6 Essential Marketing Books for Print Owners to Accelerate Business Growth

In today’s competitive business landscape, it is essential for you as print owners to stay ahead of the curve and continually seek ways to grow your business.

While mastering the technical aspects of printing is crucial, understanding effective marketing strategies is equally important.

Marketing is pivotal in attracting new clients, retaining existing ones, and building a solid brand presence.

To help, we’ve compiled a list of must-read marketing books that provide valuable insights and strategies to propel your printing business to new heights.

“Purple Cow” by Seth Godin

In “Purple Cow,” Seth Godin challenges traditional notions of marketing and urges entrepreneurs to create great products and services that stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Godin emphasizes the importance of uniqueness, innovation, and creating extraordinary customer experiences with examples and anecdotes. By reading this book, you’ll better learn how to transform your businesses into remarkable “purple cows” that captivate print buyers and generate a buzz.

See also: What’s Your Unique Selling Proposition? (Tip of the Week)

Top 3 Takeaways from “Purple Cow”

1. Embrace Remarkability: In a crowded marketplace, being average or ordinary is no longer enough to capture the attention of print buyers. By embracing uniqueness, innovation, and creativity, you can create a “purple cow” that grabs the attention of your target audience and generates word-of-mouth buzz.
2. Differentiate or Die: By identifying your unique selling proposition (USP) and communicating it effectively, printing companies can attract customers who resonate with their distinct offerings. Differentiation can come from various aspects, such as pricing strategies, service quality, specialized expertise, or innovative printing techniques.
3. Connect with the Right Audience: Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, Godin encourages businesses to focus on a specific target audience or niche. By understanding your print buyers’ needs, preferences, and pain points, you can tailor your marketing messages and offerings to resonate with that specific group.

“Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age” by Jonah Berger

In the digital era, word-of-mouth marketing has become more powerful than ever.

In “Contagious,” Jonah Berger explores the science behind why specific ideas, products, or content go viral while others fizzle out.

By understanding the underlying principles of contagiousness, you can craft marketing campaigns and messages that have a higher chance of spreading organically, thereby increasing brand awareness and attracting new print buyers.

 

Top 3 Takeaways from “Contagious”

1. The STEPPS Framework: Six fundamental principles that contribute to the contagiousness of ideas, products, or content are Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. By incorporating these elements into your marketing strategies, you, as a printing company owner, can create content more likely to be shared and talked about by your target audience, leading to increased brand awareness and customer engagement.
2. Harnessing Triggers: Triggers are cues or stimuli that remind people of a particular product, brand, or idea. Berger emphasizes creating triggers closely associated with your printing company’s offerings. By strategically linking your services to relevant triggers, you can ensure that your brand stays top-of-mind for potential print buyers, increasing the likelihood of word-of-mouth referrals.
3. The Power of Social Proof: Testimonials, user-generated content, and positive reviews can all serve as powerful social proof that encourages others to engage with your printing company. By actively collecting and showcasing social proof, your printing company can instill trust, credibility, and a sense of reliability in potential customers.

“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini

Understanding the principles of persuasion is vital for any business owner, including printing company owners.

In “Influence,” Robert Cialdini delves into the psychology behind why people say “yes” and provides practical strategies for influencing others ethically. This book explores six critical principles of persuasion, including reciprocity, scarcity, authority, and social proof.

Applying these principles effectively enhances your marketing efforts and builds long-lasting relationships with your print buyers.

Top 3 Takeaways from “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”

1. Six Principles of Influence: These principles are: Reciprocity, Scarcity, Authority, Consistency, Liking, and Social Proof. Incorporating these principles into your messaging, offers, and interactions with print buyers can enhance your persuasive abilities and positively influence customer behavior.
2. The Power of Reciprocity: The reciprocity principle suggests that people are naturally inclined to repay acts of kindness or favors. Cialdini highlights the importance of initiating the reciprocity loop by providing value upfront. For you, this could mean offering potential clients free resources, helpful advice, or samples. Establishing a sense of goodwill and reciprocity will increase the likelihood of print buyers choosing your services and fostering long-term relationships.
3. Social Proof and Liking: People are more likely to follow the lead of others and be persuaded by those they like or feel a connection with. Leverage social proof by showcasing positive testimonials, reviews, and case studies highlighting satisfied customers. Additionally, building rapport, demonstrating genuine interest, and finding common ground with print buyers can enhance the likability factor, increasing the chances of customers choosing your printing company over competitors. Additional Resource: [Webinar Recording: Social Proof: The Power of Online Customer Reviews and Testimonials]

“Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” by Donald Miller

In a world flooded with marketing messages, cutting through the noise and capturing your target audience’s attention is crucial.

“Building a StoryBrand” is one of Rachel Nies’ (our Director of Marketing) favorite books. It offers a robust framework for crafting a clear and compelling brand narrative.

Donald Miller guides readers through identifying their customers’ problems, positioning their company as the solution, and effectively communicating their message to engage and resonate with their audience.

Top 3 Takeaways from “Building A Story Brand”

1. The Power of Storytelling: Miller emphasizes the significance of storytelling in marketing and communication. By structuring marketing messages as compelling narratives, your printing company can engage your print buyers emotionally and create a connection. Using the framework of a story with a clear protagonist (your print buyer), a problem, a guide (your printing company), a plan, and a positive outcome, you can make your messaging more relatable, memorable, and impactful.
2. Customer-Centric Messaging: The book emphasizes the importance of putting the customer at the center of the marketing message. Rather than focusing on the features and technical details of printing services, Miller encourages business owners to address their customers’ pain points and position themselves as the solution. By understanding your print buyers’ needs, desires, and challenges, you can craft messaging that resonates with their target audience and communicates the value they provide. The critical thing to remember here is you be the guide and let your print buyer be the hero of all of your marketing efforts.
3. Clarity and Simplicity: Miller stresses the importance of clarity and simplicity in messaging. In a noisy and information-saturated world, customers have limited attention spans. By eliminating jargon, focusing on the core benefits, and providing a clear call to action, you can ensure that your marketing messages are easily understood and remembered by your audience.

“Digital Marketing for Dummies” by Ryan Deiss and Russ Henneberry

“Digital Marketing for Dummies” is an excellent resource for printing company owners looking to leverage the digital landscape.

This comprehensive guide provides an overview of various digital marketing channels, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing.

The book breaks down complex concepts into easy-to-understand language, making it an ideal starting point for those new to digital marketing.

Top 3 Takeaways from “Digital Marketing for Dummies”

1. Holistic Digital Marketing Approach: The book emphasizes the importance of adopting a holistic approach to digital marketing. You can gain a comprehensive understanding of each channel and how they can work together to create a cohesive and effective digital marketing strategy. By leveraging multiple channels, your printing company can reach a wider audience, drive traffic to your website, and generate leads.
2. Data-Driven Decision Making: The authors emphasize the importance of tracking and analyzing data to gain insights into customer behavior, campaign performance, and return on investment. You can use tools like Google Analytics and other analytics platforms to measure your marketing efforts’ effectiveness, identify improvement areas, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your strategies.
3. Content Marketing and Lead Generation: Get strategies for creating valuable, relevant, and engaging content that resonates with the target audience. Plus,  learn how to leverage content marketing to position yourself as an industry expert and attract potential print buyers through informative blog posts, ebooks, case studies, and more. By providing valuable content and implementing lead-generation techniques, your printing company can build trust, capture leads, and convert them into paying customers.

“They Ask, You Answer” by Marcus Sheridan

Consumers are more empowered than ever, conducting extensive research before making purchasing decisions.

“They Ask, You Answer” by Marcus Sheridan presents a revolutionary approach to content marketing that focuses on addressing customers’ questions and concerns openly and honestly. Sheridan advocates for transparent and helpful communication, where businesses proactively provide valuable information to educate and empower their audience.

For print owners like you, this book provides invaluable guidance on creating informative content that establishes trust, positions your print business as an industry expert, and attracts qualified leads.

Top 3 Takeaways from “They Ask, You Answer”

1. Embrace Transparent and Honest Communication: Sheridan encourages business owners to address customers’ questions, concerns, and objections openly and honestly. By providing valuable and informative content that addresses common queries, challenges, and misconceptions, your printing company can build trust, establish credibility, and position itself as an expert in the industry.
2. Prioritize Customer Education: Aim to become the go-to resource for information related to the print industry. By creating comprehensive and helpful content that educates your print buyers about various printing processes, materials, pricing, and best practices, your printing company can empower your audience to make informed decisions. This focus on customer education helps establish you and your team as trusted advisors, leading to increased customer loyalty and referrals.
3. Create a Culture of Listening and Adaptation: Develop a culture of listening and adaptation. By actively listening to customer feedback, monitoring industry trends, and staying abreast of changes in the market, you can adapt your products, services, and marketing strategies to meet your print buyers’ needs effectively. This agile approach will help your printing company stay ahead of the competition, anticipate customer demands, and continuously improve its offerings.

Reading is Power

As a printing company owner, expanding your knowledge beyond the technical aspects of the industry is crucial for long-term success.

These recommended marketing books offer valuable insights, strategies, and frameworks to help your printing company promote its services, attract new clients, and foster business growth.

By applying the principles outlined in these books and staying abreast of marketing trends, you can differentiate yourself in the market and build thriving businesses that stand the test of time.