Category: Print Marketing

Advertising is, by far, the most important aspect of any business’s success—especially nowadays, when the success of your business isn’t limited to the number of clients that exists in proximity to your location.  Today, you can get almost anything online and delivered to your door—and most of your potential customers are doing so.  Even if you offer services rather than products, your competition isn’t just in your backyard; it’s global.  In order to succeed, you need to create a positive image for yourself—a reputation that extends beyond word of mouth—and you need to do it quickly.  Fortunately, print and mail services can help.

What can print and mail services do for you?

The biggest thing you can do for your business involves getting your name out there—and, unfortunately, that’s actually a lot harder than it sounds.  Nowadays, your potential clients are being inundated by advertisements: they are on billboards, bus shelters, online, on TV, on the radio, and even in their email inboxes.  Your advertisements need to be different.  You need your potential clients to notice your business’s marketing techniques, which means you don’t want your marketing strategies to blur into the slurry of background advertising noise your clients are ignoring.  You need to deliver your business’s name right to your clients’ doors—and that’s where print and mail services can help.

What kinds of print and mail services are there?

Print and mail services take your business—its name, its reputation, its values, and everything it offers—right to your clients’ doorstep.  It is the best way to get yourself noticed, and print and mail services offer a variety of different formats so you can make sure your business is making the impression it should.

Here are a few of the formats print and mail services allow you to design:

• Letters allow you to address your future clients in a professional, but also a personalized manner. You can tell your clients a lot more about what you are offering and why they need those services, which goes a long way towards getting you noticed, and it also gives your business credibility.

• Yellow Letters stand out even more, and they add an even more personalized touch since you can use handwritten fonts to get your information across.

• Flyers allow you to advertise various products and specials using bright colors and compelling images of the products you are offering. They work like a catalogue to remind people of the things they need, and you will benefit your business even more when you are offering your products at better deals than your competitors.

• Brochures and Newsletters provide images and write-ups to catch your clients’ attention visually while also providing information about the services you offer—and why they need them.

• Snap Packs provide a more secure—and interactive—mail-out format.

• Postcards are fun and interactive mail-outs that allow you to advertise your products, services, and special events in a manner that is sure to grab your potential client’s attention.

If you are looking for a marketing campaign that will make a definitive difference in the success of your business, contact us at iti Direct Mail and learn more about print and mail services today.

The holidays are when the retail and service industries make most of their annual profit. All businesses wonder about how they can attract more customers over this busy sales period. We will discuss 30 print marketing tips and ideas for the holidays that have the potential to bring in more customers.

When and where to send your mailer

Get the word out about sales before the Black Friday rush.

Send out your printed mailer several times. Potential customers need to be exposed to your marketing multiple times before actually deciding to buy.

But don’t forget about having some kind of promotion or sale after the holidays to attract people who want post-holiday deals.

Remember to target your marketing. Most of your customers will come from a very limited range around your business.

Use lists to target new homeowners who have recently bought in your area.

What to send out

Send out invites to a shopping party. Provide beverages and light snacks.

Compile a wish list based on customer purchase histories and send it to them.

Send out mini 5-page catalogues.

Send holiday postcards with a personalized message to your most loyal customers.

Try gift certificates that can only be redeemed at your business for a one week period.

People report that receiving a plastic card that looks like a gift card is more effective than a paper coupon.

Send out a 2015 calendar; as people are planning their holidays, they will see your business logo.

Send out notepads. It will keep you on customer’s minds over the holidays when they jot down their to-do lists.

Send thank you notes to vendors that have helped you to success. They deserve your holiday goodwill.

Don’t talk about business. Highlight the fact that your staff is volunteering and giving back.

What to include on your mailer

Include a small picture of your team on the mailer. It helps give personality and humanize your business.

Not all families celebrate Christmas. Be inclusive and choose winter themed graphics.

Highlight how you will save customers time or money during the holidays.

Make sure that you include your company logo and branding on the mailer.

Make sure you use the same colors and fonts across your marketing.

Print marketing for your store

Use vinyl banners to hang outside your store to promote sales.

Set up signage for promotions in your store.

Use window clings to liven up your storefront and entice customers.

Set up product information stands to answer customer questions when your staff is busy.

Have a small display at your cash register just in case customers missed the details of your promotions.

Have bookmarks or magnets printed and attach them to free samples.

Things to keep in mind

Never overpromise. Don’t have a bunch of exclusions and loop holes to your promotions, you WILL lose customer trust.

Make sure you have enough stock of any product you highlighted in your print marketing.

Your staff should be well aware of your print marketing efforts and promotions.

Remember, print marketing gets them into your store, but give them top notch service to make sure they come back.

If you have made the correct choice and decided that offline, that is, print marketing, is as important to your organization’s or company’s success as online marketing—congratulations, first of all! Secondly, you are probably wondering how you can keep your print marketing on a budget and not try to do everything at the same time. Luckily, there isn’t a multitude of print marketing materials that you simply must have. In fact, there are just ten must-haves.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Business cards. People still exchange them. People still pick them up at networking events and trade shows. They still matter. Simply put, if your business card is not worth looking at, then, you may be losing out on potential clients and partners.

Brochures. Are you sure that all of your potential customers are computer savvy and have a good Internet connection? If not, then good old brochures are your vehicles for bringing the most important and up-to-date information to your potential connections.

Envelopes. When the mail comes in, the envelope is the first thing to be noticed. The same goes for any documents that you put into a nice envelope to give them in person. The thoughtfulness you’ve put into providing your customers with an easy solution to keep all paperwork in one place will be much appreciated.

Magnets. If more often than not, your clientele works on the “out of sight, out of mind” scenario, you need a way to remain present in their lives every day. A nice kitchen or filing cabinet magnet with your contact information is the simple solution to this debacle.

Letterheads. When you send something, you want it to look as professional as possible. Having customized and personalized letterheads are certainly taking you at least halfway in that direction.

Stickers. Stickers are the most creative way to grab the attention of eyeballs to your brand or message, available in tons of sizes and is fade resistant too. These custom printed vinyl stickers can be affixed anywhere, including car bumpers, notebooks, doors, windows, waiting areas, restrooms and so on.

Notepads. Every time your clients write something down by their computer or phone, they will see your logo and remember the wonderful service they received. What could be better?

Postcards. Postcards work similarly to brochures, but are made of more durable card stock and can be distributed in a wider variety of settings. The next time you have a sale or promotion, consider using custom postcards.

Holiday greeting cards. Putting enough effort into a holiday card can make a world of difference to clients that receive dozens of other people’s cards at the same time. The image, the text and the presentation all matter.

Door hangers. Do you have salespeople or agents canvassing an area? A door hanger is the best way of telling potential customers that you cared enough to come up to their doors. Adding an incentive to get in touch with your team will certainly help too.

There are many other types of print marketing materials that can be customized to your specific needs—what speaks to your products, services, or clientele specifically? Why not personalize it? Once you have made your selection, these ten print marketing collateral will be a part of your success.