7 Print Marketing Ideas to Boost Holiday Sales

The holidays are a busy time of year for you and your customers, but print marketing has the power to get you noticed and boost sales.

How do you accomplish this? Here are seven ways to use print marketing to boost your sales this holiday season!

7 Print Marketing Ideas to Boost Holiday Sales

1. Creative Packaging 

Use beautiful boxes, papers, and images when you send out items to customers.

They are more likely to hang onto them and remember you in the future. Plus, it creates a warm fuzzy feeling when customers receive such packages.

2. Door Hangers

Create fun, whimsical door hangers to put on customers’ doors.

These will receive a lot of attention and will solicit a response. 

3. Coupons

Send coupons to customers on fun, holiday-centered postcards.

Include fun images, pictures, and sayings that will grab their attention during the holiday hustle and bustle.

4. Holiday Newsletter

Time and attention span may be limited this time of year, but a compelling and short holiday newsletter will get your reader to stop, read, and respond.

Put some fun quotes, tips, recipes, fun facts, a happy holiday message, and maybe even a coupon to help them save money during this time of year.

5. Subscription Package

A subscription package will keep them coming back throughout the year.

Offer special pricing, fun packaging, and items that will dazzle them. They can subscribe to your subscription box and receive great gifts throughout the year.

6. Gift Cards

A gift-card campaign allows customers to share your business.

It’s also an excellent way to offer deals. They can get something free if they buy a certain amount of money in gift cards. This is a popular way of helping people with last-minute and corporate gifts.

Make sure your gift card displays are front and center near your store’s entrance, checkout, and other high-traffic areas.

7. Loyalty Rewards

Mail special discounts to loyal customers during this time of year.

Research what most customers are buying this time of year, then send them a letter or postcard offering to discount it for them. Remember, it usually costs you a lot more to acquire brand-new customers than to retain the ones you have.

Whatever you decide to do to thank your customers during this time of year, we can help execute it with quality printing and papers. Contact us to get started today!

 
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 

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!

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

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.

Contact us today to learn about our professional paper, color, and design options for your next print newsletter!

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 

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

Outsourcing Employee Training - When does it make Sense?

 

The big question is this: What makes more sense for your business - doing your training in-house or outsourcing your employee training?
 

Market Placement and Reach

Your decision on whether to insource or outsource your employee training is typically impacted by how many people you need to have trained. Is it a set number of people at exact intervals?  Many businesses can take advantage of on-demand training to reduce costs and ensure your employees are trained quickly and properly by having an external provider handle the training function. 

Additionally, if you have trainees located in geographically diverse locations, a vendor can easily take a classroom-learning module and create web-based training.  This can be hosted in-house or remotely, depending upon your business needs.

Outsourcing Training May Cost Less

If you have full-time employees that are specifically dedicated to training your staff, it can be a costly endeavor.  Many small and mid-sized companies just don't have the monetary resources to dedicate man-hours to development, design, implementation, and evaluation of training for their employees.  There's also the management and tracking of these functions to think about. 

Instead of hiring one or two employees dedicated solely to training, it may make more economic sense to use an outside organization to send your employees to before you let them loose with customers.
 

Risk Reduction

Training your employees is not just about creating that distinctive customer experience.  You also want to ensure that your employees have the proper tools to do the job efficiently and safely. Think of training as a way to safeguard your business and reduce the risk of injury, loss, and (gasp!) lawsuits.

There are a host of web-based training programs out there addressing topics like proper money handling, OSHA safety, and dealing with difficult clients.
 

Access to Expertise

Training takes a specialized skill set.  Vendors that specialize in training have the ability to create customizable training systems at a fraction of the cost of having them built in-house.  The individuals that design, develop, and implement training are professionals that know how to transfer knowledge to a wide variety of learners. 
 
The bottom line here is that these outside vendors are in the business of training.  In-house training is hard to beat if you have the financial means and the ability to keep a steady stream of projects in the pipeline. However, if this is not the case, it may make sense to look to outside options for excellent employee training. However you choose to train your employees, taking the time to ensure your employees know their jobs well will mean your customers will thank you!

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

#print #directmailmarketing #printmarketing

Are You Connecting With Your Customers?

No matter how great your product or service is -- and we know it's great --  customers still make buying decisions based on emotions. Sadly, most businesses don't strive to create that personal connection that influences buying behavior. When it comes to effective sales and marketing approaches, building relationships with customers is key. But how can you bring that all-important personal touch to every transaction and really make your business stand out?

These best practices will help you nurture personal connections with customers and build brand loyalty.

Ask First, Sell Later

Before you jump right into a standard sales pitch, take the time to ask your customers a few questions. More importantly, really listen to their answers. A bit of gentle probing will help your customer articulate exactly what it is they need. That, in turn, will allow you to clearly explain exactly how your products or services will solve their problems.

This way, you're not simply pushing something that they may or may not really need or want. Instead, you're taking their unique situation into account and providing a personalized, customized solution. At the same time, you're building rapport by creating a personal interaction that's so important.

Again, really listening is key. While your customer is speaking, stop what you're doing, take a breath, and simply listen. Don't attempt to think ahead and formulate answers before they're finished talking. Remain in the moment, and place your full attention on them. They'll notice the difference!

Quid Pro Quo

Keep on building that relationship by offering some personal information about yourself, too. Don't worry. You don't have to give out your Social Security number or your home address. In fact, avoid TMI at all costs. Sharing just a bit will humanize you to your customer. Talking about where you where born, a common hobby, a sports team, or even a recent movie you watched or book you read can make a real impact.

Scientific studies support this strategy. A 2009 study in the <em>Journal of Consumer Research</em> found that customers were more likely to buy -- and to be happy about their purchase -- when a salesperson shared personal info like a birthday or a birthplace. But don't fake it; the study also found that creating similarities where none really exist simply to make a connection tended to backfire, especially if the customer found out later that the salesperson wasn't being forthcoming.

Keep in Touch

Regular newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers -- with the added benefit of keeping your brand in the forefront of their minds. CIO recommends sending a newsletter at least 10 times per year. Make it simple to scan and read, with short, concise articles and a prominent table of contents so customers can find what they're looking for with ease. Focus on relevant content that your customers can use, making your newsletter something to look forward to.

That Personal Touch

Sending a handwritten note or postcard is a great way to ensure that your business stands out. Handwritten communication proves beyond a doubt that you've taken the time to sit down and make an effort, which makes your customer feel valued. Try to include personalized content in each note to really make an impact.

These simple steps will help you build that human connection that's so key to driving sales and customer loyalty.

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

Top Tips for Improving the Effectiveness of Your Newsletter

Newsletters have a proven track record for creating front-of-mind awareness, establishing and maintaining credibility, and publicizing an organization to the community. Here are a few tips to improve the effectiveness of your newsletter:

• Become a resource by including how-to articles, helpful industry tips and tricks, and links to other articles and podcasts that may be of interest to your audience.

• Feature a special offer or promotion in each issue to track your newsletter results.

• Include a customer testimonial section to highlight customers who are finding success using your products or services. This will not only boost your credibility, but also increase customer visibility.

• Offer subscribers a "sneak peak" at new products. This will make them feel special and encourage them to spread the word about their insider knowledge.

• Create an "Ask the Expert" section, featuring industry experts to answer customer questions. Include the name and business of the customer who asks the featured question.

• Keep track of customer/recipient birthdays and send them a free birthday giveaway or discount.

• Provide highlights from an online customer portal or discussion board where customers can chat about industry trends, new products, and other relevant issues. Include a web link, and encourage newsletter readers to join in the discussions.

• Commit to a regular schedule. Readers will look forward to and expect your newsletter, so inform them if you take a hiatus from the regular routine.

• Post current and archived issues on your website with a link to subscribe.

Give us a call today if you'd like to see examples or need more ideas for creating a newsletter that your audience will look forward to receiving. Our creative experts would love to help.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with employee and customer newsletters or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

Making Business Sweet: Can you wait?

Imagine taking several children, one at a time, into a room, where you've placed a tantalizing marshmallow on a table. You tell the children that if they can resist eating the delicious sweet sitting in front of them while you step out of the room for a few minutes, they can have two when you return. If the child can't wait, they can eat the first marshmallow whenever they want, but they won't get the second marshmallow when you return.

That's exactly the experiment researchers at Stanford performed in the late 1960s. The footage they obtained of the children was quite fascinating. Some children looked away from the treat in front of them, while others tried to distract themselves by kicking the table or fiddling with their hair. Some of the children poked or stroked the marshmallow.

Years later, the researchers were able to make the connection that the children most capable of delaying gratification were the ones who were also more likely to succeed in school, resist other temptations in life (such as drugs or excessive alcohol), and avoid having behavioral problems. Clearly, the ability to delay gratification is significantly linked to personal success.

Adults and delayed gratification

Hopefully, most adults can be left alone with a marshmallow and avoid eating it when the situation calls for it, but that doesn't mean most adults have mastered self control and delayed gratification. It's always tempting to accept immediate pleasure or reward rather than wait for something more important down the line. We all have different areas where we know we would struggle to resist temptation. Just like the children in this experiment, however, we need to keep in mind the larger picture and see the good that can come from waiting.

What marshmallows have to do with business success

Business is all about being able to see the big picture. For companies to be successful, they have to be able to look beyond the current options and see where they want to go in the future. Sometimes, achieving these long-term goals means being able to pass over smaller rewards and delay gratification for the greater good.

For example, some companies may find themselves tempted to maintain their traditional marketing techniques rather than branching out into social media and inbound marketing. Sure, the company may continue to find occasional new customers, but that's the small reward. The fact is the Internet is now critical for reaching an ever-growing portion of the consumer base. While entering the world of Internet marketing may require patience and extra work upfront, the reward companies receive from reaching their customers online can be enormous.

Children are not known for their patience, and an experiment first done in the 1960s has shown that many struggle with delayed gratification, even when the promised reward is sweet. While adults may have more self control than a child, we can still struggle sometimes to wait for potential opportunities to come to fruition.

When making business decisions, it's always important to determine goals and then keep your eyes on the prize. Opportunities abound for companies that exercise patience and work toward a larger reward. Don't settle for mediocrity. Instead, challenge yourself to think big and build the business of your dreams.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with human resource needs through employee newsletters, training manuals, business cards or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

Employee Recognition: 5 Ways You can Motivate on a budget

The first Friday in March is Employee Recognition Day, but you don't have to wait until then to show your employees how much you appreciate them. Though the economy is on the upswing -- finally -- many employers are still feeling pinched, especially when it comes to budgeting for pay increases and other employee motivating benefits. But even if you can't afford a grand gesture, showing your employees how much you value their contributions is still a must.

Why is Employee Recognition So Important?

It may help to think of employee recognition efforts as an investment in your company's success. While it's true that motivated employees work harder and take more pride in their work, empirical evidence also supports the benefits of recognition. 

A study of more than 4 million employees found that regular praise and recognition has a positive impact on employee performance, specifically resulting in:

• An increase in individual productivity
• More engagement between colleagues
• Increased employee retention
• A decreased number of on the job accidents
• A better safety record
• A greater number of positive comments and loyalty scores from customers

Now that you know how important recognition is, here are a few budget friendly ways to honor your hard-working employees.

1. Just Say Thanks

A survey by Dr. Bob Nelson, noted author and motivational guru, asked employees to rate their most-desired and least desired forms of recognition. Guess where "cash or cash substitutes" finished? Near the bottom. You heard that right. Only 42 percent of those surveyed deemed monetary reward as very or extremely important.

So what grabbed the top spot? Ninety two percent of those surveyed rated "support and involvement" from their supervisor as the most desired motivator. Similarly, "personal praise" took second place with 79 percent describing it as very or extremely important. These statistics underscore the impact an employer can have, even without the backing of a huge budget.

Sometimes, it's enough just to express your gratitude. Make it public by posting a handwritten note on their office door or wall, sending out a company-wide email, mentioning them in a newsletter, or praising your employee at the beginning of a meeting.

2. Break Time

Maybe you can't afford to give them a raise, but can you spare an hour here or there? Instituting a recognition program based on off-time shows you care without cutting into payroll too sharply. Consider offering an extra hour at lunch, providing an early dismissal on a day of their choosing, or adding a few extra minutes to breaks every day for a week. If you can afford it, comp time is always appreciated and gives employees the break they need to recharge and come back re-motivated and ready to work.

3. Take 'em to Lunch

Recognize hard work by treating that special honoree to lunch. Find out their favorite eatery and order take-out, or go all out and have a sit-down nosh together.

4. Added Perks

Some incentives come at absolutely no cost to your bottom line, but can make a big difference to an employee. Reserve that prime parking space for them for a week -- or a month, if you're feeling generous. Ask one of the top managers or execs to stop by the employee's desk and offer a personal "thank you." Post a congrats message to Facebook or tweet it out -- with your employee's permission, of course.

5. Gifting

If you have a small slush fund available, purchase some small gifts from nearby businesses. What employee wouldn't love being surprised with a free car wash, movie passes, or a gift card to Starbucks?

Whichever low budget option you choose, be sure to tailor it to each individual employee. After all, thanking your workers in cookie cutter style doesn't exactly scream, "You're special! I value you as an individual!" With a bit of forethought and planning, you can give morale -- and productivity -- a boost.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with human resource needs through employee newsletters, training manuals, business cards or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

What is Content Marketing and how does it work, exactly?

You've probably heard all the buzz about content marketing, yet may still be wondering what, exactly, it is. Content marketing is simply the new form of marketing that uses informative content, rather than blatant sales pitches, to attract potential customers. Instead of proverbially bashing people over the head with whatever you're trying to sell, content marketing entices them to come to you to learn more about your product, services, and brand.

So, how the heck do you do that?

Create a two-way conversation.

Old school advertising was pretty much a one way street with the company doing all the talking. Content marketing turns it into a two way conversation by actively engaging the audience. Do this by encouraging comments on your blog posts and social media sites, holding contests, or otherwise reaching out to your audience for input in your publications or direct mail.

Keep up your end of the bargain.

Asking for audience participation is good, but it's not so good if you do nothing with the information you gleaned. Reply to audience comments; respond to their requests and needs. Perhaps a certain aspect of your website keeps getting the same complaint. Hold up your end of the conversation by acknowledging the issue and perhaps even tweaking whatever's wrong to better fill people's needs.

Make it easy to find you.

Of course, you won't have any conversations at all if people can't find you. In addition to a user friendly company website, you should set up a blog and accounts on your chosen social media platforms that all easily link back to your website. When you share a blog post or add new information to your website, share the link across your media channels including your publications or direct mail.

You don't have to go nuts and join every single social media platform out there. Instead, focus on the ones where your target audience is most likely to tread. Learn more by analyzing the social media habits of your target demographic, then go where those folks go.

Fuel your audience with quality content.

Keeping your audience engaged means keeping up a steady flow of quality content. Again, you don't have to go nuts trying to post something new and exciting every five minutes, but you do want to add fuel to your content marketing fire with fresh content on a regular basis.

Note the keyword "quality" here. Provide content that's polished, informative, compelling, and even entertaining. While text may make up a good chunk of your content, also take advantage of the power of pictures and videos. Include them in related posts, or let them fly solo if they say all they need to say on their own.

Since people are none too fond of reading the same stuff again and again, make sure you cover a variety of different topics that are relevant to your audience.

Don't bombard your audience.

Bombarding your audience can consist of that aforementioned strategy of beating them over the head to "buy, buy, buy" with every post you create. But it can also include posting at such a rapid and fanatical rate that your audience has no time to absorb, respond, or even breathe.

More is not necessarily better, especially if the more is of poor quality. Over posting can not only mar your reputation as a professional, but it can backfire in a big way. Instead of being attracted to your company, you may instead find your audience fleeing in droves, leaving you with no one left to talk to but yourself.

Mastering the art of attraction is just one aspect of content marketing, but it's one of the most essential for eventual success.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with content marketing through publications, direct mail or other print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com

You, Sales, and Copy

Before we start, let's get one thing clear. This post is not about the copies we make for you on our copy machines. It's about the copy (text) that appears on your website and in your publications or promotional materials. No matter what type of business you run, copy affects every part of your business. It's the cornerstone of your marketing, and it affects the executive team, the HR department, and every aspect of the organization.

How?

To answer that question, let's first take a look at what copy is and what it is not. Copywriting is the act of producing written text (copy). It's not the same as "copyright," which refers to one's legal right to produce and publish content. Wikipedia explains copywriting as "writing copy (text) for the purpose of advertising or marketing. The copy is meant to persuade someone to buy a product or influence their beliefs."

That second part is especially important because it's the key differentiator between success and failure in copywriting. Weak copy will be thrown in the trash, while good copy will move the recipient to the desired action you want them to take. This applies not only to advertising and marketing but to any type of business and even personal communication.

Effective copywriting is sometimes referred to as "a salesman in print." It can be seen in brochures, billboards, websites, emails, TV and radio ads, catalogs, and many other places where the goal is to move someone to a desired action. That action might be purchasing your product, engaging with your company, or picking up the phone to request more information. In short, copywriting is all about making the recipient move and act.

Copywriting dates all the way back to the nineteenth century, when the newspaper industry was beginning to boom. At that time, copywriting referred to the words written by journalist being copied from their desk into the newspaper. Times may have changed, but copywriting is as crucial now in helping to sell your products as it was then in helping to sell newspapers.

Good copywriting answers the problem of how to get more sales.

Two big buzzwords today are content marketing and inbound marketing. Both essentially refer to copywriting. While effective copywriting is part science and part art, the fact is that anyone can create copy that moves people to act. Well crafted copywriting doesn't need to be full of hype or written with bold typefaces and capitalization that beats people over the head.

There are three basic steps you can take to create compelling copy.

1. Know your audience. It should be a given that you know exactly who you're creating the copy for. The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to create powerful copy. A demographic profile can help you not only create your copy but also know who you will be sending that content to. The following are some examples of data you'll find in a demographic profile:

• Gender
• Age
• Family Status
• Income
• Occupation and Industry
• Interests and Organizations

2. Focus on them, not you. Everyone wants to be the center of attention. This applies in copywriting as well. The focus should be on the recipient, not how great you are. Your copy should answer the question: How will the products and services you offer benefit your customers and make their lives easier? Your copy must be able to answer the #1 question in every recipient's head: "What's in it for me?" In terms of copywriting, your product or service is far less important than its ability to fulfill your customers' needs.

3. Always include a call to action. Always. No matter what marketing medium you use to send and communicate the copy, there should always be a call to action. Never assume that the recipient will know what you want them to do next. Tell them exactly what the next step should be. Should they call, fill out a form, or visit your showroom? Make it crystal clear.

It takes time, skill, practice, and patience to become a master copywriter. For businesses that want to produce effective copy that moves people to act, following these three simple steps can go a long way toward achieving that goal. Communication tools may be expanding and evolving, but one thing will never change: the need for good, effective copywriting. Bad content produced across multiple marketing channels will work just as poorly as it did across one.

Change the words used to communicate your uniqueness and to tell your story, and you will change your business.


Posted by Chuck Gherman

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

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

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

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

Optimism, Publishing, and the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Optimism is not a trait born necessarily out of good fortune. Edgar Guest was 11 years old in 1893 when his father lost his job. Barely a year earlier, the family had emigrated from Birmingham, England, to Detroit, Michigan. Now, young Edgar had to take on odd jobs in a still unfamiliar land to help support the family.

In 1895, at age 14, he went to work as a copy boy for the Detroit Free Press. This would prove the beginning of a career that would span more than six decades.

At first, Edgar was able to attend school while working. However, in 1898, when Edgar was 17, his father died. Edgar dropped out of high school and began working full time to support the family. Later that year, his first poem was published in the paper.

Over the next half century, Edgar Guest would become one of the most prolific writers of his time, publishing more than 11,000 poems, syndicated in more than 300 newspapers and compiled into 20+ volumes. He also hosted a popular radio show in Detroit and later appeared nationally on the NBC-TV show A Guest in Your Home.

In spite of his rough start, Edgar Guest was known for the optimistic outlook captured in his verse. One of his better known works, It Couldn't Be Done, is a good case in point - and a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit we all share as business leaders. It reads in part:

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

How Do You Tackle Your Work? is another of Guest's poems that sings the praises of optimism, hard work, and dedication - traits we as entrepreneurs hold dear. Here's a passage:

You can do as much as you think you can,
But you'll never accomplish more;
If you're afraid of yourself, young man,
There's little for you in store.
For failure comes from the inside first,
It's there if we only knew it,
And you can win, though you face the worst,
If you feel that you're going to do it.

The full text of each of these poems is available online, and I encourage you to read both of them. They're a good reminder - especially when the grind gets tough - of just why we chose this crazy life in the first place.

It Couldn't Be Done, PoetryFoundation.org
How Do You Tackle Your Work?  Google Books


Posted by Chuck Gherman

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

Please Don't Ignore Me

The bulk of marketing budgets is often reserved for acquiring new customers. Much energy, time, and money is spent pursuing prospects that have a marginally small chance of ever becoming a customer. There's a flaw with this strategy.

The simplest and most effective way to boost your bottom line profits is to remember who brought you where you are today: your existing customers. If you aren't consistently advertising and staying in touch with current and past clients, you're missing out on the best way to continually grow your business.

For every month that goes by without making contact with your past and existing customer base, you'll lose up to ten percent of the clients you've worked so hard to acquire. Retaining clients is therefore an extremely important business growth strategy.

Selling your services to new customers means earning their trust. It takes hard work to build this trust. When a prospect becomes a customer, you have only begun to earn their trust. You cannot expect to maintain that trust without consistent, frequent contact that adds some value for the customer.

One of the best ways to maintain and build that trust is to communicate regularly via a newsletter. An effective newsletter has a mix of about 80% infotainment (fun and informative content that may not have anything to do with your particular industry) and 20% information about your business or industry.

The recent trend of companies switching to all digital email newsletters is now reversing with the realization that actually getting the emails opened and read is far more difficult than many were led to believe. Also many survey respondents favor a printed newsletter that they can hold versus one more email that clutters their already overfilled inbox.

Sure, email newsletters are inexpensive and require no postage, but there is a cost involved when the recipients never see or open the messages. By contrast, a printed newsletter is still one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to stay in front of your customers without overtly selling them.

The Lifetime Value of a Client

Perhaps one of the reasons past clients are ignored is because some business owners don't really know the lifetime value of a client. An existing client who is treated right, is not ignored, and is communicated with on a regular basis will not only return to do more business themselves but will also refer your company to those around them. Therefore the actual lifetime value is often five, ten, twenty (or even more) times the value of an initial sale.

That's the power of relationship marketing and the reason why your existing customers should get the bulk of your marketing budget. If you treat your existing customers well and communicate with them on a regular basis, you may not need to chase as many prospects as you have in the past.

To learn more about defining and understanding your lifetime customer value, please visit:
http://hbsp.harvard.edu/multimedia/flashtools/cltv/

Posted by Chuck Gherman


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