Filed under: Presentation folders, advertising, branding, business cards, flyers, marketing, posters | Tags: advertising, branding, design, flyers, posters, print advertising
It’s every garage band’s dream to make it big. And today, with music mixing software and some studio time, you can create your own demo CD and market yourself to the world!
There are plenty of bands who have managers who book the dates and do their marketing. But when times are tough and there’s no official management, band members need to be able to wear a lot of different hats – including the one with “Manager” embroidered across the brim.
But whether you are employing a manager or doing it yourself, one of the very best tools available for marketing and promoting a band is the press kit. A press kit is by far the most professional way to introduce your band to a potential venue.
What few bands realize is the importance of working with a professional printing firm. Almost every element of your press kit will need to be professionally printed. As you read through these press kit essentials, think about how best to promote your brand – and your band – with colorful graphics and catchy lingo.
Press Kit Essentials
Make sure your press kit includes the following:
- Business card – This gives your customer an easy tool to find your contact information when they’re ready to call you.
- 8 x 10 glossy photo – Your customers want to know what they’re getting, so send them an 8 x 10 glossy photo so they can see what you look like. For a personal touch, sign it and mention the name of the venue – a very cool touch that begs your photo to be posted on the venue’s “Wall of Fame.”
- Artist Bios – Make sure to include an artist biography that tells a little about the history of your music or your band. Make sure that the section also includes some references from other venues, if at all possible.
- Press Release – Many venue owners would gladly submit a press release about an artist that they will be featuring at their venue. Often, they do not have the time to write one of their own, so include a press release to make their job easier.
- Posters and Flyers – While many venue owners have their own network for advertising, be sure to include some free posters and flyers where dates and times can be filled in. Besides, wouldn’t you rather have quality posters advertising your show rather than something someone put together in 5 minutes on a word processor program?
- A copy of your CD –You should always include your CDs so the owner can listen to your music. Many artists have begun to print CDs that are only for promotions and press kits. Don’t forget the CD liner notes! Professionally printed liner notes make you look like a major player.
- Presentation Folder – Finally, you need a professional folder to fit the entire press kit into. Make sure to at least put your mailing address, logo, and band name on the folder. Some artists are even printing full color folders to grab the venue owner’s attention.
As you can see, nearly every part of the press kit includes printed materials. So find a quality online printing firm – like PrintPlace.com - that can complete your project in a cost-effective-yet- professional manner – and ensure that your press kit is appropriate for venue owners.
Filed under: advertising, branding, brochures, business cards, flyers, marketing, posters, printing
Marketing a non-profit organization with limited funds can be a challenge, but it is vital to the flow of contributions and therefore important to the impact your organization can have on its community. Marketing should be maintained on a regular basis to keep your organization in front of both potential donors and those who may be able to benefit from your services. Special fundraising or awareness-raising events require ramping up the marketing efforts in order to have the most benefit. This is why you should consistently be checking your brochure or poster designs for certain important elements.
As a non-profit organization, your marketing should have several key elements. Not all of these will fit into each type of marketing, but you should always review the list and analyze each item for suitable application to each of the advertising venues:
- A mission statement introduces your organization’s cause and the services you offer and how they positively impact the community
- A demonstration of what your organization has been able to accomplish with past donations with the use of graphics, statistics, and/or numbers. This demonstration should boost confidence in the responsible use of donations by your organization.
- Examples of individuals involved with your organization through profiles of beneficiaries, donors, and volunteers. Spotlighting these various areas exemplifies the importance of involvement on many levels and how each participant is vital to the success of the organization.
- A call to action is easy to accept when the previous elements have been delivered in a compelling manner. A call to action invites individuals to visit your website, attend your event, call your office, make a donation, or even accept the beneficial services. During key fundraising promotions, having a sponsor who will match donations made in a certain time period adds a sense of urgency for those donors who might otherwise wait.
With these elements in mind, here are some low-cost marketing ideas for non-profit organizations:
Signs – Widely used during political campaigns, signs can also be an effective way to advertise non-profit organizations, especially promotional events or services the organization offers. Producing a large number of small signs to distribute around town is a relatively low cost way to get in front of a large audience. Be sure that the physical location of the organization or event has a good permanent sign as well as a display of the promotional signs for best results. Pair a brochure printing marketing campaign with the sign distribution to maximize exposure.
Press Releases – Issuing a press release is one of the most efficient ways to communicate the message of your non-profit organization. Press releases can always be re-used in brochure printing.
Invite the Press – Let your local newspaper and news stations know about an upcoming event along with the ways that your organization helps the community, and invite them to come. Give them “backstage” access. For the best results, combine an invitation to the press with a special spotlight on several specific testimonials during your event and in the publicity beforehand. Use quotes from the resulting news stories in future brochure printing materials.
Radio Interviews – Contact local radio stations, especially morning shows, to see about featuring your spokesperson as a guest on their program. This is another great way to get your message in front of a large audience of people on their way to or getting ready for work/school.
Write Newspaper Articles – Local or free newspapers may be willing to publish stories submitted by your organization written on topics related to your non-profit organization. This is best done on a regular basis to help build a connection between readers and your organization.
Brochures – Brochure printing is one of the longest standing methods for marketing non-profit organizations. Brochures can be printed for consistent, informational exposure, and kept on hand to distribute throughout the year. Brochures can also be printed for special events or seasons when your services are most needed. Separate brochures may be needed for donors and beneficiaries to illustrate services available or services that require funding.
Flyers – Flyers can be used in some of the same informational capacities as brochures for events or service awareness. Leave a stack of flyers (or brochures) with related organizations or businesses who are willing to partner with you.
Posters – Posters are great for displaying in medical clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores, libraries, etc to maintain public awareness.
One final tip: If you are printing large quantities of marketing materials (such as over a couple hundred), use a reputable online printing company. This will always save you money while providing excellent results, making your non-profit organization look that much more appealing to potential donors and volunteers.
There are many forms of printed advertising available that can be applied to any advertising need: posters, flyers, brochures, catalogs, postcards, door hangers, direct mail, etc. But there is usually one significant factor that determines the direction of most printed advertising campaigns – namely budget constraints. For events or general awareness advertising, posters and flyers – especially paired together – can help you create a long-lasting, memorable campaign on even a small budget.
Poster Details
Poster printing can be used to advertise any business, organization, or event. Poster printing is perfect for advertisements or announcements that will be valid for a long period of time because they are usually securely mounted on a surface. They are also easy to switch out when it’s time to update your message without a lot of out-of-pocket expense. Posters are excellent for advertising a new business that is “opening soon” as well as an established business that wants to broaden its customer base. Poster campaigns are a smart way to get a message to a large group of people. All your audience has to do is pass by your poster locations. Poster advertising is an excellent choice when you want to keep your company in view of your target audience.
Flyer Details
Flyers are a quick and easy-to-use form of print advertising that can be customized for absolutely anything. Smaller than posters, their size lends them to a greater variety of distribution methods: left in stacks for anyone to take, handed out personally to passersby, direct mailed, and even hung or posted. Flyers can be used in conjunction with poster printing campaigns. For example, when your business opens, print up “now open” flyers and slap them over your “opening soon” posters. You still have the large space of the poster and the advance notice, but now with very little trouble you have changed the message of the poster with the simple addition of a flyer. Flyers can also be handed out with messages that reinforce your poster campaign’s message. And of course flyers can be used by themselves – and often are – for events like band concerts, garage sales, school events, church events, etc.
Use posters:
• As a hanging display to reach a large audience on the move
• When you need long term advertising
• To get attention of the general public
Use flyers:
• As a hand out, mobile advertising
• For short term advertising, right before the event
• As the final campaign before the event, to reinforce poster advertising
Pairing posters with flyers can create a long-lasting and memorable marketing campaign that can work with even the smallest budget!
Filed under: advertising, marketing, posters, printing | Tags: advertising, marketing, online printing, posters
Poster printing can be customized to advertise any product, service, or special event. Here are the five tips to remember when advertising with posters.
#1 Know what you need to tell viewers – Decide the main point of what viewers need to know and stick to it. Don’t lose focus or your poster will lose impact. Whittle your copy down to just the essential information that the viewer needs in order to know who you are, how to contact you, find your shop/event, choose you over the next guy. Remember: keep it simple.
#2 Organize info – Organize the information in a way that will make sense and get viewers from one point to the next. Draw them through a chronological order of events: statement of problem/issue, statement of solution, statement of why you provide the best solution, how they can reach you.
#3 Sell with benefits – Sell your product, service, or event with the benefits to the viewers in mind, whether they will benefit as your customers, by the entertainment value of your event, or perhaps there are environmental benefits to be gained. Let viewers know the outstanding benefits that you provide in a way that no one else does. Or how you are working together with other organizations to provide benefits. Your stance will depend on the nature of your product, service, or event.
#4 Use high quality images – Great images are an ideal way to attract attention. Images should be high quality and pertinent to the subject matter. Don’t use too many images. One large, high resolution image for your poster printing project that makes an impact is better than too many small, busy images.
#5 Use a professional printer – The quality of your poster prints will make a huge difference to passersby. Find a printing company who will create high quality poster prints at a reasonable price. You shouldn’t sacrifice quality for price, but good quality poster printing should not cost a fortune either. Request samples of the printer’s work and get quotes. A good professional printer should guarantee your satisfaction. Online printing companies are a great choice for poster printing because of the many options usually available at a relatively low cost.
Large balloons may be visible because they fly high over a business, but what does it really tell you about the business? Consumers do not want to waste their time going to see what the balloon is advertising. A better and equally affordable option is a poster campaign. Here’s why:
Faster, Wider Scope, Same Cost
With poster printing, in less than a week you can order and receive customized posters that will increase traffic and awareness far more than one large helium balloon and spend the same amount of money. An order of posters has the potential to reach far more people than one balloon since they can be placed all over a town instead of just one spot for the same amount of money. And a poster will better inform potential customers of what you are offering.
Proven Success Rate
Poster printing is a simple, long-standing marketing technique that is known to generate market awareness. Posters are still an important part of marketing campaigns. They contain detailed information that identifies the business being advertised immediately and tells potential customers exactly what advantages they will realize with a visit to this business.
Easier Distribution and Larger Quantities
Using an online printing company to print posters is a smart choice. If you have more than one base location from which the posters need to be distributed, the printer can separate the order and ship them directly where you need them to go. Another advantage is the greater the quantity of posters per order the cheaper they get.
Using posters instead of balloons for advertising offers many advantages. The poster venue allows for immediate business identification and the exact location for the event you are advertising, unlike balloons. Posters also allow for advertising coverage in a much larger market area. And with the added convenience of using an online printing company the entire order process will be simplified.
