market to, here is the fun part: deciding how to creatively market your product or service. There are some different methods and mediums you and your business can utilize. Here are just a few:

We will be walking through the benefits of using these types of creative content for your marketing, as well as why you should choose The AD Leaf ® for whatever creative content production you decide upon. 

Videos For Content Marketing

Videos are great for easygoing and quick bites of information. Your customers can use these videos to gain a basic knowledge of your service or product. Furthermore, videos can be easily accessible to your consumers, as they are easy to share onto multiple platforms. The AD Leaf ® can help you create the perfect marketing videos using the best equipment and software on the market.

Blogs For Content Marketing

Blogs are perfect for customers who want a more in-depth and intimate explanation of your services and products. They are also a great way for your audience to get to know your business on a personal level through blog posts on your employees and your company’s culture. The AD Leaf ®’s team of content marketers will be able to guide you through the blog-writing process in an easy and efficient way.

Electronic Media For Content Marketing

Electronic media marketing can apply to anything from television advertisements to email marketing. This can result in new customers finding out about your services or products and older customers coming back to you for repeat results. Whatever your electronic media marketing needs are, The AD Leaf ®’s team of experts will help you decide what is the best course of action for your company.

Print Media For Content Marketing

Even in an environment populated by digital media, print media marketing is far from dead. Print advertisements are more flexible to promote, as you are able to choose where you want to publish your advertisements. The AD Leaf ® will help you determine the right course of action for your print media to make sure you are reached to as many potential customers as possible. 

Infographics For Content Marketing

For people who want the basics of your business and products, infographics are a great way to share your information. The effectiveness of infographics has been scientifically tested, with researchers at Thermopylae Sciences and Technology discovering that people “[process] images 60,000 times faster than text”. With this in mind, let The AD Leaf ® help you condense your important information into an easy-to-digest infographic with our graphic design

Social Media For Content Marketing

Finally, social media is perhaps the biggest source of creative content marketing on the market at the moment. It is so effective because you can create your own campaigns centered around your service or product while also promoting your other campaigns; for example, linking your blog post on a social media site can increase traffic towards that blog post. The AD Leaf ® can help you create the perfect social media strategy for you and your business.

Contact Us

Here at The AD Leaf ®, we are committed to providing you with the best and highest quality services possible for your business. We specialize in various different types of marketing, from video production to social media. Call us at 321-255-0900 or visit our website to schedule an appointment today.

You Want Me to Design What?

You Want Me to Design What?

Posted on | by Daniel Combs
Graphic Design, Marketing

What separates good graphic design from great graphic design? You will get many different answers to this question, but is there a single definitive response? Yes, there is: Having an eye for what works and what doesn’t. This is what takes graphic design from good to great. It’s looking at a project from many different angles and weighing it against the industry you’re designing for to produce a piece that pulls someone in and causes them to want to take action on it.

Think of it this way, graphic design skills are the tools, but the eye is the “hand” that wields the tools. Below are 8 design principles that make up having a great “eye” and can mean the difference between someone just looking at your design or a great project that draws people into your message and causes them to act on it.

“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for” – Milton Glaser

Elements of a Great Eye

Alignment

Every element of your project should flow together seamlessly: text, shapes, imagery. Each part should align to each other and not look like it was just “thrown” together. There is a place for everything. Alignment is critical to give the reader/viewer a “path” to follow in the design.

Visual Hierarchy

The primary focal point is the message you’re relaying to the reader/viewer, so you want to make your message stand out. What you want people to see first needs to have the most attention in your design. Big, bold, fonts; colors based on the industry, etc. This will go a long way to getting the reader’s attention.

Contrast

This plays well together with visual hierarchy and can help your message stand out even more. Contrast simply means opposites and doesn’t just apply to colors only, it is the opposing of thick vs thin, modern vs traditional, and many other things. It will assist in navigating the viewer to where you want them to go.

Repetition

Repetition is the overall layout of your design. It helps your project remain organized & consistent. This entails colors, font choices, layout (for certain projects), etc. At most, you should only have:

  • 2 to 3 colors in most instances (use a good color pairing tool).
  • 1 to 2 font styles, or “font family” (one family if the font has many different thicknesses, like Montserrat or Bahnschrift).
  • Consistent layout design, especially if only a certain part of the design changes like a different image or dates.

You don’t want to have all of your elements competing against each other from project to project (outside of normal planned visual hierarchy & contrast implementations).

Proximity

This is all about organization and placement and goes hand in hand with alignment and repetition. Where does everything go? How does the text go with the images? Where do I need to place the text? Grouping elements together by color, size, shape, etc., will help to keep the overall design clean and uncluttered.

Balance

Keeping your design balanced is vital. When the overall design looks messy and sloppy, it can push readers/viewers away and you’ve lost their interest. A great design is well balanced and not overpowering in visual appeal and impact. Are you portraying a message of action? Do you want people to be informed? How about bringing people joy? Keep people’s attention with a balanced design and they’ll be enticed to want to see and know more about your message.

Color

Ok, we’ve mentioned color a few times so far. There is a lot to color that most people don’t know, yet alone understand. Colorology (yes, that is a term, you can Google it) is a vast area when it comes to great graphic design. Colors can cause people to respond in certain ways. A staggering 85% of buying decisions are made just on color alone. Logos are the “frontline” of marketing. How many times have we stopped at a McDonald’s just seeing the “golden arches”? Was it a planned trip? No, we just saw the bright logo and stopped in and grabbed something to eat. Color goes a long way in portraying your message.

Oh, and by the way, Yellow is optimistic & youthful, it grabs the attention of window shoppers. Think about that the next time you stop and grab a Big Mac or walk into a store because you saw the Yellow ##% off sale sign in the window.

Spacing

Adding space to your design can help drive the focus to the area that contains your message. Most often this is called “negative space”, areas of the design that doesn’t contain any design elements. It can often be a solid color, or even blurred out parts of an image (such as part of the background image). Using this effectively when needed will make your design stand out and allow for a huge impact.

The Final Draft

In great graphic design, some or all of the above elements are used to convey a message to your readers/viewers. The most important first step is to look at graphic design as a consumer and not as a designer. Start with asking questions to yourself. What makes me interact and engage with a graphic? How do I respond to the overall design of a graphic that I’ve seen? What is it that pulls me in and keeps my attention?

Having the skills along with the eyes for graphic design in one package are hard to come by and here at The AD Leaf ®, our designers have both. They are ready & desire to take your projects to great new heights. Give us a call at 321-255-0900 and let us help you make your graphics pop! (Ok, I had to use it at least once, lol)

Digital Marketing Strategy

Why Businesses Need Digital Marketing To Survive COVID-19

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Content Writing, Email Marketing, Graphic Design, Marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Website Design

Why Businesses Need A Digital Marketing Strategy To Survive COVID-19

In the coming months, businesses of all sizes are going to become extra reliant than ever on their digital marketing strategy. Without wanting to sound too much like a killjoy, in many cases, it will be the deciding factor in whether they make it through the tough times that are ahead. 

The unparalleled, and almost-total disappearance of all channels related to live events and conferences, and the increasing barriers on face-to-face business, pose an enormous challenge to any business model. 

B2B companies, in particular, rely on the annual circuit of trade shows and exhibitions to network and build customer relations. In industries that are not digital-native, they may also be less sophisticated in their digital growth and customer relations strategies. Especially in the case of smaller businesses that are used to getting new customers strictly word-of-mouth referrals or on the strength of a hard-won reputation, their loss is going to come as a shock if it hasn’t already.

Larger companies are now finding themselves in the position of having potentially lost millions of dollars from canceled events alone. They won’t claw back the hours of time and expense spent on preparations for this year, but insurance and flexible cancellation policies are going to leave them with some marketing budget to reassign. Digital Marketing in any aspect is likely going to be the clear and obvious choice here, and companies that may not so much as had a Facebook page before will need to move into social media marketing, content marketing, SEO, and even influencer-led campaigns. 

This, of course, means there are opportunities out there for the taking and a key factor in resilience is adaptability. If it’s standard in your industry to go out and meet new customers face-to-face before you do business, adapting may mean opening new channels over web or social media platforms where introductions can be made and relationship fostered. In the coming months, you prospective clients are going to be less open to the idea of letting you walk through the door and shake their hand, and no-one really has any idea how long this will last and whether this will lead to longer-term change. 

We are going to be in some uncertain times, but with the increase of remote working and a collaborative approach, companies are going to turn to digital channels and embrace the transformation. There has already been a real spike in the last few weeks from companies wishing to create or update their websites, launch new social media channels and campaigns focused on home-workers and a real focus on using influencers and SEO to reach new audiences. 

Being confined to the office — or even the home — rather than on the road on sales visits or at events, means marketers are going to have more time to develop digital marketing strategies. This means researching where your customers can be found online, and how different approaches and tactics might impact your success. If your organization previously put minimal efforts into digital channels, now is going to be a prime time to revisit them. That could be as simple as giving your website or social media pages a refresh, or a more innovative approach. 

A key point to note is that a lot of corporate entities use up about 50-60% of their marketing budgets on events. When things go back to normal, budgets will most likely be going back to those live face-to-face events, but if organizations can see the benefits and opportunities that digital marketing can offer, they might understand the benefit of adding it to their long-term marketing strategy. 

Channels such as Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn Live are going to be crucial moving forward as the ability to connect with a targeted audience real-time is very beneficial, if not essential. 

It’s certainly true that the coming weeks, or months – or however long this situation lasts – will be a challenging time for any company that isn’t ready to think about how they will replace the opportunities that have been lost. 

As long as businesses can approach the shift to digital marketing strategically, there’s no reason why it should just serve as an emergency fill-in but could carry on providing long-term value when the world eventually gets back to normal. And of course, this would make companies more resilient to deal with any future pandemics. Do you need help with your Digital Marketing Strategy? Looking to take your social media or SEO to the next step? Contact the team at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm and learn how you can grow with us today and weather the storm that is COVID-19!