‎" The Birth of a City: Seal & Logo Development for the City of Eastvale, California (Case Study) "

The City of Eastvale established itself as the newest city in Southern California on October 1st of 2010. Shortly thereafter, a request for proposal was released in search of a firm to both design the City's seal and logo and to facilitate the involvement of residents throughout the entirety of the design process. DesignLingo submitted a comprehensive proposal, which outlined the step-by-step process for how it would accomplish each goal, and upon review, the City of Eastvale concluded that DesignLingo would be best suited to address the enormity of the project based on its industry experience, design aesthetic, cohesive team dynamic and long track record of client satisfaction.

To learn more about the case study and project itself, click on the link below

http://designlingo2.com/index.php/case-study

2 Thumbs Up For Google's +1 Button

As a business owner, you most likely already realized the importance of establishing a trusting relationship with potential and existing customers.

People tend to like what others like-and this BUILDS TRUST that can spread quickly.

+1 lets you share recommendations with friends, contacts and the rest of the web when your advice is most helpful – on Google search. Similar to Facebook's "LIKE" button, +1 allows the end user to have a say in things.  Allowing the potential or existing customer to provide you with feedback about your product or service goes a long way nowadays.  3rd party credibility features such as the +1 button from Google  and Facebook's "Like" button, allows prospects to interact with your brand and establish instant TRUST.

When you phrase your wisdom, opinion, or instruction as having come from someone else (a 3rd party), the person with whom you are sharing this information with, is more likely to accept it as TRUE and believable.

3rd Party Credibility is based on the human tendency to value the opinion/expertise of someone outside their circle of influence more than someone within.

By providing prospects and existing customers the ability to voice their opinions, your brand and or company will create instant credibility, TRUST and an authoritative online web presence with +1 from Google.

Insert the code onto your page today. Just copy and paste the following code below onto your site.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @DesignLingo1 & stay connected on Facebook @: DesignLingo. To stay up to date with DesignLingo, make sure to visit our website: http://www.designlingo.com/

CODE:

<!-- Place this tag where you want the +1 button to render -->

<g:plusone></g:plusone>

<!-- Place this render call where appropriate -->
<script type="text/javascript">
  (function() {
    var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;
    po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js';
    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
  })();
</script>

Blogging: Create - Communicate - Capture - Convert

Whether you're writing as a way to express your thoughts and activities or giving away free tips and ideas - journaling as some might call it, aka Blogging, has been known to improve sleep, memory, and as of recently, made popular by savvy marketers, as a way to increase your bottom line.

As long as humans have been around we have always had an impulsive need to be with, communicate with, and share thoughts, feelings, and ideas about our every day lives.


By definition, a blog is: a "website" that is maintained by an individual with regular entries or posts which include commentary, thoughts, ideas, and may contain photos, graphics, audio, or video.


Communication has always and still is a 2 way process but as of recently, the way to communicate with prospects and customers has changed over the years.

Think of this simple fact alone when it comes to blogs - BLOGS create COMMUNICATION. COMMUNICATION creates TRUST! TRUST converts prospects into customers, clients, and/or fans.

Regardless of the media outlet, one thing is always certain when it comes to marketing - EXPOSURE! EXPOSURE! EXPOSURE!


So whether you are using a blog as a journal for healthier living or creating trust with potential prospects, existing customers, eager followers, restless clients or enthusiastic fans...

• Post Often
• Be Catchy With Post Titles
• Ask open ended questions (GREAT for Feedback & Comments)
• Engage in the Blog WORLD! (Comment on other Blogs. Subscribe to them, share & bookmark)
• Leverage Social Media as an outlet for your audience to hear your message (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, Digg, etc.)
• Use Images in your Post (Help paint the PICTURE)
• Optimize KEYWORDS and HEADINGS
• Structure your blog for easy reading. (Short paragraphs and sentences, bullets, numerical breakdowns, etc - Try not to make it dull, plain, long and boring. )
• Keep it SIMPLE. (What I mean is don't try to put fancy graphics and crazy illustrations in the background which take away from the main point of the blog which is the post itself. Make it easy for the eye to read) 
• Build your LIST early. (Your list will be the eventual money maker. Here is where you create TRUST with free e-books, monthly newsletters, company updates, special incentives and exclusive deals to give subscribers) 
• Have a MARKETABLE topic and show a great amount of interest on the topic itself. 
• Learn how to become a great influence, communicator and authoritative figure. 
• Think Different & Unique
• Use Video whenever possible (It is by far the most effective marketing tool to get your message across) 
• Link to your social media accounts on your blog and vise versa.
• Be yourself.
• Most importantly - Have FUN!

Blogging, without a doubt, is the easiest and most effective way to communicate with you prospects, customers, clients and/or fans.


Blogging keeps you in the loop, relevant and positioned, as the go to leader by providing the latest information in your field


Blogging makes it possible for your company to be found online and at the same time helps with online ranking.

So why not give it a try! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. No more excuses. Just go out there and do it. The best part about it all is that it's Free!


To help you in the process, below are a few tools, applications and websites we use to help make the entire Blogging process that much easier. Enjoy our fellow "DesignLingo fans".


P.S. To receive the latest updates on DesignLingo, make sure to subscribe to both our RSS Feed and Newsletter when you get a chance


Here are a few quick tools which help you capitalize on readership instantly:

1. Social Marker: A tool which allows you to automate your account creation to over 100+ social bookmarking sites. It will take anywhere from 20-30 minutes to complete. The return when utilized properly is instant traffic and top ranked web placement.

http://www.socialmarker.com/.

  
   2. Feed Burner: RSS Feeds and management tool. An easy way to alert followers when there is an update to your blog without even being subscribed to the blog itself.

www.feedburner.google.com/

  3. Mail Chimp: Auto responder and email marketing integration tool. Great for newsletters, email list management and email blast Best part about it is that it is FREE!

www.MailChimp.com

 
     4. Share This Button: Easy way to share information throughout the web with the click of a button.

www.ShareThis.com

         5. Google Analytics: Track conversions, leads, click-through and time lapse. Know how long your  audience is staying on your blog, what post their reading, how they got to your blog and so much more.  FREE Tool - Powered by Google.

http://www.Google.com/Analytics/

    6. Tube Mogul: Tracking tool for online video viewership, statistics and trends.

http://www.TubeMogul.com/

7. AddThis: Make it easier for users to share your content. Boost your traffic and let others engage others users for you - All through the power of viral marketing.

http://www.AddThis.com/

Hope all this information was helpful and until the next blog ……

For more information contact us at  http://designlingo.com/

On The Tweleve Day Of Christmas My Twitter Sent To Me...

12 Twits For Christmas

On the first day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

TwitPic for my eyes to see. 

http://Twitpic.com/

 On the second day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://Twiturm.com

On the third day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://www.Twellow.com/

 On the fourth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://www.TweetDeck.com/

 On the fifth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see. 

http://www.Twazzup.com/

 On the sixth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://TwitterFeed.com/

 

On the seventh day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

Itty-bitty URL's with Tweetit,

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://Tweetit.net/

On the eighth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

Twaiter for later tweeting,

Itty-bitty URL's with Tweetit,

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://www.Twaitter.com/

On the ninth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

TweetGrader grading influence,

Twaiter for later tweeting,

Itty-bitty URL's with Tweetit,

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://TwitterGrader.com/

 

On the tenth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

TPing.fm keeping updates,

TweetGrader grading influence,

Twaiter for later tweeting,

Itty-bitty URL's with Tweetit,

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

direction through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://Ping.fm/

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

ChripStats tracking follows,

TPing.fm keeping updates,

TweetGrader grading influence,

Twaiter for later tweeting,

Itty-bitty URL's with Tweetit,

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

direction through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://ChirpStats.com/

 

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

my Twitter sent to me

Twitter Keys enhance my follow ,

ChripStats tracking follows,

TPing.fm keeping updates,

TweetGrader grading influence,

Twaiter for later tweeting,

Itty-bitty URL's with Tweetit,

TwitterFeed feeding simple,

Twazzup feeling trendy,

TweetDeck making it easy,

directions through Twellow,

Music on the Twiturm,

And TwitPic for my eyes to see.

http://TheNextWeb.com/2008/09/16/TwitterKeys-enhance-your-twitter-conversations/

8 Crucial Steps to Promoting your Brand Identity

1. Unify your Brand

The establishment of a cohesive brand is a key factor in any business's promotional activities. Create a Consistent theme for your company, and incorporate it into all your stationary, documents and website design. These techniques echo professionalism and class. If done well, a consistent brand can help you to build brand loyalty in your business.

Think of all marketing collateral as brand establishment.

• Business cards
• Brochures
• Flyer's
• Website
• Packaging
• Promotional Items, etc.

Brands are: Trusted, given repeated business, given a streamline of referrals, maintain customer loyalty, and most importantly, authorize a name for themselves. 

2. Fresh Content is King

Having  compiling content is key to effectively market your business. Your message should be clear and effectively tell your prospects why they should do business with you and only you. So make a compelling call to action about your business, product or service, and back it up!! Define your strengths and use them as leverage. Over-all keep it fresh!!!

• Tell a story...
• Be experimental...
• Constantly update...
• Track conversion...
• STAND OUT!...
• Stay simplistic...
• Leave no question unanswered...
• Have a strong Call To Action!...
• Lead the way...
• Build relationships FIRST before ANYTHING...

3. Start a Online Outrage

Start an online community surrounding your business. Social Media Networking platforms such as facebook, twitter,youtube and an endless assortment of blogs are key areas to promote your business. Social Networking makes it easy for your customers to converse and comment about your business.

Always, Always, Always understand: People by from People. We are most likely to buy from a person we trust then a complete stranger, although at times we can find ourselves doing the complete opposite, it is only then after in which we figure out there was a tactical phycological strategy he/she used to influence us instantly.

This is why the social network has turned into the mecca for new age customer interaction and lead generation innovation. It allows you as a business, artist and or organizational supporter to get closer then ever before to your prospects, existing customers and or fans.

 

4. Culture and Personality

 

The culture of your company should be reflected in every part of your business. It should resonate in your print and website presence. Roar with a unique personality both offline in your PR efforts and online in your social media communities.

Welcome everyone into your company like grandma welcomes everyone into her house. We're all one big happy family and if you treat every customer, client, prospect and or fan that way, Your companies success will be with a "BIG happy family."

5. Become a Giver 

Give away your services (promotion) and your Knowledge. Know and understand the power of FREE! You must give to get. FREE is the most powerful word in marketing. We as humans magnetize ourselves to the word FREE.

If you strategize correctly FREE will instantly establish a great name for your brand as committed, loyal, trusting and caring.

As cheesy as it might sound think of it as this:

Giving is caring,

caring is loving,

loving is trusting,

trusting is Giving.

As long as you give, (by the law of reciprocity) eventually sooner then later one will give back to you. It's how this universe works and a business is no different.

6. Start a Tribe.

Make it easy for others to give you a shoot out.Lets go back to the law of reciprocity, as one performs an act of positive action, in return one will receive an act of positive intention.

Isn't that what a referral is? What about a discount or coupon? We can't forget the infamous word FREE.

Kill them ALL with kindness and give nothing but love as your main focal point of a service oriented business.

You're kindness will yield positivity in return. Be respectful, kind, caring, trusting, enthusiastic, energetic, genuine and courteous and watch them flood through the "doors".

7. Have a Loud Voice

Be seen. EVERYWHERE! And Yes I do mean literally EVERYWHERE!

Know where the eyeballs are and tactically position yourself in front of them. This means you better have placement on every single major search engine out there, expertise in the social media field, an Internet marketing budget, familiarity with web 2.0 and the power of video marketing, a crafty graphic designer and web developer in hand and a strategic marketing plan to execute the proper procedure.

8. Build A Team

A team is the foundation of your success. Unification, communication, trust and leverage creates a sturdy base. 

Start with baby steps but also take into consideration having the help of a team along the way won't hurt. 

Leverage the power of multiple brains and delegate task to those who are more suited for the task in hand. 

Communicate all success, uncertainty and or any other updates.

Trust in each other and build a strong bond, maintaining consistency of communication at all times.

Brand development and establishment is one of the main keys to positioning your company as the go to company when it comes to your product or service. Expectations are high in today's world and a unique experience will definitely separate YOU from the rest.

Stay consistent, fresh, relevant, and compelling. Provide an experience worth investing time into. 

Your BRAND is YOU! It is your Image. It is who your Represent.Without it you are NOTHING!

To HELP you better understand how to strategize a tactical plan for your brand, below is a diagram which will help you to strategize a plan for your brand.

Hope all this information was helpful and until the next blog ……

http://designlingo.com/

Unify Your Social Media Marketing

Social Media this, Social Media that. XYZ Company just tripled their numbers with one single Tweet. Tim's Gizmo's & Gadgets now makes most of their sales through a little thing called a Facebook fan page.

So if they're doing it pretty well and it seems to be working for them, you might ask yourself, "Why haven't I jumped on board, and how exactly does it all work?"

Common questions of uncertainty may fall under the subject of:

• Time Commitment
• Benefits
• Simplicity
• Tools
• Tracking Results

Let's face the facts here people. Facebook has over 500 million active users and growing, with newly untapped markets rising within its internal network every day. The sky really is the limit if you just apply a few simple procedures for a few hours each day.

Fan Page

Step 1: 

Type in www.Facebook.com onto your url.

Step 2: 

Go to the bottom of the page and click on the “Create a Page” link at the bottom of the Facebook homepage .

 Step 3: 

Choose the type of page and give it a title (Your page name can be changed only once after you reached a minimum of 25 friends.)

With the creation of applications, Facebook has made it extremely easy to function and maintain your fan page.

To view some of the apps. Facebook has to offer go to: http://www.Facebook.com/apps/directory.php

I've always found that the “Involver” is quite a handy application tool: http://www.involver.com/applications/free/

Now that you're a little familiar with applications, let's get going to the rest. By the way, before I almost forget, once the app is installed, depending on the application process, all you have to do to edit is go on your main default fan page and under the image of the fan page you will see a link that is called EDIT PAGE.

Here you can edit the entire back end of the page and manage the page as well.

You can add images if you want but I must let you know, for higher converting fan pages and to attract a larger following, make the fan pages as personal as possible.

If you look like a corporate page, automatically most assumptions will be made that you will try to sell.  Quite frankly, people just don't want to be sold on Facebook.

Landing Pages

The LANDING Page is where all your prospects land when visiting the fan page. This being said, you want this page to be eye catching and interesting. Give people a reason to join. Use your imagination and think of a strong call to action. Let people ENGAGE!

If you want to take your Facebook fan page to the next level, below are a few links to template builders. If you are not familiar with HTML coding or Facebook's version called FBML, then I would highly suggest you hire a professional web developer or graphic designer.

You can visit DesignLingo's website for more details & a FREE quote at http://designlingo.com/
 
Fan Page Generator: http://www.fanpagegenerator.com/
 
Facebook Tab Site: http://www.facebooktabsite.com/
 
Fan Page Engine: http://fanpageengine.com/

Content is King

Content by far is the number one driving source behind a fan page. Relevant copy will convert to more followers. More followers will lead to a larger pipeline of prospects. A sturdy and steady pipeline of prospects will lead to greater sales and a residual back end return.

• Content should be interesting and conversational
• Get your followers to interact
• Provide FREE information in the form of a video or text.
• Become the authority figure.
• Build relationships and trust.
• Get a better understanding of your target audience.
• Communicate with your customers, clients and fans.
• Let them into your life.

When it comes to all these profile pages, submitting information, and time consuming actions, one might have an endless amount of questions with a need for answers. 

Fan Page Tip #1

*** Suggest All Friends To "Your Fan Page" At Once, Not Individually! ***

1.) Become a fan

2.) Select "Suggest To Friends Under Picture"

3.) Copy This Code and Paste onto URL browser: (***the web browser, where you would type in a new website***)

Make sure to delete the current url address, clear then paste the code below.

Click Enter.

javascript:elms=document.getElementById('friends').getElementsByTagName('li');for(var fid in elms){if(typeof elms[fid] === 'object'){fs.click(elms[fid]);}}

Be patient and allow for the code to highlight all of your friends, may take a few minutes.

(The mouse will most likely freeze for a few minutes but once done you it should highlight all your friends in blue)

Saves you a chunk of minutes when done correctly.

Hope all this information was helpful and until the next blog ……

For more information or help with your fan page setup, contact us at  http://designlingo.com/