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How to Overcome Creative Flaws With New Year Goals

Happy 2017 everybody! What better way to ring in the New Year than highlighting some of our biggest creative flaws, right?

For example, you know those memes floating around that say something like, “When you check the clock at work and it’s 9:00 am and then you check 3 hours later and it’s 9:21 am”? We’ve all been there.

Can you really blame us? As graphic designers, copywriters, creative people of any kind, our mental endurance is always being tested. It’s not that we don’t love what we do, but we are, after all, only human. All work and no play makes everybody dull. At least, that’s how it works in our world.

While we take great pride in the work we produce, achieving the end result isn’t always easy. With that in mind, we thought it’d be fun to take our first post of 2017 and shine some light on 4 flaws of the creative mind that we battle on a weekly basis and our New Year’s goals to address each one.

Flaw #1: Our insatiable need for coffee

A tired mind isn’t always an inspired mind but neither is an overcaffeinated one. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle that places you in either category.

Allow us to give you an example: Over evaluating the perfect headline or two shades of blue can tear apart any daily agenda.

Making these tedious decisions often call for that reliable pot of coffee. With coffee cups in hand, we can face every looming deadline unflustered, make enlightened decisions late into the night, and get up the next morning to repeat the process all over again.

Nick takes his coffee with a lot of creamer, I prefer coffee as black as my soul. We use coffee for inspiration. We use it for conversation, And sometimes, we use the lack of it as our go-to excuse. So no matter how you brew it we’ll always say we’re in need of it. Kind of an endearing flaw, don’t you think?

Goal: We’re not giving it up but we are going to try and limit ourselves to a healthy 2-3 cups per day.

Flaw #2: We stay chained to our desks sometimes

When the coffee is flowing and inspiration has finally struck, it can be easy to lose track of time because you’re lost in a project. Being locked in and focused is important but so are taking breaks.

We have to encourage each other to take breaks more often than not. Taking a walk to the coffee shop down the street is a great way to keep our minds fresh. Soaking in a little Georgia sun and getting some midday exercise doesn’t hurt either.

If there’s one flaw of ours that you can learn from it’s this one. Don’t forget to get up and move around during the day. It’ll help you avoid creativity blocks of any kind—withng or design.

Goal: In 2017, we’re going to be good to ourselves (and our backs) and make an effort to get up and move around 10 minutes out of every hour during the work day.

Flaw #3: We ask a lot of questions

We’re curious people. We can’t help it. We look at the world around us and have to know how and why it is the way it is. We seek answers through intense conversations, solitary mind-wandering, books, blogs and from anyone who’s willing to give us an answer.

Asking a lot of questions isn’t necessarily a “flaw” in the traditional sense but we could stand to use our listening skills a little more often. Honestly, everyone could. Listening is one of those things that you can always work to improve on.

We won’t stop asking questions in 2017. We’ll never stop asking questions but we do have a goal to work on this “flaw” in the new year.

Goal: Listen more intensely to our coworkers, friends, family, clients and anyone who wants to talk. You never know what you might learn.

Flaw #4: We’ve been known to get lost in design inspiration black holes

There are a lot of awesome design inspiration websites on the web:

Just to name a few.

Sometimes, when you start a project, you need a little visual inspiration. There’s nothing wrong with that. The problem lies in getting sucked into a crazy mind-blowing design for hours. There are a lot of stunning designs out there that are fun to look at and analyze but there are other places to find inspiration.

In other words, it’s easy to forget not to limit ourselves to all the latest and greatest design trends on occasion. Inspiration can be found in your coworkers, outside, in a book, in a song. All of these things can be so much more intriguing than the web when you give them the chance.

Goal: Open ourselves up more to inspiration from new places other than our favorite design blogs and influencers in 2017.

The first week of every New Year is the perfect time for personal reflection. With that in mind, what are some of your biggest creative flaws? How do you plan to address them in 2017? Tell us in the comments section.

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7 Web Design Trends to Watch Out For in 2017

Web design is constantly evolving. Every year new trends are born. Some stick around for the long haul and others fade quickly. It’s just how the design world works.

But it’s all of these things together—the genius design trends that stick and the ones that suck and fade—that make up the face of the internet as we know it. It’s no big secret either that the majority of trends we see every year often come from giant web design companies.

However, good web design is influenced by more than just the big design agencies. Music, fashion, cultural events, news and more also play a big role in the design trends we see.

So the big question going into 2017 is: What are some of the most exciting new web design trends everyone’s anticipating in the new year? We’re glad you asked!

As designers, it’s our job to stay up-to-date on all the cool things happening with graphic and web design so we can create stunning websites for anyone who comes knocking. Let’s check out what to keep an eye on in 2017 so we can keep websites looking fresh all year long.

Visually Interesting Trends You Can Expect in 2017

  1. Better & Brighter Colors

    2. As movements like minimalism grew insanely popular in 2016, web designers had to find creative ways to infuse personality into their designs while working within the stripped-down aesthetics we’ve all come to know and love.And in several cases, bright and bold colors became the solution. While it’s *not technically* a website, look at Instagram’s app icon redesign:

     (Source: Instagram Blog)

    As you can see, it’s not just about bright, bold colors. Gradients are here in a big way and expected to have an impact on websites in 2017 in a big way.

    Instagram did a great job blending and blurring those exhilarating hues into something reminiscent of a soft summer sunset. Better and brighter colors are something everyone should be looking forward to in the upcoming year.

  2. Hand Drawn Iconography

    3. Speaking of icons, hand drawn icons in web design are something else to keep your eye on next year. Hand drawn icons help web designers create websites with contrasting elements that keep users engaged with your site. Epic’s website, for example, embraces a lot of creative things: funny hand-drawn characters, flat-style landscapes, a little grunge and amazing typography.

    We don’t know how many sites like Epic you’ll see popping up in 2017 but we expect to see a lot more hand drawn elements regardless. We’ve already begun to see a trend towards using hand drawn icons with CTAs in a joint effort between marketers and designers to increase conversion rates.

    Think it’s a trend that will stick? Tell us about it in the comments. Moving on to number three on the list…

  3. GIFs

    4. GIFs in web design are expected to be big in 2017 but let’s get one thing straight first: don’t abuse them or you’ll hurt the UI experience of your website. If you want to try using GIFs (and animations) in your web designs throughout 2017, do it right. You can use GIFs to accent important aspects of your website and bring it to life. When used appropriately, they give an almost sophisticated touch to sites and demonstrate a deep understanding of web design and how it works.

    One Design Company makes nice use of subtle animations on the homepage to welcome visitors and make their site stand out from the competition.  So remember, when we’re talking about GIFs and animations here, we’re not always referring to the images you find on GIPHY.

  4. Overlapping Guidelines

    5. Overlapping guidelines really started to catch on with the introduction of Google’s Material Design Guidelines. The trend is popular, effective, and expected to carry over and shine in 2017.

    So far, it’s been found to be most effective using contrasting colors and large shadows. This results in a subtle but high impact that produces a satisfying transition between elements as visitors scroll down a page.

  5. Big, Bold Typography

    6. Yes, big typography has been trending for some time now but web designers like a creative challenge and making big, bold statements. Typography rules used to be very strict but that isn’t the case anymore.The design world has come to an agreement that content deserves our focus and that’s why you’ll be seeing more and more websites feature lines of inspiring copy set in type that’s just as big and bold as the design of the website itself.

    Big and bold doesn’t always have to refer to the weight of a font though. It can also refer to the amount of real estate given to display the copy. In a world that’s as fast and overloaded as ours, concise and powerful statements will become the fuel that good websites run on in 2017.

  6. Focus on designing for personalization & conversion

    7. Personalization of content has been a hot topic all year long, but no one seems to have the winning answer yet regarding how to do it “right” every time. Essentially, the goal is to provide the right content at the right time to the right person based on things like:-Demographics: Who’s the visitor?

    -Behavior: What’s the visitor doing?

    -Context: What device is the visitor using and how did they get here? Webflow made an interesting observation earlier this year regarding personalization stating, “We’ve seen some interesting experiments in this direction across the web, many of which revolve around a manual personalization of content recommendations by the user, recommendation of ‘related’ reads, and some algorithmic solutions more akin to what Facebook is capable of doing.”

    All you can do is not be afraid to try new things in an effort to find what works best for your business and the people coming to your website. It’s called personalization for a reason.

  7. Get ready to see more SVGs

    8. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) present web designers with a lot of advantages over traditional image formats like JPGs and PNGs. Instead of being pixel based, SVGs are composed of vectors.Since SVGs are vector based they are resolution-independent and look good on any screen and any device. Plus, you can animate them! So keep that in mind as you move forward in the new year.

Happy Holidays from the Z Coast Media team! Thanks so much for reading the blog. We’ll be taking next week off to recharge and spend time with our families but we’ll be back in 2017 with some exciting new things and brilliant web designs.

See ya then!

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17 Of The Best Marketers & Agencies To Follow On Instagram

Instagram has more than 400 million monthly users, making it an unparalleled visual platform for marketers and agencies to show off company culture, finished products and what all  goes on behind-the-scenes. It’s also a great place to troll for inspiration.

Instagram is an excellent platform for attracting new customers and new talent. And it’s a place where you can set yourself and your agency apart. Here are 17 of the best digital marketers and agencies we suggest you go follow right now.

  1. @st8mnt

    ST8MNT BRAND AGENCY is based out of Nashville, TN. They boast some serious design skills and a laid-back company culture we seriously admire. Their Instagram is full of cool company events and the awesome projects they get to work on.

    A photo posted by ST8MNT BRAND AGENCY (@st8mnt) on

  2. @adam.the.creator

    ADAM PADILLA, the dude behind the account, is the president of BrandFire. If you don’t know who BrandFire is we have just one question for you: has it been comfy living under that rock all these years? Why is this account worth following? Padilla draws a new sketch and posts it to Instagram every single day.

  3. @hzdg

    HZDG  specializes in branding and digital marketing. Their Instagram account is a frickin’ treasure trove of design inspiration. The agency shares photos from their own work and the work of other designers and artists they think rock.

    A photo posted by @hzdg on

  4. @safatopia

    MAANI SAFA’S Instagram account is exotic, elegant, and mesmerizing. The Co-Founder and managing partner of Etch, Safa has had a hand in pioneering brands like News Corp, The Dow Jones, and The Wall Street Journal.

    A photo posted by Maani Safa (@safatopia) on

  5. @rpa_advertising

    RPA ADVERTISING makes going to the office every day look fun. Like, really fun. They take a people-first approach and have put Santa Monica on our bucket list of places to hang out soon. If you ever need some office culture inspiration, just  browse RPA’s Instagram.

  6. @eyesores

    This is the Instagram of XAVIER GALLEGO, Creative Director at R/GA (an advertising agency in New York). All of the cartoons on Gallego’s account are originals. They’re also super cute, exhibit A:

    A photo posted by Xavier Gallego (@eyesores) on

  7. @talkshopmedia

    TALK SHOP MEDIA is a digital marketing agency that specializes in influencer relations. Following their Instagram account is like having a free pass to all of the amazing events they go to. It’s hard not to be a little jealous sometimes.

  8. @mildenhall

    JONATHAN MILDENHALL is the CMO of AirBnb and his Instagram account is a must follow for one important reason: he reminds us that there’s a life outside of work to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest.

  9. @saltedstone

    Another California agency, SALTED STONE INC., just posts good quality visuals to their Instagram account. If you’ve just started your own business Instagram, they’re a good role model to look to if you want to see how it’s done (right).

  10. @ollyis

    OLLY COURTNEY is an advertising creative director and photographer from across the pond (London, to be exact). Courtney is on this list because he has a knack for taking the seriously boring and turning it into something truly beautiful.

    A photo posted by Olly Courtney (@ollyis) on

  11. @fredfaridparis

    The Paris-based agency (FRED & FARID) takes a super personal approach to Instagram. They share photos of everyday life and their team being real people just like you and us, on and off the clock.

  12. @alexandreholder

    ALEX HOLDER is the acting Content Director at ELLE UK and has openly admitted to using her kid for likes. She’s hilarious, motivational, and a little edgy. What more do you want?

    A photo posted by Alex Holder (@alexandreholder) on

  13. @sparkbrand

    SPARK takes you on a journey of unforgettable behind-the-scenes moments when working on ads for brands like Visit Florida and Hilton. They share good design work and illustrations on a regular basis as well.

    A photo posted by SPARK (@sparkbrand) on

  14. @sherylsandberg

    Why should you follow SHERYL SANDBERG on Instagram? Because you get an inside look into what it’s like being the most powerful woman at Facebook. Why aren’t you following her already?

  15. @agencyvcph

    AGENCY V is an international PR and event agency. If you’re ever in search of sleek, sexy, minimalistic inspiration, this is the Instagram account to follow. They’re also pretty awesome if you’re into fashion, lifestyle, and beauty. Just sayin’.

    A photo posted by Agency V CPH (@agencyvcph) on

  16. @fintangillespie

    FINTAN GILLESPIE has had quite the impressive career with the likes of Google and Snap Inc. finding a place on his resume. But we’re not suggesting you follow his Instagram because of his resume. We’re suggesting you follow for all the sick travel shots he posts.

  17. @redantler

    RED ANTLER is so cool, man. This agency embodies New York Charm and it shines through in everything they post. We’re not going to mislead you. Red Antler’s Instagram is a magical account to follow.

    A photo posted by Red Antler (@redantler) on

And there you have it, folks!

Seventeen of the best marketers and digital marketing agencies you should be following on Instagram. This list could have been so much longer so if you feel like there’s an agency out there who deserves a slot, send us a nomination.
Don’t forget: you can follow Z Coast Media on Instagram too!

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The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide for Graphic Designers – 2016

The countdown to Christmas is officially on and you’ve got exactly three weeks to find the best gift possible for the graphic designer in your life. No pressure.

In the spirit of the season, we’re giving you the ultimate gift guide for graphic designers to make shopping a little easier. As creatives ourselves, we can say that every gift on this list is guaranteed to put a big smile on you designer’s face when they start unwrapping on Christmas morning.

Gifts for Graphic Designers if You’re On A Budget

You can give great gifts without breaking the bank. Remember, it’s the thought that counts boys and girls!

  • Blue Bottle Coffee Subscription: Graphic designers, UX designers, UI designers, Copywriters—we all love coffee. It’s what keeps us going. Blue Bottle delivers freshly roasted coffee right to your doorstep on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly schedule (the Single Origin assortment looks delightful). You can’t go wrong with any of the 10+ subscriptions available;unless you order decaf. Price: $7+
  • UX Kits – Website Deck: Sometimes, life is easier when you can hold the architecture of the website you’re designing in your hands. The Website Deck from UX Kits makes it possible to physically lay out the structure of a site and create a sitemap. Give the gift of wireframing this holiday season! (We promise that the UX/UI designer you give it to will LOVE it.) Price: $19
  • Moo Hardcover Notebook: Graphic designers take a lot of notes. They doodle. They sketch. And this hardcover notebook from Moo is 160 pages of pure luxury nobody in the web design business should be denied. It makes a great gift for the copywriter in your life too. Just saying… Price: $19.99
  • Design Funny – A Graphic Designer’s Guide to Humor: If you think designers take designing things seriously all the time, you’re wrong. Graphic design requires creative, out-of-the-box thinking. It’s supposed to be fun! Design Funny does a great job of being absolutely hysterical and informative all at once. Heather Bradley really outdid herself with this book and so will you if you put it under the Christmas tree for someone this year. Price: $24
  • Pantone Universe Mug – Color of the Year 2016: Gift your favorite graphic designer with this classy mug from Pantone in the 2016 colors of the year, Rose Quartz and Serenity. The two gentle tones go great with some hot tea for a calming end to an exciting day of designing. Price: $25

christmas-gift-guide-for-graphic-designers-no-budget-2016

Gifts for Graphic Designers if You’re NOT On A Budget

If you’re in the holiday spirit, just got a big Christmas bonus, and want to treat a graphic designer to something extra special this year, we’ve got you covered.

  • UI Stencils – Website Stencil Kit: Brainstorming websites and app ideas isn’t always as easy as we make it look. This nifty website stencil kit from UI stencils will make wireframing a lot easier when everyone clocks back in after Christmas. The kit includes the most commonly used iconography and interaction techniques in addition to downloadable PDFs and a number of other tools. Price: $32
  • Ruskerville Divination Planner: This gift works great for graphic designers or Harry Potter fans. These planners are handmade, hardbound and an ideal gift going into 2017. You’re not just giving someone a quality planner for Christmas, you’re giving the gift of organization, and who doesn’t need more of that? Order by December 15th to get yours by Christmas! (Applies to US Shipping only) Price: $35
  • Komal Passion Leather Messenger Bag: Trendy and durable, the Passion Leather Messenger Bag is fitted with multiple compartments to help conveniently store phones and tablets, important documents, and other belongings. It’s essential for the designer on the go. Price: $55
  • Slate Mobile LapDesk – The Essential Lap Desk: This sucker has everything. It’s lightweight, super strong, is well-ventilated (it keeps everything cool), and it has docking stations for multiple devices. Graphic designer or not, it’s a pretty cool gift for anyone who isn’t stuffed behind a desk 40+ hours a week and likes to get things done. Then again, it’s a pretty cool gift for anyone who’s stuffed behind a desk 40+ hours a week and doesn’t want to be stuffed behind another one at home while working on personal projects. Price: $60
  • A Book Apart – Responsive Design Book Pack: A Book Apart makes “brief books for people who make websites.” They cover essential topics in web design and web development with brevity because graphic designers would rather be designing than reading all day. All books are typically 100 pages or less and come in eBook or paperback options. Price: eBooks, $37
    Price: Paperbacks, $73 +shipping

christmas-gift-guide-for-graphic-designers-2016

Gifts for Graphic Designers & Anybody Else if You’re In Atlanta

We’re big believers in shopping local and since Z Coast Media calls Atlanta home, of course, we’re going to suggest doing a little holiday shopping if you’re in the neighborhood.

  • MODA Membership: In case you didn’t know about it, MODA is the only design museum in the Southeast and it calls our humble city of Atlanta home. The museum features interactive programming and engaging exhibits year around. There are multiple membership options to choose from and it’s a gift that just keeps giving! Price: $25-$500
  • Sock Fancy Sock Subscription: Located in the EAV (East Atlanta Village for all you non-locals), Sock Fancy has some of the most creatively designed socks you’ll find in the Southeast. Available in multiple subscription options, Sock Fancy Socks are another gift that just keeps giving (or not, you’re not locked into a subscription so you can cancel anytime). Price: $11+
    *Discounts are available if you, for example, own a design agency, and want to gift your employees with a colorful sock subscription.
  • Young Blood Boutique – Literally Anything: Young Blood Boutique is run by artist and Atlanta native Rebecca Hanna, and it’s the perfect place to find those artsy gifts for the creative people in your life.  Plus, they just revealed some of the cutest Christmas cards of 2016. Check out some inventory on Young Blood Boutique’s Instagram, or better yet, drop by the store. Price: Varies
  • ASW Distillery Tour: Know anybody (graphic designer or not) who likes whiskey? Do they live in Atlanta? Send them on a tour at Atlanta’s very own ASW Distillery! There are five tour options to choose from and new releases to keep your eye on over the coming weeks that make great gifts as well. Price: $8+
  • Alliance Theatre – A Christmas Carol: Grab some tickets to Alliance Theatre’s, “A Christmas Carol,” and give an early Christmas gift this year. Funny, spooky, and heartwarming, there are plenty of showtimes to choose from between now and Christmas Eve. Don’t miss out on this beloved Atlanta tradition. Price: $14-$65

We hope you found this list of Christmas gifts for graphic designers useful and inspirational. Have some suggestions? Comment below or shoot us a message and we might just add them to the post!

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5 Small Businesses in Atlanta You’ll Love

We at Z Coast Media never forget that small businesses are the glue that holds communities together. Nothing spreads more cheer than the idea of supporting an individual or group dream to be your own boss. In fact, that’s the foundation that we built our business on.

We are passionate about the services we provide and although we are still fresh faces to the Atlanta web design scene we believe being a small business is about the connections and love you can spread to your community.

And with the idea of sharing the love in mind, we would like to share some Atlanta small businesses we have grown to adore and we hope you will too.

  1. Second Self Beer. A local brewing company founded in 2014 with a passion for craft beer by two local Georgia Tech grads. We had a blast at their “Yoga & Hoppiness” event the other weekend and we highly recommend taking a tour or participating in an event at the brewery yourself and tasting the Mole Porter. Learn More
  2. Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee. Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee is a family owned shop that fries fresh doughnuts on a daily basis. Everything’s made from scratch, they use all natural ingredients, and they even offer a variety of gluten-free and vegan options — but the Nutella Cream Puff is to die for. Learn More
  3. Red Hare Brewing Company. Red Hare was founded in 2011 and was the first craft brewery in Georgia to can their beer starting in 2012. It’s a favorite spot for people outside the perimeter and the perfect time to support this local small business (other than right now) is December 16th at their Tacky Sweater Christmas party. Tickets are only $12. Learn More
  4. SculptHouse. You’re going to need a workout after all the beer and doughnuts. Have you been to SculptHouse yet? Run by southern girl Katherine Mason, SculptHouse was founded to help you “find the inspiration and power to achieve your unique body goals.” And you can do it right here in Atlanta! Learn More
  5. So Worth Loving. This Atlanta small business has a unique story in that it was born out of an inspirational blog on Tumblr. The apparel from So Worth Loving dares you  to “live louder and love deeper,” encouraging people to be good to themselves and each other. How could SWL not be one of our favorite small businesses around town? Learn More

We hope you have the chance to visit these local small businesses and find that you enjoy them as much as we do. Don’t forget to share your favorite Atlanta small businesses with us, your own small businesses, or even your mom’s in the comments below. Hey, it’s free publicity.

Support a small business in the comment section below!

 

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4 of the Best Holiday TV Commercials of 2016 (And Counting!)

With Thanksgiving literally just around the corner, holiday TV advertisements are in full swing. While it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, TV advertising is still the most dominant advertising medium around, attributing to 37% of global ad spend in 2015 [Source].

However, the day is quickly approaching when internet advertising is predicted to take over TV ads for the first time ever (in 2017). Who knows what we’ll be highlighting this time next year.

With that in mind, we wanted to take some time to appreciate a handful of the best holiday commercials of 2016 (so far). Enjoy and don’t forget to share your favorite holiday commercial with us in the comments below!

*Updated 12/19/2016 to include 2 new Christmas TV ads

‘Holiday’s With Walmart’ Campaign: “Giving Thanks”

If you haven’t seen it yet, this is the Thanksgiving TV ad everyone is buzzing about. It’s important this holiday season to remember to be grateful in the moment and this ad from Walmart does a great job driving that point home. Fair warning: you might tear up a little.

Thanksgiving Holiday Commercial 2016 – Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and HomeGoods

We have mad respect for Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and HomeGoods closing their doors this Thanksgiving so employees can enjoy the holiday with friends and family. Their TV ad serves as an amazing reminder that while doorbuster deals are great and all, nothing compares to the time spent with the people who matter most to us.

2016 Publix Thanksgiving Commercial: Celebrate More This Thanksgiving

The caption for this Thanksgiving ad speaks for itself: “On Thanksgiving, we tend to worry we won’t have enough. We worry we’ll need more potatoes, more chairs, and more time. But today, we’re reminded that all we really need more of is each other.”

Apple – Frankie’s Holiday

Apple’s latest TV commercial reminds us to keep our minds and hearts open this holiday season as we witness, “An unexpected holiday visitor finally get the welcome he deserves.”

M&S 2016 Christmas Ad: Christmas with love from Mrs. Clause

Meet Mrs. Clause. She’s going to play your heart strings like a harp. Enjoy!

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2016: #BusterTheBoxer

Both heartwarming and funny, #BusterTheBoxer is a holiday advert guaranteed to fill your home with holiday cheer this season.

Happy Holidays from Z Coast Media!

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How Important Are Emojis in Subject Lines?

If you check your email regularly, you’ve probably noticed emojis showing up in the subject lines of the email you receive more frequently. Why do you suppose that is?

Fun fact: 92% of the online population use emojis to help them more accurately express their thoughts and to make it easier for people to understand them. Emojis help us create personal relationships and engage with each other on a more emotional level.

Emojis come with some 💣 benefits

According to a report by Experian, 56% of brands that use emojis in their subject lines saw a 45% increase in their open rates. If that’s not motivation to try using a 😊 or two the next time you send out an email campaign we don’t know what is.

Not only do emojis have a positive effect on your open rates but they’re great space saving tools as well. And every email marketer knows space is at a premium when it comes to your subject lines.

This is especially true when you’re attempting to craft a mobile friendly subject line where you only have about 30-40 characters to work with. Emojis help email marketers say a lot with a significantly small amount of space.

Speaking of space, inboxes are crowded and emojis are excellent resources for helping you stand out. Check out these two (example) subject lines:

Falcons Fans – Gameday Grub Specials

Tailgate the right way 🍗 🙌 🍺

Which one was your eye drawn to? The one with the emojis right?

🤔 Which emojis should you use in your subject lines?

Which emojis you use in your subject lines really comes down to your audience. Even though the majority of people are pleased to see emojis in the subject lines of the emails they receive, you have to use them wisely.

You should only use emojis when they make sense, when it’s logical to do so, and when they can be used to support your message.

MailChimp tells us that 31% of email marketers using emojis utilize more than one in their subject lines. Emojis add a playful touch to most of the email subject lines that utilize them but it’s important to remember not to overload your messages unless you want your recipients to get bored.

If you want to use emojis successfully in your subject line, MailChimp also suggests the following:

  • Use emojis from the same category together (smileys, food, activities, etc.)
  • Take advantage of 😎, he’s pretty popular
  • Learn which emojis connect small groups together. For example, ✈️can be used to connect earth, travel, and transportation

Don’t forget: it’s okay to be creative! As email marketers, emojis give us creative freedom. Make the most of it.

Popular emojis you can test in your next subject line 😉

Before you start using emojis regularly in your subject lines you should try running some A/B tests first. In your test, send one group of recipients an email with your subject line + an emoji and send another group the same email without the emoji.

Do this a couple of times and analyze your open rates. This should give you a good indication of whether or not your audience engages well with emojis.

Ready to get started? Here are 15 of the most popular emojis to appear in subject lines: 😃 😍 😉 😎 👍 💪 👏 ☀️ ❤️ 🔥 🎁 ✈️ ⭐ ™️ 💨

What are some of your favorite emojis? Leave them for us in the comments!

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6 Of Our Favorite Marketing And Design Newsletters

Keeping up with the latest marketing and design trends can be a real struggle. On WordPress alone, there are over 56 million blog posts shared every month. But who has the time to check all of their favorite industry websites every single day?

We certainly don’t. But we hate missing posts. Thankfully, a lot of our favorite blogs and industry leaders are great at providing newsletters that keep us informed.  

Here are 6 of our favorite marketing and design newsletters  you should subscribe to. Speaking of subscribing to newsletters, have you signed up for the Z Coast Newsletter?

6 Newsletters You Should Subscribe To Because We Say So

 

  1. MOO. The MOOsLETTER is one of the best things to grace our inboxes in the history of Gmail. What’s great about Moo is they don’t bombard you with “buy our stuff” newsletters all the time. You get quality content, expert tips, product updates, exclusive discounts and all sorts of other goodies. If you’re not already receiving The MOOsLetter, you’re missing out.
  2. Death to the Stock Photo. Death to the Stock Photo defines themselves as, “A photo & inspiration haven for creatives crushing their path.”  But Death to the Stock Photo isn’t just for photographers. Writers can sign up for a special newsletter too, The Writers List, that dishes out fun writing prompts every week to keep you on your creative toes.
  3. Buffer Social. Buffer Social is the bomb. Buffer is a company with a whole lot of personality and it shines through in their newsletter. If you’re looking for a resource that will provide you with expert social media marketing advice, tips, and experiments this is the one you want.
  4. Desk of Tobias van Schneider. Tobias van Schneider is an award-winning designer with some award-worthy facial hair who resides in New York City. You can join his private email list and receive an email every Sunday night overflowing with new and interesting articles, exclusive updates, and special tips and goodies for designers.
  5. General Assembly. The GA website is already an excellent resource for marketers and their newsletter incorporates a number of these resources into their newsletter regularly. Some topics you will often find discussed (in addition to courses offered) include coding, career advice, data, design, and marketing. Subscribe to the General Assembly newsletter. Enjoy!
  6. HubSpot’s Marketing Blog. HubSpot is one of the most respected leaders in the marketing industry. They also churn out a lot of content. The most convenient way to keep up with HubSpot and all the latest marketing tips, trends, and best practices is to subscribe to HubSpot’s Marketing Blog. There’s a reason everybody’s doing it.

 

Don’t see your favorite newsletter on this list? Email us your suggestions!

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It’s Time To Focus On Building Your Company Culture


Company culture. It’s a term you hear thrown around pretty often these days. But, what is it exactly? How do you define it and why is it important?

If you ask us, company culture is the personality of a business from an employee’s perspective. It includes the mission and expectations of the business in addition to the atmosphere.  It’s a giant blend of the values, beliefs, and symbols that businesses develop over time.

Whether you have it written down or symbolized in the business logo, culture is what determines an environment. For example, one company and work culture that we admire a lot around here is Google.

 

what-determines-your-companys-culture

What Determines Your Company’s Culture?

Google employs 61,000+ people and yet the people who work there consistently describe it as having a small company feel. Google believes that it’s the people who make the company and that’s something that we believe very strongly in as well.

In our culture at Z Coast Media, we strive to maintain an open and hands-on feel where everyone feels comfortable sharing opinions and ideas. We encourage teamwork, solo projects, good conversation, and having a life outside of work.

Each work culture has different tactics and unique qualities. But, universally, like Google says, it’s all about the people in your company and making sure they have a fun and productive work environment.

 

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Why Does Having A Rich Work Culture Matter?

The simple answer: Better moods = better performance.

Boring and/or hostile work environments are not sustainable and the workplace shouldn’t be something people dread every day. Employees should look forward to doing their jobs and while work may be hard sometimes, company culture shouldn’t add stress to the work.

You want your employees  to be happy because happiness means more productivity. In fact, businesses with happy and engaged employees:

  • Outperform the competition by 202% (Source)
  • Experience an 18% higher customer retention rate (Source)
  • Have 37% less absenteeism and 41% fewer quality defects (Source)

When you make it a priority to build and sustain a rich, healthy company culture, your whole business will benefit from it. The guiding principles that define your work culture will help you make tough decisions, keep everyone on the same page and for all intents and purposes, serve as the glue that holds your business together.

 

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How to Build Your Company Culture

If building up your company culture isn’t already a priority, it should be.  Here’s how you can get started:

  • Be original. As much as we admire companies like Google, Nike, Zappos and whoever else’s culture you can think of that rocks, we are not any of those companies and neither are you. If you want to establish a winning work culture you have to be authentic and keep your brand consistent. What works for one business’ may not work for yours. Company culture thrives on originality.
  • Take the time to outline the type of people you want your business to grow with. Defining the type of people you would like to be a part of your business—their skills and personalities—is essential to building your company culture. As tempting as it can be to hire people who think and act exactly like you do, it’s diversity that will help accelerate your company’s growth. Embrace individuality and different personalities.
  • Put people first. You want to be successful and have a company culture that entices people to come work for you? Build your company around life—the things that make us human—instead of asking employees to build their lives around work. Your people, your employees, are your most valuable resource and deserve to be treated as such. When people feel valued and supported, they’re more inspired to achieve great things.

Whether your company is well-established or you’re just starting up, it’s never too late to focus on what you want your unique company culture to look and feel like.

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14 Amazing Idea Generation Techniques & Resources Just For You

I was following a #bufferchat on Twitter earlier this month about idea generation and it got me thinking about my own idea generation process, where we go for creative inspiration, and why it’s important to free ourselves from the mundane thoughts that hog our brain space the majority of the time.

Side note: If you’re not familiar with #bufferchat you really should get involved. Buffer hosts weekly “chats” on Twitter that center around specific topics and anybody can participate in the discussion. It’s pretty cool.  

As creative entrepreneur’s, we’re always on the lookout for inspiration. Ideas themselves come and go pretty frequently but you can’t ever predict when something will inspire a great idea.

We read books and blogs, watch movies, listen to podcasts, and follow YouTube playlists hoping something will spark the flame of creativity when we’re stuck because generating ideas on demand isn’t always easy. And that’s why I loved the idea generation topic on #bufferchat a couple of weeks ago.

The whole point of the chat was to share ideas, inspirational resources and encourage fellow creatives on their innovative idea journey. The whole chat inspired this post and gave us the idea to share the 14 most amazing idea generation techniques and resources we could put together. Thanks, Buffer!

 

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Use These 7 Techniques to Jumpstart Your Creativity

We hope these tips spark some innovative ideas for you no matter what you’re working on today.

  • Brainstorming. I know, I know, this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but it’s a tried and true method for inspiring new ideas. The point of brainstorming is so people can speak freely about their ideas. There’s no assessing anything so there’s no fear of criticism when sharing thoughts. Even the weird ones. Taming your thoughts is a lot easier than expanding your mind.

    Next time you’re stuck, get together with at least one other person and bounce ideas off of each other. When you’re brainstorming, 1+1=3 so you’re allowed to think outside of the box.
  • SCAMPER. This one is a personal favorite because SCAMPER is an idea generation technique that uses action verbs to stimulate your imagination. It’s a technique that was developed by Bob Eberie.

    SCAMPER is also an acronym. Each letter stands for an action verb which in turn serves as a prompt for creative ideas:

    S – Substitute
    C – Combine
    A – Adapt
    M -Modify
    P – Put to another use
    E – Eliminate
    R – Reverse
  • Storyboarding. Storyboarding is fun! If you’ve never created a storyboard before you should try it. When you storyboard, you develop a visual story to explain and explore ideas. Storyboards are especially helpful when you need to represent information you gathered while researching a topic.

    To create a storyboard all you need is a whiteboard or corkboard, whichever you prefer. Pictures, quotes, and other pertinent information is useful as well because that’s what you use to stand for scenarios and assist with comprehending the relationships between all of your ideas.
  • Attribute Listing. Attribute listing is more of an analytical approach used to recognize new forms of a product or system and identify areas that need improvement. Basically, you break something completely down, like a blog post, for example, note all of the different directions it could take, and see whether any change or combination to the topic idea would improve it or make it a complete flop.
  • Visualization. Visualization is an idea generation technique that gets you to think about challenges visually in an effort to better comprehend them. Nick does this all the time so we promise that it works.

    Picture prompts are particularly helpful when you’re using the visualization technique to solve a problem. Drawing things out or looking up literal pictures help your brain establish connections as well as surface emotions, feelings, and intuitions.

    Bryan Mattimore suggests that you use images that are visually interesting, portray a multiplicity of subject matter, and depict people in varied kinds of relationships and interactions. It also helps to tailor the photos to the character of the problem you’re trying to solve.
  • Daydreaming. Seriously. Let your mind wander from time to time. Daydreaming is a great way to trigger innovative ideas. Just keep a notebook nearby or download an app like Keep or Evernote so you can quickly jot down ideas when they come to you.
  • Brainwriting. Similar to brainstorming, brainwriting is an idea generation technique that has you set a timer (like 5 minutes) and jot down as many ideas, thoughts, or questions relative to your perplexing topic. This particular technique works best with a group of 3+ people.

    After time’s up, everybody passes their paper to the person on their right (or however you choose to do it) and then you add more ideas to the list you received. Once everybody in your group has added on to everyone else’s ideas, collect the sheets and open up discussion in the group.

    It’s almost impossible not to generate some creative ideas to act on when using this technique.

 

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7 Websites for Creative Inspiration

The techniques above are great for generating ideas with a team but sometimes you  just need some personal creative inspiration. We don’t want to make this list obnoxiously long so we’ll just share 7 of our go to places when we need some creative inspiration:  

  1. Creative Bloq. Creative Bloq is full of fresh thinking, expert tips, and tutorials guaranteed to help flex your creative muscles. They’re great at providing creative inspiration for creative people.
  2. SitePoint. Well-known among web designers and developers, SitePoint is the perfect place to learn things like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and more. The community is rich and engaging too, so you’re bound to stumble upon some words of inspiration every time you visit.
  3. JUST Creative. Technically, JUST Creative is the design portfolio of Jacob Cass but it’s also a pretty inspiring blog to keep up with. Cass specializes in logo design and brand identity so his posts are always full of inspiring info about topics like typography, SEO and web design, and storytelling techniques to name a few.
  4. Red Lemon Club. Red Lemon Club was founded in 2009 by Alex Mathers. It’s a great website that regularly showcases tips about branding, productivity, and business and it’s a great resource when you’re stuck on a project.
  5. Awwwards. If you’re ever in need of a little design inspiration, go to Awwwards. Awwwards is an organization that recognizes and promotes the talents of the best web designers, web developers, and web design agencies around the world.
  6. Speckyboy. Speckyboy is an online magazine for web designers. The mag focuses on exploring new techniques for inspiration and highlights a lot of cool and interesting resources for you to use.
  7. Ultralinx. They’re one of the best online magazines out there. Ultralinx covers high-quality tech, art, design, gadgets, and photography. At the time of this post, Ultralinx is my favorite go-to inspirational resource and they’ll probably stay that way for a long time. Highly recommended.


What are some of your favorite idea generation techniques or go-to resources? Let’s inspire each other and talk about them in the comments!

 

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