Catdi Printing

Category: Marketing

  • Premium vs Budget Business Cards; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    Premium vs Budget Business Cards; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    Although recent years have seen brands go digital, offline is still a significant business playground. The very reason cheap business card printing Houston remain in huge demand, as they meet a wide range of professional needs. Say you are looking for brand recognition or easy networking, then that business card does it. But it is also one of the best and must-have collateral package tools for free advertising and call-to-action.

    According to Houston printing experts, a nicely designed business card is an actual billboard, but one that fits in your pocket. It is a light, portable, and attractive print paper that you can hand to anyone, including random contacts that would eventually be your erstwhile clients and friends.

    Not All Business Cards Are the Same; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    Did you know that business cards vary and that often determines the cost? If you check from any of the cheap business card printing Houston printers, you will soon see that they have the standard business cards, embossed business cards, premium business cards, among many others.

    Each of these has certain qualities to meet either a brand need or budgetary requirement. Typically, a high-quality business card such as a premium is for positive first impressions. Any prospective client can quickly cave at the touch of a glossy attractive-looking business card than otherwise.

    Still, anyone looking for cheap business card printing Houston cards can also add personal style, in the form of color, text, and image, and logo to a standard card, making it stand out. But, of course, the finishing to the final product wouldn’t look cheap at all.

    The Major Design Qualities Distinguishing Premium from Budget Business Cards

    A business card is not just that. There are critical features that differentiate a premium card from a budget business card. Let’s analyze some of the aspects.

    Business card material and size; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    These two design aspects are vital determinants that separate premium and business cards. Let’s begin with the material element. The impression you want to give will mainly enable your cheap business card printing Houston designer to decide if it’s a plain paper that goes or the costly plastic, wood, or even metal.

    A less expensive standard business card comprises cheaper material, plain traditional paper, and a tactile feel. But still, a professional printer can alter the card with a dramatic soft finish. Most of the budget cards are also thinner and could either be horizontal or vertical in dimensions.

    On the contrary, premium business cards feature heavier material. Some of them use expensive paper, others sturdy and flexible plastic. Known as the indestructible business card, it is waterproof and can withstand ordinary wear and tear.

    Unlike the 14pt standard size of the budget business card, these measure from 18pts and above. They are thicker and hence stiffer. Of course, some of the premium business cards will come in either vertical or horizontal. But the marked difference is that it has a professionally polished look. They fit in any pocket, wallet, and cardholder.

    Finish ; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    Premium and budget business cards also differ in terms of finishing. Any business card depends on its final touches, which can make it more appealing. Some of the standard finishes consist of dull, matte, and glossy.

    Typical budget business cards at most cheap business card printing Houston printers are uncoated. It means they do not have those reflective properties, and they appear so much similar to any printed paper. 

    Indeed, they have more texture if you compare to premium’s glossy finish. But the budget business cards lack that protective coating, making them susceptible to damage. The colors on the budget business card also come out, albeit subdued on an uncoated finish, and the aesthetic feature appears natural for the budgets.

    Let’s check premium cards’ finishing qualities. Premium business cards made of paper will often have a coated finish. This surface sealant adds shine and ink absorbency qualities to the card. But the printed form is also much sharper and cleaner, primarily if you use sealants such as Satin, dull, matte, or glossy. 

    Most satin finishes offer that shiny quality, while the dull/ matte finish provides smoothness and elegance. If you go glossy, you protect your business card against all moisture forms. The polished finishing is also much loved because of the vibrancy and contrasts it provides for your card’s colorful graphics.

    Shape

    Most cheap business card printing Houston brands also differentiate premium and budget business cards with shapes. Your standard business card will often take a rectangular shape which is a key recommendation. Of course, you might still opt for a more experimental, avant-garde shape, which is not a bad thing either. The only issue is that you might face challenges fitting it in either your wallet, purse, or cardholder.

    Meanwhile, premium business cards do not have to conform to a standard shape at all. Premium business cards are often tailored based on client taste and style. In that case, they can assume any form, including square, round, or rectangular. Most brands would ask for unique conditions to suit their preference. Some of these cards have distinct edges or corners to reflect a brand. This customization feature for premium business cards is what makes them unique, classy, and more attractive than the budget ones.

    Color

    There is also a distinct variation between premium and budget business cards regarding the color scheme. A visit to any cheap business card printing Houston printer confirms a

    common trend where more affordable cards consist of either white or cream-colored on one side of the business card. The other side will often have the business’ theme color. But the premium business card does not know this color recommendation. Instead, you can design your card with your beloved color on both sides of the

    card.

    Functionality; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    Budget business cards are primarily for display. So, for example, you can strategically place it at your desk. Still, you can hand them over at events as a convenient marketing tool. Generally, they are pretty lightweight, and most businesses looking for cheap business card printing Houston designers will pick them for that reason. But do not expect them to leave a lasting impression because of their quick wear and tear.

    As already mentioned, premium cards often come in the thickest of sizes. Some of them consist of a 30 or even more point thickness; they are also quite stiff. This type of rigidity withstands any wear and tear. But they can also smoothly slide into your cardholder or purse without bending. With an even smooth finish, they look and feel nice, but they also last longer.

    What are Your Options for Getting the Right Business Card?

    Cost implications are by far the most critical factor in picking a business card. And since you are on the prowl for a cheap business card printing Houston outlet, it is also essential to understand which options are available. Here are some of the choices you have at your disposal.

    DIY Graphic design

    DIY design is perhaps one of the lowest options you can use to create a fantastic business card. Some of the tools I often recommend include illustrators. However, do not ignore those online templates that are key to designing a basic yet unique business card with some personalization onto it. Once you complete it, you can take it to the printer, which doesn’t cost you much. You might spend $50 at most to utilize the templates and a few amounts to print.

    Freelance graphic designers

    Using a freelance designer could be another option to bring your business card vision to life. There are plenty of freelance designers, but finding one who matches your specification can be tricky.

    The first thing I suggest is that you do thorough market research for the most experienced lot. Then contact a screen test for the few that you would have identified. The advantage with a freelancer is that they would go with the precise style and taste you envision. In addition, the flexibility that accompanies such an assignment means that you can get your work done in the right time frame.

    Graphic design agencies

    Depending on your budget, you can also land a cheap business card printing Houston graphic design agency for your business card type. The best decision you can ever make is working with an agency, especially if you want a professionally branded package with all the features of a complete business card.

    For example, the agency will take care of its creative part, generate a concept, design, and print your business card. You do not have to worry about the color, shape, or material. All you will have to cater to is the budget for the type of card you need.

    The lower the budget might, of course, mean a budget-style business card. And if you pull out all the stops, you can expect the most luxurious, glossy, and customized premium business card to reflect your brand.

    The Basic Business Card Design Steps; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    Even though you are looking for a cheap business card printing Houston designer, it would be best to understand what business card design entails. The fundamental steps help you to choose and perhaps personalize any business card to reflect your brand. Such aspects as the logo, visual branding, and color schemes can be from where you begin. So let’s expound on them.

    Brand logo

    A brand logo is one of the most striking features attracting people to your brand. How you design it on your business card determines if people come in their multitudes or look at your brand with disinterest. Hence, ensure the logo is outstanding and identifies your brand at the very first glance. Let it also communicate to your audience about your brand, and finally, make it as attractive as possible. 

    Logo design is often a technical and intricate part of the business card design process. If you do not have graphic design skills, I suggest you enlist professional services for the same. Again, if I were you, I would check with those cheap business card printing Houston designers for help. A well-designed logo is generally a worthy investment that goes a long way in enticing

    clients and strengthening your brand.

    Brand color scheme

    A color scheme is that aspect of a business card that appeals to your client’s emotions. It is a subtle yet significant feature that could evoke and influence most people’s buying decisions. So, you must carefully navigate your color schemes to match your brand but also attract prospective customers. For example, you must know how to mix color theory and business such that it impacts sales.

    Brand’s primary message 

    Even before you design that business card, you already have a crucial message to pass on to your audience. The statement briefly states who you are and what your business does.

    You should finally emboss the same message on the card, but with a sweet twist, short but compelling words. The good news is that Houston designers working with cheap business card printing can bring out this part of the message as they have been for years and instantly communicate to your audience.

    Additional Design Aspects That Determine Your Business Card Cost

    A typical cheap business card printing Houston printer can charge you between $ 20-50 for a batch of 50 business cards. But these are just about the basic standard ones. A premium business card might be another story altogether, and you must set aside some reasonable amounts. A few details, as already mentioned, can make the overall design cost skyrocket. Here is some additional information that changes the matrix. 

    Graphics

    Graphics display the most visual element of your brand. So besides the logo, you might decide to include a separate image. You might also want to spot other secondary graphics. These, plus the colors, can significantly affect your business card’s pricing. And if you like your logo appearing more than once, then, of course, it has a cost implication, too.

    Typography

    Elements to do with fonts feature so heavily in any professionally done business card. If you are working with a cheap business card printing Houston designer, they will help you select those fonts representing your style and brand. A designer can either use custom fonts or artistically hand-drawn letters to produce unique business cards. But in this case, you can expect to fork out more for customized typography and other special effects that make your card exclusive.

    Other Unique Details for Your Business Card; Cheap Business Card Printing Houston

    If you ever want your business to stand out and speak specifically to you and your brand, then money has to do the talking. At this point, an advanced design consisting of special finishes can do the magic. Details that can create a lasting impression include embossing, foil stamping, letter pressing, and Spot UV coating. 

    Embossing involves the creation of pop-ups on the card. You can use this element for your logo, name, or product to stand out. On the other hand, Foil stamping provides your card with a nice shiny, reflective effect, say on your text or image.

    A letter pressing provides that engraving effect for your business card. That is because a typical letterpress printing will instantaneously and at once ink and push the print paper down to create that particular result. 

    And finally, spot UV coating is responsible for that glossy appearance you have seen on some of the most attractive business cards. But as the name aptly implies, this even glossy finish goes to just a specific place on the card. It can be either on the logo or the photo.

    Conclusion

    It doesn’t matter that you are just starting on a tight budget or an established entity looking to amp your business card game. What matters at this juncture is paying attention to those details that create an intelligent design. Even with a limited budget, you can be creative with size, color schemes, and graphics to produce something that draws positive attention. You do not also have to go it alone. Instead, use online tools if you go the DIY way. Alternatively, do extensive research to find a cheap yet professional designer in Houston to help out with the intricate details of your business card.

  • The Best 15 Real Estate Direct Mail Tips from Experts

    The Best 15 Real Estate Direct Mail Tips from Experts

    While most businesses profit from direct mail, real estate is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of this type of marketing tool. Real estate direct mail is one of the most effective, fast, and inexpensive ways to gain visibility and reach a wide section of existing and potential clients. Property experts say most businesses can generate leads, list opportunities, and close deals in the shortest time possible using direct mail. Let’s also say that through it, both buyers and sellers can quickly identify each other and transact a  wide range of business.

    Why Real Estate Direct Mail Works

    Direct mail primarily targets specific geographical areas and demographic groups. So all you need to do is define your audience and destination points for your mail delivery. Real estate direct mail is super specific, enabling you to market only to the right buyer persona. In this case, you can also tailor your message to these people for maximum conversion effect.

    Meanwhile, it is also easy to track your direct mail campaign and see how effective it is. In addition, tracking enables you to work with client feedback. For example, are they happy with the product? If not, what improvement can you factor in to attract and even expand your client base?

    A trackable marketing tool as direct mail permits you to know the exact product that got higher listings. It also provides info with which you can bait in as many buyers as you can.

    But how do you track in the first place? There are various ways. For example, do you send reply cards or provide coupons? You can know from the responses if you are making headway. Highly functional landing pages can also give you a quick glimpse of how you are doing with your direct mail campaign efforts.

    Real Estate Direct Mail Tips

    Real estate is one of the most crowded marketplaces I have ever seen.  The only way you can make it with direct mail campaign effort is to stand out by making things classier.  You might also have to engage more appealing strategies and tactics in the direct mail to get proper responses. Here are some real estate direct mail tips to help propel your business to even higher echelons.

    1. Find the Right Audience for Your Message

    Do you know, if you do not have a target audience, then your direct mail efforts could be in vain? This advert tool works best with messages that target only people who can convert. And so, the first thing would be to find who your real estate direct mail recipients are. If  I  were you, I  would start with any available house sellers/ buyers in a specific geographical area.

    You can also decide to go by economic status, say, high or low-income housing, determining the exact problem you want to solve. It could be vacant housing,  and hence, your message should state so. Tax default and pre-foreclosure issues should also have their proper messages.

    2. Create a Mail Inventory Highlighting Target Properties

    A mail inventory is a written mailing list that has prospective buyers/sellers’ contacts. This method helps you to create a zip code inventory, too. You can also know the exact neighborhoods your mail adverts are headed.

    A mail list also helps gather additional info concerning any of the properties on which you have your sights. For example, you can get details on foreclosure or high equity status. If there are any deceased property owners, you can also use this info to customize any of the messages in your direct mail. 

    3. Get Hold of the Correct Addresses

    I often insist your real estate direct mail list has to have only people who are likely to convert, not just anyone out there. Once you target the right people, you can expect rapid responses within the shortest time possible, which is good for your ROI.

    But where can you get these addresses, especially if you are new in the business? Some of the places you can peruse are public records. You can also search from the list of brokers and other available resources both in/offline.

    4. Time Your Message for Effectiveness

    Like most businesses, real estate also has its high and low seasons. If you have been in business for a while, you already know how predictable the seasons are. For example, records of annual housing sales show November through January of every year to be slow. But starting March onwards, sales soar, reaching their peak around June. I would urge you to use this particular curve to your most significant advantage by using lots of real estate direct mail to reach your target audience. 

    5. Adapt the Right Frequency

    Only the right frequency of sending your real estate direct mail can draw the proper response. Remember, too many messages can be both distracting and annoying. People might think you are bugging them too much. On the other hand, too little direct mail might not produce the desired impact.

    So how can you skillfully navigate this course? I suggest you send it monthly during the inactive seasons. On the other hand, the high season can also be your game-changer, and it would be wise to enhance the mail sending frequency. A weekly to bi-weekly mail can suffice. As you move onto the winter months’ low selling season, you can tactfully make your messages scarcer.

    6. Compose Unique and Eye-Catching Messages

    More than any other marketplace, real estate is busy and flooded. Your voice can quickly get muffled if you use that standard, boring and predictable messages. You now have to stand out by how you design your postcard, flyer, or brochure.

    Let the message be memorable, making people glance at your advert a second and even a third time. But standing out should not stop here. If you are erecting a poster, do so strategically for your clients to immediately see. Generally, the geographical area you target should also be a high-traffic area for this particular purpose.

    7. Provide Custom Solutions for Your Clients

    Each homeowner disposing of their property often has a unique need, separate from the next property owner. Their problems are different, and so should be the solutions. Hence, your real estate direct mail should reflect this, such that a brochure or postcard explicitly addresses your client’s needs. A customized mail piece coupled with a compelling CTA (Call-to-Action) can instantly prompt your prospective buyer into making a decision.

    8. Do a Trial Run for Your Direct Mail Campaign

    Never assume that your advert can suddenly attract the attention it needs. So, the first thing after that printout is to test the waters to see if it works. In this case, you can start with priority mail. I suggest you only proceed with the entire campaign once you get, say, a 5 % response. Anything below this figure should take you back to the drawing board for a few consultations and improvements.

    9. Do Not Wait to Kickstart a Full Real Estate Direct Mail Campaign

    Running the whole campaign immediately after a test campaign would be the way to go. At this point, you would have gained the confidence and reassurance that people are positively receptive to the advert. At the same time, you now have a clue about the number of emails you can send each week or month.

    The info you keep gathering also helps in both the financial and logistics planning of your campaign. Any volume you keep from now onwards corresponds with the correct numbers of your prospects such that you are neither under/overwhelmed at any given time.

    10. Evaluate All Campaign Outcomes

    The only way you can know is if your real estate direct mail campaign successfully analyzes the results. Questions include if the results have met your initial expectations. You should also find out which demographic group or geographical area gave the best response and which segment did badly.

    Again, see if your campaign has led to any sales or any positive trends towards sales. See if you also got more lead generation due to the postcard campaigns. These are just a few critical examinations, yet it is indicative about how effective the advert was. With the same analysis, you can decide on what improvement you can factor in the next design.

    11. Promptly Respond to Customer Queries

    An effective real estate direct mail will often have customers knocking and making inquiries. It is also something you have worked tirelessly for,  and so you can never take chances with customer responses and questions. Yet again, your credibility is highly dependent on how fast you respond to all inquiries.

    It is why you have to be on standby to provide valuable feedback to your prospective clients. While a standard CTA will often have complete contacts, you might still have to create a customer support system to receive and keep track of all incoming calls. Also, establish lead follow-up mechanisms to keep each potential client in the loop and close ready deals.

    12. Pay Close Attention to Your Budget

    As much as real estate direct mail ranks among the most affordable ways to advertise, you should still track your budget. For example, how much money can you spend before you find a client to close a deal?  Also, determine the number of leads you need to have before the ultimate sale. Once you have facts and figures, you can know the approximate amounts to shelve for this type of marketing, and if it all, it is suitable for ROI.

    13. Utilize Correct Spacing Techniques

    Have you ever seen those postcards that seem overcrowded with messages, with no breathing space? Your real estate direct mail can be overwhelming to the reader. Of course, a typical postcard has limited space, and so the best thing would be to focus only on essential details. I suggest sticking to who you are, what you do and the CTA, or what the client can do about the message.

    14. Provide Incentives to Your Clients

    Even when times are tough, and all you could be hoping for is to close that single deal, a few enticements could draw the attention you need. Hence, don’t hold onto those coupons and discounts. Instead, dish them out. As for those postcards, design them to comprise freebies, and soon you could find that elusive client.

    15. Remain Honest and Consistent at All Times

    Most people are hesitant at the mention of real estate. Maybe they got scammed. Perhaps they got a raw deal or didn’t get the best customer support.  But you can do things differently. It all starts by setting high standards and a good reputation for your brand by being reliable and honest. It would be best if you also were consistent in dealing with both existing and potential clients. By keeping your word and the lines of communication open, you become valuable.

    Who Are the Perfect Candidates for Real Estate Direct Mail?

    Real estate direct mail targets specific demographic groups who can boost your efforts via their responses and conversion. I would recommend you send your mail to the following recipients:

    Landlords and investors 

    Most landlords are also absentee homeowners, ready to sell off their property. Assuming this land is an inheritance, maintaining the same can be challenging, so that the owner might want to sell it off.

    Property under foreclosure

    Foreclosure remains one of the most lucrative aspects of real estate.  It is also easy to get info about any homes facing foreclosure. Most homeowners affected by foreclosure would do anything, including selling to avoid poor credit.

    Empty rental properties

    One of the reasons a rental property remains empty is because of evictions. The more they are unoccupied, the more maintenance becomes an issue, and it is why owners might want to sell.

    Properties under probate

    Real estate direct mail could also identify probate leads in a situation where a property owner has since died. Perhaps the family is motivated to sell it off fast to avoid repair and general maintenance issues.

    Homeowners with tax issues

    Local governments have been known to place a lien on properties due to nonpayment of taxes. It is why we have plenty of tax sales to settle all government back taxes. But often, a more brilliant property owner would want to sell even before a tax sale. Direct mail can be the push they need to sell. It is also easy to get hold of addresses for such properties, including a circulation newspaper or local publications.

    Listings that have expired

    Sometimes, properties on the market do not sell as fast, and the listing expires. You can use direct mail to relist the same property.

    Final Remarks

    Real estate direct mail campaigns play a huge role in lead generation and conversions. You can also use direct mail to track results and make the necessary improvements. As one of the most affordable marketing tools, you can also save significant amounts of money and keep boosting other business areas.

    However, real estate is one of those congested markets. And so, whichever marketing strategy you use, you must be innovative and miles ahead of your competitors. A great tip I often use is the lead-generating companies. They can track public records and give me the full details I need for direct mail. They will scour and provide info on probate and divorce court filings, foreclosure, and even tax delinquency for me to have the report.

  • 10 Reasons Your Direct Mail Campaign Isn’t Working

    10 Reasons Your Direct Mail Campaign Isn’t Working

    You probably pulled a direct mail campaign to get the attention of your prospects, but it didn’t work. Well, that isn’t encouraging because, according to research, direct mail is the method for converting your prospects to clients. It is way better than online or social ads or even email. You get 80-90% positive client response. So if your direct mail campaign didn’t come through for you, the problem might be you. 

    But not to worry, that’s why I put this article here. You’ve got to get up and show your prospects what you’re made of. How will you do that? By getting back to the drawing board and seeing the cause of your failure. You are going to learn ten reasons your Direct mail campaign isn’t working. I am ready when you are. Let’s roll.

    Let’s Talk Direct Mail

    Firstly we look at the result of a campaign you run directly to your prospects. You know you got many return contacts but did your contacts buy from you? Even if you did sell some, did they convert to clients? Eighty-eight percent of clients want to be contacted by direct mail before a virtual introduction. It’s cool if they do buy from you, but if they don’t, that’s not good enough. And so, you need to learn the causes and effects of your failure. 

    You run a campaign to get the attention of people who have never bought from you. That’s achieved with direct mail. You put a bunch of envelopes in the mail, and you ask people to respond to them. But this only works if people respond. So you ask a list of people you know to respond to them to learn things from them that you can use in your future designs. 

    You know these people. You have a relationship with them, and the fact you know them means you can learn something from them, just like a friend would. No one likes a coffee house friend that leaves them hanging, and you understand that. 

    The problem (the majority of the time) is the promised results. There has to be that promised result, and the campaign needs to deliver on that promise. Well, how is that promised result implemented? Well, as you can see in the article about maintaining your credibility and trustworthiness, it comes down to both different situations and a healthy mix of both. 

    Here’s the lesson you learned from your poor performance. You banked on the fact that you implemented a campaign that promised results. But it never came through. Studies show that 58% of people will respond to offers from people they know. If you are one of them, your prospects may have responded to you by hitting the send button on that campaign. Is that what happened in your case? A lot of nothing, not even a thank you.

    Great Offers

    They also show you have to make sure your campaign has a visible offer in it. Something that sends a clear message to the recipient that buying from you is essential. The visual yield from the campaign should not be ignored if they responded. There is an endless supply of free brochures on the Internet, or you can spend a few dollars on printed copies. The campaign piece will tell your prospects how your company operates, including happy customers’ stories and testimonials. 

    When a prospect opens this mailer, they believe they are about to get a great deal. The word “deal” is so intriguing, and this is an excellent example of word advertising. You want to deliver the goods for what this person hopes for entirely—nothing fancy on this sheet. Just simple shoutouts to show their support. That is how you get your users to get engaged by your company. That is what you can do in your marketing campaign: send a link with a download link at the end of your prospect’s email.

    You want to find out more about them to become more loyal to your company by opting in for future opportunities. Some organizations even reward those who stay on their list. That persuasive method could be applied any time a customer comes to your organization. If you hired an effective direct mail campaign specialist to manage your copy, you would know this one.

    Mingling Direct Mail With Current Media

    Your prospects will open the email and click on it, thinking they will get a great deal. Then they will see the download link. After that, they will be on Facebook. And guess what, they’ll see the ad, too. Then they’ll see more exit marketing material, more free material, more ads, and maybe a call-to-action, which leads to more sales. It’s pretty simple. 

    If you know how to make your prospect open, click, and buy, it will make all the difference in the world. That’s the truth. I’ll be honest, the posters and brochures looked good but were they any good? Of course, if you pull those off, your sales are still good. But nothing beats a combination of the two.

    Some Take-Aways on Your Brand’s Website

    When setting up a website, the first thing you need to do is check to make sure your content covers your prospect’s issues — don’t slap in some blog post and throw in some shiny graphics. It never works. 

    You do not provide solutions for any of the problems and frustrations your customers have. So what you should do is help your prospects solve their problems. That is where you get back to the drawing board. The other reason websites don’t work is that they do not educate prospects on their issues. If your website can’t answer all the questions, you’ll have a pretty hard time getting success in any of your campaigns.

    One of the ways you can reach more prospects is by paying attention to your website. First, ensure that you look at the other brands in your niche and study them to see what is being said and how they promote their services. Also, take a look at your slogan and ask yourself if it is clear. If not, change it. 

    Learn the differences between you and other brands and how they are advertising and promoting themselves. Then, take a look at the video’s position and see if it promotes the business’s mission and vision.

    Now that we’ve laid down the facts on doing a great direct mail campaign let’s look at why your drive is not working. Let’s continue.

    1. Not Clear on the Target Market

    It is crucial to know who your targets are when you are creating a direct mail campaign. The right people need to receive your marketing material, so you must make sure that you have the correct information for them. If you don’t send it to the right people, there’s a good chance it won’t reach its target audience. That makes it vital that you know who you want to send your mailers to.

    2. The Format of Your Direct Mail Piece Is Not Appealing

    Direct mail is a great way to gain attention and create brand recognition. It’s also an effective tool for generating leads. First, however, it’s essential to make the most of your mailing format. A great design will stand out in the clutter of other marketing materials.

    What makes direct mail campaigns so effective? The most common direct mail formats encourage response. An oversized envelope, a business envelope, and a postcard are all well-known direct mail strategies that can effectively get people to respond.

    3. You Are Targeting the Wrong Customer Base With Your Direct Mail Campaign

    Too many people don’t think about their audience when launching a direct mail campaign. So don’t just throw your direct mail campaign out there. Direct mail campaigns aren’t for everyone, and they don’t work for everyone. It’s a big waste of money if you’re not targeting the right audience with the right offer.

    4. Bad Timing

    Timing is critical when it comes to direct mail. It is essential to choose a marketing campaign that coincides with a specific event, such as opening a new store, a seasonal sale, or an event tied in with your company’s mission statement.

    Find a professional direct mail service provider that understands the power of timing. You must choose a reputable company with a well-tested direct mail process. Contacting them for information on upcoming events and marketing campaigns will help you get more out of your direct mail campaign.

    5. The Offers Are Not Personalized

    Did your mailer have a customized look and feel? Marketing campaigns in the past were traditionally low-tech and general in their appeal. That was when companies assumed that a generic message would appeal to a large number of customers, which would provide the best ROI. Unfortunately, the strategies that worked in the past are not practical today.

    Consumers are more comfortable sharing their data and information than ever—and so should you! Collecting customer data and leveraging it to personalize communications is a smart move for brands. Customers want relevant, personalized messages from brands.

    Almost half of the world’s consumers are willing to give their personal information to a trusted brand. A research study published in Forbes Magazine shows that nearly 85% of shoppers are more likely to buy something from an established company that cares about the customer’s experience. You have to care about your prospects by offering them real value. You have to make an effort.

    Customers are willing to do their part, but brands have to take part as well. To make the best use of limited budgets, marketers need to look beyond traditional mailing lists and instead utilize data from their databases. The data enables them to manage their client base more effectively, reduce wastage and send more targeted mailings.

    If you’re looking to create a more personal and unique experience, consider variable data printing. Variable data printing allows text, graphics, and images to be changed in real-time without stopping or slowing down the printing process. This type of communication gives customers a unique and personalized experience.

    Eighty-eight percent of marketers say they’ve seen growth in conversion rates due to personalization. Of those, more than half reported higher conversions than the norm.

    6. There’s No Clear Call to Action

    The biggest reason most direct-mail campaigns fail is a lack of clarity. When it comes to any form of marketing, it’s essential to include a clear call to action. Without a clear call to action, you risk sending an entirely irrelevant message that will have no impact on your prospect’s decision to engage with you.

    I guess you are asking if using a call to action in your direct mail campaigns is necessary. Well, it is. And that’s because your prospects are receiving hundreds of emails from other brands in your niche. Now leaving your campaign plain without telling your prospects what to do about what they just read is mean. We can, however, help you with that.

    7. Incorrect Budget and Scale Of the Campaign

    It is essential to understand your campaign goals and the scale of your direct mail program so that your campaign runs effectively. Many companies are offering direct mailing services, but you should choose one that can fulfill your needs.

    Spend too little money on your direct mail campaign, and no one will respond. On the other hand, if you spend too much money running a campaign, you’ll waste valuable resources and not get the return on investment you’re looking for. It’s difficult to determine how much direct mail you can afford and the best scale for a campaign without experience.

    8. Your Expectations Are Not Realistic

    A direct mail marketing campaign is a significant investment. However, you should not expect to reap enormous rewards immediately. Research the average return on investment for a direct mail campaign and make sure your budget is sufficient to achieve that goal. Check out the chart below for a clear understanding.

    direct-mail-top-advertising-type

    It’s important to remember that it takes more than one direct mail piece to see results. You send multiple mailers to get customers’ attention and continue to post messages on your social feeds to get noticed, right? The same principle applies to direct mail: you must continue communicating your message by sending and sharing direct mail pieces that stay fresh and relevant with customers over time.

    9. No Follow-up Plan For Leads Generated From the Campaign

    Your direct mail campaign may effectively generate leads, but the conversion rate is not as high as you have expected. A poorly planned follow-up can cause irreparable damages to your organization.

    10. Not Using Valuable Content Inside the Mailer

    Product-focused direct mail is a dying art. Today’s customers are less likely to be interested in your sales pitch. Customers want solutions, insights, and advice. They don’t want to be sold to. Instead, a customer testimonial, a straightforward statement of benefit, or a forceful call to action can do the trick.

    When I talk about valuable information, I mean who gets to benefit from the product you push. What problem are you solving with your product? That’s the key to a successful direct mail campaign.

    If you are having a hard time getting leads resulting from your direct mail campaigns, that isn’t reassuring. However, since it is a promising investment, you might be guilty of the mistakes we’ve addressed. If that’s the case, work on your failures and give them a shot.

  • 7 Mistakes Businesses Make With Social Media and Direct Mail

    If utilized properly Social Media and Direct Mail are the tools that can be invaluable for small businesses to a great extent. There are many marketing tips and secrets that can help you prevent common mistakes with these methods. Each company is different, with different goals, strategies, preferences, budget amounts, and other variables involved.

    Too many brands treat social media as a one way, broadcast channels, rather than a two-way dialogue through which emotional storytelling can be transferred.

    Source: Simon Mainwaring

    If you own a small business then the affordability of social media accounts and direct mail marketing is unbeatable. Social media accounts are usually free to create; all it takes is some time, effort, and creativity on your part in order to draw people in. This marketing can be managed on even the smallest budget and it can be highly effective.

    Direct mail is also a very affordable marketing method that can get results when this type of campaign is well thought out and carefully developed. Don’t limit yourself and your business by just using a single channel for marketing. The more channels you utilize the better the results can be and the more people you can reach and possibly convert.

    1. Not Integrating Social Media and Direct Mail Strategies Together

    Your strategy for both platforms can be integrated together, so that you get the best possible results and you allow potential consumers to decide how they want to connect with you. Some people prefer social media while others prefer mail, and integrating your efforts in both areas can help you increase your brand exposure and get your business noticed.

    2. Not Using Proven Marketing Tips from Experts

    There are many different marketing tips that cover both of these methods, and that discuss the importance of each one. Do some research and look for tips from experts who are well known in the marketing world so that you avoid some of the most common mistakes made by small business owners.

    Vary your content type – photos and status updates typically get the highest reach.

    Source: Mari Smith

    3. Failing to Include Social Media in Mailing Materials

    Carefully combining both of the social platforms can give you exceptional results from any campaign, and you should always make sure that your mailing materials include your available social media accounts. When the recipient sees your material, they have the option of going online and connecting with you right away.

    4. Not Reaching People through Preferred Channels

    Using both social media and direct mail offers a versatility that potential customers will appreciate. Marketing tips show that the different preferences each individual has will determine how they want to respond to you. Give them the option of reaching out or following you on social media and you may be surprised at the response rate that you get.

    … small business owners are eager to embrace social media, but they’re going about it all wrong—and it’s creating real discontent.

    Source: Meghan Casserly

    5. Failing to Have Any Social Media Presence or Accounts

    In the modern business world, social media and direct mail should go hand in hand. But that is not possible if you do not have social media accounts and profiles established. Set up your social media profiles far in advance, because accounts that are brand new are not as appealing to individuals and could reflect poorly on your business.

    6. Not Offering the Same Promotions Through Social Media and Direct Mail Channels

    When you combine your social media and direct mail efforts and you follow the best marketing tips you will realize the importance of offering the same promotions through all of these methods. If you send a promotion through direct mail but do not include it for your social media followers then you could be missing potential customers.

    7. Not Keeping Social Media Profiles Up to Date

    Before you integrate social media and direct mail for your small business make sure that your social media profiles are current and up to date. To a potential customer nothing looks worse than visiting your Facebook page or Twitter account and seeing that it was last updated six months ago. This could cost you sales instead of boosting them.

    Have you made any of these small business social media and direct mail mistakes? If so what happened?

  • 10 Postcard Printing and Mailing Tips and Secrets to Make your Next Campaign More Successful

    Did you know that postcard direct mail is one of the most cost-effective direct marketing methods? While it shouldn’t be the only direct mail you use, postcard printing and mailing can produce surprising results. Here are 10 tips to help you do just that.

    Postcard Printing and Mailing Tips

    1. Testing your direct mail is one of the most important steps when you are engaged in a campaign that uses postcard printing and mailing—or any other kind of direct marketing!

    Direct mail allows you to easily test and track campaign factors and material elements on a continual basis. That way, you have the data available to make improvements on your next go round.Sometimes you can even implement the changes mid-campaign.

    1. Design templates are widely available. These tools have both benefits and drawbacks from a marketing perspective.

    A template will allow you to design your own postcards and other direct mail materials, but your end design may not be as original or unique as it could be.

    Naturally you want your mailer to stand out. But it’s important to note that the best direct marketing never re-invents the wheel; instead, it is based off of what has worked before. You simply have to strike the right balance.

    1. Quality versus cost is one equation that must be calculated with postcard printing and mailing. Of course you want to keep your costs down. But you also want great postcards that reflect well on your company and are attractive to your recipients.

    Highlight why your product’s value is worth their consideration over lower-price options.

    Source: Tim Donnelly

    To make your campaign as successful as possible both cost and quality are very important and both of these must be balanced.

    1. Address your consumer directly, and speak to them in language that they will easily understand. Save the technical jargon and the industry speak for the white papers, these have no place in a postcard.

    Use short sentences and a vocabulary that can be quickly and easily understood by the typical 8th or 9th grade student (even if your consumers are not), and you will reach more consumers and get better responses.

    1. Who you choose to handle your postcard printing and mailing can be one of the most important decisions that you make. The right printer can help your campaign soar, but the wrong printer could cause your campaign results to be disastrous.

    If you do not already have a trusted printer, compare several to find one you can depend on.

    1. Before you can order postcard printing and mailing, you will need to have mailing lists available. Carefully select mailing lists based on their accuracy and relevancy to your campaign goals and objectives.

    A good list provider will help you find lists that fit your current customer base, and also explore new ones.

    1. If you are going to the trouble and expense of postcard printing and mailing, then why not use both sides of the card? That way, you double the area available for text, images, and other elements. “The more you tell, the more you sell,” as the saying goes. How much more could you sell, if you could “tell” 100% more?
    2. Consider techniques on your postcards. Even though this will cost more up front, it might bring back a much better return.

    Embossing, foil stamping, die cutting, lamination, and other specialized techniques will upgrade the way that your materials look and feel. Depending on your audience and your product/service, this will give you a better chance of interesting the recipient and getting their attention right off the bat.

    1. It is better to pay for professionalism if you want excellent results from your postcard printing and mailing. It is better to pay for professional help and get great postcards that are visually appealing and motivate the consumer than it is to save money up front but lose customers and sales in the long run.
    2. Personalization is vital for postcards that grab the reader and draws them in. When the reader feels like you are addressing them on a personal level they, are more likely to trust you and develop a relationship with your company. Address the recipient by name if possible. Take advantage of variable data printing techniques to personalize other elements as well.

    What other tips and secrets have you learned about postcard printing and mailing that you can share?

  • What is Target Marketing and Why is it so Important?

    Is target marketing part of your sales and marketing repertoire?

    Target marketing is a phrase that is often heard, but do you know what this actually is and why it is so important for any business or marketing professional? One of the most effective marketing methods is direct mailing, but how do you decide whom to send your materials to so you get the best possible return on your investment? Sending out marketing items blindly is often a waste of money.

    What is Target Marketing?

    Target marketing is a method that uses research and planning in order to identify target markets and demographics in order to determine which consumers are most likely to be interested in a specific product or service. This form of marketing involves figuring out what attracts customers who are in the market for whatever it is that you are selling.

    Poor marketing could not only be preventing you from attracting customers – it could be driving them away in droves.

    Source: The Marketing Donut

    Precision Direct Mailing Gets Better Results

    Any campaign that uses direct mailing requires precision targeting in order to get the best possible results and the biggest return on the investment made. If you are selling carpet cleaning services then identifying homeowners with carpets is important. Homeowners without carpet will not be interested in the services that you are offering and marketing to them will be a waste of money.

    How to Identify Your Target Markets

    In order to start using target marketing you first have to identify the target markets that you want and need to reach. There are four main components that you need to identify in order to pick the right target markets.

    1. Who needs or wants your services and products?
    2. Where are they located?
    3. Why do they make their choices?
    4. How do they behave?

    Find out everything possible about your targeted demographic groups so you can appeal to these individuals on a much deeper level.

    7 Important Things You Need to Know About a Target Market

    Before you can start to market to any group it is necessary to determine whom your ideal customer will be. Do you hope to attract young adults who rent or middle aged homeowners? Are your products or services geared towards males or females? The seven most important factors to identify when it comes to target marketing for any direct mailing are:

    1. Gender
    2. Age
    3. Hobbies and interests
    4. Geography
    5. Employment
    6. Income
    7. Homeowner or renter

    If you do not have this basic information then you cannot determine whether the consumer is a good match with your products or services. Different genders and age groups have different needs and preferences, and different income levels will have different standards of living. If you can gather additional details and demographic information about a target market this is even better.

    Hold Your Own in Niche Markets

    When you use target marketing your company will be able to hold its own in the various niche markets. As a new start up you will not be able to compete with a Fortune 500 business, but you can be ranked highly in a niche market. This means using your resources to the best advantage, and this type of marketing will help your campaign be more cost effective and get better results.

    Focusing on niche markets will allow you to create a strong, differentiated identity for your brand…

    Source: Business 2 Community

    Build Up a Loyal Customer Base for Your Business

    One of the goals of a direct mailing campaign is to build up a loyal customer base. This is one area where target marketing can help. Because you are targeting people who will be interested in your offerings it is much easier to convert them into loyal customers as long as you are offering a quality product or service at a reasonable price.

    Help Your Business Succeed With Effective Marketing

    If you want your business to be successful then target marketing may be the best choice you can make. This form of marketing can be highly effective, and this is a consideration for a business of any size. You want to attract the right consumers so that your marketing investment results in sales for the company, and that means doing some research before you do anything else.

    Direct mail remains the largest single direct marketing expenditure, followed closely by teleservices at $41.2 billion.

    Source: Dave Erlandson at WhatTheyThink.com

    Do you know your target market? For target marketing to truly work you have to dig deep and get very specific about this important demographic that can make or break your business.

    Have you ever used target marketing with your direct mail campaigns? What markets did you target and what results did you get?

  • Are You Using the Right Car Dealer Direct Mail for Success?

    There are many different types of car dealer direct mail to choose from. Have you been using the right types for the maximum success of your dealership? The mailer type that you use needs to fit your campaign goals, budget, and personal preferences. Here are 9 points to think about when it comes to car dealer direct mail.

    Car Dealer Direct Mail Types to Consider

    Some of the types of mail that you may want to consider sending out can include:

    1. The Sales Event Notice

    This is a common type of car dealer direct mail, as it is quite effective. It can be difficult to predict which consumers will be in the market for a new car next month. Sending out a sales letter could help influence the buying decision. It will also make the consumer aware of special sales opportunities coming up. Try saturation marketing with this piece for the best results.

    2. Buyback Letters

    A buyback letter can help you reach out to consumers who currently own a make and model that you want to feature on your lot. A buyback letter can do more than just offer the vehicle owner concrete benefits. You can also provide suggestions on a replacement model, when selling their current vehicle.  Using variable data printing to personalize each letter is an effective way to reach out to a recipient.

    3. Notices About Service Specials

    One type of car dealer direct mail that is often overlooked is service special and maintenance notices. These can be invaluable when it comes to customer retention and dealership profits. Let clients know that your company does not just sell vehicles; it also maintains, services, and sometimes even repairs them. Send oil change reminders and notices about specials on your services.

    4. Financing Offers

    Financing offers can be a great way to reach previous customers and new consumers. Go through your mailing list and sort the entries by credit score, vehicle loan amount owed, typical purchase price of vehicles bought in the past, and other relevant demographics. This will let you send out finance offers to valuable targets with predetermined financing details.

    5. Credit or Purchase Qualification Letters

    A pre-qualified notice is another type of car dealer direct mail that can be highly effective. Many potential buyers put off actually taking this step. It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and research for most consumers. Sending a credit or purchase qualification letter based on credit data can urge consumers to move on to their next vehicle.

    6. Letters Detailing Available Service Options

    If you are sending out car dealer direct mail, why not create a mailer that details the various services that you offer? Even consumers who are not interested in buying a car still need certain services, like oil changes and tune ups. Consumers in your local area may not realize what services you can provide. Let them know in an attractive ad.

    7. New Model Release Notice

    Send out impressive car dealer direct mail with a new model release notice. This type of news almost always appeals to people. Even if the consumer doesn’t plan on purchasing a vehicle this year, on some level they will be interested in the new models being offered. A new model release notice can help bring people into your show room. This gives you the opportunity to make a sale.

    8. Congratulatory Letter on a Purchase

    Once you have made a sale, a congratulatory note can offer many different benefits. This type of direct mail can create trust and significant goodwill between the customer and your business. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes a buyer may start to have a little buyers remorse. A congratulatory letter can turn things around.

    9. Trade In Notice or Offer

    A trade in notice, or offer, is another type of car dealer direct mail that can give you results. Let consumers know about the high trade in value that you are offering. This can get things off to a rapid start, as far as sales are concerned. You can also point out special low interest rates for buyers at the same time. Add a compelling call to action at the end.

    What types of car dealer direct mail do you send out? Why?

  • The Top 15 Free Email Marketing Services for 2021

    The Top 15 Free Email Marketing Services for 2021

    Today’s email marketing campaigns have gone a notch higher, using only the most advanced technologies to reach their target audience. These technologies utilize various software solutions and tools, enabling you to deliver bulk messages in a flash. 

    A considerable advantage is that the tools comprise some of the very advanced analytics to optimize your campaigns.  You can utilize the analytics for data-driven decisions that provide clear feedback on your marketing research and accountability. 

    Recent email marketing research states that you can wholesomely undertake email marketing with the same tools even if your budget is on the lower side. It is because some vendors are generous enough, offering their service for free. Still, you cannot fall for any freebies out there, and you need to discern.

    What Is the Best Free Email Marketing Service?

    The only way you can decide how good an email marketing service is to investigate its features carefully. And the critical marketing requirements to look out for include a platform’s ease of use, round-the-clock support, and inbuilt mobile-responsive templates. 

    Also, check to see if such a tool has email personalization and advanced analytics capabilities. For campaign maximization efforts, those lead tools are a must-have. Then, of course, ensure the same tool has list segmentation abilities too. These are just the essential, but you can also check out other vital services that are key to your ROI before choosing your email marketing service.

    Here are some of the highly-rated free email marketing services for 2021.

    1. Mailchimp

    Mailchimp remains one of the most popular email marketing platforms, primarily due to their amazing 12,000 emails per month to 2000 subscribers freebie. Most small businesses love to gravitate towards this outstanding offer, but there are also other reasons for their love of the platform. 

    For one, it has the most straightforward user interface, with a campaign builder for email customization. MailChimp’s most notable features include in-suite apps, built-in signup forms, email templates, and report and data insight. They also have great social media and excellent support, especially for their paid subscribers. The recent new feature which allows you to book a meeting and sell your products right on the platform is a big plus for most businesses.

    2. Omnisend

    What makes Omnisend such a big deal in email marketing? The tool mainly empowers online marketers with exceptional features. For example, it offers numerous free automation workflows and email add-ons in the form of scratch cards and gift boxes. You can also set up landing pages and take advantage of the email editor feature by adding products directly onto it. 

     Do you have customers purchasing specific products? You can use the segmentation feature to create specific lists. Then, of course, the tools 15,000 emails per month freebie is perhaps what makes it most campaigners to maximize their conversions. Another huge advantage with Omnisend is that you can build your campaign to run across multiple platforms, including emails and social media.

    3. Benchmark

    Benchmark has one of the most straightforward, clean, and easy-to-use designs, which is excellent for most up-and-coming marketers. And although they allow just 250 emails per month, you can compensate this limit with the tool’s free starter plan.

     This feature permits access to virtually all of its areas, including marketing automation and inbuilt forms. You can also take advantage of its easy-to-use editor and Mobile-friendly up-to-date templates. Even on their plan, you enjoy fast and friendly support. Then, of course, the integration factor has over 300 tools spanning across areas such as social media and WordPress. 

    4. MailerLite

    Like MailChimp, MailerLite is the go-to email marketing service for most startups and growing businesses. Why? Because it has some attractive free features, including its 12000 emails per month for less than 1000 subscribers. The transactional email and SMS feature are what draws most businesses too. But that is not all. You can also set up those advantageous automation and landing pages, all for free. The platform’s free plan also emails support and reporting features vital for a successful marketing campaign. And although the editor is a relatively new product here, it works great.

    5. Zoho

    Zoho has free and impressive sales and marketing features to turn around fortunes. Apart from a superior well-designed, and easy-to-use interface, they also provide a huge selection of templates. And if you are on a limited budget, the editor does you justice. Zoho also offers 12000 emails for up to 2000 subscribers. Although there is no free automation here, you can compensate with numerous free features such as free uploading images from Unsplash into the editor. You can also use the segmentation feature to list your customers.

    6. Sender

    Sender is a top-rated marketing tool due to its simple and easy-to-use interface. It also provides multiple 15000 emails per month for about 2500 subscribers. Then, you can take advantage of numerous free features, including advanced automation and transactional emails. The tool also pushes notifications and forms. Generally, the free plan is mainly suited for the very sophisticated and outgoing marketer who appreciates a simple marketing tool with equally useful free features that bait customers.

    7. MailChimp

    MailChimp is an exciting and free spirit kind of marketing tool aimed at all types of brands. Say you are that marketer that is inclined to sending attractive promotional email content to a large number of subscribers, then MailChimp it is. The email marketing service has a wide range of mobile-responsive templates and a great editor feature. 

    Their free plan is quite impressive, allowing you to enjoy a 12000 email per month for every 2000 contacts. Besides the free landing pages, you can also quickly check those conversion stats, social media activity, and email domain performance with an all-inclusive reporting feature.

     Here you can as well do your campaigns without the need for codes. And while the free plan doesn’t come with support, you can still make your way around with the over 800 third-party integration options.

    8. EngageBay

    Although more recent compared to other email marketing tools, EngageBay is billed among the very best. The platform’s sales and marketing solutions are strategically integrated into a single dashboard, making navigation much simpler. Most EngageBay’s users are small businesses and startups on a limited budget. 

    But perhaps the strongest selling point of this tool is its free plan of 1000 branded emails per month with every 1000 contacts. Other high-quality freebies include autoresponders, landing pages, and email broadcasters. You can also take advantage of sequences and free leads for maximum conversion rates. The free live chat feature and CRM with Helpdesk are vital to enhancing your marketing campaigns.

    9. Mailjet

    Mailjet is famed for its transactional email feature, but it has recently morphed into a fully functional email service. The platform has a generous and impressive free plan which includes 6000 emails per month and an unlimited number of contacts.

    Its highly innovative drag-and-drop editor (Passport) enables you to create email marketing campaigns using its free newsletter and email templates. You can also personalize your emails and have a preview of the same before you can send them. 

    Another great feature is the analytics, and so you can begin to build your campaign based on historical data and performance. Using those future performance forecasts places you in a position where your business decision relies mainly on data-proven facts.

    10. Freshworks CRM

    Freshworks CRM is a brainchild of SaaS providers. Its hugely successful sale and marketing software primarily target all-size businesses. The platform free features include basic contact management. You can also benefit from their built-in phone and chat features. Suppose you want to increase your conversion rates. Then the tools paid plans such as Growth, Pro, and Enterprise can help you achieve just that.

    11. Sendinblue

    Sendinblue initially began with transaction emails, but they have now expanded their territories to email marketing. The tool’s strength lies in advanced SMS marketing and mobile-friendly email automation. But it also features an email template library that you can freely use. 

    Their notable free plan also consists of 9000 emails per month with unlimited contacts. Still, there is a limit on the daily number of emails with a cap of 300. While its marketing automation looks somehow complex, you can still utilize other freely available tools to test and check your workflows, such as email engagement and product purchases.

    12. Wix ShoutOut

    As an email marketing service provider, Wix ShoutOut primarily targets smaller businesses and startups. The app’s marketing tools as so intuitive, allowing marketers to customize and even personalize content. Talk of those text fonts, colors, and backgrounds; you can change any of them to suit your recipient. 

    The platform also remains one of the most generous, permitting you to utilize all the products available. And besides the liberty to send up to 5000 emails monthly, you are allowed 3 ShoutOuts too. 

    The tool resets every beginning of the month to enjoy the free plan afresh. And the best way you can benefit from a wide range of other features of the tool is if Wix, a renowned website builder, builds your website.

    13. ActiveCampaign

     

    If any email marketing service has withstood the test of time, then ActiveCampaign it is. The platform’s primary aim is to support marketers in sending much fewer emails but impressive outcomes. In this case, automation is their strongest selling point, accompanied by clean, highly responsive templates.

    Strategic marketers can determine buyer behavior and then quickly use the automation feature to engage them. If yours is a small business or growing startup, you can make a massive ROI by merely turning email content into sales networks.

    14. Freshmail

    Freshmail is primarily a cloud-based email marketing platform geared towards smaller and medium-sized commercial entities. And as with any top-rated email marketing service, the tool has an easy-to-use template editor. It is a drag-and-drop navigation feature that you can use in the newsletter and email creation. 

    Marketers also often take great advantage of the various automation options for overall efficiency. Then, the instantaneous email tracking tools are quite convenient in measuring email marketing performance. 

     As you will discover, Freshmail’s free package covers all features on the platform. But the only limitation is in the form of the number of emails you can send. For example, you can send merely 200 emails monthly with up to 500 subscribers.

    15. HubSpot Marketing

     

    As the name aptly suggests, HubSpot Marketing is a product of HubSpot. The platform comes off as a key organization streamliner and tracker. And if you are a sucker for lead campaigns, then this is your go-to software. The platform’s unique offers will surprise you since most of them appear as paid versions on other similar platforms. 

    One of the great features that you can freely enjoy is the contact management system. You can use this feature to segment your contact list and leads based on specific details. It could be the product type or any other buyer behavior you deem fit. Then the conversion analytics integration and form feature are also free. 

    How Do I Get Free Email Marketing Emails?

    It is easy to get free marketing emails. All you need to do is search only for a trendy platform that offers free email marketing emails. Mostly you will also signup for free and follow the prompts at platforms like MailerLite, MailChimp, Sender, Omnisend, and HubSpot. The list is inexhaustible.

    Besides free emails, you can also take advantage of other free features to enhance your email campaigns. For instance, check out for integration, analytical, and automation features. Even free templates come in so conveniently. A combination of them all can significantly improve your business performance.

    Which Email Marketing Software Is Best?

    There is a massive lineup of highly rated email marketing services, as mentioned above. All of them come with unique and distinct features. Since each campaign has equally unique needs, it would be best to assess the qualities and limitations of these platforms. It’s only by testing each of them that you can ascertain which one works well for you, and hence, best.

    Is Mailchimp Really Free?

    MailChimp offers an attractive free plan to send 12000 emails per month to about 2000 subscribers. Within this offer, you can enjoy other freebies such as automation and inbuilt signup forms. You can also benefit from reports and data-driven insight, among others capabilities. 

    Beyond this, there is also a paid version that has additional features to enhance your marketing efforts. For example, you can sign up for the two paid plans Growing Business plan and the Pro Marketer Plan, with a monthly charge of $10 and $199, respectively. 

    Growing Business plan unlocks unlimited sending and takes into consideration the time zones. On the other hand, Pro Marketer Plan provides advanced enterprise-level features, which support any high-volume emails you send.

    Summary 

    Signing up for an email marketing service that offers freebies can be a huge relief, especially if yours is a small business with a limited budget. Most of these top-rated tools have one thing in common-they provide a safe and secure working environment so that you do not have to worry about data leakage. The tools also do not collect your credit card info.

    And while the tool provides a broad range of essential features, it would be wise to upgrade once your business picks. A paid version enables you to enjoy even more superior paid features taking your enterprise to higher ranks.

  • The Top 5 Best Email Marketing Platforms for 2021

    The Top 5 Best Email Marketing Platforms for 2021

    Please note that while at Catdi Printing, we are huge advocates for direct mail marketing, it’s our recommendation that email marketing should have a place in your marketing efforts. This article reviews the top 5 platforms that our customers use and a little info on which ones might work best for you.

    What is are Email Marketing Platforms?

    Email marketing platforms are also known as Email Service Provider (ESP), email marketing services, email marketing software, or email marketing tool. These platforms are generally Software as a Service (SaaS) tools that are cloud-based.

    These web-based tools offer promoters a sizable operating environment under which smaller application programs integrate. 

    Email marketing platforms are strategies that work to help you develop and manage your email campaigns.

    How Does Email Marketing Work?

    Marketers and businesses use an Email Service Provider (marketing platform) to send and manage brand marketing campaigns.

    Do You Need an Email Marketing Platform?

    The short answer to this question is yes. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Outlook, Yahoo, or Gmail do not allow email blasts because the application is made for personal use. As a result, a stack of emails sent from your email account is intercepted and flagged by spam filters. 

    More so, sending mass mail from an ISP is considered suspicious activity and can lead to your account being disabled.

    What to Consider When Choosing an Email Marketing Platform

    Recent research indicates that 60% of marketing agencies agree that email advertising produces a high Return on Investment (ROI). However, if you desire to achieve this target, you must choose a platform that suits your business structure.

    Integration

    Selecting an email marketing platform that works well with your other software programs like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) allows you to manage your content easily. An operating system that blends with your CRM software helps you save time by automatically updating lists without physical interference.

    Response Handling

    You may not have a rigorous task sending monthly newsletters if you are a startup or a smaller business. However, large cooperatives that send thousands of journals to online clients need operating systems that allow users to send automated responses.

    Reporting and Analytics

    Marketers need to know when their marketing campaigns meet the expected goals. Unfortunately, this information is difficult to track if you send out thousands of emails every month. Even so, you can choose an email marketing software that incorporates reporting and analytics to help you track open rates.

    Top Email Marketing Platforms

    Depending on the size of your business or marketing need, you may decide to choose any of the following platforms to help you with your email marketing.

    1. MailChimp Email Marketing Platform
    MailChimp

    Mailchimp is both a marketing automation platform and also email marketing service. This American company first started operations in 2001 in Atlanta, U.S.A.

    This email marketing software is an All-in-One integrated marketing platform. It is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses.

    Mailchimp Key Features

    This email marketing platform contains a wide range of tools that are easy to use.

    Audience Management includes the following functions; –

    • CRM – This tool allows you to know your crowd.  Marketers use Mailchimp for customer relationship management (CRM) to help discover new ways to market to their audience.
    • Free sign-up forms – This feature allows you to increase the number of your website viewers. It also enables you to gather relevant data that you can use to send your clients personalized content.
    • Segmentation – Irrelevant adverts are annoying and can overwhelm you. However, segmentation enables marketers to send the ideal campaigns to the right market. The tool helps you disseminate relevant messages to your viewers.
    • Predicted demographics – This Mailchimp feature helps you forge email marketing campaigns that appeal to your audience.

    Creative Tools have the following functions; –

    • Campaign templates – Mailchimp offers you pre-designed templates to help build emails and launch marketing campaigns within a few minutes. What’s more, you do not need to be a pro. The feature is simple, and you do not have a steep learning curve.
    • Dynamic content – Creating personalized emails for thousands of customers can be exhausting and time-consuming. This feature helps you create multiple versions of emails with minimum effort. You don’t have to spend long hours crafting personalized emails for numerous customers because Dynamic content does the hard work for you.

    Is MailChimp Good for Email Marketing?

    Mailchimp aims at growing your business by providing a premium platform for email marketing. This all-in-one marketing software enables small businesses to develop better customer relationships and grow faster.

    What makes Mailchimp a good marketing tool is that the platform puts your audience at the center.  Most of the features, including marketing automation and audience management tools, are automated. These tools save you time and make your interaction with the audience effortless.

    Pricing

    • Mailchimp’s Essentials paid plan starts at $9.99 per month.
    • The Standard paid plan starts at $14.99 per month.
    • Mailchimp Premium plan for high volume mail senders begins at $299 per month.
    • However, the application offers you a free plan for up to 2,000 email contacts, inclusive of one audience.
    1. Constant Contact Email Marketing Platform
    Constant Contact email marketing platform

    Constant Contact Inc is one of the oldest and trusted email marketing platforms whose history dates to 1995. The company has since undergone several transitions and currently has its headquarters at Waltham, Massachusetts.

    This marketing software program contains Smart features that help you create professional email marketing campaigns.

    Constant Contact Key Features

    Some of the tools that make this operating system worth considering include the following; –

    • Ecommerce integrations – This software tool works well with your existing eCommerce platform to promote sales with targeted emails.      
    • Automation – You can automate your messages and send personalized ads to your customers to help boost your sales. Automation allows you to put your email advertisement on autopilot with customized, scheduled, and selected emails. You can also send a welcome email for new visitors and resend emails to non-openers.
    • Analytics tool – This feature allows you to view visitor metrics in the present. This action helps you to recognize and react to trends immediately. The Constant Contact analytics tool helps marketers to track performance in real-time.
    • Email Marketing – This feature simplifies your writing. With the help of this tool, you spend less time thinking about how to draft custom and personalized emails. The Smart email editor helps you to customize professional-looking emails in a few minutes. All you need to do is to drag and drop, and it’s all done.

    Is Constant Contact Good for Email Marketing?

    Constant Contact is one of the best applications that you can use to build a professional online presence and also engage customers. This platform helps all businesses to grow by selling more online.

    Constant Contact is good for email marketing because it allows you to send emails smarter, not harder. The automation tools help you build customer relationships by keeping them engaged. The powerful list-building feature helps you grow your customer base and boost sales.

    Pricing

    • Constant Contact Email plan starts at $20/month.
    • The Email Plus plan starts at $45/month.
    1. ConvertKit Email Marketing Platform
    ConvertKit email marketing platform

    ConvertKit is one of the best email service providers (ESO) that offers marketers personalized sign-up forms and landing pages. This full-featured ESP is easy to use and comes with automation and a wide range of features.

    ConvertKit is a cloud-based email marketing platform commonly used by online creators such as YouTubers, podcasters, and bloggers. It is also ideal for course creators and content-based businesses.

    ConvertKit’s Key Features

    • Email sign-up forms -ConvertKit offers you tools that direct you on how to create memorable first impressions for your customers. You can make your subscriber’s initial step into your website effortless by creating personalized sign-up forms.  This platform offers marketers unlimited sign-up forms and responsive templates.
    • Email designer- Writing and editing emails can be tedious and time-consuming for any marketer. In addition, you can be overwhelmed and experience burnout if you have bulky mail loads to draft.  However, ConvertKit’s email designer enables you to compose appealing and straightforward emails. The tool assists you go through the editing and formatting while allowing you to focus on writing.
    • Integrations – This is one of the best features contained in ConvertKit. This application works well with a wide range of other applications. Some of the tools which connect with ConvertKit include Crowdcast, Teachable, Shopify, and more.

    Is ConvertKit among Capable Email Marketing Platforms

    What makes ConvertKit a good email marketing platform? This email marketing platform helps you own the relationship with your viewers and also boosts your business. This application makes it easy for you to send customized content to your audience consistently.

    The email marketing feature offers you easy email templates that help you design simple emails for your subscribers. Besides nurturing customer relationships, these emails show your expertise and help you establish trust with your viewers.

    Pricing

    • ConvertKit has a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers.
    • The paid plan prices start at $25 per month.
    1. EmailOctopus Email Marketing Platform
    EmailOctopus email marketing platform

    EmailOctopus first launched in 2014 as a simple email marketing platform and has since continued to advance. This email service provider has worked with over 64,000 organizations and mailed more than 13 billion email messages.

    The Software helps businesses create and manage unique email campaigns using customizable templates. Who uses EmailOctopus? Online stores, bloggers, authors, superstars, restaurants, charities, and more.

    EmailOctopus Key Features

    • Email editor – The feature allows you to import pre-designed HTML templates for complete creative control. You can also personalize your template with the easy-to-use email editor. In addition, the easy-to-use drag and drop editor helps make drafting campaign messages effortless and also saves you time.
    • Automation – This feature allows you to set your marketing campaigns on autopilot. It helps you save time and also reach new subscribers with automated welcome messages. In addition, autopilot sends a series of marketing campaigns to new customers to create an awareness of your service.
    • Tag – This feature helps you to keep your marketing data organized. With this tool, you can send tailored messages to target audiences. The targeting tool enables you to create unique content for different users. Marketers can decide who to deliver their campaigns to or not.
    • Analytics – This tool allows you to observe your email marketing campaign activities presently. This feature leads you to realize what campaign strategy is working. You can also track opens and clicks to analyze which emails work best with your viewers. More so, you can use these findings to make your future campaigns better.

    Is EmailOctopus a Good Email Marketing Platform?

    EmailOctopus is a good email service provider for businesses that desire to save on cost and boost ROI. Observation indicates that, on average, individuals or companies that use this service save more than 60% on email marketing costs.

    Startups prefer to use EmailOctopus because the service is free of cost. In addition, you can use this tool to disseminate weekly marketing inspiration to new businesses.

    Pricing

    EmailOctopus offers a free Connect Starter account which allows marketers to have up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month.

    The Pro version costs $20 per month. It permits 5,000 subscribers each month and 50,000 per month.

    1. AWeber Email Marketing Platform
    AWeber

    AWeber is a popular email marketing platform that offers marketers everything needed to create successful email marketing campaigns. The easy-to-use interface allows you to navigate the features and manage your email marketing campaigns effortlessly.

    AWeber Key Features

    • Auto-Newsletters – This feature allows you to craft your ideal messages. You do not need to be a pro before using the drag, drop, and edit tool. 
    • Segmentation – This feature enables you to send targeted emails. You can divide your list based on viewers who interacted with your latest message or re-engage those who didn’t. This tool helps you send customized marketing campaigns to the right group of people.
    • Automation – You can use this tool to build stronger relationships with your clients by celebrating their special occasions with a customized message. Businesses can improve on sales by sending automated messages to upsell after a purchase.
    • Pre-build campaigns – The tools offer a variety of pre-built samples to use. This feature enables marketers to edit and send marketing campaigns in minutes.

    Is AWeber Among Efficient Email Marketing Platforms

    AWeber allows you to start for free and grow as your business grows. This email marketing platform also offers you more than 6,000 royalty-free stock photos to help you engage subscribers.

    More so, this platform gives you more than 150 custom-made email template choices. What’s more is that you have the freedom to choose when, how, and where to send your templates.

    Pricing

    • The free plan costs $0 and permits up to 500 subscribers per month.
    • The Pro plan starts at $16, which is billed annually and allows up to 500 subscribers. 

    Summary

    Email service providers aim to help individuals and businesses to connect to more prospects through email marketing campaigns. 

    There are various aspects to consider when selecting an email marketing platform for your business. For example, you may consider choosing a software that offers only one pro account with all the features. Why? Because three categories of paid accounts offer different features at each level.

    However, there is no one fit- all email marketing platform. Bloggers, YouTubers, and other content writers may have different preferences when compared to businesses that trade on Amazon, eBay, or Alibaba. Therefore, individuals, marketers, and business owners must carefully consider what is best for business growth before selecting a good email marketing platform.

  • 10 Reasons Why EDDM is a Great Marketing Tactic for any Size Business

    10 Reasons Why EDDM is a Great Marketing Tactic for any Size Business

    What is EDDM?

    Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a bulk mailing preference offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS). EDDM enables businesses to reach prospects without knowing their address. 

    How To Use EDDM?

    You choose your preferred mailing route, and the EDDM service provider delivers your mail items to all the active addresses on your selected carrier location. You can also target EDDM depending on the standard demographic of each neighborhood.

    EDDM is a direct mail tactic for any size business that targets every house in a selected neighborhood.

    What size is EDDM?

    There are specific requirements that Every Door Direct Mail must meet.  You can print the mail in any of the three varying sizes approved by the United States Postal Services. 

    They include 6.25”x 9”, 6”x11 and 8.5”x11”. Furthermore, the thickness of the mail should not exceed ¾”.

    All the postcard categories have the same EDDM postage rates regardless of the size. Therefore, you can take advantage of print area coverage by choosing a larger sized print media.

    How to Choose the Right Size EDDM Postcard?

    USPS has already taken care of the sizes of the postcards, which are taller than a regular envelope. Therefore, you don’t have to worry whether the EDDM postcard will stand out in the mailbox.

    The 6.25”x 9” EDDM Postcard

    This print media is the smallest postcard advertisers can mail using EDDM services. It is ideal for small businesses and individuals seeking to cut down on printing costs. However, it is still larger than half an A4-sized paper and can fit any advert for businesses like restaurants, home services, retailers, car wash, and more.

    The 6”x11” EDDM Postcard

    This middle-sized postcard is one of the three approved sizes by USPS. The 6”x11” EDDM card is longer than 10.5” and offers more print coverage than the smaller 6.25”x9”. More so, it doesn’t cost much more than the smaller version.

    One of the advantages of this middle-sized EDDM postcard is that it is ideal for marketing messages and graphics or pictures. It is also beneficial for promoters who wish to use a Business Reply Card on their Every Direct Door Mail print.

    The 8.5”x11” Every Door Direct Mail Postcard

    This Mailpiece is the largest-sized approved EDDM postcard you can send. Your possible clients spot it out of all the other mails because it stands out in size and design. 

    More so, the card allows you a broader print coverage to accommodate your messages, graphics, and maps. It is an ideal choice for marketers who need to express the service or brand in detail, like a menu list and selling proposition.

    This EDDM postcard is favorable for menus, health services, political mailers, and other industries that desire to overshadow the mailbox.

    Types of EDDM Accounts

    Business owners can select either the EDDM Retail Account or the USPS Business Account.

    EDDM-Retail Account permits up to 5,000 pieces of printed mail per zip code. More so, promoters do not require a postage permit to distribute mail under the Retail Account. It is ideal for businesses that issue out limited mail.

    USPC Business Account has a daily allowance of more than 5,000 pieces of mail per Zip code. It also permits marketers to handle the mail online. But unlike the EDDM-Retail Account, this service requires a postage permit from USPS.

    Why EDDM is a Great Marketing Tactic

    Marketing research shows that about 40% of the American population looks forward to going over their mail every day. Today, the current work at home scenario makes people of all ages anticipate receiving their mail more than customary.

    Here are 10 reasons why EDDM is a great marketing tactic for any business size.

    1. EDDM Improves Digital Marketing Strategy

    A study by The Canada Post indicates that you can achieve intelligent marketing, stronger client relationships, and improved sales by integrating digital and physical marketing. By combining print and digital media, you back up a message by reaching prospects across multiple channels.

    More so, the world’s largest digital tech giants like Google use direct mail to help drive its internet promotion and improve its revenue.

    2. High Response Rate Among EDDM Readers

    EDDM recipients are likely to be more responsive if they do not feel the pressure of being treated like isolated consumers. A selective mail list can make some neighbors wonder why they are targets for what ought to be a public campaign.

    Furthermore, statistics show that marketers get a higher response from mail sent to homes than from prospects lists. Up to 5.3% feedback originates from EDDM sent to residences and 2.9% from a predetermined schedule.

    3. High Response Rate Promotes Sales

    A CBR News report indicates that up to 62% percent of consumers purchase in less than three months of EDDM correspondence. EDDM is an excellent marketing strategy for businesses to convert leads to sales.

    For Both Young and Seniors

    Young child and adult mailing a postcard

    The older generation across the globe trust and have confidence in direct mail and read postcards more than other mail. More so, senior citizens also control almost 70% of all disposable income.

    Therefore, businesses take advantage of this remarkable purchasing power to influence this target group with direct mail campaigns.

    What About Millennials and Direct Mail?

    This target market has a whopping 90% who approve physical advertising. The same percentage also thinks that EDDM is a credible source of information. 

    Research indicates that 80% of the American younger generation anticipate checking the mailbox.

    Another 59% of the same target market value the information or ads received by mail more than that through email. 49% of this group choose to purchase from stores that advertise to them by EDDM.

    4. EDDM Is Simple to Target

    Targeting a physical audience may not be as quick as selecting an online audience on a social media platform which you achieve with a few clicks. Even so, finding your direct mail target market is effortless and achievable. 

    EDDM Service

    USPS permits businesses to distribute thousands of mailings to geographical locations of their choice at a lower postage rate.

    The mail carrier drops your mailing to every household along with the targeted zip code or neighborhood. Sometimes, your EDDM service provider can deliver your mail to different routes, to selected age groups, household size, or by income.

    Although EDDM does not require you to have a mailing list, marketers who need specific targets can pay third-party list dealers to obtain one. Mailing list vendors or direct mail service providers can help you target unique demographics like age, gender, income, and more.

    5. Easy to Track Your Postcard Campaigns

    The results of tracking your postcard campaigns provide an ideal business perspective. You can use the outcome to create realistic expectations for your business.

    Use A Distinct Phone Number on Each Direct Mail Campaign

    There are various options you may choose for your leads to contact you. One of the ways is to assign a unique phone number to postcard mailing for different Zip codes.

    As mentioned before, over 60% of individuals who read physical mail are likely to react to it, either by calling or walking to your store and purchasing your brand.

    Even so, you can track your postcard campaigns by counting the number of calls you receive on the unique number printed on specific postcards.

    Create a Landing Page for Your EDDM

    You can create a landing page if your goal is to entice prospects to visit your website or interact with your product. By including the link on your mail, you enable your clients from a specific campaign to contact you on a unique landing page.

    Alternatively, you can add a QR code to your postcard for consumers to scan with their smartphone camera. The code will automatically take them to the landing page you have created for that campaign.

    When visitors click on that page, you can identify the campaign that initiated the visit. 

    6. Physical Mail Has Limited Competition

    Did you know that the average American comes into contact with about 4,000 – 10,000 pieces of adverts per day? This exposure leads to digital fatigue or an experience known as ad blindness. It is the inability of consumers to sight or notice adverts.

    In contrast, the same category of Americans receives about two print media items per day. This notable difference means that the mailbox is free from the congestion of printed advertisements. Your direct mail will likely receive total attention, unlike your email, which has to compete among 10,000 others.

    Direct Mail Stands Out of the Mailbox

    Mailboxes

    In layman’s terms, the internet is swarming with electronic ads.  Consumers receive thousands of emails and videos from numerous marketers on social media whenever an individual interacts with the internet. Not to mention the pop-ups from Google ads, some of which are annoying.

    Mailboxes do not experience the kind of overcrowding witnessed on the internet. Direct mail is easy to manage and read. Consumers do not get burned out or fatigue by responding to 2 or 3 postcards.

    7. EDDM Is Scalable

    Both small and large enterprises can expand or cover a larger area with direct mail campaigns. EDDM allows you to take your marketing across multiple Zip codes. Postcards are ideal for any size business to announce a yearly event in an entire city.

    Organizations that have operations in more than one location can coordinate a nationwide campaign with EDDM. Politicians can use EDDM to effectively take their marketing campaigns from one region to the entire nation.

    8. EDDM IS Affordable

    Besides other factors like availability and scalability, EDDM is a great marketing tactic for all businesses because it is cost-effective. The new postage rates offered by USPS for Every Door Direct Mail are lower than other postage rates. Even small enterprises can easily afford to use the EDDM marketing strategy.

    Lower Cost Per Lead

    Postcards are not costly to print, and the postage rates are at a discount. More so, you do not need to buy a mailing list to deliver your mail items. Unlike other print media channels like magazines, these aspects of the EDDM marketing campaign reduce the cost per lead. 

    What Is the Cost of EDDM?

    The EDDM postage charges come in three categories. 

    • Standard postcard postage cost $0.3. 
    • Commercial first-class costs $ 0.257.
    • EDDM postage per piece costs $ 0.178.

    9. EDDM Increases Brand Awareness

    Brand awareness yields quality leads and improves sales in every business. EDDM does not only allow you to cover a wide area, but the postcards also stay with your prospects for a while.

    Multiple Physical Connection with Direct Mail

    A majority of households reside in the same residence for a year or more, and sometimes forever. If you consistently distribute your postcards across the selfsame locations, you can create a lasting physical connection for consumers with your brand.  

    More so, if you include special offers in your advert, consumers are likely to call back or keep your mail item for future reference. EDDM creates an ideal opportunity for your clients to remember your brand or services.

    10. Physical Mail Is Favorite and Trusted

    EDDM is one of the favorite mail services for the general households in the U.S. With a culture of reading printed material; most adult Americans always look forward to reading some informational or factual news every day.

    Physical Mail Is Convenient

    Research shows that 73% of American consumers prefer EDDM over email.  These consumers say that they can read the postcard at a more convenient time. 

    Physical Mail Facts

    Market research sources also indicate that 69% of the same population enjoy receiving mail and trust the information. 

    Another report by Mail Shark indicates that 59% of Americans have more confidence in print advertising when compared to electronic media.

    These findings indicate that EDDM is a great marketing tactic for any size of business. Even though thousands of marketers have turned to digital marketing, most individuals with movable assets still have confidence in print media and appreciate EDDM.

    Summary

    Every Direct Door Mail is an excellent strategy for any size business to market their brands and services. This service offers a cost-effective means of handling mail for companies that are tight on budget.

    The simplicity of using EDDM enables startups and small businesses to reach out to a vast market without purchasing a mailing list. It is not only pocket-friendly but also a quick way to bring leads to your business. This marketing strategy further improves sales.

    Furthermore, EDDM is flexible and allows you to design and print marketing materials that fit your brand or service. However, your EDDM mail should meet the size requirements in length, width, and thickness as set by USPS. 

  • Why a Funeral Program Is Still the Number #1 Funeral Keepsake

    Why a Funeral Program Is Still the Number #1 Funeral Keepsake

    When planning funeral arrangements for a funeral it is a good idea to implement a memorial keepsake of the decease. Each person who attends the funeral looks forward to receiving an obituary funeral program. It tells the story of the life once lived and provides historical and genealogy information of the decease.

    The reason the funeral program is the number #1 funeral keepsake is its cost effectiveness. On average you can provide each guest a funeral program for under dollar. In fact, you can reduce that cost by printing a larger quantity as printing cost is determined on a sliding scale. The more you print the less you pay. The less you print the more you pay.

    There are many memorial keepsake gifts that can be provided at the funeral but none as cost effective as the funeral program. Another reason the funeral program is an effective keepsake for the funeral is the obituary. The obituary is the life story of the decease. Everyone who attends the funeral wants a copy of the funeral program for this reason. It allows the reader an opportunity to read the official obituary at a later date.

    In my professional career I worked as a full color digital Printer, printing obituaries for funeral homes. After working with hundreds of funeral homes many funeral directors do not place great importance on having funeral programs at the funeral. The professional services rendered by the funeral director and casket cost will deplete any ones budget. This creates a minimizing effect for any other specialty services or keepsakes.

    The obituary funeral program is vitally important as it contains real world data that can be used for genealogy and historical purposes. I can remember attending my family reunion in Ohio one year. As the family was gathering for one of the schedule events, they began talking about my great-great-great grandfather. I had never seen him or knew what he looked liked. I was curious to see where my dad had got his looks from. To my amazement one of my aunts had a funeral program with his photo on it that she had saved for many years. The publication was dated back to 1926. Apparently the printed publication had been passed down through the family for years.

    As a result, I was able to see my great-great-great grand father and read the family lineage. There are many choices available for a memorial keepsake. However, there is only one keepsake that is a true staple in the funeral industry, the funeral program.

  • 5 Tips for Developing a Personal Brand

    5 Tips for Developing a Personal Brand

    Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

    It has been established that it takes about five to seven impressions for consumers to form an opinion about a business. This is why you put your brand out into the world is incredibly important. In order to make sure that the consumers perceive your business in a positive way, you have to try and focus on developing a strong personal brand as well.

    In a highly competitive market, you need to give your brand an edge over the others and achieve the business goals you have set. With personal branding, you can hope to get all of this and more.

    If you are looking to build a powerful personal brand, these are a few tips that might be useful and help you gain success in the future.

    1. Find a Direction

    Just as it is with creating a brand identity, you have to be very clear about your focus and direction when developing your personal brand. You cannot hope to impress the consumers by only designing an appealing website or through selling popular products without any purpose or direction.

    As a creator, you have to come across as someone with credibility and insights that would convince the customer to pick and choose your business over the competitors. Your aim is to give the audience a unique experience which is why you should find a direction or narrative that matches your field and business values.

    So think of it this way. If you want to build a personal brand in the field of design, you can have an interactive blog or website such as Robby Leonardi. Visitors can immediately know what he has to offer by going through his web page and get an idea of his skillset as well. Moreover, your personal brand can be made even more distinctive by having the initials of your name as your logo. Lettermark logos make attractive monograms and brand marks as famous brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, and Hillary Clinton are testimony of this logo design style.

    Image Source: rleonardi.com

    1. Research Your Audience

    By narrowing down your audience and demographic, you can create content that is targeted towards them and make your point directly. One of the reasons why a number of personal brands fail to take off is that they have a lot going on and can confuse the consumers. At the end, you do not know who they are trying to attract and the products or services they may be pitching.

    Its why, before anything, you should research the industry and define who your customers and audience will be. According to renowned author, Adam Smiley Poslowsky, if you want to become memorable and easily identifiable as a personal brand, you should, “Keep your message and content consistent to one niche topic to become memorable within a targeted community.”

     

    1. Be Authentic

    This might be something that you may often come across in branding. It is quite an essential part of it and can make or break a personal brand. If you do not come across as genuine and authentic, you might find difficulty in engaging with the audience and attracting consumers eventually.

    Authenticity is key to a personal brand’s success. Take Nesha Woolery for example. Her website is focused, genuine and gives out the information that her audience will benefit from. She offers teaching services for designers and project managers, and her personal branding highlights it.

    With the use of colors, fonts and user-friendly web design, Woolery has set the tone for a friendly conversation with the visitors.

    Image Source: neshawoolery.com

     

     

    1. Prepare A Short Pitch

    When starting out with developing your personal brand, a small pitch could prove to be highly useful. You might answer questions in the pitch such as four to five words to describe your brand, what you hope to accomplish with it and incorporate a story within too.

    By preparing a concise pitch, you will get an idea of your strengths, areas to focus upon and how will the audience see your brand later on. Sometimes, a positive word of mouth can work wonders for a brand and result in its growth. According to a report, around $13 trillion sales are made from word of mouth marketing in between consumers.

    It’s why the perception and feedback of the audience matters a lot and you can figure it out early on through your pitch.

    1. Establish a Visible Online Presence

    Since there is a lot of content being consumed by people nowadays, you have to figure out how to stand out and become visible in a very crowded field. While your website will be one of the first things that have to catch the attention of the users, your social media accounts are also crucial. If you want your personal brand to take off, you have to work on all the available platforms to attract your audience.

    Choose the social networks carefully, be it Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Find out where your target consumers will most likely be and then curate content for that network. For your website, you can look towards Search Engine Optimization, sponsored posts and endorsements from influencers to generate traffic.

     

    To Sum Up

    With these tips, you may find it easier to develop a strong and impressive personal brand. As long as you are determined, consistent and are making a positive impact with it, you will most likely find success and experience a growth in business as well.

     

    About Hailey Anne

    Embracing the work and travel paradigm wholeheartedly, Hailey likes to write while she’s exploring the world’s destinations. She ghost writes for her clients in the night and enjoy new cities by day. Connect with her for freelance writing projects.

     

     

  • What Are the Benefits of Printing a Color Brochure?

    What Are the Benefits of Printing a Color Brochure?

    Looking to add a new marketing piece to your brand’s strategy? Digital marketing became a popular choice for marketers to advertise their products. From videos to infographics, there are many things you can do with digital marketing. Many people would say that people have abandoned traditional ads for digital ones. However, there are still many advantages to traditional ads. One of the most popular traditional formats is brochures. If you’re considering this method, try printing color brochures.

    Not sure if you should try printing brochures? In this article, we discuss some of the benefits of printing a colorful brochure. Read on to discover some great color brochure printing advice.

    It’s Cost-Effective

    Printing brochures is a great way to market your products while you’re on a budget. Printing brochures can be cheaper than some online marketing methods. With the right printing company, you may even work together to produce an attractive design.

    Some printing companies will even offer a discount when you buy in bulk. Brochures also contain referral information. If a reader becomes interested in your products or services, they can find your contact info.

    You can give your brochure to a client, contact, and potential customers. You can save time and money by including important details in your brochure.

    Brochures are Tangible

    Unlike online ads, your customers can actually hold and feel your brochure. This gives your customers direct interaction with your brand. Billboards and online ads cannot offer the same tangibility.

    Your customers or clients may also refer back to your brochure when needed. Despite the increasing popularity of online marketing, brochures remain an effective item. Many customers prefer to hold items when discovering a new brand.

    A color brochure is a simple yet effective way to get a reader’s attention. A reader is more likely to pay attention to a brochure than ads on the web. A color brochure can give a longer-lasting impression.

    Build Customer Trust

    Once a customer reads your brochure, you will be able to build trust. Important information allows you to grab the reader’s attention and establish yourself. Having a brand brochure gives your business a professional appearance.

    When you hand a customer a colorful brochure, they’ll associate it with quality. A high-quality brochure is something that readers think is worth keeping.

    Many companies will include their brand goals and objectives. This allows a reader to see how much you care for your brand. Reliable credentials assure readers that you are a serious brand.

    Holds Valuable Information

    If you have a business website, you may have a contact page for your readers. However, some customers and clients will stop browsing your website if they can’t find it. A brochure allows you to insert valuable information about your brand in a compact area.

    Brochures are often more useful than other print advertisement options. Postcards and letters may not offer the same amount of information. With a brochure, you can include details about your products, brand, and even your contact info.

    A brochure gives you plenty of room to get your message across. You may even enhance the value of your brochure by offering discounts or coupons.

    Establish Brand Authority

    Print media shows your customers that you’re willing to invest in them. Business cards and letterheads may offer proof of credibility. However, a brochure can help you establish your authority as a brand.

    When people discover a business, they expect printed merchandise. Brochures are a subtle reminder to your customers and clients that you offer quality. Brochures are some of the strongest print media you can offer to your customers.

    Personalize Your Business

    Brochures allow you to speak to your customers on a personal level. Brochures can offer a platform of one-on-one communication to your readers. You can leverage your brochure design to personalize your business.

    With brochures, you have the freedom to design them according to your brand’s values. You can use certain colors to make your readers feel a certain way. This adds a personal touch to your brochure that makes readers think you’re unique.

    Easy Distribution

    Another benefit of brochures is that you distribute them through various channels. You can insert them in an order package when a customer buys something from your website. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you may display these in the reception area.

    You may attach these to kiosks or public bulletin boards. You may also hand out brochures at the mall or events. This includes trade shows, fairs, and exhibitions.

    Basics of Creating a Brochure

    Not familiar with creating a brochure? Brochures come in two types of folds. The type of fold you choose will depend on your goals and what action you want readers to take.

    The first type of fold is the half fold. This is the most common and simplest type of fold. You get two equal sides, equal to four pages.

    Tri-fold brochures are best for showcasing a business. You can use this to highlight your products or services. This is the best option if you want to promote your brand to potential customers and clients.

    Designing Your Brochure

    All company brochures must include the logo. This allows readers to identify your company with ease. A custom logo would be best if you want readers to establish yourself as a brand.

    Ensure that your logos and images are high-resolution. Low-quality images will lead readers to ignore your brand. You may also include a group or team photo.

    Avoid overwhelming your readers with too many fonts. Save elaborate fonts for headlines or banners. For your body, use conservative and easy-to-read fonts.

    Pick a color associated with your brand or how you want your readers to feel. When creating brochures, invest in high-quality materials. Cheap or flimsy material may affect the impression you give your readers.

    Benefits of Printing a Color Brochure

    Now you know some of the benefits of printing a color brochure. A brochure can help you establish your brand and share valuable information.

    Are you looking for a full-color brochure printing service? Contact us today and check out some of our other printing services.

  • Reasons Why and How Businesses Are STILL Using Color Flyers

    Reasons Why and How Businesses Are STILL Using Color Flyers

    It’s no secret that businesses in the modern digital era rely on technology more and more. You might even notice a reduction in the amount of paper used within your own organization.

    Still, there are reasons it’s important to still consider hiring printing services.

    In fact, experts suggest there are plenty of ways to use printed materials in modern business. One great example that many businesses use is that of printing color flyers. These simple, but practical, promotional papers can bring in a ton of new business if you’re strategic.

    The good thing is that you’ve come to the right article. Detailed below is everything you need to know about how and why businesses are still taking advantage of color flyers.

    Keep reading to learn more!

    The Printing Industry Is Expected to Keep Growing

    It’s true that most of us tend to communicate either verbally in-person or from our smartphones.

    Remember when we relied on paper mail to pay our bills or connect with cross-country loved ones, though? Even still, today’s digitization doesn’t make the printing industry completely unnecessary.

    Consider the following statistic about the global commercial printing market. It’s expected to grow from being worth about $400 billion in 2019 to over $460 billion by 2025! In other words, the printing industry isn’t going anywhere even in the wake of the digital era.

    Instead of going away altogether, commercial printing has adapted to modern business needs. Bulk printing has become more convenient and cost-effective than ever. That’s why color flyer printing can be such a valuable part of your organization’s marketing strategy.

    Posting Flyers Is a Classic Promotional Technique

    Before the internet was widely available to the modern consumer, people were posting flyers. Perhaps you had a band performance to promote or were looking for a lost dog. Even just a couple of decades ago, you would print out as many color flyers as you could and post them all around town.

    The great news, though, is that this practice hasn’t gone out of style. In fact, many restaurants and community centers have designated bulletin boards for just this purpose.

    Even outside of other businesses, leaving flyers on light posts or under windshield wipers is still as effective as ever. A well-designed colorful flyer can interest just about anyone in your product or service. In fact, that’s why it’s in your best interest to take the design of your flyer seriously.

    Be Willing to Get Creative With Your Flyer Design

    Since modern commercial printing is so convenient and almost simple, feel free to get creative with it.

    Your business’s brand, after all, has a unique personality and tone of voice it presents to the everyday consumer. Take the time to play around with different color combinations for flyers that your target audience might enjoy.

    For any successful flyer promotion, your flyer design needs to be strategic down to the last detail. Working with your potential printing service could be beneficial towards this goal. Their expertise could give you design insight to really capture the attention of any potential flyer viewer.

    Don’t Underestimate the Convenience of Printing Flyers in Bulk

    As mentioned above, perhaps one of the best perks of printed promotional materials is that of cost-effectiveness. It’s true that you can spread your brand’s promotion online by paying for ads on various sites.

    The thing about flyers, though, is that they tend to offer a more personal touch. Consumers can grasp something in their hands that your organization created, and now they’re responsible for that paper. Digital promotions, on the other hand, can be scrolled through and ignored without the online user missing a beat.

    You can pay for so many of these more personal promotional flyers without breaking the bank. Wouldn’t they be more valuable than the otherwise generic digital ad campaigns?

    Plus, the cost-effectiveness and of bulk commercial printing will likely keep growing as commercial printers evolve in the future. The industry’s not going anywhere, and it’s time for your organization to get back into the printing game. Everyday consumers are just waiting for the next flashy colorful flyer.

    Don’t Be Afraid to Hand Them Out on a Regular Basis

    Perhaps you’ve decided it might be strategic for you to post your flyers at all of the cutest coffee shops. Maybe your brand’s target audience is more likely to hang out at local grocery stores.

    No matter where you decide to post them, don’t be afraid to keep some on hand to hand out if need be. You might be at your kid’s basketball game or a local business networking event when the occasion arises. Since you’ve taken the time to design a colorful flyer you’re proud of, be willing to show it off and maybe get a new customer!

    Invest in Top-Quality Color Flyers Today

    At this point in the article, you recognize the potential value of using color flyers. Even in today’s ever-expanding digital connectivity, printed materials can be valuable.

    If you’re ready to invest in flyers to catch the attention of potential consumers, look no further. We encourage you to browse through the rest of our website at your convenience. In addition to flyers, we offer a variety of other valuable printing services to boost your company profits.

    First, check out the rest of our blog archives for the latest and greatest trends in the printing industry. Then, leave a comment below this article about how it inspired you to invest in printed promotional materials.

    When you’re ready to move forward, check out more details about our color flyer printing services.

  • Avoid These Mistakes When Designing Your Business Cards and Flyers

    Avoid These Mistakes When Designing Your Business Cards and Flyers

    Around 72% of people will judge your brand from the appearance of your card. On top of this, 39% said they wouldn’t do business with a company whose card looked ‘cheap’.

    With such a large part of your business’s first impression relying on visually satisfying business cards and flyers, the importance of nailing this marketing element is higher than ever.

    Unfortunately, many businesses are missing the mark when it comes to the design and portrayal of their printed marketing materials. From poorly arranged graphics to cheap materials, these common mistakes could be costing you valuable customers and sales.

    So how can you ensure you don’t fall down the poorly designed business cards and flyers track? Follow along to learn the design mistakes that hurt business growth and how you can avoid them.

    1. Doing It Yourself

    If you are a small business, or in the beginning stages of development, it can be tempting to try to cut any possible costs by doing as much as possible on your own.

    The problem with this approach is that wearing too many hats can often burn business owners out and land them in positions where they aren’t qualified or experienced in the intricacies of the task. You’ve already got enough on your plate and the cost of printing business cards and advertising flyers will make up for itself in the long run.

    Skip printing on your own and send your designs to a reputable company printing company. They’ll ensure your business cards and flyers come out looking professional instead of cheap and help you make that valuable first impression.

    2. Forgetting Digital Components

    Custom made business cards and flyers serve as a great way to take your marketing offline, however, it’s never a bad idea to tie the online and offline approach together for maximum impact.

    The easiest way to do this is to include a digital connection component on your printed materials. With all smartphones now including QR scanner right in the camera, you can use these fun features to drive more traffic to your online space.

    Create a QR code for your event or promotion, or even direct people to your contact page, either way, including an avenue to connect with you digitally will go a long way. If QR codes aren’t your thing, be sure to at least include your social media handles with the familiar logos.

    3. Boring Stock Photos

    The images you use to design your own flyers and business cards work to direct your customer’s eye through the content and draw them in. Unfortunately, creating custom images can be costly and unreasonable for every event. Because of this, many businesses turn to stock image sites and source cheap or free photos for their design.

    If you decide to use these stock images, be mindful of the selections you make and strive for relevant, interesting pieces. Many businesses before you will have used these images already and their impact is much lower when customers are seeing them for the tenth time on different brand’s cards.

    Keep your images interesting and on-brand and try to customize images wherever possible.

    4. Overstuffing

    We know you have lots to say but stuffing your business cards and flyers with overwhelming amounts of information will actually deter your customers from reading through it.

    Instead, aim for a simplistic look touching on the most important aspects and utilizing bullet points and bold or italics print to lead readers through your flyer. They’ll gather the gist of your content with a quick glance and have a better idea of what your brand can do for them.

    5. Skipping Proofreading

    There is nothing worse than ordering 2000 business cards and opening them up to discover you’ve mistyped your contact number or spelled your service type wrong.

    Take away this money-wasting error by always proofreading your design before submitting it. Whether you take a break and come back with fresh eyes for a final look through or ask an employee or partner to comb through your lines, this final step is absolutely vital.

    It’s not only embarrassing to explain to potential customers that the number is wrong or cross out the mistake with a pen. This mistake is unprofessional and sends the message that you aren’t a reliable business to work with.

    6. Being Bland

    The best part of custom-made business cards and flyers are the designer’s ability to get creative and think outside of the box. Instead of printing off the same old generic designs, take your flyers and cards up a notch and introduce innovative and fun elements.

    Hire a design consultant for your next project and try out different shapes with your cards. You can even double up the efficiency of your flyers and business cards by building them into usable formats like menus or loyalty cards.

    7. Color and Font

    When choosing the color and font for your promotional materials, be sure to stay on-brand and relevant.

    Take note of what fonts give a professional impression and use colors that reflect your services. Your favorite color may not be the best representative of your industry or offerings so be sure to stick with your already established brand colors and fonts for the most impactful design.

    8. No CTA

    Including a CTA or call to action is one of the most commonly forgotten steps for business creating content.

    The reason this step is so important is that it lets customers know what to do next. Believe it or not, your leads aren’t mind readers and they need your guidance to arrive at your intended result.

    Don’t be shy. Wrap your business cards and flyers up with a simple ‘call today’ or ‘visit our website’ CTA and watch your promo materials take flight.

    Create Business Cards and Flyers

    Now that you know the dos and don’ts of designing your own business cards and flyers, you can create impactful promotional materials. From choosing the right colors and fonts to sourcing help from the best printers and designers, we’re confident you’ll be drawing customers in with your professional-looking prints.

    Ready to get started on your custom business cards and flyers? Get in touch with us today to ensure the best print results for your growing business.

  • Postcards for Your Business & Dont Underestimate Their Effectiveness

    Postcards for Your Business & Dont Underestimate Their Effectiveness

    Postcards for Your Small Business

    Postcards are a great marketing tool and an efficient way to get information in front of prospective customers. By using direct mail to market your business, you are investing in a tried-and-true marketing method. 

    On average, Americans receive 605 emails each week and only 15 pieces of physical mail! The average lifespan of a marketing email is 17 seconds, whereas direct mail lives on for 17 days. This means that a postcard sent directly to someone’s address sticks around 86,000 times longer than an email and has a much longer period to convince someone to use your services.

    Why are postcards so effective?

    Direct mail postcards have a unique combination of low cost, high return on investment (ROI), and a measurable impact on the potential customer that digital marketing does not.

    Postcards are cost-effectivePostcard Marketing Example

    Postcards cost less than other direct mail alternatives. Other direct mail options typically require an outer envelope, an internal letter or brochure, and a reply envelope. Postcards are a unique format that allows you to send direct mail on one piece of paper without the customer having to open it.

    Because of the simple reality of less materials used, postcards take less time for our team to design, which contributes to the lower costs of postcard mailing campaigns. Postcards can be addressed and personalized via inkjet addressing systems, which is the most cost-effective way to address mail. Also, postcard postage rates are very low, especially if you are using a marketing program like EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail). They are also allowed to be the same size as the most significant letters USPS will deliver without requiring an envelope.

    Postcards have a high Return on Investment (ROI)

    Because postcards offer a lower initial cost than other direct mail marketing methods and do not need to be opened by the receiver for them to be read, they outclass other forms of direct mail. A typical direct mail campaign is twice as effective as an online ad at generating ROI for your business. The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) found postcard response rates around 9% in 2018. While this number may not be impressive on its own, it is essential to remember that measuring the response rates of direct mail campaigns is much more complex than a digital format. In a digital ad, the user’s response is counted when they click a link or ad banner.

    To give context for why 9% is an impressive response rate, you can look at the statistics for email marketing. Email marketing has a click through rate of 3%, and a response rate of .6%. We are all bombarded by emails from companies that we often send directly to trash without opening. The USPS found that 98% of people check their mailbox daily, and since postcards do not need to be opened to be read, they are scanned by nearly 100% of those who receive them. This means you are almost guaranteed to have your prospective customer’s attention for some time when you send them a postcard. This is staggering compared to email’s click-through rate of 3%.

    Postcards are high-impact and “sticky.”

    As we mentioned, postcards stay in a person’s life for an average of 17 days before being discarded. The likelihood of your postcard being scanned when it first arrives is almost 100%. Unlike email, your potential customers can interact with this piece of mail several more times over the next two weeks.

    Postcards are the only type of mail, digital or physical, that does not need to be opened to be read. The receiving party does not have the option to ignore your brand entirely. If they are not interested, they may throw the mail away, but they will have read the message you intended to convey. This effectively builds brand awareness, regardless of response rates.

    Physical mail evokes emotion. The USPS reports that over half of the country looks forward to receiving mail and indicates that getting physical mail is a pleasure. Postcards have the benefit of being colorful in design, and they can catch the attention of those who would not look twice at a plain letter design. Being able to clearly display your brand’s message in full color with eye-catching designs is an attribute unique to postcards.

    While postcards are scanned by almost 100% of those who receive them, DMA research indicates that ver 50% of postcards are read in full by at least one household member. Claiming that 50% of households will read your marketing message in full is unparalleled in today’s marketing landscape. It is worth remembering that email has a cclick-throughrate of just 3%, and this statistic does not guarantee that your email was read in full.

  • Say You Are Open During COVID-19

    Say You Are Open During COVID-19

    The Coronavirus pandemic has hit a lot of people and businesses really hard. During the lockdowns a lot of businesses had to close and unfortunately could not afford to make it back in time to reopen. That is why it is important for you to make sure that you are in ongoing and open conversations with your client base and any possible clients you can gain. More likely than not, your business took a bit of a hit during the lockdowns, and that is very normal. Communication, in any industry, is a key component and is a necessary action businesses must take to ensure that they maintain their revenue and keep up with their clientele. 

    There are many ways you can continue communications going with your clients. It is best that you use all the necessary avenues you can think of to make sure your customers know you are open and that your services are still available to them. There are a lot of people who do not know that your business is not open. During times like this, people are more likely to be focused on things that they need to maintain the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones. We at Catdi Printing create a COVID-19 Marketing Resources

    So what are some ways you can reach out and let people know that your business is open? There are a few ways you can go about that. Continue reading to find out the ways you can openly communicate with the public during COVID-19.

    Use Direct Mailing

    Many marketers turned to digital channels during the pandemic for a bunch of reasons. It made the most sense for B-to-B companies where their customers were at home accessing email but not their office postal mail. Yet the increase of electronic communications eventually produced a certain numbness among consumers who began freely exercising the use of their delete buttons. Likewise, social media was used more for interactions with friends and family with advertisements often viewed as an unwelcome intrusion.

    Not so with direct mail marketing. Mailbox content thinned out, and well-targeted, well-produced, pandemic-sensitive direct mail was welcomed.  Further, health authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quickly established that both mail and packages were completely safe, thus minimizing concerns over disease transmission. In fact, there have been no confirmed COVID-19 infections in the U.S. from either mail or home-delivered packages. Both the USPS and the package delivery services have done a great job further allaying concerns through their own best practices and procedures.

    Direct mailing is a good way to get the message out that your business is open and ready for business. Electronic communications is probably the number one way a lot of businesses are out there communicating with the public that they are still open. While that is a way you can go, when you go the direct mailing route, you may stick out amongst the pack and that could very easily lead to more business coming to you.

    Use Your Site

    Another way you can communicate with your customer base is through your website. This is the easiest and most efficient way you can let people know you are open since almost everything is done online today. One thing you can do is set up an “alert” email chain where your clients can enter their emails in so your business can send them updates via email on what is going on with your business. 

    Something you want to remember when using any method of communication with your clients, is it is okay to acknowledge that these are not normal times that we live in. Address the issue right away so your customers know you understand what they are going through. The second thing you want to do is not keep the marketing of your company exactly the same as it was before covid. That will just give off the sense that you are not attentive to the struggles that the people are going through. A big thing you can do when reaching out to people during corona is give them hope. This does not mean you have to tell them everything is going to be awesome, but it does not take a lot to make sure your communications with them are on the positive side. This will make them think fondly of you and your business and that will only help both you and your customers in the long run. 

    Social Media Is Another Tool at Your Disposal

    Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat, or any other form of social media, those are the number one forms of communication used today. More likely than not, you have your business page on one of those platforms. The best thing you can do with your page is use it as a line of communication. Use social media to reach out to the public and let them know you are open and tell them why now is a great time to purchase whatever you are selling. It is not going to be an easy task, but it is one that is manageable. 

    As it was with the direct mailing and website, the number one thing you want to express through social media is compassion. If you come off as someone who is just trying to make money off of people during a pandemic, the public will immediately shut you out and go somewhere that seems more like they care. These are sensitive times and now is not the time be as aggressive as you once were. 

    In the end, these are trying times for everyone, from businesses to families. Almost everyone has had it rough. While your business is important, you do not want to lose sight of what is happening in this country. It is not wrong of you to market your business during a pandemic. It just means you now have to be even more careful of what you say and how you go about doing it. It is a tricky path but one that is manageable.

  • Why Business Cards are Still Relevant in 2020

    It’s been a year of tumultuous change. Amidst this strange new climate, many businesses are unsure which trends to follow, and which are out. Instead of networking events and board room meetings, there are Zoom calls and video conferences. We’re living in a strange new world and it’s not clear what will happen when the dust settles. In a post-COVID world, are business cards still relevant? Despite it all, they are an effective marketing tool, and here’s why:

    A business card sets you apart from the competition. When you make a connection with a company, you can add them on LinkedIn, but you’ll be buried among all their other friends. A business card is a physical representation of your interaction, and it’s not overlooked as easily. Online profiles may be more informative and efficient, but they’re also more generic. A card that represents your company with its design and logo leaves an impression that can’t be matched by something on a screen.

    It makes you appear professional. Your company will look more legitimate when you have a stylish, sleek card to represent your services. Imagine you’re having a conversation with a person you want to impress when you take out your wallet and offer them a business card. If you don’t have a card, and someone asks for your contact information, you’ll have to scribble it down on the nearest sheet of paper – it doesn’t exactly form a credible opinion of your operations in their minds. But with a set of stylish business cards? Now that’s how you market yourself effectively! 

    You can post them on social media. During times of physical distancing, it might be tough to exchange your business card with others. Don’t worry – use this as an opportunity to post it on your social accounts. If your followers are impressed at how suave it looks, they might share it with their friends; essentially, it’s like passing around your card virtually. 

    It’s an industry standard. Businesses that have been around for a long time expect a card when they meet you. When someone gives you their card, it’s customary that you do the same in return. Even though technology is advancing further and further, there’s no need to stop a tried-and-true method of marketing. It’s a direct way to send your message to your targeted audience: the person you just met.

    Physical marketing material won’t get lost in an inbox. If you send an email to a business person, it can get overshadowed by all their incoming messages. A business card that they keep in their wallet or pocket lasts longer. Other print materials that increase your sales are great for business, such as direct mail, catalogs, and posters. 

    Show off your style! What makes your company unique? How do you stand apart from your competition? By designing a business card that highlights your strengths, that’s how. It also creates a more intimate connection with those you’re reaching out to. What could be less personal than a text or email, when your recipient receives dozens of those each day? Giving them a business card is a more unique interaction.

    It will increase your sales. What happens if that client you met last week needs to call you, but they can’t remember your number? They might try to search for you online but come across the website of your competitor instead. This won’t be an issue if they have your business card handy in their pocket. Every 2000 cards that you distribute will increase your sales by 2.5%. Business cards might be the edge that you need to boost your profit margins.

    Cards are still the quickest way to exchange information. We all know that the Internet moves at a lightning-fast speed – but even if you’re sharing your LinkedIn account with someone, you’ll still need to grab a paper and pen for them, or wait for them to write it down in their phone. Why not expedite the process and supply them with a business card instead? It will contain all the relevant contact information they need, and it only takes the time of you handing it to them.

    For creative businesses, it demonstrates your skills. Business cards still matter in today’s digital environment.. Think unconventional shapes, etched designs, and surprising textures. If you offer design services, a well-crafted card represents your creative abilities. Make your business card a modern work of art to show off the knowledge and experience you have in your field. 

    Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be “out with the old, in with the new”. Business cards are still a very effective way to share information and network with others. They provide a tangible memento of your interaction. Even if physical distancing measures prevent businesses from meeting in-person, it won’t last forever, and one day our world will return to normal. A business card will always be a professional way for companies to share their contact information in a long-lasting, physical, and concise format.