With the ever-increasing use of texting, instant messaging, email and other forms of modern communication, it may be easy to overlook grammatical errors in marketing materials such as brochures. However, business marketing is not the place to become lax in the correct use of language. In fact, an effective marketing message depends on the ability to communicate intelligently and confidently with consumers.
Use Correct Grammar
Brochure printing is a valuable marketing tool. Small yet informative, many people will keep color brochures handy for reference when making a decision related to the brochure topic. Incorporating informative and persuasive copy is the key to a successful marketing brochure. Informative and persuasive copy relies on the correct use of grammar to make a favorable impression on a reader who is developing their opinion of your business. Seemingly insignificant mistakes in grammar can adversely affect a reader’s opinion of your business and your ability to meet their needs.
Build Credibility
Your brochure’s information should build credibility with consumers in your business’s abilities to meet their needs. Use testimonial examples to demonstrate how consumers will benefit from using your product as opposed to the competition’s product. Build up the idea that your business is the best answer to the customer’s needs throughout the entire brochure. Consider what objections might be raised and preempt them with the facts supporting your superior product.
Include Calls to Action
Throughout your brochure, it’s important to insert various calls to action that lead the customer to contact your business. Rather than include every possible piece of information a customer may need, try to create curiosity and a desire to find out more. Keep the pages of your brochure neat and attractive by using one easy to read font throughout the body text and one for the headings. Make sure the alignment is orderly and consistent. Place a note on how customers can contact you every one or two pages. A well written brochure will have the majority of readers wanting to know your contact information, by website, telephone or email. Give them plenty of ways to reach you!
For this brochure printing project, and those printed marketing projects in the future, keep in mind the importance of correct grammar and customer testimonials as a way to build your credibility and create curiosity with consumers.
Filed under: Print Place General | 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.
Filed under: Printing Help | Tags: advertising, marketing, print advertising, printing
Historically, companies that continue to run ads during tough economic climates come out ahead of their competitors who stopped advertising when times got rough. Procter & Gamble, Chevrolet and Camel cigarettes were just a few brands that continued advertising though the Great Depression, and came out ahead of their competition. For instance, during the 1920s, Ford outsold Chevys 10 to 1. Chevy continued to advertise and even expanded their advertising budget during the depression, and as a result, in 1931, Chevy was the top-selling car maker, outing Ford. Camel did the same thing – except Camel started out on top before the Depression, but was ousted out of the high spot in cigarette sales by Lucky Strike. Camel increased ad spending during the Depression and took its top spot back in the cigarette category.
Why You Need to Continue Advertising
1. Less competition: With companies scaling back or eliminating their ad budgets, that leaves room for you to get into more markets with less money. Low competition means lower ad costs.
2. People are looking for deals: If you can offer consumers a deal on your products, they will come. People still spend money during a recession (which we still aren’t quite in yet, according to experts), they just don’t spend as much of their money. Of course, those people that are always frugal still have money to spend.
Frugal Advertising Techniques
Flyers: This is an oldie, but a goodie. You can print flyers or brochures with black ink on colored paper to give your flyer some eye-catching punch, while keeping your budget way low. Even color brochure printing isn’t that expensive, and the more you buy, the more money you can save. Try printing flyers with a message that will last you through the holidays so that you can order a large number and continue using them for the next few months. Bulk discount and longetivity sound good to me!
Write a great press release: If you can get the media to do a story about you, whether in your local newspaper or magazine, that’s free advertising right there. It’s even better than running an ad in the publication because people will know that you didn’t pay for the coverage!
Word-of-mouth advertising and referrals: This is one I turn to when times are tough and it works well. Offer an incentive that you can afford to give to current customers who drive new customers your way. Whether it’s one free item or a discount on a service, as long as the referral will end up covering the cost of the free item for your current customer, you’ll build goodwill with current customers and get new ones!
Find an advertising partner: This is a business or person who offers a product or service that complements yours. You can either split ad costs with this person and offer customers a two-for-one type of deal, or you can simply exchange business cards and brochures to set up in each other’s store. Either way, it’s cheap advertising for both of you.
If you need more ideas, you can look up “guerrilla marketing techniques,” which are cheap ways to market your business that rely more on time and imagination than money.
Filed under: Print Place General | Tags: internet marketing, marketing, marketing plan, online marketing, web marketing
It has been seen that the best website and the best marketing strategies do not always give you the best results. Apart from good content and user friendly navigation, the site needs to be noticed by the target audience. To drive traffic to your website, it needs to be well designed and has to be ranked in a good position in the search engines. Once you are listed in the search engines, you need to make sure that the website communicates with the target audience in a way that they find something relevant on your website if not the actual results.
So does your website communicate relevancy and targeting? Following are the 7 essential elements that needs to be included in a web marketing plan to increase a website’s efficiency:- (more…)
Filed under: Printing Help | Tags: advertising, blog, blogging, branding, brochures, business, business cards, economy, flyer printing, forums, marketing, website
Even though the economy is sinking into a recession or into a “recession-like” economy (“what’s the difference?” I’d like to ask the experts!), you don’t have to slash your marketing budget down to nothing. There are plenty of low-cost or no-cost marketing techniques you can use if your marketing budget isn’t overflowing. Here are some ideas to try:
1. Create a Web site or blog. You should already have a Web site, but just in case you don’t, make one. Or, if your Web site host is charging you hundreds of dollars per year to keep your site up, try finding another host. You can get a free site through Mysite.com or Freewebs.com. You’ll have to allow the Web host to run ads on your site, but you can also get low-cost hosting services for as little as $20 per month.
If you don’t have a blog, I’d suggest starting one of those too. (In fact, a lot of companies create blogs that function as their Web site. That’s not a great option, as you can’t create Tabs and nice graphic design like you can with a Web site host, but in tough times, you can make it work.) Either way, you should have a blog so that you have some way of communicating with your customers and prospects. A blog is a great way to get your personal side out there for your customers to see, and it’s also a great way to establish yourself as an expert – by giving advice on your products and industry.
2. Post on forums and article sites. Staying online, you should also post expert answers on forums, or at least join in a conversation about something going on in your industry. You can include a link to your Web site on these forum posts, which will drive more traffic your way, and increase therefore business. There are plenty of article databases that you can post free articles to, but make sure that your articles are informative and give the reader something of value. People want to buy from a business owner who is seen as expert; no one wants to buy from a business owner who has nothing to offer.
3. Hang some printed flyers. Yep, getting back to basics is not a bad way to drum up some business in hard times. People still have to go the grocery store and the bank, so hang up your printed flyers there. And in hard times, more people will be getting to the store by bus, so hang some flyers at the bus stops as well. Be sure to either design your flyer so that you have some tear-offs with your contact info at the bottom, or make a pocket on the flyer (simple as attaching an envelope) that has your full color brochures or custom business cards in it.
4. Word-of-mouth marketing. Simply ask current customers to spread the word. People believe their friends and family over marketing materials anyway, so use that to your advantage. You can sweeten the deal for current customers by creating some referral cards that current customers can give to new customers. The incentive? A discount on the current customer’s next purchase. This is a proven way to get new business and at the same time, show your current customers that you care about them, too.
