design, content creation, typography and everything associated for the small business - a style book and more

2. Marketing comes in all sorts of forms.
There is simple product, service or brand promotion. A basic statement,
a brief outline, perhaps, contact details, possibly pricing, terms etc. It may
come with just a logo, a simple picture of a product or a generic service
illustration. This is very often the case with small businesses.
Other businesses add to that and develop their marketing stream. They
may add CRM – a customer relations ability via one or more channels –
be they online via social media, websites, blogs, or in another way using
other media and tools.
Beyond this they can also conduct content marketing, where through
the use of one or more forms of 'content' they present an ongoing
stream of information to possible customers, clients etc. The content can
be:
- photographic
- illustration, graphic
- audio
- video
Whatever the channel and whatever the media it is best if the content
has a certain style and that style says something positive about the
brand, the service, the product, the company – you!

3. The message you put out has many aspects, many parts which come
together – we hope! - not acting in conflict – we hope! - …
Content which is unified and harmonious in its make up has more chance
of creating a distinct and lasting impression on those receiving the
messages. The words, the vocabulary you use are one of those elements.
The background images are another. The form of your images as a whole
says a great deal about you, your brand, your business. They can add,
reinforce, or of you don't do it right, do damage. Typography is an
inherently important strand of your design styling. Using a font that fits
with the imagery you are employing adds a massive weight and
sharpness to the visual impact of your content.

4. Your font choices say a lot!
There is something homely and friendly, somewhat informal about a
handwritten font.
Some grafitti fonts may have a youthful edge, then again they can be
quite cheesy.
Similarly 'comic' fonts downgrade what you are saying and unless you
are being intentionally jokey or ironic then your message may be taken
as somewhat cheap.
A hipster style needs its very own typographic styling. Even when they
are retro-ish they still need to be very now!
Experimental fonts have particular uses – for the artier, very current,
highly fashionable image messages you may put out.
Clean, corporate, or hoping to be corporate regularly uses a mirroringly
clean Sans Serif font, or if they are more traditional a Serif font, sometimes
with retro tendencies
Basic rules:
it may be right for you to use a particular font for headlines, something
striking up to a point, but don't go overboard
using more than one font also can be right, but don't use too many, it
comes across as a garbled image
think of who it is you are trying to reach, what will interest them? What
will catch their eye? Similarly, what will put them off?

5. Design styles
watercolour
here we see a use, very often, of a calligraphic brush script, all of
which give a particular feel
casual
moments of the erratic
script, handwritten and brush qualities
homely, a retro moment
reminiscence of the kitchen table, the hobby room
a hint of crafts
when added to elements of watercolour decoration you have all of
the above and more
it is approachable because it is comfortable
there is often something very much of your mother there within it all
that friendly smile, the home-made

9. retro grunge
another return is that of retro feeling grunge and quite hipster-ish
fonts to accompany
weathered, worn but still ruggedly working
moments of the classic car, the old suit that still fits and still looks good
it is the enduring, the machine that still works because of good
workmanship

12. the scene
scenes, mock-ups with added text can say a lot about you and your
business
it all needs to run together, going in the same direction, carrying the
same message
a created scene
objects arranged
colours combined
text and typography
- each add meaning
the message acquires a depth
is it clear? is it dark?
is it a detailed
but clear
landscape or scene?

19. Content
Presenting your business, its services, products, the brand in its
entirety needs suitable content to go with everything you are saying
about yourself. Think carefully about what you are doing and
presenting. Then make something that is not only suitable,
something fitting – fitting in with the whole of your image – but give
it some aesthetic depth. Imagination goes a long way in your
presentations, your content creation. Find the right images, the right
message, the right text and the typography that goes with it all. Yes
it is useful to fit in with the styles of the day but it also needs to fit you
and what you are saying.
Take a good look at what there is being offered at present, ask
around. Here are a few examples of what can be done. Talk to us if
you wish, we are here to help

23. F4mmedia
the corner shop of content creation
all materials hand-crafted, digitally
small business
http://f4mmedia.wix.com/f4mmedia
http://f4mmedia.wordpress.com
08432895485
f4mmedia@gmail.com
twitter@f4mmedia
http://f4mmedia.tumblr.com/
http://www.youtube.com/f4mmediavideo
http://about.me/desbate
http://des-bate.branded.me/
https://f4mmedia.artery.io/
http://www.scribd.com/futurhooda
http://www.docstoc.com/profile/f4mmedia
http://www.slideshare.net/f4mmedia
portfolio
http://f4mmedia.deviantart.com
http://coloursheard.wordpress.com
http://www.behance.net/futurhoodav
http://dropr.com/f4mmedia
http://entertainingtoolbox.wix.com/arts
https://500px.com/f4mmedia