Marketing Ideas For Printers Archives - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Every successful print business has a system—an approach that keeps things running smoothly and ensures print buyers keep coming back. But when things begin to feel overwhelming or inconsistent, that system can start to break down. At Marketing Ideas For Printers (MI4P), we believe in keeping things simple and repeatable. That’s why we follow a Proven Process—a clear framework that helps printing companies build effective marketing strategies, streamline technology, and ultimately sell more printing. If you’ve ever felt like owning a print business is too complicated or time-consuming, this process will give you clarity, structure, and a path forward. The MI4P Proven Process: Your Roadmap to Success The MI4P process isn’t just a checklist—it’s a guiding framework designed to meet you where you are and help you grow. Here’s how it works: Step 1: CONNECT – Understanding Your Business Needs Every print business is different. That’s why we start with a simple question: What’s your biggest challenge? For some, it’s an outdated website. For others, it’s not having enough leads. Maybe it’s struggling to keep up with social media. Whatever it is, we take the time to listen, understand your goals, and identify what’s standing in the way. At this

Welcome back to another edition of Sell More Printing, where we explore real-world sales and marketing strategies that you, as a printer, can adapt to boost your business. Today, we’re diving into a simple yet powerful idea: sending emails during the holiday season to capture auto-replies filled with new business leads. The Hidden Value in Holiday Auto-Replies While it may seem like the holidays aren’t the best time to send marketing or sales emails, they actually present a unique opportunity to discover new contacts. As out-of-office messages flood in, they often contain valuable information, such as alternate contacts and decision-makers within organizations. This gives you the chance to expand your network with new leads—people you might not have found otherwise. By sending emails during key holiday periods like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, printers can collect these auto-replies and use them as a source of fresh contacts, leading to potential new business connections. How This Helps You Sell More Printing How can this strategy translate into sales for your printing business? The key lies in the relationships you build with these alternate decision-makers. While your primary contact is away, a temporary interaction with their colleague could transform into a long-term business

When you’ve invested time and money into marketing tools to help you sell more printing, you want to know if they’re working. You might feel unsure about whether your emails are bringing in customers or if your SEO efforts are actually boosting website traffic. Without knowing a clear way to track your results, it’s easy to feel stuck or frustrated. Here’s the good news: tracking the right metrics doesn’t have to be complicated. By focusing on just a few key numbers, you can connect the dots between your marketing efforts and the results you care about most—selling more printing. Below are the essential metrics you should be tracking and how to use this information to make smarter decisions. Why You Need to Track Metrics It’s tempting to judge a marketing tool—like email marketing or SEO—based only on how many new orders you get right away. But marketing isn’t always an instant-results game. It’s a system where every part plays a role. Think of it like a puzzle: each piece (emails, SEO, your website) works together to create a full picture of your success. By tracking metrics, you can: See what’s working and what needs improvement. Understand how tools like SEO

Picture this: You’re ready to grow your print business, but every day feels like you’re trudging through quicksand. Your MIS system, once the lifeline of your operations, now feels more like a ball-and-chain. It’s slow, outdated, and no longer serves the growing needs of your business. If that sounds familiar, it might be time to embrace a fresh start—without the baggage of the past weighing you down. Moving to a new MIS (Management Information System) can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’ve accumulated years of data. But clinging to an outdated system in the name of your old system’s history might be doing more harm than good. Instead of hauling old, incomplete data into a modern platform, there’s a better way: starting fresh with tools designed to meet the demands of today—and tomorrow. The Hidden Cost of Clinging to Old MIS History Every system has its shelf life. As technology evolves, outdated MIS systems can limit productivity and growth. Old data can be messy, incomplete, or poorly structured, making migration complicated. Trying to import everything into a new system often leads to frustration and confusion—dragging old inefficiencies into a platform built for efficiency. While Odyssey (the Print MIS

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Eliud Kipchoge, king of marathon running Athletics is all about fast times and firsts, and marathon racing puts strength on display with its grueling 26.2-mile test of physical, mental, and emotional endurance. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, known by many as the king of marathon running, is the only man to hold both the official and unofficial marathon world records. Raised by a single mother, he ran two miles to school each day but did not start running seriously until his teen years. Early in his career, he ran in shorter distances, winning the 5,000-meter bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics before transitioning to marathons in 2013. At the height of his career, Kipchoge was known for immense self-discipline – from 5:00 AM mountain pacers to logging every workout in a personal notebook. But there’s one thing he did not do: overextend himself in training. In daily runs, he never pushed past 80-90 percent exertion. And his slow, steady consistency paid off. On his journey to logging the first sub-two-hour marathon in history (in 2019), Kipchoge never sustained a serious injury, put down four of the fastest 10 marathons

Welcome back from the whirlwind adventure that was Printing United in Las Vegas! We trust you had an incredible experience exploring the latest innovations and creating meaningful connections within the vibrant printing industry community. As you settle back into your daily routine, remember that it’s crucial to harness the wealth of knowledge and inspiration you gained at Printing United. Here’s a comprehensive guide to ensure your tradeshow experience fuels continuous growth and innovation in your professional endeavors. Capitalizing on Your Tradeshow Experience Unpack the Knowledge Begin by meticulously reviewing and organizing the wealth of information you gathered. Dive into the brochures, business cards, and session notes you collected. Dedicate ample time to sift through everything, identifying key insights and trends. Consider employing digital tools like a mind map or a project management app to create a comprehensive visual representation of your takeaways. This not only aids in retention but also provides a quick reference for future projects. Share the Wealth Organize a detailed team meeting to present the highlights of your tradeshow experience. Develop a structured presentation or discussion points that cover groundbreaking technologies, innovative strategies, and potential partnerships. Encourage open dialogue, allowing team members to ask questions and offer

If you’ve ever felt the pinch of a tight budget, you know the importance of making value-driven decisions. A central question of economics is this: how do we assess the value – or the economic WORTH – of a product or service? For example, is it “worth” paying more for cookware that will last twice as long? Is it “worth” investing in a star NFL quarterback if it means more people will follow your team? As a professional printer, maybe you’ve asked a different version of this question: Is it “worth” investing dollars into your own direct mail marketing? It Costs Money NOT to Market Your Print Business As digital marketing continues to expand, many printers have answered this question with inaction. Maybe this describes you. Have you drifted toward ambivalence or stopped sending direct mail marketing altogether? Perhaps the price tag on direct mail (including both time and financial cost) has discouraged you from using this time-tested tool. Here’s an important truth to consider: It costs money NOT to market your business. While direct mail takes effort, it is also an important building block to your future success. When you overlook this strategic marketing channel, here are three different

Meet Joe. Joe owns a professional printing company with a solid website and room to grow his capacity. But Joe has a problem. He’s not getting new customers. Joe is actively advertising and eagerly seeking new leads, but his efforts continue to fall flat. He wonders: Why am I not getting more orders? Why can’t I make more sales? Meet Jolene. Jolene works for a healthcare clinic that has recently tasked her with ordering various print marketing pieces. Jolene feels nervous, uncertain, and intimidated. Through an online search, she locates several printers in her area, but when she visits their websites, she finds cumbersome product menus and sterile ordering pages. Though she’d like a local printing partner, she’s confused about what to order and how to succeed in the process. She’s not even close to pulling the trigger on a purchase and finds these list-style pages overwhelming. She decides ordering from a national big-box printer might be best. Moving Prospects to Commitment Joe wants to sell printing. Jolene wants to buy from a local printer. So, what went wrong? Why is it so difficult for printers and print buyers to connect and succeed? While the process is complicated, the answer

With the first half of the year behind us, it’s time to look toward the last few months of 2024 and make some solid marketing plans. While you may not be able to overhaul your entire marketing scheme, it is easy to add an already-designed, easy-to-produce newsletter or postcard to grab attention and get the word out about your company’s products and services. The direct-mail options we provide are the ideal answer to a need for simple, straightforward marketing. 5 DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE OPTIONS FOR PRINTERS Coffee Break If you want your marketing to stick out amongst the mail your customers receive, then the Coffee Break newsletter is the right choice for your company. Whimsical in its presentation and light-hearted in its content, Coffee Break is sure to make a positive connection with your customers. Here are a few of the jokes found in this month’s edition: Health inspector: “I’m afraid you have too many roaches in here.”  Restaurant owner: “How many am I allowed?” So, let me get this straight. You drive across town to a gym to walk on a treadmill? Get them laughing and thinking about your print shop with Coffee Break’s clean humor, unique calendar, and