FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How does pricing work?

Pricing works in one of two ways: 1) You set a budget and we work together to establish your priorities and provide the best services for that budget, or 2) You come to us with a specific project in mind and we provide a quote based on the specifications of the job.

What factors determine the cost of specific jobs?

Cost depends on many factors. Discounts are applied for long-term contracts and nonprofit organizations.
In general, cost is determined by: scope of project, licensing fees (music, stock photos, etc.), outside contractors (VoiceOver actors, etc.), technical complexity of project, additional/combined services, rendering and storage, maintenance of assets, copyright/exclusive use, and whether we’ll be required to sign an NDA. Every project is different. We aren’t able to post rates for things like website design because one site may be five basic pages with assets and copy provided while another is 300 pages with gated content, a staff portal, and a full e-commerce solution. A motion design project could be a 30 second whiteboard animation with a script and all assets provided while another is a ten minute piece that we must write the script for, produce storyboards, license music, hire a VoiceOver actor, film live footage, and merge live footage with custom animations. We will always be upfront with you about the factors that could affect your cost. You can schedule a consultation call here or call to chat with us. If you prefer, you may email info@substance-and-style.com with as much information as possible about your business, your audience, your marketing goals, and your project to receive a quote by email. Please use “quote request” or something similar in the subject line to ensure a quick response. We will get back to you with any questions we have and your quote as soon as possible.

What happens at the consultation?

The consultation starts with you telling us about your business, your customers, and your audience. We need to know who you’re marketing to before we think about how to reach them. Then, if you already know what you’re looking for, we will discuss the specifics of the job (for example, if you are looking for social media management, or rewriting the copy on your website to optimize for search). If you are looking for a strategic marketing plan or multiple services, we will discuss your entire marketing strategy and exchange ideas. Mostly, it’s about getting to know each other and understanding your target market. Then we make recommendations and decide next steps.

Do we retain copyright/ownership of materials produced?

Copyright laws are always changing. Currently, artistic works are automatically owned by the creator of the works unless otherwise specified in the contract. Typically, people don’t realize this and end up in a terrible position where they stop using a design firm and then have to ask permission to use their own logo. It can turn into a real nightmare. With a few exceptions, we write our contracts as “work for hire,” meaning that our customers retain copyright. Usually, we include a clause stating that we have the right to use the work for portfolio samples, competitions, and our own marketing. When this is not possible (we’re working on a new product and confidentiality is vital, for example), we will often relinquish copyright entirely for an additional charge. We will make sure you understand what belongs to you before we sign the contract.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the process of making your website rank higher on search engines. It’s important because most people won’t read through more than a couple pages of search results, so if you want to be found online, you need your page to come up on the first couple of pages for certain keywords. SEO is generally divided into organic and paid SEO. When trying to rank organically, the SEO process involves several steps, including: optimizing your website (making it crawlable, fixing broken links, creating an easily understood hierarchy/structure, updating tags and meta descriptions, etc.), doing keyword research, regularly producing quality content around your keywords, promoting your content, and link building. This is different from paid search, which improves your ranking by displaying your content at the top of pages for keywords you “win” by bidding for them.

What is Content Marketing?

Content Marketing is a way of improving your usefulness to your audience, positioning yourself as an expert, and improving your search engine rankings all in one. Basically it involves any producing content around what you want to be known for and what you want to rank for. That content can be anything (blog posts, social media posts, videos, pillar pages, classes, infographics, photos, case studies, newsletters, etc.) as long as it is focused on the needs and interests of the audience you’re trying to reach. Content marketing is one of the least expensive and most effective ways to market a business, costing on average 62% less than traditional outbound marketing and bringing in 3x as many leads (according to Content Marketing Institute).

What is the difference between motion design and animation?

Technically, any graphic element that moves is an animation. Outside of design, the terms will often be used interchangeably, and even in the design community, there is some debate about which services fall under which name. The way I define it is by saying: motion design is to animation as graphic design is to illustration. Motion design tends to be more “big picture.” Parts of the design are animated (by the motion designer), but the focus is on the entire project. Animation often refers to characters and scenes, which are usually inserted into the larger design. There is a lot of overlap, and even in the field, there is no consensus. The good news is that most designers and animators are pretty specific in their niches and pretty well connected to other people in the field. If you reach out to one who doesn’t do what you need done, they will almost always have a suggestion for someone who does what you need.

Check back often. This page is always being updated.
Please submit your questions to info@substance-and-style.com.