Inkwell Printing Company

Advice from the Printer

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How To Use Leave Behinds In Your Marketing

Leave behinds are a marketing staple in any business that does door to door sales, but they can be perfect for creating a lasting impression in any business.  A leave behind is by definition anything that you leave behind you after a visit, but the primary examples are business cards, brochures, door hangers, magnets, calendars, water bottles, and a variety of other promotional products.

leave behinds

There are a few questions you should ask yourself when you intend to incorporate leave behinds into your marketing plans. You need to ask how much information you want to leave with the customer? Is the item relevant to your business or market? And how do you plan to distribute the materials?

Distribution

First, we will cover distributions strategies.  The most obvious strategy comes in to play if you are doing door to door sales.  If you can get in front of a potential customer, it is especially important to leave, at bare minimum, your contact information in the form of a business card.  You should also leave them brochures that remind them about your product or service.  An excellent way to do this is to prepare a sales folder that stores all the relevant information a customer might need, this can be left after a conversation or simply left with the receptionist if you are unable to meet with anyone.  Another distribution strategy is to utilize tradeshows.  When it comes to tradeshows, promotional products are a staple of marketing strategies.  This is where you will want to have a variety of different items alongside your informational brochures.  Make use of the more inexpensive promotional products, like pens and hand sanitizers, for these shows since you will most likely hand out a large number of them.  Obviously, the higher quality and more useful a product is the longer a potential customer will use it and the longer your name will stay in front of them.  But this also drives up the cost, so finding a nice balance is important for tradeshows in particular.  The third strategy and what we believe is the best of the three, is to leave your leave behind with a customer once your service is completed.  A happy customer can be an endless source of referrals and a great way to make sure that a customer remembers you is to provide them with a useful promotional product.  Depending on what your business is you may have an opportunity to leave a notepad or some other promotional product at a customer’s house or if the customer travels to you then you should make sure they always leave the transaction with a promotional piece.

Relevant

Another strong opportunity is to consider if you can leave a relevant product with your customer.  If you are trying to sell phone plans you can leave products that are relevant to phones like screen cleaners or useful items that go on the back of phones.  We know of a plumber that left branded plungers behind for his customers, talk about a unique product. As a printing company we like to leave behind notepads and calendars with potential and past customers.  This keeps our name on their desk for as long as they as the notepad lasts.  We have found this to be the most effective product for us.  So, it may take a little creativity to come up with a useful product that is relevant to your business personally, but it can definitely pay off if done correctly.  Now a product does not have to be uniquely relevant to you, it can also simply be relevant to your customer.  We have seen a lot of success with branded cups and water bottles, the type that keeps your drink cold or warm for long hours.  It is worth it to invest in the nicer cups because customers will sometimes use these for years and can lead to countless referrals.  Another successful product we have seen is branded tote bags.  These can be anything from reusable shopping bags to nicer bags that people take with them to the beach.  If you can give a customer a useful product that they appreciate, it will constantly have your name in front of them for months to come.

Information

The final question to consider is how much information you want to leave with the customer.  This can help you decide exactly what type of product you want to go with.  If you simply want to build name recognition then a pen, magnet, or sticker can work.  If you hope to leave your contact information you will need to figure out how to attach a business card with a product.  And if your goal is to leave product or service information then you will need to go with something like the folder package suggested above.

 

Hopefully, these questions will help you implement leave behinds into your marketing plans this year.  They can be highly effective at increasing repeat customers and getting referrals.  We recommend them to all our clients.  Good luck with your marketing goals this year!

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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5 Inexpensive Print Marketing Ideas

Now more than ever businesses are looking for ways to save money in their marketing budgets while still getting their name out there.  We have put together a few simple tips to help you save some money and still bring in new customers.

  1. Branded Apparel/Vehicles
    • One of the best and least expensive ways to advertise your business is to use yourself as a walking billboard. Get branded shirts and jackets so that your business is on display whenever you are out and about.  Do you have a company vehicle?  A vehicle wrap is seen by countless people while you do your normal commute.  Even if you just have a personal vehicle consider at least putting stickers on the bumper or back window.
  2. Branded Giveaways
    • The next strategy is to let your customers advertise for you. Do this by giving out branded items such as reusable grocery bags, water bottles, and cups.  If these items are useful then people will carry them around and always have your brand on display.
  3. Business Cards
    • Business cards are one thing that a business owner should always have on them. You never know when you may meet someone that expresses an interest in your business’s products or services.  Business cards are very inexpensive, but they are priceless when it comes to handing out your contact information quickly and effectively.
  4. Every Door Direct Mail Postcards
    • Direct mail still has one of the highest response rates out of any form of direct marketing. However direct mail can get pricey as you make your list more and more targeted.  If you do an every door mailing though the price drops significantly.  This limits your ability to target a particular demographic, but it makes it extremely easy to blanket an entire area with your message.  This is highly effective especially if your business targets a specific area within a city.
  5. Thank You Cards
    • Last but not least, consider sending out thank you cards after a sale is completed. Mailing a personal thank you has been shown to drastically increase the rate of return customers.  This can lead to more referrals as well.  It is a small act but one that can go a long way towards building a long-term relationship with you and your customers.  For the best results make sure to personalize the card in some way and send it out soon after the transaction is complete.

Hopefully, these tips can help you save some money while still marketing your business.  Best of luck and 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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4 Common Mistakes In Print Design

Whether you are designing a flyer, brochure, postcard, or even a business card the design you choose is crucial to the success of the piece.  If possible, you should hire a design professional to layout your print piece.  But sometimes that is not an option, so here are a few mistakes you should avoid when designing something for print.

  1. Clutter

The number one mistake that we see made in print is overcrowding your piece.  It is tempting to try and give your prospect all the information you can about your company, but a cluttered brochure just leads to people ignoring the piece all together.  Keep your design simple and make use of empty space.  Avoid using too many different fonts and colors.  A sleek, simple design is far more effective than a piece that reads like a college textbook.

  1. Communication

Another common mistake that we see is in communication.  Remember that you are the expert on your topic but the people that you are addressing may be new and uniformed.  Try to avoid too many industry terms that your potential customer might not understand.  Have a clear and direct goal with your piece.  Do you want to send people to your website or try and bring them in to your store? If so then state that clearly and directly.  Provide all the necessary information that a person may need to contact or visit you.  Remember our point on clutter and keep the goal clear and concise.

  1. Images

The old saying an image is worth a thousand words is truer than ever when it comes to print marketing.  Some of the most effective pieces we have seen have made use of a beautiful graphic or photograph and a few simple sentences.  This is especially effective if your company is in an artistic industry.  A photographer for example can let their work speak for itself with an eye-catching picture and their contact information.  A real and relevant picture can also make the piece more personal and help connect with your potential customer.

  1. Call To Action

Last but not least, you absolutely must include some form of a call to action.  Too often do we see a well-designed piece that catches the eye of a consumer but then does nothing with the attention they have gained.  You need to capitalize on the time that you have a person’s attention and encourage them to contact you or visit your website. If you are in a retail environment then consider a timed sale, this will help add some urgency and increase the odds that a consumer reacts to your piece.

 

Remember to avoid these four mistakes when designing your print piece and you will be off to a strong start! Goodluck on your marketing goals in 2021!

 

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 Holiday Marketing Strategies

The Holiday season is just around the corner and marketing plans are kicking off.  2020 has been a tough year for business so budgets are predictably tight.  Because of that we will take this time to focus on affordable and impactful marketing strategies.

Holiday

  1. Postcards
    • Strategy number one is to run a postcard direct mail campaign. These campaigns are highly effective and quite affordable.  You can use postcards to stay at the front of your customers minds as well as to inform them about sales and other announcements. Email inboxes are flooded with ads these days, but people are receiving less and less physical mail.  This gives you a unique opportunity to stand out amongst your competition during the holidays.
  2. Holiday Cards
    • Similar to postcards, holiday cards are an affordable strategy as well. These cards are an excellent way to thank your past customers for their business.  It can also be a nonintrusive way to invite them back to your store.  A holiday card should be kept simple and not designed to look like an ad.  This will give it a more genuine feel and truly thank your customers.
  3. Coupons
    • Coupons tie into strategies 1 and 2. You can attach these to your postcards and your holiday cards.  This will give your customers an incentive to come back into your store or to visit your website to check out current sales.  Coupons are highly effective when used with past customers, they are a great way to create repeat business.
  4. Calendars
    • Calendars are an excellent strategy because they make a great gift to hand out. Your customers will appreciate a calendar to hang up in their office or at their house.  This will ensure that your name stays in front of them for the entirety of the upcoming year.  A well-designed calendar is affordable and can create unlimited exposure to your customers.

Hopefully these strategies can help you stand out from the competition this holiday season!

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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How To Use Postcards To Reach Customers During Covid-19

2020 has been a tough year for businesses of all sizes.  It has forced us to rethink how we attract consumer attention.  One way that we have found to be particularly effective is through the use of postcard marketing.  Postcards are a classic form of marketing and have worked their way back in to relevance especially during this unusual business climate.

Postcards

Announcements

The easiest way to use postcard marketing is to use them for making announcements about your business. This is a great way to let people know that you are still open and what you are doing to protect your customers during these times.  One of the major problems businesses are facing is that people are not out and about like they used to be.   This is drastically cutting down on your business’s visibility.  If people are no longer walking or driving by your doors, then you may be out of sight out of mind for them.  Obviously, your outdoor signage is still important but consider all the customers that are not driving by your signs anymore.  This is a huge market of people that you still need to attempt to reach.  A postcard can be a perfect way to let them know you are open and ready for business.

Brand Recognition

Similarly, postcards are great ways to build brand recognition.  With people not seeing your outdoor signage as often as they used to, a postcard can help you stay at the front of their minds.  People are online more than ever now and their attention span for ads is the shortest it has ever been.  This means that your digital ads are competing with countless other companies and people are paying less and less attention to them.  On the other hand, mailboxes are receiving far less mail than they did in the past.  This offers you the opportunity to put your message directly in to the hands of potential customers and have their entire attention for a few moments.

Sales

A tried and true strategy for postcard marketing is to use them to inform customers about sales.  Using a postcard as a coupon or simply to let them know about a store wide sale has been a very strong strategy.  You can set up your design to either drive customers to your store or to encourage them to check out your website for exclusive offers.  You need to do something to get more eyes on your business and postcards might be the perfect way to make that happen.

Design

Now a little bit about the actual design of your card.  If possible, have a professional help you out on this part, not only will they know how to lay the card out correctly, but they will also know what works and what does not.  One simple rule to follow is that less is more when it comes to postcards.  Take advantage of the space on your card to show off a picture or graphic.  It is tempting to fill up the card with information about your business, but this has been shown to have a negative effect on your audience.  People respond more favorably to a colorful picture or graphic then a block of text.

Sizes

When doing an EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) Postcard there are size requirements that must be met.  We have found that the most popular size is a 6×11 inch card.  This fits the parameters and has had success in marketing plans.  If you decide to mail to your own list instead of blanketing an area, then a 5×7 postcard is the most common.  When providing your own list you have far more flexibility on the sizing and shape of your cards but it can cost a little more than doing an EDDM.

 

Hopefully, you found some of these tips useful and you can incorporate them in to your marketing plan.  We wish you luck on growing your business and staying healthy!

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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Print Materials For A Political Campaign

Are you running a political campaign? Whether it is a smaller local election or on a much larger scale this can seem to be an overwhelming task. Especially in 2020 when there are many restrictions on in person events, print materials are more important than ever.  Here is a list of some crucial print materials you must have to run a competitive campaign.

Postcards

First and foremost, a direct mail campaign is one of the strongest tools that a campaign can utilize to drum up support.  Using postcards and an EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) strategy can be extremely effective as well as affordable.  It is a great way to build up some name recognition and to get parts of your message out to the voting public. EDDM is the most affordable strategy when it comes to blanketing an entire area.  The other option is to purchase a list of active voters in your targeted area.  This allows you to personalize your message to increase its effectiveness.

Business Cards

Business cards are a crucial tool in any networking environment and campaigning is no different.  With Covid related restrictions in place you will likely not meet as many people face to face as you would have previously.  However, being prepared for those you do meet is still important.  A nice business card can help people remember exactly who you were, and it is a great tool for any campaign staff to have with themselves also.

Yard Signs

Campaign yard signs are nearly synonymous with elections.  Everyone knows how important it is to cover as large an area as possible with campaign signage.  With recent advancements in printing equipment, pricing for yard signs is extremely low and it makes them a perfect tool for getting your name out.

Letterhead

As previously mentioned, post cards are great way to build brand recognition, but they are meant to be kept simple and not overloaded with information.  So how can you give voters more detailed information about your platform?  A personalized letter works great.  Voters like to feel a connection with candidates and a letter written out to explain more about yourself is a great way to build that connection.  These letters can also be used to request support or donations to help your campaign.  Whatever the purpose to the letter is, it must be sent out on professional letterhead.  This will do wonders for building your brand and coming off as a strong professional candidate.

Stickers

One more effective print material to be used is window stickers.  These should be placed around your campaign headquarters as well as in the windows of any business that supports you.  If you can get a restaurant or high traffic business to endorse you, your message will be seen by countless people throughout the days before your election.

These are just some of the print materials that your campaign should consider implementing into your strategy.  Hopefully you found this list helpful and we wish you luck in your upcoming election.

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 Direct Mail: Does It Work?

Election season is right around the corner.  Whether you just won your party’s primary or if you are gearing up for a local election, your campaign strategy should be ramping up.  What is the most effective way to reach voters in 2020? Does political direct mail still work in this digital world?

In short answer, yes.  There are a few things to realize about direct mail to explain its effectiveness.

Why it works

Political direct mail works for multiple reasons but the key factors are trust, targeting, and name recognition.  Mailing offers the unique opportunity to capitalize on all 3 of these factors at one time.

Trusted Source

When discussing how to get your message out to potential voters, trust should be a primary factor.  A study done by the USPS found that 68% of people found a political direct mail piece to be more trustworthy than digital and televised ads.  So, in the interest of building credibility with your voter base, direct mail can not be underestimated.

Name Recognition

Another huge strength of political direct mail is its ability to build name recognition.  Getting your name and message out to voters is critical in any election on any level.  A direct mail piece can put your name with your face and message in the hands of any number of voters in an area.  If timed correctly you can be the last name that they see before they head off to the polls.  This is an invaluable asset against your competition.

Targeting

Mailing services offer a huge range of targeting opportunities.  You can select a mailing list that consists of voters who are active in participating in local elections.  This helps you target the segment of the population who are most likely to go out and cast a vote for you.  Being able to get this specific with your mailing targets gives you a huge advantage over your competition.  It also gives you the opportunity to tailor your piece towards different groups in an area.  This way you can design a piece to target different areas of a community based off their interests that align with your campaign platform.

So in conclusion, your campaign should absolutely be considering political direct mail.  It is the only advertising medium that takes full advantage of these 3 crucial factors.  If your plan is to build trust and name recognition amongst voters in your area you would be missing a great opportunity by not sending out a mailer.

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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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