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Design Trends to Keep an Eye out for in 2010

The rhythm of trends can catch anyone off guard. It seems that there is never just one trend-setter. It would appear the design community holds a collective train of thought that shifts together to create new and better design. When you find a new trend in design, you are likely to see it elsewhere at the same time.
 
In the blog Web Design Trends for 2010 there are examples of new trends being set by several designers. These certainly are not the only ones of their kind. Study these and then take a look around to find others like them. Below are some of the trends discussed in the blog, but with my own thoughts on how they affect print media as well. Continue reading »

Increase Catalog Sales by Improving Your Design and Copy

Catalog printing is a costly process, so catalogs need to be as effective as possible. In general, your catalog needs to work like a good sales person: it should describe product benefits, talk about quality, assure customers they are making a good choice, and make it easy to purchase products. Here are some ways to improve your catalogs so they will generate more sales. Continue reading »

Does your Company Need to Give Promotional Gifts?

Does your company need to give promotional gifts? If you have not already asked yourself this question, then it’s time that you do. Does your promotional t-shirt, cap, pen, mouse pad, or print calendar really have an effect on potential clients? If the answer is yes, then you should start passing them out now! Here are some reasons why I - and most companies - find that the answer is yes. Continue reading »

Quality Photograph Tips for Calendar Printing

When you are doing a calendar printing, there are some tricks you need to know to prepare your photographs for the printer. Great looking photos are the most important part of wall calendars, so here are some tips for getting clear, sharp images that have the colors you intended. Continue reading »

How To Market Your Mortgage Company

The big temptation is to send your marketing message to everyone. The more people who hear about you, the more clients you will get, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. The most effective way to market your company is to direct your approach to a specific smaller group. Once you have found your niche in marketing, you find that your client lists will grow far faster then if you send a general message to everyone. Here is how to make that happen. Continue reading »

Tips for Advertising a Fund Raiser Event

Advertising a fundraiser is a large task, but it can be accomplished successfully if you are deliberate. Since there are many avenues to take when advertising, it can be difficult to know which ones are right for your event: flyers and posters make great advertisements, but mailers and phone calls are also effective. Here are some great tips for advertising your fund raiser that will help you to know what methods of advertising are right for you. Continue reading »

Use Sticker Printing to Increase Brand Recognition

Sticker printing is a very cost effective marketing method for increasing brand recognition.  Because of the limited space on a sticker, you’re often limited to a short message or even just your logo.  But careful design and placement can yield your business a significant brand recognition boost.  Take the following examples into consideration when you think about inexpensive advertising that your company could use.

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Ad Writing for the Small Business Owner

Do you have trouble creating an effective piece of advertisement? Maybe you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you have so many ideas that your poster printing piece looks like a novel. Fortunately, ad writing is relatively simple if you know a few simple rules. When you are creating advertising for your small business, keep the advice in mind for a much smoother writing process and much better results.

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Cross-selling and Up-selling Products in Your Print Catalog

The best way to increase your profits is to provide everything people need in one place; just look at the success of Wal-Mart Supercenters or Super Targets. You can create this same atmosphere through cross-selling and up-selling techniques in your print catalog. All you need to do is brainstorm about what people need — what will help them solve their problem the most sufficiently. Here are some ways that you can use cross-selling and up-selling in your print catalog for encouraging a larger purchase.
Cross-sell Products that Go Together
Consider your main products and what people will need to use that product. Then offer those other products along with your main product. Very often, consumers will never see the importance of purchasing more than the one product they have set their mind on without some help. So not only will you increase your profit by selling more stuff, you will be helping consumers better fulfill their needs.

Cross-sell Services Along with Your Products
Some products are difficult to use and so customers need services to go along with them. For instance, if you sell computers and software, most customers would appreciate help with the installation. Either offer such services at a low price, or include it with the cost of the software as a promotional perk.

Up-sell Products that Work Better
Up-selling is simply getting customers to upgrade to a better product from the one they were originally going to buy. When you create your print catalog, you should describe the benefits of upgrading to a better model in glowing terms. In the computer catalog example, tell how much faster and more efficient a higher quality computer would be.

Sell Packages at Bargain Prices
Customers love to buy everything they need in one package when it saves them money. In your print catalog, spell out how much they will save by buying everything together. On the pages with your big ticket items, give a bullet list of complementary products that go with it along with their separate prices, and then print the bargain package price in large, bold type.

Cross-selling and up-selling can take your struggling business and make it thrive. Just keep the above tips in mind and your print catalog will be one that customers feel they can trust to truly fulfill their needs.

What’s the Big Deal with Promotional Calendars?

So, really, why all of the hype about promotional calendars? Of course, they are an excellent marketing tool that can be customized to fit any industry or clientele. And they do offer your business the ability to find advertising real estate right in your customer’s living or working space at a small cost to you. But are they really worth the time and cost for your business? Here are some ways that promotional print calendars are a big deal for your business. In other words, yes, you should invest in a new promotional calendar each year. Take a look:

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