Rachel Nies, Author at Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

At its core, marketing is about solving the pain points of your buyers. As Jonathan Lister of LinkedIn says, “As marketers, we should be changing the mantra from always be closing to always be helping.” Marketing genius can feel tricky and elusive to some, but it doesn’t have to be any more complicated than simply helping others make their lives easier. Below are three real-life examples of marketing genius I’ve recently experienced, marveled at, and learned from. 3 Displays of Marketing Genius in Real Life 1) Apple’s New Face ID Apple has been synonymous with “marketing genius” for a while now, but have you ever stopped to think why that is? One of the more recent reasons has been their ability to quickly see, adapt, and meet the needs of their users amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic came with many frustrations: online learning, shutdowns, vaccinations, etc. COVID also brought with it mask-wearing, and as every Apple user knows, it’s a real pain not to be able to open your phone with your face I.D. because you’re wearing a mask. So, Apple responded to the pain point. First, Apple began to meet this need with the iOS 14.5 upgrade,

Ah… What a beautiful time of year! It’s the season of counting our blessings and spreading thankfulness and gratitude. So why am I so tired of feeling invisible? The other day I checked out at Walmart with an actual human checker. Even though I stood at the checkout for a while, the checker didn’t look up at me once or say a single word to me — not even to tell me my order total. Then, there was my recent trip to McDonald’s. I stood at the front counter waiting for someone to take my order, only to be yelled at by an employee from behind a wall somewhere that I was supposed to use the order kiosk. I don’t understand service like this, during the holiday season or any time of the year. Shouldn’t I, as the customer, be the center of your attention at that moment, even if it’s just enough to look me in the eye, ask me how my day is, or even to say hello? Situations like these are why I truly believe that today’s business success stories will be from those companies that know how to love people in one or all of the ways

I have kind of an odd question for you: Who’s the biggest jerk in your sphere of influence right now? Does your mind immediately picture a recent bad-tempered customer or an unrelenting vendor? Or maybe it’s an employee, neighbor, or that “blast from your past” on social media? As I pondered this question myself recently, I came to an eye-opening realization. The biggest jerk in my sphere of influence is ME! Surprised? Trust me. I was too. But, let me explain how I came to that conclusion and some valuable things I learned, particularly one word that is changing everything. Don’t You See What I See? I’ve had a series of marketing consult calls lately with some printing business owners. All of these conversations have included statements from incredible men and women that sounded similar to this: “I know this marketing stuff is important, but I’m just not good at marketing.” “I really see a need from my print buyers for _____, but we don’t sell _____.” “We just put up a new website, but no one is coming to it.” On each of these calls, I listened to these printers adamantly express what they weren’t good at, what they

In my last contributor blog, I wrote about my battle with Trigeminal Neuralgia and the 3 Lessons I Learned from Brain Surgery that Could Benefit Your Print Business. Now, you’d think I’d only get to share a story like that once in my lifetime. But, at the time of this writing, I’ve been home for three days after a 13-day stint in the hospital battling COVID pneumonia. Nine of those thirteen days were spent in the COVID isolation unit. I couldn’t see anyone except for the medical staff that looked like they walked off the set of Contagion or The Martian in their clean suits. While in the hospital, four more of the MI4P staff were also battling COVID, and although they didn’t get hit as hard, they’re still facing the lingering effects head-on. As I walked into the emergency room that Sunday afternoon, I had no idea my world would be turned upside down over the next two weeks. And, therein, lies my point. Have you ever considered how you’ll handle the unexpected at your business? Are you ready for it? While it’s impossible to lay out a contingency plan for every possible scenario, there is one thing I’m

Man, that’s a blog title I never thought I’d write. But sure enough, here I am on the other side of an incredible life valley with a better understanding of what the late Philip Roth once said, “Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.” In early May of this year, I was diagnosed with a rare, chronic neurological pain condition called trigeminal neuralgia. At the beginning of August, I underwent a successful microvascular decompression brain surgery. While spending six weeks in recovery, I was able to sit, to think, and to see things differently than the go-go-go of my normal, everyday life. I quickly came to the realization that there are easy things in life, and there are hard things, but ALL things can teach us something if we’re open to it. So, if you currently find yourself in a tough spot (as so many have in 2020), here are three of the lessons I learned that could help your print business weather any current or future storm. 1. There’s Always a Choice Did your print business have to shut down during the pandemic and you’re still struggling to recoup lost print sales? This pandemic has truly been

Have you ever had a phrase or cliché that just grated on you? You know, sayings like, “It is what it is,” “Only time will tell,” or “Every cloud has a silver lining”? For me, it’s the infamous “Enjoy the journey.” For some reason, whenever I hear that little nugget of so-called wisdom, my inner self just seems to roll its eyes. I don’t want to enjoy the journey. I just want to get there! As a natural planner and implementer, I see the start of a project, the finish, and for the most part, am pretty good at mapping out all of the in-between stepping stones to get there. But, here’s the rub. At some point, I began to equate success with “getting there,” wherever “there” may be. I thought that when a project was completed, a goal was met, or a new product was launched, then I could put a big ol’ checkmark in the box of success. You see, many of us tend to think that success is some sort of arrival point and, as such, constantly measure things by how finished they are. But how many things in life or in your print business actually stay

Getting out of your comfort zone is never easy, particularly in business and especially if you’re not a natural risk-taker. Personally, I like my comfort zone. (Really, who doesn’t?) Comfort zones mean everything sits neatly in its expected spot. There are no unsightly bumps in the road, no unexpected waves to rock the boat, just the sweet solace of a beautifully executed, predictable routine. My husband, Jeremy, on the other hand, embraces risk way more quickly than I do. In fact, he told me when we got married that his last words would probably be “Watch this!” (Here he is in his kayak.) But as much as I might think he’s crazy at times, I get it. He understands what author and professor John A. Shedd meant when he wrote, “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for.” While that predictable comfort zone might give the illusion that things will always remain the same, the truth is that even if we’re not changing, the world around us still is. I mean, think for a minute at how different printing looks today. Can you imagine how shocked Gutenberg would be if he saw what he

websites for printers, website layout, content for printers

As the Marketing Director here at Marketing Ideas For Printers (MI4P), there’s one question I get asked a lot: How do I get more traffic to my website? It’s a valid question. With numbers like 1,630,322,579 websites created in 2018 alone, it makes sense that printers would be asking how to make their website unique. Sometimes that question is followed up with an additional question similar to, “Rachel, could you take a look at my website and see what could be improved upon?” Recently, a prospect asked me that very thing, and I agreed to offer any insight I may have on their website. While the geeks at MI4P can look at a website and tell you how everything’s working from a technical perspective, I tend to look at websites from a human perspective (like your prospects and customers!) What I found when reviewing their website was a key component was missing. A key piece so critical that I had to write about it here to make you all aware of it. The Good First, let’s start with the good things I found. This printer’s website was well-designed, informative, and for the most part, easy to navigate. You could tell

print owner, success, traits, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Leadership

The print industry has some of the hardest working and committed individuals on the planet. So much so, that I am continually inspired to be a part of it as the Marketing Director at Marketing Ideas For Printers. But as with any industry, I’ve also witnessed the flipside of that coin with printers who are stuck in their ways, who seem content to let the world pass them by, and would rather wait things out until retirement or they’re bought out. As time wages on and I continue to work with printers more directly, I’ve come to recognize that printers who are most successful share some common traits. Here are five of those traits that are pretty consistent: 1. An Undaunted Passion Across the board, the number one thing that stands out to me among these successful printers is passion. Apathy and complacency? These words aren’t even in their vocabulary. These are the guys and gals that wake up and hit the floor running. They don’t stand for good enough, and they’re in constant pursuit of refining, of growth, and of being better today than they were yesterday. This passion seems to keep all discouragement at bay, and it ignites

Your branding and marketing are the lifeblood of your business, and they are worth your time and energy to learn to do right. If this is new territory for you, sometimes the best way to make sure you’re on the right path means simply learning to recognize the wrong one. Check out these top ten mistakes printers make with their branding and marketing below. 1. Not Selling Your Differentiator If the message of your brand is “We’re the best print company ever!”, you’re not going to sound much different than your competition or make it very far. I mean, have you ever seen a company advertise, “We’re not the best, but we try really hard!”? Probably not. This is why it’s so important to focus on what makes you unique. Voice your differences and learn to think outside the box of mediocrity. Build your message around what makes your customers keep coming back to you. Is it your customer service? Your referral program? Aim narrow and hit hard. 2. Thinking Locally Instead of Globally Remember, you’re reaching an online audience now, not just your local customers. Thinking you’re unique by using CMYK colors in your branding or trying to be

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