At Essential Print Services we work hard to make sure every customer is delighted with our service and quality. But that is just part of our job. Here are some of our top tips to help you make the most of your investment. Think of these as your first steps towards…
Have you ever had leaflets, flyers or brochures printed and months later copies are still gathering dust in your office?
Maybe that was because however lovely they looked you didn’t really have a distribution plan – or the work involved in getting them out was just too time consuming or costly. Even mail shots of just 100 flyers can seem daunting to the busy small business owner. It can often be more cost-effective to outsource a mail shot to a virtual admin assistant. For larger mail shots there are machines that can automate the hard work – talk to us about the best ways to send your print. But don’t spend money on a beautiful brochure and then ruin the impact with an amateurish covering letter.
Have a distribution plan:
Think about different ways of getting promotional material out there. Perhaps you know people who could display items in their work reception areas? Do you have a contact who sends out regular correspondence and might include one of your flyers? Mail drop the shops and offices around where you work.
Set targets.
It’s important to know what you want from any marketing exercise – whether that’s enquiries generated, volume and value of sales, visits to a website. If you don’t have clear targets, how will you measure your success? Don’t blame the printing when you don’t know what success looks like.
Everybody needs good neighbours.
When sending out literature, remember to include businesses nearby or on the same business park than you. Never assume they already know all about you – because they won’t.
Don’t forget your existing client base.
You may be publicising a service or product they don’t know you provide – so it’s a great chance to keep in touch with your customers who already like you.
Always be ready to market.
If you meet clients and contacts in coffee bars, why not pop a baby banner by your table to promote yourself – or have a personalised laptop skin or sticker created to advertise your presence? Do the cafes you visit regularly have a notice board? Ask the manager if you can display one of your leaflets or business cards. Also, leave a business card on the table when you leave, because you never know who will be sat there next.
How are you going to follow up? Once your items are safely in front of your prospects – then what? You need to follow-up. A lot of people find this process scary. Options include; telephone calls, personalised postcards set to go out a week later, an email campaign and if you don’t have the time to do any of these, then outsource it. If you don’t know anyone who can provide these services, we will gladly recommend a trusted associate.
Don’t be afraid to be different.
You can create a lasting impression by using unusual shapes and designs for leaflets and cards. I’m happy to look at any wild and wonderful ideas and let you know if they will work and what will be most cost effective.
Make it useful.
If you print something that’s USEFUL it’s more likely to keep you in the public eye for longer. Calendars and wall planners are great examples. How much would you pay to be promoted on your clients’ walls all year round? Do you deliver training or business services? Maybe you could create a notepad with hints and tips on it? As your client uses it they are reminded of you and are more likely to contact your company for help and advice.
Be proud of your print.
Don’t let your printing be the best-kept secret. Don’t hide it away. Give it to the right people at any opportunity. Make sure that you’re more than happy to hand over a leaflet. I’ve seen instances where someone has given me some literature, than apologised for the state of it. Perhaps its because of the trade I’m in, but if you’re not proud of it, don’t give it out. You’ll be doing yourself a disservice.
Print is not expensive.
The next time you feel begrudged spending £50 on a few hundred business cards, ask yourself, “what’s my average order value?” How many business cards are needed to convert into business? If it’s just one or a few, then you have rather a lot of chances to get that return.
With advertising you have no way of tracking who sees it. Therefore you can’t follow it up. With print, when its done right, it can be extremely successful.
Top Tips Summary
1. Have a distribution plan
2. Set targets, monitor success
3. Keep in touch with neighbours
4. Remember your clients
5. Always be ready to market
6. Have a follow up strategy
7. Be different
8. Make it useful
9. Be proud of your print
10. Print is not expensive
What I love MOST is knowing that the items I have printed are working REALLY HARD for my customers. To achieve this I discuss my clients’ requirements and help them plan what they really need.
I find out who their print is aimed at and how to get it to the right people. I can help work out postage costs and the all-important follow-up to any mail shots.
After years of working in print I KNOW what works and because I work with print all day everyday, I can suggest some ideas you might never have considered.
If you, or a contact of yours, wants to check that they’re getting the best value for your printing, give me samples of all your existing literature and I’ll give you a comparative quote with ideas of how to reduce costs AND improve the effectiveness of the products.
