5 Tips for Incorporating Storytelling into Print Marketing

5 Tips for Incorporating Storytelling into Print Marketing

Everyone resonates with a good story. Whether funny, sad, or utterly ridiculous, stories have a unique power to stick with us forever. Your company’s story is no exception. It has the potential to captivate, inspire, and drive action. Research shows that people remember stories 22 times better than facts. So, why not leverage the power of storytelling in your business marketing?

5 Strategies for Integrating Storytelling into Your Print Marketing

Sharing your company’s story has the power to build, grow, restore, empower, and connect. Here are five ways to start incorporating storytelling into your print marketing.

1. Company Origin

Share the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your company’s beginnings.

Add a unique twist or perspective to make your story stand out. Include images to bring your story to life and connect with your audience visually.

2. Testimonials

Let your satisfied customers speak for you to gain buy-in and credibility!

By using testimonials of happy customers, you gain the trust of the skeptical future customer by not seeming as pushy or direct in your marketing tactic but more conversational and casual, much like a word-of-mouth referral.

When collecting the testimonials, ask if you can include a picture. Putting a real face to your reviews makes them even more reliable and authentic.

3. Case Studies

Case studies are not just for peer-reviewed journals.

They are excellent for gaining customer trust and credibility when showcasing your expertise and success. Use visuals like graphs and charts to support your claims. Keep it simple and focused to avoid overwhelming your audience with information.

4. Be Authentic

"No legacy is so rich as honesty," a poignant quote by Shakespeare, is an excellent reminder that you must be true to your story and avoid exaggeration or fabrication.

Authenticity builds trust, and over 85% of people are more likely to support honest brands.

5. End with a Call to Action

End your story with a clear call to action.

Whether it’s a QR code for more information or a coupon code for a discount, give your audience a reason to take the next step.

Storytelling within your marketing is a potent tool that can be used to connect and grow relationships with customers, build trust, and increase sales. In the words of Seth Godin, American author and marketing strategist, Remember, "Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell."

Contact our print marketing professionals to begin creating compelling and memorable marketing campaigns that leverage the power of storytelling.

Tips for Standout Signage and Displays

Printing for Events: Tips for Standout Signage and Displays

Signage is not just to look pretty. It is essential for your business and its success, especially at events. Standout signage will benefit your event by impressing attendees with welcome displays, informing customers where they should go, keeping a schedule of events visible, thanking sponsors, and more.

Team up with our printing professionals to help create the event of the year with innovative and unforgettable signage and displays. Looking for some ideas to begin your journey? Consider the following four ideas.

Welcoming

First impressions are of the utmost importance for your next event. Ensure your attendees know where they are, why they’re there, where to find specific locations, and most importantly, that they are welcome.

Examples of Welcoming Signage:

• Feather/Banner Flags: Allow nature to let these flow in the wind to attract views
• Welcome Banner: The first signage a guest sees upon arriving
• Window clings: Utilize windows and mirrors to double as a canvas for your signage
• Yard signs: Start welcoming and directing guests from outside
• Directions for restrooms, conference rooms, and seating: Once at the event, empower your attendees where things are located

Crowd Control

Having many people attend your event is a good thing, but controlling the flow of the crowd is vital.

Clear signage and directions for guests are critical to a safe and effective event. Consider organizing the crowds with thoughtful printed materials such as:

• VIP passes – Allow for distinction among guests to have special privileges
• Admission tickets – This can be a safety measure to know who is supposed to be at your event
• Age-restricted drink/ride/food tickets – Be proactive with specialty items and limitations
• Prize drawing tickets – Give the right amount of attendees the chance to win big!
• Queue Banners – Visibly show where guests are to line up for drinks, tickets, etc
• Stair Wraps – Use a natural mode of crowd flow and harness its signage possibilities
• Floor decals/graphics – Be specific about where attendees should gravitate

Information

Once your event welcomes people, they need to know their options and when events are.

Stay organized and give your attendees the power of information with educational signage and other materials like:

• Programs – bi-fold or tri-fold to fit pertinent details about your event
• Schedules – List out the times and locations of events attendees should be aware of
• Menus – Whether it’s food, drinks, or services, impress your audience with their choices
• Maps – Events can be confusing to locate places, so take the guesswork out of navigating
• Flyers – Simple or detailed, these handheld papers detail just the right amount of info

Sponsor Recognition

Don’t forget to thank your sponsors and all the other people and companies that allowed your event to occur.

Showing your gratitude and appreciation towards others is crucial in positive business dealings and allows guests to know who else to thank and show recognition.

Ideas to illustrate sponsors and thanks:

• Program ads
• Large vinyl banners
• Stage backdrops
• Table tents

These attention-grabbing graphics for indoor or outdoor use benefit your next event, whether you want to welcome guests, help control crowd flow, or thank sponsors.

Don’t let your customers feel lost, unsure, or confused at your next event. Allow our print marketing experts to collaborate with you today to craft the highest quality and best impression signage! Head to our website to learn more about innovative sign solutions.

4 New Year’s Resolutions for Marketing

4 New Year’s Resolutions for Marketing

The new year is the perfect time to make resolutions and lay out goals for your year ahead.

Personal resolutions can help you improve your life or pursue new hobbies, and in the same way, making resolutions for your professional life can motivate you to try new things in the year ahead.

4 Ideas for Marketing Goals to Make in the New Year

Dream big and lay the foundations for a successful 2024 with some of these marketing ideas!

1. Upgrade Your Visuals and Images

Customers love to engage with marketing that uses high-quality imagery and interesting visuals. So, set the goal for yourself to invest extra time into the visual appeal of your brand this year! Is it time to update your logo or brand identity? Consider using a graphic designer to ensure you have a cohesive look that tells your brand story and engages your audience.

Using high-quality images in your marketing materials will also pay off. Consider hiring a photographer or utilizing stock photography from sites like Getty Images or Shutterstock for professional and compelling images.

2. Focus on Quality Content

As the saying goes, quality rather than quantity often matters most.

So, in 2024, focus your resolution on producing better content! It’s essential to ensure that the content you’re producing for your marketing materials is helpful and engaging for customers.

Focus on writing that prioritizes a human connection, intentionally fosters trust, and is unique, engaging, and easily readable. This resolution will help to improve your user experience!

3. Update your Website

If your website has not been updated in a while, make this the year you polish it up, so it is at its best!

Add new testimonials or reviews from satisfied customers, update the photos or design to make it more modern, or add new links and interactive features.

One specific resolution you could make is to improve the functionality of your website. Statista reports that 17% of global web usage comes from cell phones, so it’s essential that your website is mobile-friendly!

The start of the new year is also a great time to look back on your metrics and performance from the past year to see which features garner the highest customer response rate. Make adjustments to your website according to that data.

4. Utilize Inbound Marketing Strategies

Inbound marketing creates content to boost brand recognition, attract website visitors for information, and drive product interest and sales.

Examples of inbound marketing include blog posts, social media, and videos that focus more on education or entertainment than sales. You could even consider holding webinars, recording video sessions, or making a podcast related to your company.

Integrating these inbound marketing tactics with traditional methods like direct mail, flyers, and other print marketing can enhance visibility and amplify the overall effectiveness of both approaches.

As you head into the new year, our company is here for any print marketing needs that you might have, helping you bring success to your business! Visit our website today.

6 Ways to Elevate Postcard Marketing with QR Codes

6 Ways to Elevate Postcard Marketing with QR Codes

Digital marketing may be everywhere, but many companies still use print marketing or print products as part of their advertising and marketing plans. Finding ways to integrate the tangible appeal of print marketing with the interactivity of the online realm is a great way to utilize both.

One way to do this is strategically using QR codes on postcards. QR codes provide an exciting opportunity to add interactivity, engagement, and measurable insights to your print marketing campaigns.

According to recent statistics, in 2022, 89 million smartphone users scanned a QR code with their devices. With this number projected to reach nearly 100 million by 2025, it is evident that QR codes have become a prominent tool in connecting offline and online experiences.

Now, let’s explore six creative ways to leverage QR codes on postcards to captivate your audience and boost your print marketing efforts.

6 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes on Postcards

1. Link to a Website or Landing Page

Placing a QR code on your postcard is a great way to provide more information about your business or organization.

You can use a QR code to link to your website, a landing page for a special offer, or even a video about your products or services. This immediately turns offline traffic into online traffic and gives you valuable, measurable insights into how well your marketing dollars work.

2. Offer a Discount or Promotion

Everyone likes to get something for free or at least at a discount.

You can also use QR codes as an inexpensive way to promote your business or organization. You can use a QR code to offer a discount on your products or services or to enter a contest or giveaway.

3. Collect Feedback From Customers

Seeking customer feedback is vital for growth, and you can use QR codes to collect it.

By creating a survey that you link to a QR code, you can gather immediate responses and gain valuable insights to improve your offerings and meet customer needs.

4. Drive Traffic to Social Media

Want to gain followers on social media? Use QR codes!

QR codes can be used to drive traffic to your social media pages. You can use a QR code to link to your Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram, or any other social media platform. Combine driving traffic to your social media accounts with a discount, and you have a double whammy.

5. Personalize Your Postcards

Don’t have enough room on your printed postcard for a lengthy or personal message? QR codes can be used to personalize your postcards. You can use a QR code to link to a video or message specific to the recipient.

6. Distribute a Free E-Book or Digital Download

Many organizations and businesses use free e-books and digital downloads to gain loyal customers.

With a quick QR code scan, your customers can be led directly to the e-book or digital download, and you can collect valuable data.

QR codes are a versatile tool that can be used in various ways, which is why they are at the top of the industry trends-to-watch list. Using QR codes on your postcards, you can add interactivity and engagement to your marketing campaigns.

Combining established mobile technology with print marketing will help your business soar to the next level. Contact us today to learn how to start incorporating QR codes into your next round of postcards.

7 Top Tips to Create Customer Loyalty Through the Mailbox

You need to build loyalty and trust with your clients when bringing in business. This will keep them coming back. Doing so isn’t hard, especially when you use direct mail.

When people get mail, they are more likely to find it a secure way to receive information. 54% of consumers worried less about direct mail privacy than digital communications privacy.

Employ the ideas below.

7 Top Tips to Create Customer Loyalty Through the Mailbox

1. Send Exclusive Offers

Make your offers attractive so that clients will want to open your mail.

Tease them with discounts and sales on the front of the envelope or postcard.

If you have a new product that they have been waiting for, this is the time to offer a good deal on it and announce it.

2. Personalize Communication

If you send a letter, a newsletter, or even a postcard, try using their name.

This will capture their attention and make them take notice. They will know that it’s not just junk mail.

3. Consistency Counts

Ensure all the pieces work together.

Use the same tone of voice and similar graphic design so that it causes them to remember you. Don’t make each piece wildly different.

4. Use High-Quality Paper

This sends the message that you care and that you are serious about what you offer.

It shows that you don’t skimp on quality, which will increase trust with your customers.

5. Include a Call to Action

Make sure there’s a call to action so customers know what to do next.

Ask them to call, visit your website, or subscribe to a newsletter. This builds loyalty because it causes them to stay in touch with you. It also makes them feel connected regularly.

6. Send a Thank You

Deliver a note to customers personally in a nice letter on quality paper.

Use their name, their buying history, and something personal if you can. This makes people genuinely feel appreciated. When you send things like this through the mail, it’s trusted more than an email.

7. Lead with Your Logo

Send items in the mail that have your logo on them, whether it’s a pen, stationary, or a magnet.

This works to build loyalty because it reminds them daily of your business, and it creates a feel-good situation. They know you appreciate them when you give them items.

No matter what your business is, there are ways to keep customers coming back. Building loyalty takes time, so the key is to be consistent and not give up. Keep the content coming. In fact, it’s five times less expensive to keep existing customers than to attract new ones.

If you have a project that requires printing, please reach out. We are here to help!

8 Ways to Excel at Customer Service Using Print

8 Ways to Excel at Customer Service Using Print

Print products play a vital role in creating an excellent customer service experience.

Whether printed brochures, business cards, or promotional items, print can make a lasting impression on customers, helping businesses stand out from the competition and build long-lasting relationships.

Printed materials do more than impart knowledge; they can also improve the customer’s experience with your business.

They aid in helping your potential customers decide whether or not working with you is right for them, offering an ideal way of prequalifying yourself and your business.

If excellence in customer service is your goal, check out how you can use print to make it happen more effectively.

8 Ways to Excel at Customer Service Using Print

1. Show Appreciation

A thank you letter or card expressing appreciation for your customers is a great way to show how much you value their business.

Print products are also perfect for creating loyalty programs and offering rewards to keep customers returning.

2. Provide Resources

Customers should have access to all the necessary resources; printing makes this easier.

Printed collateral such as customer manuals, training materials, or product catalogs is excellent for providing information to customers quickly and easily.

Additionally, print materials make it easy to give customers a clear understanding of the products and services you provide, keeping expectations realistic.

3. Promote Your Brand

Print products can be used to promote your brand in various ways.

Business cards, flyers, brochures, and other printed pieces are perfect for creating a strong presence in the market.

4. Increase Visibility

Print products can promote your business and increase visibility in the marketplace.

Posters, banners, and flags printed with your logo or message can help get your company’s name out to the public.

5. Connect With Customers

Printed products are great for connecting with customers on a personal level.

Customized greeting cards, calendars, and even personalized postcards are a great way to stay connected with your customers.

6. Generate Leads

Printed materials can also be used to generate leads and increase sales.

Brochures, flyers, and mailers are just some of the many ways to reach potential customers and create awareness about your brand.

7. Gather Feedback

The best way for a business to improve is by getting customer feedback. Providing your clients with customer service surveys printed on custom forms is beneficial.

This will help you understand what things are working and what areas need improvement regarding customer service.

8. Improve Brand Recognition

Branded disposable items such as coffee cups, sleeves for coffee cups, coasters, bags, etc., offer an excellent way to add value to a customer’s purchase and create a memorable experience.

By utilizing print, you can ensure your customers have the best possible experience with your business.

Whether providing resources, showing appreciation, or generating leads, print products are essential for creating excellent customer service experiences that keep customers returning.

Want to take your customer service to the next level? Print is the answer you’re looking for. Let us help! Contact us to get started today!

15 Marketing Power Words That Pack a Punch in Print

15 Marketing Power Words That Pack a Punch in Print

When it comes to creating engaging and effective marketing materials, the use of powerful language is an essential part of the process. From print media, such as brochures, flyers, and banners, to digital marketing, including website copy and emails, using words with impact can help you get your message across in a way that resonates with your target audience.

Marketing Language that Resonates and is Remembered in Print

Using the right power words when writing marketing materials for print media, you can create persuasive copy that stands out and resonates with your audience.Here are 15 marketing words that you can use to give your print materials impact:

1. Innovative

Let your audience know if you have an innovative product or service.

Showing how you’re different from your competitors and ahead of the game will pique potential customers’ interest.

2. Revolutionary

Let people know you’re not just different. You’re revolutionary.

Show them how your product will revolutionize how people think about and use it.

3. Unparalleled

When you are unique, exceptional, or have no equal, inform your potential customers that what you offer has no competition.

4. Expert

Show your audience that you’re a thought leader in your field and have valuable knowledge to share.

5. Trusted

Display to people why they can trust you and what sets you apart from other businesses in the industry.

6. Unbeatable

Let customers know that no one can beat you when it comes to quality, cost, or service.

7. Affordable

Show people what you offer is not just a good value. It’s also affordable.

8. Cutting-edge

Describe how your product or service is unique, advanced, and ahead of the curve compared to others in the industry.

9. Transformative

Show how your product or service can help positively change people’s lives.

10. Exclusive

Give customers a reason to choose you, such as exclusive offers and discounts not available elsewhere.

11. Essential

Show people why your product or service is essential to have and use in their everyday lives.

12. Proven

Demonstrate that your product or service has been proven to work, with research and customer testimonials as evidence.

13. Unrivaled

Let customers know you have no competition regarding quality, cost, or service.

14. Guaranteed

Assure customers that what you offer is backed by a guarantee so they know they can trust you.

15. Remarkable

Show your audience why your product or service is remarkable and stands out.

These 15 marketing power words will help ensure that your print materials make a significant impact and grab the attention of your target audience. Use them to create compelling copy that resonates with readers and helps you succeed in your marketing efforts. The result? A stronger presence in the marketplace!

Need some inspiration for your next print project? That’s what we’re here for! Contact us today to get started on your next print marketing initiative.

How to Do a Direct Mail Marketing Campaign on a Budget

How to Do a Direct Mail Marketing Campaign on a Budget

Even with a tight budget, you can still run a direct mail marketing campaign with a great return on investment (ROI).

If you focus your campaign, design the mail well, and perfect your mailing list, investing in direct mail can be a wise choice for your company’s budget.

Here are five steps to ensure your direct mail is effective while sticking to an affordable budget.

Step 1: Choose the right product or promotion to market

It’s best to start crafting your marketing campaign with a specific goal.

Your company can use direct mail marketing for advertising a new product, a popular service, or even an update or improvement that you’ve made.

Promoting something specific that will interest most of the public is wisest. Considering this will help your marketing dollars further increase the likelihood of people taking action after seeing your print marketing materials.

Step 2: Refine your target audience

80% of consumers are more likely to purchase after seeing an advertisement that they feel is relevant.

Thus, advertising to only a specific subgroup of potential customers can help keep your direct marketing budget low while getting you the best possible ROI.

Understand the demographic of most of your customers so that you can seek out and target more prospective customers with your direct mail marketing.

Step 3: Use mailing promotions to keep costs down

Direct mail postage doesn’t have to drain your company’s budget!

Make sure to research different options available to you since your mail is part of a marketing campaign.

Multiple mailing services like USPS offer discounts for companies sending out ads in bulk. Take advantage of these deals; they could help you save up to 4% of your company’s direct mail cost.

Step 4: Create a straightforward message

If you want your company’s direct mail marketing to be effective and cost-efficient, it needs to elicit a response from the consumer.

The best way to do this is to include a clear call to action (CTA) within your ads. Time-sensitive offers and coupons are a great way to hook prospective customers. Make sure to include contact details so the customer can connect immediately.

Your CTA could be anything- asking the customer to send a reply, use a coupon, buy a product, or visit a website. As long as it’s simple and engaging, it has a bigger chance of increasing your ROI.

Step 5: Track your responses.

If you’re spending your company’s budget on a direct mail campaign, you want to see what works and what you could do differently next time to improve results.

Include a unique QR code or personalized URL on your print ads that will send customers to a designated webpage and allow you to track responses. Then look at the sales made and the number of coupons used to adjust your campaign so that your money is only being spent on the most effective ads.

Contact us today to help you craft the perfect message, design the most compelling visuals, and make the most of your print marketing dollars!

6 Ways to Combine Print and Email Marketing

6 Ways to Combine Print and Email Marketing

What does your marketing plan look like? Does it include print marketing? What about email marketing?

An approach that combines print and digital marketing, like email, is best to get optimal results for any marketing campaign. Don’t forget to include these critical elements in your marketing lineup!

Here are six ways to utilize this multi-channel approach to make your marketing dollars go further.

6 Ways to Combine Print and Email Marketing

1. Reiterate Your Message

Use email to reiterate what you say in your printed pieces.

That way, you will catch their attention no matter their preferred medium.

2. Try Teasers

Send teasers through email, promoting your direct mail that is coming.

Use this technique to announce a big sale or event. Then when your direct mail is delivered, they can get more information about what you are offering them.

Provide a digital coupon on your direct mailer or give direct mail recipients a unique promo code to redeem an online offer.

3. Get More Subscribers

If someone is on your direct mail list but not on your email list, inform them about your email newsletter by print and ask them to join it. Encourage this action by offering a special deal, e.g., free shipping, or a freebie, e.g., a digital download, if they subscribe.

4. Consider QR Codes

You can use QR codes in print marketing to send the customer to a landing page.

For example, one where they can subscribe to your email newsletter. Link QR codes in your print marketing to make sign-up easy. QR codes can also direct customers to make a phone call, watch a video, or download an app.

5. Make Communications Personal Across Channels

Technology allows you to personalize both print and email marketing efforts, and doing it across marketing channels shows your consumers that you know them. You can use Variable Data Printing to create variations in text, colors, graphics, and images of printed materials based on the recipient. Many email newsletter platforms also allow you to personalize communications using first names and other information stored in your database. You can further tie the two together using personalized URLs (PURLs). When added to print pieces and emails, PURLs direct customers to landing pages that are highly targeted and customized to them.

6. Create a Print Newsletter

Use email communication to promote short tidbits of what you will discuss in your printed piece. Get their juices flowing and pique their curiosity. When you combine technology with proven direct mail, your efforts are doubled, and you are more likely to reach your target audience and capture their attention. You will reach them where they are—either online or through the mail. Tangible mail is overlooked today, but it’s important because people like to hold things in their hands. Direct mail provides a physical object more likely to be read than a mass email ad.

No matter what, we will help your printed piece get noticed. Check us out today!

9 Solid Ways to Combine Digital and Print to Boost Your Campaign

9 Solid Ways to Combine Digital and Print to Boost Your Campaign

Contrary to popular opinion, print is not dead, and it remains an integral part of marketing and advertising.

Today, you can’t rely solely on digital ads to increase customer traffic. Likewise, you can’t just rely on old-school advertising to do the job.

Writing words on paper is tactile and fun to hold. It also creates a feeling of value that a pop-up ad can’t do. Paper is something that has to be reckoned with. You can’t just turn a blind eye. You have to physically throw it away–after reading it.

Once it’s your customers’ hands, you have the advantage of grasping their attention. Be forthcoming about what you are selling or trying to call their attention to.

Using high-quality paper and fine print can give the impression of prestige and quality, and with the physical item in your hands, it is way more engaging for readers than an email or a pop-up.

Digital helps expand on the conversation you started with the customer. It allows for more information to be shared, and it’s interactive in that the customer can click for more information on your website.

So, if you take the best aspects of each marketing tool, you will see the difference compared to running a solely digital or print campaign.

9 Solid Ways to Combine Digital and Print to Boost Your Campaign

1. QR Code

Use a QR code to link to your digital platform.

This is a quick and easy way to get the most out of your advertising.

2. Include Your Web Address

Add your website to the printed pieces.

This way, the customer instantly knows how to get more information or contact you. You can even create a specific landing page for the campaign.

3. Exclusive content

Advertise exclusive content within your print pieces to gain new followers on a specific social platform.

4. Social Media

Use your social media to obtain customer information so you can send on-target materials to them.

5. Giveaway

Advertise a giveaway on your printed piece and include a QR code or URL that takes the consumer to a page where they can redeem the gift.

6. Colors

When combining print and digital efforts, give them a cohesive look by using the same colors and fonts.

7. Campaign Tracking

Add a UTM or Urchin Tracking Module to the web address or QR code that you put on your print campaign.

A UTM is a simple text code that can be added to any URL or webpage to generate Google Analytics data.

8. Hashtags

Printing specific hashtags on materials is yet another way to funnel all marketing channels toward a single campaign.

Indiana University used this approach with newly-admitted college students by including the hashtag #IUSaidYes on their acceptance letter packages.

9. Augmented Reality

Use an augmented reality code in your print advertising to stand out more.

This high-tech tactic tracks the results through the code and can also boost your online presence. These two together are unstoppable.

When it comes to marketing, combining digital and print will help boost your campaign and reach the right audience.

When it comes to print marketing, we are here to help your marketing dollars go further! Contact us today.