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Loebig Ink is a small business consulting firm
fueled by coffee, creativity and music to provide
SEO, web design and social media solutions.

Author: Robin Renee

Brian Loebig Honored As Wheaton’s 2022 Local Business Person of the Year

Posted on by Robin Renee

BOSTON, MA: February 16, 2022 — The largest online referral network for small businesses, Alignable.com is announcing the results of its national search for leaders who’ve gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting entire communities as they strive to recover.

Brian LoebigToday, Alignable’s network has chosen Brian Loebig of Loebig Ink, LLC as Wheaton’s 2022 Business Person Of The Year!  

The 2022 contest is the most popular competition Alignable has ever hosted, marking a 64% increase in participation over last year. In all, 2,400+ small business owners were elected by their peers to be their Local Business People Of The Year across the U.S. and Canada.

During the contest, which ran from Jan. 10 to Feb. 11, 2022, 160,000+ votes and 32,000+ testimonials were posted praising thousands of local leaders for helping their peers and communities through a turbulent year with many challenges: skyrocketing inflation, labor shortages, supply chain problems, and COVID variants.

Because of these issues, 70% of small businesses have yet to recover and recovery rates have declined 13% since December, according to Alignable’s latest poll of 6,305 small business owners. This recovery reversal highlights how important it is for the contest winners to continue their work helping even more businesses bounce back from pandemic-era hurdles.

Giving Is The Glue Holding Us Together

Alignable Local Business Person of the Year 2022 badge“One of the ways our organization gives back to the local business community is through regular personal connections and engagement on platforms like Alignable,” said Loebig. “These platforms can help us be stronger together and can extend and strengthen the community at scale. Our team at Loebig Ink is excited to receive this award and encourage everyone to build each other up online and in person.”

Loebig received a special badge on his Alignable profile, recognizing this win. In past years, the awareness generated through similar contests has spurred expanded connections, as well as new business for many winners.

Driving Recognition Is Key

“This has been a fun and rewarding contest to watch unfold,” said Alignable’s President & Co-Founder Venkat Krishnamurthy. “Local business owners are the heart and soul of their communities and they ought to get way more recognition for all they do. Friendly competition aside, this contest generated some incredible peer testimonials (to the tune of 32,000+), showing exactly why small business owners are stronger together.”

To arrange interviews with Brian Loebig and/or an Alignable representative,  please contact Chuck Casto at chuck@alignable.com. He also can offer JPEGs and other visuals, as well as local winner testimonials.

About Loebig Ink, LLC

Loebig Ink is a small business consulting firm fueled by coffee, creativity, and music to provide SEO, web design, and social media solutions. Launched as a full-time web consulting business in Richmond, Virginia in 2010, the business widened its scope and moved to Maryland in the Washington, DC area in 2012. The company now works with an expanding team of social media, SEO, web, and graphic design professionals. Learn more about our services at Loebig Ink.

About Alignable

Alignable.com is the largest online referral network for small businesses in the U.S. and Canada. With 7 million+ members across 35,000+ local communities, Alignable is the network where small business owners drive leads and prospects, generate referrals, land new business, build trusted relationships, and share great advice.

Meet Our Project Manager — Collyn Coram

Posted on by Robin Renee

Loebig Ink Team Member: Collyn Coram

Collyn CoramCollyn Coram was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and is a graduate of Stevenson University with a degree in graphic design and communications. During his time in school, Collyn participated in high-level problem-based learning that encouraged risk-taking and critical-thinking. In addition to learning in real-world scenarios, he was able to use academic and professional activities outside of the classroom to further augment his college experiences and education. He had the pleasure of meeting Brian Loebig through a mutual friend back in the fall of 2020. After that first meeting, Brian thought Collyn would make a great addition to the Loebig Ink team. Collyn adapted quickly into the role of Project Manager. 

In the brief time he has been with Loebig Ink, Collyn has already learned much about different aspects of the business including SEO, web design, and live streaming. Collaborating with team members on different projects and tasks has allowed him to hit the ground running. Working in collaboration with clients is one of the many aspects to this role he enjoys. Collyn sees himself as a goal-driven individual who strives to be a great communicator and a collaborative team player with an eye for detail and skill in customer relations.

Having already had some experience in live streaming for his church made joining the Loebig Ink live streaming team a natural fit. Collyn also works in his church to implement a grant teaching seniors about technology through online classes. Helping seniors in the community stay connected through the COVID-19 pandemic is one of Collyn’s proudest accomplishments. 

When he’s not busy with Loebig Ink projects, Collyn enjoys being creative across all types of mediums including digital art, acrylic painting, illustration, and murals. He likes the great outdoors and prefers hikes and trails over beach and sand. He enjoys hanging out with friends in Washington, DC and going to museums and sporting events (He is a big fan of the Wizards and the Nationals!). Living in DC has kept him inspired and is what drives him toward becoming better at his craft. His life goal is to help others create visually-appealing work and to bring their creations to fruition. 

Explore our services, choose Loebig Ink to help you grow your business, and Collyn Coram may be the Project Manager in your corner.

 

Local Business Person of the Year… Brian Loebig!

Posted on by Robin Renee

Alignable's 2021 Local Business Person of the Year - Brian Loebig, Loebig Ink, LLC2021 continues to be great for Loebig Ink. For the third year in a row, Alignable.com has hosted its Local Business Person of the Year competition to give small business owners the chance to honor the outstanding work of their peers. We are thrilled to announce that Brian Loebig has been voted Local Business Person of the Year 2021 for Silver Spring, Maryland.

This recognition comes on the heels of another that gave the Loebig Ink team an extra boost of enthusiasm at the beginning of this year. In January, Loebig Ink was ranked among the top web design agencies in Silver Spring by a prestigious market-share analysis conducted by SEOlium. All of the Alignable 2021 Local Business People Of The Year have received badges that announce their award on their Alignable profiles. Bragging rights aside, the badges are meant to raise awareness of the winners to help foster additional connections and generate new business, as they have following the previous competitions. On the Loebig Ink, LLC Alignable profile, you can now see Brian’s 2021 award along with the badge awarded to him for Small Business Person of the Year in 2018.

The North American Alignable contest, which ran from January 6th – February 5th, invited the over six million Alignable members to vote for the fellow local business owners in their cities who have gone above and beyond — and in these extraordinary times — those who are notable for stepping up to be helpful to peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Questions asked include, “Who went above and beyond in helping your community and other small businesses over the past year?” and “Who always gives you great advice and ideas?” Almost 3,000 business owners responded, with hundreds voting in each hometown contest.

Alignable.com is the largest online referral network for small businesses in the United States and Canada. The network supports millions of members across 35,000+ local communities. Alignable helps small business owners drive leads and prospects, generate referrals, land new business, build trusted relationships, and share advice. 

Brian LoebigLoebig Ink provides a wide range of services for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits in the areas of SEO, Internet Marketing, Web Design, Small Business Coaching, Social Media Management, and Social Media Marketing. Our goal is to provide our clients with the most relevant marketing and advertising solutions, and we are committed to offering a personalized, hands-on approach to each and every project. Brian Loebig is also a frequent keynote speaker, which, with the help of online meeting spaces, has not abated during the pandemic. As one who loves to look for the win-win in every situation, Brian feels he is especially blessed to win recognition for being a good business person as well as a positive asset to his Silver Spring community.

Contact us to learn more.

Logo Design – How It Works

Posted on by Robin Renee

How it Works - Logo DesignYour company logo is far more than a doodle that decorates your business card and website. It is a symbol that has the potential to be synonymous with your product or service. A good, memorable logo can do the job of reminding the public of your excellence. A great logo can do that as well as evoke positive associations with feelings of comfort, confidence, love, security, adventure, or whatever you most want to convey with your brand. A logo design services professional will take you through a series of important steps to help you decide on the logo that represents you best.

Here are some of the decisions you will need to make in the logo design process:

Name Your Business

How would you like your name to appear? Do you want the name written out traditionally or presented as a web address – all one word and ending in “.com?” Do you have a stylized form in mind such as using all capitals or none? Keep in mind other concepts you may want to bring in as well. How will the lettering of the business name look in conjunction with the image you have in mind? Will you be including a tagline?

Secondarily, would you like your name to appear? A logo that needs no verbal introduction is a coveted item. In general, it takes a long time to build up recognition so complete – think the Nike “swoosh” – that the company name is not needed. Unless your company is very well-established, including the name of your business in your logo is strongly recommended.

Envision Your Icon

What kind of design are you considering? Do you want to include images that represent objects or people such as a house, car, computer, or family? Do you prefer a logo icon that is simply a shape alongside or surrounding your company name? Take some time to consider the feelings conjured up for most people by various shapes. Softer, rounded shapes tend to be welcoming and gentle. Harder edges and angles communicate power. Vertical lines can give off a sense of strength and horizontal lines can represent stability. Those are just a few examples of the psychology of shapes.

The colors you choose are also very much part of the puzzle that makes a great logo. Do you have established company colors that you must incorporate or if you’re starting from scratch, which color or colors do you have in mind? Are there any you definitely want to avoid? FastCompany.com presents a series of infographics on the colors of the rainbow and what is most often associated with each. Yellow gives off a sense of cheerfulness and warmth. Green symbolizes money, health, and nature. Purple can bring up thoughts of wisdom, wealth, and royalty. Keep your primary audience in mind, because cultural differences can be a factor. For example, in the United States, red and blue have acquired specific political meanings. In other parts of the world, those same colors often represent different or even opposite political persuasions.

Are you interested in adding texture to your logo, such as the look of brick, marble, sand, or paisley? Sketch out your ideas and take some time reflecting on how they make you feel. How do the words and image hang together? Will it look good in different sizes? In black & white as well as in color? Do you need to make adjustments? Notice how some familiar logo icons affect you. It is always a good idea to ask a few trusted others to share their responses.

What’s the Message?

If you’ve already been experimenting with colors and designs, you probably have a sense of how you want potential customers to think about and remember your company, products, and services. What are the adjectives that you’d like to associate with your work? What is your brand story? Do the ideas you’ve sketched out match what you’re thinking of so far? A conversation with a logo design specialist can help you sort out the details. Loebig Ink Graphic Designer, Angela Martinez, gives each client a draft of four to six concepts.

“I always try to find out what the client really wants it to say. A lot of times they have something in mind but don’t yet know how to explain it, so the first round of drafts usually helps point us in the right direction,” Angela says.

Once you have found the clear path to what you’re looking for, it’s time to choose a final design for a striking logo to represent your brand.

Look Sharp!

At the end of the logo design process, you will want a sharp image that will look its best no matter where it is applied. Angela Martinez emphasizes the importance of producing vector logos. A program that uses pixels is not able to produce a logo you can use anywhere at any size. According to Shutterstock.com:

“…vector graphics are comprised of formulaic curves. Due to a vector’s mathematical makeup, each path, line, or curve looks precise at any size. These complex shapes and lines can be produced exclusively in vector-based programs, such as Adobe Illustrator or Sketch.”

Once your vector logo has been designed and completed, you are ready to show the world a new, powerful expression of who you are and what you do.

Check out some of the logos our design team has created here.

Resources:

Clem, Alex. “3 Reasons Why Your Brand Logo Needs to Be a Vector,” Shutterstock.com. https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/why-your-brand-needs-a-vector-logo

Gillett, Rachel. “What Your Logo’s Color Says About Your Company (Infographic),” FastCompany.com, https://www.fastcompany.com/3028378/what-your-logos-color-says-about-your-company-infographic

workerbee. “The Meaning of Logo Shapes,” 99designs. https://99designs.com/blog/tips/logo-shapes/

Meet Our Intern – Tori Burton

Posted on by Robin Renee

Loebig Ink Team Member: Tori Burton

Tori Burton with babyTori Burton first met Brian Loebig at one of his early morning BNI meetings when she was a freshman in college. There she was introduced to a wonderful environment full of small business owners who want to help each other succeed. Brian, then president of the BNI Capital Business Alliance chapter, was a natural leader and Tori could see why everyone gave him respect.  

It was later in Tori’s junior year that Naheed Oberfeld, her life coach as well as a member of Brian’s BNI chapter, connected the two once again. This time, Tori emerged from the meeting with an internship at Loebig Ink, LLC. It was exciting for her to find an opportunity for experience in a new field as a creative writer. 

Tori believes the best inspiration for writing comes when learning something new. Working with Brian’s team members proved to be an excellent place to learn. She found everyone to be exceptional at their jobs, understanding when she asked questions, and fun to work with. Over the summer of 2020 she was able to help with blog writing, social media marketing, and web design. A few of her favorite projects and lessons so far include writing a blog post and finding the balance between artistic expression and conveying information, conducting interviews with BNI members for a social media ad campaign, and helping to design a church website where her four years of high school commercial art came in handy. 

When Tori isn’t helping the team, she loves to bake. Fun, messy, and an art in its own right, after taking the advice of family members and following recipes, the best baking comes down to following your gut, according to Tori.

“Nothing beats the waft of warm chocolate roaming through the house and coating your senses, getting the perfect velvety consistency of fudgy chocolate frosting, then taking your first bite of chocolate cake,” she says. 

Her other favorite way to pass the time is playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends. Because it is such a personal game, it is difficult to describe. The biggest factor contributing to how the game will go is based on who the players are and how they work together to reach their goals or defeat the problems the Dungeon Master has set for them. Tori likes to invite others into the imaginative world of D & D: 

“If you have a cool group of friends and at least one person who understands the rules of the game, you should give it a try and see an adventure for yourself!”

Reach out to Loebig Ink for anything from a social media campaign to a blogging initiative to a brand new website and you may find the talented Tori Burton is on the case!

Loebig Ink is a Top Advertising Agency According to Expertise.com

Posted on by Robin Renee

Expertise.com's Best Advertising Agencies in Washington, DC sealExpertise.com is dedicated to helping potential customers find the best company for the job they need done in or near their town or city. The website highlights local business services as well as a host of other services including everything from auto needs to home repair to weddings. This year, the ranking website evaluated 104 advertising agencies in the Washington, DC area, curated 71, and finally determined their top 22 picks. We are happy to report that Loebig Ink is listed in Expertise.com’s top tier of advertising agencies in Washington, DC for 2020.

The DC metropolitan area advertising agencies were scored according to more than 25 variables across five different categories. After the proprietary analysis, experts hand-picked each of the top agencies. As Expertise.com describes Loebig Ink:

Founded by a web consultant and administrator with over fifteen years of industry experience, this agency prioritizes online advertising methods. Much of its work involves creating and implementing search ads using the Google Ads platform. It also advertises via Facebook and offers specialized packages to clients operating small businesses. Loebig Ink provides SEO, web design and social media management services as well.

Expertise uses a proprietary research and selection process to choose the best in the business for each category. The software that does the early heavy lifting to make the choices judges company reputation, credibility (licensing, accreditations, and awards), experience, engagement, and professionalism. In the end, it is an experienced reviewer who verifies the pick, makes the final decision, and writes a helpful description of each company. The site also provides additional resources in the form of handy how-to and advice articles on topics related to the types of businesses analyzed and rated.

It is exciting to be recognized by Expertise.com! Get in touch to learn what Loebig Ink can do to serve your online advertising needs.

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