PGP Tip: Manage Your Print Buying in 3 Easy Steps

Manage Your Print Buying in 3 Easy Steps

Our goal in publishing this newsletter is to provide useful information to our customers and prospects on the things that we know best – printing, digital printing, mailing and web services. Often we discuss technical or production issues that are important for you to understand, or share ways to that the products and services we provide can help you expand your business. But sometimes – like this issue – we reveal inside information that will help you better manage the process of buying printing. Let’s get started . . .

Tip #1: Understand the manufacturing process.

A typical printing project has four stages: design; prepress; printing; and bindery. Design is the process of taking the idea for a brochure or other printed piece and assembling all the elements (text, photographs, graphic images, logos) into an example of what the final product will look like. We offer design services; and sometimes our customers do their own design, providing us with a PDF file to print from.

In the prepress stage, the PDF is turned into a raster image – a grid of x and y coordinates with instructions on which coordinate to illuminate for monochrome or color values. A raster image is sometimes called a bit map. Before beginning raster image processing, we check the PDF file to be sure there is nothing in the way the file was constructed that will prevent successful completion of raster image processing. This process, called preflight, is required for every PDF file, whether we have produced it or it was provided by our customer.

Printing is the output and reproduction process. This may be done on our offset press or our digital high speed printer. Bindery is the last stage in the process, where trimming, folding, stitching, drilling and other finishing services are completed.

Tip #2: Understand how design affects manufacturing.

How a printed piece is designed has a great influence on the overall cost.

• Designs that incorporate features such as a bleed (i.e., the extension of an image to the edge of the piece), a complicated folding pattern, or embellishments like foil stamping or blind embossing require more manufacturing skill and processes and so cost more.

• Designs that use a non-standard paper size may waste paper.

• Designs that use more than four ink colors or use metallic or other special inks require more press time to both run the job and remove the special ink color from the press.

 

Tip #3: When doing your own design work, create the file using industry standards for photo image resolution, file compression, and allowances for bindery functions.

During preflight, we check the file to be sure it will successfully complete raster image processing. We also check photo and other image resolution and the allowances for bindery functions such as bleeds, folds, booklet binding and drill holes. If the file you submit has not been constructed carefully, we will return it to you for correction or quote you the cost of having us make the repairs.

Confused? Don’t worry. At PaperGraphics Printing we can teach you how to manage your print buying and make more money through our ManagedMarketing™ program where we can handle all of your printing needs but also teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so. 

If your organization or business needs to increase sales we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391 or reply to this message to set up a no obligation consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.

Direct Mail or Email? Which to choose . . .

Direct Mail or Email? Which to choose . . .

Amid the ongoing debate about whether direct mail or e-mail is the best method to market to customers and prospects, very little is being said about the one thing that is crucial to the success of both – the message. Unless the message is relevant to the audience and persuasively presented, it doesn’t matter how it is delivered.

Why market with mail?

The objective of both direct and e-mail marketing is to persuade a customer or prospect to take action, either now or later. When a seller consistently and regularly sends a communication such as a post card or a newsletter (either mailed or web-based), a buyer is more likely at a future time to take the action desired by the seller. In other words, direct or e-mail marketing is less about an immediate sale than about positioning the business or organization to be top-of-mind when the potential buyer is ready to make a purchase.

This is important in business-to-business selling where the sales cycle is often long (especially when compared to business-to-consumer), and it is hard to stimulate demand. Direct mail is also important during an economic downturn when either budgetary constraints or the unwillingness of the purchaser to spend money creates a long sell cycle for both businesses and consumers.

Good content gives potential buyers what they want

Direct mail marketers and advertisers work hard to determine what type of content motivates buyers. Research consistently uncovers four characteristics of content that score highest in buyer interest. The best content is:

• useful or entertaining;
• relevant to the buyer’s interests;
• timely; and
• unique to the seller, either in content or presentation.

These four characteristics apply not only to traditional direct mail, but also to opt-in e-mail subscriptions. If a reader signs up for your e-newsletter, the motivation wasn’t to do you a favor – it was because the content of the newsletter had perceived value.

What’s in it for me?

The benefit you are promoting to the buyer must be apparent in whatever you are presenting, so be explicit. Use introductory phrases like what this means for you is or this translates to or the results were, then provide objective evidence to support your benefit statement.

Is your content worth reading?

If you are in the early stages of implementing a newsletter or other periodic communication with your customers or prospects, you may find yourself focusing on developing the mail list, gathering information about your company and deciding on a layout. We agree that these are important; we also suggest that you also focus on developing content.

To do this, put yourself in the mind of your target audience. Develop a list of general topics to include on a regular basis, and think about where you can go to get good content. Are there credible sources within your company or organization who could be regular contributors? Can you subscribe to industry magazines as a source of research and statistics?

Emphasize good writing

Interesting, relevant and timely content will have even more impact if well written. Good writing begins with the most important message, is organized logically, and is written in language that is easy to understand. In general, this means avoiding complicated sentence structure and keeping jargon to a minimum.

You’ll also need to be a perfectionist when it comes to spelling, and to follow generally-accepted rules for grammar and punctuation. If there are several contributing writers in your company, consider developing a style guide that provides everyone with the same set of rules for grammar and punctuation. You also might want to appoint an editor who is responsible for proofreading and editing articles to be sure they have consistent style.

Use design to stand apart

Once you have developed sources of good content and a communication style sheet, you are ready to make your direct mail or e-mail marketing piece stand apart from the competition by using innovative design. By consistently using standard design elements like a color palette, an underlying grid structure and eye-catching graphics, you can create a unique look that will be easily recognized by your customers and prospects. In addition, good design will guide the reader through the content and increase comprehension.

Tap into our expertise

As you can tell from the fact that we send you this online newsletter along with monthly direct mail, we believe in the effectiveness of email AND direct mail as a part of any marketing plan. We see e-mail marketing as a logical extension of direct mail marketing, and offer you our expertise to design, print, publish and distribute your marketing communication pieces. Call PaperGraphics at 254-773-7391 or 254-526-4303  for an appointment and we’ll show you how easy direct mail and e-mail marketing can be.

Using New Media to Communicate

The term old media and its companion legacy media refer to traditional ways of communicating with customers. Printers are generally considered to be part of old media, along with other paper-based industries like newspapers, magazines, and books as well as radio, television and movies. In contrast, new media is digital and includes the Internet, websites, and most computer-based forms of communication.

New media is exciting because it brings new tools to the process of communicating with customers, tools like full-color digital printing, with highly personalized sales messages and interactive outreach. New media also empowers prospects and customers to quickly and easily find reliable information about products, services and vendors.

At PaperGraphics we present our customers many ways to help you take advantage of new media to communicate with your customers and prospects. We recommend that you add these to your sales and marketing activities rather than replacing what you are already doing.

Have You Heard of QR Codes?

One of the more exciting examples of new technology is the QR code. QR stands for Quick Response, aptly named because the contents of the code can be decoded at high speed by devices including mobile phones equipped with a camera, net books and laptop computers, desktop computers, cameras and televisions.

QR codes are the new way for customers and prospects to reach a web page, a location (using geocodes) or obtain information about products and services. Add a QR code containing contact information to your business card and someone can add you to their contact list by reading the QR code with their cell phone or computer. Add a QR code to individual products on your web site and enable customers or prospects to download product details and a phone number for ordering, or link to a YouTube video.

While the typical barcode holds a maximum of 20 digits QR codes can hold up to 7,089 characters. In addition, QR codes take up about one-tenth the space of a bar code. This ability to hold a great deal of information in a small space is what makes QR codes so valuable for sales and marketing. QR Codes have been popular in Europe and Japan for years but are just now gaining steam in the U.S. You could still be the first in your market niche to use them if you act quickly!

Google has already started using QR codes in their “Google Places” division and because of that the QR code is likely to become very important in search marketing. Google suggests that if your web site contains a QR code, search engines will see a new image and index it, and might in the future index the content in them.

Many mobile phones, including iPhone, Blackberry, Motorola Droid and any phone that runs on the Android operating system, have application software available for scanning QR codes. Some phones may have the app already installed on the phone; if not, it can be easily downloaded and installed.

QR codes have other uses besides marketing material. An educational organization can direct people to reference or training materials. An online product catalog can use a QR code to provide complete product specifications. Retail locations can use QR codes to provide additional information – such as a restaurant providing nutritional information for items on the menu. A QR code on a direct mail piece can take the recipient directly to the web site of the business offering the product or service.

Call us for QR codes and digital printing

We invite you to call us to discuss how QR codes and digital printing can benefit your business or organization. We’ll help you generate a QR code that is appropriate for your intended application and add it to business cards and marketing materials – either now, or at the next printing.

At PaperGraphics we can teach you how to properly deliver your message via QR code using our specialized training with CPrint® International. Through our ManagedMarketing™ program we can help you attract prospects and begin a dialogue with them through direct mail, email, and other integrated marketing methods. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so. Give us a call at 254-773-7391 to get started today!

Promotion on a budget

The lifeblood of any business or organization is keeping current customers interested in your product or service while finding prospects to become new customers. This necessarily means that your business or organization must devote time and resources to promotion – using various methods to reach a target audience with a specific message.

Effective promotion is not limited to large businesses with substantial budgets. Smaller businesses and organizations can be successful by understanding how promotion works and adapting strategies and techniques to fit the available resources.

Promotion objectives

There are many possible objectives for a promotion strategy. Each is intended to produce a specific outcome and can be used singly or in combination. Here are the most common objectives:

• Build awareness. Although your current customers know you well, your prospects – the businesses or individuals you have identified that you want to have as customers – may not know you at all. Promotion helps introduce your business to your prospects, and is often the first step in gaining a new customer.
• Create interest and build trust. People buy things they need or have an interest in from those whom they trust. And long-term, loyal customers are the result of many positive interactions and transactions that become a trusting relationship. Promotion begins the process of building a relationship.

• Provide information. If you are launching a new product or service, whether to existing or new customers, the object of a promotion may be to explain it and its benefits. If your product is well established, an information-based promotion establishes you as an expert and creates interest among prospects who don’t yet know your company.

• Sell something. Some promotions are intended to drive demand and increase sales by getting customers and prospects to try the product. Free samples, free demonstrations and free trial periods are the type of promotions that stimulate demand.

• Establish loyalty. A repeat customer is one who has product or brand loyalty. Promotions based on establishing loyalty are useful after a customer has made one purchase, to start the process of building a strong relationship.

Target audience

Effective promotion begins with determining what audience you are trying to reach, since both the message and the promotional method may change depending on whether you are targeting current customers, past customers or prospects. Most small and medium-sized businesses are equipped and staffed to offer a specific and well defined complement of products or services. A successful promotion matches these products and services to the audience most likely to be interested in them.

Purchase motivators – the things that cause someone within the target audience to become a buyer – are different for individuals and businesses. In general, individuals purchase products or services to satisfy a basic need, to solve a problem or to feel good while businesses purchase to increase revenue, maintain the status quo or decrease expenses.

If your target market is individuals, learn to describe them with measurable characteristics such as age, gender, level of education, income, marital status, ethnicity, and family status. The corresponding characteristics for businesses are number of employees, annual sales volume, location and years in business.

Selecting the promotion method

For a promotion method to succeed, it must first reach the target audience. This sounds simplistic, but is often overlooked by businesses that haven’t adequately profiled the target audience. It is important to change your perspective from the business owner or sales manager to the target audience – simply put, to sit in their chair or walk in their shoes.

Begin by asking yourself how your target audience accesses information. Are your customers and prospects more likely to seek information using traditional media like reading newspapers and magazines, watching television, reading newsletters or responding to a direct mail campaign? Or do they seek information by reading e-mail, searching the Internet or reading blogs? You’ll need to set aside your personal biases – though you may be intrigued by social media such as Twitter and Facebook, if your target audience isn’t, then a promotion using these methods will not be effective.

Keep in mind that no single promotional method works all the time for every target audience, so rotate several methods and vary your approach. In addition, use promotions regularly. Over time, consistency and frequency will influence the buying decision more than the specific type of promotion.

Promoting on a budget

No matter the size of your business or organization, it needs to have a budget for promotions. Pick a time period – we recommend quarterly, semi-annually or yearly – and commit both a sum of money and some time for a designated person to manage the promotional effort. It takes both a budget and someone to manage the budget to ensure a successful promotion.

Promotions don’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. A simple way to start is by targeting your best customers and introducing them to products or services you offer that they may not be using. Here are seven ideas for promoting on a budget.

1. Send a monthly informational newsletter. That’s what we do! In fact, we send both a printed and digital version that gives us a chance to demonstrate our expertise, introduce you to new technologies like QR codes, and remind you of the full scope of services we offer.
2. Highlight the specific products and services that represent what you do best. Develop a series of post cards, flyers or mini-brochures that showcase the things that provide the majority of your sales. These are the things that, because of equipment or skills or experience, you can offer a true competitive advantage to buyers. The series can be distributed individually or as part of another communication.
3. Follow up a purchase with an additional offer. A customer who has just made a purchase is an excellent candidate to make another one right away. This is especially true if the customer receives an offer with additional value attached – a discount coupon or a buy one/get one promotion. To create urgency, include an expiration date for the offer.
4. Target past customers. Revive an old relationship by contacting past customers. There may be a negative reason (such as a bad customer service experience) that explains why a customer became inactive, but don’t worry about it. Something may have changed within the past customer’s company that again makes them a good candidate for your promotion.
5. Put a sticker with teaser copy on an outbound envelope. Teaser copy – a few words that creates interest – is often printed near the address on the outside of an envelope or a self-mailer. Teaser copy is just what its name implies: something that teases the reader to open an envelope or keep reading. If the teaser copy is printed on a sticker and affixed to the envelope, it becomes dimensional and attracts even more attention.
6. Offer a guarantee. Changing suppliers presents some prospects with a risk factor they may be reluctant to deal with. This is true even if the current supplier is not performing well. Alleviate the anxiety and eliminate the risk by offering a guarantee to your prospect.
7. Self-promote. Get the word out about your company’s accomplishments. When you win an award, land an important new customer, expand your capability or capacity by adding equipment or staff, let everyone know. People like to do business with successful people. Use a press release directed to the business editor of your local newspaper to announce something you are proud of. Add a line to your e-mail signature and announce your accomplishment on your web site.

Promotion builds business

Regardless of the size of your budget, it is important to continuously promote your business. At PaperGraphics we’ve been helping businesses, organizations and individuals with promotions to customers and prospects for 40 years. To brainstorm promotional ideas to help your business or to get started with your promotion, contact Dennis Smith at 254-773-7391 . We’re ready to help.

You Need a Mobile Website

Should you have a mobile web site in addition to a desktop site? Three reasons why you should:

1. A web site designed to display on a desktop computer monitor doesn't translate well to the very small screen of a smart phone.
2. Smart phone use different navigation tools (no mouse to click), making it harder to move around a desktop site using a mobile phone.
3. Smart phones use is growing. According to a 2011 report from market research company iSuppli, the number of smart phones shipped in 2009 was 16% of the total market; by 2011, the percentage rose to one-third of the total volume; and iSuppli predicts that by 2015, over half of all mobile phone shipments will be smart phones. Smart phones provide another way for business to communicate with their customers.

Currently there is a big push to have print and mobile work together. Printing a QR code on sales collateral, a newsletter or a direct mail piece opens up a new dimension of customer communication. When scanned by a smart phone, a QR code can lead anywhere-- to a web site or video, a map, additional information, a coupon or product review or many other places.If a business obtains the customer's permission (ie, opt-in), the business can send messages to the smart phone with special offers or contests, all designed to increase customer loyalty.

Let us help you implement your marketing strategy


For 40 years we have been helping our customers communicate with their customers to build sales. In the past we've done this exclusively with print. Now we are prepared to help you integrate print (which we still believe is the foundation of an effective effort) with new media--desktop and mobile web sites, QR codes and opt-in, web-based promotions.

For more information you can call us at 254-773-7391 in Temple or 254-526-4303 in Killeen; as always 24/7 at www.papergraphicsltd.com or just respond to this email. We may be using new methods to contact customers, but we haven't changed our focus and reliance on solid design and sales fundamentals.

PGP Tip: Promotional Tips & Tricks

Today I am going to share with you a few quick tips and tricks about promoting your business and increasing sales. This is a message you will want to archive and pull out when it's time to plan your next project.

A recent survey of small businesses owners conducted by the Hewlett-Packard Company revealed that very few felt confident about their marketing efforts. Almost half (46%) claimed not to have any general marketing expertise, 60% said they could be doing a better job as marketers, and only 18% felt confident about creating their own marketing material.

If this describes you, then take note: we can help. Many of our business customers routinely turn to us for help with developing a promotional campaign, creating a logo and graphic identity, and writing sales related copy. Because we have worked with so many companies over the years, we have developed sensitivity for what works. Using a series of probing questions, we'll guide you through the process of determining who your target audience is and how to reach them. For more information or to make an initial appointment for a consultation, contact Dennis Smith at 254-773-7391.

Promotional Tips & Tricks

If you are in business, you have developed areas of expertise that other people are interested in. For example, you know how to differentiate your product or service from your competitors-- why what you are offering is superior and worthy of consideration. That becomes the basis for a checklist of what should be considered before making a purchase. And that type of  information is valuable to others.

If you have been in business for a while, you may have several areas of expertise that you can share and many options for getting the word out. An informational brochure and a periodic newsletter are two commonly-used and relatively inexpensive methods. Others are writing a column for a local newspaper or sending a post card as part of a direct mail marketing campaign. A more ambitious method is to hold a seminar or demonstration on an informational topic or offer a presentation as a public speaker for community groups. Writing a blog is a new but increasingly popular method.

For subject matter, use topics that help your target audience with their problems.

Q & A

Q. What is a multi-channel promotion?

A. Multi-channel refers to using more than one promotion method simultaneously for a message on a single topic. Multi-channel can be very effective, especially when the messages in one channel are referenced in the other and are integrated. Use one constant and simple theme that offers a variety of response options.

Here are some examples of multi-channel marketing:

• Sending an e-mail timed to arrive at the same time as a mailed catalog.
• Inviting customers and prospects to visit a web site to print a coupon to use in a retail store.
• Adding a URL or QR code to sales collateral with an invitation to visit the web site, register, and receive something in exchange.
• Using an ad specialties product as a giveaway for registering online with your company. Advertising this giveaway with a post card uses a third medium.

At PaperGraphics we can teach you how to make more money through our Managed Marketing program where we can handle all of your printing needs but also teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so.

If your organization or business needs to increase sales we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391 to set up a no obligation consultation where we asses your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.

PGP Tip: Increasing Sales With Direct Mail

Today I am going to share with you a few quick tips and tricks for getting your direct mail message read and increasing the overall effectiveness of your campaign. This is a message you will want to archive and pull out when it's time to plan your next project.

Direct Mail Tips & Tricks

In direct mail marketing, the response rate is the percentage of recipients who respond to the mailing. Response rates can vary widely by industry, though the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) in a study of 1,122 industry-specific campaigns determined that the average response rate for direct mail is 2.61%. The response rate is often used as a measure of the success of a direct mail marketing campaign.

Before beginning any direct mail marketing campaign, it is a good practice to determine the break even response rate--the number of respondents to the campaign that must buy to yield enough profit to cover the cost of the direct mail campaign. If the break even response rate is very high, then the campaign can be restructured to lower the cost and therefore lower the break even response rate to a more achievable level.

In general, the overall response rate is higher when a smaller target audience is contacted multiple times versus a larger target audience contacted once.

Communicating with your customers

If your organization is a nonprofit that needs to communicate with alumni, members or donors, you'll be interested in the results of a survey commissioned by Pintney Bowes in 2009. Conducted by International Communications Research, the survey included approximately 1100 U.S. college graduates who were asked about their preferences for receiving information from the school they attended.

The survey found that 54% of respondents have a strong preferences for direct mail. Less than half that number- only 23%- chose an e-mail as their preferred method of communication. Respondents also indicated that they are less likely to discard or ignore direct mail that includes messages about fundraising and donations for their college or university. The alumni also prefer print mail for correspondence and news from their alma mater- 57% indicated a preference for mail versus 31% for email.

Q & A

Q. Is direct mail bad for the environment?

A. Contrary to what you may have heard from proponents of various "Do No Mail" coalitions, direct mail is an environmentally responsible way to advertise. Yes, trees are harvested to create the pulp from which paper is made. But the harvested trees are grown specifically for that purpose on tree farms known as managed timberlands. The trees are an agricultural crop, like vegetables on a farm; the trees are not cut down from neighborhood parks or wilderness areas. America's forestry and paper industries plant  more that 4 million new trees each day (or 1.4 billion per year)--that's three new trees for every one harvested.

Recycling is another reason not to fear direct mail. Paper is one consumer product that is fairly easy and inexpensive to recycle. After first use, paper products can be made into corrugated boxes, packaging, newsprint, tissue and event writing paper. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, annual recycling rates for advertising mail have increased seven-fold since 1990. In 2008, 57.4% of all the paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling. This is the equivalent of nearly 340 pounds of paper for each man, woman and child in America. The paper industry has set a goal of 60% recovery by 2012.

At PaperGraphics we can teach you how to make more money through our ManagedMarketing program where we can handle all of your printing needs but also teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so.

If your organization or business needs to increase sales we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391 in Temple or 254-526-4303 in Killeen to set up a no obligation consultation where we asses your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.