Marketing Your Way to Success

Contrary to popular opinion, print is not dead, and it remains an integral part of marketing and advertising.  Today, you can't rely solely on digital ads to increase customer traffic. Likewise, you can't just rely on old-school advertising to do the job. Writing words on paper is tactile and fun to hold. It also creates a feeling of value that a pop-up ad can't do. Paper is something that has to be reckoned with. You can't just turn a blind eye. You have to physically throw it away--after reading it.  Once it's your customers' hands, you have the advantage of grasping their attention. Be forthcoming about what you are selling or trying to call their attention to. Using high-quality paper and fine print can give the impression of prestige and quality, and with the physical item in your hands, it is way more engaging for readers than an email or a pop-up. Digital helps expand on the conversation you started with the customer. It allows for more information t...

When you think of the holidays, what colors come to mind? Red, green, white, or maybe even blue and gold. These festive colors can evoke emotions from consumers by drawing them to colors they might not naturally be drawn to outside of the holiday season.  Using color theory, the study of how color impacts perceptions and behaviors, we can help get customers in the mood for the holidays and, hopefully, buy your products. Here's what the experts say about the holiday colors we love. How to Use Color to Impact Holiday Campaigns Red We know red as a warning: fire, stop signs, danger, and so forth. But it is also a powerful color representing love, passion, importance, and hunger.  Red can raise blood pressure and respiration rates and enhance human metabolism. We think of things like red berries, Santa, and more. Use this color as an accent, and you'll be doing well. However, if used in abundance, it tends to get overwhelming.  Green Green has both the calming attrib...

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. Refe...

 In its simplest form, a call to action tells the recipient to buy now.  However, sometimes saying, "buy now!" won't be quite as effective as an alternative, more creative strategy.  Below are some tips for crafting a call to action for your print marketing campaign so you can have a better response rate than the average of 4.23%.   1. Be straightforward  Tell the reader what they can expect if they complete the advertised action.  No games, no tricks. If you say this is what will happen, then advertise it accurately. If the deal only holds if they buy $X in merchandise, then clearly communicate that. You're not doing yourself any favors by making a misleading call to action. It'll just frustrate the client.  Avoid misleading calls to action by including relevant numbers, such as pricing and discounts.  2. Use strong command verbs Begin your call to action with a strong command verb.  Strong command verbs can help people follow your ...

Interactive print marketing allows more engagement from the receiver, upping retention.  Interactive print marketing is any print that allows engagement beyond reading from the user. It can have digital or non-digital aspects.  Non-Digital Interactive Print Marketing Non-digital interactive print marketing uses creativity to enhance print, creating a unique experience.  1. Scents Sending scents through the mail is especially helpful when advertising the wonderful smell of your perfume.  However, even if you don't sell perfumes, sending a scent through the mail can still be helpful. By associating your business with good smells, you'll intrigue and please potential clients while influencing their emotions, as 75% of emotions are due to smell. Incorporating a particular smell could become part of your brand identity, boosting recognition. People are 100 times more likely to remember a smell than something they see, hear or touch. 2. Invisible Ink Make your cam...

The holidays are coming, and you want to reward your clients (and possibly even your staff) with fun items that will benefit them and keep your name buzzing around. Utilizing giveaways helps people identify your brand and reminds them of your business when they’re ready to purchase . Here are some great ideas to help do both of these things.  11 Print Products That Make Great Holiday Gifts 1. Water bottles These are popular because they are reusable and reduce waste in landfills. Of course, we all want to stay hydrated, but it’s also a perfect canvas for your business logo. 2. Calendars We all use our phones but hang up our paper calendars to remind us of important dates. Add photos and your logos, and you’re set. Each month, there will be a different picture to admire. 3. Mugs Who doesn’t like to curl up with a good book or Kindle and read with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Mugs are perfect for winter months to warm hands up during a chilly business meeting. ...

SMART goals help you identify areas you'd like to improve and clarify your objectives for a successful social media campaign. They act as a guide to data collection and help your team know which tasks to prioritize.  SMART Goals SMART is an acronym for…  Specific . Use statistical values to narrow down what and how much you'd like to achieve. Measurable . Attribute values to non-numerical indicators of success, being precise in how you'd like to measure.  Achievable . Look at past campaigns and use them as a base for how much you think your business can achieve. Realistic . Similar to achievable. Make sure your goal is relevant. Timely . Set a date for when you'd like the goal to be completed.  Setting SMART goals acts as a base for your social media campaign. Create a Social Media Campaign With SMART Goals SMART goals help create a stellar social media campaign that works for your company.  Step 1: Set a goal using the SMART goal method, making su...