5 Printing Tips to Boost Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is essential for any business. 

A business’s brand is the mix of perceptions and emotional connections people tie to the company. 

Companies should try to manage their brand through advertisements that reinforce the company’s message and image. 

Print can be a powerful tool to boost brand awareness and reinforce your brand’s message. 

1. Direct mail boosts brand awareness

Direct mail is highly effective, with about 79% of households saying they read or scan direct-mail ads.

Follow these steps when sending out direct mail: 

• Apply your brand guide. Include your signature color, font, and logo. Having a signature color can increase brand recognition by 80%. 
• Keep your brand consistent. Customers will learn to associate your business with specific colors and feelings.
• Include a clear call to action in your direct mail initiative. Provide prospective customers with a next step. 

Direct mail is one of many print avenues to boost brand awareness. 

2. Catalogs boost brand awareness 

Catalogs are a relaxing way for customers to look at your business’s products or services. 

Catalogs can be compelling if you use the below tactics.

• Include customized QR codes to drive customers to your website.
• Include social causes. Find something you’re passionate about that aligns with your business to showcase in your catalog. Not only does it feel good to do good, but 64% of consumers would support a company based on its social or political position. 

Brand awareness is about getting your brand out there in as many formats as possible. 

3. Make your brand memorable to boost brand awareness

Print is a powerful tool for memory. 

Studies show that the brain can more easily absorb print. In fact, a study found print ads took people 21% less cognitive effort to process the information compared to digital ads. This same study found that people were a little more than 170% more likely to remember information if it was presented through a print ad rather than a digital ad. 

4. Directly address the audience to boost brand awareness

Print is a great way to provide customers with a more personalized approach. 

Use data and technology to target your print ad campaigns. This personalization can help the audience feel like the communication from your business is more direct. 

5. Provide value to the audience to boost brand awareness

Modern consumers value informed businesses. 

Add value to the consumer by creating informative content through blogs, brochures, and knowledgeable employees. The consumer will stumble upon your business when researching and trust your input. 

You can also add value by providing your customers with merchandise such as tote bags, stickers, shirts, chapstick, etc. Consumers love free stuff, and you’re giving valuable items to the customer while generating loyalty. 

Print can help boost your brand by getting your business out there in as many formats as possible while remaining memorable, personal, and valuable. We can help you increase your brand awareness through print. Check us out Today to Learn More Information on all of our Marketing Products Call at 516-561-1468 or Visit Our Website at:www.printcafeli.com

 

The Key Components of a Good Brand Strategy

Developing a strong brand isn’t as easy as others think.

It’s no secret that consumers purchase based on trust, but how can businesses develop that trust if no one knows who you are? That’s the power of a brand strategy. If you don’t have a strategy in place, it’s like driving on the road with no destination.

The ultimate goal should be getting customers to connect with you, not your logo, not the website, and not the name (even if it’s catchy). A good brand strategy works behind the scenes, providing value that continues after they buy.

Purpose

What is the promise to the customer? Why are we in business? Why is it important to us?

These are the driving factors that set businesses apart. Thinking of it in terms of monetary and also non-monetary makes the difference.

Emotion

While it may sound weird, it’s true.

Customers are emotional about the brands they support because those brands can fully engage with like-minded audiences who believe in their purpose.

When brands connect beyond trying to sell a product or service, they win.

Consistency

Staying consistent when promoting the brand is vital in getting the audience to remember you.

It doesn’t matter what platform the brand is on; consistency creates harmony, and harmony creates trust.

Adaptability

Brands must be flexible and adaptable to succeed.

There’s power in the pivot. When something isn’t working, being able to quickly adjust and adapt while maintaining consistency can help solidify a brand’s place in the market and create a new customer base.

Involvement From Employees

Brands that take the time to listen to their employees and work in one accord in how the brand is presented go a long way.

If the brand is upbeat, customer service and every employee in the office should follow suit. Again, consistency, consistency, consistency.

Loyalty

When customers are loyal to your brand, you should be just as loyal.

Take the time to create incentives for them to come back. Whether it’s a coupon off or something more elaborate, your appreciation helps those people appreciate you too! A little thanks goes a long way.

Awareness of the Competition

It should go without saying, but sometimes this mindset needs to be reinforced.

You should be learning from the competition. Your goal – offer a better experience in every way.

These are the best ways to create a brand strategy that has longevity and goals you can achieve from the beginning while refining along the way. This is a functional, working part of your marketing strategy that helps you communicate better while attracting and retaining customers.

Every business goes through growing pains, but not having a brand strategy can seriously hurt your chances of making your mark on the industry. With so many ways to connect with different types of customers, the best thing you can do is give yourself a competitive advantage. Your brand strategy can help with that.

So, do you have a brand strategy in place, and is it working? 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

   5 Print Marketing Pieces that will Woo Your Corporate Clients

 

Some of the most effective ways of communicating value don’t require looking up a website or downloading a mobile device teaser program.

In fact, non-digital marketing activities win over corporate clients regularly without ever needing to be plugged in. Here are five of them.

1. Business Cards

Yes, those traditional business cards are still winners.

Business cards provide critical contact information and enough detail on how to connect with an organization quickly. Whether by email, text, phone, or mail, the info on a business card is powerful.

People love business cards because they are easy to transfer, pack, save, and reference. In the corporate world, business cards still resonate.

2. Letterheads and Stationary

In a day and age when so much communication happens by email and texting, the traditional letter stands out, even in a mail pile full of folders and generic material.

Best used when conveying a personal connection, professional letterhead is loved by corporate leaders everywhere and often seen as a sign of respect to the reader.

3. Add to Your Digital Slidedeck

Digital presentations can be so commonplace that people are often bored to death by the lack of engaging multiple senses.

A quick fix? Add printed materials people can hold in their hands that support your digital presentation. A beautifully printed presentation contained in a clean and stylish folder is easy to carry and review hands-on later. Combine a print version of a presentation with a digital slidedeck, and you’re hitting a home run with both formats simultaneously.

4. Company Information Brochures

A tri-fold company brochure is a convenient marketing tool that easily fits in a jacket pocket or folder. And, like business cards and presentation folders, brochures engage multiple senses of sight, touch, and even smell. 

Unlike digital PDFs, professionally printed brochures can be visualized and held easily. They don’t get lost in files like emails and tweets. A well-done brochure with high-impact visuals gets shared with those who matter as well. They are often shown as an example of what’s possible with the right skills hired.

5. Everyone Loves Catalogs

Today, digital menus and scrolling lists have tried to replace catalogs online.

However, the traditional catalog publication stands firm because of its tremendous impact.

Sometimes, folks like to leaf through a well-designed paper catalog to relax and pass the time, which often triggers more sales.

Additionally, companies that provide catalogs are becoming more unique and a stand-out factor from the crowd. Folks do not always remember a general product, but they definitely remember who has a catalog.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

           Grow Your Business Through Instagram Marketing

 

If you're looking for a way to boost the results of your print marketing, integrate your next campaign expand your reach with Instagram!

Instagram is a cost-effective marketing tool that houses many resources to help your business grow.

As the second most accessed network behind Facebook, with 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram boasts highly engaged users, browsing an average of 53 minutes per day.

Instagram can be a handy tool if you’re trying to reach ages 18-44, as 45% of Instagram users are within this age group. 

4 Tips to Get Your Business Started on Instagram

Before initiating an Instagram business profile, it’s important to develop a marketing strategy.

1. Know Your Why.

Why do you want your business on Instagram?

For example, are you there to sell products, share portfolio content, build brand awareness, share user-generated content, and/or use Instagram’s analytic tools? When you discover your why, you’ll have a beneficial framework for moving forward.

2. Determine Your Target Market.

Think about age, location, gender, income, interests, motivations, & pain points.

If this is challenging, try looking up competitors on Instagram to see who their audience is. 

3. Conduct a Competitive Analysis.

A competitive analysis is when you research your competitors to see how they are doing.

Then, using this data, you develop a plan to improve your own business. When doing this through Instagram, see what and how often your competitors are posting, what posts are getting the highest engagement, what they are using for captions, how quickly they are growing, etc.

Acquire data that can then be used as a benchmark for your business. You can also brainstorm ways you can stand out from your competitors.

4. Create an Editorial Calendar.

An editorial calendar is a visual representation of your workflow.

You can develop a plan for when, what, and how often to post on both your main Instagram feed and Instagram stories.

5 Tips for Gaining Instagram Followers

Now that your marketing strategy is in place, you can get on Instagram to grow your follower base and engagement. Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Create a Business Account.

Perhaps obvious, but make sure your business is under a business account.

Go to your profile page, click the three horizontal lines at the top, click settings, account, then scroll down.

If it says, “Switch back to Personal Account,” then you have a business account. If it says, “Switch to Professional Account,” your business is under a personal account.

No worries! Just click “Switch to Professional Account,” follow the prompts, and now you have a business account. This is important because it will give you access to useful features, including analytic tools, promoted posts, and a contact button.

Instagram’s analytic tools allow you to see who (age and gender), when, and where you generate the most engagement. You can also see data for follower growth. 

2. Make Sure Your Instagram Bio is Strong.

Your bio is your potential client’s first impression.

Add all the necessary information and use keywords that will draw in your target audience. 

Your bio is also the area where you'll put your call-to-action URLs. Because Instagram is image-based, URLs don't work well on each post. Instead, update your bio URL to correspond with anything unique you're posting.

3. Create a High-Quality Instagram Feed.

Ensure that your Instagram feed flows nicely by choosing consistent editing styles and adding filler photos.

Filler photos are posts that serve to improve your Instagram feed’s aesthetic. They are important because Instagram is such a visual app. Space out busy photos with minimalistic ones. You can even try posting six to nine photos in a row to create one large picture on your feed.

4. Don’t Forget to Use Your Stories.

Because Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours, they’re a great way to post various content and drive engagement.

Plus, thanks to Instagram’s stickers, you can create quick polls to drive follower engagement while simultaneously receiving follower feedback.

5. Add Instagram to Your Networking Cards.

Networking cards are business cards that highlight your social media presence. They are a great way to increase your follower base and sales. 

Instagram is a wonderful tool to grow your business. Apply the above advice, so you can stand out and increase sales.

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

 Standard Sizes for Print Products: Your Ultimate Guide

Print products come in a variety of sizes. From 3.5” x 2” business cards to 36” x 120” event banners, many of them have standard dimensions that provide  good reference points for printers, designers, and clients. While some standard sizes for print products have been formally acknowledged (like 4.125″ x 9.5″ for #10 envelopes), some sizes are considered standard simply because they get a large amount of orders (like 2” x 8” bookmarks). Popularity can gradually turn certain sizes into unofficial standards for the industry, or at least into good guidelines to follow when advising clients.

It can be a hassle to keep track of all these sizes or pull them from different product pages. That’s why we’ve created a collection of standard sizes for print products that are the most common. Please note that these standards are based on common North American print products dimensions.

Standard Sizes for Print Products

Standard Business Card Size

• 3.5” x 2”

Standard Postcard Sizes

• 4” x 6”
• 5” x 7”
• 5.5” x 8.5”

Standard Flyer Sizes

• 8.5” x 11”
• 5.5” x 8.5”

Standard Brochure Sizes

(flat size)

• 8.5” x 11”
• 8.5” x 14”
• 11” x 17”

(finished size – approximate)

• 3.67” x 8.5”
• 4.67” x 8.5”
• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 7” x 8.5”
• 5.67” x 11”
• 8.5” x 11”

Standard Bookmark Sizes

• 2” x 8”
• 2” x 6”
• 2.5” x 8.5”

Standard Presentation Folder Sizes

(flat size)

• 12” x 18” with 3” or 4” pockets
• 14.5” x 18” with 3” or 4” pockets

(finished size)

• 9” x 12”
• 9″ x 14.5″

Standard Booklet Sizes

• 8.5” x 11”
• 5.5” x 8.5″

Standard Greeting Card Sizes

(flat size)

• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 7” x 10”
• 8.5″ x 11″

(finished size)

• 4.25” x 5.5”
• 5” x 7”
• 5.5” x 8.5”

Standard Rack Card Sizes

• 3.5” x 8.5”
• 4” x 9”

Standard Ticket Sizes

• 2″ x 5.5″
• 3.5″ x 8.5″

Standard Wall Calendar Sizes

• 11” x 8.5”

Standard Lawn Sign/Yard Sign Sizes

• 36″ x 24″
• 24″ x 18″
• 18″ x 12″

Standard For Sale Sign/Real Estate Sign Sizes

• 24″ x 18″
• 24” x 6” (SOLD sign)

Standard A-Frame Sign Sizes

• 24″ x 36″
• 24″ x 18″

Standard Banner Sizes (for banners without frame or stand)

• 48” x 96”
• 36” x 120”
• 24″ x 72″ (for a 6” trade show table)

Standard Retractable Banner Size

• 33” x 80” (extra 1” goes inside the stand)

Standard Magnet Sizes

• 3.5” x 2”
• 3” x 4”
• 4″ x 6″
• 5.5″ x 8.5″

Standard Car Magnet Sizes

• 10″ x 20″
• 12” x 18”
• 12″ x 24″

Standard Poster Sizes

• 11″ x 17″
• 18” x 24”
• 24″ x 36″

Standard Door Hanger Sizes

• 3.5” x 8.5”
• 4.25” x 11”

Standard Folded Business Card Size

(flat size)

• 3.5” x 4”

(finished size)

• 3.5” x 2”

Standard Tent Card Sizes

(flat size)

• 4” x 16.5″
• 5” x 16.5″

(finished size)

• 4” x 6.25”
• 5” x 5.5”

Standard CD Cover Size

• 4.75″ x 4.75″ (for a 1-page front cover)

Standard Letterhead Size

• 8.5” x 11”

Standard Envelope Sizes

• 4.125″ x 9.5″ (#10)
• 4.375″ x 5.75″
• 9″ x 12″
• 10″ x 13″

Standard Notepad Sizes

• 4.25” x 5.5”
• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 8.5” x 11”

Standard Address Label Size

• 1″ x 2.625″

Standard NCR Form Sizes

• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 8.5” x 11”

What About Other Sizes?

Take these standard sizes for print products simply as some of the most common dimensions instead of rules that are set in stone. You can certainly print sizes that are not listed here. So if your clients are looking for something a little more out-of-the-box, get creative with size and choose a less common one.

The Print Cafe prints both standard sizes and custom sizes for all the products listed above at great prices. 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

 3 Non-Negotiables for Stellar Customer Service

Want to build connections that bring benefits?

You can do this everywhere you go by using people’s names. Career Coach Joyce Russel shared a story about a friend recovering from an injury. This man was staying in a rehab hospital and was not particularly happy with his care from the therapists and staff.

Unsympathetic, his wife noted that he hadn’t treated the hospital staff with particular kindness, “Do you even know the names of the people who are helping you?” she asked him. “No, why should I learn their names?” he replied. She reminded him that just by learning and using people’s names, he might get better care.

Sure enough, it helped!

Keep Your Best Customers Coming Back

Personal attention brings powerful results.

If you want a no-fail tactic to increase your sales, one of your best strategies is to entice proven customers to buy again. Here are just a few ways to keep customers coming back:

Greet People by Name

When you want to build loyalty, learn and use the names of your customers.

There should be a distinct difference between how you interact with your consistent clients and those you meet for the first time. Even if you don’t remember someone’s name, let them know you recognize them and are happy to see them. Say something like, “Well, hello! It’s great to see you again.”

When you take a phone call, the person on the other end usually identifies themselves immediately. Use this to your advantage and try to speak their name in conversation as the call progresses. As Dale Carnegie often said, “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Keep Your Eye on the Customer (Not the Profit)

Clients want to be recognized as people, not as potential profits.

In what ways can you be helpful regardless of profit? If a VIP customer needs a minor repair or replacement part, could you offer it at no cost? If a valued partner is considering a service upgrade, could you provide a free month of benefits? Small gestures (like carrying someone’s bag to their car) cost very little, but they add up over time.

People will continue taking their business to places they feel valued, and they’ll tell their friends too.

Keep Your Commitments

Reliability is the foundation of good customer relationships.

If you make a promise, keep it. If you say, “your new grill will be delivered and assembled by Saturday,” make sure it does. Never make claims you can’t back up with certainty.

The same rule applies to client appointments, upcoming sales, deadlines, etc. Think before you speak because broken promises are a slight on your character and your business's reputation.

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

   Add Depth and Drama to Your Page with 4 Riveting Techniques

 

Tension. There’s just nothing like it to prompt emotion in relationships, film, and art.

Steven Spielberg demonstrated this masterfully in the classic 1993 film Jurassic Park. While young siblings Tim and Lex hide in an industrial kitchen, two raptors creep inside and begin prowling and sniffing the perimeter. As the children silently crawl on their knees and cower under stainless steel countertops, the toenails of the raptors click . . . click . . . click . . . along the floor behind them.

Though some would classify Jurassic Park as a children’s film, you can be sure the tension of this scene had every adult breathless as the raptors prepared to pounce.

Create Rhythm and Release in Your Page

As plot twists are to a story, visual tension is to design.

Visual tension is an aspect of composition that uses unexpected color, shape, or scale to create energy. While visual tension can be used to evoke anxiety, typically it is used to add depth and create a more dynamic viewer experience. This pattern of building and releasing tension is one of the most ingrained patterns of human experience.

Here are four ways to weave visual tension into your next design:

1. Go Off the Grid

Most shapes or pages have a sort of “structural skeleton” running through them.

In a square, the axis points would form a letter X through the center of the page. Elements placed along any major axis (or in the center) will appear more stable. Objects placed outside these major grid points will carry a greater sense of tension. If you place a logo underneath the invisible X of a square page, your design will feel a bit more exciting.

2. Use Jarring Color Combinations

While monochromatic or complementary colors are soothing, dissimilar or bold combinations create a unique energy in your designs.

The possibilities here are endless! Try gray suede and cheetah print mixed with white and gold. Or electric orange interspersed with neon pink. A rule of thumb is to favor one color over another (like using a dominant color for the background and the secondary color for accents). To tone it down a bit, use both colors for accents against a neutral shade.

3. Try Something Unexpected

Is the sky always blue?

It doesn’t have to be! Designs spur emotion when you do something unexpected, like adding a hot pink filter to a nature landscape. Try something surprising, like placing a giant head on a tiny body, coloring a chicken blue, or creating a visual puzzle (using concepts from the Gestalt principle) within your logo design.

4. Employ the Spatial Properties of Color

Colors create movement and affect the way we perceive an image.

Did you know that warm tones appear to advance in three-dimensional space? If you want to highlight a focal point in your image, you can increase the size of this object or also use a warm color such as red, orange, or yellow to bring it forward. If you want to reverse this effect, use a cool color (like blue or purple) on the closer, larger object and a warm color like red on a distant, smaller object. Viola! Tension created.

Engaging, Irresistible Images

Balance and tension are at the heart of every creative endeavor. Build hierarchy, focal points, and flow as you create a visual tension that makes your image irresistible!

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

Make Ideas Fly Before They Die

When facing a life or death decision, do you think the opinions of others would affect your behavior?

Social proof is a powerful phenomenon. People constantly look to the opinions of others to help them live wisely and navigate uncertainty. The behavior and preferences of your peers can shape every choice you make – from the vehicles you drive to the candidates you vote for. But surely some of that superficiality would fade in more critical situations, right?

Not necessarily.

More than 40,000 people in the United States experience end-stage kidney failure every year, with bodies that cannot filter toxins and adequately remove waste products from their blood. These people are dependent on dialysis treatments as they wait desperately for a kidney transplant. Often more than  100,000 patients are eagerly waiting for a new organ.

Surprisingly, research shows that 97.1 percent of kidney offers are refused, and nearly 1 in 10 transplant candidates refuse a kidney in error. How could this happen? The research of MIT professor Juanjuan Zhang points to social proof. Say you are the one-hundredth person on a transplant list. If the first 99 people turned down a viable kidney, often people lower on the list conclude the organ must not be very good (“if someone else doesn’t want it, then neither do I”). They infer it is low in quality and wait for a “better offer.”

Zhang found this psychological trigger – a follow the crowd mentality – prompts thousands of patients to turn down kidneys they should have accepted.

If Something is Built to Show, It’s Built to Grow

Do you want to sell more products, grow attendance in your community group, or get momentum for your idea?

The more public a product or service, the more it triggers people to act. Visibility boosts word-of-mouth advertising, and this informal person-to-person marketing has a significant impact on others. People rely on peers to help them decide what movies to see, which vet to use for their pet, or the best software to buy. For example, recent studies show that more than half of adults under age 50consult online reviews before making a purchase decision, and 88% of people read reviews to determine the quality of a local business.

Reviews and testimonials are powerful, but you can also build influential triggers into small things like your product packaging, stickers, and more. Social influence is stronger when behavior is more observable.

Here are just a few ways outward symbols have made personal choices more public:

--Polling places that distribute an “I voted” sticker to those who cast a ballot

--Devices that attach a mini advertisement to every email (like the classic “sent using BlackBerry” tagline)

--TV shows that used canned laugh tracks to prompt more emotional buy-in from viewers

--Bumper stickers or yard signs sharing political ideas or coffee preferences

--VIP purchases that convince participants to wear conspicuous wristbands instead of using a paper ticket

--Fitness trackers that automatically post progress to a person’s social media page

--Grocery stores that distribute beautiful branded reusable bags

Monkey See, Monkey Do

It has been said that when people are free to do what they please, they typically imitate others.

How can you build more social currency into your marketing? Whether you choose recognizable product colors to selfie photo booths at your events, make it easy for people to share your brand through social media or when they’re just “doing life” in the public square.

When something is built to show, it’s built to grow.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

 

The 8 Dos and Don'ts of Branding

 

Your brand is often the key to growing and keeping your customer base. 

A recognizable, identifiable brand with a cohesive look and feel helps you get the attention of a potential customer and keeps the would-be one-time customer coming back for more. You want your brand to be instantly memorable, especially when it comes to print-based marketing. This is why it is essential to make sure your brand is in tip-top shape!

How do you know if your brand is on point or missing the mark? You follow these dos and don'ts of branding.

The Dos of Branding

1. Take the Time to Update Your Brand Logo

Even iconic brands like Coca-Cola revamp their logo on occasion.

The longer you have been in business, the more likely you need to update your brand logo. You want your brand to appear fresh and relevant. You don’t have to redesign your brand logo completely; just give it a revamp. 

2. Pay Particular Attention to Detail

Designing for print leaves little to no room for error.

You want to get it right the first time and avoid costly fixes down the road. Therefore, it is usually best to start with a digital design before printing the final product.  

3. Take Advantage of Print Textures

Because print-based marketing gives the consumer something they can hold, don’t forget about using print texture to enhance your brand.

Techniques like folding, embossing, or even well-placed foiling can create a unique print experience. 

4. Respect White Space

With print, sometimes less if more.

Try to leave space between the icon and the text. Try your design in black and white before adding color. You’ll see just how impactful it is or realize you need to go back to the drawing board for tweaks and adjustments.  

The Don’ts of Branding

1. Forget to Edit

Editing is often the best friend of printing and branding.

Come up with several options before settling on something final. Brands will inevitably evolve, but spending the initial investment of time on the front end will allow you to come up with a solid brand.

2. Add Too Many Fine Details for Printing

There is a time and place for intricacy when it comes to branding.

Intricate designs with multiple colors and gradients may be amazing for digital marketing platforms but will most likely get lost in translation in print. So instead, think simple but unique for print purposes by scaling back fine details.

3. Use a Wide Variety of Colors

One of the goals of print marketing is to get the customer’s attention.

While you can do this with color, too many colors may have the opposite effect. Think about the size of your print materials and use that to guide your choices of colors. 

4. Use the Wrong Font

Think about your brand. Is it bold? Demure? Classic?

Choose a font that represents the overall feel of your brand. For example, a construction company would likely never utilize a swirly font with loopy letters. Put your font choice to the test before making a final decision. Look at it in various sizes. If it doesn’t translate well to several settings, choose another font.

Creating a brand for your business doesn’t have to be an impossible task. When you keep these dos and don’ts of branding in mind, your business can be well on its way to iconic status in no time. 

Partner With a Marketing Expert

When it comes to building a successful printing brand, partnering with an experienced team of marketing experts is crucial. With years of valuable experience, we're here to help your business shine. Contact us today to get started!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

How to Build Trust and Rapport in New Business Relationships

When Brendan Kane scheduled a Fox Business interview, he never planned to bag a presidential candidate.

Kane, a social media influencer strategist, thought his Kennedy show interview was simply another media spot. Until he landed in the green room with Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney. Kane later admitted he didn’t even know who Delaney was – he just wanted to have a good conversation. But as they visited about their lives and interests, Delaney was quickly drawn to Kane’s magnetic, genuine personality.

One warm conversation bloomed into a partnership. Before the day was over, Delaney asked Kane to help him with his political social media campaign.

Sell Yourself, Then Sell Your Products

Do you want to create a rapport that quickly builds trust with others?

This starts with meeting people organically and connecting with them authentically. Brendan Kane never tried to sell John Delaney anything; he just took an interest in his life and story. It was Delaney who eventually pitched himself to Kane!

Great business relationships start with rich personal interactions, including conversations that flow from an authentic, nonthreatening place. Are you looking to sell yourself so you can then sell your brand or product? Here are three tips to get you started:

1. Offer non-judgmental validation

People feel heard and valued when you seek their opinions and input without judging them.

Seek the other person’s opinions and thoughts without jumping to conclusions. While you don’t have to agree with what they say, adopting an attitude of acceptance means respecting a person’s feelings or values as valid, even if they are different from your own.

If this is difficult for you, taking time to imagine yourself in the other person’s place can help you be more open and empathetic.

2. Listen with your full presence

Do you ever talk to someone who seems distracted? Even as this person listens, you can see a thousand thoughts racing through his head, as if he can’t wait to cut in and speak his mind.

One of the best gifts you can give someone is your full presence and attention – to truly listen. Beneath all the swagger or struggles, everyone has a story to tell. People are longing to be seen and heard, and when you ask questions and actually hear the answers, you’ll be amazed how quickly connections are built.

3. Establish a time constraint early in the conversation

Have you ever been sitting in an airport or your office chair when someone unexpectedly approaches you to start a conversation?

This scenario can be unsettling for many people because no one wants to feel trapped in an awkward, unplanned discussion (especially with someone they don’t fully trust). To quickly set an associate at ease, preview the end of a conversation before it starts.

Say something like, “I’d like to visit with you about ____, can I grab 10 minutes of your time?” or, “I’m on my way out, but before I left, I wanted to ask you _______.”

Enlarge Your Influence

Building rapport is critical for nurturing strong relationships and amplifying your influence on others.

When you build relational bridges, you will engage people on a human level, foster transparency, and fuel a culture of innovation, loyalty, and collaboration.

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

        Add Unity to Your Design with Clever Repetitive Elements

Do you ever find pleasure in the chiming of a grandfather clock or in honking geese as they migrate for the winter?

Repetition is therapeutic.

Rituals provide structure and something to hold on to, and they free us from the tyranny of choices and chaos. Repetition can help complicated pieces of music, movies, or books reveal the depths of their richness. And repetition in design adds consistency, beauty, and unity.

Strong designs repeat some aspect or element throughout the entire piece. The recurring element may be a bold font, a thick line, a snappy bullet icon, a repeating color or page layout, or anything that a reader will visually recognize.

From business cards to complex multi-page booklets, subtle repetition is a visual cue that ties every piece together. Want to be more intentional in your repetitive elements? Here are some options to try:

Headlines and Subheads

All text starts somewhere, and text banners are a perfect way to add graphic unity.

Are all the headlines in your newsletter 14-point Times Bold? How about investing in a very bold sans serif and making all your heads something like 16-point Mikado Ultra? Take the repetition that’s already part of the project and elevate it, making it stronger and more dynamic.

This adds beauty to the page and anchors readers in a framework of ideas.

Rule Bars or Page Numbers

When creating multi-page publications, it should be perfectly obvious that pages 2 and 12 are part of the same piece.

Beyond similar layouts, adding simple elements like rule bars and page numbers can bring harmony to your design. Try a thick, heavy rule bar on the top of each page and a narrow bar of the same color at the bottom. Label your pages with more than just numbers; design these digits with heavy fonts, fun shadow boxes or slashes, or print them vertically by rotating them 90 degrees.

Recurring Shapes

Patterns are a pleasing way to add visual continuity to flyers, reports, or even product packaging. Here are three ideas:

1. If you choose a branch as one of your central graphics, you might add smaller leaves throughout the document (as column markers, page number outlines, or bullet icons, for example).
2. Add colored waves behind the text that repeat in variations of your color palette or in repeating style (like a freeform eggplant shape) throughout the document.
3. Splatter your text across a subtle background of grid and dot patterns.

Playful Characters or Color Matching

Not everything needs to be serious!

Have a little fun by adding repetitive elements that have nothing to do with your page’s purpose. Add funky bird caricatures, petroglyph characters, or a toss of confetti. Borrow the colors in these images and match or complement them with handles in your text.

Feel free to add something completely new simply for the purpose of repetition!

Consistency Counts

Don’t underestimate the power of the visual interest of your pages.

The repetition of your work will eliminate chaos and add beauty to your work. Think of repetition as consistency, but push those existing patterns a bit farther. Can you turn some of your repetitive elements into a part of the conscious design strategy? Take a unifying graphic and create spinoffs of this concept to bring subtle accents to each page.

Sound time-consuming? It’s worth the effort! Repetition matters because when a piece looks more interesting, it is more likely to be read.

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