Articles
Get Personal: Direct Mail Connects.
With all of the available options – print and electronic – direct mail remains the #1 choice in top direct marketers’ bag of tricks. For both B2B and B2C communications, direct mail carries many advantages unmatched by other forms of direct advertising.
Direct mail continues to provide measurable results and noteworthy ROI, thanks to its flexibility in format and ability to deliver targeted, personal and lasting messages. To be successful, apply the following principles of direct response communications:
• Target your audience
• Craft a worthy offer
• Include a call to action
• Provide a response vehicle
YOUR LIST
Your list can make or break your direct mail campaign. If you are not talking to the right person, the message you deliver – no matter how specific – will be meaningless. One of your most valuable business assets is your “house” list. Why? Customers cost less. It costs eight times more to obtain a new customer than retain an established one. Your house list is five to 10 times more likely to respond to your campaign than any other list. And, it’s free. You own the data, so you can use it as you like without incurring additional costs.
YOUR OFFER
Once you have your targeted list, choosing the right offer to appeal to your audience may take some time and testing. One of the top 10 mistakes with direct mail is not making a specific offer or request – and expecting the recipients to determine what they’re supposed to do.
YOUR CREATIVE
After settling on the offer, it’s time to choose a format. Which is best? It will depend upon your campaign objective. The primary formats include: postcard, self-mailer, letter, package with multiple elements, and dimensional enclosure.
Your brand, image, message and of course, budget, will help bring focus to the creative development of your direct mail, both in look and copy. With all of the pieces in place, your direct mail campaigns will deliver results.
For direct response planning, printing and mailing, see your Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton professionals today.
Picking a Pro to handle your Marketing
Choosing an “expert” to take care of your health and wealth is a given. It makes sense that you would forgo having a first-year resident perform a delicate surgery on a loved one. Or, pass on hiring an accounting student to manage your family finances.
And while your print communications aren’t exactly a matter of life and death, they do have an impact on the long-term health and profitability of your business.
At every corner it seems, another source for printing pops up. Office supply outlets have plenty to offer in products. Be sure to evaluate what they can offer you in terms of quality and expertise. Choices in papers, inks, format – you name it – all influence the readability and effectiveness of your printed pieces.
POINTS TO PONDER
No doubt, you are wearing multiple hats, and any assistance feels most welcomed – no matter what the source. Being a bit selective about whom you choose to hand off some of the tasks, however, will pay big dividends in the long run. To help you identify the best resources for your print communications, consider the following:
- Consultative services – A print partner, like Allegra Print & Imaging, offers sound strategies for the development and execution of your print communications, whether its identity materials, sales support tools or direct mail pieces. Being able to turn to a trusted resource with a solid knowledge base will put your mind at ease – and free you to concentrate your efforts in another area.
- Graphic design – Sometimes, you need more than a few hundred copies of straight text. For those jobs, every step of the printing process impacts what follows in both time and money. Working with a one-stop resource gives you access to a provider who designs with printing and mailing in mind. Your pieces look good and are designed to be produced and mailed in the most cost-effective ways.
- Relationship building – A collaborative environment provides the most fertile ground for growing great ideas. Real communications pros can look at your overall objectives and work with you to see that your communications goals are met.
Next time you need support for your print communications, think Allegra Print & Imaging. Click here for contact information. We help clients in Hamilton, Burlington, Ancaster, Stoney Creek and other areas of Southern Ontario to reach their goals. Through careful strategy and planning, your print communications will “connect” with your audience.
Budget-friendly Printing Tips
Print communications remain the most effective way to reach your target audiences. But getting the most of each marketing dollar becomes more and more challenging as you try to cut through the clutter of a crowded and competitive marketplace.
Consider these cost-saving tips the next time you are ready to print:
- Stick with standard finished sizes to reduce paper waste and minimize your costs.
- Be careful when using bleeds, that is, color or images that run to the edges of the paper. Sometimes they require larger sheets that need to be trimmed, resulting in higher costs and longer production time.
- Use color to print a large quantity of “shells.” Then, customize the text as your projects come up throughout the year with one color of ink.
- Similarly, spread the cost of color between several jobs. For example, design a series of brochures that share the same colors, and print them at the same time. It can be cheaper than paying separate setup charges for each.
- Before placing a special order, ask if there is a paper stock in inventory that might be right for your project.
- Choose the right type of binding. Saddle stitching (stapling the piece along the center fold) is one of the least expensive and most popular types of binding.
- On larger quantities that are printed on two sides, lay out both sides on one larger sheet. This is called printing “two-up” and can reduce costs by about 25 percent since press time is cut in half.
- Consider digital color output. Though printing small quantities (under 400) of a full-color brochure is usually cost prohibitive for many organizations, consider short-run digital printing instead. If set up correctly, your project can be output directly from your digital files and the press time is cut in half.
- Avoid rush charges. Find out what length of time is required for production, printing and added processes like folding and die-cutting. Stay on deadline to avoid rush charges, which can be as high as 50 to 100 percent above the normal quote.
For many great ideas on how to harness the power of print, see your Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton professionals today. Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton can help you make the most of your project from design to delivery. Click the link for a quote.
Put a Trade Show to Work for You.
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research in Chicago, 77 percent of executive decision-makers found at least one new supplier at the last trade show they attended.
Trade shows provide a prime opportunity to make sales, build relationships and collect qualified leads. Getting the best return on your investment in terms of time away from your business, materials and participation costs takes some planning.
To maximize the value of your next trade show, consider the following:
CHECKLIST: WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU GO
Set Goals – Have a plan outlined – strategic and tactical – with measurable goals. Are you introducing a new product or prospecting for new business?
Develop a Follow-Up Plan – Have a “lead fulfillment” system in place. By preparing your materials before you leave, it will help to ensure timely follow up. Industry statistics reveal that 89 percent of exhibitors go with the intention of gathering leads, but only 21 percent of the leads are given proper follow up.
Identify Your Audience – Many trade shows are connected to annual meetings and conventions. Request the organizer’s mailing list, though it may be more extensive than you need. Narrow it to your target audience.
Build Pre-Show Interest – Create “buzz” in your participation prior to the show and target your pre-show mailing. For example, you could send red cards to customers and yellow to prospects and invite them to return the card at your booth for a special gift.
Choose Staff – Your staff should be readily identifiable through dress, presenting a professional, enthusiastic and unified image. Encourage personal goals and have rewards for a job well done.
Select Print Materials – Gauge quantities of business cards, brochures and flyers you want to have on hand. Set out flyers for general distribution; save your high-quality brochures that show off your capabilities for qualified leads. Build in a reason for further contact.
Pick Premiums – Your giveaways should be memorable and naturally complement your marketing message. It’s best if they are used as a thank-you for participating in a demonstration or survey. Avoid leaving them out on a table for anyone to take. You’re trying to reach customers and prospects, not the masses.
For a coordinated look in signs, banners, collateral and cards, consult Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton before your next trade show. We produce and deliver trade show displays and trade show marketing materials in the Golden Horseshoe area including Hamilton, Burlington, Ancaster, Flamborough, Grimsby, Waterdown and Stoney Creek. Contact us today for a quotation on your next trade show project.
Be in sight and mind every day, with custom imprinted calendars.
It’s time to take note: having multiple touch points is the best way to make contact and remain connected to your customers. When you are looking for cost-effective ways to heighten your visibility, promote your products and services, and build brand equity, consider custom imprinted calendars.
With custom calendars, your contact information is within the fingertips of your customers all year long. With endless themes and colorful styles, you are certain to find one that enhances your brand identity, “speaks” to your audience and leaves a memorable and lasting impression.
Affordable custom calendars come in a wide variety of styles, just right for every business or industry. Consider one of the following handy formats:
• Wall – The perfect choice for home or office.
• Desk – Always be in sight with endless varieties.
• Magnetic – Your name turns up just about anywhere – and sticks.
• Planners – Be the one to keep them on track everyday.
• Desk pads – Add form to function.
• Wallet – Choose a portable and handy reminder.
IDENTIFY PROSPECTS
When your marketing budget is being stretched further than ever, it’s time to get more strategic with your dollars. For successful lead generation, target marketing delivers results. By using a focused distribution of a promotional product like a calendar, you can pinpoint a select group, and use your marketing resources in a concentrated way rather than scattered over a broad campaign.
The most important piece to any direct marketing program is the list. A “targeted” list goes a step further and needs to be more specific and focused to deliver the best return on your marketing investment.
Let’s stick with calendars as we begin to build your campaign basics. Your target marketing package can be as simple as a personalized cover letter and a custom calendar. Your industry and your target audience (health care, financial or even nonprofit, for example) will determine the images you choose for your calendar to make it a great “fit.”
If your prospecting strategy is designed for a broader reach, just tweak the concept to be a direct mail campaign to a more extensive list and include a special offer.
Let’s say you own an art supplies store. Your offer might be: “Get a FREE 2009 Modern Art Movement calendar, featuring great works of the 20th century – just for returning this brief survey.” Then wait for your surveys (and leads) to come in.
NOTE: For either strategy to work, be sure to have a solid plan in place to follow up on any and all leads.
Having your contact information handy at every turn is a surefire and easy way to bring in new business – and keep them coming back for more.
For many great ideas on how to promote your business or cause with custom calendars, see your Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton professionals today.
