Category: Lessons

Who knew we could make best friends with our business tools!

As a creative and owner of Orbit Studio I’ve realised the benefits of maximising my digital platform use and now (while my open tabs are never-ending), I don’t know where I’d be without my reliable mates Dubsado, Asana and Creative Market amongst a bundle of others.

Not a creator? Have no fear – there are sites like this for every business niche and they aren’t a secret – so if you’re building your own business then do yourself a favour and have a go at making these platforms work for you!

Tools we love…

MOYO STUDIO

Welcome to a world of free photos and mockups made especially for creatives.

Molly and Mark are a husband-and-wife team (yes we’re impressed by this power couple) who help creative entrepreneurs showcase their work beautifully and authentically with photo mockups and customisable design kits.

Consider Moyo your secret sidekick for your creative business!

Visit Moyo online right here. https://www.moyo-studio.com/

NOISSUE

For on-brand and sustainable product packaging, say hello to the globally ambitious, compostable, reusable, and recyclable Noissue Co. Have you considered going green?

The Noissue difference is characterized by their commitment to sustainability for all products, a simple online design platform, and low minimum order quantities.

Make a difference with this creative, community focused brand

Learn more about Noissue right here. https://noissue.com.au/about-us/

CREATIVE MARKET

Offering ready-to-use products for designers, including fonts, templates, photos, and graphics, Creative Market is an online marketplace with assets generated by its community.

Want to join forces with talented designers around the world? Whether you come from a design background or not, there is something here for everyone.

Accelerate your up-and-coming projects with millions of ready to use products via Creative Market.

Check out Creative Market online right here. https://creativemarket.com/?u=Colar

DUBSADO

Dubsado might just have to be THE all-in-one tool for businesses.

Want a platform where you can do everything at once? One that organises your life (and business) for you?

From scheduling appointments, to creating automated workflows, managing client projects, maintaining communication with clients, and tracking customer history – Dubsado is designed to cut out the busyness and to support you in all areas of business.

Discover more about Dubsado online right here. www.dubsado.com

Use our Affiliate link to receive 20% off your first month or year!

ASANA

Now we’ve saved the best to last (but secretly we love them all) because this is our go-to for the Orbit team!

Manage team projects and tasks under one roof with Asana.

You’ll find us using client folders, setting goals and to-do lists, content sharing, communicating via messenger threads and setting calendar notifications for due dates. The tag feature is our favourite for remote staff who are working together in an online setting.

Really, we might as well be in the same office.

And there’s plenty more where that came from… Keep an eye on our socials for more tips and tricks from the Orbit team!

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. We may receive financial compensation if you buy via our link at no additional cost to you.

Heard of the saying Communication is key? Well slip that one into your pocket for later because for our team at Orbit, we consider this mantra one to live by!

Being in the creative industry, all Orbit projects are strongly driven by communication and the value it can bring to brand audiences… But while we are living and breathing this on the daily, we appreciate that it can be difficult for other business owners to know how to nurture their own relations with an audience.

So, here’s a shout out to the head honchos, team leaders and communication queens. Today we’re suggesting that you provide value to customers, followers, and audience members through your communications and marketing strategies… (trust us) …!

1. But FIRST. Know your audience!

Start with an understanding of your audience’s persona. Ask yourself – how old is your audience? What are their likes and dislikes? Do they have kids? How good are they at throwing shapes on a d-floor? (It’s all important, right!)

Define your audience down to the colour of their shoes, and that’s what we like to call great knowledge of the consumer.

2. Personalise your communication methods

Using this knowledge, it’s time to find your brand’s voice. Reach out to your audience in a way that will make your customers feel seen and heard.

Let’s make these conversations personal and relatable (none of this repetitive robot chat). You might want to treat your interactions like you are having a conversation IRL. Who do you think your audience would want to speak to?

TIP: Adapt your voice and explore creative wording to engage appropriately with your customers.

3. Communicate and interact with your audience through a variety of touchpoints

(Otherwise known as customer engagement).

Mixed media marketing is most definitely something we covered at university and I’m now glad to say I totally get it.

Just don’t confuse “the more the merrier” and using multiple platforms, because the goal is not how many touchpoints you can use to reach your audience, but about which ones will provide the most value.

Hunt down the channels where your customers are consuming content, receiving communication, or seeing advertisements. Your business might be across social media, email marketing, and the world wide web, and so long as these touchpoints best match your audience, then you’ll have great success at connecting with a wider community.

4. Diversify your content based on the needs of your audience

Listen to your audience. What do they want to know about your brand? Do they want to be educated, empowered, entertained, or all the above?

Lesson 1: Avoid tunnel vision!

It’s easy to repeat the same message or deliver the same content over and over. Especially when your customers have been previously responsive. But what will make this content even richer is to throw something else into the mix.

For example, when we implement a social strategy with our clients at Orbit, we establish four focus areas that are valuable to the brand and its mission, and which will also bring value to the audience.

We want to keep things interesting for the social community and meet the various curiosities of our followers. So, we make sure to create content that centres around each of these topics for full effect.

Lesson 2: For example – What does empowering content look like compared to educational?

You’re a local gym. You want to provide your community with information on why it is so important to stretch after a heavy “sesh”. While this might be the perfect educational content for newcomers, what about empowering your regulars? You might want to inspire your followers to push themselves a little harder or encourage them to feel comfortable in their own skin? And how about entertaining your audience? Why not share a fun, upbeat reel to get your members excited about the latest addition – an all-female class?

See how your messages might vary? Now balance these three focus areas and consider how they can provide greater value as a unit – by engaging a range of customers.

5. Quality over quantity

Don’t go overboard. Your communications will hold greater value if you keep from bombarding your audience. (Try and maintain a balance between too little and too much).

Remember that one quality message is going to be so much more effective than multiple meaningless communications.

TIP: Maintain consistency, regularity, and keep things to a schedule to build credibility, reputation, and brand trust.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, make your messages stick. The beauty of communication is, we can provide meaning, prompt feelings, and foster positive relationships simply through our mediums and messages. So, let’s embrace our position of creative persuasion and make every square on that aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed count!

Have we sparked your interest in communication for your brand? Well, the Orbit doors are always open. If you’re looking for further guidance, then let’s have a chat!

Reach out to Jess right here: jess@orbitstudio.com.au

OR explore our other services which are floating around this divine website of ours. (We made that too).

File types. The tell-tale sign that we are living in the digital age.

Talk to any designer and you’ll soon understand the value that comes with using different file types… particularly when it comes to logo creation for your business!

The logo. A major identifier for your brand. A symbol, words, or type, which embody your mission and values and showcase the true personality of your business.

Have you considered bringing a designer on board to help you develop yours? While logo creation may be the fun part, dealing with the aftermath of multiple format types can be a common cause for confusion with uncertain users (sound familiar?). Be prepared to receive your logo in a few different file formats which are all useful for their own specific purpose and can be identified by their extension (ie .pdf).

To deliver the best final product, knowing which format to use and when, is key. We decided it was time to break down the most important acronyms for you and hopefully shed a little light on logo file types for our followers ✔️

Let’s talk digital delivery. We recommend sticking to PNG and SVG formats when it comes to digital logo use…

PNG

“Portable Network Graphic”

– Most frequently used for the web, ie. website, social media, web browser

– Web format supports a transparent background

*Remember to: Use the appropriate size and resolution for your platform to avoid pixelation.

SVG

“Scalable Vector Graphic”

– Image file meant for web usage

– Image can be scaled and will maintain quality

*Handy hint: When it comes to web use, SVG will provide a clearer and sharper outcome than PNG or JPG.

*Handy hint #2: Uploading a SVG file into Canva will allow you to change the colours of the image in Canva itself, which will save you uploading alllllll of the files you get into Canva.

Sending your logo to print? In this case, you’ll be best off utilising PDF, EPS and AI file types…

PDF

“Portable Document Format”

– A universal file that retains typefaces, images, and formatting of any document in an electronic image

– Can be viewed in a finder window or web browser

*Keep in mind: Because it can be exported for both web and print a PDF file can vary greatly in quality, PDFs can also be ‘flattened’ which means that layers cannot be accessed or edited.

EPS

“Encapsulated Post Script”

– File type meant for print usage

– Can be sized up or down without losing image quality/easy to scale for print

– Supports a transparent background

*Our tip: We suggest sending your logo to print in an AI or EPS version to make it easier for designers on the other end.

AI

“Adobe Illustrator”

– This file is used to create and edit your logo by designers

– Can be modified easily without losing file quality

*Don’t forget: Unless you have the Adobe Illustrator program you won’t be able to view/edit the logo file, but your designer should have this one figured out for you!

– Commonly considered the “working” or “master” file

And of course, we have all crossed paths with our friend the .JPG file before, am I right? These files suit web and print use but are best for photographs.

JPG:

“Joint Photographic Experts Group”

– This picture file can be used for website and social media (commonly used for photos)

– Needs to be formatted correctly to ensure quality resolution

– Web use will require an optimised file, to ensure fast loading time

– Has a white background (if a logo file)

*Did you know?: JPG products require a high-quality format for desktop printing, medium quality for web viewing and low quality for email.

If all of this logo talk has sparked your attention and you’re considering a refresh for your brand, then reach out to our team. We would be more than happy to have a no-strings-attached chat with you about the direction you’re heading in with your business (and your branding)!

jess@orbitstudio.com.au

In this clever and high-tech age that we live, it really feels as if we are operating at a peak of digital communication. We are well aware that the digital age will only continue to evolve, but who could have predicted a global pandemic, which would lead to greater digital and online interactions at this time?

Now we have zoom meetings at the forefront of office interactions, and businesses are having to develop their brand identity with a greater focus on digital interactions. With this has come an increase in website optimisation, online blog content, eNewsletters, email campaigns and digital advertising. And finally, there is a need to boost social media marketing. All of which offer an opportunity to craft clever digital content. (And here comes your lesson for the day) “Always remember that content should not just be copy”. Words and images are most effective when they work together, and so this is where brand imagery makes its mark.

While we often talk about branding and brand identity, “Brand imagery” specifically is a visual tool used to tell the story of your business. It may be described as the aesthetic appearance of the brand’s core message and has the potential to strengthen your connection with your target audience. Your brand imagery may include (but is never limited to) video, photography, illustration, graphics, colour, icons, symbols and charts.

Brand imagery has always played its part in marketing and advertising, and with the recent rise in digital and online marketing, it plays a significantly greater role in business branding. Our digital world is highly image-driven these days, particularly for those maximising that scroll action on their social media feed (guilty)! So, what does this mean for your business?

It’s time to consider your use of imagery for your business branding. Let’s stop and reassess! Ask yourself…

What imagery do you use to represent your brand?

• Are you offering customers a visual connection to your brand?
• Within your print and digital marketing strategy?
• As a key feature within your brand collateral?

Does your imagery allow you to connect with your audience, followers and community?

• Is it relevant, appropriate and engaging?
• Does it highlight your brand’s personality?
• Is it important and inspiring to your target audience?
• It is consistent with your branding to build trust with your audience?

Does your imagery communicate your values to your customers?

• Can they gain insight into your brand message and culture through this imagery?
• Does your imagery align with your values?

Does your imagery show off your brand’s style?

• Is it consistent with your overall branding, logo and colour scheme?
• Is it a clear identifier of your business?
• Does the style of imagery align with your brand’s purpose?
• Does your style stand out from your competitors?

Does your brand imagery, translate across digital platforms?

• Is it designed for digital media?
• Are you maximising the use of imagery across your digital platforms?

If this thought-provoking chat has highlighted holes in your strategy or left you wondering, then perhaps it is time to reconsider your business brand imagery with the use of the above prompts! OR why not allow me to help you?

I am all about building relationships with new clients and working together to create high quality and individually tailored branding for their businesses. And if this means fine-tuning your brand imagery strategy then let’s make it happen!

*Shoot me a message or fill in the enquiry form on my website and I will be so happy to get in touch with you!