aowsleydesigns

5 Ways to Use QR Codes in Your Real Estate Marketing

aowsley — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:59:31 +0000

If you’re not up to speed on the new trend for marketing I highly suggest you read on. QR codes, or quick response codes, are a type of matrix barcode that holds information so that when scanned by a cell phone will send the viewer whatever or wherever you want. What’s so great about this? Simply by placing one of these nifty things on your marketing piece, you are able to communicate with your potential client without having to say anything.

Simply go to a site like QR Stuff and type in the link you want to send your customers to. Of course there’s so many types of links you can send. Whether it’s a calendar event, contact information, YouTube video, etc., there’s so many ways to connect with your potential customers through this small square that it’s important to be creative and not just simply send them to your site.

As a realtor, there are so many great ways to use this new marketing tool to your advantage. I have listed 5 to get you started.

One. Include one on your listing sign outside of a home so that when potential buyers stop by they can scan it to see a virtual tour or video about the home.

Two. On a listing flyer, include a QR code that sends a calendar event for an open house. This way their phone will beep with a reminder that they need to attend this event.

Three. Put on your bus bench advertisement with a link to your contact information. When people are waiting for the bus they can scan it and save your contact information for future use.

Four. Place one on the backside of your business card that links to a YouTube video of what you can offer potential customers.

Five. Put one on a postcard for a just listed/just sold that links to a separate site with all corresponding data. This way you don’t need to put so much information on your marketing piece. Instead, coax them to scan the code and then have marketing statistics and other useful information for potential customers to view on that site.

Although QR codes seem to be almost anywhere these days, it’s still possible for some consumers to not be completely aware of how these work. Always include a small line of copy telling your customers to use a smartphone scanner to scan the QR code.

Brand Identity-Building Consistency

aowsley — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:42:58 +0000

It’s very important to create a consistent look throughout all of your collateral pieces, i.e. business cards, letterhead, note cards, web site, etc. The overall look and feel of your company’s identity begins with your logo. Once you have a logo that you feel exemplifies your business in the manner you want, you need to create a set of business collateral that conveys the same creative message. This generally includes letterhead, business cards, thank you cards, envelopes and can grow much larger, depending on the type of business you have. It’s important that you use the same designer to create these beginning pieces, so that all flow together nicely. Then you can build off of these pieces into postcards, flyers, and other forms of marketing.

You want to get to a point in your marketing where people don’t need to see your logo or your name to know it’s you. For example, take a big company like Target. They have been around long enough that after seeing a couple seconds of a commercial you know it’s Target. But you don’t have to be a large company to gain this notoriety. You just need a consistent message.

If you’ve been around for awhile and you just feel like perhaps your clients/customers don’t really know who you are, then maybe it’s time you step back and think about ways you can change your identity and make it more cohesive. If you’d like another opinion, just ask! I’d love to help!

Developing Your Brand: Logo Creation

aowsley — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:17:09 +0000

When someone comes to me to develop their logo, what I typically ask for are the particular styles they like, general feel they want to portray and any colors they prefer. It’s also very important to know what the exact verbiage is that they want, i.e. John Smith Inc., John Smith Realtors, etc. Once I have a list of these items I start sketching out some general ideas on paper and then move to Illustrator and draw the concepts. Most times the ideas may start simple and then evolve into something much more detailed. More often than not, the client may not know exactly what they are looking for, but rather have a general sense or term that they want to convey to their target market. That’s where my creative side comes in. It’s my job to make sure my logo comps hit the mark.

After the initial proof, I get feedback from the client and generally they will tell me which ones they like the most or perhaps that they want to see a combination of several concepts. After a few tweaks, the client is satisfied and a new identity is born.

I cannot stress enough just how important it is for companies to use creative graphic designers to develop their logos. There are so many logo warehouses available on the Internet these days, that people often get a generic logo rather than a personal, authentic identity. Be sure that whoever is designing your logo completely understands where you want your company to go in the future.

Blogging Has Begun!

aowsley — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:32:40 +0000

As a graphic designer for over 5 years, I recently decided it was time to give this blogging a shot (of course I was persuaded by a great friend of mine, Amy Stoehr).

As a full-time graphic designer, I have been building my freelance portfolio over the years and don’t ever intend to stop. I’ve always enjoyed being creative; whether it was painting in art class, studying black and white photography, or even now graphic design.

My focus is in the area of print design. Which means I can do anything from logo creation, business cards, letterhead, envelopes, postcards, flyers, print ads, brochures, posters, catalogs, stationery, cd covers, and more. It also means I don’t write code for websites, but if you need an advertisement for your website of course I can do that

The world of blogging is new to me but I am very excited about the opportunities it will bring in the future. If you have any questions for me or are looking for some creative work, please don’t hesitate to contact me at mail@allisonblythe.com.