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

As a print company owner, you know the importance of branding. It helps your business stand out in a crowded market and creates a lasting impression on potential customers. However, as time goes by, it’s possible for your branding to become stale or outdated. This can have a negative impact on your business and hinder its growth. If you are starting to question the effectiveness of your print company’s branding, it may be time for a refresh. Here are 12 questions you should ask yourself to determine if your branding needs an update, along with potential solutions: 1. Is my brand message still relevant to my print buyers? Your brand message should resonate with your target audience and reflect your company’s values. If you feel your message is no longer connecting with your target print buyers, it may be time to re-evaluate and update it. This could involve conducting market research, analyzing competitors’ messaging, and seeking feedback from current customers. 2. Does my branding accurately represent my printing company? As a print company owner, your brand should accurately represent your products and services. If you have expanded your offerings or changed your focus, ensuring that your branding still aligns with these

Recently, I met a lady at a Chamber of Commerce event, and we hit it off. A while later, I saw her again, and she mentioned that she saw my banner on a fence at a local high school near her house. I asked her if she drives by the school often, and she let me know that she passes it every day, multiple times. She was shocked when I told her that the banner she mentioned had been there for almost a year before she had seen it. You may think that the lady lacked observation skills, and while that may be true, I bet we’ve all had similar experiences in our life if we really think about it. Recognizing Your Brand Think back to a time your printing company sponsored an event of some kind. When you went to look at the list of sponsors, it probably went something like this: You immediately saw your company first. Then, you glanced at all of the other companies you recognized. Lastly, there were the logos you didn’t recognize and didn’t even give them a second glance. Shallow? Not Likely. Does that order of brand recognition happen because we’re all shallow

With the release of Avengers: End Game this spring, many Marvel fans find themselves wondering how they even ended up joining this superhero bandwagon. Before Marvel released their characters onto the silver screen, they began by creating comic books that were seen as a unique art form appreciated by only select few. Which begs the question: how did Marvel become so popular amongst such a diverse collective? The answer is branding. What’s the Big Deal about Branding? Branding is a necessary (and ongoing) process that helps businesses thrive. As printers, it’s crucial for each of us to establish our own identity (or brand) to help us securely develop and grow our print businesses. It’s not uncommon for people (even printers) to think when it comes to branding, creating a logo is the only step. This is far from the truth. While creating a logo does help with the visual aspect of your branding, it’s important to think bigger. Many things encompass the idea of branding and what needs to be done to create the foundation of your image. Branding Means Culture Before jumping into logo creation every time someone mentions the word branding, keep in mind that good branding is

Branding is a buzzword in all industries, not just printing. “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.” – Steve Forbes For most small businesses, the importance of a good, consistent brand gets lost to the tyranny of the urgent. But, when you come to consider the benefits of a brand, such as increased credibility, the appearance of being well-established, and improved stability, you’ll quickly come to realize that your brand should be very near the top of your priority list. Here are several reasons why branding is important for your print business. A good brand improves business recognition. Your brand is all about one thing: being recognized. “No branding, no differentiation. No differentiation, no long-term profitability.” Imagine walking through the aisles of your local grocery. Can you picture how many different brands are in front of your eyes at any given moment? Each one of those companies is vying for your attention and looking for ways to stand apart from everyone else in that vast brand sea. To build better brand recognition, focus on these things: Great customer service Ways to keep your name in front of your market Providing on-going value Using the

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

Messaging is everything. It drives your entire business, should be crafted synonymously with your core values, and built around a clear, compelling reason why your prospects should want to do business with you. Yet, the majority of printers have no core messaging, and no relevant message strategy (other than to sell something somebody wants). So, how do you craft content and messaging that’s irresistible to your prospects, and at the same time clearly explains the value you offer your buyers and how you can help them? Over the next four weeks, you’ll learn three steps to help you create a marketing message your ideal buyers will love, plus we’ll walk you through an invaluable exercise called The Empathy Map. The Who Before you can get someone to buy from you, you need to know what to say to them, and how to say it. You’ll never get that right unless you know who you’re talking to. Here at Marketing Ideas For Printers, we call this creating buyer personas. You could call them avatars or even characters if you prefer. It’s All in the Research The main idea is to create a fictional representation of your ideal customer or persona. To create