Advice from the Printer

Myth 1: Low Response Rate

Studies show that direct mail has a 4.4% response rate.  Which is significantly higher than the .12% average response rate of email marketing campaigns.

Myth 2: Direct Mail Can’t Be Personal

With the introduction of variable data printing you direct mail piece can be extremely personalized.  It no longer costs a lot to add a personal greeting to a mail piece.  You can even personalize a mail piece based off a customer’s buying history.  For example, you can include information on a sale item that a particular customer frequently purchases.

Myth 3: Direct Mail Is Expensive

In the past when all printing was run on offset presses a direct mail piece could become very expensive unless you were willing to buy thousands of pieces.  Now with the industry turning increasingly towards digital equipment you can run much smaller quantities for a much smaller price.  Direct mail is going to cost more than email marketing, but studies show that the average ROI on a mailing campaign is significantly higher than for an email campaign.  The cost may be more upfront, but the payoff will be better with the higher response rates.

Myth 4: Direct Mail Is Complicated

When people think about running a mailing campaign they think it sounds overly complicated.  This is simply not true.  A good printing company will have access to hundreds of lists that you can mail to.  Most can even design you a piece after collecting your information and have it printed and mailed in a week or two. It is a very low hassle project.

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

When using direct mail one of the first things to consider is the list you want to mail to.  There are many different options for lists and any mailing company that you go to will have access to many of their own. But which list is right for your company?

When picking a list you need to analyze your specific type of customer.  Do you sell to just businesses or are you a business to consumer company?  Do your customers live in a certain area or have a specific income level?  Are your customers primarily male or female?  These are all questions to consider.  A direct mailing list can be wide ranging and include many different people or it can be extremely targeted and include a few very specific people.  The list you select should be based on your usual customers.  Next let’s look at some different types of lists.

Every Door Direct Mail

This is a type of list that includes every door in a specified area.  You can select a zip code or a few mailing routes to send to.  This is a very inexpensive and comprehensive list.  The pros to a list like this are that you can mail to a wide range of people for a small cost.  The cons would be that you can not specify which doors to mail to.  If this is your list, then everyone along this mailing route will get one of your mailing pieces.  If you have the type of business that appeals to the majority of people, then this is the best route to take.

Targeted List

There are many different targeted lists you can select.  The post office or your local mailing company should have access to these lists.  These are effective if your company has a strong consumer profile built.  If you know that the majority of your customers are millennials between ages 19 and 29 who are in a specific income bracket, then that list is out there for you.  It is amazing how specific some of these lists can get.  The pros to this list are that almost every piece you send out will be put into the hands of the exact type of consumer that your company is aiming for.  This will give you a higher return on investment.  The cons are that this list is more expensive than the Every Door Direct Mail List.  But if you can effectively target your specific customers then this list will pay off more.

Personal Database

This type of list is one that was made by your own company.  It will include past customers and prospects that you have collected information on.  This is a great way to reach out to people who have previously bought from you and ones who you believe have a high probability of becoming a customer.  The pros to this list are that it is the most effective mailing list.  This is the most highly targeted list and will have the best returns.  The cons are that this list takes a very long time to put together and involves a lot of extra effort on your company’s side.

Regardless of which list you decide is best for your company the most important part of a direct mail campaign is in the tracking of your results.  You must track your results so that you can decide what worked and what did not work.  Then you can make minor tweaks to your piece and to your list to make your return even higher.  This will increase the effectiveness of each direct mail campaign that you run.

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

The holiday season is rapidly approaching.  For some businesses this is a busy season. For others it is a slow season.  Whichever category your business fall into, this is the time to send out your holiday cards.

Holiday cards serve many purposes to a business. They are an excellent way to show appreciation for your customers.  They are inexpensive and go a little above and beyond for those customers you are grateful for.  A customer will appreciate this personal gesture from a business.  The biggest benefit of the holiday card is that it is a nonintrusive way to get back in front of your customers.  They are not a sales pitch and they are not meant to be a traditional advertisement.  They are a much more subtle and personal connection to your customer.  This means they will be noticed by your intended audience.

This time of year, mailboxes are flooded with different ads and coupons from all your competitors.  People receive so many different types of ads that they do not even pay attention.  Most of these will be discarded without a second look.  Your holiday card will be an exception to this.  Keep your card relatively simple.  Put it in an unbranded envelope with a nice card on the inside.  If you can add a personal handwritten message this is an excellent extra touch.  But remember, the focus of this card is to wish the customer a happy holiday.  It is not to advertise your business.  Keep your business name small in the bottom of the card to show who sent it.  This personal gesture will be far more noticed than the companies that send the obviously a sales pitch card.

If you remember these few tips about keeping your card personal, and nonintrusive then the holiday season can be an excellent time of the year to separate yourselves from your competitors.  Do not let this opportunity go to waste.  Get your holiday cards out soon!

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

When designing a brochure to explain your company’s product or service there a few important things to keep in mind.

Step 1.

• First and foremost, you should design an eye catching cover. This is the first thing that your target audience will see and it is important to draw their attention to your brochure. You want your potential customer to be curious enough to open the brochure and look for additional information. You also want it to be unique so that it separates itself from the other brochures this customer has received.

Step 2.

• Second, remember to show and not tell. You should use pictures and small amounts of text to describe your service. This is a brochure not a book. You will only have a few minutes of your potential customer’s attention so you need to get across as much information as you can quickly. The best way to do this is pictures and not long paragraphs of text.

Step 3.

• Third, do not cut corners on quality. This brochure describes your business; it is meant to represent your product. Having a low quality brochure gives the customer a bad first impression of your business. A poorly produced brochure insures that your target audience will simply toss it out the first chance that they get.  Have a professional design it, there are many tips and tricks that the professional will know that will make it a far more effective brochure.  For example, certain colors are considered too distracting and certain fonts are not effective for particular strategies.  A professional will know all of these things to consider, they are worth the extra cost to see the most return out of your brochure.

Step 4.

• Fourth and final tip, make sure to include a call to action. Is your goal to get people to call you? Then give them a reason to call.  Ask the customer to seek more information, then list your phone number. Or maybe you want to drive traffic to your website. Then give them a reason to visit your site. Regardless of your intentions, make sure you have a call to action. This will greatly increase your effectiveness.

For more helpful information check out our blog at: http://www.inkwellstl.com/advice-from-the-printer/

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

The first decision when designing a business card is size. What size is the most effective?  There are many theories on business card size.  Some believe that using a unique one will help you stand out.  But many others believe that unique sizes simply get tossed out because they do not fit.  These are things to consider when deciding how you want your card to look. Here are 3 of the most popular business card sizes.

1. 2” x 3.5”
   • This is the most popular option in the United States and Canada. It is the standard business card size of designers.  Used most frequently by industry professionals this is an excellent way to present a professional image.
2. 2” x 2”
   • This square card is slightly more creative. It gives off a more modern look.  Excellent for businesses in the creative and artistic fields.  Furthermore, it still fits in business card holders so it will not simply be tossed for being too large.
3. 17” x 3.35”
   • This is the most common business card size in Europe. Excellent for international business or travel.  It is at risk of being too large for some people who keep their received cards in a wallet or holder.

In conclusion, these cards are the most commonly used cards in the business market.  However, there are many more things to consider when designing your card.  Make sure yours is personally tailored to fit your business and industry.

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

Over the past few years the business world has seen a drastic shift towards digital.  Companies are pouring more money in to online marketing every year.  Many even say that print advertising is dead. This is simply not true.  But it opens an excellent opportunity for your company.  With more companies focusing on digital marketing than ever before, the opportunity to expand your brand with traditional marketing is huge.  Here are some surprising print advertising statistics.

1. Over 40% of consumers have made a purchase in the last 3 months due to a direct mail piece they received.
   • With the new focus on digital ads, consumers are receiving less direct mail ads. This is opening a huge opportunity to stick out from the competition. Today, mailboxes are empty and email inboxes are more crowded than ever.  A direct mail piece is more noticeable than ever now.
2. Over 50% of Millennials pay attention to print ads
   • Although millennials are known as being a digital generation, studies have shown that they actively pay attention to print ads. A company targeting millennials will separate themselves with print advertising.
3. 56% of direct mail is read by recipients
   • This is the highest open rate by any form of marketing. Due to the infrequency of direct mail pieces people are taking the time to look at the ones they are receiving. Therefore, this is the best way to get consumer attention.
4. Over 55% of all consumers trust print marketing more than any other advertising method 
   • Consumers do not generally trust advertising. However, print advertising is trusted more.  And 70 percent of consumers find print advertising to be more personal.  This makes it a stronger appeal to a potential consumer.

To compete in today’s competitive market, it is important to have a marketing strategy that works.  Make sure real facts back your strategy.  Now integrate print advertising in to the marketing plan.

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

Sources

InfoTrends, Direct Marketing Production Printing & Value-Added Services: A Strategy for Growth, December 2015.
Quad Graphics, Millennials: An Emerging Consumer Powerhouse, December 2015.
2014 DMA Fact Book
All Business: https://www.allbusiness.com/print-marketing-is-not-dead-20463-1.html

https://blog.gotprint.com/