Marketing Manner

Once you find what works, it’s easy to keep using the same marketing ideas over and over again. The only problem is that your marketing can become stale and boring to customers and prospects alike. This is why it is so important to constantly be rethinking and improving your marketing plan. If you are having a hard time coming up with new tactics for marketing your business, here are some creative ideas to get you started.

Partner with Other Companies
Partnering with another firm can double your audience while cutting costs. Think about other businesses that could naturally partner with yours. For instance, a pizza parlor and a video rental go well together; another logical pairing would be a florist and a wedding planner; another combo might be a real estate agent and a small loan company. 

Join forces and share your advertising costs. You can put both businesses on everything from radio commercials to posters. You could also give each other coupons to pass out to customers, and offer packages combining your goods or services. This can cut costs on promotional gifts as well; for instance, both include coupons and your logos when brochure printing.

Give Out Calendars
Give out thank you gifts to your customers and put your logo and contact information on them. You could also do a calendar printing and send them out at the end of the year. Use the calendar to make a personal connection between your customers and your business by featuring an employee on each page; tell a short story about that employee and get creative with the photograph. 

Submit Articles to the Local Paper
Raise the stature of your business by writing articles related to your industry and submitting them to the local paper or to professional organizations. You are an expert in your field, so make sure others know about it.

Use Promotional Items at Events
Have lots of promotional items made to give out at trade shows, community events, fairs, and meetings. You can have mugs, erasers, key chains, and drink cozies made for little money. You could also do a calendar printing or create promotional stickers. Be sure your items are attractive and have your logo and web address on them.

Offer Free Classes on Your Area of Expertise
Host seminars at your location on subjects related to your industry. This will help people to view you as an expert. It will also give you a chance to announce the event in your local paper and give you a reason to send out direct mail inviting people to the classes.

The most important thing to remember about marketing is always be advertising your company. The best way to make your business popular and known is through consistent marketing. Just don’t get stuck in a rut with your advertisements so that customers remain excited about hearing of your new offers and promotions.

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 »

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 »

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 »

Easter is an excellent time to gear up for print advertising of all types.  Spring is in the air, customers are out shopping again, and this represents a perfect opportunity to remind your customers about your products and services.  Easter is a unique holiday on a number of levels.  First of all, from year to year the date changes.  Easter also means different things to different people.  For some, it is the most important religious holiday of the year.  For others, Easter represents a holiday celebrating spring, Easter bunnies, and family get-togethers.  Keep these important distinctions in mind when designing for Easter print advertising. Continue reading »

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 »

Few business managers understand the difference between offset printing and digital printing.  This is important to understand for postcard printing in particular, since the difference between offset or digital printing can mean significant savings.  So what are these differences?  What is the best method for your postcard printing project? Continue reading »

Are you ready to start a special interest club or association? Bringing people together for a common interest or goal is an awesome opportunity to meet new people, grow personally, and improve your community through outreach projects. Here are some tips on how to start a club or association that will get you off to a strong start! Continue reading »

Independence Day is an important holiday in America as it represents the pinnacle of patriotism for holidays as well as encapsulates all things related to summer.  This makes Independence Day an important opportunity for businesses to connect with customers and associate with the positive imagery surrounding this holiday, and this is especially true for small businesses that are locally owned.

There are many design elements associated with Independence Day that can be incorporated into print advertising.  Knowing the right one for you depends on your goals and what kind of print advertising medium you are using.  This article discusses a number of design tips that you can use to connect your business with the positive excitement and energy surrounding Independence Day.

Support local business
Don’t be afraid to point out the fact that your business is locally owned, if that is the case.  Many customers would gladly support a local business over an international firm as long as prices and services are competitive.  Using the “Made in the U.S.A.” phrase can go a long way to connecting your customer with the fact that you are a local business.

Be brilliant
Make sure that your print advertising is in full color.  Independence Day imagery should include fireworks and summer themes.  Black and white simply cannot translate these ideas properly.  Explore a number of alternative printing methods, such as plastics, to really help your promotional items standout.

Call to action
Make sure to include a call to action such as the “limited time only” sale, promotional events, or even include coupons in your print advertising materials.  Print advertising has at its core the goal of improving sales, and a great way to get customers shopping with you is through a call to action that includes sales and promotional events.

Red, white, and blue
Of course, a great way to connect with the patriotic elements of Independence Day is through the red, white, and blue colors that are iconic of this holiday.  To stand out from other patriotic advertisements, incorporate the colors of your company into your print advertising materials and consider using red, white, and blue as a backdrop or incorporating these colors into other graphical elements.

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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