Increase Awareness About Your Products

One of the biggest reasons many people don’t buy quality products from businesses is because they simply aren’t aware of what products are offered. Here are a few ways to increase awareness about your products and services:

• Consider creative marketing avenues you haven’t tried before. These may include table tents, lumpy direct mailers, door hangers, event flyers, bag inserts, statement stuffers, social media posts, chat forums, industry publications, tradeshows, and more. Test your marketing results via coupon codes and targeted promotions.
• Create a regular product spotlight postcard campaign that highlights various products or services you offer.
• Create a customer referral program that encourages loyal customers to spread the word about your business and do the selling for you.
• Showcase happy customers who are using your product. Consider testimonial stories or brief customer quotes.
• Team your marketing efforts with an established business that complements your offerings. Offer discounted promotions when purchasing both.
• Create a goodwill marketing plan to increase name recognition and drive business while also giving back to your community. For example, you might sponsor a local charity event or donate a portion of your profits to a charity (e.g., “10 percent of all sales in June will be donated to XYZ charity”).
• Provide a risk-free trial offer and satisfaction guarantee to take the worry out of trying a new product.
• Utilize social media by creating a company LinkedIn and Facebook page, and build your audience through employee connections.
• Differentiate yourself from the competition by offering value add-ons, educating customers about industry trends, providing helpful tips, or simply having a live person answer your phones instead of a confusing, automated system.
• Build your customer base by offering exclusive first-time customer promotions.
• Learn from others. Collect examples of marketing materials or creative ideas that caught your attention, and combine some of your favorite features into customized ideas for your business.

If you need help creating the perfect marketing materials that are sure to get noticed and remembered, give us a call today!

Contact us at www.PrintItPlus.com to learn more about how we can help YOU in 2014… CREATING INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

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Improve the Effectiveness of your Newsletter

Newsletters have a proven track record for creating front-of-mind awareness, establishing and maintaining credibility, and publicizing an organization to the community. Here are a few tips to improve the effectiveness of your newsletter:

• Become a resource by including how-to articles, helpful industry tips and tricks, and links to other articles and podcasts that may be of interest to your audience.
• Feature a special offer or promotion in each issue to track your newsletter results.
• Include a customer testimonial section to highlight customers who are finding success using your products or services. This will not only boost your credibility, but also increase customer visibility.
• Offer subscribers a “sneak peak” at new products. This will make them feel special and encourage them to spread the word about their insider knowledge.
• Create an “Ask the Expert” section, featuring industry experts to answer customer questions. Include the name and business of the customer who asks the featured question.
• Keep track of customer/recipient birthdays and send them a free birthday giveaway or discount.
• Provide highlights from an online customer portal or discussion board where customers can chat about industry trends, new products, and other relevant issues. Include a web link, and encourage newsletter readers to join in the discussions.
• Commit to a regular schedule. Readers will look forward to and expect your newsletter, so inform them if you take a hiatus from the regular routine.
• Post current and archived issues on your website with a link to subscribe.

Give us a call today if you’d like to see examples or need more ideas for creating a newsletter that your audience will look forward to receiving. Our creative experts would love to help.

 

For more information or to request a quote, go to Print It Plus, http://www.printitplus.com.

 

Does it Make Economic Sense to Buy Locally in This Internet Age?

Much has been written about the advantages of shopping and buying products online or from big box retailers. But does buying locally offer any benefits the Internet and big box stores can’t match?

Saving a few dollars by buying online is a given in many product categories. Amazon has becomes a household name by selling books and every other imaginable item, many of which they don’t manufacture themselves, at discounted rates.

However, before you spend that next dollar online or in a big box store instead of with a local business, consider the impact your decision has on your community and even your own pocket. The short-term benefits of saving a few dollars are dwarfed by the long-term negative consequences, including job loss in the local community.

Buying local isn’t just a feel good act or an act of charity. Buying local has a profound impact not only on the local community but also on the entire region surrounding the community.

When local businesses close their doors, they create a social and economic hole which is hard to measure and even harder to fill. With the closing of each local business, the quality of life in the community changes in ways that go far beyond dollars and cents.

Independent local businesses spend money locally on a wide variety of services needed for their own ongoing operations. They hire locally and spend money with their own local vendors. Local businesses hire local accountants, consult with local attorneys, work with local building contractors, electricians, and plumbers, and advertise locally. In general, they do far more to keep the flow of money in their local community than online companies or big box retailers do.

Out-of-the-area corporations use minimal local services and goods. Most of the profits are kept with the corporate headquarters where they stay.

Here are some other facts to consider.

1. Small businesses account for over 75% of all new jobs in the U.S.
2. Small businesses employ over half of all U.S. workers.
3. Twice the amount of money stays in the community when it’s spent with a local business versus an online company or big national box store.
4. Local economies aren’t hurting due to lack of money coming in. Instead, the shortfalls come from too much money flowing out to big corporations out of the area.
5. National and international politics and policies have a far lesser impact when the community shops locally, thereby relying less on out-of-town corporations. Local shopping money has a much higher chance of recirculation within the local community.
6. Locally owned businesses typically provide higher wages and better working conditions than large corporate chains and Internet-only businesses.
7. You can see, touch, and feel what you’re buying locally, instead of having to wait until the shipment arrives.
8. There are no shipping costs or delivery delays when you buy locally.
9. When buying locally, you can get your questions answered in person or on the phone instead of playing email tag with the online vendor.
10. Your local business owner’s livelihood is dependent upon giving great service. If they don’t, you won’t go back. So they try hard to satisfy their customers because they know there are only so many customers in the local market.
11. If you encounter any issues or problems, local ownership can make quick decisions to resolve the matter. Important decisions are made locally by people who actually live in the local community and feel the real impact of those decisions.
12. Local businesses add charm and a unique atmosphere to their local community. They help build strong communities and vibrant town centers that foster social relationships not possible with websites or big box stores.

Local businesses don’t ask for special favors. They simply want a fair and equitable playing field on which to compete. Many small business owners have their life savings tied up in their companies, so they have much vested in the success of their business (and the local economy). Small businesses simply want it known that sometimes a few dollars saved in the short term does far more damage to the vitality and well-being of the community at large in the long run.

Now that you know some of the facts, it’s time to visit your local businesses. They’ll welcome you and thank you for supporting your community.

Happy shopping!

Boost Your Marketing with Postcards in Palm Beach

You probably get at least a few postcards in your mail every day. Have you noticed that you always look at the front and usually flip them over, too? Postcards are incredibly hard to resist because there’s something compelling about that small, stiff card stock.

Postcards are experiencing a revival as business owners and marketers are rediscovering the powerful impact postcards can deliver. What’s so great about postcards? Postcards have several advantages over many other marketing channels.
• Postcards are less expensive to print.
• They don’t require envelopes or other inserts.
• Postcards provide an instant visual connection with the recipient.
• The limited space for copy and graphics forces you to get to the point quickly.
• Recipients don’t set them aside to read later, leading to instant reaction.
• Postage is often lower than with other forms of direct mail.
• Postcards are great for personalization (with variable data printing – VDP).
• Postcards work very well in driving website traffic.
• Postcards are fantastic to use in a series sent over time to educate, engage, and drive sales.
• Graphics and copy are easier to create.
• Postcards work well for both short-run and larger-volume orders.
• Postcards make great appointment reminders, thank you notes, and follow-up cards.

Think of postcards as mobile mini billboards. They get your message across and can travel at very economical rates.

Of course, postcards do have some limitations. They’re obviously not great for any type of promotion or campaign that needs lots of space for copy due to the size limitation. It’s also not easy to generate direct sales with a postcard campaign. However, postcards are fantastic for creating awareness and generating sales leads. In fact, it’s hard to beat postcards for economical lead generation campaigns.

Postcard Creativity
Postcards can be created in traditional sizes, as well larger sheet sizes. They can be die-cut with custom-size shapes in order to stand out and create attention. Postcards can be made from very thick card stocks, laminated, and even made from plastic stock. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Using Postcards
Direct mail is only one way to use this powerful marketing tool. You can also include postcards as part of a media or brand identity kit; as a promotional handout at trade shows and networking events; and as part of a sales letter insert.

Marketing Takeaway
The humble postcard is a powerful counter-measure to digital marketing. As more people are turned off by spam emails and other digital waste, they’re paying more attention to postcards. Postcards have a higher read-rate than many other marketing mediums because they are easier to digest quickly.

Postcards have a place in your marketing campaigns. If you use eye-catching, powerful design in addition to strong, to-the-point copy, combined with a call to action, there’s a great chance your target audience will respond the way you’d like when you use postcard marketing.

At Print-It Plus we continue to offer a variety of printing services, advertising and marketing plans to our clients, including postcards. We work with our clients to design a postcard with the best call-to-action so that you will get the most out of your postcard campaign. Our printing services include color printing, Giclee printing, offset printing, brochures and direct mail. We also offer website design and cohesive marketing plans that often incorporate Foot-In-The-Door strategies to help build your business for both short and long term success.

For more information, go to http://www.printitplus.com.

6 Ways to Ramp up Your Referral Marketing in West Palm Beach, Florida

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to grow a business is through strong referrals. Whether these referrals come to you through a system you have in place, through networking at a Chamber of Commerce or through some other group, or because of the solid reputation your business has built over the years, each referral is a precious gift. You have one chance to turn this opportunity into a client who will in turn refer others to your business.

If you drop the ball in some way, not only will you lose this chance for new business, but you could also discourage others from referring business to you. Therefore, you must handle these warm leads with extreme care. Referral Marketing has been a key to our growing our business at Print-It Plus over the last 25 years.  We have received numerous referrals from our printing, direct mail, promotional product, brochure, color printing and website design clients… and the following process is a great outline for anyone trying to turn a referral into a client.

Here are six key steps to consider as you guide a referral into becoming a real client:

1.       Respond quickly. Nothing will stop a referral process faster than slow response and showing a lack of urgency in communication. Lead360 conducted a study of 25 million data points which showed that successful conversion rates are 391% higher when a lead is called back within a minute, 120% within two minutes, 98% within three minutes, 62% in under thirty minutes, and 36% in under an hour. Clearly calling back and following up with referrals quickly is the first and most important part of the process.

2.       Gather information and qualify. Once contact has been made, it’s time to gather any necessary information to make sure there’s a good fit between what the referral is looking for and what you can provide. Having relevant, open-ended questions to ask will help you find what you’re looking for while at the same time establishing your expertise in helping solve client problems. This is the time to develop insight into the scope of the opportunity and key factors.

3.       Be the expert. Once you’ve established that the referral is a good fit for your business, it’s time to do your homework. You must spend a little time to learn about the referral’s business. The more you learn about what your prospect is looking to solve, the better you can prepare a solution. This in turn will position you as the expert who took the time to present a customized solution when your competitors offered a generic, cookie-cutter bid.

4.       Make your offer stand out. The best way to make your offer stand out is by adding value. People like to buy, but they don’t like to be sold to. You can add value and help your offer stand apart by helping a referral evaluate your capability and see their problem clearer. Relevant, simple, and insightful information that helps your prospect will lead them to buy much more readily than if they feel they are being sold to.

5.       Create a powerful experience. Turning a referral into a client can be as simple as contacting them quickly with information they’re seeking. However, the real secret to make them truly want to do business with you on a consistent basis is to create a “wow” experience. Your “wow” experience doesn’t have to be complex. Building it can be as simple as:

– Responding to inquiries within 30 minutes

– Offering a small gift or thank you note for contacting you

– Sending a small gift or thank you to the person who made the referral

– Delivering a professionally prepared, customized solution with clear information

– Following up after the sale to answer any questions

– Being persistent without being a pest

6.       Use technology. As great as your memory may be, relying on the old pen-and-paper system is just asking for trouble. The way to truly systematize the referral process is by using a CRM system that can help you track your referrals. Determine if the software will help you give the prospects the experience you set in your action plan. But remember that technology can only go so far. Sure, it can help you manage the referrals, but converting those leads into customers takes the human touch that only you can provide.

Turning referrals into customers is not an act of magic or accomplished through luck. It’s done by developing an action plan and by implementing the plan. Keep track, stay organized, and monitor the process. Referral marketing can be a gift that keeps on giving, but only if it’s treated with the care and respect it deserves.

For more information about hiring new employees or on a whole host of other helpful tips to help you take your business to the next level, go to http://www.printitplus.com

Finding Your Next Great Employee in West Palm Beach, Florida

“To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” – Doug Conant, CEO of Campbell’s Soup

Great companies need outstanding employees in order to grow. The problem is finding and retaining that caliber employee. Most small businesses don’t fully understand the process of hiring top-notch employees.  As a result, you can stunt or even halt your growth entirely before it gains the momentum needed to take your business to the next level.

“Effective organizational leadership is simple: 1. Have a vision of where you want to get to. 2. Clearly and persuasively communicate that vision to employees. 3. Be consistent in your behaviors as you strive to achieve that vision.” – from A Roadmap for Employee Engagement by Andy Parsley

Many make the mistake of hiring an employee without clearly thinking the process all the way through. They neglect to think about what they actually want from the new hire. Hiring in this way sets the new employee up for failure before they ever walk in for their first day of work. This turns out to be a waste of time and resources for everyone.

To help avoid this, you need to go through the interview process. The first and most critical step is to write an advertisement that attracts great people in the first place — one that encourages the kind of candidates who want to work for your company.

Thinking this through will also make you consider the short-term and long-term responsibilities and tasks required for this position.

The challenge of finding great job candidates starts with the ad itself. Mediocre job ads attract mediocre workers. To improve your placement ad, you should incorporate the following in the description.

Make your company sound innovative and interesting. This will help attract more dynamic applicants who want to work for a fascinating company. 

Let the applicant know with whom they will most likely be working. Candidates will look forward to learning from someone who is the expert in their field.

 If the location of your company is a plus for applicants, make sure to mention it. The more benefits you can mention in the ad, the more attractive your ad becomes. 

Make sure to mention that the position offers growth for the right candidate. Everyone wants to know that they can grow with the company. This also implies that they will be able to make more money as they grow.

Include the total compensation and benefits in the offer. Paid holidays, flexible hours, and other perks can be very attractive. 

Mention that the position requires hard work and dedication. This can help filter out the lazy applicants before time is wasted with the interview. 

The ad should stand out from all the others. If you want creative, superstar applicants, the ad should be creative, too.

Finding and retaining top talent is one of the most important tasks for any growing company. A strong recruitment ad is just the start but one that can’t be overlooked. Include these tips in your next ad, and hopefully you will attract the type of superstar employee you desire.

For more information about hiring new employees or on a whole host of other helpful tips to help you take your business to the next level, go to http://www.printitplus.com

6 Steps to a Winning Referral Strategy in Palm Beach, Florida

Referrals are one of the best ways for growing a small business anywhere.  That certainly holds true for small businesses here in Palm Beach and Wellington, as well.  Yet most companies have no formal process in place to make sure this great source for quality leads continues.

Waiting for leads to fall in your lap is not a systematic referral-generation strategy! Some people feel guilty about asking for referrals because they falsely believe they are simply asking for favors. The truth is, if you believe that the products and services you provide deliver real value to people and will benefit those who use them, you’re the one who’s doing the favor in asking for referrals… not the other way around. Achieving that mentality is the first step toward building a solid foundation for your lead-generating referral system.

For example, at Print-It Plus we actively seek out referrals because we know that we give our clients – both new and old – the value, service and finished products that you crave in a printing, marketing and advertising company.  Whether it is digital printing, offset printing, full color printing, business stationery and cards, forms, brochures, logos, promotional products, direct mail, website design and maintenance, email marketing or other marketing solutions, Print-It Plus takes care of all of its referrals the right way.

Here are six steps to turn up your referral-generation machine:

1. Define your most ideal referral. Your chances of finding referrals increases if you know who you’re looking for. The tighter you can articulate the demographic characteristics of your most ideal referral, the better. What are their business needs? What problems do they have that you can solve?

2. Team up with matching referral partners. After defining your ideal referral, identify who would be ideal referral partners for you. Who’s already doing business and in contact with people that fit your most ideal referral profile? Find ways to provide value for them and make it easy for them to refer you.

3. Build a database. Create a contact list of potential referral sources and contacts. This can help you focus your referral-generating campaigns on people who can help you the most. Great communication starts with a focused list of ideal referral partners.

4. Create an incentive. Most people want to help others. You can encourage them to do what they already want to do by giving them an incentive to refer you. Incentives can be something tangible like gift cards, discounts, commissions, and other perks. A simple thank you card and other positive reinforcement goes a long way to building the goodwill generated from helping others.

5. Have a referral script. It’s comforting to know what you’re going to say ahead of time in asking for a referral. Your script should be adapted for face-to-face networking, email communication, phone conversations, and mailed letters. Practice until it becomes natural and not forced.

6. Set goals. An effective system includes a way to measure it. Setting referral goals and tracking results weekly is a great way to build and sustain continual momentum. Tracking your referrals also allows you to see how many referrals it takes to get one new client. 

No system works without action. Start your referral-generating system by implementing and tracking the results. Ask your current network for referrals. This will give you something to build on. As you practice and gain confidence, refine your tactics and branch out to get referrals from other sources. It’s easier than you think.

For more information, go to our website, http://www.printitplus.com.