Strategies for Success When Developing a Remote Team

Working remotely is no longer unusual. In fact, many people prefer to work from home because it gives them some degree of flexibility over when and where they work and how they choose to get things done. There are also some benefits for employers, including fewer overhead costs.

Employing remote workers comes with some unique challenges, though. It can be tough to keep your staff accountable, and it can be hard to build team spirit when you don’t have a lot of face-to-face contact. Incorporating a few strategies into your company culture from the outset, however, can help you keep both productivity and morale high.

Find Team Members That Fit Well

Building a cohesive remote team presents some obvious challenges, but you should view each candidate separately before looking at the overall unit. A few key traits you should look for when hiring remote team members include excellent self-discipline, good organization, strong communication and healthy interpersonal skills. Each of these can help your team members work well in an environment that requires them to self-motivate every day. Although a sense of humor isn’t generally required for a positive attitude, hiring employees that can make one another laugh and roll with the punches rarely has negative effects.

Build Your Brand

You might not think of your business’s brand as pertinent to your remote team, but it is. Work with a digital marketing company pittsburgh like Prizum to establish your company’s brand and voice early on, and make sure that each new employee you onboard fits well into your business model. A good team of complementary professionals is an excellent foundation for company spirit. Plus, as Harvard Business Review points out, it’s a great way to encourage staff engagement.

Make Your Rules Clear

Some people think that working from home gives them a free pass to do whatever they want during the day and put minimal effort into their job. That’s why TechRepublic suggests making your rules clear from the very beginning.

In a kind way, let your employees know what you expect from them and clearly establish any deadlines you expect them to meet. Unless it’s needed to meet outside demands, such as interactions with clients, suppliers or other team members, tell them that as long as they meet your standards for productivity you don’t mind if they get their work done in the wee morning hours or late at night. Avoiding unwanted conflicts is a great first step toward a positive company culture.

Schedule Regular Check-Ins

Regular check-ins are important not only for accountability but for morale as well. Schedule time so that your employees can give you updates on their projects and let you know if they need any additional support. Routine fun and lighthearted virtual meetings provide a great opportunity to get to know one another better and create a positive and welcoming work environment.

Budget Accordingly

One thing many employers overlook is the cost of remote crews. Bear in mind that while you can save a bundle on overhead by not paying for a brick and mortar, your staff still comes with costs beyond their hourly rate. If you intend to have them use particular software for project management, communication, timekeeping and so forth, you’ll have to cover the expense, and depending on your arrangement, you might also be paying for the necessary hardware.

Ensure Safeguards

Having your team spread across miles means that you also have data spread across the cloud, and ramping up security is a must. Some of your protocols for staff should relate to data handling, such as password protection, routine security updates and encryption.

Similarly, it’s worth spending some time mulling over the benefits a limited liability company can offer over other business structures. If you opt for an LLC, you’ll reduce your personal liability, and you’ll also be on the receiving end certain tax advantages. Just don’t try to cut corners; take the time to follow your state’s regulations when setting up your business.

If you’re worried about your ability to navigate legal requirements when establishing your business structure, you may find great peace of mind by using a business formation service. You’ll not only have less stress if you use such a service, but you’ll also save money you would otherwise spend hiring an attorney.

Invest in a Digital Marketing Expert

To ensure your remote team and your overall business thrives, consider investing in a digital marketing expert. A skilled digital marketing expert can help you navigate the complexities of online branding, outreach, and customer engagement, ensuring your business remains visible and competitive in the digital landscape.

A positive company culture fosters employees who feel personally invested in helping your business succeed. If you follow these helpful tips, managing your remote workers’ productivity and morale should become second nature, and you’ll be set up for success.

For logos, website design, graphics and much more, call Prizum at 412-532-8282!

Written by Guest Blogger Tina Martin

WEB DESIGN STRATEGY ACROSS INDUSTRIES

HEALTH & NUTRITION

• Have a shop or page that describes your products, their benefits, ingredients, etc.
• Incorporate testimonials (written or visual) from happy customers
• A location list or finder, so customers can easily find out where they can buy your product
• Create health or fitness challenges to keep your visitors engaged
• Include a blog and/or news page with health trends, tips, tricks, and industry-related news

Design-wise, using colors, fonts, and imagery that match your brand tone are going to be crucial. For instance, if your brand is high end, healthy and clean, make sure to use white space to your advantage. Or, if your brand is organic or natural, utilize tones and images that create a natural, earthy feel.

Website Spotlight: Ready Nutrition

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BEAUTY & SKINCARE

• Have a shop or page that describes your products, their benefits, ingredients, etc.
• Incorporate testimonials (written or visual) from happy customers
• A location list or finder, so customers can easily find out where they can buy your product

• An Instagram feed will add to the heavy imagery needed for this type of website. Plus, it will increase engagement, and encourage an increase for your social following on other platforms outside of your website.

Website Spotlight: Calithea

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CONSTRUCTION

• A before & after gallery that allows potential clients to see the variety of projects you’ve worked on, where you started, and the final result.
• Case studies for your favorite or best projects will provide more detail than just before/after images, and give potential clients a better insight on the project details and process. Every project is different, so anything that you can note that was unique or outstanding about the project, add it in!

Website Spotlight: Franjo Construction

TOURISM & EVENTS

• A registration form for event-goers to register or purchase tickets for the event from the comfort of their own home.
• A schedule of events, activities, speakers, performers, etc. so potential event-goers can get a sneak peek at what the event is going to be like.
• A custom parking map or page for visitors to plan accordingly
• Design-wise, the website colors, fonts, imagery, etc. should match the event’s brand identity. The site should make visitors feel excited and invited, and make them want to come to your event.

Website Spotlight: Pittsburgh Irish Festival

TECHNOLOGY

• Do user experience research and testing while strategizing how to lay out your website to create the most functional and friendly site possible
• Keep the copy simple, as your services may require highly complex processes that your clients may not understand right away. Copywriting in an easily-understandable format is key.
• Incorporate unique interactive elements to help your users understand your services and/or products.
• Think about icons and infographics you can incorporate to explain complex processes, especially for visitors who may be visual learners.
• Include forms on your pages so visitors can directly reach out to your company

Website Spotlight: Itero Group

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

• Host your videos on platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo (then embed the links to your site), to keep the high quality of the video, yet save the site from getting bogged down (speed-wise) by custom embedded videos with large file sizes.
• Write frequent blog and news posts about updates on new songs, videos, projects, performances, etc.
• Have a dedicated page or section for website visitors to purchase tickets or merch (if applicable).
• If you run a studio, include specs on your equipment and services, and offer a virtual tour, whether it is with high-end photos, or even a video.

Website Spotlight: The Vault

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HEATING, COOLING & ELECTRIC

• Testimonials, testimonials, testimonials. Reputation is so important for businesses in this industry because many often undeservingly get a “bad wrap.” Make sure your business has a system in place to request testimonials after each completed job (and reward customers for providing a testimonial), and an organized way to save them and sift through to add them into your website. You can add a few featured ones on your home page, and dedicate a full page to add testimonials as you receive them.
• Include forms (and your business phone number) on your services pages so visitors can reach out right away.
• Include any special offers, coupons, etc. on your site that visitors can download and redeem on their next service.
• Incorporate any relevant financing options on an individual page of your site so you can help potential customers when financing any large home upgrades or projects with your business.
• A careers page and form is key if you are looking to add more talented people to your team.
• Add how-to or DIY videos and write blogs to keep visitors coming back to your site and stay engaged.
• Create a gallery page for completed projects, and even include a few case studies of some of your more unique jobs or your favorite projects you’re most proud of.

Website Spotlight: J&A South Park

HOUSING & REALTY

• An interactive property search. Look at websites like Zillow, Apartments.com, or Realtor.com. These sites all have interactive maps, searches, etc. to browse for a home or rental within the custom criteria a customer may be looking for.
• High-end photography is one of the most important features to have on your site. Visitors are looking to invest in a place they want to call home, and photography will help them make that decision. Have galleries of rental properties, homes, etc. that visitors can easily view from any device.
• A form to get in touch with an agent that has fields for type of property, price range, location, number of beds, baths, parking options, etc. to get help from a professional expert.
• A blog and/or news section with home buying/renting tips, FAQs, DIY decorating or money-saving tips, and general housing market news

Website Spotlight: Rockwel Realty

LAW

• High-end imagery will give a sense of professionalism, before visitors even begin to read copy.
• Incorporate a “meet the lawyers” page that includes an image, contact info, and background/qualifications for each lawyer at the firm. This will help potential clients get to know their lawyers and gain a sense of each lawyer’s expertise and put a face to a name. It puts potential clients at ease to have a means of getting to know who they may be working with.
• Custom icons to go with each practice area your firm has experience in will help add a distinctive, yet simple and inviting characteristic to your site.

Website Spotlight: Anderson & Labovitz

AUTO

• A clear and simple page (or pages) with the services you provide, with forms for customers to get in touch immediately.
• High-end photo gallery with completed projects your business is proud of
• Testimonials are important. Vehicles are a large, continual investment, and people want to make sure they can trust your company in whatever service or product your business offers.

Website Spotlight: Remarkable Autoworks

There has been a dramatic spike in virtual events since the start of the pandemic. Thinking about hosting your own? Learn the basics, ideas of different types of virtual events, and tips on how to make your first virtual event a success!

First things first, what is a virtual event?

A virtual event is a type of organized gathering, but online rather than in-person. The purpose of virtual events can be anything from a simple team meeting, to a large-scale digital concert.

What are some examples of virtual events?

Tutorials & Classes

Could your audience benefit from learning quick tips from your company? The answer should be yes! Find different topics or lessons your target market may be looking to learn in their spare time at home, and record how-to videos! Or, record your lessons live so you can answer questions from your viewers as you teach your lesson.

 

Behind-the-scenes Tours

People love to see behind-the-scenes tours, especially if your company offers entertainment value. Theaters, airports, museums, zoos, galleries, or even outdoor spaces like national parks can truly benefit from recording behind-the-scenes tours. It will give your audience a virtual escape from reality!

One of Prizum clients, the National Aviary, has been sharing behind-the-scenes videos of their exhibits while they are not open to the public. These videos have been getting great engagement on social media!

 

Interviews

Host an event where you interview an industry expert on their journey to how they’ve become successful, and open up the “floor” to viewers to ask questions at the end of the interview.

 

Performances

Many popular artists are performing live or pre-recorded renditions of their music to share with the world during this global pandemic. There are also many benefit concerts popping up.

For example, in Pittsburgh on April 18, there was a concert, “Pittsburgh Service Staff Aid Benefit Concert” that was a twelve-hour Facebook Live concert, including live performances from more than 60 local artists. Proceeds went to United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and raised over $23,000. Prizum, a leading digital marketing company Pittsburgh, helped design the logo and branding for this event!

 

Conferences

Large scale conferences have been transitioning to digital platforms as well. Just because major in-person events have been shut down, didn’t stop them from still happening – just virtually!

Casual Events

Casual events like office or client happy hours are even becoming increasingly popular! For instance, one of Prizum clients, Sabika Jewelry, are encouraging their consultants to host online jewelry parties and happy hours!

Corporate Events

Corporate events can take place online, too! These are a great chance to network within your own company, learn about company-wide updates, etc.

Design Events

Many popular design-related events have had to transition to digital platforms as well. These events typically have a wide variety of industry leaders and experts, panel discussions, tutorials, and trends in the design industry. For example, our Art Director Nina attended the Making Midwest conference in 2019, which is going digital for the 2020 year.

Social Events

This can be anything from a casual happy hour, to an industry-related networking event. Typically, social events are a little less informative, and more interactive and engaging.

What platform(s) can I use to host a virtual event?

There are a variety of platforms you can use to host a virtual event! Depending on your goals and type of event, some platforms may work to your benefit more than others.

 

Social Media Stories (Pre-Recorded)

Social media stories are an excellent way to share content (videos, interviews, etc.). Most of the platforms listed below have a multitude of features to add some fun to your posts, including filters, special effects, stickers, polls, etc.

Here are some of the best social platforms to post “stories” to:

• Instagram Stories
• Facebook Stories
• Snapchat Stories
• TikTok

Live Streaming

If you’d like to host a live event that you are anticipating a large audience, or expect it to last hours, there are some great sources to consider:

• Facebook Live
• YouTube Live
• Instagram Live
• Periscope
• Zoom
• LinkedIn Live
• Twitter Live
• TikTok

For many of these platforms, you can see your real-time audience, and receive questions/comments in real time. Live streaming can truly increase engagement, especially during this time where people are in front of their screens all day and looking for unique entertainment, or something new to learn.

What should I consider when planning my event?

Develop a strategy.

The last thing you want to do is just “wing it.” You could end up hurting your brand by appearing unprepared or uninformed about your event if not carefully prepared for.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself and make sure you have answers to while planning:

• What is the goal?
• Who do you plan to reach?
• Will the event be live, pre-recorded?
• What platform will you use?
• What day and time will the event take place? Or will there be multiple?
• Will access be free, or will there be a fee involved?
• Who will host the event? Will there be multiple hosts?

Promote your event.

Nobody will know about your event unless you promote it to the world! Make sure to start promoting a few weeks before the event (or even further out if this is a much larger event requiring registration), and continuously up until the day of the event. There are numerous ways to promote your event, depending on your budget! Here are just a few ideas:

• Email blasts (countdowns, etc.)
• Social media (as many platforms as your company has profiles on) – organic posts, boosted posts, paid ads
• Digital banner ads (paid retargeting ads)
• Blogs, news posts, and general web content on your website
• Even word of mouth (virtually, of course during the pandemic)! Text your friends, tell them to spread the word!

Prizum can help promote and market your digital event!

• Website Design
• Landing Page Design
• Web Banner Ad Design
• Retargeting Ad Design
• Social Media Ad Design
• Webmail (new & existing emails) Design
• Digital Billboard Design

Be prepared for technical troubles.

The best thing you can do is be prepared!

• Test the platform you plan to use so you can understand the functionality and features.
• Test your connection and audio equipment.
• Run multiple rehearsals, if possible.
• Have backups of files.
• Share FAQs with your audience (for those who might be using the platform for the first time)

Be inclusive and encourage engagement.

Think about it. You are miles, states, or even countries away from your audience. Don’t let the distance stop you from creating an engaging event! Encourage your audience to make comments during your event, ask questions, etc. Create polls or quizzes that your audience can participate in! Encourage live tweeting, Facebook statuses, etc. on social and create a hashtag your audience can use, too! After the event, ask for feedback. After all, this is your first shot at hosting a virtual event – you’ll be able to learn and improve understanding how your audience perceived your event!

So, it definitely takes a lot of planning and strategy to create an event that is memorable and engaging, especially in a digital platform. Yes, it is important to take it seriously and have a good game plan in place, back-up ideas in place, etc. However, it’s most important to keep things fun and craft an event people will talk about, remember, and want to participate in again!

Whether you’re a seasoned event planner or just starting, the guidance of a digital marketing expert can be invaluable in making your virtual event a success.

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Need design support or marketing ideas for your first (or next) virtual event? Contact us at Prizum. Let’s get virtual, let’s get creative.

Work from home has become a trend over the past few years with larger corporations. However, with the current global pandemic, work from home has become a demand for many companies, large and small. How can a team stay productive, and still work like a team, when working remotely? At Prizum Creative, our team is used to all working in the same room, so the transition to all of us working remotely has been an adjustment. We’ve become much more efficient and organized as the weeks have passed, and have some tips and tricks to share!

Over-communicate

When you’re used to stopping by a coworker’s desk to let them know you’re getting started on a project, or planning to give a client a call, it’s much easier when working in an office together. When you’re working remotely, you can’t just have that quick in-person interaction. Make sure you’re letting your team know what you’re doing as much as possible! Now, you really don’t have to tell them every time you’re getting up to go to the bathroom, or that you’ve stepped away to make a quick cup of coffee. But if you’re planning to be unavailable for a period of time during work hours, let your team know!

The Prizum Creative team has a shared calendar system set up in our phones so we can add meetings, sick days, vacation days, phone meetings, etc. so we know everyone’s availability on any given day.

Leaders Need to Keep Team Members Informed

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, many workers are being laid off (some temporarily, some permanently). Job security is a huge factor for many working people, so as managers, executives, presidents, or CEO’s, keep your team members informed. Give frequent company updates regarding the status of the company and how the situation is being handled. Uninformed people become nervous, so try to give weekly updates on the situation to keep workers feeling safer than they would otherwise.

Know How to Reach Everyone On Your Team

This should be a given, but for those who work in a corporate office setting, get your colleague’s personal cell phone numbers. This will make it easier to communicate if you need to shoot a quick text, or make a quick phone call, rather than solely relying on email to get in touch with your team members.

With that being said, a great tool to use is a group text! 

Sometimes updates, questions, etc. for the group can be communicated more easily through a group text.

Note Project Progress & Keep Your Team Copied on Communications

Let your team members know where you’re at on your tasks or projects! Depending on the size of the department or how many projects are happening at once, send a daily, bi-weekly, or weekly project update so everyone can be in the loop on project progress to make sure questions are being answered, projects are progressing, and everyone is staying busy. Also make sure to keep your team copied on all communications, so everyone can see things happen as emails get sent back and forth.

Set Up Weekly or Bi-Weekly Meetings

This one is a big deal. Set up a time each week (or more than one time) to gather everyone together (on a computer screen of course) to discuss all projects. This is a good time to ask questions on your own projects, discuss next steps, and generally make sure everyone is on track and has plenty to work on.

The Prizum Creative team has been using Zoom for weekly project run-downs, and it has worked perfectly!

Resolve Questions Quickly with a call or text

Need to ask your boss, supervisor, art director a quick question that’s not worth crafting an email for? Send them a quick text or call them directly! It’ll get you an answer quickly and efficiently, without wasting time waiting for an email response.

Help Out One Another

That’s what a team is all about, right? Everyone’s situations during the pandemic are all completely unique. Some of your teammates might have children or pets to take care of throughout the day that have been causing additional stress. Internet connections may be slower, or, someone’s power might go out temporarily (which actually happened to one of us at Prizum Creative)! If you notice someone is overloaded or needs help, step in and offer to lend a hand! Teamwork makes the dream work.

Keep Up The Fun

We all have inside jokes at the office, and when working remotely, sometimes it can feel like your job has become much more serious. It’s important to keep up the jokes and fun – after all, we are all going through the same global pandemic together. Throw in a smiley face, joke, or even a funny GIF into an email to lighten the mood (when appropriate of course). Or, send a text to check in on your team members! It’s so important to personally check in on the people you care about – send a text to the people you spend most of your days with! They’ll appreciate it.

Create Systems for Sharing Documents

If you’re used to working with internal systems, servers, etc., sharing documents with one another may pose a challenge. Trust us, our team saves files to a server in our office, without any outside access or VPN privileges. However, we do have a variety of tools to access files and share documents within our team while working remotely! Here are our tips from our own experience:

Have access to older files.

Two of our team members have a copy of files from 2018-2020 to access if we need to go back and reference files from last year or the year before.

Use Dropbox (or something similar).

Dropbox has been a great tool to use while working from home! Everyone on our team has access to the same Dropbox, so we can upload and download files from that portal at any time.

Need to send a really large file to someone on your team, or even outside of your team? Try something like wetransfer.com, which allows you to send up to 2Gigabytes of files for FREE.

A Quick Checklist Overview of Our Tips:

• OVER-COMMUNICATE
• KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED
• GROUP TEXT
• CC ON EMAILS
• ZOOM TEAM MEETINGS
• VOICE CALLS
• SHARED CALENDAR
• VPN ACCESS
• DROP BOX
• HELP EACH OUT OUT
• HAVE FUN

So, as ironic as it seems to be a part of a team while sitting alone at your computer in your house, it is possible to keep that team mentality. Just put your mind to overcommunicating, communicating in different ways than you’re used to, and keeping the fun aspects alive in your workdays. We’ll be back to reality soon!

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Need help with design, web, blogging, or other creative ideas during the pandemic? We’re here to help. Contact us at Prizum Creative today, a leading digital marketing agency Pittsburgh. Let’s work together remotely through the pandemic, get creative with your projects, and make sure your brand stands out online. For more information on our web design services, visit our site and see why we are a trusted Pittsburgh web design company.

The pandemic has put a disruption in all of our lives, on a personal level and on a professional level. Many businesses are requiring employees to work from home. And, as a result of the economic decline, many businesses are cutting budgets – including marketing. If you’re in a marketing, design, or creative role at your place of work, now is the time to get even more innovative and creative. It is so important to continue marketing efforts during the pandemic, even if you have a smaller budget. Each industry has different needs and different outlets that may be more effective. So, we’ve come up with a list of different ideas that can help your business continue marketing efforts during the pandemic.

Review your website, and consider e-commerce.

Does your business rely on online sales… or should it now? With the spike in internet usage, and online sales, take a look at your website, and consider an e-commerce page if you do not already have one.

First things first, make sure your website in general is in the best shape possible. You may experience an increase in web traffic to your pages, and making sure everything is accurate and up-to-date is crucial. Add new testimonials, new project/gallery images, or new news posts if applicable. A lot of companies are even updating and adding to their FAQ pages, not only to make sure their answers during the pandemic are accurate, but to also help new customers that may visit the site during the pandemic.

Next, you’ll definitely want to consider an e-commerce page. If you have a WordPress site, we recommend WooCommerce. It is a user-friendly online shop plugin. There are a variety of pre-made themes, which you can customize to match your brand identity.

If you already have an online shop, now is the time to clean it up. Make sure all product photos/descriptions are accurate. Delete any products you don’t sell anymore, and add in new ones.

Many companies are discounting products during the pandemic. Consider a limited-time offer or sale. Companies are also offering special delivery deals – free delivery or shipping, or even majorly discounting delivery or shipping.

With many shoppers in front of computer or phone screens, adding a chat feature may be good to consider implementing on your site or your online shop. While people are shopping, they may have questions about your product. What easier way to get in touch with your company than a quick online chat? However, you need to make sure someone is monitoring the chat and responding quickly.

Offer Webinars/Digital Workshops

Many companies had events planned, that they recently had to cancel. Was your company planning an event? Make it digital! Work on transitioning your in-person event into a webinar or online workshop. Your guest speakers can still deliver their planned speeches, and can still answer digital question submissions, just as if you were there in person. There are a variety of video communication tools out there – Zoom and Google Hangouts are just a couple to mention. Do your research and find a platform that works well for the event you’ve planned. If there is enough time before your event (and you still have enough budget), you may even want to consider sending in the mail any kind of informational packets you had planned to give out at the event. It would add a personal touch and show that your company (or event) truly care about everyone’s well-being and ability to still participate in the event.

Utilize Social Media to Your Advantage

If your marketing budget is struggling during the pandemic, social media is one of the best tools you can use to continue marketing during this time. It’s especially effective since many people are stuck inside their homes, and turning to social media for many things like communicating, getting news, and even entertainment. Need ideas on where to start? Here’s just a few ideas to kickstart your social media efforts:

Share Company Updates

During this time, it’s important to share how your company is coping with the global health crisis. A press release or message to share with followers about how your company plans to work through the pandemic will help existing customers understand how your business is handling everything and what to expect. Whether it’s employees working from home, offering online sales only, or new methods of communicating or delivering products, it’s important to give an update to inform the public about your temporary operational adjustments.

Share About Employees Working from Home

This one is more light-hearted and fun! Have employees take pictures of their “home office” and share on social media! It will add a more personal touch to your social media and make your brand more approachable.

Share Company Productivity Tips

This is also a more light-hearted content idea. While you’re getting images of co-worker home offices, ask them to share a tip on how they stay productive from home. Share these tips on your social media platforms as well! You never know who hasn’t thought of a certain productivity tip, and could really benefit from it during this time. This kind of content also adds personality to your social media accounts, and has the potential to increase engagement with followers.

Go LIVE!

Want an innovative way to still engage with your audience, but can’t do it in person? Go live on social media! Make a product announcement, share advice, and answer questions from the safety of your home.

Want more tips on using social media? Read one of our recent blog posts, “16 Ways to Generate More Social Media Content.”

Try to Collect Reviews & Testimonials

If you find yourself having any downtime, try to fill in the gaps with things you’ve been meaning to work on, but haven’t had a chance to. Reviews and testimonials are a great place to start! Reach out to customers and ask them for a testimonial. Not only will this be a great addition to your website or social media, but it will also get your business in front of your customers during this pandemic. It could even generate more sales, especially if you reach out to older customers who may not have utilized your services or purchased your products in some time. Try and collect as many as you can, whether it’s through more personal emails/phone calls, or through one mass email blast.

Utilize Your Email System

This is an important one. If you haven’t sent out an email blast recently, now is the time. Again, people are on their phones and computers more than before. With many businesses offering great deals on products and services, people are checking their emails more to see what deals their favorite brands are offering. Be one of those brands! Send out an email to your customers with weekly promos or specials. Send out reminder emails. Get your name out there while people are paying attention to their emails!

The Prizum team has experience with, and recommends the following email systems:

• Mail Chimp
• Constant Contact

Get Creative for Your Specific Industry or Company:

During this pandemic, the Prizum creative team has noticed a shift in types of design and marketing we’re working on for some of our clients. Here are some examples of what some of our clients are doing during the pandemic:

Look What Some of Our Clients are Doing:

– The National Aviary is offering CyBIRD Learning, an online educational experience where kids and parents alike can watch videos and learn about birds from the safety of their home.

– Sabika Jewelry is offering online sales, product launch happy hours, and online consultant parties.

– Ready is sharing inspirational videos and workout challenges on social media

– J&A is promoting helpful tips in blogs, and promoting a product that can kill viruses

In general, many companies are being affected by the coronavirus pandemic around the globe, and many budgets are being slashed. As a digital marketing specialist, designer, or creative professional, it’s important to hold your ground and show that branding and marketing efforts should continue despite the health crisis around us. If you’re able to help your business generate sales, and keep customers engaged and happy with your company during this time, it will illustrate to your company that you are a valued employee, you were able to help keep the company afloat during a crisis, and that marketing is important to keep a business running, even during the worst of times.

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Need help with design, web, blogging, or other creative ideas for your business during the pandemic? We’re here to help. Contact us at Prizum today. Let’s get marketing through a pandemic, let’s get creative.

A strong social media marketing agency can help you navigate through these challenging times, ensuring your brand stays connected with your audience. Partnering with a corporate branding agency can help refine your brand’s identity and make sure your message resonates well during and after the pandemic. Additionally, an experienced advertising and marketing company like Prizum can help you design effective campaigns that maximize your reach even on a reduced budget.

Let’s stay creative, connected, and thrive even during these challenging times.

Part II: More Tips to Stay Productive While Working from Home

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, working people around the world are being asked to stay in their homes, and continue conducting business operations from the safety of their homes. Many of those working from home have never done so before, and are trying to make the best of the situation. Want more tips and tricks on how to stay productive while working from home? In Part I of our “How to Stay Productive When Working From Home” blog segment, we gave you some of the very basics:

–  Get Started Early & Act Like You Are Still Going to Work 

– Structure Your Day Like You Would in the Office 

– Make a “To-Do” Checklist

– Choose a Work Space That Works for You

– Take Planned Breaks

– Stay Away From Social Media

In Part II, we’ll give you even more ideas to keep yourself organized and productive.

De-clutter.

No matter where you’ve decided to “set up shop,” make sure to de-clutter your area. At-home clutter, like bills, clothing, or other chores can be distracting. If you keep your work area clean, the only thing you have to focus on is your work!

Hygiene!

During this pandemic, you might not be sitting in an office with other people. However, doesn’t mean you should skip a shower or getting dressed for the day. Wake yourself up by taking a shower, brushing your teeth, getting dressed and ready for the day! It will make you feel refreshed and prepared for a day of work ahead of you.

Turn on the lights.

Wake up! Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as alert as usual. Keep yourself awake and alert. If you prefer natural light, open the shades. Just make sure it doesn’t create a distracting or annoying glare on your screen.

Create a home office ambiance.

One of the perks of working from home is that you’re truly working in YOUR space. Create an office ambiance that you love, that you might not otherwise be able to create in your actual work office. Add homey, inspirational touches, like succulents, candles, fresh flowers, an essential oil diffuser, etc. Truly make it your own! After all, you’re the only one in your office at home.

Though it is ultimately up to you where you decide to work from, we highly discourage the idea of working in bed. Your bed is for sleeping and relaxing – not a productive mindset. Working in bed puts you at risk of being tired, taking naps, not moving around, and ultimately lacking productivity.

We also recommend separating your workspace from your family space, especially if you have children or housemates that work different jobs or schedules than you do. For instance, if you and your family all typically spend a lot of time together in a living room, maybe set up a desk in a formal dining room that is not used as often.

Set boundaries with other people at home.

Many of us do not live alone, which can be great from a social standpoint, but distracting from a productivity standpoint. Make sure you have set boundaries with others at home. Not everyone works the exact same schedule or job, so letting your roommate or significant other know about the hours you work, any important phone calls you might have, etc. will help reduce any stressors or aggravation surrounding your workflow at home.

Avoid complete isolation – find innovative ways to interact.

If your job does not require a lot of human interaction, or if you live alone, working from home can become lonely. Find ways to interact with your coworkers throughout the day, or even friends or loved ones! Make a video (FaceTime, Skype, Zoom) call before your work day starts during breakfast, during your lunch break, and/or at dinnertime after you’ve put in a hard day’s work.

Match your music to the task at hand.

Now that you have an office to yourself, you can decide if you want to listen to music through your earbuds, or out loud! You get to be your own office DJ while working from home. Find a type of music that fits the task at hand. Many people will actually listen to classical music if they really need to focus and retain information. However, if that’s not your style, try some calm acoustic music if you prefer to work in a calm or relaxed environment. Or… if you have a hard time focusing while listening to music, try out a podcast for some background noise while you work.

Use laundry as a timer.

Working from home can be a great way to multitask, if done right! Need to get laundry done? Put in a load, and use the timer on the machine to set a goal for yourself to accomplish something by the time the laundry is done! Typical cycles can be anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour.

Interact with your coworkers and schedule meetings.

Just because you’re working from home, doesn’t mean you’re not part of a team anymore. Now more than ever is the time to make sure you’re communicating with your team to the best of your ability. Scheduling weekly (or even daily, depending on the industry or project(s) at hand) project re-caps will help make sure everyone else on your team knows where a project may stand.

Use communication tools that work best for you and your team.

When interacting with your coworkers and scheduling meetings, make sure you utilize communication tools that work the best for you and your team. Yes, emails and texts are great for sending quick updates or lists, but sometimes things need to get resolved over personal phone calls or video meetings. Tools like Facetime, Skype, and Zoom are all great for one-on-one or even group meetings.

Remember that everyone works differently.

During these uncertain times with stay at home orders, many people are now required to work at home for the first time ever. The adjustment can be more challenging for some, and it is important to be understanding and empathetic. Everyone’s home life is different, everyone’s jobs are different, and many people have very different work styles. Trying to accomplish things from home can be a significant adjustment, and we all need to take that into consideration. With that understanding, it’s important to establish goals, deadlines, meeting times, and general expectations to make sure everyone is still staying productive and communicating with one another in a way that is organized and constructive.

Log off.

It’s not only important to set boundaries with the people you live with, but also to set boundaries with yourself. Because you (and most people) are working from home right now, means everyone has access to their work 24/7. You may find yourself receiving notifications at all hours of the day. Even though this blog’s purpose is to give tips on keeping yourself focused and productive, it is important to recognize that you are NOT expected to work 24/7. Don’t overexert yourself and burn yourself out. That will only result in less productivity in the future. Balance your days accordingly. Make sure to take time away from your screen to eat, exercise, and connect with your loved ones during this time.

So, now that the majority of us are working from home for at least the next couple of weeks, these tips and tools can help you settle in and stay productive. In these unexpected circumstances, we need to recognize the severity of the situation at hand and make the best of it. With technology constantly feeding us information related to the pandemic, it can certainly cause anxiety and stress. However, we need to channel that energy and appreciate all of the great capabilities we have to be able to continue our work from home, and still connect with our friends, family, and loved ones, even in isolation.

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Need design solutions for your business during the pandemic? Contact us at Prizum Creative today. As a leading digital marketing company Pittsburgh, we offer a wide range of services including social media marketing Pittsburgh. Let’s get creative and work together remotely.

Email Targeting Using Campaigner Elements API

The digerati (Internet professionals just like you) have big data on the brain, and as an industry, they are collectively exploring ways to act on the wealth of information available – and that’s a good thing.

Email marketing platform Campaigner for example has released a new API that allows marketers to integrate and analyze separate data systems to gain visibility into email subscriber behavior.

Campaigner’s Elements API provides the ability to capture, analyze and report using custom applications and ultimately will make it easier to identify and serve customers and customer targets in their email marketing campaigns. Gaining insight into the behaviors, likes, dislikes and most importantly buying patterns of recipients may just be the tipping point for big data.

“Integration and marketing automation is one of the biggest challenges for marketers looking to target the right customers in the most efficient way,” says Rick Faulk, GM Cloud Services for Sales and Marketing, Campaigner. “Campaigner Elements API allows users the flexibility to share their data between applications and take advantage of ‘big data’ analysis, to run more effective campaigns and increase their retention and revenue.”

The API, which uses standards-based protocols (so developers can use any programming language), supports integration with numerous platforms and technologies including 3rd party databases and applications, CRMs, websites, and even social networking content.

Additional notable features of the Campaigner Elements API include:

• search, organize and group contacts with segmentation capabilities
• manage email campaigns, creation and sending including auto-responders and drip campaigns
• add and synchronize contacts and update details
• download large scale reports on lists, campaigns and customer behaviors

Read the Article

It may be the start of a new decade, but email is still a large communication tool used among practically all professionals. Email can be a great communication tool to use to keep projects moving and communicate with groups of people at a time, but only if done properly. We gave you some basics in our first blog about Email Etiquette for Creatives. Whether you’re a graphic designer, web developer, marketing coordinator, or even a client working with a creative agency, there’s always more to learn and build upon your communication skills. Learn even more in our second installment of email etiquette for creatives!

Ask Google first.

Before you start firing away emails with a bunch of questions, see if you can do the research yourself and answer your own questions first. It’s as easy as typing your question into the Google search bar! It’ll save you time, as opposed to waiting around for answers, and will give you more knowledge the next time this question arises.

Be positive and articulate clearly in your email.

It’s a good practice to avoid using negative verbiage in emails. People don’t like to see emails that begin with “Sorry,” “Unfortunately,” etc. If you do need to send a negative email, put a positive spin on it or offer a positive solution! We are creatives after all.

Here are some examples of what you might want to say, versus what you should say:

If you want to say: Sorry for the delay

You should say: Thank you for your patience

If you want to say: Does that make sense?

You should say: Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else.

If you want to say: Sorry for my error. I completely missed that.

You should say: Nice catch! I’ve revised and attached an updated file. Thank you for letting me know!

If you want to say: Can I leave early if possible?

You should say: I will need to leave at “X:00” for “this reason” (fill in the “blanks”)

 

Reminder: Have minimum email attachments. Use sharing tools for yourself, but also encourage your clients to use those same sharing tools.

In Part I of this blog, we recommended alternative ways to send files without clogging up yours or your client’s emails. We recommended programs such as Dropbox and WeTransfer. As a designer or creative, you may find that using a tool like Dropbox is easy for you to upload files and keep yourself organized. However, it’s also important to encourage clients to share files with you in the same way so you can make sure they’re providing you everything you need as well.

For example, if your client has ongoing work with you, it would be beneficial to set up a shared folder between you and your client. Organize folders and sub-folders by year, month, and then specific project. It’s always a good idea to keep your files organized chronologically, in case you ever need to go back and reference or update older project files.

 

Double check your grammar and spelling.

It’s always a good idea to re-read your emails before you send them. Most email systems have spell-check, but proofing for wrong uses of words or general grammatical errors must be done by you. You never know what you might catch, or realize you forgot to add in!

Also double-check the spelling of any person you’re addressing!

For instance, there are a dozen different ways to spell the name “Allison.” Make sure when you have the correct spelling before you click “send.” Also make sure if the person prefers a nickname, that you are using that properly as well. And, never assume someone wants to be called by a nickname.

 

Keep your messages in the same email chain.

This is one of the most important ways to stay organized throughout a project process, especially in the creative world. As designers, we have many projects going on simultaneously, sometimes with the same client, and oftentimes with totally different clients.

Understandably so, not everyone communicates the same, or may not even recognize that designers may have 30 different clients and projects to manage at a time. That being said, it’s important to establish a preference at the beginning of a project that everyone “reply all” on communications in that specific chain, to make sure everyone involved in the project can see the progress being made from start to finish.

 

Keep one email chain per project/subject.

Sure, if you’re in a team working on a one-off project such as a logo design, there may only need to be one email chain for the entire project. However, if you’re working on a large campaign, or have ongoing work with a larger client, you may have multiple projects going on within the larger scope of the client’s needs. This is when multiple email chains may need to come in hand. For instance, if you’re working with a well-known restaurant chain, you may be working on new restaurant openings, general social media, blogs, or other forms of advertising. Each project would require a different email chain to make sure everything is staying as organized as possible.

Whatever you do, try to keep from sending one-off emails regarding a project that already has an established email chain. You put yourself at risk of the email being read over and forgotten about!

 

Never send an emotional email.

Working collaboratively on a project can be a great opportunity to learn how to work with people of different ages, backgrounds, and work-styles. Sometimes, projects don’t always pan out exactly according to plan. Or, sometimes work styles can clash and disagreements come up. However, the most unprofessional thing you can do is send an emotional email. This can ruin relationships, and tarnish your reputation.

Sure, writing down how you feel when you’re upset can help, but never write it as a draft in your email system (if you accidentally hit send on a draft, there’s no going back). Make sure to draft and proof your response in a separate program, such as Word, TextEdit, or Notes, and make sure to be as polite and matter-of-fact as possible. Come up with a potential solution to the problem, or, if it makes you feel more comfortable, offer to discuss the matter on the phone or in person.

 

Reply to emails mistakenly sent to you.

We’ve all been there – an awkward moment where you see an email from someone random, or regarding a project you’re not a part of. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to respond directly to the sender of the email and let them know you think you got the message in error! You never know how important of an email you just received might be. So, definitely make the sender aware (politely, of course) so they can make sure the person the email was intended for receives the message!

If you’re in the world of communications, it’s imperative to constantly look for new ways to communicate even better. Good communication makes you a preferred person to work with, and makes your projects run smoothly. It all starts with proper email etiquette!

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Need design solutions for your business? Contact us at Prizum Creative today. Let’s get creative, let’s get collaborative. And if you’re looking for top-notch email marketing Pittsburgh or website development Pittsburgh, we are here to help you achieve your goals.

Online businesses today clearly understand the importance of social media as a tool for marketing products and services. It’s like a digital extension of your brand – a venue where you can part your services and products and engaged an additional audience.

With almost half of the population using social media platforms, it’s hard to deny that it’s the perfect place to find potential customers.

Well, in fact, they have predicted that seventy-one percent of small businesses will be utilizing social media content to entice customers by this year.

Who wouldn’t want to be involved with social Web when everybody else are connecting with brands. Aside from that. speaking to a larger audience can be done just by using your keyboard, therefore, it’s a lot easier to reach prospects.

So to keep you going today, whether you are just getting started, or just sitting on the sidelines – we are here to help you make your recipe of success through social media.

Here are some tips to get you off to a flying start.

What are the important social networks to consider?

You can take part across different platforms and not just select one and disregard another. All you have to do is find a distinct group of industry and clients amongst various platforms.

You can tailor a unique strategy for each social media marketing agency site as each of them have a different customer base and they require distinct approaches.

So here are the most prominent social media sites that seem to stay forever and is a safe bet to invest time…

Facebook

Using Facebook as part of your social media marketing calls for an active strategy. Firstly, you need to create your Facebook Business Fan Page and take into big consideration the importance of visual layouts since user experience is mainly based on this key element.

If you are then to run Facebooks ads, it is important to think about the cost that you would want to give since organic Facebook reach is very limited. However, if you have direct focus and with some best-laid plans, the cost-efficiency of the site will even surprise you. But if you go sightless, like a bat out of hell, then you will be near to losing money faster than you are at a casino.

Here’s one way also to easily throw money on Facebook ads – failure to test. Others might pour out their whole budget to not well-demonstrated campaigns and it is really a heartbreaking moment when you only find cold results. The truth behind is, you don’t have to risk on a thing that might not work. Go test first before you dive. By getting into it slowly, you will stay longer in the game.

LinkedIn

Linkedin has been populated with over 500 million members in 200 countries and territories. Because it has a huge pool of professionals, it has become an ideal center for B2B companies to find valuable opportunities by connecting with potential buyers and sellers.

While B2B opportunities are ever blossoming in this site, B2C companies can also make their way as well on this networking center. They can take advantage of the connections that they can build which can open to chances for recruitment, finding influencers, and even market research.

How to be noticed on this site?

Develop a strong business page and buck up your ideas.

Get your business a recommendation from some of your customers and clients on your LinkedIn profile. This will make your business look believable and reliable.

The content that you are going to publish should be aligned with the tone of the platform. This site is a place where you can post something to like-minded individuals. Pieces of information that tells about what your business is also a good idea to post. Generalized articles are also interesting and can be appreciated by many.

Take note of the time that users have peak usage of the platform. Schedule the time for posting so you can be sure that your posts will go live at those moments. Usually, the time of usage is high before working hours starts (7-8 am), during lunch break, and also after work between 5 to 6pm.

Allocate time for answering queries in Linkedin question sections. Make exceptional answers for them that are related to your business. This will make you appear as a thought leader (sort of an authority to your industry).

Twitter

Twitter gained its popularity as a micro-blogging tool. It has become valuable to marketers as its users’ number exploded since 2009.

With the rise of social media platforms as venues for marketing products and services, businesses have redefined its way of communicating with customers.

Twitter stands out from the rest because it’s specificity rest in its messages – tweets. It’s low character count that runs up to 140 characters before is now extended to 280 character limit. The hindsight of this extension has contributed to the way the users use the services now. More are retweeting, there are a lot more mentions, and a lot more users are getting followers.

How to make your marketing effective on this platform?

Try to build engagement by generating conversation. Other businesses do not seem to realize the importance of creating a conversation with other Twitter followers, they just put in some links to their blog and let it run in the emptiness.

Creating content that is mind stimulating is a way of getting responses and retweets. Also, add in question-based posts to encourage Tweeps to join and so you can jump-start conversations that revolve around your business. It is important that you fully interact during dialog as a way of nurturing a community.

Following tweeters that are from your industry or related to your side would let you gain a stream of followers too in return.

Add in some fun to your official tweets and broadcast updates to build brand awareness.

Don’t forget to retweet if a customer says some compliments about you and try to answer every query as possible.

One very important component when doing marketing on Twitter is to understand the rate of posting. Reusing tweets which gained high value to the company is a suggestion that you should take. To pass on important information to a higher percentage of your followers, post that valuable tweet twice in a day. But also make sure to tweet unique content as this platform has become a go-to-place for consumers who are starving for up-to-date information about anything that interests them.

As always and for any other social media platforms, you need to be consistent in your engagement to make all your strategies to work effectively.

Youtube

This site has been the number one place to share and create every kind of video imaginable. And it ranks second to Google as the largest search engine on the internet.

You can just imagine how this platform can offer opportunity if you look at it from a business perspective. That’s because video consumption nowadays is gaining speed. Actually more people find videos more helpful than by just reading article content. So for many businesses who place their strategy by creating “viral” video content (which brings slim chance in actuality), well they should back off from doing for there are more to get in making instructive videos or how-to demos. Aside from that, they will add to the ranking of Google search results for videos.

Below are the ins and outs of Youtube that determines its video rankings…

Algorithms of Youtube see the whole of your channel, from the followers you have, together with the videos they have watched, to the intensity of reactions that ignites from the videos you have. All factors are greatly considered.

• Build a high caliber YT channel
• Create engaging videos that will interest your audience and that has big value to them.
• Give importance to the opening scenes since the more you captivate your audiences, the higher you will rank.
• Design video content that is relevant as Youtube will align it to the search query of the users. Therefore make descriptions that are worthy, keywords dense, and relevant.
• Youtube can be a place where you can do both- content marketing and social media marketing. When doing these both, it is important to send back traffic to your home page site as that is part of your goal for this platform.

Instagram

If you want a more engaged audience then you can find it on Instagram. With over 700 million active users, still, Instagram offers less competition than any giant social media platforms.

This social media platform is owned by Facebook but it still has its own characteristic which mainly emphasizes visual. If you want your brand to use images to promote your products and services then this platform is a great option.

Unlike Facebook, Instagram has its interest-based algorithm which does not stand in the way of business profiles.

Aside from having a growing number of diverse followers, Instagram has some of those highest engagement rates among social media network.

The use of extra creativity by showcasing your creations will help your posts stand out from the rest.

Use and expand your reach through hashtags. Whether they are campaign specific or general, they are all important for as long as they are relevant.

If you want your marketing strategy to work well on this platform then make use of all the features that are provided by the site.

Google+

Google+ at first, went out to compete Facebook but later stayed as a niche audience. This platform is mostly not effective for others but there are active users here.

Ninety percent of the people in Google+ just lurks and seldom participate. This literally means less engagement in the scene.

But it does have 111 million profiles which means that posting content here will mean maintaining brand awareness – a key aspect of social media marketing.

You can get the advantage of the active usage rate during weekdays with Wednesdays as the best day of all. That is from mid-morning up to lunchtime. Those are the best times to post but you can’t expect them to share your content. At least just bring your brand to them and give them reasons to remember it.

Take the benefit of Google+ circle where you can share information to a limited group only. This is one way of segmenting your followers leaving out others to have access to your exclusive offers.

Now, you can get started with your own campaign and create your own presence.

Solidifying your existence in the lives of your customers is very important and social media platforms are the right place to do that. Leave a comment and let us help you implement social media in your marketing plan. Feel free to contact our experts so we can get you pointed at the right direction.