Super Cheap Signs

The Grandfather of Creative Genius

Matt Medel August 22, 2013 0Comment

In Marketing Magic/Part 1, author Debbie Millman discussed how to become a brand genius. Now she deconstructs the creative process itself as she recounts the wisdom of iconic graphic designer Milton Glaser, famous for the I♥NY logo and the poster of Bob Dylan in profile, his hair a psychedelic swirl.

Celebrated as the greatest living graphic designer, Glaser offers a wealth of insight that can help business owners create compelling signage. Take this story of how he became an artist:

“When I was a very little boy, a cousin came to my house with a paper bag. He asked me if I wanted to see a bird. I thought he had a bird in the bag. He stuck his hand in the bag, and I realized he had drawn a bird on the side of a bag with a pencil. I was astonished! I perceived this as being miraculous. At that moment, I decided that was what I was going to do with my life. Create miracles.”

While a sign doesn’t have to be fine art, there’s no telling where tomorrow’s critically acclaimed work will originate. You might think you’re simply designing a banner for your business — but if the combination of design, colors and verbiage strikes a chord, in the cyber age anything is possible. Thanks to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and many other social sites, unknowns become global sensations literally overnight.

Or maybe it’s a banner flag: the hybrid that makes a bold statement for your business, and is made to endure for seasons to come. At 11.5 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide, banner flags are hard to miss. And with our full-color UV-protected dyes and free design, proofing and logo re-creation, all you need to add is the creative genius.

So go ahead: create a miracle and let that banner wave all over cyberland, drawing customers to your door and kudos for your artistic brilliance. We’ll just remain quietly in the background.

Real Estate: Get Ready to Move!

Matt Medel April 11, 2013 0Comment

Question: How is real estate like a Zumba class?

Answer: Spring is a super time to move!

And while the sign of someone who’s Zumba-ready is a spandex-clad body and athletic shoes, real estate signs can range from basic yard signs to big directionals to super creative car magnets. The key isn’t just the signage you choose, but how you use it.

So you’re ready to move: Selling a home involves a great deal of time, thought and effort. If a real estate agent or broker is handling the listing, one of their first tasks is creating and placing a real estate yard sign on the property that states the agent’s or broker’s contact information. (If a party is selling the home directly, the sign will usually state, “For Sale by Owner”.)

Next comes sign content. Most critical: the name and phone number of the contact person — unless the sign is advertising an upcoming open house, in which case the sign should state the open house date, time and location (if the sign is placed elsewhere than on the property for sale). And while it can be tempting to create a colorful sign, what’s most eye-catching is a real estate sign that uses only two colors, such as red on a white background on blue on a white background, both of which are easy to read. Red is deemed most effective for attracting potential buyers.

Real estate yard sign placement strategies

Once you’ve created your real estate sign(s), placement is crucial. You may want to use multiple signs, depending on where the home is situated. For a house located mid-block, a single sign facing the street will be noticeable to people driving by from either direction. For wider properties, or those where the home is set far back from the road, we recommend placing a real estate yard sign at each end of the property.

For corner lots, place signs on both perpendicular streets to attract traffic traveling the main road and side street. For country properties that may be far from the beaten path, add spinner signs or big directional signs to attract the attention your property deserves.

Finally, let the web bring you buyers. Today most real estate firms offer a virtual tour of featured homes on their website, so potential buyers can get a sense of their new home before ever setting foot on the property.

Seven Sure-fire Tips for Real Estate Signs

Matt Medel February 21, 2013 0Comment

Assess your audience

While some crossover artists are able to bridge diverse worlds (think Adele’s blockbuster album, “21”), this is a rare gift. It makes more sense to sing (or write) to your intended audience. Imagine a group of teen girls turning out to hear the latest rock band, only to watch the group take the stage and croon Frank Sinatra ballads! They’d request refunds. So if you’re selling upscale, designer homes, don’t create signs that appeal to young, middle-income families. Instead, make wealth your central message: “A home for people who appreciate the finer things.”

Tell them what to do!

It seems so obvious it’s often omitted: let prospective homeowners know what action you want them to take: stop by this weekend for an open house; call now for an appointment; email for a full-color brochure, etc.

Testing, one, two

Before you order dozens of signs, test your message on a market sample to make sure it generates the desired result.

Sell the steak

Yes, it’s common practice to sell the sizzle, but then your prospects won’t really know whether the house you have to show them will meet their needs. So give ’em the WIIFMs: “What’s In It For Me?” All the features — and all the benefits.

Be sure to proofread everthing

Did you notice the “y” was missing from “everything”? It’s all too easy to skip over a typo, or leave off essential information, such as your phone number or address. While the team at Super Cheap Signs takes pains to turn out a perfect sign every time, you have the final say. This is “y” it pays to have a fresh set of eyes review everything.

Balance visual and verbal cues

Don’t create a gorgeous sign with lackluster content, or sparkling copy with poor design. Aim for both excellent graphics and high quality content to captivate your prospects. If you need help, just ask us.

Learn from the masters

Do your homework, study what works and what doesn’t, and incorporate the best ideas into your own real estate yard signs. Who knows, someday a recording artist might immortalize your business in song!

Custom Aluminum Signs – So Many Uses!

Matt Medel January 25, 2013 0Comment

Do you believe in magic? How about this:

A material that won’t corrode, is super flexible, lightweight yet strong — and the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Perhaps it’s no surprise that versatile aluminum has the atomic number lucky 13. And aluminum is a team player: it combines in nature with over 270 different minerals.

As everyone knows, one of the most popular uses for aluminum is beverage cans — so if you were really enterprising, you could save your soda cans, hammer them flat, whitewash the existing message and create your own signage! But that’s an awful lot of labor, which might be better spent running your business or campaign.

Aluminum signs can be used to convey important information regarding your property or business.

Fortunately, you can purchase high-quality, .040 gauge aluminum signs for any purpose:

A “No Parking” sign to keep desperate drivers from blocking your entry? Check.

A fence sign, indicating “Private Property” or “No Trespassing” to keep the incurably curious out? Check.

A sign that informs parents and kids when the community pool begins summer swim classes? Of course.

A sign that indicates hours of operation for your business’s entrance gate? No problem!

Advertising a real estate listing? SOLD!

Whatever type of custom aluminum sign you require, this resilient metal will hold up and look terrific for years to come. You can design it single- or double-sided, in full color or just one or two hues — and with ten sizes to choose from, you’ll find the perfect combination to fit your unique needs.

Just remember: as adaptable as aluminum is, you can’t eat an aluminum sign to get your RDA of essential minerals.

Thirsty for Success: A powerful slogan

Matt Medel January 17, 2013 0Comment

Invest in a campaign you believe in! Give your customers something they'll remember and hold onto. — Invest in a campaign you believe in! Give your customers something they’ll remember and hold onto.

The stunning success of the California “Got Milk?” campaign is legendary, and the powerful slogan is now part of the American lexicon. While this kind of advertising accomplishment is exceptional, it’s not the exception; any brand can apply the same principles used to develop, launch and maintain a landmark campaign — or build name recognition for their business.

Here are some of the most valuable lessons from “Got Milk?”. They’re especially relevant for real estate professionals and investors looking to dominate their market, which our real estate signage solutions have been helping them to do for years:

Make New Friends But Keep the Old. Focus first on keeping those who are brand-loyal, because they’re your best source of increased sales.

The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) chose to target regular milk drinkers, who constituted more than two-thirds of the market and were already favorably disposed toward the product — and thus more open to influence, especially in the short-term.

Entice your existing customers with discount offers and specials before expending energy attracting new business.

Be Candid. If you employ a “Candid Camera” approach to discover how consumers feel about your product or service, you’ll be able to develop strong brand positioning based on these insights.

The “Got Milk?” ad agency removed all the milk from company refrigerators, placed video cameras inside, and recorded employee reactions to discovering there was no milk. In another research study, consumers were asked to forgo milk for a week, then report back. Their stories provided fabulous fodder for future ad direction.

Cozy Up. Find a strategy that speaks to the consumer’s heart — or stomach, or bank account — and go the distance with it.

When the CMPB tried to sell more milk based on its health value, people yawned. But when the CMPB heard what consumers were telling them — that food choices drive milk purchases — they came up with the winning “deprivation strategy”: chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lost their cachet without the classic accompanying beverage.

What “goes with” your product or service like peanut butter with jelly? Put that on your yard sign or sandwich board and gauge how customers respond, then tweak your strategy accordingly.

K-I-S-S (Keep It Super Simple). A great ad campaign that is too clever can lead to the opposite result from what you intend. Consumers must be able to easily grasp your message and understand what action you want them to take. This is where a powerful slogan is key.
A great example of a simple, memorable slogan that could lead to an enlarged customer-base and generate new interest in your brand!

In two words, “Got Milk?” functioned as a hook, a call to action and a take-away that could be adapted to a variety of placements. Think, “Got House?” if you’re a real estate professional, or “Got Lumber?” if you’re a builder.

Got the idea? Great. Just order it on the yard sign, banner or car magnet of your choice, and we’ll take it from there.

Horsing Around on Company Time: Office Fun

Matt Medel January 3, 2013 0Comment

Because too many people are accustomed to the idea that going to work means checking your “real self” at the door, many small businesses have been striving in recent years to make work more fun. This is a little like saying, relax and enjoy the dental visit. (Unless you happen to be a dentist, in which case you can substitute “proctologist” in that last sentence.) Making work fun is somewhat of an oxymoron — which is not a fancy term for the geek down the hall.

But going to work does need to be an enjoyable experience if people are going to give it their best. This doesn’t mean standing around the water cooler “dissing” the boss or the company, telling off-color jokes or getting your kicks at someone else’s expense.

True fun springs from the same well of ingenuity where all great ideas originate. Consider a friendly competition, as in sports, for instance. Two chefs in a busy café can spontaneously decide to see who can flip the most flapjacks; two waitstaff can see who can get to customers’ tables the fastest.

This can lead to some really creative signage. Smart small business owners might want to invest in a few of our blank yard signs and handwrite an appealing message such as: “Are We Having Fun Yet?” in permanent marker, giving it that personal touch that says the boss believes in balance, not just balance sheets. Then post the sign in the break room, or wherever your team congregates out of customer view. One manager presented a newly engaged employee with a plaque that read, “No Business During Fooling Hours”. This won her heart — and her continued company loyalty.

The important point is that employees be permitted to generate and implement some office fun that is not distracting and enables them to be even more productive. As long as what people come up with is safe, above-board, and harms no one, encourage your team to enjoy themselves. Happy people make a better business. Believe us: we know!

All Access: Becoming A Rolling Billboard for Business

Matt Medel December 6, 2012 0Comment

Why settle for stationary advertising? Take your message with you wherever you go with our vehicle magnets!

Have you ever had an elite concert connection? Occasionally, if you were very lucky or knew someone who knew someone, you might score a backstage pass to meet the band after the show. But very few people outside the musicians’ entourage are granted “all-access”, which allows you to wander at will among the worshipped. For rock fans, such a pass is somewhat akin to an all-access badge to the White House.

However, with a little creativity you can create an “all access” environment for your business, so customers and potential customers can learn about you and what you offer anywhere, any time. No, we’re not talking about the Internet, but the outer net: connecting with the web of life all around you, akin to an all-purpose backstage pass, or Doctors Without Borders. Take a tip from Tim (name changed), who uses his motorized wheelchair to advertise his math and English tutoring services with a sign affixed to the back of his chair. Without driving a car, he’s a personal “rolling billboard” for his brand. As he rolls through town, kids and parents (many of whom he knows, since he’s been a community fixture for decades) can’t help but smile at this unusual use of signage. He may not be driving a car, but he’s certainly come up with a “magnetic” use of a sign!

Vehicle magnets are a fabulous way of turning your vehicle into a rolling

No need to restrict your advertising methods!

billboard — regardless of what type of vehicle you drive. Like Tim’s magnetic motorized wheelchair, you can devise ingenious ways to market your products or services. Our long lasting, attractive matte magnetic material is 3mm thick, with a special plastic coating on the side that adheres to your car (or truck, or wheelchair…) to prevent paint damage.

So turn magnetic marketing on its ear, and develop your own version of an “all access” vehicle. While we can’t promise it’ll admit you backstage to meet your favorite band, everyone who sees it will admit you’re a creative business owner — and that’s the kind of person others like to do business with. If you’re this imaginative in marketing your own business, who knows what you’ll be able to do for them?

QR Codes: Is Your Signage Scannable?

Matt Medel July 27, 2012 0Comment

In a virtual world, the strange little black-and-white block patterns known as QR codes are a super way of marketing on the fly. Place a QR (“quick response”) code on your yard sign, banner or business card, and potential customers will be able to download all your relevant information into their mobile device.

QR codes are an excellent tool to help you capture people’s attention at the most unlikely times and in the most unusual places. Here are five quick ways QR codes can enhance your business:

Lose the wait. How do you spell boring? W-a-i-t-i-n-g: for a subway, a bus, a train or a plane. Help alleviate tedium and market your business at the same time with QR codes: add one to a political yard sign, sandwich board or real estate sign. People can download all the information into their smart phone, then peruse your website at their convenience.
Educate. Whether someone is a first-time home buyer or real estate investor, real estate can be a complex proposition. You can use a QR code to provide consumer information, enabling people to knowledgeably compare properties and cut to the chase when they contact you. Include the QR code on your commercial real estate signs, custom sign riders and business cards, too.
Show, don’t tell. Real estate professionals can use QR codes to create a compelling visual of homes for sale, such as a code composed of tiny images of houses. Use Fancy QR Code Generator to add graphics. Just be sure you test the code thoroughly first, to ensure it works properly! If you’re not sure how to do that however, you might consider using an SEO Reseller.
Tell, don’t show. On the other hand, political candidates may wish to use QR codes to send constituents to an audio or video of them addressing the pertinent issues of the campaign. When someone scans the code off a political yard sign or vinyl banner, presto: they’re taken to a link that plays your campaign message.
Share and share a Like: Be a smart digital marketer: create a mobile-specific site or Facebook integration page that encourages people to “like” your real estate business or political campaign. People want to share what they like, and liking begets business — and votes.

Spinner Signs – High Impact Advertising With A Human Touch

Matt Medel April 5, 2012 0Comment

When business is slow, some business owners can go into a tizzy. But instead of spinning your wheels, simply start spinning; this will help a lot.

How’s that again?

Advertising is all about spin. Now you can literalize it, with spinner signs. Durable, double-sided 16×48″ signs made of 10mm Coroplast construction that announce your business in full color vinyl glory. And because spinner signs are mobile, they’re an ideal form of advertising in cities that have strict ordinances regulating signage.

Spinner signs are a superb way to maximize employee productivity during a downturn. Select a gregarious employee to become your human directional advertisement, create an eye-catching spinner sign, and send your employee outside to drive more traffic to your business.

How can a spinner sign help your business thrive? Let your creativity run wild! An accounting office dresses one spinner sign holder as the Statue of Liberty during tax season; another spinner dons an Uncle Sam costume. Real estate professionals might want to dress their spinner sign employee as a house key.

Encourage your spinner to be as imaginative as possible. One spinner sign holder was doing such an amazing dance routine at a busy intersection, drivers stopped at the light were mesmerized — and of course they noticed where his sign was pointing. Talk about human directional advertising!

Let your employee spin to the beat, and bring in the biz! Rain or shine, with this low an investment, spinner signs are the perfect high impact advertising with a human touch for any size business.

Color Combinations for Yard Signs

Matt Medel February 7, 2012 0Comment

Have your ever walked by yard signs for a business and completely ignored them because you couldn’t read what it said? All of us have done it, and you think to yourself, “Why even have the sign up?” Unfortunately the reason you are unable to read the signs is simply because the color combination is just not a match made in heaven. Even though the rainbow is beautiful and has all the colors under the sun, one should not think their sign should appear as a rainbow. We always get asked by customers what are the best color combinations for business yard signs or campaign signs. We have compiled a list of the good, the bad and the ugly. The main thing to ask yourself when picking colors is what would look good together at a distance of ten feet or more? If you know at that distance light green and yellow will blur together, it’s best to go in a different direction.

Below we have screen printing color combinations that will make your customers stop and read and others that will have them just walking on past.

Good:

Blue and yellow on white material
Red and blue ink together
One single ink color on white material
Good Primary Ink colors: Navy Blue, Blue, Forest Green, Green, Burnt Orange, Orange, Red, Maroon, Purple, Brown, Black
Good Contrast Ink colors: light blue, teal, light green, yellow, pink, grey, white(only an ink color on yellow material. Doesn’t cost extra on white material)

Bad:

Pink on yellow material
Light green on yellow material
Purple on yellow material
Navy Blue on Black inks on any material
Purple on Black inks on any material
Forest green on black inks
Light blue as primary ink color (supposed to be a contrast color)

On your next purchase of yard signs keep these color combinations in mind and see if you get different results. You may just see a perk in sales just from your selection of colors.