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Articles on Designing Marketing Materials

After you design your logo, the next step in marketing your business is, well, to design some marketing materials. A basic marketing material kit includes a business card design, letterhead (either a printed version or an electronic version in Word), a mailing label or envelope, and some sort of follow-up tool such as a postcard or newsletter template.

Depending on your business and marketing plans, you may find that you need other marketing pieces as well — marketing flyers, brochures, an informational folder or packet, even trade show materials or promotional items.

Stationery and Marketing Material Design
Create Your Marketing Machine to Plan for Marketing Success
What Order To Design In?
Top 3 Must-Have Marketing Pieces
Follow Up With Your Clients
Why You Need To Get An Email Newsletter Service
Designing Your Email Newsletter
How To Stand Out At A Trade Show
Marketing Tips

Business Card Design Business Card Basics
Contact Information to Include On Your Business Card
The Two-Sided Business Card Debate

Make Sure Your Business Card Stands Out

Visual Vocabulary
All About Visual Vocabulary and How It Can Help Your Small Business
The 9 Advantages to Using a Visual Vocabulary in Brand Identity Design
The Building Blocks of Visual Vocabulary: Consistency
The Building Blocks of Visual Vocabulary: Flexibility
Font Basics for Branding Your Small Business

Design Execution
13 Tips for Finding a Graphic Designer
9 Tips for Getting the Best Work From Your Graphic Designer
Good Design Doesn't Get Done In A Day: Part 1 of 2
Good Design Doesn't Get Done In A Day: Part 2 of 2
What Rushing Your Design Project Really Means
Planning Ahead for Visual Consistency
Digital Printing vs. Press Printing—A Comparison Guide
Guest Article: Trademark Basics by Hoang-chi Truong

Technical & Business Articles
Tech Tips
Meeting Expectations
How To Make a Screenshot

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About the Author

Erin Ferree is a branding coach, design genius and strategic thinker. She's been told that her right-brain, left-brain combination of creativity and logic is hard to come by... and that it's what small business owners need to be successful. She loves connecting the dots between passion and profit, mixing strategy and inspiration and shaking things up.

She deeply enjoys working with entrepreneurs who want to help more people and look good doing it. Who want all of their branding and marketing to make sense and speak to their ideal clients. And who want an open, honest, inviting brand with integrity - instead of using icky, pushy, sleazy marketing tactics and trickery.

She's branded over 450 small businesses in the last 10 years. She's been published in so many books and periodicals that she stopped counting. She's shared stages with some awesome people - like Michele PW, Linda Hollander, Lisa Cherney, Sheri McConnell and Kelly O'neil.

She also enjoys hugging her corgi-dog Stanley, cooking and throwing parties so her friends can enjoy them.

Small business branding, brand coaching and logo design articles at http://www.brandstyledesign.com

I read your article correlating site design and house architecture and so enjoyed the metaphor that I went to your site. I'm really impressed with your work and inspired to learn more about color usage in corporate branding, specifically.

...I'm going to sign up for your newsletter now.

— Jo Hawke

I very much enjoyed your newsletter, this morning. So many of today's ezines contain nothing useful. Yours is a refreshing change. Helpful info on working with design and designers. Brava.

— Sue Johnston

I especially want to acknowledge my sincere gratitude for all you have offered in advice and in posts and on your blog. Your information is invaluable and I have learned a great deal. I can't do all that I've learned from you but try as I might!!! If I counted every dollar for every hour I pussy-footed around changing my blog template... not signing up for a newsletter service sooner — trying to do it my way to save a few $$, and trying to do the Amazon thing on my website — I could have bought a Lexus!!!

I am very grateful for the time and effort you take to respond to questions. You are truly, truly talented.

— Maggie Keenan

"Thank you so much for writing this article about letterhead. I had reached the same conclusion, but appreciate hearing it from a professional. I appreciate reading your newsletters..."

—Michele Zwillinger, PRC
SnoopPro Research

class="test"I have been really impressed with your site ever since I first found it a couple of months ago. You seem to really know what you're talking about and have a genuine desire to help people in their businesses.

— Allison Chambers

My articles have appeared online at:

Microsoft Office Live

Creative Latitude

RainToday.com

AllBusiness.com

Women In Consulting Best Practices Direct newsletter

Women In Consulting Consultants Direct newsletter

HillsOrient.com

The Your Membership newsletter

SalesPractice.com

WECAI.org — the Women's ECommerce Association, International

The Holistic Business Journal

websitemarketingplan.com

And in print:

Women In Communications newsletter

The Marblehead, MA Chamber of Commerce newsletter

The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce newsletter

Dynamic Graphics magazine

Even on podcast!

Lee Hopkins' podcast

BrandStyle Design is a division of elf design, inc. | phone (650) 358-9973

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