Content Archives - Page 7 of 9 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Ever been rejected? I have. When it happened, it stung. I used to write for a large publisher who eventually told me that one of my articles wasn’t good enough to be published. I had written roughly 200 pieces for this publisher when suddenly, they said ‘no.’ As a part of their declining my articles, they offered no discussion, no re-write, no conversation. Just a ‘declined.’ I’m not sure if it’s because of my ego, my busy schedule, or because I’ve lost my way, but I haven’t written much since, despite my love for writing good content. Either way, I have no excuse. Can you relate? Have you ever wanted to do something that you love, but didn’t pursue it out of fear, timing, or any other number of reasons? But, why wouldn’t you go after what you love to do? “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela To Boldly Go or To Go Boldly? Writing is Hard. I often hear people say ‘I’m a good listener.’ Usually, this means they’re not. Let’s be honest. When someone has to announce they’re

Are your customers looking to make a splash with creative new approaches to printing? Perhaps they’d like to try intriguing designs that would traditionally be quite difficult or expensive. This month’s print tip, available on every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers, introduces your clients to some delicate aspects of overprinting, a marketable technique to your customers that can be used to blend colors, text, or layering to add dimension without busting the budget. Jump Right Off the Page In our April Ideas Collection, your customers will learn more about how overprinting adds depth, texture, or interesting detail. It will inform your readers on how traditional design software knocks out any text or line overlaps to avoid a muddy appearance and call attention to crisp edges in each printed product. But, they can use overprinting to bypass this default, adding breadth to visible edges. This slight trick of thickness can make their image appear to jump off the page, adding some zip and complexity of color. As you coach your clients on keys to overprinting, this tip will remind them that the order of coloring is foundational. If they’re overprinting several colors, for example, they wouldn’t want to design a project

Flat Out of Luck Imagine yourself stuck in the ditch with a flat tire and no tools. To your relief, someone pulls over to help. A handyman – what luck! He takes a long look at your tire, empathizes with your inconvenience, and hands you an instruction book for fixing broken toasters. Wishing you luck, he roars away. What is wrong with this situation? Right person – a handyman. Right timing – the moment of crisis. Wrong SOLUTION for the problem at hand. In marketing, sometimes we make a similar mistake by “fixing” a problem a person doesn’t realize they have. Copywriting legend Robert Collier coaches communicators to meet readers where they’re at before offering solutions, reminding us to “join the conversation that is already taking place in the reader’s mind.” “PASTOR” Your Audience to Keep Them Engaged How do we do this? It starts with a shepherding mentality, seeking to care for prospects in each step of their journey. The March marketing tip, added to every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printing, uses the PASTOR acronym for copywriting that keeps them engaged: “P” = Person, Problem, and Pain Identify the particular person you’re seeking; clarify their problem and

Knowing what your customers actually think is like holding the book of knowledge. It leads to better decision-making, better allocation of resources, and a more effective marketing message. Some of the most creative forms of information gathering are only one white paper away for your customers. Gather the Right Info The latest white paper published on websites of Marketing Ideas For Printers website subscribers, titled “What are Your Customers Thinking?” shows your customers the power of gathering the right kind of information from their customers. There are creative ideas for comment cards, surveys for direct mail, and more to help your customers think of useful ways to know their customers better. Here’s an excerpt You can deduce only so much from your customers’ purchasing behavior. Knowing what they think will be the difference in moving your business forward. Customers don’t often volunteer information about their changing tastes, likes, goals, and ambitions; you have to ask them. Knowing these things can help you meet the needs of your ever-evolving customer base. Market More Effectively Asking the right questions of your customers will allow you to know what they need to hear from your marketing message. Create Additional, Targeted Products or Services

Grabbing someone’s attention in a world of information overload can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Your customers will appreciate learning the techniques to writing killer headlines with our latest white paper. From Drab to Fab How often do your customers’ print pieces seem drab and ordinary? Perhaps it’s time to give them a helping hand by providing them with a copy of “A Quick Guide to Killer Headlines.” Not only does it provide a step by step process of writing attention-grabbing headlines, but it also gives them some ideas on what to print those headlines on. The white paper includes lists of helpful actions words to include, words to stay clear of, as well as examples of headlines that work. Your customers will learn easy and simple steps to writing response-driven phrases that focus on their customers’ needs and not their own. They’ll learn about focusing on the benefits of their offer as it applies directly to the customer, driving their desire for purchase. Content Benefits All When content holds such power, any help you can give your customer to lead them down the path of success is beneficial both to them and to you. This white

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

Here at Marketing Ideas For Printers, we value marketing content. Because we value content so highly, we value the people that create and manage that content. That means we value Rachel a lot! Now it’s time for you to meet Rachel, the Marketing Director here at Marketing Ideas For Printers, and find out why she’s such an important part of our team. Rachel’s Path to Marketing Ideas For Printers Every step of Rachel’s life seemed to bring her closer to her current role as the Marketing Ideas For Printers Marketing Director. In fact, Rachel’s path to Marketing Ideas For Printers started back when she was just a child! My first connection with Marketing Ideas For Printers began in the late 80s when my mom worked for Mike Stevens (the founder of Marketing Ideas For Printers) at Express Press as a typesetter. In the late 90s, I, too, went to work for Mike and Dave Hultin at Express Press, both in the high-speed copy department and then as a project manager. About ten years ago, I connected with Dave Hultin again (his wife, Judy, works with my mom) and came back to work for Marketing Ideas For Printers first as the

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

Color is your world. It’s part of what you do every day. You know how color emphasizes your perception of the products it appears on, and so do your customers. Or maybe they don’t. That’s why it’s a good idea to remind your customers that they can Win Customers With Colorful Packaging. That’s the topic (and the name of!) the newest Print Tip added to the Ideas Collection of every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers. Here are the three tips your customers will see when they visit the Win Customers With Colorful Packaging tip on your website: Ask yourself which one color gets your message across. Always plan a family of products and marketing assets in advance. Always do a color-accurate printed proof. The tip finishes with this mandate: Always consider how things will look and how they will make your customers feel. By keeping these vital color rules in mind, you can create packaging, brochures and other assets that make your brand attractive to consumers and easily recognized. Here’s how Win Customers With Colorful Packaging is presented on one of our public demo websites. With content like this, you will always be the expert your customers turn to when they’re ready to print their

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