Design draft for a client going places.
Note the aeroplane tail design where the letter “Y” contrasts and is shaped to look like a flying bird. Subtle but effective. Hope this inspires you, have a great day!
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SMART FACEBOOK TIMELINE COVER PAGES
Facebook has become a whole heap of fun and now allows for visual assets to be displayed on a large scale. This means that your business now can have the equivalent of a secondary website on the world’s largest social media platform - for free!!
Via the branded/business page feature, your business can now display images, people and product in a visual format that was not possible before. Here are some do’s and dont’s
- You cannot use a call-to-action such as “Like or share”. This is against Facebook’s new policy of cover photos (Source).
- Explain what you’re about in a short and understanding manner. We are “Cats and Dogs” and we will babysit your loved pets while you’re on holiday!
- Make your cover image and profile picture thumbnail interact with each other. We have included some really great Facebook Cover page examples which you might find inspiring.
- Background design. User your corporate visual identity and colors to distinguish yourself from your competitors. Use your own products or perhaps feature a group picture of your entire customer sales team. Be original!
Visual content
In essence, Facebook Timeline is a lot more focused on visual depiction than the old fan pages that we are used to. Consider the following:
Display events such as when your company was founded.
Go back in time and gather information about when were important products/services launched. Add a neat looking visual and voila!
Make sure you add images to these events and furthermore, make sure you select the right kind of images to tell the story of your brand. If you don’t have any good pictures to go with these events, now is a good time to start photoshopping.
Stay tuned, next week we will bring you a check list for you to follow.
Check out Our Facebook page (for a functional view of what can be done)
All this can be done from as little as $99.00 which is absolutely nothing considering the added interest it will bring to you business image.
In summary;
• Social media graphics are an affordable way to engage with your network.
• Plan ahead and involve a professional.
• Professionals ultimately save you time and money.
• You can try this yourself but you will be much better off in running your business.
WE SPECIALISE IN DESIGN, PRINT AND WEB SOLUTIONS. EMAIL US TODAY! WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THE RIGHT STRATEGY AND ACCESS TO THE BEST PROJECT TEAM.
The logo is your first step!
A friend of mine is setting up a new business. Like anyone in the same situation, his budget – or lack thereof – is guiding most of his decisions. Coming from a financial background, he’s got the business plan and finance under control, but he came to me for advice on branding and the website.
He sent through an email that said ‘I’ve got the name but haven’t figured out the font yet’. I think you could have heard the alarm bells ringing in my head from a block away. His business is a physical shopfront with an online sales component.
He was planning on designing the logo himself. That same logo would be on his signage, business cards and website. It would shape the design of his website and marketing collateral. He was starting a new venture by shooting himself in the foot.
I started my reply by telling him that if he had any budget whatsoever to spend, on marketing or branding, that it should be spent working with a professional designer to create a custom logo. I told him that a designer will ask him to profile his ideal customer and create something that speaks to them.
THIS IN EFFECT IS THE REAL BUSINESS PLAN BECAUSE IT IS BASED ON THE CUSTOMER - YOU ARE WORKING WITH AN END IN MIND!
This forced him to sit down and think about exactly who that person is - also a vital element to effective web design. Once he had a logo that appealed to his target audience, he could afford to start off with a basic web design that continued the branding shaped by his logo.
You might be thinking – shouldn’t your first website have all the bells and whistles? It depends.
While you want to launch with a website that looks professional, starting off with a basic website allows you to work in phases and improve your website according to feedback. You should be participating in social media regardless, which if done correctly, will give you a goldmine of insights into your customers wants and needs.
This is good news for your budget and will allow you to create an effective website later based on real data. Say you’ve been operating offline and you’re taking the first steps to get online. You may already know your customer thoroughly, however, I can guarantee you that there will be unforeseen opportunities that present themselves that you’ll want to take advantage of quickly.
In summary;
• Professionals save you time and therefore money.
• The business logo is part of the marketing plan.
• Set some of the budget aside for a logo and website.
• Your first website should be simple and fast.
WE SPECIALISE IN DESIGN, PRINT AND WEB SOLUTIONS. EMAIL US TODAY! WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THE RIGHT STRATEGY AND ACCESS TO THE BEST PROJECT TEAM.