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

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

Today, almost all of us start our shopping experiences online, so it makes sense that businesses are concerned about SEO, ranking well, and being found by their prospects and customers. But, for all the talk about what SEO is, it’s even more important to take a look at what SEO is not. Good SEO is not an excuse for lousy websites and design. Being found online is only one part of a much larger whole. After all, SEO means nothing if your visitor gets to your website and is completely underwhelmed. If Google sends someone your way, Google wants to be sure that your visitors will find want they want on your site. Good SEO comes from a quality website with exceptional design and exceptionally crafted content. So, don’t get lazy. Step back and look at your website from your buyer’s perspective. Do they see a solution to their problem, or a print company with poor web design and irrelevant content? Good SEO is not a quick fix where you can cheat your way to the top. Like weight loss and get-rich-quick schemes, there is no magic pill or secret sauce that will make you instantly…well, anything. In the SEO world, that

Email marketing isn’t easy. After all the time you’ve invested carefully crafting the perfect email, it’s important to make sure your message bypasses the digital black hole (a.k.a. the junk folder) and lands safely in the inbox of your customers and prospects. Here are some easy tips to get your email message on its way to spam-free status. It’s All About the List 1. Get permission first. Good email marketing starts with permission. Create a sign-up form and put it on your website to build your list in an honest, straightforward manner. After all, no one likes unsolicited anything, right? 2. Give the option to (easily!) unsubscribe or to update their preferences at any time. Along with permission, comes options. Remember, even though they allow you to send them email, that might not mean they want ten emails a week from you. 3. Be careful when buying lists. Buying lists can sometimes mean acquiring addresses without consent, which is more likely to lead to complaints and more importantly, not buying. If you don’t have the time to work on building your own list, make sure to do your due diligence when buying lists to ensure you’re getting a quality list. 4. Practice

Content, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Rachel Nies

A frequent question that comes up regarding our content is, “How do I take the content you’ve provided and personalize it to make it better?” That question comes up regarding everything we offer – from social media marketing content, to direct mail, to email marketing, and the content and homepage sliders we offer on the websites. The simple answer is: Just do anything to make it yours! But, make sure what you do has the highest impact. Here are three tips to make the content connection to your audience. Broadcast the WIIFM Station “What’s in it for me?” This line of thinking is popular for most of us, and even more so when referring to your potential print-buyers. When customizing and creating your content, remember, customers care about themselves, and NOT about you. This means they’re not concerned about the specifications of your new press, but instead, how those specifications on your fancy new press will make their lives better. Tip #1: Make sure your content easily answers the what’s-in-it-for-me question for your print-buyers. Position yourself so your customer gets to be the hero. Remember, if you help your customers win, you’ll win, too! “What’s Fun About Playing with a Building?” Do you remember the 1988

Some Websites For Printers clients have recently received a notice from Getty Images regarding the use of one of their copyrighted photos in the Printer@Work email newsletter. In this letter, Getty is requesting a settlement amount of a few hundred to, in some cases, over a thousand dollars for the “unlicensed” use of this image. This has prompted a number of calls to our office asking for advice/resolution in this matter. Here are the nuts-to-bolts facts in this matter: All of the content provided on your website by Marketing Ideas for Printers is licensed by us for your use on your Websites For Printers.com website, The Buzz social media feeds, and Ink Inc. direct mail marketing newsletters. Because of this, rest assured, you are completely and legally in the right here. The content in question (a photo of a mother and daughter in front of a washing machine) that has triggered the “Getty Letter” is provided for use by a syndication service we use for the Consumer Reports publication. This image is licensed for distribution through the syndicator’s feeds, and it is completely legal for you to display this image on your website as per our syndication agreement. In recent months,

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