How to Up Your Graphic Design Game in 3 Easy Steps

Graphics are one of the best ways to grab your audience’s attention. Used in essentially all forms of marketing, it has been proven time and again to be a surefire way to boost your business.

Perhaps you clicked on this article curious about improving your graphic design skills. Well, we completely understand. To help you, we’ve compiled some steps you could take on your journey to become a better graphic designer.

1. JOIN A DESIGN COURSE

Plenty of schools in Singapore offer design courses that you could take to help you hone your design skills. There are various courses that focus on different areas of design, depending on what you’re looking for. Here are some of the best design courses in Singapore we recommend:

First Media Design School: Diploma in Media and Graphic Design

With plenty of design-related courses at their arsenal, including branding and animation, First Media Design School might be the institution you want to look at if you’re considering getting a diploma in media and graphic design. This course lasts a duration of 18 months (1½ years), so it may be more suited for students pursuing design as a serious career.

Laselle: graphic design fundamentals

Maybe a full-time course might not be what you’re searching for. Or you might already have a diploma and am still looking for minor ways to refine your designing skills. At $540 a unit, Laselle offers more than 30 different design courses across a range of design disciplines. If you have a strong interest in graphic design, you may want to consider Laselle.

Nanyang Polytechnic: Graphic Thinking and Visualisation in Design

Feeling the hefty price tag on the previous two courses? There’s another alternative. Nanyang Polytechnic is providing a simple yet all-rounded design course under SkillsFuture. If you have some leftover SkillsFuture credits, now is the time to use it! At only $300, this is the perfect course for casual students dipping their toes into the world of design.

2. STUDY THE WORK OF GRAPHIC DESIGN COMPANIES

In order to apply the skills you’ve picked up, it’s important to be able to look at the works of others and distinguish the good and the bad. With a vast amount of design companies in Singapore, there are definitely plenty of examples for one to study.

Hipster inc

From web design to desktop computing and, of course, graphics design and branding, Hipster offers cost-effective digital solutions for your marketing needs. Their speciality lies in their augmented and virtual reality services. Just by entering their website do you see their portfolio of clean and aesthetic designs on display. Look through their case studies and you can see why Hipster is such a successful graphic design company.

Artnexus Design

Positioning themselves as a one-stop solution for creative advertising, branding and packaging label designs, Artnexus certainly strives to cover all aspects of graphic design — and come out on top as well. Under the creative umbrella, the company covers publication design, digital display advertisement, not to mention graphic designing. Take a look at their website to understand why their designs are so popular amongst marketers.

Graphic Masters

Having established themselves in the industry, Graphic Masters’s clientele consists of government agencies, public organisations and private corporations around the globe. These include the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, SAF Yacht Club, and many others. Their services range from publications, advertising and promotions, corporate branding, infographics, and even corporate gifts — to list a few! With a strong understanding of the current graphic design trends, Graphic Masters’s professionalism shines through.

3. UNDERSTAND THE LATEST GRAPHIC DESIGN TRENDS

Besides upgrading your design skills and studying the portfolio of other designers, it is also important to be aware of the latest design trends. Some of the design trends that surfaced in 2020 and are likely to continue in 2021 include but are not limited to the following:

Muted Colour Palettes

Perhaps one reason why muted colours have been so in trend lately is because of their ability to evoke comfort and warm feelings. They also often feel natural and organic, which may why plenty of health and wellness companies are implementing the use of muted colour palettes in their design and marketing efforts.

Flat Icons and Illustrations

Flat icons have become somewhat of a popular trend, particularly when used as a social media graphic. With a simple icon, brands can communicate more by using less. Indeed, they are a powerful tool for communication. This trend is taking over companies by storm, including BMW, Volkswagen, and even Google, all of whom have adopted a flatter, more minimalistic logo for their brand.

Social Media Slide Decks

Slide decks are a great way to break up chunks of information. If you want to convey a lengthy message to your audience but are unsure how to keep their attention focused on you, try having various image slides rather than one single image. This habit has been employed by many brands on virtually almost all social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin. Furthermore, the algorithm actually seems to favour posts with multiple slides rather than those with a single image!

If you find these tips helpful, or have a friend in mind who is looking to hone their design skills, why not share this article with them?

As a creative agency, MIU strives to constantly improve itself. Providing digital solutions such as package design, logo identity and brand styling, the list of design services MIU offers runs on. Interested to find out more? Book a free consultation with us today!

October 27, 2020October 5, 2023

Large Marketing Firms versus Boutique Agencies

All about boutique marketing agencies

When looking for a digital marketing agency, it may be easy to just pick one amongst the list of well-known companies out there. After all, with the number of projects they have undertaken, this seems like the obvious choice. It’s easy to be wowed by the big brands they have worked with and the testimonials they have gotten.

Oh yes, we know all about the psychology of choice.

So why give boutique agencies a chance? Many have the misconception that businesses turn to these smaller agencies when they can’t afford the expertise of a larger company. Let me ask you this: if that’s the case, why are there still so many marketing firms sprouting up?

Betting your all on a boutique marketing agency that is barely established just doesn’t seem worth it when you have the budget to go big. But size doesn’t always matter, and neither does money.

Big brands have worked with smaller names just as well — and have been quite successful in their marketing strategy too! This only proves that boutique agencies aren’t just all bark and no bite. In fact, boutique agencies can just as well come up with the most creative digital marketing strategy for your company.

Still not convinced? We’ve laid down the pros and cons of large marketing firms against that of boutique agencies. The rest is up to you.

Why you should give boutique agencies a chance

Large agencies

Pro: Renowned for what they do

Established companies of course have plenty of testimonials behind their business. It’s easy to develop a sense of security knowing that these companies are reputable and have handled all sorts of projects. After all, if they have the marketing skills to make it, they certainly have the skills to write about it.

Con: Heavy politics and bureaucracy

One weakness that bugs large companies is the bureaucratic process that they so often adhere by. But remember, all big businesses were once small businesses, after all. It’s possible to get the job done without first waiting for the green light from the head of the department, who is also waiting for feedback from a higher committee. It’s always easier to add processes than to remove them. The larger a company gets, the slower the decision-making becomes.

Pro: More resources

Since large companies tend to have more resources to work with, it’s easier for them to stay competitive — and offer you the same resources as well. With a large agency, the many resources act as a security net that can allow clients to feel assured leaving their marketing plan in the care of these big firms.

Con: The Innovator’s Dilemma

Following the work of Harvard professor and businessman Clayton Christensen, the Innovator’s Dilemma argues that large companies default to a status quo once they have reached a certain level of success. Rather than breaking the mold to disrupt the equilibrium, they stick to what they know and only innovate within that certain area.

Boutique agencies

Pro: Budget stretches further

With lower overhead costs and agency fees, the money that you pump in for the campaign will be used to its full potential in the hands of a boutique agency. They are able to find ways to stretch your budget to its maximum, so you receive more bang for your buck.

Con: Inadequate management

Oftentimes in a small agency, there are only one or two people in the management team overseeing the whole process. This might mean that they do not have time to check-in thoroughly with each employee and the work they do. Without a dedicated management team, there is a greater risk of mismanaging occurring.

Pro: More control and flexibility

With fewer processes for each step, boutique agencies often have more control and flexibility over their work. This means that you do too since you have the final say. The small size of the team you are working with means that there is a lot more transparency — and thus accountability — that a boutique agency can offer you.

Pro: Niched and specialised

The only way boutique agencies are able to stand out in their field is if they find a niche that they are good at and position themselves as the leader in that niche. This way, they are able to compete with larger firms in the same industry.

Having a niche also helps them develop a stronger understanding of the work they do and thus allows them to hone their expertise in it, which may be something that a large firm is unable to offer. With their specialised knowledge, boutique agencies can then give advise on the best marketing strategies to undertake, leading to effective results.

What this means for you

Boutique agencies might not have many testimonials to go on, it’s true. However, this means that they rely a lot more on the outcome to prove their worth.

When it comes to a marketing agency, you need to discern which is the best partner to hire for your company.

Let us tell you — for a marketing plan to really succeed, you need to stick with it through and through. Long-term engagement is important, and if you don’t visualise yourself staying with the agency for a few years at least, then it is not the right one for you.

MIU offers a wide variety of services with comprehensive strategies to go along with it. As a client-oriented creative agency, we place a strong importance on the customer journey. Saying that we understand the importance of long-term engagement is not enough — this manifests in our policy of staying with our clients even after the work is done. With our diverse portfolio of work, we firmly believe that we can provide for you the service your company is looking for.

You can contact us by clicking here

October 22, 2020June 30, 2021

The Head to Toe of Video Marketing

Although video marketing is fairly new, the increasing global internet penetration rate has propelled this form of marketing into the spotlight. With the evolution of social media and the rise of accessible online tools, many businesses have quickly adopted this strategy into their marketing plan.

Video marketing explained

It is a known fact that videos attain more reach than images or text, making it very helpful for driving leads and sales. In fact, 72% of consumers prefer learning about a product or service through a video.

Let’s face it — stories sell. Videos provide more engaging content than images or text ever could. Many consumers are often too busy or lazy to read product descriptions or research on a service and would prefer to see your business in action. Videos do just that — they captivate even the laziest due to how easy it is to consume information in a video.

To meet this growing demand, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn have all become ‘video first’ and created new video-friendly placements like ‘live’ broadcasting, and ‘stories’. At the same time, the popularity of video-based platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, and Tik Tok have exploded and become staples of online video consumption. – Biteable

Video marketing goes beyond just creating and placing advertisements online. There are many types of videos you could do for your business. Some of the more notable ones include:

Product demos
Testimonials and reviews
Vlogs
Explainer videos
Tutorials
Behind-the-scenes
Live streams

Videos are great SEO material — YouTube is the most used website after Google, and that includes its search engines! They are an effective way to reach a massive audience due to their wide exposure and ease of sharing.

In fact, it is important to remember that 76% of consumers would share a branded video with their friends if it was entertaining. So create fun entertaining videos to encourage social shares. These can increase traffic to your site and generate revenue for your company. Don’t believe us? Check out Biteable’s summary of video statistics here.

Tips for creating a successful video marketing strategy

In order to plan a good video marketing strategy, there are a few factors you have to keep in mind. A good video marketing plan includes the steps we have listed down below but is not limited to them. Read through and see if you agree.

1. Establish your goals

The first step of any campaign should always be to determine what your goals are. Is your main concern to bring awareness to your brand and grow your audience? Videos are a good way to introduce yourself to the public and can be the start of a long-term relationship with your consumers.

If your goal is to increase brand awareness, your KPIs should focus more on total video views, shares, and view duration, rather than sales.

2. Define your audience

Before you can jump into crafting a video for your marketing campaign, you need to understand your audience. Who do you want to make the video for? Who are you trying to attract? More importantly, what are their interests and preferences? Without such information, your campaign can easily turn aimless.

3. Decide the content

Okay, so you have your goals and your target audience. What’s next?

Now, you can confidently decide what kind of content you want to put out and the type of video best suited for it. What is the message you want to get across? What sort of video would help you achieve that? Product demos, for example, would help in driving sales, so consider that if sales are your main target.

Always strive to keep your video entertaining yet educational, no matter the type. You need to keep your viewers engaged for your video marketing to be effective. Do remember to keep in mind the budget you need for this as well — which may depend on the type and reach of the campaign you want to run.

4. Consider which platform to use

Are you planning to upload your video onto YouTube? Or Instagram? Depending on your platform of choice, you might have to consider certain factors. For instance, video dimensions. Clearly, a vertical video would fit more appropriately if you were planning to post it to Instagram, particularly as a story or IGTV.

You would also need to keep in mind the video length. No one wants to watch a 10 minute-long explanation of your business on Twitter. Of course, even if you were to post it on YouTube or Facebook, data has highlighted to us that 2 minutes is the best length for optimal engagement.

Another important factor to consider is that 90% of consumers watch videos on their mobile, and that more than 50% of all videos are watched on devices. According to Google, smartphone users are twice as likely than TV viewers and 1.4 times more likely as desktop viewers to feel a sense of personal connection to brands whose video ads appear on their devices. Now isn’t that powerful?

5. Have a clear CTA

CTAs are an essential component of any marketing plot. Needless to say, there should always be a call-to-action at the end of your video. This tells consumers the next step you want them to take and nudges them to take action.

6. Have a good title and thumbnail

Unfortunately, first impressions will always play a part in any sort of information consumption. If neither your title nor your thumbnail stands out, consumers will most likely scroll past without registering it. Captivate attention with an interesting title and thumbnail!

You can even conduct A/B testing on your homepage with Google Analytics to determine which thumbnail or which title would work best. Alternatively, you can also conduct A/B testing on Facebook with their Facebook Ads Manager tool — if that is the platform you intend to use.

7. Track data and analytics

The last step, though not the least, is to measure how well your video is performing. This is where the fruit of your video marketing efforts lies. Observe metrics such as number of views, click-through rates, social shares and more.

Here’s an additional tip: since video marketing overlaps with content marketing, you can definitely make use of whatever videos you have on hand to generate more content! Include them in your articles, blog posts, and even email marketing campaigns. After all, statistics have shown that emails with videos can increase click rates by 300%.

Just like the statistics above shows, we know how big of a difference a video marketing campaign can make. At MIU, we take each of our marketing campaigns seriously and as our own. Whether we are dealing with video campaigns, email campaigns, or content marketing, you can find all of our services right here. Have any marketing needs? Let us know.

October 20, 2020August 9, 2022

5 Creative Lessons We Can Learn from the Best Advertisements in Singapore

Advertising. Such a key component in marketing. Did you know that in 2018, the most watched ads on YouTube, by Singaporeans, were made in Singapore?

That’s right. According to the YouTube Ads Leaderboard itself, six of the top 10 ads in the first half of the year came from Singapore. In fact, the top 4 places were dominated by ads with a compelling and emotional story. What these ads do well in is portray a heartfelt story driven by a goal to connect, rather than to sell. And that’s the key to truly engage your consumers.

Evolve your advertising strategy with the times

In 1984, a psychologist by the name of Walter Fisher developed a communication theory that we can put to use when we talk about ads. Known as the narrative paradigm, it posits that humans, at our core, are storytellers, and thus we thrive on narrative communication.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why emotional content performed so well in the YouTube Ads Leaderboard. Since storytelling is one of the oldest modes of communication, humans today still make decisions and act within this narrative framework, approaching the social world in such a mindset.

With this knowledge, we can confidently construct effective ads that will capture the heart and minds of Singaporeans alone. Today, there are so many advertisements floating around in the digital space that it can be hard to stand out amidst the clutter sometimes. Here’s some lessons on how to better stand out that we can learn from the top ads themselves.

1. Disrupt the conventional

Singapore Airlines – The Briefcase: You’re never far from those you love

The Briefcase is an advertisement that balances the fine line between heartwarming and bittersweet. Inspired by the experiences of many travellers, The Briefcase captures this universal feeling of homesickness to bring us on a journey — even when we’re not flying.

Powerful yet emotive, this ad pulls on the heartstrings of its viewers and leaves them with a bittersweet feeling. By inspiring viewers to think about their families during the festive season, The Briefcase successfully manages to connect with its audience on a topic that all of us can relate to — family — driving home the tagline, You’re never far from those you love.

Produced by TBWA Singapore, the ad by the Paris-based agency taps into their core philosophy, “disruption”. Taking notes from Todorov’s narrative structure theory, TBWA Singapore seeks to “disrupt the peace” with the unconventional. Using this system, they identify recent changes or action in culture to develop their advertising strategy.

Todorov’s theory states that there are five stages of narration and that all stories begin in a state of equilibrium. Disruption – the second stage in the narrative cycle – refers to an event that disrupts the peaceful state of equilibrium. By using this theory to their advantage, TBWA manages to stand out amongst competitors and implement their own unique flavour in each of their ads.

2. Animation is key

GoBear

Not convinced with this advertisement? Animated videos are all the rage right now, particularly when it comes to explainer videos, and here’s why. 75% of adults turn to YouTube for nostalgia rather than tutorials or current events. With animation, your imagination is the limit.

In a way that live-action videos might be unable to, animation videos bring concepts to life and simplify them for viewers to easily digest. Just look at TED-Ed. Knowing how helpful animations can be in engaging their audience, they have begun incorporating it as part of their content.

Not only that, animation suits just about any marketing need imaginable. Be it explainer videos or other forms of content, marketers recognise this great trend and are all adopting it as part of their strategy. This might explain why more than 60% of the best explainer videos collected by Hubspot, Video Brewery and Switch Video are animated.

In fact, did you know that 92% of consumers watch videos with the sound off? And only 50% of them rely on captions to understand the video content!

You could be potentially losing 50% of your consumers just because your content is not reaching them. To rectify this, you need to make sure your video is able to portray whatever message you want to bring across. In this scenario, a live-action video might present some restraints where an animated video does not.

The ad by Invisible Artists does just that — it explains the brand perfectly while remaining concise and engaging. The adorable animation is what draws the audience in at first, where the topic of finance is then presented. Everyone needs money — so this is a perfect point to focus on since viewers can relate to it.

Invisible Artists is an award-winning company that has worked with famous brands like Coca-Cola, Facebook, and The Body Shop. In 2014, they were titled the Investment Into The UK Award, just three years after their establishment. This advertising agency has definitely proven its potential, to say the least.

3. Gamification

If you want to go above and beyond, the best way to capture your audience’s attention is to involve them in an activity. Sticking a video in front of their noses might work, but do you know what’s even better? Games!

The amount of information absorbed by a viewer cannot be calculated or determined even if they have watched your video — but you can be sure that your brand is going to leave an impression in their mind when you present them with an activity to engage in.

This is what Hashmeta does well. They understand how pivotal a game can be in propelling an advertising strategy to success, and capitalise on it to generate leads and engagement for their clients. Even a simple quiz can be quite entertaining, as you can see for yourself!

The advertisement for NTUC LearningHub in fact reached more than 8000 players. Better yet, the average number of times a user played was 2.09. That means that players were actually hooked onto the quiz itself that they decided to replay it once more! Talk about engagement. Certainly, games might be the future of online advertising, so why not jump into it now?

4. Use the environment to your advantage

What can we say? These creative environmental ads just blow our mind. By taking an ordinary space into something funny.

Billboarders are here to help — by going against the norm. Despite the soar in the popularity of digital marketing, they recognise the potential in physical space. Instead of going with the flow, they decided to think out-of-the-box and offer a multimedia solution instead.

By creating the idea of human billboards, Billboarders give business a chance to build interpersonal relationships with their consumers while at the same time seeming witty. Comprising professionals who interact with audiences, they are able to deliver advantages that no other medium can match.

Such an innovative way of advertising not only grabs immediate attention, but is also interactive and fun. Not to mention, these human billboards can go anywhere and anytime, based on your preferences!

If you have been searching for a clever and extremely unique concept for your next advertising campaign, consider Billboarders’ direct media solution of limitless opportunities and remarkable results.

5. Let others do it for you

Ahh, yes. Social media advertising is yet another at the height of the marketing industry. With 3.5 billion social media users worldwide, it is no wonder businesses are turning to such platforms to drive their advertising campaigns. Of these users, 1 billion of them are active monthly on Instagram.

We’ve talked about how sponsored videos get thrice more comments than sponsored photos. But we have not yet talked about the potential of Instagram Stories, and how you can tap into it to bring about the best benefits for your brand. So let us.

Just based on statistics alone, there are 500 million daily active stories users, of which one-third of the most viewed Instagram Stories stem from businesses. In fact, Socialbakers found that brands can generate over four times more interactions on Instagram compared to Facebook!

What does this mean? Well, perhaps it’s time to look beyond Instagram Ads and Instagram posts for marketing — and dive deep into the world of Instagram Stories. Your consumers are already using it, why shouldn’t you?

In fact, Stories stickers can increase video viewership 83% of the time. This means that there is a huge potential in grabbing consumers’ attention via Instagram stories, by creating your own branded stickers and filters.

Introducing the Spark AR Studio, Facebook now lets anyone create their own augmented reality filters, which means that businesses can use this tool to further their marketing needs. Filters can even be used while streaming on Instagram Live, which gives you even more reason to use it!

Here’s a little fun fact: the heart love sticker is the most popular Giphy sticker in Instagram Stories, and the most used face filter is the one with the heart eyes. With this interesting tidbit, perhaps you now have an idea of what sort of stickers and filters you want to create for your brand?

The Secret Little Agency partnered up with Circles Life to address one issue brought about by the pandemic. Targeting working adults who are now working from home, they adeptly created an Instagram filter for those who are too lazy to put on proper clothes when answering a work-related video call.

Comprising a few different “outfits”, these filters are not only available on Instagram but also on Snapchat, Zoom, and Google Hangouts. Talk about being handy! Indeed, this tongue-in-cheek advertising stunt brought about many laughs for consumers who had an amusing time playing around with the filters.

Is your brand in need of a clever advertising and marketing strategy?

If you thought the list above ended at the fifth point, you’re in for a treat. There are so many ways to creatively express yourself through different marketing stunts, the possibilities are endless. Why not let MIU think of one for you?

So if you’re looking for a professional company to kickstart your digital marketing campaigns, consider contacting us today. Get ready to go on the wildest journey with our crazy ideas and innovative experiences — for both you and your consumers.

October 13, 2020July 15, 2021

Email Marketing — the What and the Why

We’ve talked plenty about the types of digital marketing there is on our blog. Now it’s time to delve into one such type — email marketing. What exactly is an email marketing campaign and why should you run it for your business?

Email marketing is exactly as it sounds. It’s a series of emails that companies send out to their customers to update them on what’s going on with their brand. These can include events, promotions, news, and many more.

There are plenty of reasons for a business to start an email marketing campaign, of which one is that it is the most effective marketing channel. Emails have been said to offer the highest ROI, of up to 4400%! In fact, research has shown that there has been a huge increase in email engagement just over the past year alone.

Email marketing is also one of the most measurable channels. From click-throughs to conversion rates, it is a lot easier to gauge how your campaign is doing — more so if you’re doing something right.

How to Run Your Own Email Marketing Campaign

Now that we’ve gotten the importance of email marketing out of the way, it’s time for you to actually start your own campaign. Not sure where to begin? Fret not. Here’s our comprehensive guide to creating your own email marketing campaign, step-by-step.

1. Build your subscriber list

Before you can even begin sending out emails, you need recipients to send these emails to. This is where you should build your subscriber list to help you get the ball rolling. There are a few ways to do so.

First off, you could create a signup form on your website where you offer a newsletter or product updates. Consumers who are interested will generally want to sign up for it. However, you might notice that this method does not always work. Alternatively, you can offer something for free (known as a lead magnet or an opt-in bribe) in return for an email address. Make sure your opt-in bribe actually offers value to your visitors, so that they are willing to share their addresses with you.

Next, you need an opt-in form. The most successful areas of a website that generally sees conversions from an opt-in form include the welcome page, the header, footer, as well as the sidebar. You could even have a slider or a lightbox to place your opt-in form. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide where would be the most aesthetic and engaging place to put it.

Never buy an email list. Most of the time, your emails will get identified as spam and end up being ineffective. Additionally, you are more likely to get higher unsubscribe rates as well. Getting permission is more important if you want your campaign to be successful.

2. Decide what to write

Now that you have your email list, you can begin creating content for it. Make sure your content is compelling and captivating, or you’ll see just as many people unsubscribe as quickly as they signed up.

There are a few different types of email marketing campaigns you could run. These can be split into three broad categories — marketing emails, transactional emails, and operational emails.

Marketing emails include anything from newsletters, invitations, press releases, to sales promotions. The main aim of marketing emails is to stay in touch with your consumers and to keep communication flowing. This way, your brand remains present and relevant in their daily lives.

Transactional emails are usually automated and are triggered only after some sort of activity from your consumers. These include registration confirmations, received payments, and order tracking emails. A great way to start your email marketing campaign is via your first follow-up email, which can be a welcome message of sorts. You can engage an email service provider such as Campaign Monitor to create an autoresponder sequence for this.

Lastly, operational emails generally contain important information about your business that goes beyond your products or services. This includes anything that affects your service availability such as maintenance plans. While it may not seem important to keep your consumers updated about such news, it is a great way to remind them of the value you provide.

3. Make it personal

Anu Cliparts Black And White Png Black And White Stock - Black And White Communication Clipart, Transparent Png - kindpng — Segmentation is essential in giving your emails that personal touch. (Source: KindPNG)

Take your email marketing campaign a step further by segmenting your list. This means having more targeted groups to send different emails to — that way, your emails feel more personal. Research found that marketers who used segmented campaigns observed up to a 76% increase in revenue! This helps in boosting your clickthrough rates while decreasing unsubscribe rates.

Consumers can be segmented into different categories such as preferences, location, open rate, inactivity, and even shopping cart abandonment. Ever received an email when you close a website without checking out? That’s exactly what segmentation is all about.

Through email segmentation, you can reward more active consumers with a special offer, while nudging those who are inactive to take the next step. Even if they end up unsubscribing, this is only going towards keeping your subscriber list fresh and maintaining your bounce rates.

4. Design your emails appropriately

It is not enough to have intriguing and compelling content. The outlook of your emails has to be attractive enough to make your readers want to click through. Having plenty of images in your email always works in your favour (as long as they are not messy and cluttered!). 90% of information processed by the human brain tends to be visual, so the design of your emails are of extreme importance.

Not only that but make sure your subject line stands out so that your emails are being opened in the first place. Did you know that 47% of all emails are being opened based on the subject line alone? Talk about making a good first impression!

More importantly, your emails have to be mobile-friendly. Why? 61.9% of all emails are being opened on mobile. In fact, those that aren’t optimised on mobile devices get deleted by 75% of your readers — or worse still, they will unsubscribe!

Speaking of unsubscribing, you want to make it easy for your subscribers to do just that. Yes — you heard that right. It may seem counterintuitive by giving your readers the chance to opt out, but readers who want to unsubscribe and are unable to do so will mark your emails as spam. This could lead to greater problems for your campaign in the future.

Additionally, if you want to get a higher click-through rate, it is important to always include links and a call-to-action (CTA). Make sure your CTA stands out from the rest of your email — choose a different colour, have clean fonts, and leave white space around your CTA button. Do remember to keep each email limited to only one CTA, or readers won’t know what to click! MailChimp has designed a simple and helpful guide to designing effective emails.

You can even add interactive elements to your emails, upgrading static messages to a whole other level. Details such as animation, hover effects, and more can make your entire email feel like a fun experience. Explore other tools and services such as dark mode or Accelerated Mobile Pages Project (AMP).

5. Establish your sending frequency and goals

WPForms Not Sending Email: How to Fix It — You don’t want to annoy your readers too much, but you still want to be fresh in their minds. (Source: Kaliforms)

Timing is important. You want to know when and how often your emails should be sent to your recipients. Avoid sending too many emails within a short amount of time to keep them out of spam folders!

The time of day which your email lands in your recipients’ inbox also plays a part in improving clickthrough rates. Research has shown that open rates are highest between 10 to 11am, when readers tend to check their emails during breakfast or before starting work. However, this statistic changes on Sunday, where 9pm seems to be the more popular timing.

6. Test and track your data

A/B testing helps you choose the most favourable and desired result you can get. (Source: Flat Icon)

Companies that A/B test every email in fact see 37% more marketing returns than those who do not. Testing is essential for knowing if your email design, subject lines, or landing pages work. A/B tests allow you to understand what readers prefer and choose the more successful option.

Tracking your email data can also help greatly in your other marketing efforts. Note which emails got more clicks; which subject lines induced more opens. Then, put this knowledge to use in your future content — not just for emails, but for your other content. Watch your marketing KPIs and ROI soar!

Knowing statistics like the number of shares, undelivered emails, or what time of day people opened them will tell you a lot about how it is performing. Sure, finding a generic statistic could help you decide your sending times and frequency at the start, but it would be better to adjust it based on YOUR audience. With sufficient data, you can better tweak step 5 of your campaign. Keep your open rates and click through rates high, and your spam complaints low.

Now you’re ready to launch your own email marketing campaign. If the above steps seem too complicated or they seem like too much work, MIU is here to provide any marketing services you need — including email marketing. In fact, we are starting our own campaign, so keep a lookout for more tips in the future!

With a team of professional marketers at our core, we are equipped to connect your voice to your audience — no matter what channel is being used. Let us do the job for you.

October 6, 2020October 5, 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Advertising in Singapore Part 2

Advertising vs. Marketing — What’s the difference?

In our previous article, we talked about the types of advertising that you can find in Singapore. These range from the traditional print to social media platforms which are increasing in popularity. We also touched briefly on the differences between advertising and marketing. However, in order to truly understand what goes into a good brand strategy, we first need to look at the nuanced differences between marketing and advertising.

Marketing vs Advertising: Which Will Make You More Money? — What are the nuanced differences between advertising and marketing? (Source: Lyfe Marketing)

So what defines marketing? Marketing is the systematic planning of bringing awareness to your brand, defining your brand identity, and overall the process of making your brand a household name to consumers. Alternatively, advertising is about putting the plan into action — to really make your business seen and heard, be it in a physical space or a digital one.

Think of it this way — advertising is concerned with telling consumers that this is the product or service that you have to offer. Marketing, on the other hand, is concerned with crafting the right message as to why consumers should opt for your brand, amongst the thousand other companies out there.

It is important to note that not all businesses require advertising solutions, but all businesses should strive to market themselves as efficiently as possible.

The best advertisements always involve equal parts market research and equal parts creative thinking. However, conducting extensive research on a market may stretch beyond the limits of what a company could do, due to reasons such as lack of resources or untrained staff.

This is where a marketing agency can come into play. With the right tools on hand, they can assist in developing a thorough plan by studying the market data. Having to devote the company’s resources to planning a marketing strategy might put a strain on other work processes and delay efficiency. It is therefore generally recommended for brands to seek out an advertising agency when planning an advertising campaign.

However, choosing the right agency for your company may not be as straightforward as it may seem. As one of the financially densest regions in the Asia Pacific, it is important to stand out with a strong brand identity. Not to fret — we compiled a list of the top advertising agencies in Singapore to help you in your decision.

Top 8 Advertising Agencies in Singapore

1. MIU

Despite the few years that MIU has been in existence, they have been steadily growing at an increasing rate. Looking at the satisfied reviews from clients, MIU has indeed quickly built an impressive portfolio for themselves. This agency provides all-around services like branding, digital strategy, and PR while ensuring the best for their clients — and that includes their advertising and marketing solutions.

2. Notion Age

This particular advertising agency has worked with a huge range of businesses, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. You can definitely trust them to handle all aspects of your marketing plan, be it the research or the execution. Having been around for almost two decades, Notion Age certainly knows the value of what it’s doing.

3. Digital Marketing Singapore

Also known as DMS, Digital Marketing Singapore has helped prominent clients like McDonald’s with their advertising campaigns. As a company driven by results, DMS puts in the effort to achieve the best possible outcome in every project that they take on. it is no wonder that they are among the top advertising agencies in Singapore with their unique marketing strategies.

4. MediaOne

As an award-winning company, MediaOne prides itself for having a team of talented and experienced marketers that promise to deliver impressive results. From Fuji Xerox to Changi Airport Group, MediaOne’s marketing services are indisputable.

5. Edelman

With experts in various fields, Edelman’s focus on delivering new-age solutions to their corporate clients is part of what makes them stand out greatly. Having a positive reputation of representing their clients well, Edelman is sure to impress you with their expansive field of expertise.

6. Possible Advertising Agency

Possible Advertising Agency, or PAA for short, is a niche company that zeros in on their advertising solutions and innovative strategies. They are certainly an agency to look out for when it comes to settling on an advertising agency that best understands your needs.

7. MediaKeys

As a 100% independent communications group, it is impressive how far MediaKeys has come. Expanding from its 9 regional hubs to offices in over 45 countries, MediaKeys is definitely a company that always strives to perform to the best of their capabilities. Specialising in leading international advertising campaigns, this agency will definitely not disappoint.

8. UM Singapore

With a distinct motto like “Can Lah!”, UM Singapore definitely knows how to stand out. Their wittiness does not just stop at their mission statement, however — the integrated solutions they provide proves their commitment to being the best in their field. With such a can-do spirit, UM’s constant innovation leads them to discover the best outcomes for their clients.

Despite the accelerated growth of online marketing in Singapore, it still has yet to reach its fullest potential. However, advertising agencies have to take note of the everchanging legal landscape brought about by such a rapid growth of the industry. It may not be easy for businesses to stay on top of their game with the high pace of changes, which presents an increasing need for agencies to step in for assistance.

Creative agencies often offer a variety of services that can be summarised in three categories — marketing, design, and advertising. Marketing involves the consulting, research, and planning activities. Design is more concerned with the visual, UX and UI experiences, such as web design. Last but not least, advertising represents the promotional and PR services. With MIU, we offer all three to the best of our abilities so feel free to drop us a message for more details on our advertising solutions.

September 22, 2020September 4, 2023

5 Easy Steps to Design Your Own Name Card

How to create a fabulous name card design

Having a well-designed name card is essential for a business. Not only could it be the first impression your customers will have, but a good name card also leaves a lasting impression in their minds. Want your customers to think of you when looking for your product or service? You need an eye-catching name card.

Surely, it’s not that hard to design a good name card, you might think to yourself. After all, it’s just a piece of paper.

But it’s so much more than that. Your name card is what will draw customers back; it is in itself an opportunity to advertise your brand and implement brand recognition. To run a business effectively, you cannot do without a good name card.

Here’s how you can design your own name card in a few steps:

1. Search for a name card template

Some of Canva’s business card templates. (Source: Canva)

There are plenty of websites out there that offer templates for basic name card designs. Canva, for example, is one website where you can quickly craft your own name card and is especially helpful if you are doing it on a time constraint. Most of Canva’s templates follow the basic rectangular structure of the standard size, but feel free to break out of the mould if you want your name card to stand out!

2. Add your logo and relevant graphics

Example of a name card with a clear and distinct logo. (Source: RawPixel)

The most important detail of any business name card is, of course, the logo — so you want to make sure that your logo is the most prominent detail on the card itself. This will go towards building brand recognition and brand design. Do keep in mind that you can use both sides of the card to your advantage. In fact, it is recommended to have your logo on both sides, so have your logo on one side be a smaller version along with your contact details.

Now that you have your logo placement settled, it is time to decide on any graphics that you might want to add on to your card. Think about what kinds of graphics would help make your name card stand out. Or are you going for a minimalistic design? If so, you can also opt for a clutter-free design by choosing to leave as much negative space as you want on the card itself. Remember, this all contributes to your brand identity, so make your choices wisely.

3. Consider other details

What is the most vital piece of information you want to present on your card? (Source: Grabprinting)

Other factors that you should consider besides the logo and the graphics on the card would be the font, colours, as well as the information attached. Visuals play a huge part in building your brand identity, particularly in the eyes of your customers, so take care to pick your brand colours and typefaces with that in mind. You can refer to our Instagram for some typography tips!

On any name card, there always has to be three required pieces of information present. This includes who you are, what you do, as well as your contact information. So make sure your name, company, and job title are all clearly presented on the card itself. Contact information may refer to your phone number, email, or even your business address. You may also consider adding your social media handles on your card so that potential customers may be nudged into checking out your brand online, which will then help pull them further into becoming a loyal customer. Lastly, if you so prefer, do also include your website URL and if it helps, your company slogan.

4. Determine the final touches

What a luxurious card design this company has come up with! (Source: Line25)

Now that the design is all ready for printing, the last factor to consider before you send it off for bulk printing would be the shape, material and any other finishing touches. One feature you can make use of is die-cutting. With the advancements in printing technology, it is now possible to mass print name cards, even if they are not the standard layout we are used to seeing. You can even switch out the typical paper or plastic material for something more uncommon, like wood or metal, although that will undoubtedly be more costly.

Other special effects you can implement on your business card as well would be embossing, letter pressing, or even spot UV coating, which will give your business card a premium feel. These might make the logo or text on your business card really jump out and catch the eye of potential customers. Of course, this might not be possible with the free name card templates that you might find online, so if you want a more unique design, you might have to turn elsewhere for help.

5. Send it for printing

You can even opt for metallic finishes at the edges of your cards! (Source: NovelPrint)

Once you’ve brainstormed over the minute details of your name card and have come up with a design you are satisfied with, you just need to sit back and let the printing company do its job! I daresay this is the easiest step of the list — just watch the magic happen, from screen to hand.

If you’re a company looking for some card printing services in Singapore, you can turn to print companies like IPrint Express, PrintCity and HoopStudio, all of which guarantee quality business card printing services.

How important do you think a name card is to a company? If your answer to that question was “unimportant” before, I sure hope this article has since changed your mind. A high-quality name card with a strong design can do wonders for a brand — after all, name cards are just like pocket-sized billboards. We offer plenty of design services at MIU — yes, including name card designs as well — so don’t hesitate to hit us up for any of your design needs.

August 18, 2020October 5, 2023

How Important Is a Website For a Small Business?

5 Reasons Why Rebranding Should Be Done By A Branding Agency

Website for small businesses, is it important?

We cannot deny that competition amongst businesses these days is getting fiercer. With the pandemic sweeping the world, business owners are finding ways to keep their business running. Looking at the trends in the digital age of 2020, many business owners are utilizing the internet to further their business. There are many owners who have adapted to presenting their product digitally, so as to attract customers who do most of their transactions online.

Digital presence from the brand is not only capable of increasing sales through online purchases, but can also help the brand get closer to the customers or potential audience. Commonly, digital presence is how the brand is showing up on online media. This refers to any form of media that can be reached via the internet, such as websites, social media platforms, paid online ads, or search engine results. A digital presence cannot be any more vital for businesses right now because everyone around the world is using digital media to look for or purchase something that they want.

Before buying your product, customers will almost certainly try to find more information about it on the internet first (DevTeam)

According to research, 70-80% of customers will search online if they want to visit certain places or purchase a certain product. Search results will therefore greatly affect customer behaviour when they browse online. This can also be affected by reviews from previous customers who already bought the product or service. On the other hand, around 70% of customers will learn about the product through online content or articles, including reviews or product descriptions. (bluecorona, 2019)

As a form of digital presence, websites are essential pillars for brands to run their digital strategy. Business websites are a signal to potential customers about the credibility of your brand. 84% of customers believe a company with a website is more credible than the one who only has a social media page (Verisign, 2015). This credibility will make your business look more professional than the others. Some businesses might prioritize social media as their main outlet of promotion. However, social media has limitations such as image size and characters for product description amongst others.

Online shopping and online consumerism has become voraciously popular (From Field to Shelf)

Beyond that, websites can not only act as a place for selling your product but also provide additional value for potential customers. For example, many companies who own a website not only put their product catalogue but also provide their own blogging content as well. Oftentimes, we can find information related to the business in these blogs and educate potential customers more about the product or service you offer.

Having a website also will allow you to get potential customers through search engines, particularly Google, the biggest search engine to date. With the perfect SEO strategy, a well-optimized website can help a business rank well on search engines and attract new customers. It is no argument that the majority of customers would prioritize results on the first page of the search engine and ignore those that fall behind. 76% of business owners also agree that a website is a great way to find new customers (Verisign, 2015), besides direct marketing.

As with doing anything business-related, map out your goals first before jumping into something . (Brebeuf Jesuit)

But before you start building a website for your business, ask yourself: what is the primary purpose of your website? Think about why you want to create a website and what you want to offer customers through this website. And always remember that user experience is an essential element for a website. As Gabriel Shaoolian, CEO of Blue Fountain Media, said, we have to think about specific user experience and the journey the user will go through as they navigate our website.

If you are still unfamiliar as to how to build a website for your business, there are many tools online that are able to guide you through the steps. Alternatively, you can choose to work together with a website design company or website design agency. A website design agency might offer various services, depending on what you need.

As a digital creative agency based in Singapore that also offers website design services, MIU helps you generate new leads, keeps your existing customers engaged, and increases conversions through effective marketing campaigns. Through our web development and targeted SEO strategy, MIU not only helps you build a website, but also a platform where you can express your purpose towards your customers. Unlike many other website design agencies in Singapore, MIU provides continuous guidance and support throughout and beyond the contract. We believe in establishing reliable and meaningful partnerships with our clients, which go a long way.

No matter the size of your business, a website still plays an essential role as a marketing tool. With digital consumption showing no sign of slowing down, websites can be the spearhead of the marketing strategy for your business. From extensive business owners to small business owners, they believe that websites not only help to find new customers but also to grow their business. So if you’re ready to build a website for your business, start your journey with us now.