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Every business owner knows that customer service is critical to staying competitive. But what about communicating expectations? Do you ensure your print buyers know what to expect when doing business with you? Recently, I received an email in response to an order placed by someone in our organization. It impressed me so much that I printed it out and shared it with the team. The message was short but concisely expressed precisely what the customer (me, in this case) could expect in their journey. This got me thinking—how often do we communicate these expectations with our own customers? This email response above created anticipation for the next interaction. It made me want to follow their guidelines even though they weren’t even stated. It eased my mind, knowing that there wasn’t going to be any guessing. Even more important, it makes me want to do that for my customers. It’s simple and didn’t cost a dime. The Benefits of Setting Print Buyer Expectations Upfront Setting expectations upfront is a great way to create trust and credibility with your print buyers. It gives them an idea of how your business operates and helps set up the foundation for a successful relationship between

The holidays seem to come and go in the blink of an eye. One moment we’re decking the halls, and the next, we’re already planning for New Year’s. But what happens when all that holiday cheer disappears? Here are ten ways to keep your print shop’s spirit merry and bright 365 days a year! 1. Create a Festive Theme Creating a festive theme in your store that corresponds with the current holiday is an excellent way to show your customers you care while also adding some fun for your employees. Whatever the holiday may be, make sure your decorations reflect it. Giving away small items related to the occasion is also a kind–and appreciated–gesture. Customers will love getting free candy, gift cards, or even colorful pens and notepads — it makes a great visit to your print shop even better. 2. Host Monthly Events Show your appreciation to your print buyers by hosting monthly events throughout the year. A few ideas to consider are: Customer appreciation days where you offer discounts on products or services Open houses where customers can meet staff and view recent work Holiday-themed parties where everyone can have some fun Not only will these events boost

If we were like every other business, we’d be offering you a year-end review right about now. But, you know what? Here at Marketing Ideas For Printers, we like to do things a little differently to allow for a greater vision. It looks like this. We follow a quarterly rhythm for working on the bigger projects that bring content and online ordering solutions together by asking ourselves, “What are the most important things we need to accomplish in the next 90 days?” We then create that list and get to work on those most important projects. Often, one of the first things I do when starting a project like that is to write a press release announcing the completed project. That press release is used for vision casting and for internal use only; its purpose is to help everyone involved understand what the project’s end result is supposed to look like. That, in turn, helps everyone get pointed in the right direction immediately. In the spirit of those “predictive press releases,” I thought you’d enjoy my perspective on the coming year here at Marketing Ideas For Printers and what’s coming your way to help you sell more printing. 2023: A

Blessings. Joy. Thankfulness. Gratitude. These are the words of the season. They are also the words from many print owners who have dedicated their careers, their lives to this industry. As you take time to count your blessings this week, don’t forget the incredible joy that can be found through print. Giving Thanks for the Print Industry We asked several printers what they’re most thankful for about being a part of the print industry. Here’s what they had to say. Tri M Graphics “I am thankful to be in the Print Industry because we can make a difference. We have the opportunity to partner with our clients to help them achieve results. Communication is such a vital part of what we do; through our printed material, we can help to build and/or strengthen relationships. Printing can be so much more than a transaction if you open your mind up to the possibilities.” – Michael Jensen Tri M Graphics, Owatonna, Minnesota “I am thankful for the Printing Industry because we make the world more colorful! Imagine how boring everything would look with no printing!” – Derek Brooks Brandywine Printing, Cumming, Georgia “Although it can be a stressful, deadline-oriented business, I can’t think

Every so often, I like to go through the drawers of my tool chest in the barn and take an inventory of things. I’m not talking about an extensive certified public accounting inventory, but just a look around to see what I already have that I might have forgotten existed. I’ll usually find multiples of things that I forgot I had or that I have never used but bought anyway because of my “I might need that someday” syndrome. A tool review accomplishes a couple of things: First, it keeps me on track when I wander into retail la-la land at the home improvement store. Secondly, it reminds me of things I know needed fixing or mending that have been waiting around until I found the perfect tool for finally getting a “round tuit.” A Tool Review of Your Print Business I apply this tool review concept in my print business as well. From digital tools to hardware to equipment, I like to run everything through a series of questions: What do I have that I am not using? What can I use it for? Am I ever going to use it? What was I going to use it for

A while back, I told you about how much I enjoyed my comfort zone, in contrast to my risk-taking husband, in a blog titled 7 Do’s and Don’ts for the Risk-Adverse Printer. These days, I’m still not riding kayaks off of cliffs or participating in family skydiving events like the one below; however, that doesn’t mean my comfort zone hasn’t been shrinking. Stepping out of a comfort zone will look different from one person or business to the next. For some, it could be as simple as one step in an unknown direction. For others, stepping out means the daily battle of fighting their way toward a goal they’ve been working on for years. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you’re looking to step outside your comfort zone. Know Your Motivation To move outside of your comfort zone, you must first learn what it’ll take to motivate you there. After decades of overthinking, I’ve come to understand the number one thing that pushes me out of my comfort zone is not the adrenaline rush (a.k.a. absolute terror!) of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Rather, I am motivated to get uncomfortable if it means helping someone

Improvement is a concept akin to owning a print business or simply being human. We’re all geared toward ways to improve ourselves, improve processes, and become more efficient. Don’t believe me? Check out all of society’s recent advertisements, and you’ll see adjectives like “better,” “greater,” and just about every other “er” you can think of. While striving for improvement is a good thing, it’s our job as leaders to pursue improvement in a way that won’t burn out our teams or make them constantly feel the “burden of better.” How to Start: Start with One How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. A journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step. You get the cliches. If you want to create a culture of improvement in a healthy and sustainable way, start with one. Pick one process, product, or customer interaction and start there. Creating an improvement culture doesn’t happen overnight. Cultures throughout the world are the product of generations. Stephen Covey stated it well: “To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you

About seven years ago, I shared a tip about one way I stay in vacation mode when I’m on vacation. It’s important to me to honor my family by not letting my attention drift back to work. Knowing that “checking my email just for a few moments” is a surefire way to get sucked back into work, I established a safeguard. I asked Rachel to read my email for me. That’s why I wrote about how Rachel, the Human Auto-Responder, Reads My Email at that time. And there’s the big, bold headline: I Don’t Like Auto-Responders A New Perspective It’s funny how time can change one’s perspective because today, I’m going to share a different tip on preventing emails from sucking you out of vacation and back into work. And guess what, this tip requires autoresponders!!! So what changed? Rachel changed! She’s no longer in a position to read all my emails. As the Director of Marketing at Marketing Ideas For Printers, her day simply doesn’t allow her the time required to be my email babysitter. In that same post, I said, I understand that not everyone has the luxury of having someone like Rachel available to respond to emails. Well, guess

Today’s print industry is facing a new challenge: reaching a generation raised in the digital age. Research shows that print remains a priority with many companies, with one-third of many corporations’ advertising budgets still dedicated to print materials. However, to remain a relevant and vibrant option in today’s marketing space, you and your team will need to find unique ways to bridge the generational gap and promote the benefits of your craft: print. Print is Still Relevant Though digital marketing has come to the forefront in recent years, print is still a viable medium. Our beloved print industry has continued to grow with many developments occurring alongside its digital peers. Still, to keep pace with cost-effective, creative digital marketing materials, the entire printing industry will need constant innovation and re-invention. Print is still relevant today, but original thinking, hard work, and consistent effort are required to keep it that way. What is the Next Generation of Print Buyers Looking For? Though print is adopting emergent technologies like automation, robotics, and augmented reality every day, we all know the word “print” is inadequate to express all the medium can accomplish. Print carries with it the idea of datedness to the next

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,

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