We can’t think of a better way to build deep connections with your audience than with a brand publication. If you want to build a devoted following that is loyal to your brand, inform, educate, engage and entertain them with a custom branded magazine to increase your visibility and get in front of them on a consistent basis. Consider monthly or quarterly magazines with content crafted specifically to fit the lifestyle and interests of your existing brand groupies as well as those whose admiration you’re trying to earn. Why create a printed brand publication? It should be a part of an integrated marketing strategy to cut through the clutter and promote brand identity, foster loyalty and engage with customers. Print has longevity and credibility while the digital space is oversaturated and short-lived. Readers need a break from screen fatigue. Multiple readers can also be reached through a single tangible print publication. Brand publications put your business in your audience’s hands. If you’re the only fitness center/lawyer/community bank/insurance company/apparel company/outdoor gear/FILL IN THE BLANK company to send a publication to your target’s home, you can bet they’re going to remember you for the long haul. Can you get ROI from a brand publication? It’s not about making money from advertising. It’s about strengthening the brand through retention and loyalty, which leads to selling more product or attracting new users. Brand publications provide useful and informational content for existing audiences and target prospects – and that valuable content can pay off in spades. What are 6 benefits of a brand publication? Engage directly and more deeply with your target audience Build a culture and community around your brand Create emotional connections Increase brand awareness and loyalty Establish credibility with a strong brand-client relationship Differentiate yourself from the competition How do you share your brand publication? Mail directly to homes or businesses through existing mailing lists and purchased targeted lists Partner with an existing relevant title and bag your magazine with theirs Distribute at events Drop in professional offices or retail locations Harness the power of printed brand publications Your brand is directly in the hands of your target audience making your message more memorable. Research has shown that customers find print more authentic and trustworthy than digital messaging. Print readers engage longer than digital viewers increasing your visibility and strengthening your message. Print can be distributed to a very specifically targeted audience. Strong connections made with a tangible product lead to customers who will remember your brand and seek you out in the future. Who’s creating branded magazines? Everyone’s doing it! Everyone's Doing It!! Red Bull Wayfair AARP Harley Davidson Amazon Yeti State Farm Insurance If you’re ready to build deep connections and create a community and culture around your brand, we can show you how to get started. As a full-service custom publishing, marketing and design studio with deep expertise in content marketing, the Rufhaus team helps companies build powerful brands—and profits—in the form of magazines, guides and white papers that can live in print and digital formats. Schedule a free consultation with us today!

At Rufhaus Designs, we’re a sucker for a stunning infographic. And our president and creative director, Jennifer Ruf, is continually coaxing our clients to use them in their marketing efforts. “Infographics are so much more interesting to look at than a plain block of text,” she says, “but they’re much more than eye candy. When used correctly, they pack a powerful punch.” Here are three statistics that will convince you to incorporate them into your marketing efforts for 2024. Cue the infographics . . . 60,000 That’s how much faster visuals are processed by the human brain than text, according to a study by the Visual Teaching Alliance. And not only do people absorb visuals faster than text, but they are much more likely to remember them, too. One recent study tracked an audience three days after listening to a presentation and found that members only retained about 10% of the written or spoken information, but remembered nearly 65% of the visual information. The bottom line? “Unless your marketing message is hooked to a compelling image, it’s likely to be forgotten in minutes, if not seconds,” Ruf warns. 70% That’s how many more views blog articles that contained infographics generate compared to those without such images, according to a recent estimate by Hubspot. Even more compelling: Hubspot estimates that blogs with infographics generate 178% more links than other postings. “If your infographic is beautiful and compelling, it will naturally drive more traffic to your website,” Ruf says. Another bonus: An infographic is an “evergreen” item that usually can be shared easily several months after its initial publishing. And a particularly compelling one has the potentially to spread like wildfire on the internet 60% That’s the percentage of consumers who say they’re looking for reliable information from the companies they patronize, according to recent research from eMarketer. When you share your knowledge through acompelling infographic, you’re not only helping to make your message more memorable—but you’re positioning yourself as an expert and increasing your brand’s credibility. “Readers always appreciate knowledge, rather than a sales pitch,” Rufhaus says. Whether you’re using an infographic to break down a complicated subject or reveal information to help clients or prospects do their jobs better, an infographic will help you build trust and credibility quickly. Need help creating killer infographics? As a full-service custom publishing, marketing and design studio with deep expertise in content marketing, the Rufhaus team helps companies build powerful brands—and profits—with visual content that can live in print and digital formats. Schedule a free consultation with us today! 

Just in time for summer travel season, Rufhaus Designs, a Monmouth County WBENC-certified business specializing in creative design, custom content and marketing, launched divercity™, a clothing and accessories brand committed to spreading positivity and celebrating our differences, one city at a time. “We like to call it ‘casual clothing with a purpose,’” says Rufhaus President Jennifer Ruf, who founded Rufhaus two decades ago. Wearers can show off their personal style, and celebrate their city’s rich diversity, with classic T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, footwear and more — all emblazoned with their city’s name and customized divercity™ logo. “The purpose of wearing our unique divercity™ designs is to join together and spread positivity about all the great people and things that make a city come to life,” Ruf added. The current designs feature 27 cities across the country, from San Francisco to Miami and many destinations in between. Ruf says before rolling out the new brand, she tested the concept by launching a line of divercity™ apparel featuring Asbury Park, a favorite travel destination for the New Jersey native. “We noticed that Asbury residents were extremely proud of their city,” which received an A+ ranking from niche.com for its ethnic and economic diversity, she says. Not only did Asbury Park residents love the apparel, but members of the city’s bustling tourism scene clamored to get their hands on it, too. As demand for divercity™ continues to spread, Rufhaus says the clothing line will expand, too, to incorporate more cities across the U.S., along with new apparel and accessory designs. “Now people have a way to spotlight their town’s diversity, loud and proud!” she added.  To see the collection, visit www.divercityliving.com

When it comes to a mobile marketing strategy, is your company just phoning it in? That’s bad news if you want potential customers to find your site. Your website must perform consistently across both desktop and mobile or it will likely slip down in search engine results pages (and maybe even get buried below your competitor’s sites). Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can boost your SEO and deliver a better experience for mobile uses. Here are four easy steps to take now. Step One Nix the mobile-only site. Several years ago, some companies launched mobile-friendly websites that were separate from their traditional sites. Often, the mobile site was simply a stripped-down version of the original website, so mobile users had different experiences than desktop users. But that approach is a mistake. Not only did some mobile users feel ripped off when their favorite content wasn’t available, but the devices people used five years ago aren’t the same as the ones they use now. Mobile devices, desktops, and tablets all come in a wide variety of screen sizes and have varied functions. You want to optimize your website to offer the same experience in all of those different formats. The solution: Use responsive design, which allows website developers to create a site that is easily viewable on all different types of devices. When responsive design is used on a website, the web page detects the visitor’s screen size and adjusts the layout and images to fit the device. Step Two Update your listings. Take advantage of listings like Google My Business (you can create an account for free) which will allow customers searching for your business online or via a Google app to find your website more quickly. Beyond Google My Business, review your company’s listings on other websites and apps, like Yelp or Angie’s list, to make sure they contain the correct information, including your company’s address—which is the number one thing many customers look for when searching for your firm on the web. Step Three Keep content fresh. Update your site regularly with new content to keep customers interested—and boost your SEO. People can tell when your content is stale—and will wonder if your company is still in business if your website has looked the same for a few years. When creating content, use popular keywords to make sure the right people see it. While there are a number of tools available to find the best keywords for your business, you can also find keyword comparisons by device in Google’s Search Analytics. Step Four Stay social. About 80 percent of social media users access their favorite platforms primarily through their mobile devices, Google reports. If you’ve got a presence on social media, incorporate those postings into a social media feed on your website, Find out where your target audience spends its time (LinkedIn? Twitter? YouTube?) and engage with users regularly. Use platform specific advertising and post frequently to ensure that your company stands out—and gains a higher spot in search results. The bottom line: Regular updates to your web site increase engagement and help boost your SEO.  Need fresh content for your website? As a full-service custom publishing, marketing and design studio with deep expertise in content marketing, the Rufhaus team helps companies build powerful brands—and profits—in the form of magazines, guides and white papers that can live in print and digital formats, including blog posts and social media platforms. Schedule a free consultation with us today!

Rufhaus Designs, is proud to announce national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Metro NY Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC Certification is the gold standard for women-owned business certification in the United States. “I’m very excited that Rufhaus has the honor of being designated as a WBENC women-owned business,” says Rufhaus President Jennifer Ruf, who launched the company more than two decades ago after serving in art director positions at Nielsen Business Media and Time Warner. “I look forward to making new mutually-beneficial corporate connections as well as networking with other WBE members to exchange ideas and continue growing as a community.” Rufhaus is staffed with a diverse team of high-energy thought leaders, all of whom have deep expertise in marketing, editing, writing, and design for a wide variety of verticals, including travel, legal, finance, and health and wellness. Recent projects include: Launching three new custom magazines for a $2 billion-dollar nutritional supplement company Creating marketing collateral and a custom publication for the largest chain of skilled nursing facilities in the northeast Collaborating with some of the nation’s largest convention & visitors bureaus to create custom guides for meeting planners Spearheading editorial content and design for a national magazine for CFOs Launching divercity™, an apparel brand that allows cities to celebrate their towns’ rich diversity The WBENC standard of certification is a meticulous process, including an in-depth review of the business and a site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a woman or women, and that the business has appropriate structure and strategic business planning and implementation in place. By including women-owned businesses among their suppliers, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier diversity programs, which in turn empowers women as leaders and brings about a more diverse, balanced and sustainable economy. WBENC Certification combined with professional development and engagement in the WBENC network provides unsurpassed opportunities year-round, both virtually and in-person, for women-owned businesses to grow and expand their business and innovation through events, programming and connections with major corporations and other WBEs.

Make no mistake–content marketing is the single most powerful tool marketers have in their arsenal. Companies that use content marketing generate three times more leads than traditional marketing at 62% of the cost . You know you need to use content marketing to grow your business, but which strategies should you leverage…blogs or custom magazines? Ebooks or a social media blitz? The possibilities are endless, and the Rufhaus team is here to help. We recommend these three highly effective content marketing strategies to boost your SEO—and your business: #1. Articles/Case Studies Nobody likes cold, hard sales pitches. Nobody. That’s why articles that contain case studies are the absolute most effective type of content marketing on the planet, according to a new survey from eMarketer.com. Why? Articles with case studies help customers understand exactly how you can add value in their lives or businesses. To create compelling case studies, interview a client and provide colorful quotes (nix the PR jargon!) and statistics that illustrate how your business helped them become wildly successful. Use real-life anecdotes and share results. Articles can be displayed on your website, delivered via eBooks or published with colorful infographics in your own company-branded magazine. One hot example: Rufhaus recently worked with CareOne, a national healthcare company specializing in skilled nursing and assisted living, to produce CareOne Living, a custom magazine highlighting the cool, innovative happenings at CareOne centers, along with informative senior focused articles. A caregiver reading the magazine immediately gets a feel for how CareOne could dramatically enhance their loved ones’ lives. #2. White Papers If you want to build thought leadership and gain more respect in your industry, publish a digital white paper. White papers are long-form content that contain actionable data and advice to help your target audience be more successful. Note: They’re not sales pitches! They’re all about building a relationship with prospects so they trust your brand and come to you when they’re ready to buy. White papers are powerful lead generators. In one recent study, 76% of buyers said they would share information about themselves with a business in exchange for a white paper. Your white paper can be gated on your website so that people will provide information about themselves (like their email address) before downloading the content. One hot example: Rufhaus recently worked with a tourism bureau in the South to create a white paper for meeting planners about new ways to engage conference attendees. The white paper provided valuable tips and resources—and produced a high volume of high-quality leads for the bureau. #3. Blogs Need some proof that blogging is good for business? Here’s some: Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads than companies that don’t. Here’s more: 81% of U.S. consumers say they trust advice and information they receive from blogs. To start blogging, come up with a list of topics that you believe will be helpful to your target audience. Ask yourself, “What helpful information can I provide our prospects?” Do some keyword research to see what consumers are typing into the search engines to find companies like yours. Those keywords will be fertile ground for blog topics. Need help getting started? As a full-service custom publishing, marketing and design studio with deep expertise in content marketing, the Rufhaus team helps companies build powerful brands—and profits—in the form of magazines, guides and white papers that can live in print and digital formats, including blog posts and social media platforms. Schedule a free consultation with us today!

When you’re reaching out to a client or prospect, here are some important do’s and don’ts that will help the recipient from hitting the “delete” button: Don’t introduce yourself in the first line. Because many email apps offer recipients a preview of the first line, be sure to make the most of it. If the line is, “My name is Holly and I’m a saleswoman from. . .” your email is less likely to be opened. Don’t send a blind email to a prospect. Take at least a few minutes to review a prospective client’s website and social media accounts. The website will tell you if your product or service might be a good fit; the social media account might clue you in to something you and the prospect have in common (which, of course, you can reference in the email, i.e. “That was a tough Phillies game last night. . .”). Don’t write too much. People are busy, and no one wants spend time reading seven wordy paragraphs from a salesperson they’ve never met. Instead, following the Twitter principal and try to build interest in just a few sentences. Don’t email just once or twice. Statistics say it takes most prospects five to seven touch points before they respond. Instead of emailing repeatedly, reach out multiple times but in different ways—email, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Don’t leave the ball in their court . Some salespeople end email messages with a statement like, “Please call me if this is something you’re interested in.” Instead, ask them a question like, “Are you available for a call on Wednesday?” so that they can quickly respond. Need help crafting your business communications? As a full-service custom publishing, marketing and design studio with deep expertise in content marketing, the Rufhaus team helps companies build powerful brands—and profits—in the form of press releases, custom magazines, guides and white papers that can live in print and digital formats, including blog posts and social media platforms. Schedule a free consultation with us today!

You only get one chance to make a first impression. And these days, that first impression can come via your profile picture on your LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social media profile page. To select the perfect profile photo, consider these tips from researchers at the Department of Psychology at University of York, which analyzed 1,000 headshots in order to uncover facial characteristics that make the best first impression. Smile with teeth —it makes you look more approachable. Avoid full-length shots —head-and-shoulders or head-to-waist photos look best. Don’t use a straight-on , centered photo—an asymmetrical composition is more eye-catching. Define your jawline . A shadow line that delineates your jaw helps present you as someone who is likable, influential, and competent. Wear solid colors . Patterns can be distracting and will take away from the most important part of the photo: your face. Avoid hats or sunglasses —they make you look less approachable. Try a slight squint . Researchers found that slightly squinted eyes made photo subjects appear comfortable and confident, whereas subjects who were wide-eyed in their photographs appeared vulnerable and uncertain. Be mindful of crop ratios . Different social media sites have different size requirements for photos. Facebook, for instance, supports a 2x3 crop ratio, which means it will support the entire image. On the other hand, Twitter uses a square aspect ratio, meaning that you’ll need to crop the image to fit inside a square. Keep each site’s specifications in mind to make sure your photo is represented well throughout your social media. When choosing between photos to post, the researchers recommend selecting the one that best answers the question, “Do I look friendly and approachable?” Not sure where to start with your social media efforts? As a full-service custom publishing, marketing and design studio with deep expertise in content marketing, the Rufhaus team helps companies build powerful brands—and profits—with content that can live in print and digital formats, including blog posts and social media platforms. Schedule a free consultation with us today!