Promotional marketing is incentive-based and event-based – it could be a competition, free samples or coupons. Advertising is taking out a Yellow Pages ad or distributing posters designed to facilitate brand recognition.

Do you engage in promotional marketing? If not, you should. It works. Regardless of your company’s products or services, the right promotional marketing campaign can increase business exponentially; especially if you heed my three tips for promotional marketing success.

1.Set clear goals. You have to define a purpose for your promotional marketing campaign, and set clear goals so you measure your success. Your purpose might be lead generation, with a goal of 100 new leads; or your purpose might be direct sales, with a goal of 20 sales. If you define a purpose and set a clear goal, you can accurately measure your success when your campaign ends.

2.Think like a customer. Sure, your entire department knows that your new widgety-whack might be the hottest thing to hit your industry in a decade. But does your customer know that? Put yourself in your customers ’shoes and think about what benefits your product or service offers that will make them happy to spend their hard-earned money with you. Build this reason into your offer to motivate action.

3.Follow up. If you capture names, generate leads, or make sales as a result of your promotional marketing campaign you must follow up. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush … and a customer who has given you their name or already made a purchase is more likely to buy. Try comparing your marketing return on investment between campaigns tailored to prospects versus those catering to current customers, and you’ll probably see a difference. Use this data to your advantage on future promotional marketing campaigns.

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Design

Make sure the menu represents the mood of the restaurant. Include attractive photos or other images to get your patrons salivating. Really take a look at these graphics and ask yourself, “Would I want to dine there? Does that look appetizing?”

Check out this article about upsell strategies for your menu.

Marketing

For takeout menus, always include coupons – that inclusion can ensure your menu a spot on the refrigerator as opposed to the junk-mail pile.

Spell check

As a copy editor at heart, it absolutely kills me when I visit a restaurant and notice typo after typo after typo. OK, sometimes if it’s a mom ’n’ pop establishment, it can be charming, but mostly, a poorly edited menu makes me cringe. If the restaurant proprietors aren’t detailed about a piece of print material that bears their name, then what else are they lax about? The food?

Printing

There are different types of menus that call for different types of printing. You obviously can choose a lighter paper weight for takeout menus than you would for the in-house one. There are even different folds and bindings to consider.

If you’re wondering about lamination, consider visitors to your establishment like me, who are always likely to spill their beverage all over your menu.

Don’t forget to check into green printing for your menu. Seek out recycled paper and soy-based inks. Be sure to mention on the menu about your attention to being ecologically friendly – perhaps the back where you include a bio of the restaurant. It’s good for the planet, and it’s also good for your reputation!

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It’s always a nice touch to have personalized decorations. You may have something snappier to say than just “Merry Christmas.” You might have a Christmas cause that you’re trying to raise money for, or maybe you just purchased a new home and want to show the whole neighborhood how happy the whole family is in their new home.
Custom vinyl banners are a great weatherproof decoration. You don’t have to worry about one of Santa’s reindeer being blown away due to the blizzard, when that banner can stand the elements with just a couple of hooks.

Ask your printer about the options you can receive for a banner, vinyl is recommended for outdoor use, but can be printed in almost any dimension. The best part is you can buy even more Christmas gifts with the money you’ll be saving on this cost-effective decoration!

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

… simple yet striking, like this new year invitation card that gives the what, when, where, details and RSVP contact at a glance.

… elegant, like the meandering petals and stripes on this Chinese New Year invitation card.

… creative, like the “2009” snow sculpture design printed on this new year invitation card. The signs, in French, loosely translate to “Happy New Year” and “Best Wishes.”

… funny, like this 2009 new year invitation card that depicts a bull (the Chinese year) pulling a water skiing Santa through the ice.

… anything you want them to be, as long as they lead to good memories with friends and family.

What are the best New Year invitation cards of 2010? If you find a great link, post it here!

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

In this fast-paced world, a lot of neighborhoods can appreciate the classic look and feel of a group of carolers strolling the snow filled sidewalks. Some of those neighbors may have a few more gigs in mind for a really good group, but they need to know how to get in contact with them. If you’re a part of a caroling group, consider leaving behind a calling card.

Even the biggest caroler fan might just watch you from their front window. That doesn’t give you the opportunity to tell them about where you’ll be appearing next, or that you’re available for booking. Instead of leaving a business card to get wet in the snow, try a printed door hanger with your group’s contact information. A picture of you guys in action would be a great eye catcher, and a list of appearances on the back will be a great resource for your devoted fans.

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Different nonprofits incorporate different poster marketing strategies, but they all have the same purpose: to elicit powerful emotions to change or reinforce the way a person thinks about a topic; to encourage joining the cause and taking action.

Take a look at the Red Cross’s poster marketing efforts over the decades. The Red Cross is well-known for distributing posters that depict a hero saving the life of another. More modern Red Cross posters focus on your ability to become a hero.

The American Heart Association inspires action by showing how easy it is for even cubicle partners to get up and walk – this poster encourages everyone to wear their sneakers to work for National Start! Walking Day.



And how can I possibly leave out PETA, well-known for outrageous-yet-poignant posters that captivate both supporters and detractors? There are other animal rights groups, sure, but PETA is undoubtedly the best-recognized largely due to the organization’s marketing strategy. Who can forget the McCruelty anti-McNugget poster?

You can print 500 posters for under a buck each, and if you’re a nonprofit organization you can’t afford to miss out on the power of poster marketing.

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.