LaunchPad media

By Alex Poulos
Producer and President, LaunchPad media

Boston is “the hub of the universe,” according to local legend. (Even though Oliver Wendell Holmes actually referred to our Statehouse as merely the “hub of the solar system.”)

That seems like a stretch, especially to astronomers. But Boston may be trending toward a similar claim to fame. We might become the hub of web design and interactive agencies – just on planet Earth, though.
LaunchPad media is proud to be part of Greater Boston. (Watertown is a suburb.) And many other web design and interactive agencies are thriving here, as well.

By Alex Poulos
Producer and President, LaunchPad media

Brainstorming is often random.

A great idea can occur to you while showering, driving, or even sleeping.

But when you want multiple people to assess needs and develop a creative solution, you must take the initiative. You can’t just wait and hope for inspiration.

Here are 7 keys to effective brainstorming…

By Alex Poulos
Producer and President, LaunchPad media

Change is good.

If you don’t update your website now and then, people will lose interest and they’ll stop visiting.

People offer various reasons why they don’t change their websites: “We like it the way it is.” “We don’t want to spend the money.” “We don’t have the time.” And yet these same people will complain, “We are not getting much traffic at our website.”

The online reality is this: people will not return to sites that bore them. You must keep your site fresh and interesting so people don’t grow tired of your pitch and image.

By Alex Poulos
Producer and President, LaunchPad media

Writing is easy. Writing well is hard.

Text is not just “another visual element.” Words are essential when you explain, persuade and inspire.

Here are some tips for web writing:

Start with concepts, not copying. What are your big ideas? What do you want your site to say to the world? Some people mistakenly think that writing website text simply means cutting and pasting prose from advertising and marketing materials. But ideally, text should be as unique as the design of a site.

Imagine the reader’s POV. Before you outline thoughts for writing a web page, ask yourself: What do visitors want to learn here? What would surprise and delight them? What “proof” of the quality of our company, products and services can win their trust?

How to gear up for a real victory

By Alex Poulos
Producer and President, LaunchPad media

The word “campaign” is over-used in online marketing. It raises expectations of a major initiative, but is often just a minor project.

To really launch a new product, service, image or venture, you need a true campaign – a series of efforts that are orchestrated, timely, galvanizing and persuasive.

What are the key principles for conceiving and creating an effective campaign?

BE AMBITIOUS. To succeed in a big way, an online campaign should be more like a political, fundraising or corporate takeover campaign, where the goal is more ambitious than merely getting some positive results. Indeed, their success is measured in terms of “win or lose” and “do or die.”