Printing Arts Press Blog: Word on the Street: Mailing

Showing posts with label Mailing. Show all posts

Monday, December 4, 2023

Effectively Engaging With Customers Using Direct Mail

In today’s tech-savvy world, it might be easy to assume that the best way to catch the attention of your potential customers is through digital ads. In reality, according to Marketing Sherpa, 76% of consumers said they would trust printed ads they received in the mail when making a purchase, while only 25% said they would trust online pop-ups.

The advertisements you’re sending out through the mail can significantly impact customers. Here are seven ways to design direct mail to make your company stand out!

7 Tips to Refresh Your Direct Mail Strategy

1. For direct mail, BIGGER IS BETTER!

Research has found that using a larger envelope increases the response rate from customers by 53% when compared with the same content being sent in a standard-sized envelope.

Try something new by sending out your mail in larger, oversized envelopes to intrigue your recipients to read what’s inside!

2. Use POSTCARDS instead of letters for your direct mail.

In addition to being a cost-effective choice for your company (no envelopes necessary!), using postcards can be a unique way to switch up your mailing strategy.

Postcards are eye-catching, concisely deliver your message, and are often more interesting for readers than a traditional letter.

3. Make your direct mail SEASONAL.

Putting extra effort into the visual appeal of your direct mail could have a significant impact.

The Data & Marketing Association found that 27% of direct mail is still present within the household after 28 days. Incorporate a seasonally festive design into your mail- it’ll give your recipients a reason to keep it around, making them more likely to take a second look at it.

4. Include COUPONS in your direct mail!

People love getting discounts!

Include a sale code or a coupon brochure along with your company’s information to give your recipients a reason to purchase immediately. They won’t be able to resist checking out your website so they can score that deal!

5. Make your direct mail PERSONAL.

Personalization in your communication is key to keeping customers interested in your brand.

For life milestones like birthdays, send out cards! When your company has an anniversary, let your customers know. If you have a loyal, high-value customer, send them a thank-you! This practice will keep your customers feeling valued and connected to your company.

6. Combine your direct mail with DIGITAL TOOLS.

While direct mail can significantly impact your customers, it’s no secret that sometimes online options are more attractive for today’s customers.

Include the information on your printed mail for your company’s website or social media accounts. Allow customers to redeem coupons online rather than filling them out by hand and mailing them back.

7. Re-evaluate your company’s MAILING LIST.

If your current direct mail strategy is falling short, try shifting some things around with who is receiving your mail.

Instead of using a mass-marketing tactic, try a targeted mailing list to focus your efforts on your best leads. To get the most responses, you’ll need to ensure you send your information out to your target customers.

Direct mail can be a great way to create interest in your company among a vast pool of recipients. That said, the printing quality for your company’s mail matters and our printing firm has got you covered with high-quality printing for any of your direct mailing needs. For more information, visit our website!

To contact Chuck Gherman, Theresa Kauser or Veronica Carter for more information about how Printing Arts Press powered by PROforma can help organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through promotion and print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#Print #Directmail #Marketing #Mail #Banners #Publications #Postcards #PromotionalMerchandise #BrandedApparel #Catalogs #HRmanuals

Monday, October 2, 2023

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!

Monday, July 10, 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Running a Print + Email Campaign

Print and email campaigns are not an either-or situation. Instead, they work best when paired together, thanks to their unique, complimentary characteristics.

Why print?

Print marketing has stuck around thanks to its many benefits. Print stands out from the crowd, is tangible, sticks around, and is easier to recall.

Why email?

Email helps build customer relationships, boost brand awareness, and promote content.

Email marketing has an extensive reach since there are about 4 billion email users worldwide. Due to its many benefits, 79% of marketers list email marketing in their top 3 most effective marketing channels.

A multi-channel approach to marketing is the most effective, perhaps because 72% of customers would like to connect with brands through multiple channels.

Here's what you need to know about crafting a winning print + email marketing campaign.

The Print Campaign

A properly executed print campaign will drive sales.

1. Choose Your Audience

Create a list of people to send printed material to.

Ensure you're sending your print to the right customers for maximum impact. Often the most receptive clients are those who have already bought from you.

2. Design the Print Marketing Piece

Ideal print marketing materials to pair with email include postcards, stickers, posters, flyers, and booklets.

3. Increase Engagement & Brand Recognition

Be sure to include…

A call to action. Get the customer to act with a compelling call to action that gives them an offer they can't refuse.
Personalization. The greater the personalization, the more receptive the customer will be. Include their name and other points of personalization.
Design. Stick to your branding guide and let someone with design experience put it together. The design can make a big difference in capturing the customer's attention.

4. Send out a Test Run of Your Print Campaign First

Print campaigns cost money, so you want to ensure your campaign will have a high return on investment.

Do a test run by sending the printed marketing piece to a smaller section of your target market. Monitor the results, and see what went well and what you could have done better. Apply this to the primary print marketing campaign.

5. Be Patient

It can take time for results to come in.

This is in part because of the staying power of print. This means people will often set the printed piece aside on their fridge or table, which they'll get around to later.

The Email Campaign

Email campaigns can look different ways, but below are some strategies that should help boost sales.

Putting Together Your Email List

When putting together an email list, it's less important to worry about only sending it to the right customer because emails cost nothing.

Email's low cost is the main reason their return on investment is $36 for every $1 spent.

Instead, the focus should be on creating email segmentation for optimal personalization. Segment the email lists based on location, buyer stage, previous purchases, occupation, hobbies, etc.

The hardest part of emails is acquiring the email list because, often, people do not want to share their personal information. Try giving them something valuable in return for their email (like an ebook, whitepaper, infographic, report, study, or template).

General Email Marketing Tips

Below are some more general email tips:

Because 55% of emails are opened on phones, make sure the email is optimized for mobile
Certain times lead to more opened emails than others. Research and test to find the time that works best for you.
Craft a winning subject line. Draw the prospect in but don't mislead them.
Follow proven, tested templates to save time and create the optimal email design.
Comply with email regulation laws.

Follow these tips for your optimal email campaign.

The Winning Strategy

Send a couple of emails, follow up with direct mail, and then send more emails.

The first set of emails will get your company in the customers' minds. This way, they'll recognize your brand when they receive the printed piece in the mail. Then, follow up with more emails to remind the customer to act.

Email allows you to reach the customer multiple times at a low cost. This is important because it usually takes about eight points of contact to make a sale.

Contact us today if you want to take your print marketing strategy to the next level by combining it with email (or vice versa)! We are here to help!

Monday, May 1, 2023

5 Key Factors for Planning a Profitable Direct Mail Piece

Direct mail can be a fantastic way to spread the word about your company and promote new interest!

Regardless of the size of your budget, there are many cost-effective ways that a company can create engaging direct mail.

Here are five budget-friendly tips to craft effective direct mail for your company!

5 Key Factors for Planning a Profitable Direct Mail Piece

1. Use Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®)

Purchasing a mailing list can be pricey.

But using EDDM® makes it possible for companies to send their direct mail to one specific mail route or multiple routes without investing in a mailing list.

To save your company money, consider sending your direct mail out through EDDM® rather than a mailing list- it will be far more profitable regarding production costs and postage.

2. Go Bold With Colors

If your company’s printing supplier does their printing digitally, don’t shy away from using lots of colors!

This won’t increase the cost of printing, but it WILL catch your customers’ attention and boost your reply rates! 85% of consumers share that color and visual appearance are the most critical factor when considering whether or not to buy a product, compared to text, which only has 6% influence.

3. Try a 2-Way Match Concept

If you design multiple components for your direct mail piece, such as a letter, reply card, and envelope, it will be processed as a 3-way match during manufacturing.

Instead, consider a different concept: create a single component with multiple pieces. You could use a perforated line to create a tear-off reply section, which will then be processed as a 2-way match of the letter and its envelope.

This will cut down the manufacturing cost of printing your direct mail.

4. Keep it Light

Keeping your mail’s weight in mind will serve your company’s budget well!

If you were hoping to include a small premium or token for customers with the mail, you don’t have to rule it out completely.

There are many options for flat items that you can include without raising the cost of postage or requiring unique packaging. Coupon cards and discount codes, decals or stickers, magnets, bookmarks, and other small goodies can provide that engagement for customers without adding extra weight to your mail.

5. Choose Paper and Envelopes Wisely

Getting creative with your direct mail designs is a great idea and can showcase your company’s personality to potential customers.

However, don’t underestimate the importance of the basics!

One way to keep paper costs down is using text paper, cover stock, and neutral-colored papers since these are typical types we have on hand. Using these will save you time and money!

When choosing envelopes, consider the same thing. Standard-sized envelopes with standard windows will likely be the most available and, therefore, the most cost-effective option.

Whatever the size of your budget, we are here to make your next print marketing campaign successful. Contact us today to learn more!

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

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!

Friday, January 6, 2023

4 Tips for Getting More People to See Your Direct Mail

Direct mail is naturally advantageous when getting people to notice your business.

85% of consumers open their direct mail, and 62% act after receiving direct mail, according to a recent report. However, your business can take action to increase further the number of people opening your direct mail.

1. Use a Call to Action in Your Direct Mail

The best call to action, or CTA, follows the format “Do something simple, get something great.”

In this scenario:

Do something simple = open the envelope.
Get something great = receive a credit card, special discount, or a gift or sample.

Creating a sense of scarcity works exceptionally well when prompting people to act. For example, try advertising a limited-time offer or a special discount while supplies last. Fear of missing out or not being enough gets the customer to act soon. However, don’t create a false sense of scarcity.

2. Send Your Direct Mail in a Unique Envelope

The envelope is the first thing people see when they take the mail out of the mailbox.

Whether to open your mail or not relies heavily on the impression the envelope provides.

Get your envelope to stand out and generate curiosity by switching up the characteristics of the envelope like…

Size. Larger envelopes stand out but can be more costly. Smaller envelopes create a sense of casual and friendly correspondence.
Style. Use a color that catches the target audience’s attention, such as silver, gold, neon, or bold colors. Try changing the texture by using a matte or a glossy finish.
Font. Using a handwritten style font will make your envelope seem more personal.
Format. Including a see-through window lets your business prominently display products or enticing offers.

Switching up the standard white 4 ⅛” by 9 ½” envelope will make potential customers more likely to open the envelope.

3. Personalize Your Direct Mail Marketing

If the direct mail recipient feels that the mail is truly meant for them, they will be more likely to open it.

Research your target audience so you can better personalize your direct mail. Create target market subgroups based on their interests, potential questions, geographic area, and products or services most interesting to them.

Often, businesses will have better luck advertising to their local target market because there’s a greater desire among consumers to support local businesses as opposed to non-local ones. 70% of consumers support local businesses because they want to keep money local, connect with the community, support local creators, and have better service.

4. Track Direct Mail Statistics

Finding out what methods work for you and what don’t will help you generate a higher return on investment or ROI.

Track cost per 1000 impressions (CPM), open rates, response rates, and conversions. Impressions are the number of people who see your direct mail, and conversions are the number of recipients who follow your call to action.

Remember that those who have interacted with your business are more likely to engage again. Also, sometimes it takes multiple direct mail deliveries before the customer acts.

Once you find a high ROI strategy, scale up your marketing.

We’re here to help you stand out to potential customers through direct mail. From the design to the mailing itself, we’ve got you covered!

Monday, November 14, 2022

4 Things Your Direct Mail Piece Needs to Convert

Direct mail is a simple, cost-efficient way to reach your target market.

The response rates for direct mail are about five to nine times higher than other advertising channels. However, five to nine times is quite a range. Getting your direct mail to reach the nine times higher statistic requires certain elements.

Here are four things your direct mail piece needs to convert direct mail into sales.

1. Personalization

Recipients respond well to personalized advertisements.

The more personalization, the better your target market can say, "Wow! This is for me!" One study showed that 93% of businesses that incorporated an advanced personalization strategy experienced revenue growth.

Personalization starts with data. The more customer data you have, the more personalized your direct mail can be. Gather data regarding geographic, demographic, and behavioral characteristics so you can…

Include the recipient's name in all outgoing marketing materials.
Reference the client's past buying history.
Suggest products the customer might be interested in.

To simplify your marketing, try to divide your overall target market into niche audiences with specific pain points. This will allow the mail to be more personalized while still being manageable for your business to execute.

2. Special offers

Tell the recipient what's in it for them.

By including special offers in your direct mail, people will be more likely to act. Make your direct mail more effective by triggering fear of missing out by making the offer for a limited time only or while supplies last.

If your company struggles to acquire data from your customers, you could have customers fill out a form before they can access the special offer.

Examples of special offers include:

Discounts
Exclusive events
Free samples

Example: "Scan this QR code, tell us about yourself, and get 25% off your next purchase! For a limited time only."

3. Strong writing

The content within direct mail heavily influences readers.

Create a confident, friendly, accessible piece with direct mail by focusing on the writing. Tips to achieve this include:

Make it accessible to all by using simple language and short sentences.
Make it easy to skim by adding headings and bullet points.
Tell readers what's important by making certain words and phrases pop.
Include stories readers will enjoy and connect with.
Make your first and last sentences count because they are the most frequently read.

By making the content of your direct mail enjoyable to read, recipients will be more likely to act.

4. Follow up after sending direct mail

People are busy, and they need reminders.

Therefore, follow up with your customers after sending direct mail. You can follow up with another direct mail piece, email, or phone call. When doing so, remind the customer about the special deals and your previous point of contact.

Direct mail is a powerful tool in marketing. But you're going to want the most conversions for your money. Help convert by including these four strategies in your direct mail campaign.

We're here to help you convert when you're ready to print! Reach out today!

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Top Tips for Print and Email Newsletter Marketing

Try a newsletter when you need to get the word out fast, professionally, and efficiently.

Not only will you have more space for getting your point out, but it also reminds people regularly that you're ready to do business.

Newsletters are a customizable, affordable, and accessible type of marketing communication.

There are many ways to make your newsletters effective. And it's time to realize that newsletters are essential to effective email marketing and branding.

Ignoring them can restrict brands from growth.

7 Top Tips for Print and Email Newsletter Marketing

1. Logo placement

Ensure your logo is front and center on the newsletter's first page or header so that recipients don't have to guess (or hunt) for that information.

2. White space

Make sure you don't cram all your great ideas into one newsletter.

Instead, use white space frequently so that it doesn't look crowded.

3. Keep it simple

Don't try to tackle too much detail in your articles.

Keep it reader-friendly. This makes the reader want more and allows you to follow up on the article in future newsletters.

It also leaves the reader interested and possibly wanting to contact you to discuss the issues further.

4. Use bullet points

When you have multiple topics, use bullet points rather than writing a lot of paragraphs.

This allows the reader to scan for information quickly.

In addition, embedding helpful links in your email newsletters and giving visual descriptions can attract more readers.

5. Feature pull-out quotes

When someone has something important to say in the article, and it is a great point, pull it aside in the design.

Make it more significant than the regular text by using it as a graphic, not in the article itself.

Pull quotes provide a teaser that entices the reader into the story.

6. Have someone edit your articles

Don't rely on your own wits here.

You will need to have another person edit your articles and layout. It's hard to catch your own mistakes all the time.

And sometimes, you need another set of eyes on an article in case something needs to be clarified. You might know what you mean, but someone else might not. This is just good practice.

7. Make sure there's a call to action (CTA)

There needs to be a place (or places) where you encourage the reader to take an action that moves them through your sales funnel.

Call-to-action examples include visiting your store, contacting you for a consultation, signing up for your email list, or making a purchase today.

The point of doing a newsletter is to build the business.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Brand Your Business with Consistency

We all want to be remembered, and those who succeed know one thing: Consistency is the key.

“A report from Forrester says that 95% of customers use three or more channels to connect with a company in a single service interaction,” according to Grammarly Business.

To get people’s attention, you need several routes and types of interaction.

Businesses that brand consistently are 3.5x more likely to get strong brand visibility than inconsistent brands.

How do you brand more consistently?

7 Top Tips to Stay Branded

1. Brand Consistency.

There needs to be a similar message and experience for your brand.

Brand consistency is important for every business because it directly and immediately impacts the perception of your brand and company, both internally and externally.

If it’s not consistent, it causes mistrust among your customers, which causes them not to want to do business with you.

2. Remember the Rule of 7.

Marketers need an average of seven contacts (or touches, impressions, or interactions) to turn a prospective buyer into an actual buyer, according to Eyal Katz of Oktopost.com.

Of course, you don’t need to take it literally but remember it takes several contacts to reach a potential customer.

3. Use Paid and Organic Material.

Engage customers with ads, but make sure you add your own worthwhile content. Start a conversation about business or strategies with your potential customers to keep yourself in the front of their minds.

4. Create a Great Website and Keep it Updated.

Make sure your website represents your business well and that it goes well with the printed marketing you do. It takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for people to form an opinion about your website, according to IWD Magazine.

5. Build Your Brand With Every Effort.

No matter what avenues you use to promote your business, you will need to be consistent. Make sure the images are similar, the logo is sharp, and the message is the same.

6. Keep the Same Tone and Voice.

When you create your copy for social media, print, or even the spoken word, ensure the tone is the same. If you want to be taken seriously, make sure the style is professional. If you are a fun, dynamic business, use those words. Just make it consistent.

7. Send Direct Mail.

Direct mail has a more believable delivery. Therefore, people are apt to read it and believe it, which leads to more sales for you.

Whatever you do to be consistent, know that we are consistently here for your printed marketing efforts. We are on time, reliable, and produce high-quality pieces.

Reach out today!

Monday, March 21, 2022

How to Use the 40-40-20 Rule of Direct Marketing

The 40-40-20 rule of direct mail marketing breaks up marketing into three parts to help you predict and evaluate the success of your direct marketing campaign.

According to Investopedia, direct marketing is any marketing that uses direct communication or distribution to customers through mediums such as mail, email, social media, and texting.

The success of your direct mail marketing is:

40% dependent on your audience,
40% dependent on your offer, and
20% on everything else.

Let’s break it down and look at each one individually.

Direct Mail Marketing: Audience

You’re not going to get very far in your direct mail marketing campaign if you’re reaching the wrong people. Money spent on advertising to the wrong audience is wasted money. This is why reaching the right audience constitutes 40% of your direct mail marketing success.

The right audience must be within your target market. The more precise you can make your target audience, the more effective your direct mail marketing campaign will be because the marketing will be more personalized. For greater personalization and success, go beyond surface-level characteristics.

Build up a well-defined mailing list. Include people on the list who have bought similar products through similar methods. Keep records of who has bought from you in the past and how they did it. Target those who have bought similar products because of a previous direct mail marketing campaign. These people have a proven desire to buy your products.

Direct Mail Marketing: Offer

The offer includes the product itself and incentives to get the customer to buy it now. It constitutes 40% of your direct mail marketing campaign success.

First and foremost, the product must be something your audience actually wants. It’s going to be challenging to sell an unwanted product. Before releasing products, test them out with customers to see if there’s interest.

Next, the offer within your direct mail marketing campaign must be good enough to incentivize your audience to buy now. Try out the following tips:

Create FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): if you can get the customer to feel as if by not buying your product, they’re missing out, you have effectively created tension and pressure within your customer to purchase the product.
Create urgency. If the customer doesn’t feel the need to buy now, they might never get around to it. But, letting the customer know that the offer is only for a limited time or until supplies last creates a sense of urgency to buy now, which translates into more sales.
Provide safety. People, in general, are incredibly risk-averse. Don’t let people’s fear of loss hurt your marketing campaign. For example, offer a 100% money-back guarantee offers.

Direct Mail Marketing: Everything Else

20% of the success of your direct mail marketing campaign relies on everything else. This includes the copy (written material), design, and format. Advertisers often put most of their time and energy here when creating an ad campaign. But, usually, when an ad falls through, it is because of the audience or the offer. However, that’s not to say this step is not important.

Copywriters should connect with and compel the reader by identifying the customer’s pain points, frustrations, and hopes. They should effectively convince the reader why this product will work for them. The copywriters should work with the designers, whose primary goal is to get the material read.

The 40-40-20 rule of direct marketing will help you create more effective direct mail marketing campaigns.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Expand Your Market: 15 Ways You Can Use Direct Mail to Sell in Todays Market

Life is noisy.

In today’s world, everywhere you look, you’re constantly swamped by ads: buy this, watch this, subscribe now!

How pervasive is this? These stats give us a glimpse:

Thanks to the internet and new technologies, the average viewer is exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 ads daily.
Google has managed to grow its advertising revenue every year for the past 19 years. It made over $134 billion in 2019 alone, just from advertising.
Sixty-five percent of people say they skip online video advertising – doing so as soon as they get the chance – and 76 percent say this is an ingrained behavior.
In 2020, the average open rate for marketing emails was around 21%, and more than 20% of marketing emails never made it to a subscriber’s inbox.

In contrast, more than 40 percent of recipients scan or read the direct mail pieces they get, and consumers are 22 percent more likely to purchase products promoted through direct mail than they are products advertised through email.

Maybe this noise overload is one reason younger people are placing greater value on print products. Millennials say they value direct mail in general: 69% of Millennials said they “somewhat” or “very much” like print coupons for restaurants, and 65% said they like coupons for retail businesses. In one survey of Millennials, 75% of respondents said receiving personal mail makes them feel special.

Open the Door with Direct Mail

All of these are wonderful reasons to add direct mail as an arrow in your marketing quiver.

In the digital age, an ink-on-paper sales letter or direct-mail package that your customers can hold in their hands will really distinguish you from competitors. More exposure means higher response rates. Higher response rates lead to more leads. And more leads generate greater sales!

When you’re ready to expand your market, here are several ways to package your message through direct mail.

-- Make an announcement (perhaps using a flashy invitation or an oversized postcard)

-- Send a sales letter or script font note combined with a catalog or brochure

-- Introduce a new product or service

-- Distribute a maintenance or service checklist with a detachable coupon

-- Generate long-lasting impact with a sleek postcard magnet

-- Invite people to attend a product demonstration, educational seminar, or nonprofit fundraiser

-- Send renewal reminders for subscriptions, contracts, insurance policies, or service agreements

-- Send holiday greetings with a special New Year’s offer

-- Welcome inactive customers back with an incentive

-- Get your company in front of fresh prospects using new mover marketing lists

-- Promote a “live” social media event you are hosting

-- Distribute valuable content through educational newsletters

-- Conduct a sweepstakes event or contest

-- Sell seasonal merchandise or products linked with hometown favorites

-- Offer a free analysis or a complimentary cost estimate, review, or consultation

New Prospects = New Possibilities

Some marketers shy away from print, which is truly a loss.

Mastering direct mail can help you strengthen your reputation, drum up leads, entice new prospects, and make you a hero to your clients or boss.

Need some quick-to-print templates or tips on no-hassle mailing lists? Contact us today! We’re here to help.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

6 Winning Direct Mail Campaigns

Direct mail offers results that other channels just can't match.

According to a recent study, direct mail has a response rate as high as 9%. However, there are always ways to engage your audience better and improve your mailers' effectiveness. These methods below catch your recipents' attention and increase the chances that they'll read and respond to your direct mail piece.

6 Winning Direct Mail Campaigns

1. Instill Curiosity with a Quiz

Do you worry your direct mail envelopes are going in the trash unread?

Take a page from Harvard Medical School's playbook. In a recent mailing to woo subscribers for their Harvard Heart Letter newsletter, they put a heart health quiz on the front. The answers to the three-question quiz were inside the mailer, giving recipients a reason to open.

2. Benefits, Not Features

As marketers, it's so easy to get caught up in promoting all the neat features of your product.

Your readers, however, don't care about that. They care about how your product can be of benefit to them.

HelloFresh hit the mark with a February 2020 mailer that highlighted three big benefits to ordering their kits. At a glance, readers could see that the service could save them time, save them money, and offer more variety.

3. Leverage Testimonials

Research shows that a recommendation, whether from a friend or a stranger, has a lot of sway on reader opinions.

In fact, 70% of people will trust a recommendation even when it comes from someone who they don't know.

Florida Gulf Coast University used the power of testimonials by putting recommendations from past students right on their mailing postcard. Having names, faces, and a glowing recommendation from current students helped convince potential attendees that the school is a good choice.

4. Use the Magic Word

No, not "please." The powerful word that gets your mailer a second look instead of a quick trip to the recycle bin is "free."

A March 2020 mailer from Estee Lauder catches attention with bright coloration and a prominent offer for a free gift when people visit their counter inside Macy's. Offering a gift is a way to get people inside your brick-and-mortar location, where there is an increased chance that they'll take the opportunity to buy.

5. Catch the Eye with Familiar Forms and Images

When Nestle was promoting their Kit Kat Chunky bar in the UK, they used a familiar image -- a Royal Mail card about an undeliverable package.

However, instead of the normal reasons for failure to deliver, recipients learn that the free chocolate bar Nestle intended to send them was "too chunky" to fit through their mail slot. The mailer served as a coupon to get a free bar to try from the store.

6. Invite Recipients to Interact with Your Mail Piece

To raise awareness for World Water Day in Belgium, the organization demonstrated the importance of water in an innovative way.

They sent a postcard that could only be read after the reader held it under running water. This tactile trick increased engagement and also got the group a viral bump on social media.

No matter what your business, it's possible to catch readers' eyes and attention with your direct mail pieces. Think about how to evoke your recipient's curiosity, which can lead to engagement and conversion.

Saturday, February 27, 2021

How to Double Your Sales with Successful Catalog Marketing

Do printed catalogs still work?

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) worked with a U.S. based specialty jewelry company to find out.

This e-commerce retailer (which had no physical store presence) typically generated an annual operating profit of $12 million, with a database of approximately 28,000 customers. This company partnered with HBR to study the impacts of bi-monthly print catalogs through field experiments involving 30% of its customers over a span of six months.

Of those customers, 5% received neither email nor catalogs, 55% received a weekly marketing email, and 40% received the new bi-monthly catalogs in addition to the weekly email marketing. Over 90% of photos and product descriptions were the same between emails and catalogs to control the content's effects.

The results were impressive. Compared to the Control group, the “Email + catalog” group experienced a 49% lift in sales and a 125% lift in inquiries. In comparison, the “Email-only” group only had a 28% increase in sales and a 77% lift in inquiries over the control group; the sales and inquiry lifts from catalogs almost doubled those generated by email marketing!

Furthermore, of those customers that received the catalogs and made inquiries, 90% said they had browsed through the catalogs and kept them for an average of seven days.

Using Hard Copy Catalogs in Your Omnichannel Marketing

Catalogs are here to stay, and companies like L.L. Bean, Ikea, J. Crew, and Athleta continue to dominate sales by distributing printed catalogs.

The simple fact of the matter is that buyers don’t want to connect with brands exclusively online. Yes, the stats show that the number of people researching and shopping online versus in-store continues to grow.

But many buyers purchase online because they’ve seen something marketed through a printed medium. According to BRAND United, around 86% of shoppers buy an item online after looking at it in a printed catalog first.

5 Ways to Keep Your Campaign on Track

If you are considering catalog marketing, here are some suggestions to get you started.

1. Conduct Market Research

Study your current customers and make a note of gender, geographic location, and the strategic personas you’d like to target.

Match the items you want to sell with the target audience you want to reach.

2. Create Campaign Goals

These goals should be measurable, clear, and realistic – like driving customers to a retail location, increasing “product of the month” sales online, or growing your subscription base.

3. Develop Your Story

Catalogs don’t share information; they sell stories!

Your piece should invite prospects into a story that helps them visualize their “ideal self.” And remember, when people are heavily invested in a bigger financial commitment, they need narratives that justify this expense (like, “you deserve something delectable”). Work hard to set their conscience at ease, and you will be rewarded with loyalty and sales.

4. Stay Focused

Continue to send your catalog to existing customers to reinforce the idea that you have the products they want.

In addition, mail your catalog to individuals who fit the description of your target customer.

5. Connect Timelines and Expectations

Create a schedule and execute the campaign.

By using a schedule, you can see if you are achieving the benchmarks you’ve articulated. You can measure the outcome by having customers refer to catalog codes, measuring the number of new accounts generated, or conducting surveys.

A One-Two Punch

Direct mail meets customers where they live, and catalogs are a long-standing customer favorite.

Want to explore catalog marketing options for your business? Give us a call today or hop online for a free estimate!

To contact Chuck Gherman, Theresa Kauser or Veronica Carter for more information about how Printing Arts Press powered by PROforma can help organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through promotion and print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #marketing #mail #banners #publications #postcards #brochures #catalogs #PromotionalMerchandise #BrandedApparel

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Command Results with These 4 Direct Mail Brochure Formats

Ready to open doors and grab leads for your business?

Direct mail brochures are a great piece of any marketing plan and are especially useful in building consumer confidence. According to the Direct Mail Association, 56 percent of consumers consider print marketing the most trustworthy form of advertising, and 65 percent of consumers have bought something from a direct-mail piece.

When considering your next direct mail campaign, here are some reasons brochures might be best:

Clear Comprehension

The human brain is designed to understand more when something looks “real.”

As a time-tested commodity, brochures offer an easy-to-follow layout that builds instant connections with all types of people. Brochures also connect well with memory because they engage people’s spatial memory networks.

Increased Brain Response

In this busy age of low attention spans, physical materials increase the brain response of every viewer.

There’s something blissful in physical opening print pieces: the smell of the ink, the texture of a product. And that sensory stimulation has big benefits – people continue reading longer from a physical page and retain information better from print than from digital media.

Enduring Presence

Direct mail brochures are ideal for customers who weigh a decision because people can read them many times or store them for future reference.

Brochures offer an attractive, compact option to get your advertising read or handed around to others. Every time someone new picks up your brochure, your message makes an impression. And brochures are far more likely to be saved or filed when someone needs more time to consider.

Bring Your Message to Life

When you’re building a concept for your next direct mail brochure, here are a few schematic options to consider:

1. Product/Benefit Layout

When you want to share more information about your business or its benefits, brochures provide a clean, logical layout.

Your brochure panels might tout your firm’s professional capabilities, your product’s unique selling points, or the practical advantages of your services.

2. Testimonial Brochure

Personal endorsements are extremely valuable, as prospects value others’ opinions more than any direct claims you make.

Use your brochure panels to feature pull quotes, before and after success stories, or reviews from real people (featuring names, photos, or dates). Best fit customers are influencers that prompt your readers to think, “I can relate to this person, and I trust their opinion.”

3. Question/Answer Format

Similar to a testimonial design, the Q/A format is very versatile.

Use it to address target customers’ felt needs, disarm suspicion, or present interviews with key company executives. Answering questions reduces buyer tension and creates an immediate bond with readers.

4. Fold-over Mailer with Postcard

Want to double your impact?

Try a fold-over mailer with a postcard inside. Fold-over mailers serve as both a brochure and a mini-poster and allow for heightened reader engagement as postcards are removed. Either piece can be passed to others or posted for later reference, allowing flexibility in concept and design.

Hook, Story, Offer

No matter what format you use, every direct mail piece needs a strong hook.

Most people will scan your external copy looking for a reason to read (or toss!) your brochure. State significant benefits upfront, or ask a question that must be answered. Start headlines with active verbs and keep this big question central: “What’s in it for me?”

Lead with this perspective, and you’ll entice them every time!

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press powered by PROforma can help organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through promotion and print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #marketing #mail #banners #publications #postcards #brochures #PromotionalMerchandise #BrandedApparel

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Unique Fold Options for Your Marketing Masterpiece

Looking to add some finishing flair to your next marketing piece?

Unique, eye-catching folds offer so much room to flex your creativity! When creating your next masterpiece, here are some fun print folds to consider:

Sliding Message Sleeve Mailers

To fuel engagement with your prospects, try a die-cut envelope that peaks through to a sleeve mailer inside.

Upon first glance, readers see one message or image. But when they slip the inner card out of the envelope, a brilliant reveal appears from the back panel.

Accordion Folds

Accordion folds are great because they fold down small but hold a great deal of information.

Accordion folds resemble the letter “Z” and zig-zag back and forth, dividing a page into thirds (or even sixths!). Use them for brochures, mini-booklets, or sticker-sealed mailers. The average accordion-folded sheet includes two folds and six panels of design space (front and back). Make the most of your real estate with this flexible, engaging design.

Poster Folds with a Zip Strip

Looking to send something large in a pocket-sized package?

Try a zip strip opener with an inner package that unfolds to a unique shape or size. Whether the folded section is wide and narrow or opens as an iron-cross brochure, this small package blooms bright for a big, memorable impact.

Roll Folds

Rolls folds consist of four or more panels that roll into each other.

Also known as a barrel fold, this option is perfect when you have a considerable amount of content but you need to keep the finished product as compact as possible. Roll folds also spark curiosity and depth as you reveal a new message or theme with each opening panel.

Exotic Folds

Like intricate origami, exotic folds are non-standard, completely unique folds created to a designer’s specifications.

Though they can be expensive, exotic folds allow you to stretch the limits in unforgettable ways. From a flower-petaled postcard to a custom-printed folding box, these highly tailored pieces will give your media a fancy, luxurious edge.

Pop-up Folds

When you want to add extra dimension to your booklet or brochure, go 3D with a die-cut and fold technique that creates a pop-up feature from within.

Pop-up pieces should instantly pique customer interest with a direct focus on the product or service you are promoting. Examples might include:

A performing arts invitation that reveals a pop-out “stage” once the card is unfolded
A fold-over mailer or brochure designed to look like a briefcase, which springs open to deliver your unforgettable offer
An architect’s brochure that brings to life a 3D city skyline, with revitalized storefronts in the center

A Shape That Tells Your Story

No matter what fold or design you choose, remember your story should play the starring role.

Choose a focused narrative and weave it through your imagery, tabs, pullouts, pop-up text, or brochure copy. From fun folds to creative exterior packaging, great designs will blend all these elements to share your clever, cohesive story.

Want to go a cut above the competition? Leverage your printed piece’s shape to add character or dimension people just won’t forget!

Friday, September 18, 2020

Why Direct Mail Postcards are Worth Every Penny

Although postcards are one of today’s beloved print pieces, they had a humble beginning.

The earliest postcard dates back to 1840 when an English man named Theodore Hook sent one to himself. By 1861, the US Congress allowed privately printed cards, weighing one ounce or under, to be sent through the mail. That year, John P. Charlton copyrighted the first postcard, and by 1901 postcards were a regular part of mailed communication.

Generate Huge Exposure with Just One Mailing

Fast forward a century.

Postcards are now an essential marketing option for many businesses, and with good reason. These versatile tools represent a huge opportunity for companies that do it right.

And the results are compelling. One real estate agent makes $5,000 to $20,000 in commissions every time she runs a direct mail campaign. A Texas dentist added six figures in new revenue thanks to one mailing. And a financial services firm spent a few thousand dollars to net dozens of new clients with an average value of $1,500 each.

Why are postcards so effective?

According to UnitedMail, 79 percent of people act on direct mail immediately (while only 45 percent do so for email). More than two-thirds of consumers open all of their mail, even easily recognizable junk. And this is especially true for young people! According to the U.S. Postal Service, 36 percent of people under age 30 look forward to checking their mail, and 37 percent of the coveted 25- to 35-year-old demographic immediately read their mail.

Since postcards are so visually accessible, they are read frequently and generate huge exposure. When businesses target specific audiences and link to tailored landing pages on their website, they can spark considerable revenue with just one mailing.

Postcards generate fast results, and they work for any business. As long as you have a clear marketing strategy and great graphic design, postcards will work for you!

4 Keys for Designs that Deliver

When you are ready to launch your direct mail postcard, here are four keys for generating compelling, actionable designs:

1. Design with Your Audience in Mind

If there’s one mistake common to most marketers, it is this: assuming your audience knows the terminology of your industry.

Whether you’re a financial advisor or a chiropractor, frame your ideas in words that would make sense to anyone.

2. Paint a Picture of the Problem You Can Solve

People won’t read every word you share, so don’t bury the lead.

Immediately communicate the problem your business can fix. Center your writing around how your product can make people’s lives easier or better.

3. Use Simple, Crisp Graphics

The image on your postcard should be instantly recognizable.

While it may be fun to try something clever, this often confuses the audience. Since you have mere seconds to communicate an idea, your image should reinforce the concept in a strong, obvious way.

4. Add Bulleted Lists and Distinct Next Steps

Readers won’t engage with longer text, so shoot for punchy subheadings or bulleted items that clarify value.

People want more than just a phone number or a web link. Be specific with CTAs like, “subscribe to ___ for ______” or “call today for your free consultation!”

Let Our Team Mail for You

Ready to expand your reach with a focused direct mail campaign?

Save on stress and expense by consolidating your creative processes. Our full-service design specialists can provide the artwork, the printing, and even the mailing services. To get a quote, visit our website today!

Monday, August 24, 2020

Target the Right Customers with Your Next Direct Mail Piece

You wouldn’t spend $100 million on a new national advertising campaign without carefully set goals and objectives.

But when it comes to direct mail, marketers often spray out postcards or fliers without a great deal of thought. In direct mail marketing, careful planning is vital to your success. While the average direct mail response rate is around five percent, strategic targeting can drive that number to nine percent for house lists and as high as 16 percent for personalized mail.

To simplify your targeting, start with these questions:

Who is the audience?
Who is the prospective buyer?
Who will receive, read, and hopefully respond to this mailing?

The beauty of direct mail is that you can use it to reach only those people who are potential buyers for your product or service.

This is called target marketing, and it means that during the development stage, you can use multiple criteria for selecting recipients.

Demographics may include age, income, gender, geography, home value, marital status, vehicle driven, occupation, hobbies, and more. Selections for B2B mailing lists can also vary, including the company’s industry, type of product, annual sales, number of employees, locations, etc.

Helpful Hints for Compiling a Mailing List

If targeted mail is so crucial, how do you find a list filled with these “perfect” customers?

If you haven’t compiled your own mailing list (of current customers, qualified leads, or streamlined prospects), there are two basic types of mailing lists: compiled lists and response lists.

Compiled lists are those assembled from a variety of sources (think association members, graduates of specialty programs, qualified purchasers, etc.). For example, a list might include dentists from Boston or Lutheran youth pastors. Compiled lists are more complete and can work well for driving people to a specific online landing page you’ve designed specifically for your direct mail campaign. You can usually get a compiled mailing list in one business day.

Purchasing a compiled list might work best when you:

--Have a limited marketing geography
--Want to reach all households or businesses in an area
--Want to reach all homes or businesses that fit specific demographic criteria
--Are on a limited budget
--Want to mail fewer than 5,000 pieces
--Want to make telemarketing follow-up calls before or after your mailing

Response lists consist of prospects who have inquired about or responded to other marketers’ offers, like purchasing a swimsuit through a catalog or by participating in a nonprofit fundraiser. Typical response list sources are magazines, membership clubs, catalogs, warranty cards, etc. Response lists are more expensive than compiled lists because they are more targeted, and you have more assurances about the buyers’ behaviors. You can usually get a response mailing list in 3-5 business days.

Response lists might be best if your product has a high price point or your target customer is very narrowly defined. The list cost will be higher, but your ROI will increase as well. Response lists are also not always current, so make sure you ask when the list was last updated before purchasing.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Ensure Staying Power for Your Business with Great Local Marketing

Earlier this year, Gerrit Curran and Emily Wessner opened a Jersey Mike’s Subs in Muhlenberg Township, Pennsylvania.

To gain traction in their township of 20,000, these entrepreneurs knew that their new business must be intricately tied to a community connection. Curran and Wessner chose to use print as their primary marketing channel. The Jersey Mike’s staff distributed nearly 7,500 sandwich coupons throughout the community, encouraging patrons to enjoy a free sub and also to donate the cost of that sandwich to the Muhlenberg Township Athletic Association.

In the end, the promotion helped raise over $15,000, and the franchise gained an admirable reputation as a devoted community partner.

Stand Out in Your Community

Print marketing can be especially effective in creating a local marketing presence, especially when combined with integrated campaign efforts.

Smart business owners know that catering to a local market can be a point of power. But how do you leverage this connection? Here are several ways to connect your on- and off-line presence in compelling ways.

Demonstrate Community Connection

Integrate your business into local festivals, sponsorship opportunities, and regional traditions.

Does your community host a lobster festival? Find fun ways to weave this crustacean into your flyers or sales. Share pictures or postcards about your brand participating in local fundraisers, theme weeks, or service drives. Start conversations on things that are happening locally and, whenever possible, relate them to your business.

Personalize Advertisements

When advertising for your business, highlight testimonies or quotes from real, local customers. Try before and after pictures, photos of your customers in well-loved parks, or advertisements featuring your content in front of an area mascot.

Another option is to tailor your ads to regional events. Is your city sponsoring a music festival? Offer helpful content like advice on cheap parking, a schedule of places where kids eat for a discount, or print coupons that correspond to a felt need of these visitors. Creating ads with local content will connect with your audience on a very personal level.

Invent Reasons to Make a Difference

Too often, organizations focus on community involvement with a selfish perspective: more profits, more marketing, etc.

Instead, take a “community in the front, business in the rear” approach. Whether you build a nature center with other businesses or create a contest for local charities, genuinely help people, and the benefits will follow. Plus, employees and volunteers will love submitting their photos to your company newsletter or your social media pages.

Tell Your Story

If you’re from the area you’re targeting, do your best to tell the story of how your business came to life.

Make a video, print inserts for your bags or envelopes, or have a brand story display onsite. Customers love to support local businesses, especially those founded or run by a hard-working local resident.

Find, Engage, Repeat

While your brand may serve customers beyond your region, an enormous 85% of business owners depend on word-of-mouth referrals, so it is vital to actively influence your friends and neighbors!

When satisfied local customers are committed to your success, your business can do more with less while continuing to succeed.

Need help giving your brand an extra boost in the community? We’d be happy to help with your local marketing needs. Contact us today to find out more!

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing #mail #banners #publications #postcards #brochures

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less.
Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Three Fantastic Print Ads (and how to make yours more memorable)

Does your brain ever feel tired? Some days, that’s probably due to information overload.

According to ad agency Red Crow Marketing, the average person living in the city 30 years ago saw up to 2,000 ad messages a day. Today, experts estimate we are exposed to over 5,000 brands per day (though research suggests only three percent of ads make a lasting impression).

Want to increase exposure and impact for your marketing messages?

To stick with viewers, your print ads need to be creative and clear! Here are three compelling print ad examples, with a few insights into what makes them so great.

A Better Job is Waiting

Created by Joe Public United, this print campaign for a job portal aims to motivate people to stop slogging it out in a job they don’t like. Smartly retouched photos show bored workers at their desks, workers who sat still for so long that mold started growing on their bodies.

Need the motivation to break out of your slump? There’s nothing like spiders building webs in your hair (while you play computer solitaire) to kick your complacent butt into gear.

The Secret to Success: This ad is powerful because it resonates with the job portal’s target customers in a way that elicits extreme emotion (i.e., dismay or disgust). Move your prospects forward with messages that ring true and deliver a message that is personally meaningful to your viewers.

You Eat What You Touch

Love dogs? You might feel a little less inclined after viewing this ad.

This unconventional ad shaped a pet Pug into a perfect replica of a loaf of bread on a cutting board to stress the importance of using soap. Something about fuzzy bread just makes a viewer shudder (while immediately taking action with good hygiene).

The Secret to Success: This ad is impossible to ignore because the visual is surprising and memorable. Viewers have to look twice to find the Pug on the cutting board, and once the image hits home, the message does too. Humor is linked to higher recall and increased sharing, and funny brands are seen as more relatable, human, and trustworthy. Have fun and make people laugh with your surprising, memorable print ads!

Neighbors

In 2010, FedEx wanted to display the accessibility of its global shipping options.

A rustic map of North and South America showed a man reaching out of a window near Florida to hand a Fed Ex box across the ocean to a woman reaching out her window in Brazil. DDB Brazil used a simple visual to convince viewers that sending a package to another country takes as little time as it would to place it in the hands of a neighbor.

The Secret to Success: By using a map of Brazil as well as an easy-to-understand visual concept, DDB was able to tap into the needs and desires of its local market. When crafting your ad, look to clearly communicate how your product or service fits into consumers’ lives or work, and how it can make them better, happier, and more fulfilled.

Tactile, Memorable Print

Print is tactile. Use this to your advantage by creating ads that are relatable, memorable, and clear. Increasing print engagement will help your advertising break through the clutter of not only the hundreds of ads people see each day but the thousands of brands that are competing for your customer’s attention.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing #printing #mail #banners #publications #marketingcampaigns #postcards #brochures

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less.
Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace

Monday, May 13, 2019

Use Powerful Visualizations to Make Your Message Clear

Communication is the key to human connection.

But adequately sharing information can be more difficult than you may think. George Bernard Shaw said the single biggest challenge in communication is the illusion that it has taken place!

Experts estimate that 65 percent of people are visual learners, so one of the easiest ways to communicate with people is with pictures. A well-structured chart, graph, or data visualization can do wonders for sharing your insights with customers, team members, or your superiors. And with easily accessible tools you can use illustrations to:

Get your message across quickly
Make complex data accessible to many
Make your report or presentation more visually appealing
Create a more memorable, lasting impression

Whether you’re reporting the household budget or spicing up slides for a presentation, stretch yourself to try one of these options this month.

Vertical Bar Charts
This is a simple option for comparing data grouped by distinct categories. Vertical bar charts are better when sharing 10 groups of data or less.

Horizontal Bar Charts
Typically, horizontal bar charts are effective when you have more than 10 groups of data or if you have long category labels to share.

This format makes labels easier to read because they are displayed in the proper orientation. Vertical and bar charts are excellent for comparing any sort of numeric value, including group sizes, inventories, ratings, and survey responses.

Pie Charts
Pie charts are fun to look at and helpful for understanding parts of a whole.

Remember to order the pieces of your pie according to size and to ensure the total of your pieces adds up to 100%.

Line Chart
Line charts are used to show data relative to a continuous variable: calendar months, years, budget allocations, etc.

Plotting data variables on line graphs makes it easier for readers to identify useful trends or to evaluate comparable products or challenges.

Bullet Chart
Bullet charts are typically used to display performance data relative to a goal.

A bullet graph reveals progress toward a goal, compares this to another measure, and provides context in the form of a rating or performance.

Flow Charts
Following the proper process is something that can make or break an organization or its employees.

Flow charts are used typically in medical, educational, or manufacturing fields to bring quality control and to ensure procedures are uniformly followed.

Pictographs
Here images and symbols are used to illustrate data.

For example, a basic pictograph might use a frowny face to signify sick days and a happy face to symbolize healthy days. Because images hold more emotional power than raw data, pictograms are often used to present medical data. An illustration that shades five out of 20 people has a much more significant impact in sharing a 20-percent death rate.

Sharpen Your Image

When finalizing your data visualization, here are ways to bring your best to the table:

Less is More.
When creating illustrations, consider which gridlines, borders, or numbers can be removed to make the essential parts speak for themselves.

Let White Space Shout.
Minimalist designs like this Congressional gender chart can highlight areas where a gross imbalance exists.

Interpret Data for Readers.
Viewers can understand data more easily when you offer compelling titles and well-placed labels.

Use a Call to Action.
To move your readers, encourage them to take action and make changes.

A great example of this comes from Sebastian Soto, who built a single-color pictograph about the decline of Zambian malaria. Using quotes from key research and health ministry directors on the poster, he closed the graphic with this phrase: “Let’s Collaborate. againstmalaria.com.”

If you need help creating visualizations for your next print project, give us a call today!

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing #printing #mail #banners #publications #marketingcampaigns #postcards #brochures

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace