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What you should know about flyer printing

Jerry — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:00:44 +0000

Flyers have been a marketing tool for hundreds of years. Some historians believe that flyers were used to inform citizens about the gladiatorial games in ancient Rome. How’s that for an enduring marketing tool? Do you think that every flyer that has ever been printed was successful? Probably not. Let’s look at a couple of things that go into successful flyer printing.

Of course, paper stock is No. 1 on the list. A good quality paper says a lot about your company, its confidence and its success. The best that is offered is a 14-point gloss cover stock, which has an aqueous coating that protects your flyer and has a stylish sheen that will accentuate your design. If you are on a tight budget, you can look at a 12-point paper that is both professional and good quality.

Your design has to be top notch. Brighter colors are more eye catching than duller tones. You do not want the thing to be too cluttered or busy. Many times a company is better off to hire graphic designer than to try and go it alone. The right design can increase your sales conversion rate and, therefore, your return on investment.

The copy on your flyer has to hold a reader’s attention once the design has caught it. Interesting copy that conveys the benefits of your product then delivers a call to action is not something to be taken lightly. This is your company’s future; don’t neglect it with poor copy.

These are some of the many things that go into a successful flyer printing. Can you think of some others that are equally or more important?

Three important direct-marketing musts

Jerry — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:00:21 +0000

I realize that direct marketing has been discussed ad nauseum on the Internet and in the classroom. You can read until your eyes burst and your stomach turns and still not understand what is going on. Things change quickly and everyone has their opinion, but no one seems to agree on much of anything. When they do agree, it is never spelled out simply and directly. What I want to do here is offer three simple, easy direct-marketing musts that anyone can use.

1. The first thing that you are going to need is a good design for your direct-marketing pieces. Whether they are flyers, postcards or brochures, you have to have a consistent and memorable design that does many things at once. Your design has to catch the eye, send a message, brand your product and build trust. Not much to expect out of a design is it? Your next question is ”How do I make that happen?” Your best bet is to hire a professional graphic designer. I’m not stumping for any one in particular, but a good one will accomplish all of your goals quickly and expertly.

2. You have to have good copy on your printed pieces. Each piece of direct-marketing material has to capture the benefits of your product, the benefits of using your company, and convey a convincing call to action if you are ever to see sales conversions. Again, you will be better off if you hire a professional.

3. Lastly, comes the printer that you will entrust your campaign to. This will take more research than you think. Any printer can get the job done, but will it fit your needs? Will they ship where you want? Do they offer a direct-mailing service that you can plug your mailing list into? The best printer for you can answer yes to all of these questions, then followup by performing to their word.

To me, these are the three most important aspects of a direct-marketing campaign. Do you have any other ideas or points that you think should be addressed?

What to consider when making New Year invitation cards

Jerry — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:37 +0000

When creating New Year invitation cards you will want your card to stand out from all of the others that will be arriving. Every little effort that you put forth will increase the number of guests that will be attending as well as help the party to be very memorable. Here are a few things to keep in mind when your are starting the creation process.

Paper stock is always the first step when you are going to create any printed item. The very best stock that you can use is a 14-point gloss cover stock, which has an aqueous coating that protects your New Year invitation card and has a stylish sheen that will accentuate your design. Next in line is a 13-point matte finish that uses 100 percent recycled product. Depending on your budget, there is a 12-point product out there that still looks good and fits into a lower budget.

Why not use a die-cut design to set your New Year invitation cards apart from the others? Nearly every New Year invitation card has a champagne bottle or party favors on them, so why not have your cards die cut into one of those shapes? It is on the eye-popping side and will make your invitation stand out among the many.

One last thing to consider is whether or not to use foil stamping. There is an atmosphere of confidence and precision that is exuded by foil-stamped products. The New Year’s holiday offers great opportunities for foil stamping champagne bottles, a rising sun or even fireworks. You can also try outlining your letters or adding a drop shadow with silver foil stamping.

When you have all of these tips incorporated into your plan for making your New Year invitation cards, you will find that it is easier to create the cards themselves. Everything is easier with a plan in place. The crowning touch is sure to be the envelopes that you put your invitations into. Hopefully, the party will go off without a hitch, because there will be a crowd if you send the right invitation cards.

Should you use a calendar template?

Jerry — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:00:03 +0000

It is time to print the calendars for next year. Whew, that was a fast 12 months, wasn’t it? Seems like I just turned my head and away the year went. I am sitting here writing this and wondering if I should try a calendar template for this year’s promotional calendars or try to create them myself and hope the file uploads to the printer and then go through the aggravation a working the whole thing over to make it fit.

I did a little research on the topic to see what was available to me in the way of calendar templates and to see if using one was worth my time. I found that the No. 1 aspect of using a template was the time and cost effectiveness. I have tried to make my own calendar on my desktop, but I had limited success in that I could easily make the calendar, but getting it to jibe with a printers’ requirements was another story. The time saved using a template means more time with the family during the holidays and less time at the desktop.

Another benefit of using a calendar template is the variety of sizes and binding that is available to you. Your calendar can range from 6-inch by 6-inch to 12-inch by 12-inch, and be bound using a flip top Wire-O, as it is called in the business, or it can be saddle stitched. As I was looking around I found that you had to be careful which software the templates were compatible with. I discovered that the best were compatible with Adobe products such as Photoshop or Illustrator.

Should you use a calendar template? I think so. The ease of use and convenience offered by these downloadable templates far outweighs the struggles that you will face if you try to work it out in Word.

Party announcement card printing tips

Jerry — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:21 +0000

The goal for your party announcement cards is to make a statement about the party and induce its recipients to attend the function. By choosing a fold or a size, foil stamping or a die cut, you can take advantage of these advanced party announcement card printing techniques to develop a card for the ages.

As with any printed product it all starts with the quality of the paper stock that is used. The absolute best is 14-point gloss cover stock, which has an aqueous coating that protects your party announcement card and has a stylish sheen that accentuates your design. Next to that there is 13-point recycled matte, which has a softer sheen and is eco-friendly to satisfy your green agenda. If your budget is a little smaller, you can use a 12 point product that will look very professional.

For creating a unique party announcement card, nothing beats a colored foil stamp or die cut. After you decide if your card is to be folded vertically or horizontally, you can incorporate a die-cut template for a specific shape that helps your invitation get noticed. Foil stamping adds a brilliant glean to your cards that will turn heads and make you appear more professional.

The final touch to your party announcement cards should be the envelopes (http://www.psprint.com/envelopes) that you put them into. A rich paper stock is also important there. Try printing on a full-color envelope the helps your invitation stand out from the others that are bound to be coming during the holidays.

As you consider all of these things for your party announcement cards, you should try looking at using a print-ready card template (http://www.psprint.com/creative/downloads/templates/greeting_card_printing_templates.asp) to help you save time and money. Are there any other things that you would consider important when trying to create your own party invitation cards?

Business marketing for the holiday season

Jerry — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:00:53 +0000

Business marketing is a very broad topic and to cover it from one end to the other would require a large book. I have covered many different aspects of marketing in this blog during the past year, but there are always a few new ways to look at things that need to be reiterated. Here are a few aspects of business marketing that you should keep in mind going into the holiday season.

Postcards are an important aspect of business marketing at any time of the year, but are more so during holidays. Each holiday brings a different set of sales goals and items that you want to push out the door. Remember to maintain a good quality for each design and refine your call to action with each passing holiday.

Flyers work great at this time of year. A flyer gives you more space to get your idea across than a postcard, but it is a less targeted marketing tool. The lack of a targeted market and a higher cost per piece makes them less effective than a postcard, but if you are wanting to push a one-time deal to a localized group, flyers work very well.

One last business marketing tip to keep in mind this time of year is the use of a direct mailing service. A lot of small- to medium-sized businesses do not have the manpower to maintain a database and direct mailing service in-house. A good online printing company can take a lot of that hassle off of your hands. A direct mailing service puts you in control, but lets an expert take care of the minute details.

Business marketing is an ever-changing world to work in. The excitement of a successful campaign can be followed by the agony of a bad one. Try to keep some of the tips I have given you during the past year in mind and hopefully you will have more success than anything else. Happy holidays.