Printing

Direct mail is a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach your target audience, increase your brand awareness, and generate leads and sales. However, to make the most of your direct mail campaigns, you need to ensure that your messages are relevant, engaging, and personalized for each recipient. This is where variable data printing (VDP) comes in.

VDP is a printing technique that allows you to customize your direct mail pieces with different text, images, graphics, and colors based on the data you have about your recipients. For example, you can use VDP to address your recipients by their names, include their specific interests or preferences, offer them tailored promotions or discounts, or show them local maps or directions. VDP can help you create unique and personalized direct mail messages that stand out from the generic and mass-produced ones.

But what are the benefits of using VDP to personalize your direct mail messages? Here are some of the main advantages of VDP:

• Increase your response rates: According to a study by InfoTrends, personalized direct mail can increase response rates by up to 500% compared to non-personalized direct mail. This is because personalized direct mail is more likely to capture the attention and interest of your recipients, and make them feel valued and special. Personalized direct mail can also increase your credibility and trustworthiness, as it shows that you know your recipients and care about their needs and wants.
• Improve your conversion rates: Personalized direct mail can also improve your conversion rates, as it can motivate your recipients to take action. By using VDP, you can create compelling calls to action and offers that are relevant and appealing to your recipients, and that match their stage in the buyer’s journey. For example, you can use VDP to offer a free trial, a discount coupon, a free consultation, or a product sample to your prospects, or to upsell, cross-sell, or renew your existing customers. Personalized direct mail can also create a sense of urgency and scarcity, as you can use VDP to set deadlines, limits, or exclusivity for your offers.
• Enhance your customer loyalty and retention: Personalized direct mail can also enhance your customer loyalty and retention, as it can help you build long-term relationships with your customers. By using VDP, you can communicate with your customers on a regular basis, and provide them with valuable information, tips, advice, or feedback. You can also use VDP to thank your customers, reward them, ask for their opinions, or invite them to events. Personalized direct mail can also help you increase your customer lifetime value, as you can use VDP to offer your customers additional products or services that complement or enhance their previous purchases.

As you can see, using VDP to personalize your direct mail messages can bring you many benefits, such as increased response rates, improved conversion rates, and enhanced customer loyalty and retention. However, to achieve these benefits, you need to have a clear strategy, a reliable data source, and a professional printing partner. If you are looking for a printing partner that can help you with your VDP needs, we would love the opportunity to talk to you about it.  We have the expertise, the technology, and the experience to help you create personalized direct mail campaigns that deliver results. Contact us today to find out more about our VDP services and how we can help you grow 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

The end of the year is a critical time for nonprofits to raise funds. Many people are feeling generous during the holidays, and they are also looking for ways to make a difference in the world. Your end-of-year appeal mailing is a great opportunity to connect with your donors and inspire them to give.

Here are some tips on how to design and mail an effective end-of-year appeal mailing:

1. Start early. Don’t wait until the last minute to start planning your mailing. Give yourself plenty of time to develop a strong message, design eye-catching materials, and mail your mailings well in advance of the end of the year.
2. Personalize your mailings. Donors are more likely to respond to mailings that are personalized to them. You can personalize your mailings by using the donor’s name, mentioning their past giving history, or sharing a story about how their donation has made a difference.
3. Tell a compelling story. People give to nonprofits because they want to make a difference in the world. Your end-of-year appeal mailing should tell a compelling story about the impact that your organization is making. Use vivid language and powerful images to bring your story to life.
4. Make a clear ask. Tell your donors exactly what you are asking for and why it is important. Be specific about how their donation will be used. For example, instead of saying “donate to support our mission,” you could say “donate $25 to help us provide food to hungry children.”
5. Make it easy to give. Include a clear call to action in your mailing and make it easy for donors to give. You can include a reply envelope with your mailing, or you can direct donors to your website or online donation form.
6. Use high-quality materials. Your end-of-year appeal mailing should be visually appealing and well-produced. Use high-quality paper and printing, and choose high-impact graphics.

Here are some additional tips for designing and mailing an effective end-of-year appeal mailing:

• Use a clear and concise subject line. Your subject line should be short and to the point, and it should entice donors to open your mailing.
• Use high-quality images. Images can be very effective at grabbing attention and telling your story. Choose images that are relevant to your organization and that evoke an emotional response.
• Keep your mailing short and to the point. Donors are busy people, so they don’t want to read a long mailing. Get to your point quickly and make it easy for donors to give.
• Test your mailing before you send it. Ask a few people to review your mailing and give you feedback. This will help you to ensure that your mailing is clear, concise, and persuasive.

• Include a personal letter from the executive director or another key staff member. This will help to connect with donors on a personal level.
• Offer matching gifts or other incentives to encourage donors to give.
• Create a special landing page on your website for your end-of-year appeal. This will make it easy for donors to give online.
• Follow up with donors who do not give right away. Send them a reminder email or postcard with a special offer.

By taking the time to design and mail an effective end-of-year appeal mailing, you can raise more funds for your organization and make a real difference in the world.

 

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

A flyer is one of the most versatile marketing tools available.  They can be used for many different things, such as spreading information, invitations to an event, or company announcements.  The design of your flyer can be completely different based off what you intend to use it for.  So, we have put together a few tips to help you when you are putting your flyer together.

Goal

The very first step in designing a flyer is to determine the goal you want to achieve.  This will help you decide how to lay it out as well as give you a metric to measure the effectiveness.  If your goal is to invite people to an event then the most important thing is a large eye-catching graphic accompanied by a few lines of text to give crucial information about the event, including time and location.  Do not clutter the flyer with too much information.  This will lead to people simply tossing it away, no one is as excited about your company as you are so do not expect them to read a novel about you.  Just stick to a few lines of information.  Now if the goal is to announce a new product or service then you of course should add more relevant information.  Good spacing and editing can make sure that the flyer does not look messy and disorganized.

Images/Graphics

The next step is to select your images you plan on using on the flyer.  A high-quality eye-catching image is important.  Try not to use a stock photo, if possible, use a photo that is relevant to your business.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words so use a good picture to speak for you and avoid cluttering with too much text.  If a beautiful picture doesn’t really work for your industry, then consider using a graph to show data that supports your information.

Branded

Branding your flyer is an easy but crucial step.  It should fit in with the rest of your marketing pieces.  At a quick glance a consumer should be able to tell that this flyer represents your business.  Use your company colors throughout and make sure your logo is easily visible.  This can tie into the last tip about images. If you don’t have a particular image that you want to use, then make your logo the focal point of the flyer.

Ready To Print

This step can be tricky if you don’t have much experience designing. Just keep in mind that just because it looks good on a computer screen that does not necessarily mean that it will print out and look the same.  There are all sorts of factors to determine if it is ready to print, like margins and bleeds.  If you are not sure how to lay out the file then either hire a professional or look up some guides online that can walk you through the appropriate settings.

Call To Action

Finally, we have the call to action.  Many companies make this mistake, they will have a beautiful flyer that is well designed and should be effective.  Yet it will not work for some reason.  This is almost always a failure in the call to action.  Remember your goal of the flyer and then make a clear and direct request that fits that goal.  If you want people to attend your stores sale, then directly ask them to come in.  If you want them to inquire about your new product then you must tell them to call you or email you.  Whatever the goal is, don’t be afraid to ask for it.  This is a key piece of your flyer and should not be overshadowed.

 

Hopefully these tips can help you design an effective flyer for 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

Brochures are a powerful marketing tool that can be used to promote your business and build your brand.  Here are 5 reasons you should add brochures to your marketing strategy in 2021.

Informative

One of the strongest attributes of a good brochure is the ability to pass on information.  Whether that information is about a future event or a big upcoming sale, a brochure can provide every detail an interest party could need.  Add a few eye-catching graphics for the background and then whatever the most relevant information is (e.g., event dates and time, contact info) and you will have a very effective marketing tool.  When advertising events keep the info simple and to the point, don’t overload the brochure or it will distract from the event itself.  On the other hand, if the goal is to explain a new product or service then more information is appropriate.

Tangible

In the digital world that we all live in now there is something to be said for a marketing piece that can be touched and held in the hand.  We are overwhelmed with digital ads everywhere we look. Our emails are full of spam and our social media pages are covered in ads.  One way to separate yourself from all the competing ads is to place your message directly in the hands of a potential customer. This will prevent your message from getting lost in the flood of overwhelming advertisements.  Tangible marketing pieces still rank the highest when it comes to consumer preference.

Distribution Versatility

Another strength of brochures is in the wide variety of ways they can be distributed.  You can pass them out on a street corner to promote an upcoming event.  You can hand them out outside of your business to promote a sale and encourage customers to come inside.  You can pass them out at tradeshows or equip all your sales team with brochures to give to potential consumers who are seeking more information.  Brochures have countless distribution strategies that other types of marketing lack.  Having a few brochures available to you at all times is a great idea because you never know when the situation might present itself to use this powerful marketing tool.

Branding

We all know how important branding is.  Countless studies have shown the impact that staying in front of your customers can have on them.  That is where a brochure can fit in perfectly to your marketing strategy.  A brochure can be easily branded to fit your company message and is a tangible piece that is not competing in the crowded world of digital attention.

Target Audience

Finally, we reach probably the biggest strength of the brochure, its ability to be targeted to whatever market you are after.  Brochures are highly customizable and with the unique distribution methods you can design on that is aimed at a very specific niche.  It is not uncommon for companies to have multiple different designs of brochures promoting the same product.  This way you can tailor your brochure particularly to whoever you are going to be meeting.  If one day you are advertising to industry professionals at a convention you can have a piece that dives into the specifics and use industry known terms.  Whereas if you are going to be meeting the public you can focus it on more general knowledge.  This ability to target a specific niche in your market can help make your brochure your most effective marketing tool.

 

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

Flyers are an old classic when it comes to marketing strategy.  They are used by small single person businesses all the way up to global corporations.  In a digital world it may seem that flyers are a way of the past, but the numbers do not support that.  Studies show that many consumers still prefer tangible pieces when it comes to marketing materials.  Handing a potential customer something that they can feel and touch adds a personal component to your marketing that can not be done on a screen.  Here we have put together 7 ways to use flyers that are quite effective in 2021.

New Company

If you are a brand-new business or one that is just opening in a new area a flyer can be a perfect way to get the word out to the local community.  If you are in an area that has a lot of foot traffic you can stand outside your store and hand them out to announce a grand opening and stir up some excitement for the big day.  If you are not in an area with foot traffic you can go to convention centers and or local public events to hand out your information to people that live in the area.

New Product

Similar to announcing a new company you can use your flyer to announce a brand-new product or service.  Especially if your company is branching into a new market, a flyer is perfect to introduce yourself to consumers that are in your new target audience.

Educate

We see this strategy primarily with our nonprofit organizations that we work with, but a flyer is perfect to educate people on the cause that you support.  It’s a great way to explain what your organization’s mission is as well as to bring some awareness to your cause.

Explain

Another great use for a flyer is to simply explain your product or service.  These work best when used at tradeshows.  Whenever you get a potential customer who is showing interest in any of your services, being able to hand them a flyer that has answers to any of their questions is the perfect way to help convert them into a buyer.

Invitation

Flyers as invitations are a highly creative use as well.  These work best to invite a person to an event you are throwing, whether that is a grand reopening of your store or maybe an anniversary celebration.  Include all the relevant contact and RSVP information on your flyer and a little advertisement about your company.

Drive Website Traffic

Flyers can be linked to your digital marketing strategy as well by using them to drive potential customers to your website.  This is especially effective if you are struggling to get many viewers to your new site.  A well-designed flyer can help you get high quality leads and your first few website sales.

Advertise A Sale

One of the most recognizable flyer marketing strategies is to use them to advertise a current sale or promotion.  This is a great way to let the local community know about a weekend sale and to drive customers into your retail store.  If you are worried about attendance during a promotion, hit the streets and hand out some flyers to drum up interest and excitement.

 

These 7 strategies here are still highly effective in 2021.  We have seen many of our customers use these simple plans to grow their business and highly encourage anyone to get started on flyer 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

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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

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.

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