Printspiration Archives - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Print owners are some of the toughest people on the planet. Get to know a few, and you’ll quickly find undaunted passion, unwavering integrity, time-tested grit, and a deep love for small business and their families. But as any entrepreneur knows, owning a business isn’t all sunshine and roses. There are times when the high highs are met with low lows, discontentment creeps in, and the motivation to keep going starts to dry up. Here are a handful of motivation killers you have most likely or will most likely face and what you can do to overcome them. 1. An Unhealthy Mindset First things first, your mindset is everything because your motivation battle begins and ends here. How you think about the world affects everything you do in it. Think about this: When your goal is to go on a diet, but you pass by that display case of donuts, your mind does two things. It sends you both a list of justifications as to why you deserve a donut and how one little donut won’t hurt you, and it reminds you of your diet goals. The fastest way to kill your motivation is to let that voice of justifications become

When Time Doesn’t Fly, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Local Edge, Direct Mail

Time flies . . . except when it doesn’t. In our multi-tasking, WiFi world, every stalled moment seems accentuated. Inconvenient holdups cause us near physical pain. And perhaps they should! Did you know that in the course of one year, an average adult will spend four and a half days waiting? Over a lifetime this totals nearly a full year delayed in traffic, on hold, or in some type of line. Streamlined and Simplified Time is a cherished commodity. Each day we get a fleeting 1,440 new minutes to connect, to make substantial progress, and to create meaningful opportunities. Enhanced connectivity pushes us to increase output while decreasing expense, so simplicity is more appealing than ever. Gain the Local Edge Today Use the August edition of our Local Edge direct mail postcard to remind your customers and prospects of the efficiency of local print. While big-box printing can result in a long, impersonal guessing game, your clients can rest easy as they look to you as a full-production, single source option for all their printing needs. Whether it’s artistic design, custom formatting, production samples, personal consulting, or immaculately finished pieces, your expertise will help them simplify and save from start to

Knock, Knock! It's Time for a Coffee Break, Coffee Break, Direct Mail, Marketing Ideas For Printers

The August 2017 issue of Coffee Break will be coming your way soon! One of the best ways to maintain front-of-mind awareness with your customers is for your customers to see your name as much as possible. One of the best ways to stand out in a pile of mail and other advertisements is with light-hearted humor. Our Coffee Break newsletter is the ideal combination of front-of-mind awareness and a dose of humor—all-in-one, easy-to-mail, full-color newsletter! Keeping things light-hearted when it comes to marketing your products and services is a sure-fire way to make a connection with your customers. The jokes, quips, facts, and friendly advertising make Coffee Break the ideal addition to any marketing plan. Consistently mailing this unique piece will build and maintain that front-of-mind awareness that is critical when it comes time for your customers to make purchasing decisions. Let your marketing work for you. Coffee Break is one piece that is destined to keep your name fresh in the minds of your customers. To get started, give us a call at (800) 736-0688 or (701) 241-9204 or download some free samples below. DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLES

The Power of Good Content, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Websites, MIS

Does this sound familiar? Hmmm. . .what should we say in this blog? It should be something that inspires our customers. Yeah. Innovative. Powerful. Or maybe an educational piece? That could work; something like 3 Steps to. . .Hmmm. . .3 steps to what? What about. . .[ding]. Oh, look, Jim just emailed. No, stay focused – working on content here! Harder Than It Looks If you’re like most companies trying to reach customers through good content, you recognize that coming up with and writing good content is hard! First, there’s coming up with ideas on what to write about and planning when and how to publish. If you’ve managed to make it over that hurdle, then you’re on to the next mountain: eliminating distractions and creating a scheduled writing time, researching, and editing. Then, just when you think you’ll nail it, you still have to win that stare-off with your blank screen and blinking cursor to actually formulate your ideas into words on a page! Are you exhausted yet just thinking about it? Are you thinking, “Can’t someone just do this for me?” Content is What We Do Helping you fight that content battle is why we’re here. In

Cut Through the Clutter with Beautiful Print Promotions, Websites, Ideas Collection, Marketing Ideas For Printers

Average media consumers are staggering under the weight of spam e-mails and information overload. Think you can’t compete? Think again! While your customers may believe print advertising has grown stale, the “digital deluge” means there has never been a better time to highlight beautiful print promotions. Rules of the Road The newest design tip in our Ideas Collection, available on every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers, features print options for anyone looking to cut through the digital clutter. Remind clients that repetition is crucial. Sending out just one mailing piece will not provide the desired results. Instead, help them to see the benefits of designing a series of staggered, targeted pieces, including a precise promotion, call to action, or a clear next step to ensure the message engages readers and delivers a consistent, compelling message. 5 Ways They Can Toot Their Own Horn Ready to roll? Here are five common promotions featured that will get your customers and prospects thinking about themselves: Self-Promotion: Detail exclusive offerings or illuminate company strengths. Brag Promotions: Let the audience know about an impressive award, ranking, or community contribution. Capabilities Promotions: Remind clients of breadth, depth, or proficiency of services. Invitations: Feature a

Volunteering Together Makes Life Better, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Others First, Core Values

So much of success as a business involves developing a close connection with your customers and community. This is especially true in smaller, local companies (like printers!). Sure, we should tell you that a well-designed piece of direct mail can do this (and it can), but nothing says “we care about you” quite like volunteering together as a company within your community. Not only does serving together increase the presence and awareness of your business within your community, but your employees can benefit from this experience, too. These types of activities double as social functions, offering a fun opportunity to get together with co-workers outside of the business environment. It allows them to get to know each other a little better and to learn to love being in the service of others. Service in Action Joanna Erber, our Financial Services Director, recently coordinated a chance for us to see the benefits of volunteering up close and personal when we volunteered at the Great Plains Food Bank here in Fargo, ND. She has a real passion for looking for ways to benefit others and says: Businesses should absolutely do these types of volunteer events and give back. It betters the community,

Websites, Ecommerce Suite, Sell Printing While You Sleep, Marketing Ideas For Printers

We’ve all been there. You hear about a fantastic new product on the radio or read about it in an article, and you decide you must get one for yourself. Within minutes, you’ve found a store online that sells that product, chosen the best shipping option for your needs, and even paid for it. Within days, it’s going to be on your front step. From the instant you first thought about buying the item to the moment you’ve hit the checkout button in the online store, your order can’t have taken more than ten minutes! Wouldn’t it be great if you could offer your own customers that kind of accessibility and convenience? With the Ecommerce Suite, available in the Conquer Bundle for your Marketing Ideas For Printers’ website, you can. Be Ready Any Time Let’s face it; your customers can get an idea for their next printing purchase at any time of the day or night. But, if you’re like most printshops, your sales team probably isn’t working around the clock. It would be ideal if you were able to not only take orders but also complete the sale right when they want it, instead of waiting until morning when their

Printer's Press, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Direct Mail, Introduce Yourself With Printer's Press

Are you waiting in anticipation to check out the latest issue of Printer’s Press? In this Issue In the upcoming June 2017 issue you’ll find articles on: Fun ways to teach children the value of money Relief for hand and knuckle pain A mouthwatering recipe for Crab Macaroni and Cheese And a travel article about Bodie, California, a historic ghost town that is frozen in time. Business Cards Through the Ages People have been using paper to formally introduce themselves for centuries. In the 15th century, the elite Chinese used handwritten visiting cards to announce their name and purpose of their visit. Later, trade cards, which were a popular marketing tool during early 17th century London, were used for advertising and providing directions to a merchant’s location. If you’d like to read more about how business cards have evolved and remained an essential accessory for introducing one another, as well as many other interesting articles, check out the latest issue of Printer’s Press. To get started or download samples, give us a call at (800) 736-0688 or (701) 241-9204 or click below. Download Samples

Direct Mail, Coffee Break, Need a Happy, Well-Cared-For Customer?, Marketing Ideas For Printers

The July 2017 issue of Coffee Break will be coming your way soon! Positive relationships don’t just happen – they must be cultivated. One way to nurture a positive relationship with potential customers and strengthen existing relationships is through your marketing. The Coffee Break newsletter allows you to let your potential and existing customers see your human side, and reminds them that business doesn’t have to be boring. What makes Coffee Break such a great way to connect with your customers? It is unique in its content and presentation. Your marketing will stand out simply because it is in a class by itself. Additionally, the content of the newsletter is just begging to be shared—from facts on the monthly calendar to quick jokes and quips, readers of Coffee Break are bound to share what they’ve read with people they know. A little boy was doing his geography homework one evening and turned to his father and said, “Dad, where would I find the Andes? “Don’t ask me,” said the father. “Ask your mother. She puts everything away in this house.” When your customers and prospects share it with people they know, there’s a good chance your company’s name will be

White Paper, Websites, 6 Tips to Master Networking, Marketing Ideas For Printers

Networking can be the lifeblood of business, especially for businesses that find it difficult to advertise in traditional ways. Our latest white paper “How to Master Networking” takes the guesswork out of the right approach to using networking as a strong part of building a successful business. Become A Master Networker Included in this whitepaper are tips to help networkers understand the difference between networking and selling, as well as: How networking builds future sales Building trust-based relationships Choosing the right networking opportunities Making the most of your circle of contacts Creating power networking partners Building a lifelong sales funnel through the people you already know With this guide on “How to Become A Master Networker,” you can help your customers with great advice on how to build their sales funnel with networking and prove your value as part of their success! Read the complete white paper here on one of our public demo websites, or get started creating your own free demo website from Marketing Ideas For Printers today. GET NETWORKING