How to Flourish: Focus on Personal Growth

We don’t always talk about personal growth, but it should be the topic of conversation or at least the topic of thought. How do we flourish in such a busy world? Here are ten steps to encourage your growth.

10 Steps to Encourage Your Personal Growth

Volunteer.

We don’t always want to add another thing to our to-do list, but this is important to give you a different perspective. By volunteering, you will feel good about yourself and learn new skills and get different views of the world.

Experience new things and places.

Take a short day trip on your day off. This is the perfect time to break out of your comfort zone and try something new. Enjoy learning about new places, and don’t be afraid to take part in local activities. It will do your brain good.

Prioritize your health.

Take a health journey by starting to walk, joining a gym, or taking up a new sport that you can do regularly. Your health is an important part of personal growth.

Evaluate your life.

Use a private journal, or put it in your phone or on a computer. But take time to write down what you like and don’t like about your life. This is time for complete honesty. No one but you is looking. What makes you happy? What frustrates you? What would you like to change in your life? What steps do you need to take to improve?

Learn something new.

Read books that you never thought of reading. Take a class somewhere that will stretch you. Go on a retreat to expand your knowledge.

Set ambitious goals.

Research at the University of California-Riverside found that people with loftier goals were more satisfied than those who set mediocre goals, even if the outcome was similar. Reach for something you think is a bit unattainable but doable. Don’t be afraid to set long goals that take a while to achieve.

Be a good listener.

You might want to call up a friend and practice your listening skills. Or maybe it’s at work. Focus on listening instead of what you’re going to say next.

Stretch yourself creatively.

Do something that stretches you creatively. If it doesn’t come naturally, take a painting or pottery class from an adult education facility. Or watch YouTube to follow along with an artist. Or try Pinterest for ideas on what to do. 

Don’t try to impress people.

This leads only to disappointment. Set goals that are important to you, rather than a goal that will impress others. This is key to personal growth because it’s personal; it’s not what others think of you. 

Teach others.

The best way to learn something is to teach it to others. Evaluate your skills, interests, and hobbies. What can you teach others? This will help you improve as well as help out others. 

We all need reminders to grow on purpose. If we don’t take steps to grow in our personal and professional lives, we remain stagnant.

We are always learning new things at our printing firm, and we love helping you with your goals. If you desire a more creative banner or marketing materials, you know where to go. We’re your partner in personal growth. Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO: www.printcafeli.com

 

The Power of Storytelling in Marketing

Storytelling has been around for ages.

To this day, people love stories. It unites people while stimulating imagination and passion. Although often seen as a fun pastime, stories usually have a purpose, such as sharing a message, conveying a moral, or telling history. 

Humanize the business

One sometimes overlooked use of stories is within business marketing campaigns.

Stories can be especially moving in the marketing world. Storytelling humanizes the brand, which is beneficial because people like buying from other people. The more you can humanize the brand, the better. 

Stories to remember 

Storytelling is also useful for remembrance.

People tend to remember stories better than they do statistics. Sometimes, being remembered is half the battle. After all, the marketing world is saturated with numerous businesses vying for attention. “Brands that tell more sell more.” Storytelling is a unique way to stand out. Stories take on different formats depending on their purpose. 

What is storytelling in marketing? 

Marketing in storytelling has a couple of unique features. 

Storytelling in marketing is… 

• Combining information with a narrative. It takes skill to effortfully combine relevant information into a story. But that’s exactly what great storytelling marketing strategies do. They effortlessly combine the facts with the story.
• Your brand: storytelling elevates your brand. Your brand in itself is already meant to humanize your business and give customers an idea to attach themselves. Storytelling will help you achieve this.
• About your customers. Your customers are at the heart of every story. Your main character resembles your ideal customer. The better the characters resemble your customers, the more effective your storytelling will be.
• Emotional and engaging. Stories are fun. Stories are emotional. Don’t shy away from these key components because it’s a marketing campaign. If you can add emotionality and engagement to your story, the better the story will be. Commercials that generate a chuckle or a tear are the ones that are the most memorable and impactful. 

Stories can be found in all shapes and sizes. 

• Stories can be written. Written stories are found in articles, blogs and books
• Stories can be spoken. Spoken stories are at presentations and pitch panels.
• Stories can be in an audio format such as within a podcast
• Stories can be digital. Digital stories are in videos, animations, interactive stories, and games. 

The medium in which you tell your story is important because how the story is told adds to the meaning of the story. 

How to tell compelling stories

Practice

Great storytelling takes practice.

Effectively combining your company into a story that is compelling and coherent is challenging. It takes time, patience, and practice to develop the skill. Just remember that, like everything, practice yields improvement.

With storytelling, the best way to improve is by doing. However, having a good foundation is helpful. 

Remember your basic storytelling outline:

• The introduction sets the scene and gets the audience wanting more.
• The rising action is where the conflict is set up and built. Tension and suspense are created. 
• The climax is the most exciting part of the story. The tension that has been rising bursts and the conflict emerges.
• In the falling action, things settle down and go back to normal.
• The conclusion. Every story needs a conclusion. In marketing, it is generally best if the ending is a happy one. Usually, happiness is created from your product or service. Here is the best part to include a call-to-action where you encourage the potential client to buy from your business. 

The characters 

A great story has great characters.

In marketing, the best characters are relatable. The more your potential customers relate to the characters in your story, the more they can empathize with the character’s problems. The prospective client will then see your company as a means to fix their problems. 

Try implementing new strategies, such as storytelling, to your marketing campaign to complement the new year.  Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO: www.printcafeli.com

 

Elevate Your Marketing Campaign with Postcards!

 

Happy New Year! How crazy it’s already 2022! How was your 2021 marketing strategy? Whether splendid or slightly lacking, any marketing strategy has room for improvement.

In the new year, try incorporating (or reincorporating) direct mail marketing strategies. This long-standing proven method, with added new technology, is a perfect way to hit the ground running in 2022.

And the best part? It can start with a simple postcard.

The Many Benefits of Postcards

Postcards are highly effective.

Did you know that 86% of customers take the time to read through their mail? Due to postcards’ higher visibility, you can expect a higher response rate than any other marketing medium, along with a 70% higher brand recall.

This translates into a high return on investment.

Every $167 spent translates into about $2000 in goods sold. That’s a great investment! Increase your benefits by incorporating a fantastic postcard design. 

The Postcard Design

The postcard design is important and should complement your message and marketing strategy. Here are a few aspects of postcard design to keep in mind.

The material is part of the design, and it reflects on your company.  For example, if environmentalism is essential to your company, share that value with your customers by using recycled material. Or, if you want to send a message of quality, then use heavier material. If your postcards are high quality, then your customers will believe your products and/or services to be high quality as well. 

The size of the postcard is important too. Average-sized postcards are great and effective, but more oversized postcards will stand out due to their inherently larger nature. Try giving the 6-inch by 11-inch postcards a try. 

The two main finishes are glossy or matte. A glossy finish portrays elegance, while matte seems more professional.

A well-thought-out headline is important! You want the headline to sum up your main idea while prompting the customer to keep reading.

A call-to-action prompts the potential client to react in response to the postcard. Examples include requesting that the customer call, visit the store, explore the website, or like/follow social media.

Call-to-actions are most effective when there is a deadline associated with them. Therefore, many companies find it beneficial to offer limited-time deals. Along with driving customer interaction and sales, a call-to-action will help you determine the effectiveness of your postcard campaign for future use. 

Developing a Plan

According to Benjamin Franklin, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Set yourself up for success by planning your postcard campaign.

Set SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. 

Set a budget. Don’t break the bank, but invest enough to see results. 

It’s important to be aware of the static and dynamic postcard costs. Static costs don’t change, while dynamic costs depend on the number of postcards you decide to send. The more postcards you send, the overall cost per card is lowered. Static postcard costs include copywriting and design, while dynamic costs include printing services and postage fees. 

Sending the Postcards

Next, you need to decide where you are sending these postcards. 

• Send the postcards to existing customers. Given that they already have shopped at your business before, these postcards would mainly promote another sale.
• Create or rent a new mailing list. This strategy will reach new customers, generating new business. When you create or rent this new mailing list, ideally, you’re going to try to find households within your target market demographic.
• Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM): In this strategy, you mail a postcard to every household within a geographic area. Sometimes specific demographics congregate in neighborhood clusters. If you can identify your target market within a neighborhood, this strategy is useful. If your business is close to a certain neighborhood, it may be helpful to let the locals know about you, and they may love your business out of proximity convenience. 

Repeat!

Send follow-up postcards.

Potential clients need to hear your company’s message about seven times before they decide to buy. The more familiar your business becomes to the customers, the better off you are. In marketing, familiarity generates sales because people are drawn to the familiar.    Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO: www.printcafeli.com

Is Your Marketing a Work of Art? 

Why You Need a Professional Designer

 

Do you marvel at beautiful artwork? Are you dazzled by the use of exquisite colors? And are you perplexed as to how images are chosen for certain marketing efforts?

That’s the job of a graphic designer.

Designers have training in choosing colors and images; they make the ordinary a work of art. 

Why You Need a Graphic Designer

Even if you have ideas of what you want, a graphic designer can bring that vision to life. That’s why it’s best to leave the execution to the experts.

Graphic designers know the rules and how to break them to create a compelling message.

They are trained in color, form, line, shape, size, space, and texture. And the principles they must learn have to do with: balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, proportion, and rhythm.

Graphic designers adhere to the principles of design.

These basic principles achieve effective composition in creating balance and stability for the work. Most of us haven’t been trained this extensively, and that’s why we lean on the experts.

Graphic designers help with your professional image.

And that’s why we are here to help you improve your image and marketing materials.

Working with a graphic designer is fun and can be a great time to brainstorm together and come up with something that hasn’t been done before.

Designers are artists and have wonderful ideas. Our graphic designers are ready with fresh ideas and new artwork that will surely dazzle your eyes and help your business image improve.  Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO: www.printcafeli.com

      5 Easy Ways to Refresh a Brand Using Print

Brands and their logos help consumers navigate to their favorite products and services. Restaurants, nail salons, car repair shops, and plumbers all use their logos to stay visible, reminding the market to think of them. Over time, logos and mascot characters take on a life of their own. Sometimes, brand owners become reluctant to make changes out of fear that customers won’t recognize them, keeping them from refreshing and modernizing their look. This is a great time to remind them that a new year brings new possibilities!

Remember that a brand refresh is not the same as a rebranding project. With a refresh, the name remains the same - you simply make subtle updates like new shades of existing colors or a more modern, cleaner font. Forbes magazine tells us that “a brand refresh is critical to maintaining and even earning relevancy in the market.” They suggest that the age of the current brand assets might start the conversation; it is the changing tastes of consumers and the market that should drive the marketing programs. Refreshing lets a company re-examine its assets to ensure they have the best sizes, proportions, and formats that allow the marketing team to engage in the best way for new market conditions. 

To start, look at these common assets to help customers build a brand refresh that will work for them:

1. Business Cards: The test often used by consultants is to ask everyone in a meeting to put their business cards on the table. It is common to find that everyone working for a company has a different version. Logos, typefaces, and the position of vital contact details may change over the years, but no program was in place to ensure that everyone carried updated cards. Help your customers standardize how they look to their clients with a dash of panache. Suggest a refresh that uses textures, finishes, and even card weight to change how clients perceive that essential business card.
   
   
2. Signs: If the signs aren’t kept up to date, they become like wallpaper. They are in the background but not contributing to the forward momentum of the business. Signs at the front door and throughout a shop are the essential visual elements that guide customers on their buying journey. For restaurants, it may be their association with well-known food and alcohol brands. Car shops may want to focus on partnerships with their key brand partners, while other shops will want to spotlight products and services created inside their building.
   
   The good news is that signs are easy to produce and come in every size and shape you could need for indoor and outdoor locations. From window clings to wayfinding signs, you can build packages that allow a company to refresh their image in all the places they need visibility at one time so that the brand look becomes consistent.
   
   
3. EDDM: Mail is an effective way to spread news and engage customers. EDDM lets customers amplify their brand visibility by ZIP code, eliminating the need to buy lists. Instead, mail to ZIP codes that meet demographic requirements. It’s a great outreach to get your community’s local customers seeing your business in a fresh way.
   
   
4. Promotions: Create packages that link cards, notebooks, magnets, and other giveaways that keep the brand visible and celebrate the brand refresh. And, don’t forget the stickers and calendars to keep the brand visible year-round. Some customers may appreciate the option to create custom gift boxes for  the cards and promotional items, so don’t forget to mention the option.
   
   
5. Booklets and catalogs: For clients selling products and services, booklets and catalogs with refreshed branding can drive continuing sales. As much online shopping as people do, a handy desk reference for regularly purchased items and adjacent items is appreciated and used. 

Brand refreshes can be offered to every client in your book of business and advertised to prospects as a value-add you can bring to them.

           Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY              OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO: www.printcafeli.com

10 Tips for a Memorable Business Card

You’re at a new business or a social event.

You look around in the sea of business people and wonder how to make the best first impression. Then you look down at your hand, holding your business card.

What do you feel next?

Are you excited to show off your business card and how it represents you? Or do you fear they will underestimate you based on your card?

Here are ten tips on creating a memorable business card that shouts, “Work with me!”

10 Tips for a Memorable Business Card

1. Make sure your design represents your business.

If you are a fun, quirky business that dabbles in creativity, make sure your business card reflects that mood. On the other hand, if you are a serious, no-nonsense business, make sure your business card is sleek, simple, and uncluttered.

2. Choose the right font and size.

Do not go smaller than 8 point type on your card. 

Try to enlarge the name of your business, so it is clear who you represent. If you have a website, try to match some fonts to create consistency.

3. Pick the right shape.

You don’t need to stick with the basic rectangle anymore.

Try a square or add rounded corners to make your card stand out in a pile of collected business cards. Not only will it stand out physically, but it will also create a mental note that you are up-and-coming and not the ordinary business.

4. Create the right images.

Use new printing techniques to make your logo or image pop off the page.

Try spot UV coating to make it shine or foil accents that add a touch of sophisticated shine. Or try embossed gloss to create a raised, glossy coating, giving your cards a hard-to-forget 3D feel.

5. Organize your information.

This sounds simple, but many people try to put too much information on their business cards.

Keep it simple.

Put your name prominently on the card. Then add your contact information in a place that’s easy to find: phone, email, and website.

6. Use the back of the card.

Go the extra mile and put something useful on the back of the card.

If you own a restaurant, add a drink mix on the back. If you take appointments, add an appointment reminder. If you offer many customized services, list them here. But try to direct them to your website if at all possible.

7. Be deliberate.

Use the same colors your other marketing materials and website use.

Be different by using the front of the business card to solely have your logo, with contact information on the back.

8. Make sure there is enough white space.

Don’t clutter your card with information. Just add the basics. They can contact you for the rest of the information.

9. Choose papers wisely.

Extra-thick paper adds an instant luxurious touch, and recycled kraft paper tends to have an organic feel. Think carefully about what you are trying to convey.

10. Include a call to action.

This isn’t a game-breaker if you have used up all your space. But if you have room, add a QR code or an invitation to contact you.

No matter what steps you take, rely on print communication experts to ensure that the finished product will be what you anticipated and something you can be proud of.  Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com