This week’s tip is courtesy of our production manager, Cale!

Heed the rule of thirds!

Whether it’s photography, videography or painting, framing is an essential part of making a captivating image and can help convey a certain message. What is the rule of thirds? When looking at an image, whether it’s through the viewfinder of an expensive video camera, or just the screen of your smart phone, picture an imaginary set of lines splitting the frame into 9 equal segments. Following the rule of thirds means positioning your subject(s) along these lines or at their intersections. This is because our eyes naturally look for these points on an image first rather than looking at something straight down the middle.

In the image above you can see that the main subject of this shot is line up with the right-most vertical line, and his body is centered on the lower right intersection. Also, the horizon is lined up with the lower horizontal line, which is another important aspect to this rule.

Of course, in art and creativity, “rules” are more like suggestions - but without knowing the rule in the first place, how would you know how to break it?

This week’s tip comes to us from our graphic designer, Lauren.

How color choices can impact your advertising. 

Studies have revealed that different colors elicit different responses from a viewer. See how choosing a hue for your business can bring up different associations, emotions and even physical responses!

• Red: The color red is associated with the being aggressive, energetic, provocative and attention-grabbing. It is a warm color that evokes passion and is a color that increases your heart rate, makes you breathe more rapidly, and activates the pituitary gland.
• Purple: Purple is the color of royalty, sophistication, nostalgia, mystery and spirituality. It is a rich, cool color that evokes the elegance found in each of us.
• Blue: Blue is one of the most popular choices used for business branding. It is a cool color that puts people are ease and is identified as being trustworthy, dependable, secure and responsible.
• Green: Green is a cool color that is synonymous with wealth, health, prestige and serenity. There is a wide variation between its shades that have different meanings. Deeper shades are associated with affluence and the lighter greens with freshness.
• Yellow: The color yellow is a warm color reminiscent of the sun and is associated with hope and optimism. It is a color that stimulates creativity and motivation and is attention-grabbing.
• Orange: Orange combines the energy and positivity of yellow with the boldness or red to create a color full of fun and vitality. It is a warm color known for its exuberant and playful nature.
•  Brown: Brown is a peculiar color that elicits the feeling of strength and durability, but often reminds people of dirt. The color brown is a cool color that is simple, earthlike and natural.
•  Black: A color that boasts classic sophistication, black is a color of prestige, timelessness and luxury. It is a warm color that works especially well for expensive products.
• White: White represents purity and cleanliness. It is a cool color associated with being noble, soft and clean.

How to Lead a Diverse Team:

1. Creating a context. Leaders must paint a broad and complete picture for their team, providing the perspective that enables them to understand the meaning, repercussions and influences of their decision-making.
2. Framing the problem. Leaders tackling complex challenges need to make certain that their team fully understands the dimensions of those challenges. No mincing words; no sugar-coating the problem. 
3. Seeking advice. To encourage discussion and contributions from the team, leaders must be clear that they are looking for solutions – without prejudicing the process by offering their own proposal at the start. Everyone who can contribute should be included.
4. Reaching a consensus. While it’s important to encourage and maintain an open exchange of ideas, leaders must ensure that the group moves toward a consensus solution. Endless discussion is almost never a solution. 

Client Spotlight: Great Lakes Real Estate

Too busy to conduct a thorough search for your dream home in Western New York? Let the real estate professionals at Great Lakes Real Estate do the work for you. Fill out a quick form on their website and the office will be in touch in the way that makes the most sense for you. Great Lakes Real Estate can email, call or text you with all the available properties that meet your needs. Just enter in the property type, number of bedrooms, preferred style, price range and desired area. Great Lakes will search for matches and send the results to you hot off the press!

To learn more and sign up visit Great Lakes Real Estate’s website at http://www.greatlakesre.com/input.php.

Client Spotlight: Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare’s Optical Boutique

Aside from their outstanding eye care procedures, did you know that Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare also features an optical boutique brimming with designed frames? The optical boutique is full service with a finishing lab and offers an extended range of frames, lenses and contact lenses. Oakley, Coach, Prada, Dior and Fendi are just a few of the frame lines they feature and they also carry scratch resistant, easy to clean Varilux lenses! Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare’s boutique also has a huge variety of children’s frames.

The Amherst boutique, managed by Licensed Optician Gordy Sage, is located at 2825 Niagara Falls Blvd. Suite 130 Amherst, NY. It is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00am-6:00pm and Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm  The Niagara Falls location has been managed for over 20 years by Licensed Optician Lynn Draper and is located at 2400 Pine Ave. Niagara Falls, NY 14301. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am-5:00pm. See you there!

Looking to attract Canadian customers?

Our region offers the unique benefit of a cross-border relationship with Southern Ontario. This means you can reach & impact viewers on both sides of the border at Buffalo rates. If your business could benefit from reaching both Canadians and Western New Yorkers…we can help.

Give us a call and find out how to get  #4 market reach for #52 market rates. 716-873-7199 or www.trellismarketing.com. 

(via) explore-blog:

Benjamin Franklin’s daily routine

Do you have a daily routine?

(Source: )

Weekend Reads: December 7

TGIF! Spend some of your downtime this weekend catching up on news and information you may have missed- we’ve even done the hard work for you and compiled a list. Tell us know which reads you enjoyed, which made you think…let’s get a discussion going!

Small Business and Daily Deals: The Affair Is Over

Why You Must Blog In 2013

How To Stop Competitors From Stealing Your Clients

New Research: The Skills That Make an Entrepreneur

7 Steps That Will Stop Businesses From Failing

Take Advantage of Your Customers!

Your customers already know and trust you. It’s easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special opportunities or deals just for your existing customers…and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market. Consider an email campaign accompanied by a personal phone call from a staffer thanking them for being a loyal customer & informing them of the special offer.

Also, convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. Word of mouth is valuable and much cheaper than advertising.

Need help? It would be our pleasure. Visit us at www.trellismarketing.com.