Marketing

how to search for and find racially diverse stock photos on any stock image website

Racially Diverse Stock Photos: 3 Simple Search Tips to Find the Best Images Fast

Ready to represent the entire human race by using diverse stock photos in your visual marketing?

I’m glad to hear it.

It’s a tiny step in the right direction. 

Word of warning #1: If you aren’t used to making the extra effort to include all types of people with a beautiful range of skin tones, body types, and gender identities, you may feel …

  • Strange. Like anything brand new, it may feel weird and uncomfortable when you start. Do it anyway.
  • Inauthentic. You might feel as though you’re pandering. You might feel like a fake. Do it anyway.
  • Vulnerable. You might worry you’re “doing it wrong.” Do it anyway.

Any discomfort you feel when you make a small extra effort to use racially inclusive imagery in your marketing is nothing. 

Do it because it’s the right thing to do. 

Do it because you want to open the doors of your business to all human beings, not just people who fit a culturally acceptable mold.

Do it because it’s a small way to “vote with your wallet.” 

That’s right: When you search for and download diverse stock photography — even free diverse stock photos — you send a signal to the stock photo site owners.

You tell them you want to see stock photo diversity. That you value diversity. And you’re actively using diverse stock photos.

Word of warning #2: When you represent all of humanity in your marketing images, guess what? You’ll attract a more diverse audience.

When your community is diverse it will be smarter and stronger. But don’t forget that …

You have a responsibility as the leader of a diverse community — you must serve and advocate for your whole customer base.

It’s not enough to throw open your doors and welcome everyone inside. That’s good for you — but is it good for your customers who don’t look like you?

You need to take the time to educate yourself about the challenges faced by people in your community.

You need to actively ensure that everyone feels safe and supported.

You need to do your internal work so that you can show up for people who:

  • Don’t have your ethnic background
  • Don’t share your culture
  • Deal with racism in their everyday lives

This is something I’m working on personally — like many of us, I know I haven’t done enough. Join me in this effort: It will be an ongoing commitment for me.

Let’s start by helping people to see themselves in the images we create and share.

It’s a tiny step in the right direction.

Read article …Racially Diverse Stock Photos: 3 Simple Search Tips to Find the Best Images Fast

How to Write a Terrific Tagline [Free Tool]

Wondering how to write a tagline that truly communicates your value?

Taglines are words that accompany your business name.

But they’re so much more. Especially if you know how to write a tagline using the 5-step process I spell out here.

Here at the Big Brand System, the tagline is, “I teach people how to build online businesses they love.”

A tagline can be an asset if you know how to craft it.

But they’re tricky — especially when you’re writing one for your own business.

It’s a question we tackle often in my BIG League member program.

And so … they begin working on ideas for taglines.

But they’re not professional copywriters. Plus, they’re so close to their business they can’t see it objectively — like an outsider would.

Writing a tagline can be a struggle — but it’s worth the effort.

When you know how to write a tagline, it becomes like a little salesperson who proclaims what’s best about what you do. So why do so many companies either not utilize them, or simply get them wrong?

Not enough attention has been paid to the humble tagline and I’m here to remedy that.

Let’s talk about how to write a tagline all by yourself — no copywriter needed.

We’ll go through the steps I follow when I’m working with a client to craft one for their business so that you know how to write a tagline, too.

I’ll give you a free tool I developed that makes it easy — no sign up required. I’ll walk you through exactly how to use the tool.

By the time you go through this short (fun!) exercise, you’ll not only know how to write a tagline — you’ll have written a tagline you can be proud of.

Read article …How to Write a Terrific Tagline [Free Tool]

Rich font examples with a photo of a pool overlooking a beautiful, upscale neighborhood.

Type Styles of the Rich and Famous

Typography tells a story: What do these rich font examples say?

Well-designed, rich fonts are beautiful to behold. Their angles and forms are an inspiration.

Fonts have a “personality,” and if you tune into what their shapes are trying to say, you can make those traits work for your business.

Let’s say on the other side of your town a company is developing an upscale neighborhood high on a hill overlooking the ocean. They’ve decided to call it “Grandview Estates.” Their tagline is “Rising Above the Rest.”

[Pretty snobby, right?]

Now let’s say you’ve been asked to design the sign that will sit at the entrance to the neighborhood.

You’ve been told that the sign needs to “reflect the caliber of people we want to attract to our estate properties.”

You know what that really means.

You need to attract rich people!

Time to break out …

Read article …Type Styles of the Rich and Famous

Branding 101: 7 Business Name Traps to Avoid

Today’s post is about seven pitfalls to avoid when you create a brand and business name.

Your business name is an important element that’s directly linked to your ability to grow.

Your business name can make your brand or it can break it.

Don’t hinder your progress by painting yourself into a corner with a name that will hold you back.

Learn what to avoid and what to do when you create a brand and business name by avoiding the seven traps here.

Read article …Branding 101: 7 Business Name Traps to Avoid

Marketing tips for small business owners can show up even in your local bakery

Five Marketing Tips from the Bakery Down the Street

A stroll to your corner bakery can teach you five marketing tips for small business that will make your products and services unforgettable.

Don’t have a corner bakery?

That’s OK. Take a virtual stroll with me to a cozy, well-lit bakery along a busy street. It’s just a few blocks from your front door.

You make every excuse you can to stop by. You duck into their doorway several times a week, and always leave with a bag in hand.

Why? What’s the big attraction?

Can you get marketing tips for small business from a simple bakery visit?

Yes, you can.

This little bakery does a lot of things right. They’re simple things, really, and they go way beyond flour and yeast.

In fact, none of the marketing tips for small business in this article have to do with the quality of the bakery’s product, which is about the same as what you get in your local grocery store.

What’s their secret? What draws a steady stream of customers through their doors?

Read article …Five Marketing Tips from the Bakery Down the Street

Why I Hate the Verdana Font

Of all the web-compatible typefaces available, the least appealing is the Verdana font.

And yes, I know it’s used all over. Believe me, I notice!

We’ve spoken about choosing typefaces and brand fonts a lot around here.

Your font matters — maybe more than you realize. Think about it:

Your font choice become the visual voice of your brand. Your words are delivered wrapped in fonts — is your font speaking in the brand voice you want?

So, is Verdana a good font choice, or a bad one? Is there a smart Verdana alternative?

The Verdana font was one of the earliest fonts designed for reading on screens. It’s a “web 1.0” version of a screen-readable font, in my opinion. We’ve come a long way since then.

Use your fonts to get attention online. Register and watch my free workshop, How to Use Visual Marketing to Get Attention — and Customers.

A brief history of the Verdana font

The Verdana font was released in 1996, so it’s a modern typeface. It was designed with one purpose in mind: to improve readability in text used very small on a computer screen.

Microsoft included Verdana as part of its Windows operating system, and so did Mac.

99% of Windows machines and 96% of Macs have it, so it’s widely compatible.

When typeface designers set out to make a typeface that will be readable at small sizes, they streamline the letters to remove flourishes that would get lost at a small size.

They also give the letters a large “x-height,” which is the vertical space between the baseline the letters sit on, and the top of lower-case letters like e, x, a, etc.

And they tend to add extra space between letters, because when typefaces are reduced very small, letters will blur together unless they’re spaced out quite a bit.

The examples below show you why I hate Verdana for regular text copy, and what it’s good for.

You’re about to see what I think is the best Verdana alternative, too.

Keep scrolling, my friend!

Read article …Why I Hate the Verdana Font