How to Ask Customers for Feedback 

(And What to Do with It)

Regardless of your business type, customer feedback is one of your most valuable resources.

Make no mistake: your customers have opinions. There are aspects of your operations that they love and want more of. There are aspects that they could be more enthused about. Disregarding this actionable insight would mean missing out on an opportunity to enhance future interactions.

Thankfully, that doesn't have to be the case. Soliciting customer feedback not only provides a roadmap for continuous improvement but also demonstrates a genuine concern for their input, thus increasing customer loyalty at the same time. 

Here are three practical approaches for collecting customer feedback and helping them feel comfortable sharing their opinions with you.

3 Ways to Ask Customers for Feedback 

1. Email Surveys 

One easy way to ask customers questions and get legitimate answers involves sending out surveys.

Make the survey brief enough, or you risk overwhelming someone or giving them an excuse to put it off. Try to limit it to five to ten questions via a survey that takes no more than a few minutes to complete.

Keep in mind that with email surveys, you're essentially playing a "numbers game." Because email is so easy to use, it's also easy for people to ignore it. You can't expect ten responses if you send out ten survey emails. But if you send enough of them, even if only 5% of the people respond, that's still a great starting point to understand better what people think about how you're doing.

2. Focus Groups

Conducting focus groups is another great way to ask real customers questions and get honest feedback.

The best practice is to bring in a third-party moderator. They'll collect all the feedback and present it as a report.

It's important to note that success here depends mainly on the moderator's abilities. They need to know how to ask the right questions and pay attention to non-verbal cues like body language that could uncover actionable insight that may otherwise go unnoticed. 

3. Printed Surveys + Giveaways

A great way to leverage print marketing to solicit customer feedback is by holding contests or giveaways.

The premise is simple: all someone has to do is give you their opinion or fill out a comment card, and they get something free, e.g., a notepad, a donut, etc., or you can offer something bigger and enter them for a chance to win a prize.

People will likely be more receptive to this tactic because it is tangible, print collateral instead of an email. Likewise, people always want to win free items! It's a perfect chance to increase your response rate and gather intelligence in one fell swoop.

Utilizing Customer Feedback

You can utilize the data you receive in a couple of different ways.

If you get constructive feedback on anything from your logo to packaging to customer service, you can consider that when making future decisions.

If you receive positive customer feedback in the form of testimonials, you can incorporate it into your marketing efforts. Whether on print materials, online initiatives, or social media platforms, firsthand accounts offer authenticity that resonates with potential customers.

Customer feedback is a compass that guides your business toward innovation, improvement, and satisfaction. Embrace it!

If you need help with print and marketing to help your business thrive, please don't delay - contact us today.Call 516-561-1468

Myth or Legend: Understanding 

the Power of Direct Mail

In a world where everyone is glued to the screens of their smartphones and tablets all day long, it can be easy to underestimate the power of something like direct mail marketing.

It would also be a mistake!

Direct mail isn't just as effective as ever; it's arguably more popular, despite what certain myths would have you believe.

People Pay Attention to Direct Mail

One idea that has cropped up about direct mail over the years is that it is easily ignorable. Thankfully, this is false.

According to one recent study, about 42.2% of the people who receive direct mail regularly say that they read it entirely or at least scan it to get the gist. 

Now, think about that in the context of an email. Emails can wind up in a "spam" folder or be ignored entirely. If you catch someone at the wrong time of day, they may even hit "delete" and never think of it again without even considering what the message may have contained.

People Prefer Direct Mail

Another common misconception about direct mail is that it is somehow "less desirable" than email.

Some are operating under the incorrect assumption that just because digital technology is available, we want to use it 100% of the time. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would tell you this is the case.

But those supposed "downsides" work to direct mail's advantage. In 2021, the Direct Marketing Association conducted a study revealing that 73% of consumers prefer direct mail for brand communication. That's because it's tangible - they can hold it, feel it, and it's far easier to engage with than something like a digital ad. 

Shattering the Myths of Direct Mail Marketing

Especially given the fast-paced digital world we're now living in, two of the biggest myths surrounding direct mail over the years have to do with the idea that it is somehow A) labor-intensive and B) cannot be reliably measured the same way something like an email could be.

Again: both of these things are myths, plain and simple!

With the right partner by your side, direct mail isn't labor-intensive at all. The same types of automation tools that can send emails can also be used in the print realm. You're just getting all the added benefits of print that you don't get from its digital counterpart, like that it is unique, tangible, and much harder to ignore than something that can be permanently deleted in seconds.

Direct mail can also be tested and measured to prove how effectively your tactics work. You can still find metrics like your response rate and platforms that integrate print and digital campaigns, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds regarding insight. All of this is highly actionable information that you can use to improve the performance of your campaigns further moving forward. 

If you're interested in discovering more about how direct mail marketing is more powerful and effective than ever, or if you want to improve your printing and marketing efforts but aren't sure where to begin, please don't delay - contact us today. Call 516-561-1468

 

Need to Outshine Your Competition? 

Here Are 3 Ways to Do It With Print!

Your company's success depends on many different factors, each playing a vital role. While there are many things to consider when budgeting and creating marketing, it's important not to put too much emphasis on digital campaigns and overlook the power of print materials. 

According to a national survey, 82% of Americans find printed advertisements more credible than online ads! Print marketing can be incredibly beneficial for your company to increase brand awareness, engage existing customers, and boost sales. 

Here are some tips on using print marketing to give your company a competitive edge in your field! 

3 Ideas for Creative Print Marketing

1. Get Original with Shapes

Many companies will get creative with the graphic design and typography components of their print marketing, but one aspect that could help you rise above the competition is unique shapes and sizes! 

Consider putting a unique twist on the shapes and sizes expected for certain print materials. For instance, rather than a traditional rectangular business card, consider using a round, square, or other-shaped card (such as a leaf for a landscaping business) to stand out! 

Similarly, sending out larger-than-average postcards or using oversized envelopes might gain your recipients' interest. Even something as simple as using a different fold pattern for your brochures could help your brand stick in a consumer's mind!

Use various sizes and shapes in your coupons, mail pieces, signage, and more to distinguish your company!

2. Infuse Local Flavor 

One thing that most companies might not have considered is the value of connecting with your customers on a specific personal level- their location!

Data shows that 74% of consumers will respond to location-specific messaging.

Try this method by incorporating specific local landmarks, similar scenery, or references to the community and its values in your next print design. You could even team up with one of the local businesses to offer a discount or small freebie!

This will undoubtedly make your customers feel more valued and personally connected with your message. 

3. Add Some Life To Your Signage

Your company's signage is a powerful part of engaging and communicating with your customers.

Creating unique designs for the signs at your in-store location can make a difference in your customers' experience, setting you ahead of your competitors.

Remember that signs can serve two primary purposes- to inform your customers or to engage your customers. Great signage will accomplish both by including a visually appealing design and a clear call to action. Get creative with your signage's colors, designs, shapes, and sizes to be eye-catching.

One idea might be adding a sign advertising a sale or a new specialty item on the sidewalk or posted outside your store to draw customers inside. You could even print your company's name or add the company logo to the awning across your storefront if your location has one.

Now armed with these insights, it's time to differentiate and captivate with print! Reach out to us for personalized guidance, and let's amplify your brand's impact together. Give Us a Call at 516-561-1468

 

7 Effective Ideas for Creating 

Copy for Postcard Marketing

Copywriting for postcard marketing is an essential part of any successful campaign. The right copy can capture a reader's attention, engage their interest in your message, and compel them to take action.

Compelling postcard copy that resonates with your target audience requires creativity, thoughtful planning, and a clear understanding of your business objectives.

Here are seven ideas to help you create compelling copy for postcard marketing that will inspire your customers and drive results.

7 Hot Tips for Effective Postcard Marketing Copy

1. Focus on the customer

Your postcard should focus on what's in it for the customer – not just your business.

Consider their needs, wants, and interests, and use language that speaks directly to them.

2. Keep it concise

Postcards are small, so limit your copy to the essentials.

Use short, punchy sentences that get to the point quickly and avoid unnecessary words.

3. Include a call to action

Make sure your postcard includes a compelling call to action.

This could be anything from signing up for an email list, purchasing, or downloading a coupon.

After reading your postcard marketing message, customers must know precisely what you want them to do.

Some examples of solid calls to action are "Call now to get 20% off!" or "Visit our website to learn more."

Ensure your message is targeted and relevant so that your customers know exactly how they should respond.

4. Leverage action words

Action words can be used to make your copy more inviting and persuasive.

Try using verbs like learn, discover, explore, save, and enjoy to engage customers and motivate them to take action.

5. Use humor if appropriate

Humor is an effective way to connect with customers, especially if it's used in the right way.

Just be sure to avoid anything controversial or offensive.

6. Personalize the content

Personalize your message to the individual customer.

Customizing postcards with personalized messages, such as names or special offers, can make them feel special and more likely to take the desired action.

Using mail merge software or variable printing can help you quickly customize each postcard so that it is targeted for the recipient.

7. Test different variations of copy and offers

It's important to know what works best regarding postcard marketing.

Try testing different versions of the copy or offers to see which ones perform the best. This can help refine your message and ensure you are targeting the right audience with the right offer.

By using these tips for creating effective copy for postcard marketing, you can ensure that your message stands out and resonates with potential customers while increasing response rates.

Need help crafting just the attention-grabbing phrase for your postcards? We're the team you need! Contact us now to get started. Call 516-561-1468

 

Marketing Glossary: 10 Key Terms Every 

Small Business Owner Needs to Know

If you're new to print marketing (or marketing in general) for your small business, it is easy to get confused by all the industry-specific jargon. But fear not. We're here to provide clarity and guidance!

Regardless of the print media you choose, be it postcards, brochures, or posters, implementing effective marketing strategies is essential for getting the best results. And a critical step towards success is gaining an understanding of the fundamental terms used in marketing.

Here is a list of 10 essential terms you need to know as a small business owner.

10 Key Marketing Terms Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know

1. Branding

Branding refers to all the processes that help create a unique business identity.

Effective branding is vital to making your business stand out from competitors in a positive way. Branding elements include your company's name, mission, logo, general theme, tone of voice, etc.

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing revolves around creating information intended to be consumed by an audience.

Good content should offer helpful information in an easy-to-read format, eventually driving more sales.

3. Lead

A lead is an individual or organization reached or engaged by your brand content.

They have shown a level of interest in your brand and are likely to make a purchase. Simply put, your leads are your potential customers. 

4. Lead Generation

Lead generation refers to a business's methods or tactics to attract potential customers (leads).

It often involves acquiring these would-be customers' contact and demographic details, learning about the target market, and eventually converting them into buyers.

5. Sales Funnel

The process that guides the leads you have generated from the time they discover your business to when they make a purchase is called the sales funnel.

It is typically made up of several steps in increasing levels of commitment for the lead until the sale is completed. The stages in a sales funnel are not the same for every business. While some use a simple 3-step model, others use a more complicated approach.

6. Buyer Persona

A buyer persona refers to a fictional individual with specific attributes that make them your ideal customer.

Knowing your buyer persona will help you adapt your marketing strategy to generate more leads.

7. Demographics

Demographics refer to the specific data or attributes that define your target audience.

Examples of demographics include age, sex, location, occupation, and income.

8. Call to Action (CTA)

A call to action is a prompt that urges readers to make a purchase or carry out some specific activity.

Some examples of CTAs are asking your reader to visit your website or contact customer service. Research shows that a good CTA can increase your conversions by up to 28%.

9. Testimonial

A testimonial is a positive review by your previous or current customer about your business.

Publishing a customer's statement about your product or service's value to them in your brochure or newsletter will boost your credibility and encourage potential customers.

10. Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on investment is a method of project evaluation.

It measures a business's profit (return) in carrying out a project with the money (investment) spent on that project. ROI can help you determine the most profitable marketing strategy for your business.

With a solid understanding of these fundamental terms, you're on your way to navigating the world of marketing with confidence!

Contact us for trustworthy and professional printing services—we're here to support your marketing projects! For More Information Please Call 516-561-1468

 

The Why, What, and How of a Good Brand: 

Don’t Miss These Tips and Tricks

A brand is the spirit and soul of your company. It makes your company recognizable, trustworthy, and loved by customers. A brand built up well is one of your company's most valuable assets! 

59% of consumers prefer buying their products from familiar brands. That's why crafting a brand is vital, considering many different elements of what you want your company's brand to be! Here are some things you should consider. 

5 Tips for Creating an Effective Brand

1. Identify Your Audience and Research Competition

One of the first steps in creating your company's brand should be completing market research.

Identifying your company's target audience will help you focus on communicating to them how your company's products or services will meet their needs and values.

It's also important to scope out how the competitors in your company's field compare to what your business has to offer. When marketing your brand, consider emphasizing what makes your company unique to stand out from competitors. 

2. Design the Visual Aspect of Your Brand

Using a signature color can increase a customer's brand recognition by 80%.

Choosing a color or two that works for your company and keeping it consistent between your brand's packaging, logo, and any other print materials will create a strong association in your customer's minds. 

A consistent font or typography style can also help create a cohesive and professional feel for your brand.

3. Create a Personality for Your Brand

One of the more finite details you might not have considered is the language your brand uses in its signage, advertisements, and other marketing.

Choosing a "voice" for your brand will create consistency and make your branding more effective. For example, if you're trying to create a classy, high-end feel for your brand, consider using more formal language; if your target audience is young adults, consider using more conversational vocabulary.

Remember, your company slogan should also reflect your brand's personality to your customers. 

If your company has social media accounts, create posts that reflect the personality that your brand is going for and reply to posts mentioning your company to connect with customers and build familiarity and trust with them.  

4. Consistency is Key for Your Brand

Consumers will agree that the strongest kind of brand is a consistent brand.

The brands that have earned a loyal customer following over the years are the ones that integrate their brand's personality and key elements seamlessly throughout their entire company. 

One of the easiest ways to do this is by creating a style guide for your entire company. A style guide is like the rulebook for your brand, and every company department should have it. This practice ensures that font, tone of voice, and color shades remain consistent between direct mail, social media posts, your company website, and more. 

5. Never be Afraid to Rebrand

Sometimes, even if your company's current brand is effective, a rebrand might open up more opportunities for you.

Consider how you might be able to change your company's name, visual aspects like logo and color scheme, or brand "voice" to better speak to your audience.

But remember to gather feedback from your current customers before making any major brand shifts and try to maintain a degree of brand consistency to prevent instability.

Your brand is an asset that can drive customer preference and contribute to long-term success. Invest the time and effort into crafting a brand that truly represents your company's values and resonates with your target audience. 

Follow these five tips and tricks to unlock your brand's potential and watch your business soar! If you need help translating your ideas into print, contact us today. 

Call:516-561-1468

 

Unlocking the Potential of Print Marketing:

Strategies for Small Business Success 

Print is a tried and true marketing method that holds significant trust and influence among consumers. 

With 82% of consumers placing their trust in print advertisements over other sources when making purchasing decisions, it's clear that print marketing remains a force to be reckoned with. Surprisingly, even the tech-savvy Millennial generation embraces print media - about 33% of them maintain active subscriptions to newspapers and magazines.

Having said that, while print marketing is undoubtedly a powerful tool, it still needs to be appropriately utilized to see the results that you're after. If you want to make the most of this print marketing opportunity for your small business, here are two strategies to consider.

Embracing Creative Shapes and Materials

The first thing you should do when designing print marketing collateral as a small business owner involves leveraging every opportunity to think outside the box and make an impression.

Case in point: the shape of your mailers.

Print marketing already has a leg up on other materials like digital because it is tangible, and people can hold it in their hands and pin it up on their refrigerator for later. But if you send out materials in standard shapes, you risk getting lost in the sea of every other piece of mail someone happened to get that day.

Even sending out larger, odd-sized envelopes or pieces in shapes that aren't perfect squares or rectangles is a great way to stand out and get noticed. 

The same is true of experimenting with heavier card stock when printing. Sometimes, feeling different from everything else in someone's mailbox is all you need to make that first impression people can't get enough of.

The Power of Personalization in Print

Print marketing is a great way to get consumers' attention because you're using it! But you want to lean into targeted, personalized offers whenever possible to keep their attention.

One of the reasons digital marketing is seen as less effective than it could be is that it is inherently cold and impersonal. It's easy to whip up an email to send to people, but once they realize that the same generic message just went out to thousands of people, they will mostly tune it out. It's even easier to delete it and never look at it again.

To get started with a personalized campaign, separate your customers into groups based on what you know about them. Dive into the data being created about them daily and see what insights you can learn about them.

What do they like? What do they dislike? What purchases have they recently made, and how can you help them get the most out of them? Can you offer someone value without necessarily expecting something in return? Thinking about these questions and crafting your direct mail collateral based on their answers is a great chance to utilize print to make the most positive, lasting impression possible.

If you're eager to learn more about utilizing the full power of print marketing for your small business, or if you'd like to discuss your needs with someone in more detail, please don't hesitate to contact us today at:516-561-1468

 

Use Print Marketing to Stand Out 

at Your Next Event

83% of brands say that event marketing has consistently increased their sales. Bringing compelling printed materials enhances the impact and is a powerful way to promote your product or services at these events.

By using print materials like flyers, pamphlets, business cards, posters, banners, and brochures, you can create a memorable impression that will stay with prospective customers long after they’ve left the event.

According to Scientific American, research over the last two decades reveals that individuals tend to understand and remember text better when reading from paper compared to screens. So don’t forget to include print marketing in your event strategy.

Top Tips for Creating Effective Print Materials for Your Next Event

Keep It Simple

Make sure your design is simple so that the critical information can be easily read and understood at a glance.

Avoid clutter, and include only essential elements like logos, text, graphics, and colors. Remember that people will likely scan as they walk by your booth.

Get Creative

Make your materials stand out from the competition by incorporating creative elements like foil, texture, die cuts, or unique folds.

These unique touches will help draw people in and make them more likely to remember your brand.

Think Local

If participating in a local event, consider customizing some of your print materials for that specific audience.

For instance, you could include a specific offer or create visuals that feature local places and landmarks.

Make the Most of Social

Include your social media handles on all your print materials so people can follow you immediately.

Also, consider using QR codes, which make it easier for people to quickly pull up your website or social accounts on their mobile devices.

Print Products People Will Remember

In addition to flyers, brochures, and business cards, consider exploring other print products that will make a lasting impression.

Some great options include:

Stickers

Great for giveaways or simply as eye-catching additions to your booth. Consider die-cut stickers with unique shapes or foil accents for an extra “wow” factor.

Posters

Whether you’re looking for something to hang up in or around your booth, posters are a great way to make an impact. Add a frame or easel for added style points.

Magnets

Get creative with car magnets that feature your logo and contact information. This is an easy way to get your name out there when people are traveling to and from the event.

Notepads

Make sure your name stays on everyone’s desk with branded notepads that remind people of your brand every time they use them.

By making print marketing a part of your event strategy, you can create powerful impressions that will stay with prospective customers long after the event.

Not sure where to start? We can help! Contact our team today to begin creating print marketing products to get your business noticed! Call 516-561-1468

 

6 Ways to Boost Your 

Sales with Social Proof 

Did you know you can incorporate what your customers say about your business in your print and digital marketing to boost your company's sales?

When other people engage in something, it triggers the brain to reduce the perception of risk associated with an idea or activity, creating social proof. When you utilize social proof successfully, you convey to potential customers that buying your product or service is the safe thing to do.

Authenticity, transparency, and honesty are paramount to the success of social proof by building loyalty and trust with your customers.

Sound complicated? It's not.

6 Ways to Boost Your Sales with Social Proof 

1. Build Your Social Media Reach

You need to build your social media platform by asking for online reviews.

This is a trusted source for many people looking to do business.

People regularly check the reviews online to see what others have experienced and decide who to do business with. Nearly nine out of ten consumers read reviews before making a purchase. 

2. List Customer Experiences

Listing customers' experiences online will encourage people to follow the pack and try you.

Ask customers if you can get a quick testimonial from them and have them write it down or write it as they tell you what they've experienced.

3. Mix It Up

Don't just ask for one type of review.

Spread the reviews on multiple sites, such as Yelp, Facebook, Google, etc. Approximately 59% of consumers look at two to three review sites before making a purchase decision. 

4. Help Your Customer Visualize

Use staged photos and action shots of people using your product.

People trust this much more than an ad. They will see people just like them using your product or services and think they might benefit from getting a hold of you, too.

5. Use YouTube

Show your customers unboxing your products and freebies or learning about a contest they won from your business.

This is exciting and fun for people to watch, engaging them in what you're business is doing.

6. Promote Your Accomplishments

If your company won an award or received recognition in some way from a third party, capitalize on this by advertising it on your website, in your marketing materials, and online.

If you have an article written about you or your company, post it online. If any trust badges are available, place them on your website.

These are a few ways to build social proof and help people decide on their own that they want to do business with you. Seeing others trust you and use your product or service encourages them to do the same.

If you need signs to post on your company's doors to encourage people to give reviews, or you want posters or business cards to feature QR codes to link to a review site, we can help.

Check us out today! Call Now! 516-561-1468 or Visit Our Website: www.printcafeli.com

 

                 3 Powerful Tricks to Learn New Skills Faster

3 Powerful Tricks to Learn New Skills Faster

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” 

– John F. Kennedy

Though few people like it, change never stops.

Success in life requires the ability to adapt. As one Chinese proverb quips, “the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher.”

Whether you enjoy change or not, the pace of change marches ahead at an ever-increasing pace. Here is a statistical snapshot of what that looks like:

• 94% of the internet workload will be processed on the cloud by the end of 2021
• It is estimated that 70% of all automobiles will be connected to the internet through the Internet of Things by 2023
• By 2030, the fully and semi-automatic car market will be worth $26 billion
• Artificial Intelligence is slated to replace around 85 million US jobs by 2025
• The world has produced 90% of its Big Data (or extensive data sets) in the past two years

Does that feel overwhelming?

It can be. But humans are change experts. We are master adapters! People adapt when they enter a new life stage, take a new job, when abrupt social change occurs, or when faced with a health crisis.

Simple Skills that Increase Retention

As you are prompted to innovate, create new jobs, or develop new ways of working, you can learn faster and retain more information. Want to be more efficient in learning new skills? Here are a few tips:

1. Rehearse Aloud

When trying to learn someone’s name, people often speak the name aloud two or three times in the initial conversation.

Research shows that, compared with reading or thinking silently, the act of speech is one of the most important mechanisms for retaining information. Want to retain and solidify something in less time? Rehearse it aloud.

As psychologist Colin MacLeod says, "learning and memory benefit from active involvement. When we add an active measure or a production element to a word, that word becomes more distinct in long-term memory, and hence more memorable."

2. Link New Ideas with Familiar Concepts

Mentally connecting concepts is a fantastic memory hack.

Associative learning takes place when two elements are connected in our brain in a way that links seemingly unrelated things. For example, a science teacher might set out an ice cube, a bowl of water, and a steaming pot to link something kids are already familiar with (common forms of water) to explain a new concept (the phases of matter).

In simple terms, whenever you say, “Oh, I see . . . this is basically like that,” you’re associating something you currently understand with something you’re trying to learn. By mentally linking things, you learn and categorize quickly and remember them more easily.

3. Practice Varying Skills in Succession

Interleaving is a learning technique that involves mixing different topics or forms of practice to facilitate learning. For example, if a student uses interleaving while preparing for an exam, they can mix up different types of questions rather than study only one type of question at a time.

This varied practice (as contrasted with the specific practice of one skill) focuses on multiple tasks at once. Interleaving blocks you from slipping into mindless muscle memory and forces continual adaptation and adjustment. When you quickly switch between practicing piano, typing, and marimba – or speaking Spanish, German, and Italian – it helps you really learn what you’re trying to learn because you must concentrate at a deeper level.

Need to learn something new? Try these tricks to become more lean and efficient in the process!Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

                       Using Content to Win New Customers

Marketing content is a useful tool for any business trying to generate more traffic to their doorstep, either digitally or in person.

Whether your content is provided through a direct mailer or digitally, the right information catches people's attention and attracts them to want to find out more.

And that generates valuable activity that causes sales to happen.

Yes, content is powerful and profitable, but what kind of content works? Here are valuable content tips that can make a difference for your business.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

A lot of energy, time, and resources are consumed creating new methods from scratch, whether in business or anything else.

So why go down that road when you can learn by working examples instead?

The key is to focus on companies and organizations that put out both digital and print content that is wildly successful. It doesn’t even have to be the same industry as yours.

Instead, look for methodology and strategy. What is it about these businesses that makes their content work? Find the system, learn the approach, and then apply it to your business.

Pinpoint What Attracts Customers to You

In traditional marketing, identifying viable customers is known as “defining a target market.”

Typically, a marketer would find the right type of demographics mix that makes up a target market and then aim marketing efforts towards that person, hoping for a response.

Today, however, things are easier.

Ask your current customers what they appreciate and like about your business and find more people with similar interests. Then shape your content accordingly.

Screen Your Existing Material for Easy Gems

Most likely, your company has already produced a library of information that can be used to create content for customers.

Review your existing resources, modify the material, and post or print it for them to find. Customers connect to the most amazing things; the trick is to tell a story that brings them back for more.

Don’t Brain Dump, Choose Material Wisely

Content is never an accident.

Your customer-oriented material should be part of an overall story you tell each month to audiences. Every piece should connect and integrate with the next during each content push window.

One of the best ways to do this is to shape your content for each month. Whether weekly or daily, the month’s material should be planned, summarized, and segued from one piece of the story to the next. Consider each content piece a chapter in a bigger book.

Make Sure Your Writer is Passionate

If your content is just a chore for whoever gets assigned the task, it will show in the writing.

Make sure your writer actually has a passion for your topic, and the difference will come out naturally. It will also be far more attractive to your customers, who will find the content genuine and natural.

Avoid Hard Calls to Action

Remember, your content’s goal is to generate an audience for your business.

Hard messaging stands out awkwardly in genuine content. Instead, the material should be informative, helpful, and useful. The body of the content will do its work and attract customers, who will then seek your business on their own and connect it with your business. Their interest will do the rest on the natural. This is why content generation is so powerful.

Lastly, make your content human and personal. Put a face to it if possible. Customers connect far more to a person than generic information.

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

          Magnetic Marketing: Using Faces to Command Attention

Our faces reveal multitudes about who we are, what we are thinking, and our intentions toward others.

Lying right under your nose is an awesome landscape of skin, muscles, and features. The face is one of the most profound parts of our body, and it packs so much power! Check out these remarkable facial facts:

• Humans are capable of making 10,000 unique facial expressions.
• The face has the biggest range of muscle structure in the human body, and 43 of these muscles are directly linked to facial emotions.
• Humans regularly flash micro-expressions that last less than 1/25 of a second before they consciously or subconsciously neutralize them. These split-second displays can reveal more than a thousand words (or lies!) ever could.
• Genuine facial expressions are almost always symmetrical. From frowns to smiles, people typically reveal authentic feelings evenly on both sides of the face.

Faces Add Impact in Marketing

How does this play into marketing and print?

First, it’s important to recognize the impact of faces so we can prioritize them in design. Research by Catherine Mondloch showed that newborn babies less than an hour old prefer looking at something with facial features. Humans prefer humans, and people buy from people!

It would be careless to overlook these statistics while continually deferring to inanimate objects. When you’re looking to add that personal touch to your marketing mix, remember faces can help you to:

Connect with People

Large, faceless corporations feel cold and manipulative.

To humanize your brand, feature people, not products! Pictures of real people build empathy and trust among viewers. And eye-tracking studies show that the faces of babies and pretty women are two of the most effective subjects you can use.

Putting faces on your brand allows you to connect with your audience in a relatable way. As you position faces in your ads, remember eyes looking right at people will have the greatest emotional impact because the eyes are the most significant part of the face.

Create Curiosity

Humans have a natural tendency to follow the gaze of others, and we have been coached since birth to follow these visual cues about where we should be looking or going.

Want to build curiosity and engage your viewers? If a face on your poster is gazing toward a text box or a product in the margin, readers will track toward that area as well.

Emotions can also be carried from a subject to the viewer as you set a tone within your design. The emotion in the faces you display can draw people to linger longer before your designs or to be drawn deeper into the message itself.

Cultivate Trust

People react to a photo on a page faster than any other design element, and seeing the people behind a business can establish credibility very quickly.

You can use faces to cultivate trust by using staff profiles on a website, facial photos in welcome displays or high traffic areas, or brochures with testimonials and photos from real customers. If viewers can relate to the people enjoying your product, this will seamlessly build positive associations in their own minds.

When used properly, photos of faces can help you connect with people, create curiosity, and cultivate trust.  Bypass resistance and build connections through the magnetic power of people!

Visit Our Website at: www.printcafeli.com

What Makes A Label Great ? 

                         Color, Type Font, & Design

OUTLINE THOSE FONTS!

There are hundreds of thousands of fonts, also called typefaces, out there. And while The Print Cafe has thousands of fonts in our archives there’s a
chance a font may not exist in our system. Trying to find a font, or trying to find an analogous font, or manipulating a font to make a copy change/make a label more readable: all this increases turnaround time.
The simple solution: it’s called “outlining” fonts, and it’s a feature in most graphic design software. Basically, outlining a font converts it from a mathematical construction to a scalable series of lines and curves. When fonts are outlined, the font file associated with its respective font (.ttf, .otf, etc.) is not needed for type
to display properly. Sometimes a client isn’t particularly picky about which font to use. If that’s the case, just let us know. We’ll find the perfect one for the job!

 

SIZE  MATTERS

If a font is a “serif” font, you’ll notice little “flourishes” on it. If it’s a “sans-serif” font, it doesn’t have those embellishments. Most block-type fonts are san-serif fonts, and VASTLY superior for readability, especially in small print. The Print Cafe recommends using sans-serif fonts whenever possible for label work, especially for any small print that has a lot of type. Otherwise, the type will be difficult, or even impossible, to read.
    Common examples of serif fonts include Times Roman, Palatino, Book Antiqua, and New Century. Common sans-serif fonts include Helvetica, Arial, Futura, and Franklin Gothic.
 “There’s a lot that goes into a label! Your package design is your last salesperson
contact.  A typical product on a shelf has about two seconds to gain a customer’s attention.” “So think pictures first, then big bold letters, and then tackle the fine details. What are you getting across in those few seconds of ‘first glance’ is everything.” If you don’t design a label with your audience in mind … if the label is unreadable … the most valuable sales opportunity could be missed.”

TINY SERIF TYPE DOES NOT ‘REVERSE OUT’ WELL 

If you do decide to use a serif font and you reverse it extremely small (i.e., “reverse” the type to make it white or light on a dark background), you’re going to lose detail. If you’re going to do it, I wouldn’t go any smaller than a six-point font. If you have a sans-serif font … that is, a block letter … it’s a lot easier on the eye and can get a lot smaller and read much more cleanly as a smaller, reversed-out font than a serif font.”

CMYK, ALL THE WAY

Labels are, obviously, printed. But what some people don’t realize is that printing with ink is entirely different from displaying an image on a computer with pixels. Unlike digital or online art, which is usually rendered in RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color, quality printed materials often rely on a color system called “CMYK” (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black). CMYK is much more sophisticated, and thus capable of producing a much wider range of color. Even though a CMYK color may look close to an RGB color onscreen, it translates very differently on press. Richie says it best: “RGB colors are not going to print nicely in CMYK, which is our world. Colors will be dull. ”If your clients can “spec” CMYK colors, they will be happier. Even better than CMYK, however, is spotcolor printing when it’s available.
 

 PANTONE, PLEASE

As for how to “spec” that color,  “We use the Solid-Coated Pantone Color Matching
(PMS) system. Textile colors or cloth colors or even PMS Uncoated colors aren’t in our standard color processing. (FYI: PMS Uncoated colors are lighter than PMS Coated colors.) It’s wise to look up the Pantone Colors using their official online color picker to choose the Solid-Coated PMS color that best matches your desired outcome.”

VECTOR FOR LINE ART

There are many kinds of art, but we’ll deal with the two most common: “Raster” images and “Vector” images. For many label-art purposes, vector images are by far the best way to go. Raster images, which are often used to render photographs on a computer, have a set number of pixels in an image. So trying to enlarge a raster image will often result in a blurry result … all you’re doing is making the pixels bigger, until eventually they just look like squares of color. Vector images, which have been drawn or converted to mathematical calculations between each point in an image, are completely scalable. Simply put, vector images are much easier to enlarge, shrink, or edit than raster images, and will produce a sharp, “non-jaggy”
result every time.


MAKE SURE ARTWORK ALLOWS FOR A 1/8” MARGIN

“Here, we have a 1/8” printing area, meaning we have to leave 1/16” on all sides of your artwork … any imprint has to be inside that 1/16” margin” Bottom line: plan your design to allow for a sixteenth of an inch around all edges.

RESOLUTION: AT LEAST 300 DPI

Plain and simple, there’s a huge difference between how something looks onscreen and how it looks printed on label stock. While online materials are rendered at resolutions of 72-150 dpi (dots per inch) for fast uploading and display, print materials suffer terribly at 150 dpi. If you want crisp, clear art, text that’s easy to read, and images that truly pop, check your supplied art’s document settings to make sure its resolution is at least 300 dpi at actual print size. If the art is enlarged, the dpi reduces. Example: if a customer sends a 1”x1” art file at 300 dpi and enlarges it to 3 x3” the dpi plummets with the enlargement.

SOFTWARE AND FILE FORMATS

The Print Cafe primarily works with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop software, which are incredibly powerful image editing tools. However, even these can only do so much. And we understand that customers create artwork in all kinds of programs, even Microsoft Word. Still, your best-case scenario for label art is an Adobe
Illustrator (.ai) file. We can can also work with JPEG or PNG file formats, but an Illustrator file is by far the fastest, smoothest, and best. PDF images can also work – but only sometimes. “We advise caution when saving out of programs that aren’t compatible with Illustrator. If a file is saved as a PDF file that is not compatible with Illustrator it will sometimes convert images to “nonnative” elements in the file when opened in Illustrator.

We suggest if you have a link or placed image in your art, and have saved out of a different program (not Illustrator or PhotoShop), send the image with your PDF file. We can relink the file.”


OWN IT!

Make sure your customer has purchased any stock art or images that have been downloaded from the Internet. You’d be surprised at how many low resolution images we receive complete with a stock image company’s watermark. Those watermarks exist to protect copyrighted material, and we cannot legally (let alone neatly) remove them. Remember: Rights and royalties matter!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC-SMS TEXT 516-253-4040 or Call 516-561-1468 or VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.printcafeli.com