CreativePro.Com Marketing

How to Use QR Codes

Editor in Chief — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:44:35 -0700

If you have questions about QR codes, "QR Codes for Publishing and Marketing" may be just the ticket. While the $86 price is high for an impulse purchase, it's not much to keep you from marketing missteps. This 36-page eBook is actually several articles previously published in the venerable Seybold Report.

J.C. Penney Logo Changes Again

Editor in Chief — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:06:56 -0700

Eleven months ago, J.C. Penney rolled out a new logo created by third-year graphic design student Luke Langhus:

Start Your 2012 Marketing Right

Editor in Chief — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:24:58 -0700

Would you like more business or more interesting projects in the coming year? You can sit around and wait for them to fall in your lap, or you can take control and market yourself.

Marketing doesn't have to be elaborate. In an hour-long webinar on January 12, 2012, Ilise Benun will give you a list of simple tasks you can check off all year long. Ilise has years of experience helping creative pros, so she knows how to work around our weak spots and capitalize on our strengths.

25 Champions of Design

Editor in Chief — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:10:51 -0700

UK design company jkr has compiled 25 image-heavy essays on design greats into a book called Champions of Design. Subjects include the likes of Apple, Ducati, Marmite, and Ray-Ban. The essays originally appeared in Marketing magazine.

Get Answers to Five QR Code Questions

Editor in Chief — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:02:47 -0700

Many designers and marketers have heard of quick response (QR) codes are but don't know how or when to use them in print materials. A smaller percentage are familiar with augmented reality (AR) codes. Now's your chance to learn about these technologies for free. In a 90-minute webinar, Daniel Dejan of Sappi Fine Paper will cover five essential topics:

1. Whether QR and AR codes a short-term fad or a long-term strategic element
2. How to fold QR and AR codes into marketing campaigns
3. How to create QR codes
4. Marketing metrics for campaigns that include QR codes

Best of the Blogs: November 4, 2011

Editor in Chief — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:18:39 -0700

Typography

Sharpen Your Photo Business Skills

Editor in Chief — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:10:03 -0700

PhotoShelter's Photo Business Boot Camp is billed as a five-week course in business advice from and for photographers. The stock photo agency has enlisted the help of the following pros (with credentials in photography and in related fields, such as marketing) to fill your email in-box with tips:

Rachel Been
Ilise Benun
Steve Boyle
Kendrick Brinson
David Burnett
Darren Carroll
Shawn Corrigan
Kata Dalager
Carli Davidson
Blake Discher
John Harrington
Craig Holmes
Ben Jesson & Dr. Karl Blanks

Webinar Series Tackles Business Concerns of Creative Pros

Editor in Chief — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:56:49 -0600

You may have seen a book called Graphic Artists Guild’s Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. You may even own it--and if not, you probably should. The book answers thorny questions about the business aspects so many creative pros struggle with.

But have you ever thought about the organization behind the book? The Graphic Artists Guild is a national organization that serves "graphics creatives" (print and Web designers, illustrators, production artists, and so on) across the United States.

Free Guide to Email Marketing

Editor in Chief — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:00:05 -0600

MailChimp, the email newsletter service with a sense of humor, is giving away another guide that's handy for anyone who uses emailing for marketing (or designs those marketing messages).

Print Reseller Certification Series

Editor in Chief — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:31:39 -0600

You may be a print reseller and not even know it--graphic designers often are. If you handle commercial printing for a client, you're technically a print reseller. But are you making the most of this opportunity to increase both your profit margins and your clients' satisfaction levels? PrintingForLess.com, the parent company of CreativePro.com, has created a Print Education Series that's meant to do just that.

Best of the Blogs: August 15, 2011

Editor in Chief — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:05:04 -0600

Photoshop
Are you taking full advantage of Photoshop's integration with the rest of the Creative Suite? Its connection to Acrobat is often overlooked. Photoshop PDF files are as versatile and universal as "regular" PDF files and they can be edited, too.

Download Free Facebook Security Guide

Editor in Chief — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:03:19 -0600

Facebook can be confusing, and no aspect of it is more challenging than account security. Whether it's your personal or business account or your clients', failure to protect those accounts can have serious consequences.

Facebook recently published a guide that addresses this concern. Although the 14-page PDF is aimed at "young adults, parents, and educators", the advice applies to anyone.

You'll learn how to choose passwords, evade scammers, employ advanced security settings, recover an account that's been hacked, and stop people posing as you.

How to Build Your Business on Facebook

Editor in Chief — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:54:25 -0600

Facebook is giving away a 20-page PDF called "Building Your Business with Facebook Pages." If you're new to using Facebook to connect with existing and potential customers, the free guide has some useful pointers. If your social-media marketing is more advanced, you may still want to give the guide to clients who are just starting out on Facebook.

The PDF is divided into three sections:
1. Start the conversation
2. Expand your fan base
3. Analyze and optimize

Practical Business Tips for Creative Pros

Editor in Chief — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:27:22 -0600

The Graphic Artists Guild is an advocacy organization working to uphold and improve standards and protect the rights of creatives. It publishes the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, the benchmark for Pricing and Ethical Guidelines for the art and design industry. Now some of the content of the Handbook is available as a free, downloadable PDF.

Pump Up Your Creativity with Paper Punk

Editor in Chief — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:32:08 -0600

Paper Punk is a new product from Grace Hawthorne, the co-founder of ReadyMade magazine. It comes as flat pieces of paper that have been printed on, and you cut and fold the paper into blocks that form robots, a car, or a dog.