PGP Tip: How To Use Direct Mail To Grow Sales

PGP Tip: How To Use Direct Mail To Grow Sales

Regardless of the changes in technology, experts agree that traditional direct mail and e-mail work best when used together to grow sales. Both have their place in a marketer’s tool kit, neither cancels the need for the other, and the two may even work symbiotically, as when a post card is sent offering a premium if the recipient provides an e-mail address.

Some audiences prefer traditional direct mail

While we acknowledge the growing importance of web-based communication to reach customers and prospects, computers and mobile wireless devices like smartphones cannot by themselves reach everyone in a business’s or organization’s target market. That could change as the use of mobile wireless devices spreads (which is happening rapidly) but until that time, traditional direct mail still has valuable place as a marketing tool.

Traditional direct mail is a good choice for some audiences (such as an older demographic whose adoption of web-based communications may be lagging younger audiences) and for anyone who clearly states a preference for direct mail.

Traditional direct mail is also a good choice for businesses and organizations whose target audience is local. Sustaining member campaigns, fundraisers and financial support appeals by community-based non profits are a good example where outreach by traditional direct mail to the homes of donors is likely to outperform web-based appeal.

Successful direct mail in 3 easy steps

To conduct a successful direct mail marketing campaign, you’ll need three things:

1. A mailing list
2. A mail piece and
3. A message that is of interest to your target audience.

We’re making it sound simple because we do it every day and to us, it is!

Notice that we said a successful direct mail marketing campaign. If you measure success as the response rate, then greater success comes from a series of mailings rather than a one-time drop.

The ideal number of mailings in a campaign is ten or more mailed close enough together to build recognition in the mind of the recipient. Studies show that the cumulative response spikes after three mailings, then reaches a point of diminishing return until the seventh mailing, then spikes again. Based on this fact, the response rate will be greater if you mail seven times to the same list rather than one time to a larger list. Said another way, if you budget allows for mailing 5000 pieces, mail 10 times to 500 prospects rather than one time to 5000 recipients.

At PaperGraphics we can teach you how to make your next mailing a breeze through our ManagedMarketing™ program where we can handle it all for you from concept to completion. 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.

PGP Tip: The Secret Ingredient To Great Graphic Design

The Secret Ingredient To Great Graphic Design

Communicating via visual means is central to the selling process. Imagine trying to explain your product or service without having the assistance of a brochure, a display ad or a web site. Think how difficult it would be to differentiate your product from others on the shelf without attractive packaging. All buying decisions include some amount of emotion – how would you quickly evoke emotion without the assistance of images?

Visual communication is a process that uses investigation, analysis and planning to identify a communication requirement as a first step in designing something meant to be seen rather than heard or felt. Visual communication is a broad discipline that uses graphic design, drawing, illustration, typography and color to convey a thought, to inform, to educate or to persuade a target audience.

You may have heard us use the term graphic design when discussing a marketing or sales-related printed piece, creating or refreshing a logo, or updating a web site. What we mean is all the techniques, from composition to page layout, that are needed to prepare for the final step – printing, taking a web site live, branding, etc.

Graphic design as a discipline

Graphic design combines words, images and symbols into a coordinated whole that communicates to an audience. Graphic design can mean both the process of designing and the finished product. Here are some of the tools of successful graphic design:

• Lines direct the reader to points of interest, create shapes and forms, and divide space into sections.
• Color attracts attention and evokes emotion.
• Typography creates emphasis and contrast.
• Images and photographs convey meaning and bring forth emotion.
• Symbols represent ideas or concepts.
• White space separates elements so they are easier to read and provides the eyes with a brief rest.
• Grids and templates provide underlying structure and organization.

A layout refers to how these elements are arranged to convey the message. An effective layout uses a grid or template to organize the lines, color, typography, symbols, images and photographs into a visually pleasing whole.

The layout influences how much time the reader initially invests in the communication vehicle (i.e., whether to continue reading, save for later reading, or discard) and controls the order in which the reader moves around on the page, column or panel. An effective layout quickly captures the reader’s attention and leads him through a series of steps to understand the message and what action to take next.

Preparing for graphic design

Graphic design is not the starting point for visual communication. Rather, it is a subsequent step after investigation, analysis, planning and organization. At PaperGraphics we can walk you through all of these steps until all of us are clear on the purpose of the marketing and sales material, the web site, or the display ad.

The art of graphic design

Graphic design is a combination of technical skills and artistic creation. A type of commercial art, graphic design differs from fine art mainly in its purpose: to convey a message to an intended audience.

Graphic design shares with fine art many principles of design including balance, emphasis, movement, rhythm, contrast, proportion and unity. These principles, when combined with planning and technical knowledge of print and multimedia, results in marketing materials, sales collateral and cross media promotional materials that convey an advertising message in a visually pleasing manner.

At PaperGraphics we can show you the difference good graphic design can make. Select a brochure or sell sheet whose information needs to be updated and let us redesign it using the principles of graphic design. We predict you’ll be impressed with the results. For more information and a quotation, call us at 254-773-7391 or www.papergraphicsltd.com to set up a no obligation consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.

PGP Tip: Reduce Headaches - Plan Your Printing

Reduce Headaches - Plan Your Printing

Managing your inventory of printed materials is a great way to avoid the stress of last-minute ordering and the possibility of rush charges. You can develop an internal system for determining when an item should be reordered. Or you can ask us to include you in our RapidRepeat™ reminder system. Here’s how it works:

• For the items you order regularly, we’ll ask you to predict how long each one will last. If you aren’t sure, we’ll assign a projected reorder date of between 3 and 6 months.
• Using the projected reorder date, we’ll set a reminder flag in our computerized estimating and pricing system.
• When we get the reminder, we’ll contact you to see if you do need to reorder.

If this system sounds like something useful, call one of our professionals at 254-773-7391 and we’ll set you up.

Tips & Tricks To Make Your Next Project Smoother . . .

Proofs are an important part of the printing process. A proof provides a means for you to review an example of what the printed piece will look like and to check for errors in the text, verify that colors are correct color, and that the overall design is acceptable. We have a responsibility to present error-free proofs to you; and you have a responsibility to review our work carefully.

Printing projects can be unnecessarily delayed or even turned from standard production times to emergencies if proofs are not reviewed and returned to us promptly. If more than one person in your organization will be proofing, be sure everyone understands the importance of prompt review.

Ten years ago, there was a significant difference in the quality level of printing in full color. But, with advancements in digital printing technology, that gap has been narrowed and full color printing has become high quality and affordable in almost any quantity. This also means that it is much easier today to meet the requirements that your graphic artist or designer envisioned.

At PaperGraphics we can handle all of your inventory printing needs through our time tested models taught to us by CPrint® International. In fact, we are the ONLY printer in our market that is certified to implement these models and that is an advantage you can enjoy when you choose to work with us!

If your organization or business needs to increase sales or take out the pain of print buying 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.

PGP Tip: Take the Pain Out of Print Buying

Take the Pain Out of Print Buying

Do you LIKE to buy printing? If you are like many of our customers then purchasing printing is the least favorite part of your day. But, what we have taught them is that there are ways to make it easier and to take the “pain” out of buying printing. Let’s talk about a few key points:

Use the right design tools.

When designing, use the right tools. Microsoft Word is a good tool for writing a report but it is not a printing industry standard for laying out a brochure. Adobe Illustrator is an industry standard tool for drawings and illustrations, but not for page layout. Adobe Photoshop is an industry standard for color correcting and manipulating photographs, but not for page layout.

Submit a print-ready PDF file.

PDF is now an established industry standard for file submission. Call us and we’ll teach you how to adjust the settings in the native application you are using so when the PDF is created, the allowance for bleed is maintained and all fonts are included with the PDF, including linked fonts.

Allow enough time for the job to be completed using our normal production standards.

We always work best when we work within our throughput standards. While we have PriorityProduction™ for our Major Accounts we are still dealing with the laws of physics and there is less time allotted to the job when we go outside of standard.

However, the biggest advantage that we can offer you is a full charge Production Manager whose job is to make and meet all customer commitments. This means that jobs are actively managed through the shop and checked multiple times per day to assure we will make your promised due date.

At PaperGraphics Printing we can teach you how to take the pain out of print buying 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  to set up a no obligation consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.

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!