I love typefaces (also known as fonts for those of you who aren’t designers)! One of our designers, Renata, found this image of the Periodic Table of Typefaces. The piece displays the most popular and nicely designed typefaces and the designers who created them.

But wait, it gets even better! You can purchase prints, T-shirts (drooling at this point), download wallpaper for your computer, a book cover and even decals for your walls! Great job these guys did on putting this together. It’s a creative way of showing the history and design of typefaces.

So at this point you’re probably thinking, “So what! What’s the big deal about all these fonts? PowerPoint and Word have a great selection of fonts that come with them—like Comic Sans and Papyrus.” So, as I shake my head I say this, selecting the right typeface is so important. Not only are typefaces a work of art, but they also set the tone of a piece and help tell your brand story. Using Comic Sans may not be the kind of typeface you want to use as a professional business (unless you’re a comic book company).

If you’re not sure what typefaces are good to use, then that’s where the periodic table of typefaces comes in. If you’re still not sure, then call Canyon and we’d love to help you select a typeface and talk brand strategy!

Take a closer look at it, all my favorites are on here—Helvetica, Gotham, Avenir, Trade Gothic, Clarendon…etc.

I’d also like to hear what your favorite typeface is (and notice there’s no Comic Sans or Papyrus, so they don’t count).

Spending on print advertising is down. Companies are slashing travel budgets and cutting out tradeshows. Printing and postage costs are continuously rising. What’s a B2B marketer to do?

Take a look in your pocket, or purse, or that leather thingy strapped to your belt. That’s right: it’s your mobile phone.

I’m of the opinion that the most efficient and effective way for B2B marketers to reach their target audience will soon be through their smart phones and MIDs (that’s Mobile Internet Devices, for you non-geeks. You geeks can go here).

As those who know anything about me will attest, I am an iPhone junkie. I’m talking JUNKIE!!!! I’m always on it. Mapping out routes. Looking up movie times. Booking flights. Solving factual arguments. Searching for solutions to my business problems.

Wait. Back that one up. ‘Searching for solutions to my business problems?’ Why on earth would I do that?

Because with the wealth of information on the Internet, you can find educational content on any topic you choose with a few taps and maybe a swipe. And with web browsers for mobile phones becoming more technologically advanced, people can search for your solutions any time, anywhere. Plus, it’s getting easier and easier to deploy lead-capturing tools on mobile devices.

Here are a few quick tips for B2B marketers to make sure your prospective customers find you when they’re tapping away on their smart phones and MIDs:

Go Mobile: Please make absolutely sure your website and e-mail marketing campaigns are smart phone and iPhone accessible and include a phone number, as most smart phones have a click-to-dial feature. Or, you could always create a dedicated mobile site.

Get Out There: Optimize your website with ‘solutionizing’ key words and phrases by cramming it chock-full of meaty, educational content. When your prospective customer types or taps their problem into Google, you want to come up first (or at least on the first page).

Be Social: Develop (and frequently update) a blog and use social media tools. Then, make sure to promote this in everything you do. That’s a surefire way to build up your street (er, web) cred.

Get Wired: Send newsworthy press releases to online trade media outlets and post them to the wire.

Don’t Worry. Be Appy: Create an App that your prospective customers will benefit from using.

Texter Beware: I recommend limiting SMS campaigns unless it’s a reminder to attend an event someone has registered for or something like that and they have specifically agreed to receive text messages from you. Otherwise, it just reeks of intrusiveness to me.

Don’t just take it from me. Check out the results of this research study, which found that SEO, PPC and e-mail had the highest influence on conversions. Adapting these strategies to mobile devices is a surefire way to cost-effectively reach your target audiences.

What do you think? Are texting campaigns the best thing since sliced sashimi? Are you reading this blog post from a mobile device? Can you refer me to a 12-step program for iPhone addiction? Let me know.

When it comes to my professional life, I’m a stickler for being on time or better yet early. On the flip side, trying to get out the door with a toddler in tow means I’m late to almost everything in my personal life.

But, I’ve found there are times both personally and professionally when being late has advantages.

Personally, I like to be fashionably late to a party. Your entrance has more impact. You don’t get stuck setting out food, icing down drinks (no offense to you hosts out there, but if I wanted to do this I’d throw my own party). Plus, you don’t have to wait for the fun to start. You show up and it’s all happening.

Professionally, it’s social media. If you think you’re too late for social media, think again. Being tardy to this party is perfectly acceptable and here’s why:

1. You’ve taken the time to listen. We always tell our business-to-business clients, the first step to engaging in social media is to LISTEN. This step never ends. You must always listen. Too many companies make the mistake of jumping into a blog, Twitter, Facebook and the list goes on because “everyone else is doing it.” Wrong reason. Listen first, determine where you can add value and have meaningful conversations, understand the correct use of each tool, and then make your entree to the party.

2. The tools now exist to make social networking effective. For Twitter alone there are hundreds of Twitter tools now available. Many of these tools can help to streamline your social media efforts. A couple of my favorites include Tweetbeep, which is like Google Alerts and sends you an alert whenever one of your set keywords is mentioned, and Twitterfeed, which posts your blogs automatically to Twitter.

3. Social media is accepted and influences decisions. Your customers are online, yes even for b2b. They read blogs, use Google and tweet. Check out the stats from Forrester Research that show 69% of technology decision-makers are using social media for business purposes. The fact is your customers turn online to research best practices and products in their industry; and they actively seek out their peers for advice. Your content needs to be where these conversations are happening, and this means in places beyond your website.

4. You’re in a position to add value to the conversation. About 19% of users are creating content. The rest are just watching, commenting, posting links and retweets. This is your opportunity to bring new content.

You’re friends, fans and followers are awaiting your fashionable entrance. Just because you’re late, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up.

What do you think? Are there other advantages? Is there an instance where it is too late? I welcome your comments.

The recession has been a sobering reality for many businesses this past year. While we would all love to see things pick back up, there are inconsistent reports coming out daily that indicate a clean bill of economic health may not be within reach.

It’s no secret that when the economy declines, it is customary for businesses to pull back spending – particularly on marketing and communications. The fact is that in times like these, it is imperative for your business to provide even more distinction for its brand, its products and its services.

Now more than ever, your customers and prospects are being cautious about their purchasing decisions. The good new is that you can take control of the situation by providing clear, differentiating information to steer the decision-making process of potential buyers in your favor.

Organize Your B2B Marketing Approach

Focus on basic tenants to guide your marketing program:

1. Don’t get discouraged. Although our economic engine is getting a tune-up, there are still endless miles left in it. Opportunity is out there, but you will need to find new ways to manage the demand for your products.

2. Recognize your challenges. Take an honest look in the mirror to determine where your company can improve. Taking the time to uncover your pain points will help you to know where and how to invest your marketing dollars.

3. Understand your strengths. When was the last time you asked your customers what they uniquely value about your company? Figure out what you do well and use those things to your advantage.

4. Find out what your customers care about and start there. B2B customers need help making informed buying-decision for their business. Learning first-hand what customers value will help you generate marketing programs that will engage your customers well after the economy stabilizes.

5. Don’t get left behind. Reports show that one-third of B2B marketers have planned to increase their marketing investment this year. Those who are continuing to invest in marketing are sure to emerge as champions in their respective industries. Conceding market share and opportunity to your competitors, is not a risk any business should take.

It’s Ok To Seek Marketing Counsel
Of course there is still a need to be pragmatic in your approach. The best first step is to ensure that you have quality professionals leading the charge. Regardless of your industry, you should engage with marketing counsel who can help you drive business with thorough market assessment, well-grounded recommendations and tenacious management of your marketing and communications concerns. Engaging with an agency that demonstrates unending enthusiasm for the work will not only get your marketing program on the right track, it will also surely result in a positive upturn for your business.

What new marketing techniques have you adopted to propel your business forward?