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Posts Tagged ‘Industry Trends’
Top Interactive Marketing Trends of 2012
3/28/2012 1:00 PM By Artisan
Interactive marketing agencies can be incredibly expensive to hire, which is why many small- and medium-sized companies are opting for freelance professionals that can be hired on a temporary, recurring basis.
But before you hire a freelance interactive marketing manager, it’s important to identify developing marketing trends that will impact your industry. Doing so will put you in a better position to gauge the needed qualifications of the person you’re considering for the job. To help you make the most educated choice, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 interactive marketing trends for 2012.
Social Media Marketing – Social media isn’t just a great way to get people talking about a company’s products or services. It’s also an effective way to put out small fires that could develop into public relations nightmares. Putting an interactive marketing manager in charge of enabling social media to address issues of customer satisfaction will build the kind of loyalty that you can’t pay for.
Online Advertising – There’s a lot to be said about word of mouth (which is greatly influenced by social media) but traditional ad placements on websites is far from being an outdated approach to reaching new customers and re-engaging those you’ve already done business with in the past. This is still a viable promotional method that any interactive marketing manager you hire should have experience with. And these days, web designers know how to make things like banner ads inviting rather than intrusive.
Mobile Marketing – With the explosion of affordable mobile devices, the company that’s not committed to developing a strong mobile marketing campaign is the company that’s sitting on an opportunity to vastly improve their reach. Businesses should consider mobile marketing a priority if they don’t already have a program in place.
Email Marketing – Thought to be an outdated process by some, traditional email marketing is playing a growing role in the ability of companies to connect with their customers. A developing trend in 2012 is the inclusion of additional preferences that your customers can access to limit the amount of email marketing messages they receive from you. If they have options other than “subscribe to everything” or “unsubscribe from everything” the odds are they’ll agree to receiving at least certain kinds of messages.
Running Loyalty Programs – Consumers love getting free stuff. They love it so much, in fact, that they’re willing to reward you for giving them the opportunity to earn substantial discounts and freebies by signing up for your online mailing lists and text alerts. Loyalty programs are a mainstay of traditional marketing and will continue to be well into 2012. Take advantage by running frequent loyalty programs that will serve to drive increased business in your direction.
Artisan Talent offers you the opportunity to connect with freelance professionals who have worked for various interactive marketing agencies and can bring cutting edge ideas to your company.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
The Future of Mobile Apps is Location
3/22/2012 1:23 PM By Artisan
When you hire a mobile application developer, you’re hiring someone with the technical ability to bring your idea to fruition. But sometimes, you get a little more than that. If you happen to hire an individual who’s not only technically skilled but also creatively gifted, they can help you develop your mobile app idea into something that could propel your brand’s visibility to the stratosphere. Whether you decide to work with an iPhone app developer or an Android app developer is unimportant – both are viable platforms that can bring significant traffic and attention to your business. What is important, however, is determining the function your application will perform.
Some of the most popular kinds of mobile apps these days are location based, like Foursquare or Poynt. Such apps enable users to “check in” to public locations like restaurants or institutions and announce their location via linked social media channels. The appeal of these types of applications is universal, and there are enough location-based apps in existence to make catering the experience for your business a simple task worthy of any mobile app developer. But if you really want to knock the socks off your customer base and are interested in appealing to the masses, you’ll have to brainstorm beyond the limitations of existing location-based apps to come up with something unique. Here are a few ideas to help you along in the right direction.
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Implement more than simple “check-in status.” Already, apps like Instagram (which is presently only available on the Apple iOS) make it possible to snap photos from your mobile device and post them across various social networking platforms with a single button-press. This application also offers unique photo effects that effectively blend photo apps with location tagging to create a visual and textual experience for the end user.
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Use information gathering to create a more catered experience. Anyone who’s ever used an application like Flixster knows that it functions by asking for your physical location, then populating a list of movie theaters in the area as well as nearby restaurants. But the future of location-based applications foresees a time when this kind of application will not only show you what’s playing, but what movies and restaurants are most likely to interest you based on your individual tastes. Working with a mobile application developer to create an application that not only knows where you are, but who you are, is the future of location-based apps.
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Incorporate the use of GPS. Essentially, what this does is allow a user to download your location-based application and make use of it without having to tell the application where they’re located. The app will then do the extra work by finding the user by their GPS location. This is something that’s commonly in use among some location-based applications, but not all. In the future, however, more and more apps will operate this way, making the application better streamlined and easier to use.
If you’re going to hire a mobile application developer to help you create an app that will put your business on the map, it’s important to think ahead. In many cases, apps become outdated the moment they’re published. The real trick is to find someone whose technical ability matches their vision. To get a head start in the right direction, visit ArtisanTalent.com.
Here, you can find freelance iPhone app developers and Android app developers who have been pre-screened for experience and qualifications. Perhaps your app won’t change the world, but it could feasibly transform your company by bringing it to the attention of thousands. The first step to accomplishing that is finding the talent to help you make your vision a reality.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Mistakes to Avoid When Developing Mobile Apps
3/14/2012 12:33 PM By Artisan
Mobile web applications aren’t always a sure bet. Many professionals from small business owners to corporate thought leaders make the mistake of assuming that developing mobile applications for their companies will catapult their brand into the spotlight overnight. But while it’s a good thing to think big, it’s an even better thing to take steps to ensure your success.
In order to do that, you’ve got to work with mobile application developers who are experienced enough to be able to help you get it right the first time. And you’ve got to avoid some of the most commonly made mistakes that companies make when developing mobile web applications. Follow the advice below to navigate around these pitfalls.
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Don’t confuse a mobile device with a computer. Sure, there are a huge number of smart phones and tablets on the market that can easily access standard websites. But when you’re developing mobile applications you have to think carefully about the platform that’s being used. Simply publishing a mobile version of your company website isn’t nearly enough to make the application worth the download bandwidth and it certainly won’t take your application viral.
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Understand who will use your app and why. Far too many companies make the mistake of putting out applications that either don’t offer anything that can’t be found on the desktop website or that aren’t conducive to the mobile experience. If you stop to think about it, the vast majority of app users want something they can use quickly and easily. For that reason, don’t release an application unless you have a clear understanding of what function it’ll perform and who your target market is.
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Cut the fat. To develop effective mobile web applications, you’ve got to think “light.” Understand that not everyone using your company’s application will have the latest, greatest smart phone and many may be using slower devices. Keeping these people in mind is essential. Creating an app that frequently locks up, crashes or simply can’t be run on older models is a mistake many companies make, and one that can sneak up from behind and bite you in the rear – especially since you’ll be relying on positive feedback and good word of mouth to promote its usage.
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Embrace simplicity. This goes not only for the actual function of your mobile app, but also for its layout and design. Aesthetics play an enormous role in determining whether or not someone is going to actually use an application. Remember that your target audience is accessing the application on a screen not much bigger than a credit card, and that failing to embrace a simplistic and sparse design can result in an ugly interface. And nobody likes an ugly interface.
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Don’t spread yourself thin. Most companies find it hard to resist the temptation to develop mobile web applications that can be used on either Android devices or the Apple iOs. Sure, this is a great idea – but when you’re initially designing an application, don’t spread your resources thin by trying to take on both mobile environments at once. Choose one or the other and stick with it. Once your app has been released and the kinks have been ironed out, then you can take steps to making it available on another operating system. But the stark differences between the two are something you’ll want to avoid when you’re setting about the task of developing your first mobile application.
Ultimately, finding the right professional to help you realize your vision for a smart phone application can make the biggest difference. You can find the right mobile application developer for you by registering with Artisan Talent, a service that connects talented and experienced professionals with companies seeking only the best in the field. Visit www.artisantalent.com to learn more.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Indianapolis 2012: The Year of the Freelancer
3/5/2012 2:12 PM By Artisan
In light of the evolving shift in the work market from on-site positions to remote home office jobs, freelance developers, designers and marketing experts in the Indianapolis metro area can expect to see huge growth in the number of opportunities available to earn a living. With third party talent agencies working to match highly skilled workers to high profile employers, there’s virtually no limit to the number of Indianapolis creative openings that freelancers can gain access to.
The Year of the Freelancer
According to information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and various other sources that predict trends in employment, 2012 is working out to be “The Year of the Freelancer.” As in recent years, employers seeking to cut cost by moving to smaller facilities are opting in increasing numbers to hire individuals capable of telecommuting from their home offices – resulting in dramatically decreased overhead and greatly improved profit margins. As a result, Indianapolis freelancer positions are growing in proportion to that need.
Improved Technology Will Lead to Greater Opportunity
Experts predict that freelance opportunities will continue to grow as more companies adapt to technologies that make it easy for them to carry a workforce of self-sufficient, home-based employees. Those interested in taking advantage of this boom in virtual employment opportunities should seek the help of Indianapolis freelancer services to pair them up with businesses seeking to hire on a temporary to permanent basis.
The Past, Present and Future of Remote Employment
Home office opportunities were once only the province of virtual bookkeepers, secretaries and customer service representatives. But as companies continue to look for creative ways of cutting cost corners, there’s been a dramatic increase in job opportunities in the fields of print design, web design and marketing. If your specialty lies in these areas and you’re in the Indianapolis metro region, visit Artisan Talent today to register for access to lucrative freelance opportunities.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
What’s the Future of Graphic Design in Chicago, Elsewhere?
2/14/2012 10:54 AM By Artisan
Artists seeking freelance design work are finding it increasingly easy these days to find projects through such agencies as Artisan Talent, a Chicago creative talent agency that specializes in pairing uniquely gifted professionals with high-level job opportunities. However, with the state of graphic design so rapidly evolving in an era where more people are being reached via pocket-sized mobile devices, will a career in graphic design still be viable in the future?
The short answer to that question is: yes. The long answer requires us to take a look at developing trends in the face of declining print publications, including the growing market for electronic publications like e-books and online blogs. Today, you can still pay a visit to your local book megastore and find shelf upon shelf of printed publications bearing the creative works of graphic designers the world over. Tomorrow, however, may be a different story.
Of course, even if every bookstore on the face of the earth were to close down overnight and publication houses were to throw the giant “off” switch on their printing presses, there would still be a plethora of creative jobs in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere to be snatched up by capable individuals. Here’s why you shouldn’t worry about the future of graphic design.
Brand logos are critical components of marketing that aren’t just limited to the physical print world, and freelance design work for everything from website logos to social media marketing logos will continue to proliferate.
Motion graphics will continue to play a much larger role in the overall scheme of graphic design as more and more companies move to the Internet and the social media sphere to popularize their brands through video ads.
Web design, a distinctly modern take on classic graphic design, will continue to play a critical role in the careers of designers as websites continue to evolve from being superfluous luxury items to absolute marketing necessities.
Traditional signage isn’t going anywhere. If anything, graphic designers will be asked to push their abilities to the limit and play with the public’s expectations, to create attractive and compelling designs that will try to compete for the attention of preoccupied customers more interested in its smart phones than the world around it.
Keeping yourself in the loop for exciting freelance opportunities in graphic design is as simple as registering with a Chicago creative talent agency that can connect you with high-profile and high-paying clients. Visit www.artisantalent.com to learn more.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
What Freelance Designers Need to Know About Mobile App Development
2/1/2012 10:46 AM By ArtisanThese days, freelance web designers and web coders interested in finding an abundance of work are required to have a strong understanding of a variety of programming languages like PHP, Python and Ruby on Rails. But in order to remain viable in a field that is becoming increasingly competitive, freelance designers, web coders and PHP developers alike will be required to cultivate a keen comprehension of coding for the mobile web.
Mobile web development is markedly different from the development of traditional web applications because of the vast differences of the many handheld devices on the market today. If you want a program to function properly on a cross section of smartphones and mobile devices, it’s critical to become versed in as many programming languages as possible. The list below represents the development tools that are the most popular with end users of mobile devices, and thus the most likely to help a developer find regular work:
- Android: The environment specific to Google Android smartphones and tablets leans heavily in favor of Java, C and C++ programming languages. Development tools for these languages are free to download for web coders and freelance designers.
- Blackberry: Mobile blackberry devices operate on Java-driven applications. Java is an open-source tool that is readily available to all mobile web coders. iOS SDK: Formerly known as iPhone Software Development Kit, iOS SDK is one of the most popular development tools for the creation of applications for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Applications are written in Objective-C language. Developers using iOS SDK are required to pay a fee directly to Apple before the application is made available for download by the general public.
- Palm OS: Palm devices and Windows Mobile devices can be programmed using C, C++ and Pascal programming languages.
- PhoneGap: This open-source software framework allows mobile web coders and freelance designers build applications using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Using PhoneGap, developers can create applications for a variety of mobile devices including the iPhone (iOS), Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Windows Phone 7.
To be successful, freelance designers aren’t just required to maintain a continuous education on emerging programming languages, but also on upcoming trends in usability. Without the ability to keep a finger on the pulse of the application-hungry populous, a web coder might just paint him or herself into a lonely corner, turning a potential income earning talent into little more than a pastime. The best advice? Read industry publications on a regular basis to stay informed on developing trends for developers, as well as users. You can never be too informed.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
The Mobile App Quandary – iPhone or Android?
1/18/2012 3:09 PM By Vince Font
One of the biggest myths about the development of smartphone apps is that there’s more money to be made on the Apple market than on the Android market. If you’re an aspiring smartphone App Developer, this sort of thing can muddle your decision on whether to focus your efforts on becoming an iPhone App Developer or an Android App Developer. Before you make that choice, it’s important to take a few things into consideration.
1. Android has quite a bit of catching up to do. No question about it, ever since the release of the first iPhone, the rest of the tech world has been busy playing catch-up with Apple. The trouble is, it’s tough to catch up with a trailblazer and Androids are still engaged in a high-speed pursuit. What’s encouraging, though, is that the Android market has something that Apple lacks: diversity. There are far more Android handsets available than there are iPhones, and at far more affordable prices to boot. What this means is that the demand for quality apps is much higher on the Android market, which could impact your earnings significantly.
2. First movers don’t always win the race. In other words, don’t declare iPhone the winning platform yet. For a perfect example of how this can work out, just look at the space race between the ex-Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviets were the first to launch satellites, monkeys and eventually men into space— but with a lot of ingenuity and even more cash backing, the US emerged victorious in that regard. If you want a more earthbound example, take a look at Google and Facebook. Neither were the first to move into their respective fields, but having seen the diminishment of Yahoo and MySpace, there’s proof that being first is no guarantee of longevity. If you’re a smartphone App Developer considering focusing your efforts solely on the Apple market, you’d do well to remember this.
3. There’s always a dark horse. In the future, the competition will expand far beyond the iPhone and Android markets. So apart from hopping into a time machine and traveling a few years into the future to see what newfangled platforms and operating systems are headed our way, what’s a smartphone App Developer to do? Keep your eyes and ears open, because if there’s one thing in this world that you can count on every time, it’s change.
If you’re a Mobile App Developer, the best thing you can do is pursue as many opportunities as you can while building your resume and gaining valuable experience. You can accomplish this handily by getting registered with Artisan, a staffing agency that focuses on matching up talented freelancers with companies hiring for freelance projects. To crack open a new chapter on your earnings potential, visit our job board today.
The Top 3 Realities of Being a Freelance Marketing Consultant
1/6/2012 3:18 PM By Vince FontIf you’re considering leaving your day job to pursue a career as a freelance marketing consultant, it’s critical that you look before you leap. Most importantly, you should take a long hard look at some of the realities that freelance marketing professionals face on a daily basis.
• Reality #1: There’s no guarantee that you’ll get to work from home in your jammies. While this might sound like the dream environment for many, even if you’re a wildly successful freelance marketing consultant you may never spend any work time in slippers and sweats. Lots of companies that hire marketing professionals require an in-person presence, in which case you’d better not get rid of your business wardrobe prematurely.
• Reality #2: There’s no such thing as long-term job security. Although you can improve your chances of never running out of work by hooking up with a staffing agency like Artisan, there are no assurances that the job market for freelance Marketing Consultants won’t dry up. Then again, there are no assurances these days in any job market at all… so why not explore your opportunities in the freelance field?
• Reality #3: You may have to move around a lot. At very least, you should be prepared to do a lot of traveling. Part of being a successful marketing professional will require that you take project assignments in various locations throughout the country. If you’re not comfortable moving around or traveling, freelance work in this role might not be for you. At Artisan, we not only offer to connect you with plenty of hiring companies—we also offer health benefits and time off. To find out more, contact us today.
Freelance Design Job Opportunities in Indianapolis Buck Unemployment Trends
12/16/2011 11:30 AM By Vince FontWith Indiana’s unemployment rate hovering just under nine percent, hardworking Indy residents could use some good news. Fortunately, there’s a silver lining in every cloud and what sometimes looks like rain is often the precursor to a brilliant rainbow. Flowery language aside, the great news is that there’s plenty of work to be found, especially if you broaden your search to include Indianapolis freelancer positions being offered by major companies in the Hoosier state capital.
If you’ve got experience in web or graphic design but have had a tough time finding employment, or if you’re gainfully employed but simply checking out your future options, there are opportunities in the freelance market that might point the way to significantly greater earnings—even in a down economy.
The fact is, there are many high paying Indianapolis web design jobs waiting to be discovered. The trick is knowing just where to find them and utilizing all of the right search methods to gain access to them. One method of doing that is by going through Artisan, a creative staffing agency located in Indianapolis that can put professional web
designers and graphic designers on the fast track to landing lucrative projects with high profile corporations seeking local talent. Visit Artisan today to learn how you can discover Indianapolis graphic design job opportunities right under your nose.
Four Trends in Mobile App Design Today
12/12/2011 4:46 PM By Vince Font
To continually come through with highly functioning mobile app designs, you’ve got to stay on top of evolving trends. After all, what good are User Interface Designers who constantly have their heads turned the other way focusing on what’s long since passed? For those of you seeking high profile jobs as User Interface Designers worried about falling behind the curve, here’s a rundown of some of the most popular trends in mobile application design.
• Use of bold colors to help make apps stand out. User Interface Designers know that in order for a mobile app to make an impression on a user, it’s got to pop—visually speaking, that is. And no better way exists to make something really stand out than to imbue it with bright, bold, primary colors. Considering the fact that your intended audience is probably only spending a few minutes trying out the application of your design before moving on to the next to determine which will meet their needs, first impressions are as critical here as they are anywhere else. If you don’t grab their attention quickly, you’ve lost them.
• The less gloss the better. People’s tastes change with the wind and what was once appealing to the eye—glossy finishes—has now been replaced by an increased popularity of the matte finish look. However, unless the change is an easy one and if you haven’t already made lots of headway in your mobile application design, you may not want to waste your energy changing this. After all, once the pendulum swings back to glossy, your mobile app style could be all the rage again.
• Text based interfaces are eternally user friendly. Never think that simply because your particular app design isn’t as flashy as the next developer’s, you’ll be left behind. People still have a fondness and desire for the kind of simplicity that can only be rendered on their mobile device screen through text. Finding the right font, however, is always critical—just as choosing the right combination of colors that won’t make it impossible for users to read what it is they’re supposed to be reading in the first place.
• Voice recognition commands. Although you’d think that the advent of such a thing as Swype text would make communicating via mobile device far simpler, recent trends have seen an increase in the popularity of mobile apps that can be controlled by speech recognition. With more and more developers incorporating this into their mobile design, failing to consider its inclusion is equal to overlooking the obvious.
Staying on top of mobile app design trends is critical to making yourself an attractive candidate for user interface design jobs—but if you don’t know where to look for those jobs, you might as well be spinning your wheels. User Interface Designers looking for work can expand their reach by also taking on freelance assignments through an agency like Artisan that connects you with companies interested in hiring Designers and Developers on a full-time or freelance basis. Register with us online and let your career unfold.
