We are in a recession or are we. I guess right now it all depends on the person perspective of you. Your business and your micro economic outlook. No matter. The fact is that we are all trying to produce more with less of an advertising budget.
With that in mind it can be very tempting to just go out and buy your printing, anything from business cards to that new brochure to a hot little direct mail piece, from the printer with the lowest cost, right?
Well you might be able to save a few bucks up front but is it cost effective? Well. . . most likely not. If you are one of those who expect your printer to be doing more than just putting ink down on paper buying cheep makes no sense. If your printer has not evolved into a marketing consultant who works with you from their area of experience and knowledge to create the right kind of printed piece for what you want to get done, you are getting short changed no matter what the price.
If you are doing a direct mail piece, your printer should be able to get the most out of your project, and I am not talking about the most copies. If you’re planning on doing a new brochure your printer should be able to consult with you on the latest trends and practices to help make your brochure stand out from the competition.
Your printer should be able to evaluate your objectives and your target audience and market and then suggest what you might want to have happen on that printed page. Those little things like size, color, n umber of folds, kind of paper stock, estimated postage costs, etc.
Maybe you can be cross channeling your new brochure or mailer into other kinds of media like a blog, a social media push or a special web promotion. If your printer is as good as he should be he is at the forefront of what is happening in the world of advertising.
They should be working with you to help you to target new areas to attract new customers. If you are not using variable data your printer might be able to help you with their valuable insights on when and how to use this technology to make it even more relevant to your prospects or present customers. This kind of technology might help to keep you relevant.
You should only need to communicate with them on what the goals and timing of your project is and they should be able to help you get the highest ROI possible. If they can’t, go fish.
Larson Notes & Satire: Printing is just one part of what should be in your marketing attack but it can be the anchor or the glue that keeps it all together.
No other medium is a grounded as the printed piece. Yes it might have some upfront costs that keeps you from using it, but that is why more and more people trust printing. You can’t sit down and punch out a quickie. Think about it. Any electronic medium can be done with almost zero out of pocket cost except for your time and energy and of course your computer and software. But a mailer or a brochure? Not so easy to do for a time only expense. You have to spend some money to make it, produce it and then to send it out.
So maybe you need to ask yourself? Are you a real business, a hobby business or just throwing some mud on the wall to see what sticks kind of business?
Do things right and you can sit back in your chair and toast your competition: ah yes “Here’s mud in your eye!”
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
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P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Take the Larson Challenge to double your sales this year and get listed on our web site @ http://www.larsonassociates.ws/Larson_Challenge . Email us your company name and web address to get listed. Make this year your best ever!
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