Four Ways To Make Your Printed Colleteral Stand Out

,

Even in the digital age mailboxes are flooded with flyers, trade shows are filled with brochures and desks are covered with business cards. In a sea of paper, is your print collateral getting noticed, or is it getting tossed into a recycling bin without being read?

 

Create a Visual Identity

 

Have you ever looked at someone and remembered their face but not their name? While it would be wonderful it every potential customer remembered your business the first time they “met” you, it doesn’t usually work that way. Most people need repeated exposure to your marketing materials before they act. Consistent branding is the memorable face of your business. Your printed collateral should work as a unit, along with your online presence, rather than as individual pieces. The most basic way to create a visual identity is to prominently display your logo on each piece of collateral. In addition, repeat the same color scheme, fonts and overall feel. While it seems counterintuitive to stand out by staying the same, a consistent brand helps consumers recognize you in the flood of information they see each day.

 

Less Is More

 

From your mission statement to your upcoming sale, there are dozens of things you want a potential customer to know. It’s tempting to try to squeeze them all in while you have the opportunity. But, no one wants to read a wall of text. Print collateral that is crowded, boring and text heavy will likely get overlooked. Decide on a clear message for each piece of print collateral and drill it down to it’s most basic. Make text easy to skim by using bullet points and simple, casual language. Then, use larger, bold fonts to emphasize the key words and ideas. Surround it all with ample white space and you have a message that people actually want to read.

 

Get Graphic

 

Words aren’t the only way to communicate; photos and graphics often speak louder. Charts and graphs are here to stay, but infographics are the trendiest way to both grab attention while also communicating large amounts of information. Photos are also an important way to command attention and highlight your message. But, skip the stock photography since it is instantly recognizable as being generic. Instead, use high quality, professional photographs taken at your business or of your products.

 

Consider the Paper

 

While what you say and how you say it is important, so is what you say it on. Basic paper and cardstock is fine, but not likely to capture attention. Make your printed materials feel special by using textured, recycled or glossy paper, vellum or even fabric. Think outside the box and go beyond basic square and rectangular shapes. Why not try and unexpected round poster or a die-cut brochure? Also, dark paper with white print is sure to garner attention in a stack of plain white mail.

Why We Love Print (And You Should Too!)

We love print media and there is a reason that you should love it, too. When you are working on a marketing strategy for your business, print can help you to reach your entire target demographic, regardless of their age. You cannot rely solely on the Internet because print is how you are going to market to those who are right in front of your face.

Print provides security that someone is going to see your marketing message. You never have to worry about viruses or other malware preventing your message from reaching the intended audience. Once it is printed, it is available for the world to see – you just have to get it in front of the right people.

Printing is available using new technology that allows for higher quality images, larger formatting, full bleeds and real-life colors. This ensures that you are able to portray your company in the way that it needs to be so that people find out who you are and what you are all about.

We love print because it is diverse. You can choose small business cards to hand out to people when you see them, flyers for upcoming events, and banners to tell people where you are. It is a form of marketing that has always been around and will continue to thrive as long as there are face to face interactions taking place.

Print can be affordable and there is room for small and large businesses alike to partake in it. Small businesses generally focus on personalization while large businesses focus on bulk printing. Regardless of who you are, print media can help you achieve your marketing goals in one capacity or another. From catalogs to bulk mail to posters, it can all help you market your business.

Should Your Company Be Using Direct Mail?

, ,

The marketing strategies that work best for any company depend on the dynamics of the business, but direct mail is a useful way to capture the attention of potential customers. Most companies can benefit from using direct mail, regardless of the products or services that are provided by the business.

Focusing on the Target Audience

A key reason that direct mail works for any business is that it focuses on a particular group or target audience. That means that you are only sending out mail to appropriate individuals on your mailing list or in a particular area.

Targeted marketing is an effective way to obtain new customers because the flyer, brochure or coupons that you are sending out are reaching people who need the products or services that you provide.

Adding Personal Elements

The problem that many companies can face is providing a personal element to the business. If your company is struggling with personalization, then direct mail can be a realistic solution. When you send out a postcard, you can put the name of the individual at that address. It automatically makes the advertisement more personal and reaches out to individuals who may feel that businesses are lacking a personal touch.

Easy Measurements

The personal element and the targeted mailing is only the beginning. Direct mail is also easy to measure based on the number of homes that receive the mail. You can determine the effectiveness of your marketing strategy based on the inquiries and sales that you receive.

Every business can benefit from direct mail, but the decision to implement the strategy depends on your goals and your understanding of how the process works. Direct mail is an effective way to reach your target audience with an element of personalization, and it can help improve your sales.

[Source: USPS]

Benefits of Personalization in Marketing

,

An estimated 74 percent of customers get frustrated when ads that are featured for them do not seem to have anything to do with their personal interests. That alone should be enough reason for companies to realize the importance of personalization, but the benefits do not stop there. When companies take the time and energy to personalize the advertisements they are sending out to their customers, companies get more for their investment and customers receive information about products and services that are helpful for them. It’s a win for everyone involved.

Improving Conversions

Ads that are personalized have a much better chance of netting customers. Customers enjoy feeling appreciated and singled out by companies, just like they appreciated individualized service in a store. Personalized emails, for example, were found to improve conversion rates by 10 percent alone. Customers are being bombarded by marketing and advertisements on nearly every platform. Creating ads that are personalized to the individual user means that these marketing tools will stand out to customers by being actually useful.

Improving Customer Retention

Personalization of advertisements is a fantastic first step towards building a relationship with the customer. Loyalty programs and other offers that contain personalized offers are much more likely to be responded to and customers will feel more positively about a company that has gone the extra step.

Personalizing marketing offers is a fantastic way to reach customers. Rather than hitting everyone with a generalized message, personalized messages are directly applicable to the customer receiving them. Although this might take a bit more of an effort on the part of the company, the potential benefits of higher conversion rates and higher customer retention greatly outweigh any cost. Companies should definitely investigate how personalized benefits can help them be more successful in their marketing campaigns.

Are Postcards Still an Effective Marketing Tactic?

,

Outbound or Inbound?

A great deal of the debate among marketers today centers on the issue of inbound versus outbound marketing strategies. Of course, every progressive marketer is now fully aware of the advantages of successful inbound marketing techniques. This is the process whereby you the customer or prospect initiates the conversation with your company, as opposed to you trying to get their attention by traditional advertising or outbound processes.

The problem in this ongoing discussion is found in making the issue one of either-or. The reality is that a modern, cost-effective marketing strategy is almost always going to consist of carefully integrating both approaches. Certainly, the days of spending thousands of dollars a month on yellow page advertising are over for most companies. Likewise, simple mass mailings of unattractive direct mail pieces are probably useful in only a few circumstances today.

However, it is important to remember that today’s marketing message is all about the conversation. It’s great when the customer initiates that process, but it’s up to the company to make it a truly two-way and productive conversation. While you can respond with an email (and many fail to even do this), there are many traditional ways to follow up with prospects and clients that are cost-effective and relevant. According to a recent article in Agency Access, postcards are one of the most effective and affordable means of keeping that conversation going.

There are several reasons that postcards remain popular with creative marketers. At the heart of these are the capabilities of modern printing. Stunningly attractive postcards can be personalized and printed in small quantities to address any number of special needs for communications. Modern web-to-print services even provide full addressing and mailing services. These nifty items affordably and professionally announce a special event, send an automated reminder, or blanket a neighborhood with news of a grand opening.

Postcards may seem old school to some, but to many savvy marketers they’ve graduated to a new and powerful marketing tool that leverages inbound marketing success.

5 Tips for Digitally Printed Materials

,

Thanks to the progression of computer technology, digitally printed materials have far surpassed the use of traditional printing techniques. Whereas pre-computer days meant that printing involved messy powders and time consuming paper printing methods, today you can print on a variety of mediums. Digital printing provides the tools to print on practically any surface ranging from walls to T-shirts to mesh. However, with this form of printing you should consider ways to make this technique work to your advantage.

  1. A simple image is important for viewers. For example, a logo with a highly detailed graphic filled with 10 different colors and shadowing is going to be difficult to identify from a distance, such as via a billboard or wall image.
  2. Digital photos may not stretch into a large scale without becoming blurry or grainy. Consider this when taking photos to be used on your digitally printed materials. Opt to use the finest resolution possible, as well as a high quality camera with a zoom feature.
  3. You can print on a wide variety of surfaces including flooring, canvas, plastic, 3M ControlTac™ and glass. Keep this in mind when you are selecting a printing process. Sometimes you can have an idea about where and how to share your marketing message that goes beyond the basic print on paper.
  4. Skimp on spending somewhere other than your digital printing needs. A poorly printed sign or the use of a cheap surface will translate into poor execution of an idea, as well as a spendthrift business. Show potential clients that you will do whatever it takes to win their business, which includes spending what is necessary to print high-quality marketing tools.
  5. Once you decide on a logo or business slogan, stick with that graphic or phrase throughout all of your printed materials. Whether you are printing flyers for an upcoming sale or you are printing copies of your newsletter to distribute to clients, your logo should always be included in the prints.

Maintain a professional manner by choosing digitally printed materials for your business’s needs. By making the most of this technique, you are more likely to benefit in the long term.

Digital Campaigns vs. Print Campaigns

, ,

The very basic fact – which has been true for some time now – is that digital email campaigns don’t have as high a conversion rate as commercial printing. The reason: brochures, posters, banners, direct mailers, and similar products are in front of potential customers, and in easy view. For example, anyone who has ever gone through their physical junk mail knows that any flyer, brochure, etc. that is high quality and has a particularly visual ad will easily draw their attention. Thus, they are effective at generating interest in a service or product.

On the other hand, email campaigns are much more affordable and can reach a much larger volume of potential customers than print campaigns can. However, what needs to be taken into account is that cheaper isn’t always better. Most email account holders can and often do delete an ad email without ever reading the actual email. Moreover, most people are bombarded by dozens of emails each day and they most often only pay attention to emails sent from people they know. This makes it difficult for a large number of people to open a digital advertisement email. There’s also junk email filters and spam filters to worry about as well.

Any product from a quality printing company – posters, direct mailers, brochures, etc. – will allow you to reach more people, captivating their interest from even thirty feet away. This is effective even if it’s for a moment or two. Some printing advertisements can be seen as works of art that capture the human eye, and ultimately the person’s interest. Sure, print costs more but it has proven time and again to have the highest conversion rate among potential customers just for the fact that you can’t immediately delete a print advertisement.

Incorporate Marketing into Your Printed Materials

, , ,

Social media marketing is one of the hottest marketing trends. There is a huge amount of people using social and nearly every company has a marketing scheme designed to conquer different social media platforms. With the shift towards social that does not however mean that traditional print marketing should be abandoned altogether. Rather than ignoring print marketing it is now important for marketers to adopt a system that incorporates social media marketing into print. Making sure branding of social platforms and tags are all made available through print is a must as the social world progresses and people start looking for new ways to advertise themselves.

Combining both forms of advertising is a must as print media previously was self-reliant. Social can be self-reliant but it is more beneficial for a company to allow both users of social and non-social to know about each other. The goal is to market the company or brand and incorporating social branding into a print campaign can save a great deal of money and increase an ROI altogether. Incorporating marketing into your printed materials is a fantastic way in which to establish new customers by tapping into the vast potential of people who didn’t previously know about your company and its functions.

Print marketing still reaches a huge amount of people. People like to hold and possess physical objects and always will. By providing a physical printed sheet full of your company’s information, you can easily reach a new potential number of customers that previously seemed out of your grasp. Utilizing print marketing is a must to go beyond the traditional set barriers of marketing and merge the old and modern world together for huge results that are beneficial towards a companies growth and help to maintain sales and influence within a market in an industry.

How Can Your Business Benefit from Digital Printing and Copying?

Given the technological advances in digital printing, there are differences and distinct advantages that translate into a direct impact on your bottom line.

Is There a Difference Between Offset and Digital Printing?

With offset printing, the technology requires the use of metal plates in order to transfer (“offset”) an inked image onto a rubber blanket, The image is then rolled onto a sheet of paper. During the offset printing process, ink is never directly transferred onto paper.

The advantages of digital printing become evident with short runs. For example, If you need 100 or even 400 4/C brochures or sell sheets, offset printing is definitely not the way to go. With offset printing, there are costs that involve labor, setup and the technical steps required to make metal printing plates. With this type of short print run, the only cost-effective solution is digital printing.

Digital printing involves the transfer of a document from a personal computer, or other digital device to a variety of media through the use of a device that accepts graphic output and text. In order to facilitate its reproduction and storage of the data, the document information is digitized (reduced to binary code). It’s also very easy to make change, revise, and update files.

Additionally, digital printing gives you the flexibility and convenient option of on-demand printing along with a much shorter turnaround times. And, there’s never a need for traditional plates, metal plate mounting, or ink keys.

Digital copiers provide many advantage for business. For starters, since they contain fewer moving parts, there are fewer mechanical problems and breakdowns. Digital copiers are not only much quieter, they provide a combination of functions such as copiers, network printers, scanners and fax machines.

As far as the reproduction of photographs and fine lines, digital copiers win hands down.

Connections Between the Printing and Mailing Industries

,

Printing and mailing often go hand in hand. Why? When you print something, think about what you are going to do with it. If it is some kind of marketing campaign, it needs to be distributed – and this usually means mailing it.

The printing industry often supports the mailing industry. While many people have gone to electronic statements for their credit cards and receive a lot of other things electronically, businesses are still able to market inside of a person’s physical mailbox. They will work with a printing company and then seek a company that offers mailing services to get it all done.

When you can find a company that works within the printing and mailing industries, you get the best of both worlds.

It can be extremely easy to create a direct mail campaign when your print company will do all of the work for you. Think about all of it – designing a flyer, printing a flyer, and distributing the flyer – all provided by one company so you can save time as well as money.

The mailing industry is much more than simply helping things get mailed to different locations. The mailing industry is also responsible for managing mailing lists. If you want to print something and have it distributed, you will want access to a mailing list so that your marketing campaign gets into the hands of people who actually care about the product or service that you are trying to promote.

It works to your advantage for the printing and mailing industries to have a very strong connection. When the print industry partners with the mailing industry, you benefit because they are able to offer you better services.

Direct mail is the outcome of the relationship – and you can market your business effectively because people still like seeing things in their mailbox.