Happy New Year!
Sparks is back with more great tips to keep your business in the know. Welcome to a new decade!

Five tips for building an online community
Many businesses want to start an online community on Facebook or Twitter but aren't sure where to begin. Start with these tips:

• Determine your goal. What are your current and future business goals? What communication tools are appropriate for your audience?
• Identify metrics. If you don't have a way to measure your results, how will you know if your campaign is working?
• Develop a marketing plan. View your online community as a central hub for all your marketing efforts. Each campaign in other channels should encourage customers to participate in your online community.
• Identify monetization goals and strategy. If your goal is to enhance your brand or gain feedback from your customers rather than generate immediate sales, monetization may not be part of your strategy.
• Determine how you'll build it. Avoid building your online community on your own time—you'll make mistakes that can come back to haunt you! Look to professional providers who can set you up immediately with what you need.

With just a little planning, you can build an online community that builds communication with your customers and boosts your brand.
Source: MarketingProfs

Everything Facebook
MarketingProfs has published an excerpt from The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media. The excerpt is a great overview of how you can use Facebook tools to promote your business. If you're a FB newcomer, check it out!

This month's winner: Georgia Gorringe!
Our VisoVerbo champ wins a digital print featuring this one-of-a-kind design. Have a favorite quote or saying? Send it in! If your quote is chosen, you'll receive a digital print of your custom design, suitable for framing! Check out your competition.

"Show me the love"
Wondering how to hold onto customers during a recession? Show 'em you care.

According to a recent report by Forrester Research says that "customer experience" is the top determinant of brand loyalty during down times.

Customer experence is measured by whether the company meets a customer's needs, whether company is easy to work with, and the "enjoyability" of a customer's interactions with a company.

Now's a great time to examine every way you interact with your customers. Improve their experience and gain their trust!
View the report summary

View Cairril.com winners online
Our two winning entries for the 2009 American Graphic Design Awards are now featured online. Check them out!