by workshedAdmin | Apr 17, 2009 | Articles, Events
Sometimes it’s hard to separate the signal from the noise. We get that. Technology is constantly changing at a rapid pace and what’s this week’s hot new tool for marketing your business may be entirely different than last week’s (or more likely, it’s a different representation of the same thing from last week).
When presented with all of the new hotness that you’re told to use by numerous pundits on all things technically hot, it’s important to look at your business model, your customers and your overall web strategy and decide whether or not it’s a good fit. Sure, Twitter is a great tool for concise and quick updates and sharing of information, but are your customers likely to have Twitter accounts? Are they likely to want to follow you? Have you created a compelling reason for them to follow you?
The new business model as it relates to newer Internet technologies requires a certain amount of transparency with your business, and if you are not prepared to offer up some of that transparency (let your customers get to know you, to see inside, even to take part in making product and service decisions) and also to keep those updates flowing, chances are Twitter may be relegated to your hallway closet, along with that old Thighmaster and those dusty old LPs.
The same goes for social networking platforms like Facebook, MySpace and even LinkedIn. Make sure you are prepared to take on the extra time and labor commitment necessary to keep those profiles updated and keep in touch with your customers.
Your best strategy is to have a strategy for your online presence. Find out about your customers, figure out your business needs and see where they intersect with available web technologies and trends. Taking a broad overview of such needs and capabilities can help you focus your energy and decide what options are most crucial and which ones are as destined for the Goodwill donation pile.
I can speak from experience — we’ve set up several profiles for Workshed, some of which are updated more than others. The other rub of Social Media is that it can take time to quantify the results of one’s efforts. We recently had a new client lead who stated they found us on Facebook. I’ve heard of other people getting some big ticket development jobs via Twitter. But it takes time and dedication to reap the fruits of one’s labors. And patience.
Also, one must decide how much they want to leverage these technologies. Do you want to become at the top of the heap in your industry or market? Or do you want to simply build a stronger bond with your customers? It helps to have a strategy in place so one can build a schedule and guidelines and stick to it.
by workshedAdmin | Aug 8, 2008 | Articles, Workshed News
Workshed has partnered with local businesses, Joseph Graves Capital Management and T3Sixty to create the web site cwskatepark.org. This site is focused on improving the skatepark situation in the Camas/Washougal area so the kids (and adults) have a viable place to skate. The current skatepark is sadly deficient and lacking in worthwhile skate options for kids. If you are a skater, or even a parent of a skater, please get involved, donate some money and help with the cause.
by workshedAdmin | Jul 2, 2008 | Articles, Events
Workshed is proud to announce the launch of another new web site, this time for Zookbinders, a manufacturer of quality, hand-made photo albums for professional photographers. We programmed the site build out and programming on behalf of our Seattle agency partners, SDM Marketing and PBR Design, who did an amazing job on the marketing direction, graphic design, creative direction and content.
The site makes use of several current technologies, such as AJAX, Javascript/jQuery, PHP, MySQL and Flash. The site also makes use of our own content management tool, Pegboard, so the client can keep their content up-to-date without the need for a web developer.
Check out the site:
http://www.zookbinders.com
by workshedAdmin | Jun 6, 2008 | Articles, Workshed News
Last week, a close friend of the Workshed family lost her battle with cancer. Diana Rice Bonin was not only a talented artist and a wonderful person, but she was also a former neighbor to me and my family, an honorary grandmother to my son and a valued family friend.
Diana was the first artist to show her work at a Workshed First Friday event and we had planned to have her and her daughter, Jessica, do a mother-daughter show in the future.
For those of you who knew Diana, you know what we’ve lost and can mourn with us. For those of you who did not know her, I invite you to read her obituary below, investigate her art blog and send her family kind thoughts.
Diana, you’ll be missed. Pat, Jessica and Joe; we are so very sorry for your loss.
Workshed will be featuring some more of Diana’s work tonight at our First Friday event, so please stop by to view and take solace in a small portion of the prolific legacy of art work she has left behind.
DIANA RICE BONIN
February 15, 1955 – May 29, 2008
Diana was born in Seattle, Washington to Cecil Rice and Olga Alexyevna. She resided in the Pacific Northwest, and most recently, in Camas, Washington. Diana grew up in Bellingham, Washington, where she met and married her husband of 30 years, Patrick Bonin. Her two children, Jessica and Joseph, who reside in Portland, Oregon, were her pride and joy.
Diana’s passion for art began early in her life and resulted in a highly successful career. As an artist for Alaska Silver and Ivory Corporation, she learned to do scrimshaw, the traditional art of sailors and native peoples. After leaving Alaska Silver and Ivory she continued in scrimshaw as a freelance artist. She became well known for her depictions of Pacific Northwest wildlife, with work in collections all over the country and world. Her more recent accomplishments include 20 published children’s books, an extensive portfolio of original paintings, drawings and illustrations, corporate art, layout and design, and a variety of projects with service organizations. Her commissioned work includes publications for the National Parks Service, Clark County Historical Society, and the Clean Water Foundation. Her latest work, “A Joshua Tree Named Lily”, was commissioned by the Joshua Tree National Park and includes 38 full color illustrations by Diana. In recent years she made the leap from illustration to fine art. Her paintings depict the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and its wildlife, and can be seen through her internet site: http://www.dricebonin.blogspot.com
In addition to her love for all types of art, Diana enjoyed collecting early American pottery, antiquing, animals of any kind, listening to music, motorcycling with her husband Patrick and their friends, and was an avid community volunteer. Most of all she loved her little cabin on Lake Merrill where she gardened and shared her love of nature and art with her family and friends. Her beauty, strength and compassion for life drew people to her and she had a huge fan club of friends. She was fondly nicknamed “Lady Di” by family members.
Diana is survived by her husband Patrick Bonin, two children Jessica and Joseph, her mother Olga Alexyevna, her great aunt June and uncle Earl Hendrickson, her brother Steve, sisters Carol and Karen, and many nieces, nephews and their children.
Memorial Services will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 401 East 33rd Street, Vancouver, Washington, Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a reception.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Clark County Humane Society.
Please sign the Guest Book at www.columbian.com/obituaries.
by workshedAdmin | Apr 25, 2008 | Articles, Events
It’s been truly inspiring to see how much downtown Camas has changed and grown since my family moved here five years ago. When we moved here, there was very little to do in Downtown Camas, and we spent most of our time over in the Fisher’s Landing area when we wanted to eat, shop or relax at a movie.
Fast forward, and now we have a burgeoning city center, full of high-end shops, excellent eating establishments and a great group of friendly people staffing them all. This is something we should all be thankful for.
Unfortunately, whether it’s due to the economy or just a lack of interest, we are losing some businesses down here lately, and that makes us very sad here at Workshed. We see these people every day, we are their customers, friends, associates and supporters. To see one of our own close their doors and call it a day is like losing a close friend. Not only that, but it strikes a chord among all of us—are we next? Will our business slow down too? Will we have to close our doors?
Unfortunately, I think we’ve all felt the sting of the down economy at some level. Nobody wants to call it a recession, but it if looks like one, talks like one and acts like one, chances are it is one. We’ve noticed some of this trickling down to us during our sales process as of late, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t concern me. At the same time, I understand and can empathize with these people. How can one justify spending money when money isn’t being entirely forthcoming?
I don’t have any answers. Sure, I can tell you to spend money with us on marketing and a fancy new web site and all of your ills will be fixed—but that’s not a promise I’m willing to make. These are unpredictable times, and there is no cut and dry solution other than the pursuit of survival. Do what you feel you need to do to keep your business afloat.
The one thing we can all do is to spend money with local businesses. Make a weekly trip downtown, buy a trinket or new article of clothing at a shop, catch a movie (it’s cheaper and cozier than the Regal multiplex) and buy a great dinner. In the grand scheme of things these purchases are small, but on the whole, they add up enough to maybe help someone keep their doors open long enough to weather the storm. A community isn’t just the people who live in it, it’s also the businesses who make life more convenient for its residents, who give back to the community and who provide jobs to its residents. We are all responsible for the success of local businesses on some level.
Our sincere thanks to the businesses who have closed their doors recently or will be closing them soon. Your presence downtown made our days better and we are better off for having served in the business trenches with you. You will all be sorely missed.
by workshedAdmin | Jan 19, 2008 | Articles, Workshed News
The term branding is one that is loaded with questions, preconceptions and common misunderstandings. In fact, one of the frequent questions we get is, “What is branding?” This is almost always followed up with, “And, why do I need it?”
Think of branding as a conglomeration of marketing strategy, corporate identity design and good, old-fashioned market research. The purpose of branding is to help your business figure out who it is; to define a place in its market and a personality that exemplifies it. This personality takes the form of your company’s logo, colors, typefaces, messaging, copy writing style, the appearance of your offices or stores, how your staff interacts with its customers and even the physical personification of the company itself.
In fact, you probably already know what the end results of branding are. Think Starbuck’s, McDonalds, Apple, BMW, Google, Yahoo! and many other large corporations whose names invoke instant recognition and feelings.
Your brand is simply who you are, inside and out. And the best part? You don’t have to be a large corporation to benefit from great branding.
If you walk into a Starbuck’s anywhere in the world, chances are, you know what kind of experience you are going to get. Not just in terms of customer service or coffee taste, but also in terms of the store’s decor, design, layout, merchandising and general atmosphere.
Branding is focusing your efforts, fine-tuning your message and bringing it to life in all aspects of everything you do. There’s no reason a small business can’t have the same level of recognition and consistency. And more importantly, there’s no reason a small business shouldn’t.
Great, so now you are still wondering about that second question: why do you need it?
It’s no secret that being in business is no picnic. You are trying to build a product, service or selection that will keep your customers coming back—and convert potential customers to new customers. You want customer loyalty. It can be a challenge when your competition is cutting prices or they always seem to be one step ahead of you. How do you stand out and differentiate yourself from them?
That’s where the branding process comes in. During the process and research that drive it, information is gathered that helps you pinpoint what your strengths and weaknesses are, how you differ from your competition, how you perceive yourself, and how your business is perceived by your customers and employees. Additionally, your target market is defined and the best ways to reach that market are also determined. It is from this information that a brand personality is developed.
What are its traits? What does it look like? What does it sound like? Is it your best friend who always has the right thing to say at the right time? Or is it a long-time trusted adviser who offers sage financial advice? Does it take care of your needs quickly and efficiently? Or does it take time to do things slowly and methodically? Maybe it’s a wise-cracking tour guide or a silly character.
Once the branding is established, you should be able to walk away from the process with a brand style guide. This is essentially a document that tells you, and your graphic designers, sign makers, interior designers, copy writers, web developers and advertising agency how to represent your brand in all media channels.
The end goal is to create a high level of consistency, credibility and distinction in everything your business does. People will know what to expect when they set foot in your door for the first time and they will be impressed by the professionalism of your organization. Our society is a very image conscious one, especially as younger generations become young adult consumers. You have only a few seconds to make an impression on a potential customer. Simply put, businesses who have a clear, focused and consistent brand and image will gain an advantage in the marketplace.
If your company needs help branding or would like more information on this topic, don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation.
