Gratitude is a great skill to possess.

“I think gratitude is a big thing. It puts you in a place where you’re humble,” said Andra Day. 

And humility is a wonderful attribute, primarily when serving the public. When you meet up with prospective clients, gratitude is vital. We receive a much better welcome when people see how thankful we are to meet with them and to have their continued support. 

Research has proven that returning customers spend 67% more than new customers, and 82% of customers are brand loyal.

So, what else can you do to show appreciation besides saying thank you?  

Here are some ideas to show your gratitude.

 7 Top Ways to Show Appreciation to Customers

1. Send a Thank-You Note

Send a thank-you note in a letter, hand-written and signed by you.

Sure, it takes a little time, but keeping current customers happy is worth it—especially the ones you genuinely want to maintain a relationship with.

2. Make a Donation

Donate to something close to your customers’ hearts.

If they support a worthy cause you can get behind, consider donating something to these causes in their name. 

3. Offer a Discount

Offer a discount just for them.

One of the easiest ways to build customer loyalty is by rewarding your customers for their business with loyalty cards and retail rewards.

4. Do a Giveaway

Offer a giveaway prize package.

Want to share the love and give out prizes to your fans? Running a giveaway is a great way to show your appreciation. This will excite customers, and they might even tell their friends and colleagues. 

5. Offer Free Services

Offer more free services if possible.

When people began to feel the impact of the coronavirus and social distancing, some companies went above and beyond to help people adjust to a challenging new reality.

Some companies offered free services or better deals on their products. When there is a stressor in your customers’ lives, help out a little more. People notice it and will appreciate your help.

6. Talk Face-To-Face

Engage in face-to-face conversations with your clients.

Ultimately, people want to be seen and heard. Engaging with them in a conversation over video chat or, better yet, in person is a perfect way to thank them for supporting your company daily.

Listen to them rather than just pitching your ideas. Ask about their business and learn how you can genuinely help each other.

7. Acknowledge Them on Social Media

Feature customers on your blog or social media.

If they had a big event that you were able to be a part of, or help with in some way, show it. Portray pictures of the big day with words from them as to how the day went.

This is great to help celebrate their day. It’s also great to get the word out about how you help people.

Whatever you choose to show appreciation will elevate your customer relationship and nurture long-lasting bonds. If you need help printing stationary or customized packaging, let us know. We would love to help!

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 to be shared, and it’s interactive in that the customer can click for more information on your website.

So, if you take the best aspects of each marketing tool, you will see the difference compared to running a solely digital or print campaign.

9 Solid Ways to Combine Digital and Print to Boost Your Campaign

1. QR Code

Use a QR code to link to your digital platform.

This is a quick and easy way to get the most out of your advertising.

2. Include Your Web Address

Add your website to the printed pieces.

This way, the customer instantly knows how to get more information or contact you. You can even create a specific landing page for the campaign.

3. Exclusive content

Advertise exclusive content within your print pieces to gain new followers on a specific social platform.

4. Social Media

Use your social media to obtain customer information so you can send on-target materials to them.

5. Giveaway

Advertise a giveaway on your printed piece and include a QR code or URL that takes the consumer to a page where they can redeem the gift.

6. Colors

When combining print and digital efforts, give them a cohesive look by using the same colors and fonts.

7. Campaign Tracking

Add a UTM or Urchin Tracking Module to the web address or QR code that you put on your print campaign.

A UTM is a simple text code that can be added to any URL or webpage to generate Google Analytics data.

8. Hashtags

Printing specific hashtags on materials is yet another way to funnel all marketing channels toward a single campaign. 

Indiana University used this approach with newly-admitted college students by including the hashtag #IUSaidYes on their acceptance letter packages.

9. Augmented Reality

Use an augmented reality code in your print advertising to stand out more.

This high-tech tactic tracks the results through the code and can also boost your online presence. These two together are unstoppable.

When it comes to marketing, combining digital and print will help boost your campaign and reach the right audience. 

When it comes to print marketing, we are here to help your marketing dollars go further! Contact us today.

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 attributes of blue and the excitement of yellow.

When used in a design, it is known to have a balancing and harmonizing effect. It also helps balance out red, which is used often this time of year.

Christmas trees can go back to medieval times to symbolize the Garden of Eden. Today, we tend to think of Christmas trees and mistletoe. 

White

Of course, we associate white with snow this time of year. 

But it also is an excellent backdrop for design. Since it is the polar opposite of black, it goes with just about every color and is perfect for minimalist design. In addition, it can soften the often bright colors of the season.

Blue

While blue is sometimes acquainted with sadness, calmness, and responsibility, it is also known for its dependability, peace, and religion.

Especially this time of year, we see that blue represents these last attributes. In times past, blue was connected to royalty as the pigments to produce the die were expensive. 

Gold

Success! Achievement! Luxury! Elegance! 

These are what gold represents, and many individuals associate this time of year with gifts.

Yellow, or gold, is a warm color and represents passion, happiness, enthusiasm, and energy. It’s a powerful color, not used in abundance.

When thinking about designing your holiday marketing materials, these colors are tried-and-true, and people instantly associate them with the holidays. 

There are always beachy themes and tropical photos, but that typically doesn’t represent the classic feel of the holiday season. Tapping into those warm emotions is easier when you keep with tradition.

The time to start thinking about holiday print materials is now! We can help you pick the right hues and colors for your marketing efforts. Visit our website today!

Automation has helped many small businesses become much more fluid and, in turn, succeed.

Automation has become one of the keys to success: nearly 80% of top-performing companies have used marketing automation for more than two years.

Although they might not have the resources of their counterparts, small companies can and should incorporate automation in every aspect of business: From capturing leads to closing sales and serving customers to checking routine office tasks off the to-do list.

Research has shown that while small businesses are less likely to invest in automation than large ones, they have more success when they do.

Here are a few common areas of automation where small businesses can get big results.

6 Automation Tips for Your Small Business

1. Lead and Contact Management

Dealing with leads and contacts manually can be a hassle.

Consider replacing that complicated spreadsheet with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) automation.

A CRM platform can automate lead scoring and take action when a score changes. For example, it can notify you when a deal is heating up or trigger an email when a contact hits a particular score.

2. List Segmentation

Segmentation of your contact list is key to sending personalized content, which has an average 34% open/click rate.

You can do this automatically based on actions that a person takes. 

3. Email Marketing

Email marketing has an incredible return on investment (ROI).

Businesses earn an average of $35 for every $1 spent. Email gives you a direct line to your audience and helps you build brand awareness.

But regularly sending professional, personalized emails to your contacts can be time-consuming for small businesses. Email marketing automation software makes it easier. Examples include welcome emails, abandoned cart emails, and birthday and anniversary emails.

4. Social Media

Social media automation includes automating your content to post on a social media platform at certain times.

All major social networks allow paid advertising, and you can reach a targeted audience when and where they are already spending time.

5. Notifications

Notifications are a type of automation with significant benefits, like increased efficiency and speed.

Automatic notifications give you updates on critical events so you can take action immediately. 

6. Customer Support

Small businesses care about their customers and are committed to offering the best support possible. Automation can help. 

For example, chatbots have become increasingly popular in customer support and have been shown to increase sales by an average of 67%.

Ultimately, automation streamlines your processes and makes you more competitive — especially if you’re a small business. 

When it comes to printing, we, too, want to make you more efficient so you can make the most of your time and budget and focus on what matters most. Contact us today!

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.
• Reference the client’s past buying history.
• Suggest products the customer might be interested in. 

To simplify your marketing, try to divide your overall target market into niche audiences with specific pain points. This will allow the mail to be more personalized while still being manageable for your business to execute. 

2. Special offers

Tell the recipient what’s in it for them. 

By including special offers in your direct mail, people will be more likely to act. Make your direct mail more effective by triggering fear of missing out by making the offer for a limited time only or while supplies last. 

If your company struggles to acquire data from your customers, you could have customers fill out a form before they can access the special offer. 

Examples of special offers include:

• Discounts
• Exclusive events
• Free samples

Example: “Scan this QR code, tell us about yourself, and get 25% off your next purchase! For a limited time only.” 

3. Strong writing

The content within direct mail heavily influences readers. 

Create a confident, friendly, accessible piece with direct mail by focusing on the writing. Tips to achieve this include: 

• Make it accessible to all by using simple language and short sentences.
• Make it easy to skim by adding headings and bullet points.
• Tell readers what’s important by making certain words and phrases pop.
• Include stories readers will enjoy and connect with.
• Make your first and last sentences count because they are the most frequently read. 

By making the content of your direct mail enjoyable to read, recipients will be more likely to act. 

4. Follow up after sending direct mail

People are busy, and they need reminders. 

Therefore, follow up with your customers after sending direct mail. You can follow up with another direct mail piece, email, or phone call. When doing so, remind the customer about the special deals and your previous point of contact. 

Direct mail is a powerful tool in marketing. But you’re going to want the most conversions for your money. Help convert by including these four strategies in your direct mail campaign. 

We’re here to help you convert when you’re ready to print! Reach out today!

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 call to action. In one study, ads with strong action verbs performed about 89% better than those without.

Examples include, 

• Buy the customer-favorite product now!
• Shop at our newly updated store!
• Order through our quick and easy website!
• Download the newsletter for insider knowledge!
• Subscribe to be the first to know about all our amazing deals!

Often, people have a hard time saying no, even to words on a page. By using confident action verbs, people will do it. 

3. Be enthusiastic

Enthusiasm is contagious. 

If customers feel you are enthusiastic and believe in your product and service, they’ll get excited too. In writing, enthusiasm is best shown through exclamation points, so use them often!

4. Advertise scarcity

People are busy, so you must find a way to get them to act immediately. 

Including a sense of scarcity in your call to action by showing it’s for a limited time or while supplies last will prompt people to act fast. This will help prevent people from putting direct mail in their “I’ll get to it later” pile. 

5. Differentiate from your competition

Companies with similar niches can sometimes advertise similar calls to action. 

Make yourself stand out from the competition by brainstorming ways your call to action can be unique. First, think of the things your company does that are better than the competition. Then find a way to weave that into the call to action.

Try getting creative and unique by asking your customers to complete an action not commonly requested. For example, try telling customers to read customer reviews instead of prompting them to buy, shop, order, download, or subscribe. Customers trust other customers’ reviews. If you have positive customer reviews, advertise them in your call to action. Potential clients can see what items or services are most popular and why. 

Calls to action are a crucial part of your marketing technique. Without it, customers often won’t act. Using strong command verbs and enthusiasm makes target markets likelier to respond. 

With all the thought and research you put into your print marketing campaigns, you will want an easy, smooth printing process. Once you’ve settled your call to action (and a thousand other details), reach out for a hassle-free printing process! 

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 campaign fun by telling your recipients to get the paper wet or bring it outside into the sun. 

Having “hidden” messages appear after following the prompts creates a fun experience for the customer while also making your advertisement memorable. 

Entice your readers to follow the prompts by providing a discount or some benefit after following through. 

3. Origami

Send print that can be transformed into something more through origami. 

This is a fun activity for the recipients. Make sure the directions are clear and the origami doesn’t get too complicated. Otherwise, the recipient will become frustrated. 

Connect the origami piece to your marketing campaign and product. Make it even better by providing the customer with something functional once they’re done, like a pencil holder. 

Digital Interactive Print Marketing

It can be beneficial to change your strategy mid-campaign by including digital aspects. 

It also increases response rates; a study shows the increase in response rates could be from 2 to 35%!

4. Lights 

Did you know you could include lights in your print marketing?

Adding lights can make your direct mail shine. With the holidays just around the corner, adding lights to Christmas trees in direct mail will help you stand out. Use your imagination to find ways to enhance your package through digital lights. 

5. QR Codes 

QR codes help to create a seamless omnichannel approach by creating a bridge between the print and the digital world. 

QR codes can connect consumers to…

• Social media. Social media is a wonderful way to interact with clients while showcasing your best products or services.
• Website. Your website can be used to find out more information about your company and answer any questions. To make it even more effective, you could include QR codes that bring the customer directly to the product you’re advertising.
• Video. If you’d like to share more information than can be included in the print piece, then have the QR code direct users to an engaging video for more info. 

QR codes can help your print marketing deliver more than would otherwise be possible while helping people follow your calls to action more easily. 

6. Artificial Reality

Artificial reality gives your print marketing a chance to come alive. 

When the recipient scans the image with their phone or tablet, they’ll be able to see images moving and making noise through their phone.

It’s another element that increases the recall of the recipients while also providing them with a bit of fun in their lives. 

Print marketing is not archaic. Although it has been used for many years, it has kept up with modern technology to provide unique, memorable features to your target market. 

Let us help you engage your audience with interactive print marketing! Reach out today!

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. And your name is front and center.

4. Keychains

Create a fun, engaging, creative keychain for your customers and employees.

Then, tie it in with a popular sporting event in town or location to bring camaraderie.

5. Bookmarks

Design some fun bookmarks for your guests.

Include engaging local scenery and fun graphics. Believe it or not, people still like these types of gifts.

6. Stationery

This is a wonderful idea if you are looking to reward your employees.

Create one-of-a-kind stationery that is customized to them.

7. Caps

Whether you create winter caps or baseball caps, the message is clear.

This type of gift has your logo front and center and is something useable for months. These are great ways to get your logo noticed. 

8. Magnets

Fun, fun, fun! Magnets are great in the office or at home.

People use them all the time. So consider it a challenge to come up with something clever.

9. T-shirts

These are great giveaways because we all wear t-shirts.

They are great under sweatshirts, in the gym, or on a casual day at the office.

10. Bottle opener

No one wants to be stuck without a bottle opener at their next event.

Make sure your bottle opener flaunts your logo clearly, and pick colors that represent your business well.  

11. Notepads or notebooks

We all need more of these; they get used a lot.

Find a fun style, size, or shape of notepad to create a long-lasting appeal.

No matter what products you choose to use, it’s clear that your logo will permeate their brain, causing them to remember you when they need your services. It’s like subliminal advertising.

Giveaways and contests help you generate leads, engage your customers and increase your audience reach, all simultaneously!

So remember, when you need printing done, we are here to help your ideas become successful. Contact us today!

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 sure it’s specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Determine what metrics are best to measure. 

Step 2: Determine your target market. This will guide decisions, including which social media channel(s) to use and content to put out. Make sure it all ties back to support your goal. 

Step 3: Create a content calendar. Plan out your content using a calendar. Make sure everything is spaced out, and posts build off each other. 

Step 4: Manage the campaign. Actively engage with customers by replying to comments and answering questions. Adjust your strategy as needed. If you’re not in line to meet your goals, then try new tactics to boost engagement.

Step 5: Analyze the results. What went well? What would you do differently? Why? Use what you learn to create a better social media campaign next time. 

Using SMART goals as a guide can help you get the results you want in your next social media campaign. 

SMART Social Media Campaign Goals

Sometimes, determining what goals to set can be challenging. Here are two ideas to get you started. 

1. Increase brand awareness 

If you’re running a social media campaign, this is a great place to start because it’s the top reason marketers use social media.

To set a SMART goal, answer these questions: 

• Who do you want to increase brand awareness with?
• How will you measure this? Through followers, views, likes, or shares?
• Once you’ve determined how you’re going to measure your campaign, how many followers, views, likes, or shares do you want? Is this goal achievable and realistic? Do you have access to past campaigns to use as a benchmark?
• When do you want to reach your goal? 

By effectively increasing brand awareness, your business will increase sales and traffic. 

2. Improve customer service

More and more customers are looking to social media for customer support. 

One in five people says they use social media for customer support.

To set a SMART goal, answer these questions: 

• How many people reach out via social media for customer support?
• How fast is your current average response time through social media?
• How fast would you like your response time to be? Is this realistic?
• What is your customer satisfaction score for those who sought help via social media? Where would you want it to be? 

Your business can increase revenue, customer satisfaction score, and customer retention by having good customer service available through social media. 

Having goals, especially SMART goals, improves performance and happiness. Setting SMART goals for your social media campaigns can have a significant impact. 

Social media is one of your business’s many avenues to reach customers. Effectively reaching a variety of customers requires an omnichannel approach, including online and offline marketing.

As always, we’re here to help you with whatever print needs come your way, including print campaigns that help boost your social media! 

Color, color everywhere. But what does it mean?

Believe it or not, color has a lot of implied meanings, and it imparts a lot of feelings. Color meanings stem from psychological effects, biological conditioning, and cultural developments.

Color Talks… Are You Listening?

Depending on where you do business, you’ll want to consider color. There are cultural differences, such as red representing good luck in China, but in South Africa, it’s the color of mourning.

For this article, we will focus on meanings in the United States. Take a minute and consider what your color scheme means to the readers. Does it need to be changed so you can reach your business goals? Let’s learn.

Red

Red is the color of passion and energy.

It’s an intense color that is supposed to motivate us to take action. (Remember, stop signs and signal lights use red for a loud caution. It is meant to move us in the right direction.)

Red also stimulates appetite, which is why many fast-food restaurants use this color in advertising and decorating. Red is an excellent color for getting people to “act now.” Think about your brand and what you want to do with the logo and advertising.

Orange

Orange exudes enthusiasm and emotion.

It is supposed to be a fun color that represents emotional strength. It adds spontaneity and positivity and encourages social communication and activity. It’s also youthful, vibrant, and fun. Think about how much fun you want to add to your advertising.

Blue

Blue is the color of loyalty and trust.

It relaxes our psyche and gives us peace and tranquility. Light baby blue is peaceful, while dark blue can signify depth and power. It represents intelligence and responsibility, which is excellent for businesses that want to promote a sincere business image. 

Green

Green is the hue that represents health and harmony.

It balances our emotions and makes us feel safe and secure. It often represents rebirth and new life, just like the grass and trees in the springtime. In our culture, green also represents wealth because of its tie to money.

Purple

Purple typically represents luxury, mystery, and spirituality to people because of its link to royalty.

This color holds a special meaning in religions, including Catholicism, Judaism, and Buddhism. So if you want to add some spiritual dimension, this is a great color to use. 

Yellow

Yellow makes us feel optimistic and happy.

It’s a cheerful color that brings fun and joy into the space. It represents spontaneity and youthfulness. If your target market is young people, try incorporating some yellow into the color scheme. Yellow is a great choice if speed, fun, and low cost are attributes that you want to be associated with your brand. 

Pink

Pink represents femininity and the softer side of things.

Combine it with a bolder color, and you will soften your image. It is known for romance, sensitivity, and tenderness. It’s also a color for passion and love. Pink seeks to make others feel accepted by offering an unmatched level of sympathy.

When you think of advertising, colors are one of your most important choices.

If you have questions about what colors would work best for your print marketing and business materials, feel free to reach out. We want to ensure every element of your marketing efforts gets the intended message across!