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For all of the do-it-yourself designers, there are a few things to consider when taking on your next design project. The following are some of my design no-nos that should be steered clear from whenever possible.

Design No-No #1

Unnecessary drop shadows

Drop shadows are a neat effect that when used appropriately can add a little pizazz to your design. One place you do not want to use a drop shadow is on type. There are better solutions you can use to draw attention to your headline. The easiest would be to simply make it bold. When you put drop shadow on type, you sacrifice its legibility.

Design No-No #2

Underlining type

Also similar to the drop shadow, most people use the underline effect to draw attention to a certain part of their design. Again, when you underline the type, you sacrifice its legibility by putting a harsh line through all the descending strokes in the typeface. Instead, make it bold. Or, if you really want to get crazy, you could change the color.

Design No-No #3

The widow

I see this the most. A widow is when the last line of a paragraph is left with only one word.
Do your best to adjust the paragraph so this doesn’t happen. Sometimes this means adding
or deleting copy in order to make this work.

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If you take a walk around the AMG offices, you’ll probably notice at least two things. One of which would undoubtedly have something to do with our taste for sappy music (don’t laugh!), but another would likely be our active use of social media tools.

We still can't figure out these tools though...

It is important to understand that social media goes beyond simply keeping up with friends and randomly updating the world on where you are. The fact of the matter is that more and more people are using social media everyday, making the benefits of these modern communication tools and their potential to improve your business and your client’s loyalty to you greater than ever before.

For example, we keep getting sent coupons for All-You-Can-Eat buffets on our Facebook account. How, as food lovers, are we supposed to resist taking advantage of them? Through social media, these restaurants make their best effort to keep us aware of their presence, offering us discounts and special deals for our continued business, which makes us happy to oblige.

The concept of using social media as part of a marketing strategy is by no means a new idea. Following in the footsteps of the radio, television, and those often awe-inspiring messages found under bottle caps, it is the next logical step in delivering an informative message to as many people as possible. This ability to directly communicate with your clients enables the ability to build a sense of camaraderie with them, in turn increasing the likelihood they will continue to turn to you for their needs.

By reaching out to consumers and finding your fans, you can develop a relationship that would be impossible without social media. According to eMarketer, “at least half of Twitter and Facebook users said they were more likely to talk about, recommend, or purchase a company’s products after they began following the company on social media”. Facebook, Twitter, blogs (such as WordPress), along with many others can all assist in building brand awareness, loyalty, and announcing product promotions.

The idea is to engage your fans as much as possible. Make it easy for them to involve themselves in the business. Ask for their opinions, respond to their comments, and offer rewards for following your brand. The key to building brand loyalty is interaction, and by adding personal touches to your social media efforts you will make your business stronger.

Or just go here.

With over 700 million people on Facebook and 200 million on Twitter, the chances your customers have some sort of social media activity is very likely. By creating a strong online presence, you can help your business keep competitive in a crowded industry.

We are here to help our clients succeed, and we can help you develop a social media plan that works best for your business. Feel free to call or email us today to get started!

“Um, Molly, I think this letter needs chapters.”

This was a recent comment from my co-worker, Tallman, regarding my work on a business letter for one of our clients. As a veteran of the publishing world, I come from a realm of words—I take solace in them and revel in their abundance. This, I have come to find, is not the general practice in the marketing world.

Here are some of the marketing tips I have garnered since entering into this business:

• The average American’s attention span is only about 8 seconds. This means you gotta come out swinging—hit ‘em hard and hit ‘em fast. There is only a brief window to get your message across and your audience does not want to get bogged down with overly complex words or complicated concepts. Sometimes simple is better.
• Your campaign pieces should include pictures, illustrations or photos that shock, amaze or impress—visuals to give the viewer pause. I call these peeper-keepers and for a world dominated by intense imagery, they are a necessity. This campaign that we did for one of our clients perfectly illustrates this.

If the sheer magnitude of words above has not driven you into complete sensory overload, you can read my new, improved and Tallman-ized letter here.

*Disclaimer: This letter is obviously not the official work of AMG Creative. It is solely the “artwork” of Molly Hazelrig, Designer Extraordinaire

**Disclaimer 2: Molly is not really an accredited designer. Her “art”, while beguiling to her mother and nieces, is not generally regarded as advertising agency quality.

Ah, the hot topic of today. Social Media. Let us know what has worked for you and what hasn’t!

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Anyone want to get some of this stuff for us? It will help us be more productive!

Here’s a sneak peak of a campaign we’re working on for one of our clients. We had a quick, in-office photo shoot today. The premise involves “Drive-Thru Dental Labs”, and is based off the idea that some large dental laboratories lack a true sense of customer service.  These large labs often fail to give their clients the attention they deserve. We’ll post the final result when it’s complete!

Thanks Shutter Chic Photography for the pics! I make such a convincing model! Visit our Facebook for more!

Our e-newsletter, AMG Creative Express, is chock full of informational goodness—from resources and case studies to tech tips and industry trends. Basically, things you didn’t know you needed to know that you should definitely know in order to be in the know. We are on this journey, this knowledge trek, together. Let us be your guides.

Subscribe to our e-newsletter!

Look familiar? This is a QR, or  “Quick Response” Code, and it is changing the world of marketing. Using the camera on your cell phone you can quickly scan these barcodes and instantly access information about a company’s latest products, special offers, coupons, videos and more.

QR Codes can be easily added to promotional materials like direct mailings and are rapidly gaining immense popularity in the United States. The US Postal service recently announced a 3% postage discount for First Class and Standard Mail containing them from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011, so it’s the perfect time to give them a try.

Find out more about these excellent (and cost-effective) marketing tools here. Give us a call and ask about how QR Codes can be used to help you! In the meantime, relax and check out this interactive QR Code inspired music video!

QR Codes are becoming more and more common in America, and even the mailmen, err I mean, mail carriers, have begun to notice. the The US Postal service recently announced a 3% postage discount for First Class, Standard, and Presorted mail containing a QR Code from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011.

To qualify for the program:

• The barcode must be two-dimensional and readable by a mobile smart phone

• The documentation for each mailing needs to be submitted electronically to the US Postal Service

• Each piece of mail needs to contain a mobile barcode either within the contents or outside the mailpiece

• The mobile barcode must be used for marketing, promotional or educational purposes and be relevant to the contents

Think of it this way: Right now you can save money on your direct mailings by simply trying out a QR Code System. With numerous websites to create free codes available on the Internet, it is by no means an expensive venture.

QR Codes make it easy for your clients to find out more about your products, contact information, special offers, and coupons, and they can do so without much effort. It’s a perfect time to get an edge on your competition and give QR Codes a try.

Here’s a clever music video featuring QR Codes, which can actually be scanned and will direct the user to information about the artist and even enter them into contests.

We thought about making one of our own, but we couldn’t decide who would get to play lead cowbell.