Inkwell Printing Company

Advice from the Printer

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Direct Mail For Restaurants In 2020

Covid-19 has been detrimental to many different industries, but an argument could be made that restaurants have been hit the hardest.  Losing the ability to have dine-in customers has forced many restaurants to try to figure out how to attract customers to their carry-out business. Direct mail may be able to help in this situation.

restaurant direct mail

Depending on where a restaurant is located it could be potentially against the law to have dine-in customers. Even if it is not against the law many people are simply unwilling to go to a dine-in setting. This means less people are out and looking for places to eat.  With less people out and about on the roads and driving by, your restaurant is getting significantly less visibility than usual. You must find a way to get in front of potential customers again.  Direct mail offers the opportunity to reach your audience.

There is a large portion of the population that would not be considered tech savvy.  These people will not see your Facebook post, they will not go to your website to find out if you are open or not.  They only know about restaurants if they drive by them or hear about them from a friend.  This portion of the population offers a unique opportunity to market to.  You should take this opportunity to send out a direct mail piece to let them know you are open for carry-out or delivery.  Have your piece explain all the safety precautions you are taking.  This will help ease any fears they may have.  Also consider offering a discount or coupon on their order to entice them to give your restaurant a try.

People are looking for something to do, they are tired of cooking at their houses and your restaurant may be just what they are looking for.  But if they do not know you exist then you are missing an excellent opportunity to add customers for life. Direct mail gives you the opportunity to reach out to these potential customers and put your business information directly into their hands.

We can take a look at some of the benefits of direct mail now.

Response Rate

Even before Covid, direct mail was seeing some of its highest response rates ever.  This can be attributed to less crowded mailboxes.  People receive hundreds of emails a day but no longer receive a mailbox full of advertisements.  This has made the effectiveness skyrocket.  And now people are spending more time in their homes than usual.  This should only help the response rate of a direct mail piece.

Personalization

With some of the recent advancements in the printing industry, it is easy then ever to send each person on your mailing list a personalized message.  You can easily add their name into the piece to give it a much more friendly feel.

Direct

It is as direct a form of marketing as exists.  Direct mail can put your message right into the hands of your potential customer.  People go out to their mailbox every day, and your letter will be right on top for them to read.  Even if they simply glance at it, you will build your brand recognition and be on the top of their minds.

Inexpensive

Direct mail can also be an extremely affordable way to blanket a surrounding area of your community.  There are many different types of mailing lists available, but you can also just select a certain area to mail too and your message will be sent to each address in the zone.  This is very affordable and a great way to let people in the immediate vicinity of your restaurant know that you are back and open for business.

 

If you need tips on designing a direct mail postcard refer to our post here.

 

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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2020 Political Campaign Mailing Advice

Elections happening in 2020 are being faced with a new and unique set of problems.  Due to Covid-19 campaigning options are extremely limited.  Hosting large events, like public debates and rallies, will most likely not be possible.  This will impact a candidate’s ability to get their message out to the voting public.  Your campaign must adapt to this new challenge and we believe campaign mailing may be just the solution you are looking for.

Campaign mailing

Emphasis on mailing

Since direct contact with voters will be limited, campaigns will turn to direct mail and digital ads to get their message out. Many active voters are not active on digital channels and the ones who are, usually are not interested in your digital ads.  We have been overwhelmed with digital ads and most are tuned out and ignored.  This is where campaign mailing comes in to play.  A political mailing campaign offers you the opportunity to put your message directly in to the hands of your potential voters.  This is a far more personal connection and in the time of Covid it is the best option we have to project your message.

Types of mailing

Normally when we run a campaign mailing, we recommend keeping it simple, with an emphasis on a few key points.  But during this time, it is worth considering doing a more in-depth mailer.  While we still recommend a mailer with your picture and few of your platform’s key points, a separate mailer that involves a more detailed letter can be highly effective.  In this second mailer you can go into more detail about your platform and approach.  This is will be extremely helpful to your voters who would normally attend in person meetings to learn more.  Another type of mailing you can consider is a fundraising mailing.  Normally political fundraisers involve attending some sort of event.  Now you may have to rely on mailing out to past supporters asking them to consider supporting your campaign.

Audiences for mailing

The last point to consider is who you will be sending your political mailing too.  Every door direct mail is the least expensive option and it can be used to blanket an entire mailing route.  You do not get to choose exactly which addresses the mailing will go to, but it is the most cost efficient of the options.  The next option is if you have a personal mailing list.  These are the most effective lists but also the most effort to put together.  But if you have mailing addresses for your supporters then a targeted message to them can be highly effective.   The third option is to purchase a mailing list, there is a massive selection of mailing lists to choose from.  You can target just about any demographic you could think of with a purchased list.  You can target voters by political party, age, even by income levels.  These types of lists perform best when used with a targeted mailing, but the price is higher than with an every door mailing.  These are just some of the options you have to considers when selecting your audience for your political mailing.

 

Hopefully these tips will help you with your upcoming election. We wish you luck and hope you and your family stay safe!

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Tips For Effective Postcard Marketing

A postcard marketing campaign can be a very effective strategy for attracting customers.  Here are a few quick tips to make your postcard marketing more effective.

 

Create Leads

Your postcard is not for closing a sale it is to create leads for future customers. Come up with a strategy to drive your audience to your website or to call your office to get more information.  You won’t have enough space on the postcard to say everything you will want to say about your product or service so try and lead the customer to look for more information by contacting you.

Quality Not Quantity

When deciding what information to include on your postcard remember that the quality of the information is far more important than the quantity. Do not fill up your postcard with too much information. Your readers will think that it is too cluttered and will consider it a waste of time.  An effective postcard marketing campaign has a few key points but is mostly filled with graphics.

Coupons

Using your postcard as a coupon is a great way to drive traffic to your store.  It can be used to attract new customers or a way to bring back return customers.  If you collect your customers information you can send them incentives to return.  An effective way to do this is to send them a card on their birthday with a special deal that they can use.

Both Sides

This is a rather simple point but be sure to use both sides of the postcard. This will help you take full advantage of your limited space and will also make it more visually appealing to the consumer.

Looks Matter

This point is very important to consider when starting your postcard marketing campaign. It is tempting to try and save money by designing the product yourself or by using a cheaper paper. But you must be very careful when deciding to cut costs of quality. A cheap postcard will be completely ineffective and can destroy your credibility with your target audience. Your local printer or graphic designer can set you up with a very professional postcard for a small cost. It is worth it to not cut corners on the quality of your card.

Target Audience

This is one of the most important points to consider when setting up a postcard marketing campaign. Postcard marketing is not just about sending out as many cards as you can to as many people as you can.  You will see a much better return on investment if you target your campaign to your specific audience.  Set up a targeted mailing list for the best ROI.

Track Results

After you have sent out your postcards you need to make sure to track the results of your postcard marketing campaign. Try and find out what your customers liked about your card. And how many new leads were you able to attain with this campaign. This makes it easy to decide if you would like to do another campaign in the future.

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Political Mailing Design Tips

Do you have an election coming up?  Are you looking to design an effective political mailing piece?  A strong mailing campaign can be the difference between winning and losing your local election.  So we have put together a list of a few things to keep in mind to have the most success with your mailing campaign.

Political mailing

  1. Keep It Simple
    • The first thing to remember when you are designing a political mailing piece is to keep it simple. A mailing piece should be eye-catching and interesting.  It should not be overloaded with information that will simply bore your target audience.  Keep the design clean and simple with a few key points you would like the voter to know about you.  This is not the time to explain your entire election plan, this piece should be targeted to what you believe this particular voter will care about the most.  This is where you should have multiple pieces designed that emphasize different points of your campaign and they should be targeted towards different areas.  With access to so many different mailing lists it is a great idea to tailor your mailing piece to the demographic you are mailing too.
  2. Pictures
    • Effective use of pictures is a great way to keep a political mailing piece simple and eye-catching at the same time. Studies have shown that voters respond favorably to political mailing pieces that have a picture of the candidate on them.  So, it is recommended that you have a professional photo of yourself taken that shows some of your personality and to use that on your piece.  It is a must that any picture used is of the highest quality as a low-quality picture can ruin the entire piece.  That goes for all graphics used on a mailing piece but especially a picture of yourself.
  3. Call To Action
    • Just like with a standard business mailing, a call to action is crucial. Make sure to ask people to come out and vote for you.  Emphasize the importance of showing up on election day.  With that being said, a key point of the mailing piece should be the date of the election.  Make sure people can clearly see exactly when the election will take place.
  4. Contact Info
    • Last but not least, include all campaign related contact info. The mailing should direct any interested parties to your website and or social media pages.  This is important because it tells voters where to go to get more information or where to ask questions that they might have.  Your piece is meant to be simple and eye-catching but some people will be interested in more information so this is where your contact information should be clearly listed.  You want anyone who sees your political mailing piece to know exactly how to gain more information about your campaign.

Hopefully these tips can help you run a successful political mailing campaign and we wish you luck on this next election cycle!

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Political Mailing Campaign Tips

Are you running for office in 2020? Trying to decide what is the best way to allocate your campaign budget? Political mailing is an excellent way to reach voters.  So, here is a few reasons why direct mail should be part of your plan.

political mailing

Target Audience

When doing a political mailing the most important aspect is who will see your piece?  That is where direct mail comes in to play.  There are many ways to do direct mail, whether that be an EDDM (every door direct mail) piece or a piece that makes use of a specific list.  An EDDM piece is generally the least expensive option, it is used to blanket an entire area along a mail carriers’ route.  But if you wish to get more targeted with your piece there are countless mailing lists out there that can get very specific.  If you have a personal list of past donors, then that is a great way to raise money for the campaign.  Or if you are trying to attract new voters you can send a piece to registered and active voters in an area.  Being able to choose the demographics of your mailing allows you to design a piece that is specifically targeted to your audience.  This is an extremely powerful tool in a political mailing campaign.

Reach

A political mailing campaign can also allow you to reach a much larger area then other means of communication.  In some areas a door to door/face to face strategy is simply not an option.  So, a direct mail piece allows you reach directly to voters and put your message in to their hands.  Recent studies suggest that direct mail is one of the most trusted forms of communication and scores significantly higher than online ads.  Direct mail is also more welcomed due to its nonintrusive nature and ability to be targeted directly towards a person.  Printing companies today can even personalize every single piece with the resident’s name to give it an even more direct touch.

Message

Another strength of a political mailing is the ability to control the message.  Not only can you customize the piece to target certain demographics specifically, but you can also control the timing that the message is seen.  Studies suggest that the window of 90 days before and up to the election is the most effective time for a political mailing piece to come through.  With direct mail you can control the timing that the piece is dropped in the mail and that will tell you the days that the pieces will be delivered into the homes of your voters.  Designing multiple pieces to be sent to different areas is the most effective way to run a direct mail campaign.  Make your piece reflect your audience and send them multiple pieces in the 90-day window to have the biggest effect on your voters.

 

Hopefully these tips can help you run a successful political mailing campaign and we wish you luck on this next election cycle!

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Use Print To Boost Your 2020 Marketing

The new year is upon us and we are all getting back to work.  Our plans and resolutions are set, and we are ready to get started on a great 2020! If you are a business owner, then most likely your resolution has something to do with improving your business in the coming year.  While you are looking at your future marketing plans consider adding in these affordable print materials to make sure your goals are achieved.

2020 marketing

Business Cards

First, we will lead off with an obvious one, business cards.  Business cards are essential to any business that may have face to face interactions with potential customers.  Most of you will already have a well-designed card so make sure you are fully stocked for an upcoming year of marketing events.  Also take this time to look at your cards and see if it is time for a rebrand or maybe just a brand refresh.  A company rebranding can be a large undertaking and maybe that is not something that you are up for or even need.  On a smaller level a slight update to your logo to make it stand out more or simply changing the layout of your cards can be a great way to draw attention to an exciting new year for your company.

Flyers

Flyers are an extremely affordable and effective way to get information out to new markets.  Whether you plan on canvassing and handing out flyers face to face or posting them at business events, a well-done flyer will get the word out about your business.  Consider using flyers if you plan on launching a new product or have a new market you are trying to expand in to.

Brochures

Like flyers a good brochure is a must have marketing piece.  Brochures come in many different styles, but a simple trifold is the most common.  An informative brochure fits a niche of slightly more depth than a flyer.  A brochure is great for trade shows when a potential customer is looking for more information on a product or service.  Where a flyer can be handed out to any and everyone a brochure should be reserved for more interested parties.

Postcards

There are many ways to use postcards in your 2020 marketing.  They can be used as a handout piece similar to a flyer, a coupon, or part of a more structured mailing campaign.  Post cards are one of the least expensive print pieces you can find so having a supply of them on hand is a great idea.  Whether you use a stack of them at a trade show or want to wish your customers a happy birthday, a postcard is an extremely versatile print marketing piece.

 

We hope these tips can give you a few ideas of ways to boost your marketing in 2020. We wish you a happy new year and good luck on growing your business! Lets make 2020 the best year your business has had yet!

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Annual Appeal Printing

The end of the year is almost here.  If you run a not for profit, then that means it is annual appeal season. This can be a very busy and stressful time for you and your organization.  A strong annual appeal is crucial to the success of your cause.  With that in mind, we have put together a few tips to help you get through this season and have a successful campaign.

  1. Consistent Communication
    • Consistent communication will lead to better results. Whenever possible it is very effective to use multiple points of contact to reach your donors.  Send a flyer out a few weeks before your appeal to keep your potential donors thinking about you.  This is flyer should remind them about what the goal of your organization is.  Then your annual appeal will not seem out of the blue.  And hopefully they will have been thinking about you.
  2. Your Mailing List
    • Collecting the information of potential donors is crucial. Throughout the year you need to be getting the mailing addresses of your supporters.  Past donors are an excellent group to send your next appeal to. No matter how creative or well designed your mailing piece is, if you do not have a good list then your appeal will not be effective.
  3. Your Need
    • Spell out your need. Explain in detail why you are collecting donations.  Your supporters will want to know what their donations are going towards.  Explain thoroughly what every dollar will contribute too and your goal for this current appeal.  This helps your supporters to understand exactly how they are helping your complete your goal.
  4. Personalize
    • The more personal the better when it comes to annual appeals. This can be very difficult with large mailing lists and projects like this but if you can find a way to personalize your piece towards the supporters it will be highly effective.  Many organizations have used a handwritten letter to great effect.  Obviously, this is not always feasible with much larger lists, so we recommend selecting some of your strongest supporters and sending them their own letter.

This is a small list with a few tips to keep in mind, but we hope that following this outline can help alleviate some of the stress that comes with annual appeal season.  Not for profits do some of the best work in our communities and we wish you all the best of luck on your appeals!

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Marketing Must-Haves For Your Next Trade Show

Do you have a marketing event coming up? A trade show or business expo? This list of 5 essential items will help you stand out from the competition.

Trade Show

Trying to stand out at a large marketing event can be overwhelming.  It can seem like an impossible task when you are next to fifty other booths that look just like yours.  But there is no need to feel discouraged.  There are plenty of ways you can set up your booth to stand out from the crowd.

  1. Booth
    • The first thing to consider is the booth itself. At most business trade shows you will not have much control over the physical set up of your booth.  Many times, you will not even know the exact set up until you are there.  But one thing you can count on is some sort of table or countertop.  So, having a good custom table cover is a great idea.  Have it be your companies’ colors and have a large logo on it.  This immediately gives your both a more professional appearance and separates you from a number of the booths that will be using the plain table cover.
  2. Signage
    • The next thing to consider is what signage you want around your booth. If there is a wall in the back, then a vinyl sign is perfect but if you are unclear of your setup then a retractable banner is best.  A well-designed retractable banner or two are perfect for an added sense of professionalism at a marketing event. Also consider bringing some smaller tabletop signs to put on the edges of your booth.  These can be used for information about services or they can simply be used for branding.  You want to have your logo all over your booth to make yourself more memorable to all potential customers.
  3. Uniform
    • Another huge factor in your booth presentation is your own uniform. Do you have company shirts with logos?  If so, these are perfect for all marketing events.  It may not seem like a big deal but it is another piece that adds to growing your brands strength.
  4. Giveaway
    • The previous 3 suggestions have focused on brand building and setting yourself apart from the crowd. This one is focused on getting people to approach your booth. A giveaway does not have to be something huge, it can be a desert or a gift card to your business.  But make sure that to enter the giveaway they need to drop a business card in a bowl or fill out a contact sheet.  This is a great way to collect information on future leads from the trade show.
  5. Info
    • Now that you have the potential customer at your booth you need to have the correct information for them. You should talk with the person showing interest and see exactly what information might benefit them, rather than flooding them with all of your brochures at once.  That being said, you still need to have all the necessary information to fit any need that arises.  Bring brochures, flyers, catalogs, postcards, and most importantly business cards.  Make sure that everyone who leaves your trade show booth leaves with your contact information in hand.

 

We know that standing out at a trade show can seem like an overwhelming task.  But hopefully if you follow these suggestions above, you will have no problem grabbing attention at your next event.

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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4 Marketing Ideas For Postcards

When it comes to direct marketing, postcards are an excellent tool.  They are an inexpensive, easy to use, and effective way to attract customers.  Postcards are extremely versatile and have many different implementations.  Since they can serve a variety of different purposes, we have put together a few ways to use postcards in your own marketing strategies.

Postcards

  1. Coupons
    • One great way to use a postcard is as a coupon or discount card. These can be mailed out to past customers to get them back into your store.  They can be handed out at tradeshows or networking events to give a person a little extra incentive to visit your store or website.  Coupons are a great way to generate some attention for your business and a postcard is the perfect size to go with.
  2. Announcements
    • Another postcard idea is to use them for announcements. If you are looking to announce a store opening or a great sale/new product a postcard is the perfect tool.  Postcards can be mailed very inexpensively so if you are opening a new location, an EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) piece is extremely effective to get the word out to the community.
  3. Birthday Cards
    • Birthdays are a perfect opportunity for you to do something fun and thoughtful for your customers. If you are in a business where you collect your customers information and can get their birthdays on file, then sending them a card is a very nice gesture. Not only is this a good way to show gratitude and that you care for your customers, but also, it’s a non-intrusive way to stay on your customers mind.  You can combine the birthday postcard with a coupon card to get even better results.
  4. Information
    • The final idea for using postcards is simply to give more information. While a well-designed brochure is a more effective way to give out info on your business or service, a postcard can still be a strong tool.  If you are at a trade show or a marketing event you can not always carry around brochures with you.  This is where your postcard can be of great use.  You can hand these out to anyone that shows a little more interest in your company.

Hopefully these 4 ideas can help you get started with implementing postcards into your marketing plan.  Remember to keep them simple, don’t overload them with information.  Try to use an eye-catching graphic and include your contact info on every one of them.  A well-designed postcard is a strong tool for direct marketing and when used effectively can boost sales and or traffic to your business.

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com

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Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) Campaign Tips

Every door direct mail (EDDM) is a great way for small business owners to target a large number of potential customers quickly and inexpensively.  With no need to collect addresses or purchase mailing lists, the cost and speed of EDDM can be hard to compete with. Here are a few tips to help you get started on your own EDDM campaign.

  1. Goals
    • As with all types of direct mail, it is crucial to define your goals upfront. Are you trying to get customers to visit your store for a new opening or a big sale?  Are you attempting to generate leads for your real estate business? What ever your goal is it should be defined before you begin so that you can track the success of your campaign. Determining your goal will also help make the design process far easier as well.
  2. Size
    • The design of an EDDM campaign is crucial to your success but before you begin you must check the guidelines for EDDM. Not every postcard sized piece is eligible for EDDM, there are strict guidelines that must be followed.  Make sure you are aware of these guidelines so that you do not have to redesign your piece after putting in too much work.
  3. Content
    • Now that you know the size requirements you can get started on the content of your EDDM piece. Keep in mind the goals you previously determined and that should make the content relatively easy.  Do not overload the piece with too much info or no one will take the time to read it.  Keep it simple and less crowded. If you are advertising a sale or grand opening, then make that the center of your piece with an exclusive offer or sales code.  If you are trying to generate leads in a certain area for real estate, then consider listing some of your success stories in the area. Your goals should determine the type of content you add.  But most importantly, include all relevant contact information and make it very easily accessible.
  4. Routes
    • Finally, you must select your routes. As the name implies, you must mail to every door along a route.  That is one of the cons of EDDM, you can not exclude any locations along a selected mail carriers’ route.  But that is why it is less expensive then a normal direct mail campaign.  So, you select an area that encompasses the most of your target and then you get it sent out.  Timing is important because a piece will be mailed in the next few days, but the exact day is never completely guaranteed.  So make sure to always mail a day or two earlier to account for this.

Hopefully these tips will help you out if you are planning to run your own EDDM campaign.  EDDM is not the perfect fit for everyone but it is certainly a strong tool for many circumstances. And the cost and ease of EDDM is hard to compete against in the world of direct mail marketing.

For more helpful information check out our blog at: /advice-from-the-printer/

And for more information on Inkwell Printing Company check out our website at: www.inkwellstl.com