marketing Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Pop quiz! Which of these two statements is true? Your print buyers prefer to do business with: A company they already trust and have a relationship with. A company they’ve never done business with. It seems like an easy enough question, right? But, then why is it that when businesses look to increase their sales, they focus on selling to new prospects instead of their existing customers? Keep in mind that the probability of selling to a new prospect is only 5-20%, while focusing your efforts on existing customers brings that probability up to 60-70%! Cross-selling and upselling is a great way to maximize your sales efforts and increase your revenue. And, these tactics don’t just benefit your sales numbers. Cross-selling and upselling helps breed customer happiness and deepen relationships because you’re ultimately delivering more value. What is Cross-Selling? Cross-selling can be summed up by asking yourself one question: What additions can you provide to what your print buyers have already purchased? The “Golden Arches” (a.k.a. McDonald’s) are known for one of the most famous examples of cross-selling of all time with their familiar question, “Do you want fries with that?” That innocuous question was a subtle yet ingenious marketing

Do you know “the look”? It’s that look one spouse gives to the other when they need to catch their attention quickly. Or, it’s the look an exasperated parent gives their child when that child is still on YouTube after being told to take out the garbage an hour ago. The look is all about urgency. If you ever get that look, you better move NOW! The Psychology Behind Urgency Urgency plays an essential part in marketing as well. Urgent tasks mean people are more likely to act on them, even more so than important tasks. This means all marketing (including buying printing) needs to have some level of urgency to it. And while you can’t give your print buyers “the look” to get them to take the next action in doing business with you, there are some ways to emphasize urgency that are effective (and won’t get you arrested for creepiness). 3 Ways to Use Urgency in Your Marketing 1. Set Restrictions “If you don’t take out the garbage by 3:00 PM, you won’t be able to go to your friend’s house.” Setting goals and deadlines are a common tactic to trigger urgency to buy. In the e-commerce world, this

Let’s face it. The world hasn’t exactly been a happy place lately. With COVID-19, riots, and political tension, sometimes you need a break from the heaviness to find your smile and then share it. To help you recapture your optimism and spread a little laughter, here are some of our favorite jokes from the Coffee Break direct mail newsletter. Coffee Break is available to you each and every month to send to your print buyers and focuses on the lighter side of connection and relationship building. Favorite Coffee Break Laughs ☞ A woman, three months pregnant, falls into a deep coma. Six months later, she awakes and asks the doctor about her baby. Doctor: “You had twins, a boy and a girl, and they’re both fine. Your brother named them for you.” Woman: “Oh no, not my brother! He’s an idiot! What did he name the girl?” Doctor: “Denise.” Woman: “Well, that isn’t so bad. What did he call the boy?” Doctor: “Denephew.” ☞ After hearing a sermon on Psalm 52:3-4 (lies and deceit), a man wrote the IRS, “I can’t sleep knowing that I have cheated on my income tax. Enclosed is a check for $150. If I still can’t

As the coronavirus continues to affect nearly all businesses across the world in some way, you might find yourself trying to brainstorm creative solutions to ensure your print business not only survives the pandemic but thrives after “normalcy” returns. Let me add to your brainstorming by throwing out an idea for you – an idea that could have exponential benefits for your company: adding a subscription-model to your print business. Now, before you dismiss this idea and quickly retort, “Yeah, but hold up. I’m a printer, and I don’t offer subscriptions,” consider the following: A recent study shows that 76% of Americans have a least one subscription service, while over 60% have two or more. The average subscription billing vendor is growing 30-50% annually. The subscription e-commerce market has grown by more than 100% percent a year over the past five years. Subscription-type businesses, whether in-part or in-whole, help businesses (like yours) weather times of crisis such as these because of the economic “moat” they’ve surrounded themselves with. How Subscriptions Could Benefit Your Print Business Subscriptions have a unique way of providing what consumers are looking for, such as personalization, convenience, and straight-up simplicity. There’s also the fact that: Subscriptions

As a printer, you wear several hats. Not only do you have to manage the day-to-day aspects of running your print business, but you’re also looked upon as a leader; one who’s expected to lead in times of crisis such as these. Additionally, you wear the hat of a marketer. Whether you embrace that role or fear it, there’s one aspect of your marketing hat you can’t afford to overlook right now: teaching. Marketing is Teaching An essential part of your job is teaching your print buyers, and it’s one of the most valuable ways to invest and secure both present and future customers. Teaching positions you to make connections you might have otherwise missed. For example, follow this scenario through: You give your print buyers information on something they’re eager to learn (like direct mail or print marketing tutorials or information). Your print buyer finds the answers to their questions through your information and influence and signs up for your email or mailing list. As your information continues to help, teach, and bring your printing company to mind, your print buyer then makes a purchase. After a satisfying purchase, your print buyer then refers you to another print buyer,

Nowadays, waiting on hold for as little as 30 seconds can feel like an eternity. But, while no one likes to be put on hold, there is an easy way to make the wait seem shorter and much more enjoyable for your print buyers: by using an advertising on hold system. What is an Advertising on Hold System? An Advertising On Hold system provides you with a cost-efficient, convenient, and effective way to reach a truly captive audience with a message that is specifically for your print business. Not only can your on-hold message provide useful information about your company, including the products and services you provide, but if you spice it up with interesting facts and tidbits, it can serve as a source of entertainment for your print buyers while they wait to speak with you. An advertising on hold system isn’t about placing your customers on hold. It’s about holding on to your customers! 7 Benefits of Using an Advertising On Hold System Using a type of advertising on hold system is an ideal way to communicate with your prospects and customers because you’re already engaging your target audience. Here are seven additional benefits to consider: 1. It

You’ve updated your website, and now you’re ready to sit back and watch the sales roll in! But there’s a problem. Your website is impressive, but the masses aren’t flocking to it as you had hoped. And, when they do go there, it seems like they’re only looking around and not ordering. What’s the deal? If you’re struggling to get the kind of traffic to your website that you were hoping for, below are five tips to help you market it successfully and get the results you want. 1. Change your mindset The best thing you can do to get people to your website is to retrain your brain on how to get them there. Putting up a fancy-pants website doesn’t mean your print buyers will instantly flock to it. That’s sort of like putting a basket of clean laundry in front of some teenagers and assuming they’ll fold clothes. (Sigh.) So, if you’ve spent the last decade or more training prospects and customers to call you to order their printing or to email you directly, it’s going to take some effort to retrain them to go to your website. With “gazelle intensity,” as Dave Ramsey says, retrain your brain

“Ugh. Marketing. Why does it have to be so hard? Why can’t people just know my product or service is awesome and come bursting through my doors to buy it?” If you’ve ever felt like this when trying to get the word out about a new product, you’re not alone. Except for a select group of people (like those who do marketing for a living), marketing can feel a lot like exercising or flossing your teeth. You know you’ll ultimately be better for it, but it takes time and work and can feel like one more thing you “have to do.” Wouldn’t it be great if you could outsource exercising – as in, hire someone to do it for you and get all of the benefits? (Uh… yes, please!) Or, what about flossing? (Eww. Nevermind.) You get the idea, though. Marketing doesn’t have to be hard, and you don’t have to go it alone. There’s no rule that says you have to write, design, and create all of your own genius marketing campaigns. You can call in reinforcements for help! Added Marketing Help Coming Your Way! From monthly direct mail packages to social media marketing delivered right to your inbox

Sharp marketing can put the wind at your back! Here’s a preview of the content geared at giving your business growing momentum this month: Printer’s Press Want to keep your print products in the limelight this month? Printer’s Press lights up the night featuring outdoor evening entertaining, Kit Kat’s chunky chocolate direct mail teaser, an “American Riviera,” Big Sur spotlight, and attention-grabbing table tent promotions. Coach your clients on these easy “pop-up promos” for trade shows, meetings, luncheons, and more in the June issue now available for download. Business Forum Repetition brings recognition. Give your name staying power with this month’s Business Forum, offering four tips for successful direct-mail campaigns, strategies for dealing with office interruptions, guidance for avoiding the “Summertime Slump,” and life skills for cultivating independence in kids. The June issue offers app spotlights, a “Magnetic Marketing” book review, and ideas for custom corporate notes like greeting, welcome, and thank you cards. Local Edge When school is out, schedules get crazy. Offer your clients a stress-free shortcut with the content from this month’s Local Edge: “Specializing in Impossible Deadlines. Why burden yourself with time-consuming details or impossible deadlines? From concept to completion, we can design and manage every

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