Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Promises to Keep



In his classic poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Robert Frost speaks of taking a moment to watch the snow collect on the trees along a dark lane, presumably on his way to somewhere important. He closes with these lines:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
As business professionals, we all struggle at times with similar feelings, conflicts, and doubts. We may want to stop for a moment in the middle of a busy day to enjoy a mental break, but in the back of our minds (or even the front sometimes), we can't shake the nagging sense that we should be focusing instead on the work that lies ahead.

Like the narrator in Frost's poem, we, too, have promises we must keep -- commitments we've made to customers, vendors, employees, colleagues, family members, and friends. That can often mean long days, sleepless nights, and not a lot of extra time to watch snow falling on trees.

In our drive to stay ahead, we often miss the forest entirely -- distracted by the hundreds of tiny details that make up our days.

That's not to say our promises aren't important. Quite the contrary. In business, our word is what ultimately matters most to our customers, shareholders, vendors, and employees. Failing to keep our commitments can have dire consequences for our companies and our reputations.

But there's also something to be said for taking the time to stop and look around. A small mental break might help to spark a bold new thought or rekindle a flame burnt out by trying to get too much done in far too little time.

Such moments are important to our own well being and to the health of our companies. They can't come at the expense of getting things done, but they should come more frequently than many of us allow.

So as you go about managing your business, take some time to notice the little things around you. Like the fall of snow on the trees that line the path that wanders through your day.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with promises by marketing with print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

An Important Business Lesson You can learn from an 8-Year-Old Girl

There's something undeniably different about this time of year -- an almost palatable sense of wonder, excitement, joy, and possibility not always seen in our everyday routine.

Amid the hustle and bustle of shopping, planning, and reconnecting with family and friends, we often find ourselves thinking back to seasons past -- and forward to the future with renewed energy and hope.

For a few weeks each December, we're willing to suspend disbelief and imagine the possibility of what we cannot see.

New York Sun writer Francis Church shared his thoughts on this very subject more than a century ago. "The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see," Church wrote. "Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world."
Church addressed his commentary to Virginia O'Hanlon, an eight-year-old girl who had posed a very simple question: Is there a Santa Claus?
While intended to quell the fears of a questioning child, Church's words could just as easily apply to each of us in business today. 


Like young Virginia, we, too, find ourselves in doubt sometimes -- unsure whether we should trust the instincts that have taken us this far. In Virginia's case, those doubts were fueled by "little friends" who told her Santa Claus was not real. For us, those "friends" often manifest themselves internally as a quiet, yet nagging voice that assures us we'll find safety in convention and by taking the road more traveled.

And so, like Virginia, we need an occasional reminder that seeking the unseeable and trusting the unknowable can lead to places many would consider unattainable.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with creative possibilities please visit www.printingartspress.com

Friday, December 20, 2013

Printing Arts Press wins MAME & Print Excellence Awards






Printing Arts Press is proud to have been awarded a Marketing and Merchandising Excellence (MAME) Award by the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio honoring the top achievers in the new home industry: Best Print Newsletter. “We’re proud to have designed and printed the winning newsletter entry from start to finish” said Chuck Gherman, General Manager. According to Linda Winrod, Marketing & Membership Sales Director, sales and marketing award winners cross all BIA membership ranks.

Printing Arts Press is also proud to announce it was awarded three Silver PIANKO Print Excellence Awards for Annual Reports, Newsletters and Calendars. “We are especially proud of the Annual Report as it demonstrated the use of Environmentally Sound Materials” explained Chuck Gherman. Each year, Printing Industries of Ohio and Northern Kentucky holds its Print Excellence Awards Competition to reward Ohio and northern Kentucky printers that demonstrate excellence in 34 categories judged by 3 out of state experts.

“Winning a Print Excellence Award is the mark of true craftsmanship by leaders in our industry.” said Association president Jim Cunningham. “This type of recognition is more about our valued customers than it is for us,” comments Chuck Gherman, “The most relevant equipment available today, integrated with some of the finest craftspeople in the industry created this recognition for our work.”



About Printing Arts Press — For over 65 years, from creative design to marketing to printing publications, books, postcards, envelopes, manuals or brochures and mailing services we’re able to meet our central Ohio clients’ printing and mailing needs, generating time and cost savings while innovating tried and true tactics for growing their business.

For more information, please contact — Chuck Gherman, General Manager at Printing Arts Press and Central Ohio Advisory Board Chairman of PIANKO, 740-397-6106, Mount Vernon, Ohio.

About the BIA —Since 1943, the Building Industry Association (BIA) has represented family homebuilders, suppliers and service professionals throughout our region.

About Printing Industries Association —PIANKO is an affiliate of the national Printing Industries of America, the largest graphic arts association in the world. For complete information on PIANKO and PIA, please visit www.printing.org.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with creative possibilities please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

How You can Market Your Organization with Community Care Marketing


If your business is looking for a creative way to increase name recognition and drive business, while at the same time giving back to your community and contributing to the common good, here are a few rewarding ideas to try:

  • Distribute exclusive coupons for customers who bring a canned food donation to support the local food shelf.
  • Post flyers at local organizations and sponsor a unique donation drive, such as "coats for kids" or "toys for tots."
  • Team with a local shelter, hospital, or church to organize a giving tree, and encourage customers to take a tag and donate items to those in need.
  • Find ways to encourage customers to participate in your goodwill efforts. For example, you could run a campaign such as "10 percent of all sales in December will be donated to XYZ charity."
  • Create name recognition by volunteering as a team at local non-profit organizations and by sponsoring local charitable events.

The holidays may be right around the corner, but it's never too late to make an impact in your community. You can easily use a mix of print media (posters, flyers,  postcards, statement stuffers, etc.), social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), email marketing, and word of mouth to spread the word quickly. Think the Christmas season is sneaking up too fast? Create a New Year's campaign or a "giving hearts" campaign for Valentine's Day. The options are endless.

And remember, while our hearts go out to others during the holiday season more than any other time, there are always those who are less fortunate than we are and will appreciate our help throughout the year. If you make community caring campaigns a regular part of your marketing, your contributions and goodwill will surely come full circle, benefiting your business and the people who work for you.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with community care marketing please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

How You can use the Law of Reciprocity to Advance Your Business

In social psychology, reciprocity refers to the natural human tendency to want to return a favor -- to give back after someone has shown generosity to you. You've no doubt experienced such times in your own life, when you've felt such a sense of appreciation for a kindness done that you felt inclined to respond in kind. That's what reciprocity is all about.


Giving to Give -- and Build Relationships

Of course, there is another type of reciprocity -- one born more from a sense of obligation than appreciation. But that first type (the one inspired by an act of generosity) offers a far more valuable return on the good deed done. Why? By inspiring feelings of goodwill, this type of reciprocity makes the recipient much more likely to return the favor willingly, rather than through a sense of duty. Why is this important to your overall business success? Because the person who reciprocates willingly will be much more likely to stick around to continue the relationship long-term.

Giving to Get -- and Build the "Bottom Line"

The reciprocity that's based on duty and obligation is less effective because it creates feelings of unease in the recipient -- the same sort of feelings you get from owing a debt. This type of reciprocity makes people feel as if they are being pressured, or even coerced, into reciprocating.

When you give to get, it's like tying a string to the gift and continually pulling it back toward you, rather than releasing your hold on it and giving it away free and clear. This type of reciprocity isn't true reciprocity at all, since it doesn't inspire the other person to want to return the favor. As a result, it will only create resistance in your prospect, a situation that's usually counterproductive to your marketing efforts and your long-term business goals.

5 Ways to Use Reciprocity to Advance Your Business

Here are five suggestions for creating genuine, positive reciprocity in your prospects, customers, or clients:

1. Offer something for free -- with no strings attached. Giving a small gift every now and then can be a great way to say thanks to your customers for their business and their loyalty. If you do this without asking for anything in return, you may be surprised at the goodwill you build over time. Gestures like these are never wasted, even though they may not seem to be making a difference. Sincere generosity increases your customers' esteem for your business, which makes them eager to return.

2. Go the extra mile for your customer. Spend a little extra time helping a customer solve a problem. Take a moment to pass along some helpful information you come across that relates to your client's business (B2B) or your customer's interest, need, or profession (B2C). Doing something unexpectedly nice shows your customers you value them as individuals and not just as your key to profits.

3. Make things right whenever a customer is dissatisfied. This is another way to demonstrate how much you value your customers, making them enthusiastic about buying from you again despite their initial dissatisfaction. Their respect for you will grow in direct proportion to the amount of empathy, patience, professionalism, and generosity you show when such sensitive issues occur -- particularly when they are upset and reacting with impatience themselves.

4. Treat both customers and prospects as if they matter. Courtesy, friendliness, and respect will go a long way toward creating loyal long term customers who will become the best advertisement for your brand. By making your service as personalized as you can, you tell your customer, "You are important."

5. Offer your website visitors helpful information at no charge. By attracting people to your website with the promise of value added content, you'll soon become the go to source for the answers they need, and they'll value you, as well.

Try the above five tips to start laying the groundwork for the reciprocity that's sure to follow.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with ways to market with reciprocity please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

How you can Produce Stellar Ad Copy in the Digital Era

These days, the Internet has asserted its ubiquity on everything from social media and e-commerce to the way consumers communicate and get information. That said, printing and paper based marketing are still strong -- and that's not about to change anytime soon. In this context, it's either you adapt your ad copy to a mix of printing and digital or see your business fall by the wayside.

We don't want that last part, do we?









Here are a few key items to consider as you gradually reshuffle your mixture of print and electronic copy.

Understand the cross device reality

The first thing to understand is the notion of "cross-device" reality. That means your ad content must be accessible and sharable across devices as diverse as personal computers, tablets, smartphones, and notebooks, as well as on the printed page. For example, if you produce a sales letter you plan to mail and make accessible online, make sure you also make it readable on mobile devices. Specialists call this "responsive design," meaning you optimize your content to be viewable on all types of devices.

Don't forget shrink proof paragraphs

Create shorter paragraphs to prevent the shrinkage that typically happens when you move from one browser to another or from a desktop to a smartphone or tablet. Believe it or not, a six or seven line paragraph on a desktop computer might appear fuzzy on a handheld device, turning it into an unreadable chunk that could only confuse and exacerbate your prospects and customers. So make your paragraphs concise and straight to the point. Ideally, you'll want to limit yourself to around 250-400 characters. If possible, you can even adopt the "Twitter rule" and make the paragraph less than or equal to 140 characters.

Speak to the device

Marketers always say it's all about content, content, content. It may be time to start thinking device, device, device. But remember that good old paper based copy doesn't come with device compatibility constraints. That's one reason experts continue to recommend non-electronic promotion as an added tactic. For electronic messaging, though, it's imperative to consider your audience and the various devices they use to access it.

For example, someone checking your ad copy on a smartphone could be at a party or on their way home. Conversely, promotional content you send via desktop email will be read by consumers at work, home, school, and so forth. You get the point. The reader can't be on the go with their PC. The issue of device compatibility is so important that even Google has spoken about it. The bottom line: adapt your ad copy to your target audience, their preferences, and the devices on which they're more likely to read your ad copy.

Love modularity

Make your ad copy modular. You won't regret it. Modular text is content that is not clearly stated in the initial ad copy, but that unfolds when the user shows interest in it or explores it. For example, say you run a fashion e-commerce portal and are running a campaign offering discounts on shoes. You can place modular content next to the footwear, so shoppers interested in, say, matching pants and shirts can buy these items as well.

Heed the power of structure

Structure is very important when it comes to producing stellar ad copy. The buzzword in the industry is content choreography, meaning the way you embed things like text, audio, video, and infographics into your content. You can structure your ad content the way you want, but make sure you keep three key things in mind: a clear description of your product or service; benefits or added value; and a call to action.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with ad copy in the digital era please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

6 Ways You can Ramp Up Your Referral Marketing

It's no secret that one of the best ways to grow a business is through strong referrals. Whether these referrals come to you through a system you have in place or because of the solid reputation your business has built over the years, each referral is a precious gift. You have one chance to turn this opportunity into a client who will in turn refer others to your business.



If you drop the ball in some way, not only will you lose this chance for new business, but you could also discourage others from referring business to you. Therefore, you must handle these warm leads with extreme care. Here are six key steps to consider as you guide a referral into becoming a real customer.

1. Respond quickly. Nothing will stop a referral process faster than slow response and showing a lack of urgency in communication. Lead360 conducted a study of 25 million data points which showed that successful conversion rates are 391% higher when a lead is called back within a minute, 120% within two minutes, 98% within three minutes, 62% in under thirty minutes, and 36% in under an hour. Clearly calling back and following up with referrals quickly is the first and most important part of the process.

2. Gather information and qualify. Once contact has been made, it's time to gather any necessary information to make sure there's a good fit between what the referral is looking for and what you can provide. Having relevant, open ended questions to ask will help you find what you're looking for while at the same time establishing your expertise in helping solve client problems. This is the time to develop insight into the scope of the opportunity and key factors.

3. Be the expert. Once you've established that the referral is a good fit for your business, it's time to do your homework. You must spend a little time to learn about the referral's business. The more you learn about what your prospect is looking to solve, the better you can prepare a solution. This in turn will position you as the expert who took the time to present a customized solution when your competitors offered a generic, cookie cutter bid.

4. Make your offer stand out. The best way to make your offer stand out is by adding value. People like to buy, but they don't like to be sold to. You can add value and help your offer stand apart by helping a referral evaluate your capability and see their problem clearer. Relevant, simple, and insightful information that helps your prospect will lead them to buy much more readily than if they feel they are being sold to.

5. Create a powerful experience. Turning a referral into a client can be as simple as contacting them quickly with information they're seeking. However, the real secret to make them truly want to do business with you on a consistent basis is to create a "wow" experience.  Your "wow" experience doesn't have to be complex. Building it can be as simple as:

  • Responding to inquiries within 30 minutes
  • Offering a small gift or thank you note for contacting you
  • Sending a small gift or thank you to the person who made the referral
  • Delivering a professionally prepared, customized solution with clear information
  • Following up after the sale to answer any questions
  • Being persistent without being a pest

6. Use technology
. As great as your memory may be, relying on the old pen-and-paper system is just asking for trouble. The way to truly systematize the referral process is by using a CRM system that can help you track your referrals. Determine if the software will help you give the prospects the experience you set in your action plan. But remember that technology can only go so far. Sure, it can help you manage the referrals, but converting those leads into customers takes the human touch that only you can provide.

Turning referrals into customers is not an act of magic or accomplished through luck. It's done by developing an action plan and by implementing the plan. Keep track, stay organized, and monitor the process. Referral marketing can be a gift that keeps on giving, but only if it's treated with the care and respect it deserves.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with referral marketing please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Educating Your Way to Sales

Your target audience is being bombarded by sales and marketing messages every day. Some estimates state that a person is exposed to more than 3,500 messages on average every single day! No wonder we develop strategies to filter out the hype and all the noise so we can get our work done. Otherwise our days would be consumed with sales presentations and various pitches to buy something.




This constant barrage of marketing has taken a toll on salespeople, too. Traditional sales methods that once worked well have been losing traction and are not effective anymore. But you still need to sell - and you need to get your message across to your prospects. How can you do that without alienating them at the same time? One way to do that is to educate and help your prospects instead of simply selling them.

Educating your audience with relevant and useful information that will help them make a more informed buying decision allows you to establish yourself and your company as an expert who provides value before ever asking for a sale.

Establishing trust in this manner brings respect. Trust and respect open the way for your prospects to listen. Listening gives you access to valuable time your prospects reserve for those they believe will not waste it with hype and useless pitches.

To decide what kind of information your prospects find useful, you need to put yourself in their shoes. Developing a buyer persona on your most ideal prospects lets you get insight into the information, ideas, and advice that could make a positive difference in their lives and actually help in their decision-making process.

Selling is not a bad thing. Short-term thinking while selling, however, is not sustainable selling. Long term selling is about nurturing, gaining trust, and establishing rapport. Doing this will lead not only to a first sale but also to a relationship that will garner repeat sales and referrals.

Establishing a strategic sales funnel allows you to introduce your products and services as a solution to a prospect's problem at the appropriate time. Nurturing relationships will lead to sales more naturally and organically, instead of taking a straight, forced path with a low chance of making a quick close.

One great example of this can be seen by walking into any Apple retail store. From the moment you walk in, the Apple employees are trained to educate you about the products in the store. No pushy salespeople. They actually want you to touch and test all the products on display. In the back of the store, the "Genius Bar" provides technical help and in depth training to encourage users to use Apple products. This in turn leads to more sales. Over 50,000 people visit the "Genius Bar" every day, and the majority who have used the services state that they are more likely to buy another Apple product as a result.

Educating your prospects and your customers is a long term business sales strategy. It requires some time and resources. But if it is done well, the results will far outweigh the costs.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with content marketing please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

How Direct Mail Grows your Business in a MultiMedia World

Marketing fads come and go. Marketers today have a bewildering array of choices never seen before. Consequently, busy business owners don't always know who to listen to in order to find what is working most effectively right now. Everyone can claim their systems and tools are the secret to a never ending stream of prospects and customers.


Exploring Direct Mail For Your Business

Have you noticed that many of the Internet companies (like Google, among others) have been increasingly turning to direct mail to advertise their services? The reason is that old school direct mail worked long before the Internet and has been working for smart marketing in businesses all along. It just happened not to be the flavor of the day, thereby not getting much attention.

Now that the furor and publicity surrounding the "free" aspect of social media marketing has settled into the reality that free doesn't necessarily equal real customers, smart marketers are looking for real campaigns that result in real customers.

Living Together in Harmony

Leveraging one proven marketing channel is great, but taking advantage of two or more is better. As effective as one channel may be, you limit the potential impact when using a single platform. With an integrated marketing strategy, you position yourself to maximize the real potential of your campaign.

The truth is that direct mail can still deliver real results when done correctly. In fact, direct mail works even better when coupled with email marketing and Internet marketing. When coupled with other channels, direct mail has the capacity to be even more targeted, personalized, and effective than when any of these channels are implemented alone.

To make this work and deliver results, it's very important that the messaging and branding be consistent across all the channels you use. The logo, tag line, messaging, design, and colors used in one campaign should be reinforced across all media to generate stronger results and a more powerful impression. Consistency allows each campaign to feed off the other and deliver a bigger bang for the investment.

This is how big brands are able to leverage the power of multimedia messaging. Today, with the availability of affordable, short-run digital printing, you don't need a large budget. It's realistic and available for businesses of all sizes.

New Customer Campaigns

An example of a campaign that works extremely well is a new customer campaign. Nothing shows appreciation like a nicely designed, professional looking direct mail piece delivered to your new customer soon after they become a client. People know that an email costs nothing to send but that a direct mail piece has a real cost.

Now you can follow that up with some informative emails to educate your new customer about how you can help them solve their problems. In the emails and direct mail pieces, ask your new customer to also connect with your brand on social media. Now you can further develop a bond with your new customer by sharing your values and core messages across all media.

Marketing success is about momentum. An integrated, multidimensional campaign, implemented consistently throughout the year, keeps the marketing ball rolling forward. This allows your business to be fresh on prospects' minds when they're ready to buy. The more consistent your brand, marketing message, and integrated approach, the better your results will be.

Your customers consume information in different ways. You can't guess or assume one is better than another. Showing up in the physical mailbox, in their email inbox, and on the web assures that your brand is leaving no stone unturned. Having an integrated marketing strategy assures your business will be seen and heard. If just showing up is half the battle, then implementing this multidimensional approach is your call to action to make yourself ready for new customers on the business battlefield.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations be competitive please visit www.printingartspress.com

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Your Competition Wants Your Customers

Competition is a part of business life. Some would argue that competition forces businesses to strive to get better at what they do for the fear of losing customers to rivals. Losing a few customers periodically is inevitable. However, losing too many (especially your best customers) must be avoided at all costs.


For most businesses, the top 20% of their customers account for 80% (or more) of their profits. While much thought and strategy typically go into bringing in new customers, not enough is spent on retaining existing customers. That's where the real gold lies.

It may be a little uncomfortable to think that some of your best customers might be looking at making a change, but it's something you must consider if you want to avoid having it become a reality. Everyone talks about taking care of their customers, but in many instances that's a phrase not truly backed up with action. To build a fence around your customers and keep them far away from the prying arms of your competitors, you mus truly care, protect, and guide them.



Gather customer feedback on an ongoing basis.
Most businesses put a lot of hard work into getting a new customer. But after they become a customer, little effort is put into nurturing that relationship. A customer should never be taken for granted.

It's easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day operation of your business and lose touch with what's happening outside your doors in the marketplace. Phone calls and emails to customers can be a great way to communicate and stay connected. But to do it on a large scale can be unrealistic. Informative company newsletters and surveys can help keep your customers up-to-date and give them a way to express their needs and concerns. These efforts can provide an early warning system to catch a customer jumping ship before it happens.

Tell them what you do.

Your competitors will do anything to steal your customers, including promising the moon. You know that some of these are false claims or teasers to get their foot in the door. Some of your customers may not know that. Your job is not only to provide a great product and service but also to continually remind customers about the value you provide that your competitors can't match. If you don't tell them, no one else will either.

Informing your customers through educational marketing content is a powerful way to keep them engaged while differentiating your company as one that truly cares about their success (not just your own).

Where are the weaknesses?

To help plug the holes in your business, start thinking about things from your competitors' point of view. After all, they're always looking for any weaknesses they can exploit, so you should, too. That way, you can shore up your weak spots before they get out of hand and, in the process, strengthen your position in the marketplace.

To discover your weaknesses, talk with your customers. Ask them about the areas you could improve. Stay up-to-date with industry trends that could create a possible gap in your defenses, too. You can't buy every bit of technology as soon as it hits the market, but you can stay informed so you can address concerns with your customers when they arise. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Be proactive in your customer communication.

"There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." ~ Sam Walton, Wal-Mart

Customer retention starts with providing great service and value. Getting to the top is hard work, but staying there requires just as much effort. Being aware of the competition while shoring up the weak areas in your business can go a long way in helping keep your customers coming back.

Monopolies and the lack of competition aren't in anyone's best interest. Keeping your best customers satisfied is. Use competition as a motivating factor to continually improve your services. Communicating with and showing appreciation for your customers will give you an invisible force field to keep the competition out of your backyard.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations be competitive please visit www.printingartspress.com

Monday, November 4, 2013

Why You Need Rituals in Your Business

If you've been in your business for any length of time, you've probably fallen into a routine set of habits that take up parts of every day.

The dictionary defines a habit as "an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary." Sound familiar?

You probably arrive at your office a certain time every day, maybe turn off the alarm, turn on the lights, make coffee, power up the computer, check emails, and so on. Some of these habits are positive, and some are negatives you're trying to overcome.

These habits are often random and don't require much thought or deliberate action. They blend into the day to day fabric of life.



A ritual is something quite different than a habit. A ritual is deliberate (not random) and carries with it a deeper meaning. A ritual is an act carried out on purpose with full consciousness that has a real reason behind it.

A parent reading to a child every night is a deliberate ritual that has meaning. The child will always remember it, and the act will help develop a love for books that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In our business world, we fall into habits. Some of the habits are unavoidable. To make a positive impact and institute real change, we need to add some rituals to our daily lives.

In the business world, there are two places where rituals can have a major impact: customers and employee relationships. Developing positive rituals for addressing both camps is crucial to success.

Harvey MacKay, the author of Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, owned an envelope printing company. Mr. MacKay grew a bankrupt company into a $100 million enterprise by developing a ritual of learning more about his prospects, customers, and employees than any of his competitors did. 

He eventually developed a ritual that was the key to his success. This ritual involved compiling highly detailed customer profiles consisting of 66 questions covering every aspect of their lives -- from business to personal, family to social, and everything in-between. He made it a mission to learn as much as he could about the people who did business with his company.

"Knowing something about your customer is just as important as knowing everything about your product." ~ Harvey MacKay

One of the common characteristics of successful people in many walks of life is their keen observational skills. They study the people around them, noticing qualities and human nature. Some of us, unfortunately, walk around with our eyes half closed while performing mindless habits.

Three Elements of a Ritual

When - What time are you going to act?
Where - Where will this happen?
How - In what manner will this occur?

Meaningful rituals can have a real and positive effect in our lives. The kind of ritual you need will depend on the type of impact and change you hope to make. Success depends on action. Select one meaningful ritual you will institute now. That one ritual could be the difference between dreading another day of mindless habits versus looking forward to a day of making a difference in the world.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations please visit www.printingartspress.com

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The One Important Lesson From Harry Potter

J.K. Rowling is the British author of the popular Harry Potter fantasy book series. A net worth of more than a billion dollars makes her one of the richest women in Great Britain (richer than the Queen!).

In a recent interview, Rowling revealed an interesting fact about the series. She was rejected 12 times by publishers before finally getting her book accepted. Yet, even though her first book had not been accepted, she still did something that many never do: She knew exactly what the ending of the series would be.

Rowling wrote the final chapter of the final book in her series, so she knew how the series and the story would end. That helped lead her to logically fill in all the plot lines and action sequences to get to the conclusion.



"Start with the end in mind." ~ Stephen R. Covey
In our business and personal lives, we rarely know what the end game should be or what it would look like, as clearly as J.K. Rowling did with her Harry Potter story. As a result, it's not surprising that businesses struggle and projects go sideways.

The lack of goals or the desire to get things done are typically not to blame. Instead, the culprit and missing ingredient is most likely a clear vision of what the ending will be.

In a business ownership example, that might mean knowing the exit plan of selling the business. In managing a project, it might mean knowing exactly what the finished product will look like. In a weight loss example, it might mean knowing what you want the new you to look and feel like.

Human Nature

Human nature is the common quality of all human beings. People behave according to certain specific principles of human nature. Whether leading a company, a group, or even ourselves, we need to understand what motivates and moves us to the end goal.

Every January, every week, and every day, goals are set by wonderful people with the best of intentions. Yet only a dismal percentage of these lofty (or even mundane) goals are ever accomplished. This often leads to abandonment of dreams and higher aspirations.

The desire to do what it takes is not something that's easily manufactured. Great leaders know how to lead movements, nations, and countries by tapping into human psychology in ways that others don't. These leaders know that real action, progress, and momentum only come when a highly desired end result is clearly laid out.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy presented a historic challenge to the people of the United States. He set a goal of putting a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth before the decade was over. His dramatic speech galvanized a whole nation and resulted in Neil Armstrong touching the lunar surface on July 20, 1969.

Steve Jobs had a clear vision for Apple and each of the products the company would roll out to revolutionize entrenched and established industries. There are numerous examples of other great leaders of companies, nations, and movements who made a big impact on society. The one common theme: they knew how to clearly articulate the vision and end result in ways that resonated.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." ~ Soren Kierkegaard 

J.K. Rowling sat in the coffee shops of England as a struggling single mother writing her Harry Potter stories. There were many things she could not have known about what the future would hold for her. But there was one thing she did know that drove her forward despite all the negativity and obstacles: how her story would end. Not everyone can write Harry Potter books, but we all can get much clearer about how our own stories should end. If we can do that, maybe there will be rewards much greater than the billion dollars J.K. Rowling has earned.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with content marketing please visit www.printingartspress.com

Monday, October 21, 2013

Be the Expert Your Customers Need

Many businesses thrive on the expertise of their owners, operators or managers. This is particularly true of small businesses, especially service businesses. A great way to increase your business volume and increase the perceived value of your products and services is to communicate your expertise within your community.



What Is Content Marketing?

A lot of people think content marketing is a new, revolutionary theory. Really, though, it's based on the age-old principles of customer service. As you know, your customers lack your expertise. Traditionally, customers would come to you for advice, just like you would go to your printer for advice. You would then give them the information they needed to buy the right products and services to solve their problems. As the provider of that information, you would also get the sale.

The Internet changed that. Fewer people are willing to go into a store to get the information they need. They're more likely to go online and seek out the answers to their questions. The information they want is available in the form of content. Content may be written or presented in an audiovisual form. That content is branded with the business identity of whoever created the content.

This is content marketing. If you're providing the content in your business area, then you'll be the person customers come to when they're ready to act on the information you provide. The key is branding your content and distributing it to your local audience.

How Does Content Marketing Help Your Business?

Your customers probably take your expertise for granted. Whether you style their hair or repair their appliances, the quality you provide to your customers is dependent on your expertise. Yet customers don't tend to notice unless the job is done poorly.

Imagine for a moment what could happen if these same customers understood the level of expertise you provide and actually valued your input. Imagine if you used your expertise to reveal product and service options your customers didn't realize were possible. Imagine who they'd come to in order to get what they wanted.

That's how content marketing helps your business. You not only have the opportunity to establish your expertise in the minds of your customers, but you also have the opportunity to establish new needs and wants in their minds. It's better than advertising or sales, because your customers don't feel pressured. Yet, from your perspective, the effect is the same, because you're the one they'll want to come to in order to get the expert service only you can provide.

How Do You Provide Content?

In order to use content marketing to establish your expertise, you need to create and brand content that will add value for your customers. Consider what you think your customers should know and then create the content that provides them with that information in an attractive and engaging way.

You don't even have to create the content yourself! There are businesses that specialize in creating content. You can find them pretty easily using the Internet. The key isn't who creates the content, but how it is branded and how it reflects your expertise.

Once your content is created, you have to distribute it to your customers. You can create a blog or a YouTube account and post your content online. You can use social media and e-mail to draw attention to your content. You could also create your own newsletter and mail or e-mail it directly to your customers. If you'd prefer to stick to print, you can use your content to create brochures, flyers, and booklets. Then, simply include your content when you mail invoices or other items.

The important thing is to get your content in the hands of your customers.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with content marketing please visit www.printingartspress.com

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Do You Have a Foot-In-The-Door Strategy?

There's an extremely powerful strategy to grow your business called the foot-in-the-door (FITD) strategy. FITD plays on psychology to get to the sale. This strategy works well because it gets past the prospect's natural resistance to being sold.

The process starts with getting a person to agree to a small request that doesn't take them outside their comfort zone. From there, you build up to larger requests and bigger yeses.




Savvy business owners, marketers, and salespeople have used FITD in one form or another for years, whether they have knowingly defined it that way or not. Some may refer to this strategy as a "loss leader." The difference is that a loss leader typically involves selling something, often at a very low price or below cost. Retail businesses have used loss leaders successfully for many years. FITD works best when the first offer is for something free.


Examples of FITD

If you've ever been to the mall food court around lunch or dinnertime, you'll often see savvy restaurant owners assign an employee to offer a small sample tasting of some of the food items on their menu. When passersby accept the sample and taste it, they've taken the first tiny step toward a possible yes.

One interesting side note with this example: Notice that the employees handing out the samples aren't going all around the mall or outside in the parking lot at various hours of the day. They pass out the samples to people walking through the food court at lunch or dinnertime. The marketing takeaway: offer your services to people who are most likely to need what you sell when they need it the most.

FITD has been used for many years by door-to-door salespeople in many industries, from the person offering to clean a dirty spot on the carpet to the days of the encyclopedia salesperson (remember those?) who would offer a free three book starter set.

Perhaps the most notorious example is from the timeshare industry. In exchange for 90 minutes of your time, the FITD offer is a free resort stay or perhaps Disney World tickets. Does it work? Billions of dollars in timeshares sold would seem to indicate a big yes. These techniques are meant to persuade and work extremely well. The danger comes from unscrupulous sellers who abuse the power.

FITD has been used in the pharmaceutical industry with enormous success. Pharmaceutical sales representatives leave samples of the drugs their companies sell with the appropriate doctors. The physicians in turn give their patients a free sample along with a prescription that will lead them to become a customer of the pharmaceutical industry.

What kind of FITD should you offer?

Your best FITD strategy should probably be not to "sell" anything at all. Only 2% of prospects are ready to buy at any time and less than 1% will typically buy anything on the first contact. Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal customer and ask yourself: What would I need (if I were a customer) to choose this company over the competition? What service or product can you use to let prospects 'test' you out that will put your best foot forward and help you make the best first impression?

Conclusion

The FITD strategy is an extremely powerful technique. If you're not currently using it or have used it in the past and forgotten about it, it's time to visit it again. Put together a plan to utilize FITD in your favor.

Selling successfully for the long term requires building trust with your prospects and even existing customers. The FITD strategy allows you to begin building that trust. But be careful. If it's done incorrectly or not done at all, then you may experience the door-in-the-face result which is what you want to avoid.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations get their foot in the door please visit www.printingartspress.com

Monday, October 14, 2013

How Success Breeds Confidence

Elon Musk is an entrepreneur who has been in the news recently but someone you may not know much about. He started his entrepreneurial career at the ripe old age of 12 by creating a simple video game and selling it for a profit.

Since that early success, he has gone on to found Paypal (the popular online payment system), Tesla Motors (the first viable production electric car), SpaceX (one of the largest space exploration companies in the world), and Solar City (one of the largest solar panel companies in the world).




So what was the key to his success? Early success. 

The victory Elon had with his video game was a small but important step for his success. Success changes your beliefs about what is possible. This belief creates a connection in the brain that helps you realize success really is possible.

Not everyone can be an Elon Musk, but we can all learn from him. His story teaches the importance of momentum. Momentum feeds off confidence. And confidence comes from actually accomplishing a goal. Confidence is the belief in your own ability to succeed at something.

Some claim that confidence comes from a mental state or a feeling inside, but it is actually a belief. Fake confidence can come from visualization, standing in front of the mirror and repeating over and over again how confident you are. But that kind of confidence has a tendency to dissipate quickly at the first sign of a roadblock or resistance.

True inner confidence, on the other hand, comes from knowing you can succeed. That can only come from having past successful experiences - like the 12-year-old Elon Musk and his video game.

Why is this important?

Because confidence (or lack thereof) affects many parts of your life including:
  1. Your Focus
  2. Your Persistence
  3. Your Motivation
  4. Your Performance
  5. The Goals You Set For Your Life
  6. How Willing Other People Are to Buy From You

The list can go on and on. Confidence has a big role in life.

So where does confidence come from, and where can you get more of it?

Confidence can come from being around supportive people who are successful. It can be as contagious as lethargy and negativity.

Confidence can be learned from a teacher or authority figure who has been where you want to go. It can be earned through mastering a skill or trade.

But the most important source of confidence comes from your past experiences. Ironically, confidence can even come from failures if those failures didn't stop the momentum of moving forward.

If you want to develop confidence in any area of your life, business or personal, your first objective should be to get your first success as quickly as possible. That first success will build confidence, motivation, and (most importantly) momentum for further success.

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." -Thomas A. Edison  

No one can know for certain what would have happened with Elon Musk if his early experiences in entrepreneurship had been failures, but one thing is certain. Elon took action and gained experiences that gave him momentum to build upon. That, in turn, earned him true confidence that anything is possible.

Ask yourself 

What steps do I need to take to gain quick successes toward my goal? Achieve one quick goal, and build momentum. Then let the successes begin piling up on top of one another to give you a store of strength you can always pull from. Be bold. Take action.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations stand out from the competition with confidence please visit www.printingartspress.com

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Beating Your Competitors Using Non-Conventional Marketing Tactics

If you're a small or midsized organization, you have a noise problem. There are so many ads out there that your potential customers just block them all out. This means that most marketing campaigns are just a visual form of white noise that people instinctively ignore. So your have to find a way to stand out and seize the attention of a jaded audience.  Unconventional marketing is not a choice; you have to be different if you want to beat your competitors.



Larger corporations have massive advertising budgets that allow them to flood the media and Internet. You don't have that luxury, but you do have another advantage.  You may have a smaller target customer base, but you also have a closer connection to them. You know what your customers want and what is important to them. That knowledge is something larger corporation spend thousands of dollars trying to get.

Your familiarity with your community must be the basis of any marketing push you do. The purpose of an unconventional marketing strategy is to seize the attention of your potential customers through surprise. But if your campaign annoys instead of pleasantly surprises, it will drive potential customers away. That's why using your knowledge of your community is so vital when building your campaign.

Another thing you should avoid is letting the ad overwhelm your brand. It's really easy to come up with a memorable ad, execute it well, and then have customers remember the ad but not the company that created it. Advertising works best when there's a clear connection between the content of the ad and the product you're trying to sell. This way, the content of the ad increases your brand's value.

With those warnings in mind, you should know that there are no standard unconventional marketing strategies; if something is standard, it's not unconventional. But there are some strategies that are a good starting point toward building an unconventional marketing plan.

For example, take advantage of local landmarks. Local landmarks are a great place to advertise because people see them every day. One way to really stand out is to use these natural focal points to get your brand's message out. A great example of this is Alteco Super Glue.  On a large bridge that had 155,000 cars pass over it daily, Alteco attached a large replica of one of its super glue tubes to one of the steel cable supports. This emphasized the strength of the glue, and the display received a lot of positive attention from the local media. The key to doing this right is to ensure that the ad doesn't offend your potential customers. As a result, it may be wise to avoid landmarks that have significant cultural or local meaning.

Going against convention is good. But it's not enough to be unique; you must always remember to build a relationship with potential customers with every ad you create.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations stand out from the competition please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Is Guerrilla Marketing Dead?

You may think guerrilla marketing is dead, but really it's evolved with the times. If you haven't done the same, then you need to take a leap forward to get the most impact from your marketing dollars.



What is Guerrilla Marketing?

Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing in 1984 with the release of his book, Guerrilla Advertising. In military terms, guerrilla refers to an unconventional form of warfare used by armed civilians, often against a force with superior numbers and weaponry. It relies on surprise, sabotage, and the ability to hide among a crowd. Guerrilla marketing is a take on advertising that uses similar tactics to gain attention.

The primary advantage of guerrilla marketing is its ability to increase a marketer's impact using less costly resources than traditional advertising. It relies on high energy, imagination, and ingenuity. The idea is to take your customers by surprise, make a lasting impression, and create the kind of buzz that gets people talking.

The following two examples will help you wrap your mind around this strategy:

1) A new, locally based beverage company posted creative flyers on light poles and other public structures all around town. These flyers looked more like graffiti than advertising. Nobody even knew what it was all about, but the images stayed in their minds. After approximately three months of bombarding the public with these images, a billboard was displayed which used the same images, but also identified the company and the product. A brand was created before anyone knew what the brand was for. This is guerrilla marketing.

2) Compare this to a strategy used by a national research organization. They created billboards and took out full-page magazine ads that compared a neurological disorder with child abduction. These fundraising advertisements included the organization's name and contact information. The shock factor backfired and complainants formed organized protests. This isn't guerrilla marketing. It's simply disrespectful and in poor taste. There is a difference.

How Has Guerrilla Marketing Evolved?

If you visit Jay's site, you'll see that guerrilla marketing is alive and well and evolving with the times. Guerrilla marketing is online - and you should be, too. Guerrilla marketing values permission based marketing strategies - and you should, too. Guerrilla marketing uses popular culture to make an impression - and you should, too. Guerrilla marketing emphasizes ethical communications that are also creative and unique. And that's exactly what you need!

When guerrilla marketing first became a hit, consumers were inundated with "professional" advertisements on television, radio, magazines, and newspapers. Now, it seems anywhere and everywhere we turn we encounter ads -- they're even in public restrooms! If we were numb before, we're deadened now.

Advertising and "traditional" marketing just doesn't have the impact it should for the dollars companies spend. And it's no wonder when there's so much advertising in so many places that it seems we never get a break from it. Guerrilla marketing breaks through all that clutter by being different. Not just different from your competitors, but different from its own past.

How Can You Use Guerrilla Marketing?

You can use guerrilla marketing to get the scattered attention of your target customers by becoming a bit more creative in the ways you reach out to them. Surprise them. Capture their interest. Offer something of real value.

Remember guerrilla warfare. You can't rush success. Guerrillas knew that. Civilians battling a superior force with superior arms would spend years, decades, even generations fighting for what they believed in with whatever means they had. Take a lesson from them.

First, know that your business is worth fighting for. Second, you won't win the success you want instantly. Third, you need to build your credibility with your target audience (i.e. the civilians you're saving), not with your competitors (i.e. the superior force).

With these three things in mind, break out of the marketing box you've fallen into and prioritize communicating with your customers. Surprise them with how helpful, genuine, and trustworthy you can be. Sabotage the competition by offering a better value with better intentions. Don't be afraid to blend in and mingle with your customers. After all, they are the only ones who really matter. Be one of them. Help them. Build a future with them.

This isn't a battle for sovereignty or freedom. It's a battle for the hearts and minds of your customers. The secret isn't a parlor trick or a timely fad. You can't take their trust. They have to give it to you. You have to earn your customers' trust. If you can do that, then you can evolve into the future with them right by your side.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations break out of the marketing box please visit www.printingartspress.com

Monday, September 23, 2013

Connecting Your Brand With Your Customers

No business starts with the mission of becoming run of the mill and ordinary. But somewhere along the way, after the excitement wears off and the daily routines take over, some businesses seem to lose their way.



Running and managing a business isn't for the faint of heart.


But the reality is that the customers of today want more than just a product or service. They want an experience. Simple delivery of goods and services may bring a customer in, but it takes more effort to turn that buyer into a steady client who will come back often.

Businesses that provide a way for the customer to feel like they're part of something special (and maybe even a little extraordinary) attract the kind of clients who not only return themselves but also refer others to enjoy the same level of service they loved.

People have a way of flocking to businesses that give them this type of unexpected experience.

Who wants to go somewhere ordinary when they can experience a business that makes them feel wanted and special? Most people expect average, so when they find a business that goes above and beyond, they don't need prompting to refer others.

Being different and offering an experience in addition to products and services doesn't have to be difficult. It only requires that you stand apart from your competitors. Sometimes all that takes are some simple tweaks.

Going above and beyond might be as simple as the presentation you make when you deliver your products and services. The Apple iPhone is just a smartphone. However, from the product announcement down to the packaging, the stage is set that you're about to experience something extraordinary.

How can you package what you sell in a way that sets you apart?


When you give your customers the expectation that they're part of something special (a fun company that makes them feel exclusive), then you've gone from an ordinary company with a logo to a brand that connects with its clients.

Customers connect with brands that make them feel special. The revenue and profits flow naturally when you can achieve that level of branding.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

Monday, September 16, 2013

New Media and Print: Like Peanut Butter and Jelly?

Some self appointed experts proclaim there's a vast difference between the brave new digital world and more traditional media like print. Although there are obvious differences in the way messages are delivered, fundamentally there are more similarities than it may seem.


At the core, it all revolves around communication. We are still trying to communicate the same things:
  • Persuading recipients to open our communication
  • Encouraging people to read our relevant messages
  • Convincing our target market to believe the point we are trying to get across
  • Driving people to take action on our message

There's no denying that the Internet has changed how we communicate. However, it would be a mistake to believe that digital should completely replace message delivery methods like print. As studies have shown, most people trust print more than email and social media. Anyone can send out a tweet, blast an email, or publish a Facebook post, but only legitimate businesses will invest the time and necessary resources to create a print campaign.

According to a recent survey, conducted by consumer research service E-Poll Market Research, consumers trust traditional media brands exponentially more than social media brands as these sites are starting to wear thin with consumers.

It's interesting to note a recent trend with many online retailers and other Internet based businesses using print advertising to drive visitors and sales to their websites. Even Google uses direct mail. Online and print work well together when there's a solid strategy in place.

One of the unfortunate side effects of the digital age has been the exponential increase of spam and junk aimed at businesses and consumers. The low cost barrier to entry has encouraged irrelevant messages to fill in boxes and clog the Internet with useless information. It turns out there is a cost to free.

The other negative side effect of digital delivery and the Internet has been to give equal footing to the useless and the idiotic. This makes the job of having your messages stand out even more difficult.

Whether you're writing an email, a web page, or social media posts, it's a struggle to be seen and heard above the massive onslaught of junk and spam in the digital wasteland of today. Ironically, the new additional marketing mediums of today have made it much harder, not easier to get your message across.

A recent report from the Web service PageFair said that on average 22.7 percent of visitors to 220 Web sites were using ad blocking software, which automatically removes most ads from a Web page. Eyeo claims over 200 million downloads of the software since it started offering Adblock in 2011.

Despite the issues, digital is here to stay. But print is not going away either as Vogue Magazine had its second biggest September issue ever this year. And for the first half of 2013, print magazines remain strong but digital editions only account for a mere 3.3% average of the total circulation, according to Alliance for Audited Media. There are strengths for both mediums. Smart businesses and marketers know that for any campaign to work as well as it can, there must be a combination of print and digital. 

Using print and digital together is a lot like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sure, you can have one without the other, but it tastes a lot better when you combine the two.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about how Printing Arts Press uses print and digital together please visit www.printingartspress.com

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Boost Your Marketing With Postcards

You probably get at least a few postcards in your mail every day. Have you noticed that you always look at the front and usually flip them over, too? Postcards are incredibly hard to resist because there's something compelling about that small, stiff card stock.

Postcards are experiencing a revival as marketers are rediscovering the powerful impact postcards can deliver. What's so great about postcards? Postcards have several advantages over many other marketing channels.




  1. Postcards are less expensive to print.
  2. They don't require envelopes or other inserts.
  3. Postcards provide an instant visual connection with the recipient.
  4. The limited space for copy and graphics forces you to get to the point quickly.
  5. Recipients don't set them aside to read later, leading to instant reaction.
  6. Postage is often lower than with other forms of direct mail.
  7. Postcards are great for personalization (with variable data printing - VDP).
  8. Postcards work very well in driving website traffic.
  9. Postcards are fantastic to use in a series sent over time to educate, engage, and drive sales.
  10. Graphics and copy are easier to create.
  11. Postcards work well for both short-run and larger-volume orders.
  12. Postcards make great appointment reminders, thank you notes, and follow-up cards.


Think of postcards as mobile mini billboards. They get your message across and can travel at very economical rates.

Of course, postcards do have some limitations. They're obviously not great for any type of promotion or campaign that needs lots of space for copy due to the size limitation. It's also not easy to generate direct sales with a postcard campaign. However, postcards are fantastic for creating awareness and generating sales leads. In fact, it's hard to beat postcards for economical lead generation campaigns.

Postcard Creativity

Postcards can be created in traditional sizes, as well larger sheet sizes. They can be die-cut with custom-size shapes in order to stand out and create attention. Postcards can be made from very thick card stocks, laminated, and even made from plastic stock. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Using Postcards

Direct mail is only one way to use this powerful marketing tool. You can also include postcards as part of a media or brand identity kit; as a promotional handout at trade shows and networking events; and as part of a sales letter insert.

Parents prefer Print Advertising for back to School promotions

When more than 12,000 U.S study participants (all smartphone users with at last one child) were asked which ways they prefer to receive back to school promotions, 46.3% said “print ads,” followed by “direct mail” (41.3%)  far ahead of social media (21.2%).*

The Resilience of Print 

As stated by MediaPost, “the resilience of print, both in ads and in direct mail, strongly suggests the importance of cross platform marketing plans for retailers. It also reminds everyone to keep emerging platforms in perspective. Consumers are omnichannel shoppers now. True, about 2 in 5 back to school shoppers planned to use their smartphones to compare prices while in store, the survey says, but that activity is just part of a more subtle multi-screen and traditional consideration cycle.” *

Marketing Takeaway

The humble postcard is a powerful counter measure to digital marketing. As more people are turned off by spam emails and other digital waste, they're paying more attention to postcards. Postcards have a higher read rate than many other marketing mediums because they are easier to digest quickly.


Postcards have a place in your marketing campaigns. If you use eye-catching, powerful design in addition to strong, to the point copy, combined with a call to action, there's a great chance your target audience will respond the way you'd like when you use postcard marketing.



*Sources: Placed, Back to School Shopping: 2013 Trends, accessed Aug. 26, 2013 and MediaPost, Print Preferred: Back To School Shoppers Want Analog Ads, Too, Aug. 26, 2013.



Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Importance of Design in Printed Communication

When was the last time you came across a really ugly document – one that caught your attention because it was such a mess? It’s probably been quite some time. That’s because desktop publishing has given people the power to create all kinds of documents, from marketing and image pieces to more utilitarian forms and documents, using tools like typography and text line justification.

Desktop publishing has raised the bar for appearance. Today ugly documents really stand out when compared to those that are well designed. In fact design is now so important that it is integral to document creation. A well designed document is more likely to be read in part or entirely by the intended audience and increases reader comprehension. Good design also reflects well on the individual, business or organization presenting the document, lending credibility and a sense of professionalism.




Five principles of design

Principal 1: Good design has a purpose. Consider what the document is intended to accomplish, what the audience expects, the image you want to portray, and what reaction you want to invoke. This will guide all your selections the typeface, the color palette, the layout itself. 
Principal 2: Good design makes things simple. A good design makes a difficult concept understandable by guiding the reader to the important points, illustrating them and reinforcing what needs to be learned. This improves reader comprehension and makes persuasive documents more powerful. 
Principal 3: Good design holds the reader’s attention. Engage the reader immediately with an eye-catching headline, graphic image, photograph, white space, or unusual layout. Then guide the reader through the important points so nothing critical is missed. 
Principal 4: Good design has an underlying logic. Readers will see not only the text, graphics and photographs on the page; they will react to the underlying organizational structure of the document. Be sure you have one, and be sure it is consistent. 
Principal 5: Good design doesn’t call attention to itself. One measure of a good design is when the reader gets the intended message without being distracted by the design itself.

Design tools

Unless signaled to do otherwise, readers scan a page in a predictable pattern. Beginning at the upper left hand quadrant, the reader scans the balance of the page in a Z-shaped movement – across to the right quadrant, then to the lower left, and end at the lower right. This is a quick and efficient way for the reader to determine within seconds whether to continue with reading the copy on the page, or whether to move on to something else.

The placement of design elements on the page grid can be either in cooperation with the natural eye movement, or to direct the reader to encounter the information in a precise order. Either technique is an effective way to gain and hold the reader’s attention; these are some tools that can be used in either case:
• Use color to attract attention. Color can also be used to evoke emotion.
• Use lines to direct the reader to points of interest, create shapes and forms, and divide space into sections. Lines can be used for alignment and to suggest proximity.
• Use typography to create contrast or emphasis. As a rule, limit the number of fonts in a document to two or three, and set a uniform point size for headlines, subheads and body copy.
• Use images and photographs to convey meaning and create repetition with body copy.
• Use symbols, charts and graphs to represent ideas or concepts or present information.
• Use white space to create proximity or lack thereof. White space can also separate elements to make them easier to read.

Design: know when to do it yourself 

– and when not to

We are supportive of our customers who do their own design work. We know designing documents can be fun, may be faster, and is certainly less expensive than having us do the work. And because we know you want the best possible design, we will be happy to look at your layout and make suggestions.

Despite this, we believe there are certain projects that merit professional design. Our graphic design department is staffed with people who have both formal training and years of experience. This means we may be able to complete a complicated project faster than you could, especially if you have the Word files containing text and the digital photo and image files ready to go. We have the tools, skills and experience to get to the finished product on time and within budget.

Reprinted from Printing Arts Press The Word on the Street newsletter.

Posted by Chuck Gherman


For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com