Being in the business I am in, I find I often get into conversations about social media. There are still loads of business people who find the world of Social Media alien and overwhelming.

It seems strange to people who are so used to using social media (like us Twitter Addicts)  that there are people out there who are not participating. But “not having time” is an excuse to not get involved – as anyone who is involved will understand!

I run a busy design agency and have a lot of tasks and responsibilities and “unexpected” situations that happen on a daily basis, and somehow I manage to DO social media every day! This means I am on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, our blog and even a bit of YouTube. And I am going to be increasing this activity, because it’s worth it.

Am I superwoman? How do I do it?

Aha, I bet you want to know! And if you think it’s all automated, you are wrong.
I am consciously and personally update all posts, status updates, tweets and even featured newsletter topics for Top Left Design.

I am holding a seminar on the 8th December with Alicia Cowan – “Social Media for Professional Services”. Can you come?

If you feel like the headline of this post resonates with you, here are 8 reasons to come along.

1. Alicia and I will show you at least 8 time saving tips
2. You can learn what to focus on, and what to not bother with – and how to create a proper Social Media strategy.
3. You will see WHY you need to integrate Social Media properly into your marketing for your business
4. You can learn where you can get content to share and ideas for your own content
5. You can practice over the holiday break, and get up to speed before 2012 comes rushing in!
6. You can learn why this can be a way to reach entirely new audiences
7. You will find out what resources there are for you to keep learning
8. You can learn what NOT to do –  which means you will save LOADS of time NOT doing those things!

Whew! So, there’s your list of 8 things. Hope to see you there!

Here are my top 11 so far (in no particular order):

Get yourself out there!

Networking, blogging and social media are the way forward! At Top Left Design Keren and the team frequently update followers and clients with the latest events, offers and daily office going-ons.

Through this constant contact with people, TLD are continually establishing new contacts, friendships and exciting new ventures.

If you get yourself out there and approach marketing with confidence it will reflect on your business and also your own personal confidence – don’t be afraid to be the boldest of the bunch!

Shortcuts

Designing can be a very long process – unless your equipped with the magic shortcuts!

I’ve learnt a countless amount of shortcuts whilst working at TLD for a range of programmes, shortcuts don’t only save you time but also give your mouse a well earned rest.

*Please note we never take shortcuts when thinking up the brilliant ideas behind your designs, and also recommend to never take shortcuts in life!

Design is where the heart is

One of the best things about working at Top Left Design is being surrounded by a team that are passionate about design! Without this passion and drive we wouldn’t be able to produce the beautiful, professional and unique designs which we’re known for.

Size does matter

When designing it’s always important to have a balanced hierarchy of text and images. We always make sure that all elements work in harmony with one another creating a well balanced design.

The size of text, and fonts are fundamental in establishing headings,  subheadings, and  body text. The key is to use font styles, colours and perhaps two different fonts consistently to represent each section of text, it’s also always important to make sure the text is legible and balances well with images.

A good eye for balance whilst designing really does make a difference  – so you see, size really does matter!

Attention to detail

Good design requires a meticulous eye for detail. Its no use creating a beautiful design with those awful mistakes which make your head feel like its going to pop!

When designing we always check that the line height of text, and alignment of different elements is consistent, it’s also important to allow your design to breath. And of course we always look out for those dreaded spelling mistakes, missed full stops and bad grammar!

The importance of presentation

At Top Left Design we’re always presenting new ideas and designs to clients so its important that these designs are presented clearly and professionally.

Creating storyboards is one way which we present website designs. Live storyboards allow clients to view their designs in a browser, they can then compare each design and are also able to see what their site could look like live.

It’s also a handy way for them to get feedback from a friend or colleague, they can simply forward the link for a second opinion.

How to communicate with clients

Communication is key in any business and here at Top Left Design we make sure we’re always able to communicate clearly with clients through emails, phone calls, and meetings.

I’ve learnt how to structure emails which effectively communicate to clients any changes that have been made to their designs, quote for design work and have also learnt how and when to include polite suggestions for further changes/work – its always nice for clients to have input from the designer to help them along the way with the development of their design project. Phone calls – of course I mastered on the first day! (the traditional – Hello Nichaela speaking, how can I help-pen-paper-message) although the in-depth discussion and meetings are still yet to come…

When approaching a new design project it’s essential for both the designer and client to feel comfortable in developing the forthcoming designs. Its important for us to know the style of design the client desires, so we can feel confident in delivering the designs and making changes. Good communication is what makes your design perfect.

How to spot a good image

When including images on websites, in blogs, newsletters etc. its always important that you choose images which are eye catching, attractive and don’t look ‘clip arty’.

Below are three different types of photography, and two tips which will never fail you – what to look out for when your sourcing images :

Bokeh Photography
Bokeh is an adaptation from a Japanese word meaning blur. Photographers create this effect using lenses to adjust focus in the foreground or background, essentially highlighting one object and blurring and expanding areas of light. Just type Bokeh photography into your search engine and see what comes up – the images are amazing!

Macro Photography
This close up style of photography is always good if you want to show attention to detail. For example if your a restaurant or food company this type of photography will effectively show off your delicious food, or if your a florist it will highlight the beautiful detail of  your flowers in a very sophisticated way.

Tilt Shift Photography
Tilt Shift photographers cleverly create ‘toy like’ scenes using a special lens and movement of their camera. This type of photography creates an interesting and dynamic picture, turning your everyday scene into a miniature world.

Image source: www.smashingmagazine.com

Image source: www.hongkiat.com

Photography with interesting perspectives, arrangements and use of focus
Images with objects or people just plonked in the center aren’t very interesting and don’t draw in peoples attention. An interesting perspective, and arrangement of objects or people and use of focus will always catch someones eye.

Photography with ‘good’ backgrounds
Try to avoid images with white backgrounds as these can look very clip arty – unless of course you need an image with a white background. A nice scenery or textured background is always a great choice.

*remember its always good to think outside the box when choosing  images, make sure they’re interesting, but also relevant to the message you’re trying to convey.

How to mask!

For all you non Photoshoppers out there masking is a very handy tool which can be used in Photoshop, and other Adobe software which I recently found out exactly how to use it!

A mask can be made of one object e.g. a box for an image slider on a website. This mask can then be applied to another object such as an image, this will effectively make the image fit within the exact same space as the box – very handy in maintaining a precise and consistent design! See my example below:

Finished! or am I…

Its important not to get ahead of yourself. At Top Left Design we always encourage clients to let us know of any changes they want to their design work. We do whatever we can to create a design which reflects what they envisioned and recognise the jobs only finished when the clients are happy with their final product.

And last but not least… How to make a good cup of tea (I think)

One of the very first things Keren taught me! I’m petrified of making tea for people in case they don’t like it, but no complaints so far! Looks like Keren’s magic paid off.

I will be co-hosting a seminar overview called “Social Media – Can you afford to ignore it?” on the 23rd September with Tamsin Fox-Davies – small business marketing mentor. It would be great to see some of you there! Our last event was a great success and lots of fun too. Since the event we have been in touch with several of our attendees via different social media platforms and it is wonderful to see how they have embraced the social media habits so well.

Book into the event now – 23rd September

So, we are repeating the event for a new group of people. The venue will be the lovely “Seminars @ 38″ on Devonshire Street W1. If you know anyone who has in the past complained about things moving too fast, or feeling they arent getting a return on their time investment, then please share this event with them.

View below a few video testimonials from the last event.

Please share this post with anyone you think might be interested, and be sure to comment below!

Book yourself in at our Early Bird Discount

We are very lucky to have met the lovely people who work at 38 Devonshire Street. It’s a Dental Practice and Seminar Venue. The venue provides a lovely large room and AV equipment and delicious catered lunch. It is there where this coming Friday I will be joined by Tamsin Fox-Davies for one of our famous joint seminars!

“‎Keren Lerner and Tamsin Fox-Davies make a great team!” (actual quote from Karen Haller who attended our last talk)

Both Tamsin and I constantly learn and keep up to date with latest in the world of social media, SME marketing, online marketing, blogging and design.
Those who have been to see us work together have been impressed by our on-stage chemistry! We hope you can join us and learn about the do’s and don’ts of social media impressions and behaviours, how to become effective influencers, and discover more about the overall magic of social media. it’s going to be information packed and interactive and we have both worked hard to put together valuable and useful information which can be applied to all businesses.

To book visit this link and for the especially observant of you, we are offering a 2 for one deal for those coming in pairs – just email me to ask how to get this!

Wednesday 24 February 2010 – A Business Innovation
“Grow your Business” talk on Social Media with Abbie Tanner.

Tuesday 23 February 2010 – With New Venture Publishing, Perfect Online PR Masterclass with New Venture Publishing, alongside Jo Lynn from Splash PR

Saturday the 27th of February – Along with Tamsin Fox Davis from Enthuse Marketing, a talk on Social Media on to a group of professional Wedding Planners.

Friday 14th May 2010 – I am going to be doing a talk to a group of translators in York for the Institute of Translators and Interpreters.

If you would like more information about any of these events, please get in touch!