Breaking Down the Buyer's Journey

The buyer’s journey lays out the process the buyer takes when buying a product or service. Understanding this journey allows you to be better prepared to meet your customer’s needs each step of the way. 

Stage 1: Awareness 

In this stage, the customer is made aware of a problem they would like to alleviate. They research this problem so they can better identify it. 

Actions you can take in stage 1.

You can provide the prospective client with information to educate, entertain, or inspire them.

For example, your company could provide information through brochures, blogs, website content, press releases, videos, and social media. Not only will you inform your client base, but you will also grow your clients. According to HubSpot, blogging increases your website traffic by about 55%. 

Stage 2: Consideration

Now, the prospect has identified the problem and begins to research ways to alleviate it. The prospect will start to compile a list of products and brands. 

Actions you can take in stage 2.

You’ll want to effectively communicate to the prospect how your business can solve their problem and why you can better provide what they need over your competitors.

Continue to provide resources to your prospect, this time focusing on what makes your product or service stand out through your unique selling proposition. 

Stage 3: Decision 

Now it’s time for the customer to decide which company and product to go with.

The customer has done their research. Throughout their research, your company has hopefully come up multiple times as a reliable resource for them. This in itself will subtly make your company more attractive. 

Actions you can take in stage 3.

You must be able to respond to potential objections or hesitations the customer may have about buying from your business.

Provide a unique selling proposition to better help your business stand out. This will help your business maximize conversion rates, turning prospects into customers. 

Stage 4: Post-Purchase

The customer has completed a purchase and will eventually consider buying from you again.

Statistically, past customers are much more likely to buy from you compared to prospective customers. According to the book Marketing Metrics, businesses have a 60-70% chance of selling to an existing customer compared to only a 5 to 20% chance of selling to a new one. 

Actions you can take in stage 4.

It’s your job to continue interacting with your client, so they purchase again.

Perhaps send them flyers through a direct mail campaign to accomplish your goal of turning a one-time customer into a loyal one. Thank them for their purchase and provide a call to action. 

Every buyer’s journey is unique. 

Knowing the buyer’s journey framework is helpful, but keep in mind it breaks down an extremely complex process into the simplest form.

The exact buyer’s journey varies depending on the industry and the buyer. Therefore, do your own research into your customers’ unique buyer’s journey. Perhaps try asking for feedback and providing gift cards as an incentive. Looking for More Information, Idea's or Samples on any of our Marketing Products Call:516-561-1468 or go to: www.printcafeli.com

 5 Key Trends in Direct Mail for 2022

In a world of online and virtual marketing, direct mail promotions are still going strong.

According to a study by the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail has an average return rate of 4.4%, which is 10 to 30 times higher than digital marketing efforts. With these stats, businesses that are not taking advantage of direct mailing marketing are missing a large group of potential customers and clients.

Below are five key trends in direct mail for 2022:

1. Send Out Postcards

Direct mailing campaigns using postcards have grown in popularity, providing an inexpensive method to reach customers and clients.

Postcards are affordable to print and mail, offering many opportunities for a quick turnaround and fast marketing effort. Keep information on the postcards minimal, to the point, and visually appealing.https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/74-Postcards

2. Mail Out Gift Cards

Materials can increase the return by including gift cards featuring a discount or special offer with direct mail.

Gift cards entice recipients to want to come in and learn more about your products and services and may encourage them to make a purchase using the discount.

Businesses that take advantage of sending out gift cards to customers stand out and make an impression on potential clients.

3. Send Personalized Offers

Creating a mailing list of loyal customers is the best way to develop a personalized direct marketing plan.

Get in touch with your customers and send out customized discounts and offers based on their past transactions with your company. Getting to know more about your customers also helps you create personalized offers via mail.

4. Partner With Local Businesses

Partner with local businesses which complement yours by offering a specialized promotion for both of your client bases.

By partnering with another local company, you can tap into their mailing list while allowing them to use yours while sending out a single mailer with a special for both of your companies. The direct mailer partnership helps grow your reach while creating a great relationship with another business owner.

5. Use a Sustainable Marketing Plan

Sustainable marketing plans help those using direct mail promotions to use paper stock created from a sustainable source.

Using an FSC-approved paper, reducing the quantities sent out, and using smaller mail pieces can help reduce your business’s carbon footprint while also maintaining a direct mailing marketing plan.

Creating a direct mailing marketing plan can help keep your business relevant, in the minds of your clients, and in front of potential customers. Creating a direct mailing campaign involves several factors to help you stay on top of your competition and be environmentally friendly. Take advantage of the above-listed tips to help enhance your business’s mailing plans this year.

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

 

4 Print Marketing Materials 

to Increase Your Sales

Print marketing is a valuable tool to increase your sales.

It stands out, generating a greater return on investment. 80% of consumers act on direct mail advertisements, and 92% of 18- to 23-year-olds say it’s easier to read print over digital material.Print marketing itself has a wide variety of options. Below are five effective choices and why they work.

Promotional materials increase sales.

Promotional materials are one of the most popular and effective print marketing tools. 

Popular promotional products include stickers, fridge magnets, key chains, t-shirts, and bags. They usually include your company’s name and/or logo. In the U.S, promotional materials is a $17.8 billion industry. Given their efficacy, it’s no wonder the business is so large. 

When deciding which promotional materials to use, bear in mind the best promotional items are the ones customers will keep. 77% of customers said the promotional product’s usefulness was their number one reason to keep it. Customers considered health, safety, technology, and writing products to be the most useful.

A calendar is one example of a useful and, therefore, effective promotional material. 

Promotional material example: calendars

Over its lifetime, a promotional calendar will generate around 850 impressions, making them extremely powerful marketing tools.

Customers love calendars because they are useful. Recipients will hang them up and use them often to remember important dates and events.

You can use the calendar’s space to highlight positive customer stories and include your business’s important dates. https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/36-Calendars

Brochures increase sales. 

Brochures give you the space to provide detailed information about your business. 

Often, they work best in location-specific spaces, making them perfect for the tourist industry. According to Bentley University, 95% of visitors who pick up a brochure become aware of a business, and 83% of visitors plan to visit a company they see in a brochure. Those are high statistics! https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/50-Flyers-And-Brochures

Posters increase sales.

40% of those who saw a poster visited the business advertised, 24% made a purchase, and 13% recommended the advertiser to others. 

Again, these are very promising numbers. For example, if 100 people see your poster, which is more than likely if you place it in a high-traffic area, then this will translate to about 24 sales and 13 likely sales.https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/75-Posters

The 13% who recommend the advertiser to others is a positive statistic. After all, word-of-mouth advertising is highly effective, increasing trust and sales. 

Catalogs increase sales.

Catalogs allow you to highlight your most profitable items to prospective clients. 

In a world that’s becoming increasingly advertisement averse, catalogs are a breath of tried and true air. 84% say they enjoy catalogs from brands they’ve purchased from in the past, and 57% say they enjoy receiving catalogs from brands they’ve never heard of. 

Because customers enjoy receiving catalogs, they are more likely to keep them and look at them. On average, https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/38-Catalogs

Promotional materials, brochures, posters, and catalogs are a small percentage of the many print materials to increase sales. We’ll help you find the best match to serve your needs. By keeping the cost of printing low, your sales can go high. Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 

What are the Types & Sizes 

of Booklets in 2022? 

Booklets are small printed books with a few sheets of paper. They aren't as thick as a catalog but usually contain more pages than a trifold brochure. As a visual aid, booklets are the mailers sent by wholesale clubs like BJ's, which include the week's sales. You may also get booklets at a summit containing all speaker information, different panels, and overarching goals to discuss. Sometimes they'll include a notes section and a matching pen. Booklet designs are only limited by your imagination. Booklets promotional items are the top way to display your business offerings, services, and products in a high-end gloss finished format.

Booklet Types

Booklets are an opportunity to capture new and existing customers. They should use the right colors, images, and designs to attract customers. Playing around with typography, size, and placement of items is pivotal. Your booklet should be designed down to what products or services appear first, middle, and at the end. Beyond products, booklets make excellent brand guides, training manuals, exotic vacations, and promotional materials for new releases or occasion shopping like Christmas and back-to-school season. Use high gloss to communicate prestige, luxury, or quality and thick matte 70lb premium opaque paper stock to communicate rugged strength. You can get creative and present your booklet in a social media-worthy "unboxing" style with booklet envelopes and custom boxes.

Print marketing with booklets is also cheap and economical for the potential return on investment. They can be printed in short and bulk runs with fast turnaround times. The more you print, the cheaper the booklets will be per book. However, a short run won't break the bank either. The goal of your booklet is to get the customer's senses involved with brand awareness, personal connection, and call-to-action central. Booklet sizes also offer prime space to be elaborate and tell sales stories that narrate why your products work by starting with change and high stakes.

Booklet Sizes

Booklet sizes for printing are customized to your preferences but have traditional booklet sizes. The most common booklet sizes are 6x9. Booklet dimensions also come in standard sizes of 8.5x11 and 8.5x5.5, with page counts from 8 pages to 40 pages. Binding types consist of the classic saddle stitch with horizontal or vertical orientations. For an ultra-custom look, add embossing, foil stamping, and die-cut designs to help your booklet stand out and captivate. Booklets Boost Brands

Whether you run a private practice, are an artist shopping your portfolio to curators, or a streetwear brand–booklets can boost your brand visibility. The power of the booklet is in the space for design, unique, and superior gloss images. Booklets present brands as classy, authentic, audience-aware, and epic storytellers. Use your next booklet as a beacon that leads your customers to solution-focused products and services. Recalibrate your brand and reintroduce yourself to the masses–making it so good your booklet gets coffee table privileges. Start designing your booklet with us, or bring your print-ready personal designs.Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/97-Booklets

5 Key Customer Service Skills and 

How to Develop Them

Above and beyond customer service leaves customers satisfied and impressed. 

Customer service is essential for many clients in determining their overall satisfaction with your company. Most customers have little patience for poor customer service.

Customers with a bad customer service experience are more likely to leave than those unhappy with prices. That’s a primary reason why 89% of consumers switched to a competitor after a poor customer experience. 

Customer retention saves your company money. Repeat customers spend more and in larger amounts while also bringing in more customers. Customer service is at the forefront of keeping customers happy and coming back for more. Providing top-notch customer service is imperative for the success of your business. 

Check out the qualities that make for great customer service. 

1. Customer service skill: positivity

Often, customer service representatives are dealing with angry customers.

It’s important for them to keep a positive spin on the situation while not being insensitive to the customer’s emotional state. 

Being aware of the customer’s emotions is a key part of empathy. 

2. Customer service skill: empathy

Consumers use emotions over information when evaluating companies. 

Therefore, customer service should focus on the emotions of the customer. This begins by being able to perceive these emotions and then meeting the customer’s emotional needs. Ultimately, the customer is going to take away how they felt during the encounter. Make sure it’s a positive experience! 

This task of guiding the customer’s emotions is greatly aided by clear communication. 

3. Customer service skill: effective communication

33% of clients say the most important skill a customer service representative can have is efficiently answering questions.

Unclear communication and an inability to clearly answer customer questions escalate the situation, turning dissatisfied customers into angry ones. 

Speaking isn’t the only form of communication. Written skills are important as well. Although often underlooked, writing within customer service can be more challenging because it’s harder to convey a tone. An email taken the wrong way will further aggravate the customer. 

One effective way to avoid aggravating customers is by responding in a timely manner. 

4. Customer service skill: timeliness 

The quicker you respond, the better. 

Of online consumers, 71% expect to be helped within five minutes, and 31% will go elsewhere if help isn’t immediately provided. Being available to quickly help customers is an important aspect of great customer service. 

It’s also important to streamline your methods because the more time you spend on one customer, the later you’ll be able to address another’s needs. Therefore, find the balance between being attentive and listening to the customer’s needs while moving things along in a timely fashion. Being tech-savvy and able to use the programs within your company can go a long way in speeding up the process. 

Having a genuine work ethic will speed up the process as well. 

5. Customer service skill: work ethic

A strong work ethic is important in any role, especially in customer service. 

Going above and beyond to meet customers’ needs will help your business stand out positively, building loyalty and trust. 

How to Develop Quality Customer Service Representatives

Quality customer service primarily comes down to hiring the right people who naturally possess the above qualities. However, there are specific actions your business can take to develop quality customer service representatives. 

1. Provide customer service training 

Customer service training can take many forms, such as a formal course, online resources, or a mentor/coach. 

Whatever form the training occurs, it should be effective. Your customer service representatives should feel confident in addressing various customer needs. Your employee should feel comfortable with company knowledge, knowing the buying process and your product/service. Learning all the ins and outs can take time, depending on the company. This is why employee retention is important. 

If your employee doesn’t know the answer to the customer’s inquiry, they should be able to get the customer to someone who can. 

2. Have a clear customer service pathway

If the customer service representative can’t answer the question, it’s imperative the next person in the chain can. 

Customers hate having to repeat themselves over and over to multiple people within the same company. The fewer people they need to talk to and the faster the problem can be resolved, the happier the customer is. 

It’s okay if the employee doesn’t know the answer to a question. Learning how to say, “I don’t know, but I know someone who does,” will help keep customers satisfied. 

3. Thank the customer 

Every customer complaint indicates about 26 other unhappy customers who remained silent.

Many unhappy silent customers leave. 91% of the 96% of unhappy customers who don’t complain will leave and never come 

Therefore, although it may be unpleasant to be on the receiving end of an unsatisfied customer, ultimately, the customer is doing you a service. They are pointing out a problem that has affected many others. Now, you can fix the problem and retain customers. 

After the altercation, consider sending the customer a thank you card for their feedback. This will further help your company get back on good terms with the customer while also elevating your business in the customer’s eyes. Perhaps provide a personal discount for the customer to further share your appreciation for their input. 

We’re here to help you satisfy your customers by printing marketing materials your customers enjoy. For all your printing needs, including thank you cards, we’ve got you and your customers covered! Call 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 

 7 Direct Mail Strategies Based on Social Media

Direct mail has been around for as long as businesses have been around. Still, social media is relatively new in our world.

With that said, there are some things to learn from social media when producing direct mail. Take a look.

7 Direct Mail Strategies Based on Social Media

1. Test Direct Mail with Social Media.

You can use social media as a trial for your direct mail.

Before you print out a postcard, try using the graphics and text online on a social media post. Then see how the public responds to it.

2. Introduce Direct Mail Pieces.

Use social media to announce your upcoming direct mail. Try telling customers to look in their mailbox for special offers, catalogs, coupons, post cards and deals. https://www.printcafeli.com/store/product-view.html/74-Postcards

3. Do It Often.

Social media has taught us that people like to see your information several times before responding, and this is true of direct mail as well. So, send out regular postcards, flyers, or mailers.

4. Ask For the Sale.

Social media is excellent for offering deals and coupons and asking for a call to action. When creating direct mail, we need to have a call to action to follow up with customers.

5. Find Your Target Customer.

When you use social media, you can see who responds.

There are lists available for direct mail that will do the same thing. Find your perfect customer and send them regular mail to boost sales.

6. Build Credibility.

Direct mail has more credibility than online ads.

Digital has come a long way in building trust, but consumers still cite credibility as a significant stumbling block.7. Announce New Products to Customers.

Digital media regularly promotes new items, but it’s also not as in-depth as direct mail.

According to USPS, 54% of people surveyed tried a new product or business in six months in 2020 because they received a mail piece.

There are great ways to market your business online, but direct mail is still essential, and it makes people feel more confident in making buying decisions.

And if you are up for some new printed pieces, we’re here for you. Reach out today!

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

 Print Marketing Vs Digital Marketing:

The Pros and Cons

Since the early to mid-'90s, the town crier has bellowed, "print is dead, print is dead!" Yet we find rigor mortis has not set in. Though not wholly accurate, these prophecies have ushered in a new age as print was pushed to the side and web pages bounded onto the internet. Digital marketing and media had the Midas touch–but did everything turn to gold?

The most successful companies that developed before the digital age relied heavily on print. Those companies are still in business. Print marketing techniques converted prospective customers to buyers through dynamic catalogs and persuasive lifestyle billboards. Print marketing is still everywhere. However, digital marketing is giving print a run, that or proving why print isn't going anywhere. Let's dive into these channels to discover the pros and cons of print marketing vs digital marketing.

What is Print Marketing?

Print marketing is any print media used to reach a business's ideal customer base. Print marketing uses tools such as:

● Every Door Direct Mail

● Catalogs

● Banners

● Brochures

● Take-out menus

● Single-use menus

● Posters

● Flyers

● Banners

● Newspapers

● Magazines

● Books

● Booklets

● Billboards

● Coupons

● and More Print Marketing Pros

User Friendly

A Print marketing vs digital marketing pro is print's user-friendly nature. The business owner and the customer can both handle the material with ease. For instance, the print vs online advertising barrier to entry is much lower and thereby less intimidating–digital marketing tools can be overwhelming. Print materials are uncomplicated and relatively straightforward to produce. Additionally, several print companies exist with highly skilled graphic designers to assist in creating print marketing materials from scratch.

Impressions are Long-Lasting and Direct

The most long-lasting connections are formed through print marketing as it takes physical space in the consumer's life. Print marketing's forte is hitting many senses and engaging the consumer's psyche for an extended period. Consumers can pour over an Ikea catalog for hours redecorating their entire homes in their minds. Imagination is mighty as you flip the pages and can nearly smell the store's aroma. Ikea uses the catalogs because the catalogs lead to sales, are accessible, and wake up multiple senses. Furthermore, print marketing is a direct means of advertising to your customers, especially when you're a local business.

Ties Perfectly Into Digital Marketing

Consider realtors and the debacle of digital vs print marketing in real estate. Direct mail marketing with postcards can introduce your agency to prospective buyers, sellers, or investors. Adding the property up for sale, its open house date and time, and a high-resolution photograph of the real estate agent they'll meet is a powerful statement of credibility and professionalism. Real Estate Magazine also makes it a point to include digital interactive components in your print marketing. The included QR code can lead customers to 3D property tours or your contact information. Remember to entice with a short copy to keep your audience wanting more. Digital vs print marketing in real estate doesn't have to be at odds. These two forces are more powerful together.

Print Marketing Cons

Expense

Print marketing can be expensive when you're on a limited budget. Especially when you only need a limited run of catalogs. Looking for print marketing companies that offer both short-run and bulk-run options helps alleviate the cost burden.

Less Targeted Campaigns

Print advertising vs social media has accomplished targeted campaigns that aren't as "needle in a haystack" as some print marketing campaigns can be. Although print marketing aims at a target demographic, it's not always as fine-tuned. You can't break every demographic down to gender, age, hobbies, family connections, and employment the way you can with social media.

Not Environmentally Friendly

Another print advertising vs social media con is that it may be viewed as less sustainable or environmentally friendly. Businesses commonly opt for digital marketing to avoid these, such as digital business cards or recycled materials.

What is Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a channel of marketing that relies on the use of the internet to market products and services to customers. The advertisements are usually sent via:

● Email

● Content

● Social Media

● Cell Phones

● Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

● Influencer Marketing (Tik Tok and Instagram influencers)

● Viral Marketing

● Affiliate Marketing

● and More

The Journal of Marketing found that we spend $300 million globally on digital marketing. The first digital banner went live in 1994.

Digital Marketing Pros

Attention-Grabbing

The use of video ads, especially when entertaining, can garner attention and keep it for all of 2 seconds. It's still enough to do enough marketing when you know your audience. It can also be inexpensive when utilizing appropriate social media apps.

Use of Augmented Reality

AR view in your space, 3D tours of homes, museums, and other real objects and spaces are advantageous. When the pandemic shut the world down, these and other tools helped the world pivot into a reality that kept people connected. Digital marketing lends itself to tools that help the world feel much smaller than it is. Community

The ability of digital marketing to build community can't be overstated. In niche and subcultures, massive communities have evolved from Facebook, Discord, Telegram, and Youtube. When you've created this authentic community around a brand or cause, it makes marketing to that same community almost effortless. When your community can communicate regularly, encourage one another, and exchange ideas and experiences, credibility and relationships are invigorated.

Digital Marketing Cons

Inefficient, Ad Waste, Fraud

Marc Pritchard commented on the dark side of print marketing vs digital marketing. Though digital is revolutionary, it's inefficient, leading to media waste, fraud, brand safety issues, and nontransparent fraudulent digital media supply chains. Digital waste happens when ad viewability metrics across platforms differ. This means ads aren't getting viewed, or companies are being billed for ads that were never seen. Viewability metrics lend themselves to other types of ad fraud which is the use of advertisements for bot consumption, not human. Pritchard found that around 20% of digital ads are viewed by bots, causing payouts to be fraudulent.

Aggressive

Digital marketing can feel like harassment. One-click follows you around the internet. Now the sunglasses you added to your shopping cart track you on unrelated blogs, into your email through abandoned cart software, and in youtube ads. Such aggressive tactics can cause consumers to run in the opposite direction. A Global Web Index found that about 50% of the 39,500 participants in an ad-blocking survey blocked ads for being annoying and intrusive.

Less Memorable

With so many companies chasing consumer attention, staying relevant is challenging. To do so, these aggressive ads and email tactics, as mentioned above, often come into play. To beat your competitors, though this can be cheaper than print material in some cases, still takes money, relevance, and creativity.

Print and Digital Join Forces

In an interview with the Forbes Communications Council, this one trend recurred again and again. Print and digital must join forces. For there is one thing print vs online advertising accomplishes that digital marketing just can't– "[the] literal weight [of your brand] presence."

High gloss or foiled stamped magazines and catalogs bring a traditional yet bespoke testimony to your brand's legitimate presence. Tangible materials also connect more fully with the senses. You can't hold a website in your hands like you can a catalog of dynamically detailed product photos. Print and digital marketing lean on one another to support their customer base's physical and digital needs. Print leads to digital interactions, and digital interactions lead back to print. Print marketing vs. digital marketing isn't a competition. It's a partner dance.

Creating this positive feedback loop is essential to maintaining success. This is why counselors and coaches don't just offer one-hour sessions online or in-person, 30-minute podcast episodes, and YouTube shorts, but often write books their whole audience can purchase. To get started with your print marketing materials, give us a call.Call 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com