social media Archives - Washington Media Services

September 20, 2018

Social Media and Your Business

Facebook has been in and out of hot water of late, Twitter seems to be trying to stay out of trouble, and many people I’ve worked with don’t understand Instagram. While these aren’t the only social channels, they seem to be the “Big 3” social media networks. Are they really important? Should your business/organization be using them?

In short, YES. Your business or organization needs an online presence and, let’s face it, websites just aren’t enough anymore. You need to engage with your customers, and the most effective way is through social media.

Ready for the longer answer? You should consider what works best for your business. Facebook is almost a default to have, especially given the breadth of the platform. Until something comes along that can pull everyone away from the giant, it is a good practice to have a page for your business/organization. It allows you to make fast updates about your business, and you reach the masses faster than you would by just putting the information on your site and hoping for the best. Even this blog post will make the rounds and go to Washington Media’s social platforms. Why? Because we know it’s smarter to post it in as many places as possible than to just hope it’s seen on our blog. It will reach more people if it goes to Facebook, Twitter, and the like.

Twitter is another matter. Do you need one for business? Well… Do you want one? Twitter is the platform that seems to keep coming back from what some would deem a permanent grave. From what I’ve seen (and based on the experiences of clients and colleagues), the platform works best for those who are going to use it consistently. While that can be said to be true of any social media platform, I think it’s especially true here. A user’s feed fills up so fast that you have to use the site more than once per day to ensure your tweets are being seen. So, if you like the platform and plan to use it, then set up a Twitter account for your business!

Instagram… with all your hashtags and models? Actually, Instagram is a very good thing for a business to use. The sad fact is just how long it took for Facebook to make Instagram business friendly. The platform is based around the idea of capturing the moment. You can capture your products or services, share the antics going on behind the scenes, or share information about events (either in progress or by posting the event flyer). In a way, Instagram is Twitter for picture/video.

Of course, there are other platforms (LinkedIn and Snapchat are probably another two that most people have heard of), but they rely heavily on being right for your business/organization and your client base. Like all things in business, be smart about your social media channels and make them work for you.

August 16, 2018September 7, 2018

What’s #Trending

I know we all like to see what’s the best new trend in just about any market. We all want the latest in gadgetry, social media, clothes, and more. However, should this spill over into graphic/web design?

Wait! Don’t click away, yet. Let me explain.

In talking with other designers and creatives, in general, we’ve all found that potential clients sometimes want to know what’s the latest trend for their product. Presumably, this is so they can appeal to a younger audience, which is good logic. However, trends shouldn’t always be the determining factor in a business decision.

At WMS, we tend to look at trending designs in this way: Does it fit for you? A construction company doesn’t necessarily want their website to look overly artsy, so they don’t want something that looks more like a photographer’s portfolio (like this). A company providing a necessary service (like a medical institute, fire department, etc.) will need their site navigation to be easily found, thus the trend of making the menu blend with the rest of the site won’t help them.

Let’s look at this in other aspects, shall we? Another thing we’ve recently seen a lot of companies change is their logo and/or branding. Here, too, what’s trendy shouldn’t be the crux of your decision for this change. Example: a law firm doesn’t necessarily need the bright colored gradient in their identity (think of the Instagram branding for that visual). On the flip side, a beauty salon doesn’t want to look too dressed down or overly serious (like, say, the Chase Bank logo or the logotypes often used by law firms).

In reality, a design/media company should suggest designs that benefit your business. Someone should be able to look at your website or printed material and say, “Yes, this has [business name] written all over it.” If there’s too much of a disconnect between what you do and how you present your business, then people might look for alternatives.

So, what was this all about? In short, it’s just a reminder. We just wanted to remind you that trends come and go, especially website design trends. What’s considered trendy one day will be old hat the next. So when you’re looking to refresh your business’ look (whether online or via print), take trends into account, if you like, but focus on getting a good design that fits your identity.