Join our journey through the creative life! Our journal is where we keep track of the challenges we’ve overcome, problems we’ve solved, advice we’ve offered, and what we’ve learned along the way.
Let’s talk about The Branding Box, baby. If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that The Branding Box is an extension of The Pencil Box. It’s our creative solution for start-ups and small businesses. Since we’ve launched The Branding Box offering, it’s grown from ready-made logo design and branding kits to include website templates, as well as social media content creation and management packages. Let’s get into it.
If you’ve been keeping up with The Pencil Box’s social media posts for a while now, you’ll know just how important branding is. In fact, it’s one of the important aspects of a successful business. You’re introducing your brand’s personality to your audience and it’s what makes you stand out among your competition. It’s the reason people will choose your brand over others. For a start-up or small businesses especially, it’s important to attract and retain loyal customers and branding will do just that. It’s not just a pretty logo or a clever slogan. It’s why you’re doing what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and where it’s going down. This all forms part of your brand strategy. So where do we begin?
Before you can sell to Gen Z, you have to know what – or who – that is. It’s me. Aaliyah, the copywriter here at The Pencil Box. I’m part of the generation of people born between 1995 and 2015. I’m often mistaken for being a Millennial, but Millennials are the generation born between 1980 and 1994. (Let me guess: you just found out that you’re a Millennial, right?) Despite many similarities, these two generations are not the same. Many older Millennials, who’ve just turned 40, have settled down and are making large purchases like cars and property. The youngest Gen Zers, on the other hand, haven’t even started Grade 1. Our attitudes towards technology, politics, trends and money are very different. When it comes to creating marketing strategies targeted at these two groups, it’s best to come up with two different strategies. You might already know how to sell to Millennials, but do you know how to sell to Gen Z?
As the corononavirus continues to sweep around the globe, our world has become new and uncertain. It has changed the way we connect, forcing many of our conversations online and making social media bigger than ever before. People are using various platforms to share information, talk about their concerns and getting creative with new TikTok dance moves they’ve learnt while in self-isolation.
Running a small business doesn’t actually mean having to run around from office to clients and back to the office to check on your team. Neither does it mean sitting in front of your laptop with fifteen different tabs open. In fact, business management can be made simple with the right productivity apps. How do you know which apps will work for you? Our team has tried, tested and tossed a few apps to help make it easier for you to find the right tools for your business.
If, like us, you’ve been trying to get ahead of the everchanging algorithm to remedy your dwindling engagement, this post is for you. Yeah yeah, we know it looks and feels amazing when the numbers are high but what is the purpose of using this platform? First thing to remember is, Instagram doesn’t determine your success.
We’re graphic designers and what we do is design. But we’ve learnt, after many missteps that we needed other skills to survive. Like how to work with numbers, manage cash flow, manage time, work collaboratively and more efficiently. Over time we’ve tried and tested a few apps, read a few books and relied on other online resources that have helped to shape how we work, make us more efficient and give us back a little more time. Read on for our reviews on a few apps and books that have helped us tackle those painful admin tasks.
Where it all began… Layla: Up until last year Feb, we had no Instagram presence. We focused mainly on Facebook which was great, until they made it almost impossible to reach our followers without paying for the engagement. We joined Instagram because one of our clients had asked why weren’t using it for business (duh) and requested we manage their pages.
Love it or hate it, with technology we are now communicating more than ever before. But are we communicating more effectively? When it comes to work and everyday life, communication is key. We have all heard that a thousand times and I’ve probably rolled my eyes a thousand times when someone has said it, but it is such an important skill to learn.
If you’re reading this, then it’s crossed your mind and we’re very proud of you for taking a step in the right direction. Picture a room filled with slow clapping, nods of excitement and back patting as you make your way through the room. Welcome to our world, we’re here to help. You may be considering starting your own business, thinking of a brand refresh, or you just want to know what all the fuss is about and whether it really is necessary.