How to Compare Direct Mail Printer- Author:Jordan Crawford

No all direct mail printers are created equal. Don't just compare based on final per-postcard cost. But there are tons of great questions you can ask that will help you determine how to get the best bang for your buck.

Direct Mail Printers Quick Start Guide

Here's a 3 minute video if you'd prefer to watch, it will go over the basics of how direct mail printers are different from one another and how to price compare, but the post below goes into greater detail. I personally consume information better in audio-format, so I like making the videos for you.

What Impacts Postcard Printing Costs

Besides simply size and postcard, there are a ton of factors that can impact your bottom line across various direct mail printers. Let's take a quick look at the different capabilities of direct mail printing companies that effect you.

1. EDDM vs Addresses
2. Postage options (there are a ton, actually)
3. Type of postcard (printing process)
4. Scale of your postcard send
5. Personalization
6. Technology

Each of these factors can impact the cost of your campaign. I'm going go through each of them so you can understand them all and at the end of this post there's an email template that will help you reach out to printers to be able to compare their cost. 1. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM):

First, EDDM stands for Every Door Direct Mail. It’s a way for you to send postcards to entire carrier routes (subsections of zip codes). This impacts cost because EDDM postage goes to every address in a carrier’s entire route (there’s no sorting needed) allowing you to send at a super reasonable price.

“The Every Door Direct Mail-Retail price per piece for Flats weighing no more than 3.3 oz is $0.197.”

It’s way cheaper for the post office to give a bundle of postcards to a route carrier than to have to sort the mail. While you save a lot of money going this route, you can’t personalize and you can’t do address targeting. We don’t do a lot of EDDM for this reason, as most folks do targeted direct mail. Some businesses do work well using this model, though. This is the cheapest you'll ever pay for a postcard for any direct mail printing campaign, so keep that in mind when considering your marketing efforts. Postage Options, First Class:

Postage costs 55 cents, right? No way. It’s one of the biggest tricks in the mailing service industry… to talk about printing plus 55 cent postage.

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Let’s look at your various options. First class mail is the highest priority mail. If sent in the US, it arrives 3-4 business days after it is sent. Also, if you send a postcard with a bad address or is undeliverable for any number of reasons (which, happens a lot surprisingly) it will return back to the address you provided. Your mail also gets auto-forwarded to someone if they have moved.

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First class mail also includes tracking information and guaranteed delivery time. Presorted First-Class is about 20% cheaper than first class. This gives you all of the benefits of first class, but all mail needs to be cleaned by the NCOA (National Change of Address) registry, the printer must be CASS certified, and each card must be presorted.

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‍Postage Options, Standard Class: Standard class is cheaper than first or presorted, of course. But it comes with some downsides. Mailtypically takes 10-14 business days to arrive, but don't come with guaranteed delivery times. Your mailwill not be returned to sender and is not tracked at all. You usually need to mail a bunch to qualify for this (200 - 5k+ pieces, depending on your direct mail printer). If you’re a non-profit you can qualify for significantly cheaper pricing (70% off first class even), but you’ll need to fill out the three page PS_3624 to qualify.

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Direct mail printers vary a LOT with postage options, so you can save a lot of money if you just ask about these options alone. Type of Postcard: For this, it’s just best to make sure that your printer uses these specifications:Printed in color, back and front, 120# 14PT UV Coated. These measurements are the thickness of the card and a protective coating that helps prevent the postcard by getting marked up too much by the USPS sorting tools.

‍Your Scale: I tried to find fish on a scale, so there was a double pun. But, you'll have to settle for this single pun. Ok ok, back to the content.

If you’re sending over 100k direct mail pieces in one print run, you’ll want to do offset printing. It’s different printing process than what you’ll often find at most printers and you’ll want to seek out offset printers. This allows you to do printing at much cheaper price at huge scales.

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‍Personalization and Technology Needs: A ton of people doing postcard marketing are using outdated techniques. And, doing so will save you a good amount of money because there are a lot more printers that don't do personalized printing (often called variable printing) and aren't very tech savvy. 

Personalization is one of the most efficient ways to improve your conversion rate by 2-5x. Here’s a campaign we ran that included the first name, address, a calculated savings per year based on the customer’s roof, a heat map of the customer’s roof from space, and a phone number with an area code unique to each city. This can really improve your conversion rate, even if you just do things like add the person’s name. A lot of direct mail printers offer an API for personalization, but it's often stone-age level quality... perfect if you could hire Fred Flintstone as your engineer... but not really great for anyone else. Always ask your engineering team to evaluate your options.

But, it will cost you more generally. Here’s a good Quora post on a bunch of API printers and this programmable web post. While we won't recommend a specific API, if you contact me I am happy to talk about the API that Scout uses. Direct mail printers are mostly stuck in the past. Consider finding a direct mail printer that supports the API route if you're a more advanced marketer. If you don't have engineering resources, you can use Scout or I can put you in touch with a few engineers and graphic designers that may be able to help you build something custom. Call Today 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 

      Resolving Conflict at the Office

It’s not ideal, and we don’t necessarily like to talk about it, but conflict does happen in the workplace.

So, as a leader, how do you handle it? Do you sweep it under the rug, or do you deal with it head-on?

Here are some tips on how to handle disagreements and conflicts at work.

Pay Attention to Your Tone of Voice

Experts say that only 10% of an argument is about the issue, and 90% is the tone of voice.

So, it is safe to say that how we react and talk about the conflict is critical to resolving it. Whether you’re mediating the conversation or you’re in the middle of the argument, remember that your tone of voice will impact the other person more than just your words.  

Don’t Ignore the Issue

According to experts, ignoring a problem is not the best way to handle the situation as it will only build more tension.

This can severely impact the productivity and energy of the group. In fact, we should embrace the difference of opinions in hopes that we might learn something new and expand our business.

Author and business leader Margaret Heffernan said, “For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.” Keep this in mind, and your job will be much easier. Think of it as a way to expand your business and maybe gain some new ideas on how to do things.

There are Benefits with Conflict

According to Amy Gallo, contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, benefits of a conflict at work  include: “positive, creative friction that leads to better work outcomes; opportunities to learn and grow; higher job satisfaction; a more inclusive work environment, and even improved relationships.”

Thinking of these positive benefits of conflict while mediating or conversing with others should help you appreciate the different views rather than dreading the confrontation.

Do Your Homework

Before meeting with those involved, do your homework.

Listen carefully to what is being said before asking questions. If people feel heard, they will respect your input more. It also keeps emotions calm. Be sure to stay in control of your emotions so you can stay objective.

Ask For Clarification

Before reaching any conclusions in your mind, be sure to ask for clarification on the points that were made by each side.

Take notes so you can be specific in your questions. Also, try to use the question “how” rather than “why” someone feels the way they do. And when you do talk, try not to use “but” or “however” because that will make the others feel like they aren’t as valued and that their opinions don’t count.

Mind the Facts

Focus on the facts at hand, rather than getting distracted by extra information, observations, or feelings.

And watch your body language, as that will impact the conversation more than you might think. Uncross your arms, and keep good eye contact in a non-threatening way.

At our printing firm, we tackle things head-on. If you are not satisfied for any reason, we want to know, and we will make it right. We want you to be happy with our products because there’s no us without you. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

The Hidden Benefits of Promotional Calendars

Promotional calendars are an ingenious marketing tool to target loyal and prospective customers. 

The Benefits of Promotional Calendars

Promotional calendars utilize continuous, year-round advertising.

Even in today’s digital age, printed calendars are still widely used. According to PPAI, 78% of consumers still use a printed calendar at home or work.

Therefore, if you give a calendar, the customer will most likely use it. After all, it can’t get much better than a free calendar. This calendar will hang in the customer’s home or office where they and their coworkers and family members will also see it. The recipient is bound to refer to it at least once a day. This equals at least 365 views per calendar. That’s a lot of advertising power!

Promotional calendars are cost-effective.

Depending on where you go and what specific calendar you buy, a printed calendar will cost you roughly $2.00. That one calendar is likely to receive at least 365 views per year, translating to about half a cent per view. That’s some cost-effective marketing! 

Promotional calendars are recyclable.

The best way to show that you care about prevalent topics, such as the environment, is through action.

What better way to do this than by creating a recyclable product? Your impact on the environment will be lessened, and your customers will appreciate your efforts. 

Promotional calendar tips

Promotional calendars are incredibly effective but increase their potency with the following ideas. 

Add monthly specials and important business days to the calendar.

The customer is going to be referring to the calendar often. Take full advantage of this by reminding them about special deals and important business deals to increase sales and traffic. 

Feature customer stories.

Share some of the ways your business has helped individuals and the community by highlighting inspirational stories through your calendar. This will make the calendar more engaging while simultaneously generating trust between you and the customer. 

Personalize the calendar by adding the customer’s name.

Show your customers you genuinely care about them and their support by giving them a personalized calendar. This will make the client feel special. 

Include stickers with the calendar.

People of all ages enjoy stickers. Try including calendar-specific stickers, such as birthday, to-dos, laundry day, tax day, payday, etc. Look into creating customizable stickers so that your company can be advertised through them too. 

Try 18-month calendars.

This will help you get ahead of the curve by giving these out in June instead of December when most other businesses distribute their calendars. Once the customers start using your calendar, you can continue supplying as the years go on. 

Calendars are subtly powerful marketing strategies due to their usefulness and staying power. Soon, your customers will be asking you when your next calendar is coming out.  Call Today 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

How Using Products for Marketing

Can Increase Outreach 

Marketing in 2022 can be a complex task. With so many traditional printed marketing materials at your disposal and digital marketing outreach goals, how can you know what products for marketing will increase sales across the board?

While digital marketing is often touted as the way forward for small businesses and entrepreneurs, there is still a market for branded products via a digital printing company such as ourselves. At Print Cafe LI, we have evolved our printing processes to help customers maximize their budget for increased efficiency and increased sales to support your business.

Using Products Alongside Digital Marketing

There is no denying that digital marketing has revolutionized how businesses approach doing business. However, there is an excellent benefit of using complementary marketing products alongside outreach methods as well.

Market outreach is a strategy that companies use to pitch their business to influential people that are relevant to the product and niche. Outreach marketing is often called influencer marketing and it is a thriving sector on social media. Influencers can come in many different shapes and forms, from celebrities with massive social media following to experts within specific industries and niches who bring new products and developments to the appropriate market sectors. How you approach influencer marketing can dictate the strategy you use.

You can also send current clients and customers free products included with their orders as an added extra in the hope they will share those products with their customers or peers. This will, therefore, expand your reach and utilize existing customers within your outreach strategy.

Using Products for Marketing: Branding

When using products for your outreach marketing, the first step is to use a digital printing company with years of experience in the industry to help you personalize your products.

Adorning products with your logo has long been viewed as an effective marketing method. Think of the humble pen with a company name and phone number on it. The pen can be passed from person to person, used in various situations, and when someone is looking for a pen, they will immediately think of your brand when they grab your pen.

In 2022, the world has moved on in ways that we have never experienced before, so you need to be more creative with how you dispense your branded products for marketing.

For example, if you send gifted clothing to a fashion influencer, a pen will likely be discarded, never being used or promoted via their channels. However, a branded hoodie as a complimentary extra will probably be pulled out and shared across their social media channels for more 'casual' days or outfits such as catching flights, long road trips, or chilling at home. In fact, 71% of marketers found customers gained via influencer marketing more beneficial than other channels. The trick is getting the right influencer and appropriate marketing materials to boost your partnership.

Likewise, if you are selling B2B, a pen will come in more valuable than a hoodie, as will various other stationery pieces and business cards. It is important to know your audience and the outreach target audience in order to send applicable products for promotion to achieve maximum effect.

Complimentary Products for Marketing: Distributing

When using complementary products for marketing with existing customers, ensuring you aren't reaching for unsuitable products is key to developing an effective strategy to increase sales. Partner with The Print Cafe, LI to provide all of your branded products for marketing that are of the highest quality and show off your company in the best light. We help you to avoid mistakes and poor placements

Assign marketing products according to appropriate customer orders or services. The more applicable they are to the business, the more likely they will be used and not left hiding in a cupboard somewhere.

Let's say you are a cooking utensil company doing outreach to local bakers and suppliers. In this case, providing them with branded equipment such as wooden spoons, mixing bowls, or measuring equipment will mean they will use the sample product you send in what they do. And they will be more likely to engage in a profitable business relationship with you as you have taken the time to pay attention to what they do and provide a greater understanding of how a partnership would work.

Product Competitions

Competitions and giveaways are big business. Hosting competition on your own social media channels, via email, or your website can bring in new customers often; even smaller products offered can garner tremendous results. Alternatively, you can partner with more prominent bloggers and influencers to leverage their audience and reach more potential customers.

As printing experts, we can supply printed promotional products for you to include in your giveaway or give to entrants as a thank you or runner-up prize complementary to the main prize offered. 

For example, you run a sweepstake with one main prize; you can run one for the first 30 entrants in a branded product alongside their chance of winning the main prize. Or you can run an email campaign where the first 100 people to sign up for a new product release receive a promotional product as a thank you.

Benefits of Using Products for Marketing

While it can be costly to produce vast amounts of product giveaways, using products for marketing outreach can be beneficial when used correctly.

When a customer receives your products, branded or not, they get to see the levels of quality and design involved and can assess for themselves if they want to work with you based on this factor. This can be useful when selling products digitally.

Sending complimentary gifts can also increase the value of your relationship, and the better those relationships are, the more business they are likely to do with you.

For companies conducting influencer outreach, you should remember that an influencer's audience values their opinions and choices. If they like and support your product, chances are they will convey this to their audience and increase your exposure to potential customers via their approval. This audience base can be a valuable resource to tap into, and sending physical products to influencers or bloggers can allow them to accurately share thoughts on both quality and design for consumers to see firsthand.

If you’re considering including branded products within your marketing campaign, get in touch with us today to see how our experience and expertise can help you design the right promotional product for your company.Call Today 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 

Empower Your Marketing Campaign with Engagement Marketing

Empower Your Marketing Campaign with Engagement Marketing

Engagement marketing places the customer at the center of the picture. According to Adobe, “Your most valuable asset isn’t your product – it’s your customers.” Engagement marketing incorporates personalization, one-on-one interactions, and a two-way relationship to create a marketing strategy the customer responds to positively. According to Adobe, “Engagement marketing is the use of strategic, resourceful content to engage people and create meaningful interactions over time.” The end goal is to create a long-term, reciprocal relationship with the customer.  Benefits of Engagement Marketing Engagement marketing more effectively reaches the customer. Customers are bombarded by marketing campaigns daily when, in general, people don’t like being sold to. Yet, customers still consume. Engagement marketing attempts to solve this problem by creating a strategy that customers appreciate and lean on.  Engagement marketing establishes greater trust. Customers trust companies that value their input and treat them as individuals. Trust is crucial for setting your business up for long-term success.  Engagement marketing translates to a greater Return on Investment (ROI). Think of how much money is wasted on marketing campaigns that fail to engage customers. Turning these sunk costs into interested customers will translate to more sales and profit.  Beginner’s Guide to Engagement Marketing There is no ‘one strategy fits all’ for effective engagement marketing, and every company’s strategy will look different. However, there are some key aspects that would benefit any business.  Personalization. Creating a personalized marketing approach is key—the more personalized, the better. You want the customer to feel valued and known by your company. To achieve this, create buyer personas, which are fictional representations of your ideal customer based on your current customers. The more detailed you are, the better because this leads to greater personalization. Include demographics, behavior, motivations, goals, etc. Once you have multiple buyer personas generated, you can target these groups through personalized advertising. In general, use the client’s name whenever possible.  Collect data. The more you know about your clientele, the more personalized your marketing strategies are. Plus, data can be used as a measurement for success, and it’ll help you make informed future decisions. Before collecting the data, make sure you have a solid idea of how you are measuring success.  Share stories. Customers love inspiring stories. They’re interesting and provide the human side of businesses to which customers can attach themselves. Perhaps share customer stories about how your business has helped them. Or share how your business is supporting important causes.  Brainstorm unique marketing campaigns. Engagement marketing requires creativity to find new ways to engage your customers. Perhaps try sending company calendars to existing and prospective customers. These are useful promotional products that will be used and seen all year, keeping your business at the forefront of their mind. Or try sending personalized cards. These will grab the customer’s attention and feel more personal than an email.  There are multiple other ways to practice effective engagement marketing, but hopefully, the above tips will provide a good foundation.  An example of effective engagement marketing: Spotify Spotify is a popular music streaming platform. Spotify’s extraordinary success can be partially attributed to its ability to personalize its customers’ musical experience. Spotify creates multiple daily mixes curated for the user based on their musical preferences. Spotify also suggests popular playlists similar to the user’s known preferences. All this introduces the listener to new music and keeps them coming back for more.  Perhaps one of Spotify’s most popular features is its Spotify Wrapped, where it analyzes the user’s listening preferences throughout the year and shares this data, which includes favorite songs and artists and preferred style of music. Spotify users look forward to their Spotify Wrapped and enjoy sharing it with their friends.  Engagement marketing is not a one size fits all option. This is what makes it so challenging to pull off, yet simultaneously effective when done well. Try it out to experience first-hand benefits. Call today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO: www.printcafeli.com

 

Tips for Impossible-to-Ignore Brochures

                                                                                                                                                                     

Tips for Impossible-to-Ignore Brochures

         Time for a new brochure for your business? When was the last time you updated it? Maybe          you need to tweak a few things or need a complete overhaul.

Either way, here are some fresh ideas to make sure your brochure shines in the face of the competition. Let’s focus on a few items to make sure your brochure isn’t just standing around; it needs to be picked up and read.

Ditch the Building

First of all, remove that picture of your building from the front of the brochure. Although you’re proud of it, your building doesn’t draw people in as you think it might.

Pick photographs that are more eye-catching and appealing to the reader. Photos with people in them or the new product you offer make the best choices. You can reveal the newest, greatest product, or you can use a photo that shows the emotion of how they will feel when they use the product or your business.

Turn Heads with Headlines

Your headlines need to compel readers and make them open the brochure.

It usually takes someone about five seconds to decide to read a brochure or not. That’s not much time, so you need the cover to be the best it can be. 

Know your Audience

Figure out who your audience is and what you hope to accomplish with the brochure; in other words, find out your target market.

There is no way a brochure will be able to tell it all. But it should tell the things that are important to you and your company and essential to the customer. How will your business help them? Be sure to spell this out clearly.

Sell, Don’t Tell

Don’t waste words trying to tell the whole story of your business and why it’s in existence. You need to sell people why your business is the best choice for them.

Have you heard of AIDA?

AIDA is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. This is the key to unlocking the mystery of how to write your brochure. You need to do all these things to make it a successful brochure. You want to lure them in and let them know how and why you can help them. And you need to make sure you tell them what you want them to do next: return a postcard, go to your website, call you, make an appointment, etc.

Writing

To start, make a list of all the reasons why someone would want to use your business. Use this list in writing the copy for the brochure. Do they want to use your product or services just because you offer them? No.

You need to tell them why you do it better than the competition and how your service is second to none. When doing this, be sure to use compelling headlines and bullet points, which will help move them along in reading your brochure. It needs to be relatable and easy to read. Focus on them, not you. For example, “You will be able to stay in touch with your loved ones easier…” rather than “You will have free long-distance.” Tell them why your company benefits them.

Images

Besides the writing, the image you portray in the brochure is important.

Many novice designers use too many colors and fonts and cram way too much into the brochure. You need white space. And you need to pick a font that looks right for your company image. This will show readers your professionalism.

Paper

Pick the right paper and fold.

There are different ways to design brochures, and it’s up to you to pick the right layout and orientation. The paper options are endless, so it is a great idea to talk with your printer to help you get the desired outcome. Do you want elegance? Do you want something fresh and cutting-edge? Do you want to look funky and fun? The right paper can help push your brochure in the right direction.

We are here to help you design and print the best brochure possible. Check us out today, and let’s get started!  516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 

Leading Vs. Kerning … What Are They

and Why Are They Important In Printing? 

When it comes to creating or integrating graphic design, you need to fully understand the intricacies and attention to detail required to make your work stand out. Whether you are looking for a free vector image for commercial use or digital printing in NYC, knowing more about the process of graphic design and what makes a good design stand out is important when searching for “digital printing near me.” 

In this article, we will take a closer look at two important graphic design techniques: leading and kerning. We will identify what each technique is, how they differ from each other, and why they are important when considering any type of graphic design printing. 

Leading Vs. Kerning

Leading and kerning, which are frequently used in conjunction with tracking, are used in typography and graphic design creation. Both techniques improve the appearance of a piece of text, however, there are a few key differences between leading vs kerning.

Instead of altering the font's appearance through different font styles, leading and kerning are used to address how the type appears when placed in a specific environment.

A well-done leading and kerning job can significantly improve the legibility and clarity of any piece of text, be it a logo or wordmark, an entire web page, or a print advertisement. The correct application of kerning and leading ensures that the reader's eye can easily move over the text and absorb the information quickly.

Both kerning and leading are used to manipulate the spacing between words in a piece of text. Kerning is concerned with the space between two characters or letters in a sentence (horizontal spacing) while leading is the process of filling in the vertical gaps between lines of text (vertical spacing). 

When writing magazine articles, blog pages, and other elements of written work, leading is often critical in maintaining readability.

At The Print Cafe of LI, we pay attention to the small details when customers are looking for “digital printing near me”. We appreciate that customers are looking for only the best in digital print in NYC.

What Is Kerning?

Kerning adjusts the spacing between characters. Some letter combinations have too much or too little space between them, making it difficult to read some letters. Kerning reduces this issue by controlling the space between characters. The term refers to adjusting the spacing between letters to create a more pleasant font. 

In short, kerning is the process of adding or removing space between characters to produce proportional spacing in the desired environment. Known as kerning pairs, some letters require frequent kerning. Without kerning, the gap between characters can be seen, requiring more care. It takes skill to kern a typeface such that the text appears natural.

What Is Leading?

Leading is a space-focused feature of typeface design and typography management. The term "leading" relates to old-fashioned printing machines where extra lead lines were placed between text lines to enhance line spacing.

Leading helps establish clarity in a text. Using a font with more flourishes or distinctive elements may necessitate greater line spacing. This extra gap helps readability without blending items.

Leading focuses on the overall image of the text in block format rather than moving individual characters or letters. It's standard in magazines, newspapers, blogs, and other branded content.

Digital Print NYC

When looking for a free vector image for use, paying attention to details of any typography can help you assess the vector's overall design concerning how the finished design will look.

At Print Cafe of LI, we have over 35 years of experience in all aspects of printing and pay attention to all design rules such as the relationship of leading vs kerning. This ensures we provide only the highest quality service for all of our customers. Call Today 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com