Five Things Every Graphic Designer 

Should Be Doing to 

Promote Themselves By Haidan Dong

Your designs may be top notch, but even the best freelance graphic designer needs to know how to promote their services to win more business. To get more clients, you’ll need to make your design services known. As a freelancer, promotion is critical to master because most of the time you’ll have to do it yourself.

Here are the 5 things that freelancers should be doing to promote themselves.

How to Promote Yourself as a Freelance Graphic Designer

1. Create a Brand for Yourself

Before you do anything else, you need to brand yourself. This includes identifying your style, specifying the types of designer you are (e.g. print designer, web designer, etc.), creating a logo and more. Think about what makes your designs special, and why you design at all. Then translate that into your branding, whether it’s in your slogan, design portfolio, business cards, or anything else.

An established brand helps potential clients (and current clients) identify your business and understand why they should choose your services. Perhaps they identify with your values or find your style a perfect match for their business.

2. Create a Website

This is your “real estate” where you can get creative. We recommend creating your website on a platform that gives you traffic insights (e.g. WordPress). Your website is where you can take your branding to its highest level. Tell your story, show your designs, and make contacting you easy. Ensure that it is user-friendly and that it includes a quote form.

3. Promote on Social Media

Social media is also a great place to showcase your brand and drive traffic to your website. Many designers already use it, but make sure that you’re one step ahead by maximizing social media’s potential. First, separate your personal account from your business account to keep it professional. Many social media platforms also allow special features for business accounts, so be sure to take advantage of them.

Second, join groups—not just groups for designers but also groups related to potential clients and business partners. For example, if you specialize in designing for print, considering joining a print-related group. Not only will you get valuable information that could help your designing process, but these groups could also hook you up with some good deals in the future.

4. Network at Social Events

Networking online is important, but so is networking in person at social events. These include not just traditional networking events but also job fairs, trade shows, conventions, and more. Attending in person helps build trust between you and your potential customers or business partners.

Networking events are especially important for graphic designers because your clients will often be people who are a little less tech savvy. That’s why they need your help. So instead of interacting with you on social media, they may feel a lot more comfortable talking to you face to face.

Tip: If you design for print, social networking events are a great opportunity for handing out printed samples of your designs.

5. Start a Blog

When you create a blog packed with informative content, appealing designs and unique branding, you demonstrate that you’re a knowledgeable professional who is consistently producing high quality designs. Don’t forget to use SEO to increase your online presence, so that those searching online can find you.

Having a blog also gives you more things to post on social media. Link back to your blog when you repost the content on social media. And finally, interact with other design blogs to expand your professional network. You can start by subscribing to the Print Cafe Blog

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Promoting your graphic design business is a step that every freelancer needs to take, from branding yourself to updating your blog frequently. Make sure your promotional strategy includes at least these 5 tactics so that you can expand your client base and grow your business. Need More Help or Information on any of our Print Products Call 516-561-1468

 

The Ultimate Guide to Running 

a Print + Email Campaign

Print and email campaigns are not an either-or situation. Instead, they work best when paired together, thanks to their unique, complimentary characteristics. 

Why print? 

Print marketing has stuck around thanks to its many benefits. Print stands out from the crowd, is tangible, sticks around, and is easier to recall.

Why email? 

Email helps build customer relationships, boost brand awareness, and promote content. 

Email marketing has an extensive reach since there are about 4 billion email users worldwide. Due to its many benefits, 79% of marketers list email marketing in their top 3 most effective marketing channels.

A multi-channel approach to marketing is the most effective, perhaps because 72% of customers would like to connect with brands through multiple channels.

Here's what you need to know about crafting a winning print + email marketing campaign. 

The Print Campaign

A properly executed print campaign will drive sales. 

1. Choose Your Audience 

Create a list of people to send printed material to.

Ensure you're sending your print to the right customers for maximum impact. Often the most receptive clients are those who have already bought from you. 

2. Design the Print Marketing Piece

Ideal print marketing materials to pair with email include postcards, stickers, posters, flyers, and booklets. 

3. Increase Engagement & Brand Recognition 

Be sure to include… 

• A call to action. Get the customer to act with a compelling call to action that gives them an offer they can't refuse.
• Personalization. The greater the personalization, the more receptive the customer will be. Include their name and other points of personalization.
• Design. Stick to your branding guide and let someone with design experience put it together. The design can make a big difference in capturing the customer's attention.  

4. Send out a Test Run of Your Print Campaign First

Print campaigns cost money, so you want to ensure your campaign will have a high return on investment.

Do a test run by sending the printed marketing piece to a smaller section of your target market. Monitor the results, and see what went well and what you could have done better. Apply this to the primary print marketing campaign. 

5. Be Patient 

It can take time for results to come in.

This is in part because of the staying power of print. This means people will often set the printed piece aside on their fridge or table, which they'll get around to later. 

The Email Campaign

Email campaigns can look different ways, but below are some strategies that should help boost sales. 

Putting Together Your Email List

When putting together an email list, it's less important to worry about only sending it to the right customer because emails cost nothing.

Email's low cost is the main reason their return on investment is $36 for every $1 spent.

Instead, the focus should be on creating email segmentation for optimal personalization. Segment the email lists based on location, buyer stage, previous purchases, occupation, hobbies, etc. 

The hardest part of emails is acquiring the email list because, often, people do not want to share their personal information. Try giving them something valuable in return for their email (like an ebook, whitepaper, infographic, report, study, or template). 

General Email Marketing Tips

Below are some more general email tips: 

• Because 55% of emails are opened on phones, make sure the email is optimized for mobile
• Certain times lead to more opened emails than others. Research and test to find the time that works best for you.
• Craft a winning subject line. Draw the prospect in but don't mislead them.
• Follow proven, tested templates to save time and create the optimal email design. 
• Comply with email regulation laws. 

Follow these tips for your optimal email campaign. 

The Winning Strategy

Send a couple of emails, follow up with direct mail, and then send more emails. 

The first set of emails will get your company in the customers' minds. This way, they'll recognize your brand when they receive the printed piece in the mail. Then, follow up with more emails to remind the customer to act. 

Email allows you to reach the customer multiple times at a low cost. This is important because it usually takes about eight points of contact to make a sale. 

Contact us today if you want to take your print marketing strategy to the next level by combining it with email (or vice versa)! We are here to help!  Call: 516-561-1468 or For More Information on this Blog Visit Our Website at: www.printcafeli.com

 

How to Do a Direct Mail 

Marketing Campaign on a Budget

Even with a tight budget, you can still run a direct mail marketing campaign with a great return on investment (ROI).

If you focus your campaign, design the mail well, and perfect your mailing list, investing in direct mail can be a wise choice for your company's budget.

Here are five steps to ensure your direct mail is effective while sticking to an affordable budget. 

Step 1: Choose the right product or promotion to market

It's best to start crafting your marketing campaign with a specific goal.

Your company can use direct mail marketing for advertising a new product, a popular service, or even an update or improvement that you've made. 

Promoting something specific that will interest most of the public is wisest. Considering this will help your marketing dollars further increase the likelihood of people taking action after seeing your print marketing materials. 

Step 2: Refine your target audience

80% of consumers are more likely to purchase after seeing an advertisement that they feel is relevant.

Thus, advertising to only a specific subgroup of potential customers can help keep your direct marketing budget low while getting you the best possible ROI. 

Understand the demographic of most of your customers so that you can seek out and target more prospective customers with your direct mail marketing. 

Step 3: Use mailing promotions to keep costs down

Direct mail postage doesn't have to drain your company's budget!

Make sure to research different options available to you since your mail is part of a marketing campaign.

Multiple mailing services like USPS offer discounts for companies sending out ads in bulk. Take advantage of these deals; they could help you save up to 4% of your company's direct mail cost. 

Step 4: Create a straightforward message

If you want your company's direct mail marketing to be effective and cost-efficient, it needs to elicit a response from the consumer. 

The best way to do this is to include a clear call to action (CTA) within your ads. Time-sensitive offers and coupons are a great way to hook prospective customers. Make sure to include contact details so the customer can connect immediately.

Your CTA could be anything- asking the customer to send a reply, use a coupon, buy a product, or visit a website. As long as it's simple and engaging, it has a bigger chance of increasing your ROI. 

Step 5: Track your responses.

If you're spending your company's budget on a direct mail campaign, you want to see what works and what you could do differently next time to improve results.

Include a unique QR code or personalized URL on your print ads that will send customers to a designated webpage and allow you to track responses. Then look at the sales made and the number of coupons used to adjust your campaign so that your money is only being spent on the most effective ads. 

Contact us today to help you craft the perfect message, design the most compelling visuals, and make the most of your print marketing dollars! Call: 516 561-1468

 

A Graphic Designer’s Guide 

to Better File Naming

 By Haidan Dong 

Ever had trouble looking for the right file? You tried to run a search but couldn’t because the file name was irrelevant to the project. Or you opened your file logofinalfinalupdated.ai when the correct file was actually logofinalfinaledited2.ai. Needless to say, having an organized file naming structure is important for graphic designers.

Why should I have a file naming structure?

Having a file naming structure helps you in a number of different ways.

• It helps you stay organized, so that you can save time
• It reduces the chances of mistakes
• It makes communicating with clients easier
• It makes working with team members easier
• It makes files and folders easier to search for
• It improves SEO
• It improves the readability of the file names
• It elevates your professionalism as a graphic designer

How should I name my design files?

There are many different file naming conventions and there isn’t a “right” way, but you need to include the elements that are important to your own workflow. The following list contains some elements that many graphic designers find helpful in file names. Pick the ones that you think would help you identify the file more easily:

• Client name, initials or last name (e.g. JohnDoe)
• Client’s brand (e.g. JDBrand)
• Name of client’s campaign (e.g. SummerCampaign)
• Channel within that campaign (e.g. blog)
• Component needed for channel (e.g. image)
• Date (e.g. 2019_05_30)
• Version number (e.g. v01)

You will very likely not need all the elements. For example, maybe you only work on one project per client, and you specialize in business cards. In this case, you probably won’t need the name of your client’s campaign. Or maybe you tend to finish a project in one day, so you need the version number more than the date. Choose the elements that meet your unique work needs.

Now string these elements together to create your file name. If it looks too long, check out the next section below.

How long should my file name be?

If your file name is too long, it tends to get truncated when displayed. This truncation varies between operating systems and devices, so there isn’t a set number of characters. Your goal then is be as concise as possible.

With shorter names, you will be able to see the full file name easily. They are easier to type when you’re communicating with clients or team members, and faster to scan when you’re in a hurry. With shorter names, however, you will likely need more project folders and folder levels to provide the additional information not included in the file name.

Example: JohnDoe > JDBrand > SummerCampaign > Blog > JDblog_01.png

Example: JohnDoe > SummerCampaign > Blog > JDblog_01.pdf

Longer names, on the other hand, already have plenty of identifying information in them, so they don’t require a very complex folder structure. They also make it easier for you to run a search because they likely include details about your project. Unfortunately they tend to get truncated so that you can’t see the full information. Long names also slightly increase the file size.

Example: JohnDoe > JDBrand > summercampaign_blog_image_v01.png

Example: Blog > JohnDoe > summercampaign_blog_image_v01.pdf

Examples of File Naming

Here are some examples of file names so that you can see different file naming structures. You will notice that some contain more information than others. Again, it should be need-based.

• Doe_Blog_image_2019-05-30_V01
• blog_banner_2019-05-30-v01
• doe_blog_banner01
• jdoe_blog_20190530_v01
• JD_blogbanner_v01
• jd_blog001_v1
• jd_banner_01

Tip: If you have a large volume of projects to archive, use a project number instead of a project name. Just make sure you have a record of which numbers correspond with which projects.

File Naming Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

• Do name files with SEO in mind if it’s going on the web (use keywords)
• Do use 0’s in front of single digits to preserve chronological order (e.g. 01 instead of 1)
• Do save changes as new files
• Do stay consistent with your naming structure
• Do use international standard date notation (e.g. 2019-05-30)

Don’ts

• Don’t use spaces or special characters except underscores and dashes
• Don’t name files that only differ between upper and lower case
• Don’t use words such as final, new, updated, fix, or edited

Conclusion

Naming your files in a structured manner can look like more work in the short run but in the long run it saves time, reduces mistakes, and elevates you professionally as a graphic designer. It makes working with a team easier and increases your productivity, so that you can focus on growing your design business instead of opening and closing the wrong files. For More Information on this Blog or any of our Marketing Products Call: 516-561-1468

Find The Right Sign For The Job

 

Throw Caution to the Wind 

With Mesh Banners

It's no secret that banners are great marketing tools. They create brand awareness, help increase foot traffic, boost conversion rates, and ultimately grow businesses! They're ideal for grand openings, big events, special sales, trade shows, sports events, etc., and with their indoor/outdoor usage, they're incredibly versatile. One thing to consider when moving banners outside—the wind!  Well, never fear, mesh banners from the Print Cafe are here!

Throw caution to the wind with Print Cafe mesh banners! Your customers no longer have to forgo their beautiful banners because it’s a little gusty outside. Our full-color mesh banners have enough opacity to display images, text, and logos clearly but they also have tiny, breathable openings that allow wind to pass through. Most standard banners have a sail effect when hit with heavy winds, causing grommets to pull out, event canopies to fall over and even windows to break. Don't let your customers face this headache and agony without showing them the peace of mind mesh banners from the Print Cafe can provide.

Mesh banners are made from the same strong vinyl material as our 13oz banners so there’s no compromise in strength, but the mesh pattern brings the weight down to 8oz. This makes the handling and installation of larger-size banners much easier. Our mesh banners are ideal for most general outdoor uses and come in sizes as large as 10 feet x 30 feet. Show your customers how to make their next event a breeze with mesh banners from 4over!

To get started, just give us a call or register today for a free account on our website. We’re ready and waiting to deliver! Call Today 516-561-1468 or Visit Our Website at: www.printcafeli.com

 Best Practices in Sign Design

Signs grab attention. They are information-light and impact-rich to promote, engage, inform, and sell. According to the Sign Research Foundation, 60% of businesses that added or upgraded their signage enjoyed a 10% increase in sales. Getting the best results, however, requires a knowledgeable salesperson to help clients navigate the many choices in signage types, material choices, design options, and format sizes. Signs viewed indoors from a few feet away require different choices than outdoor signage viewed by drivers from hundreds of feet away. Poor choices in any category will result in a sign that does not function as intended or fit in the intended space. And it may not unlock those additional sales.

 Indoor and Outdoor Signage

Approach choosing the best sign for the job using a decision tree. The first decision point is location — will the sign be used indoors or outdoors? Indoor signage is often used for a shorter period and does not need to be as durable as those used outdoors. Signs placed outdoors must withstand the local weather, including sun exposure, varying temperatures, precipitation, and wind.

Make the Best Design Choices

Where the sign will be located, or its placement, is another closely related design choice. Placement will dictate the type of lighting that will influence how the color is perceived, the viewing distance, and the context of the surrounding environment. An adhesive window graphic installed on the glass partition of a city bus stop is quite different from a window graphic placed inside the window of a restaurant. The bus stop sign will require more durable materials and likely need a design that can be understood at a greater distance.

The physical space and the viewing distance for the sign will influence the finished size and mounting options. State-of-the-art, large format printing equipment allows 4over to print sizes measured in inches to feet in width and length. To help choose the best size, the Print Cafe website and team provide design specs, templates, and guidelines that work best for each type of sign. Remember to consider the constraints of the target location, including wall and ceiling heights, floor space for sign stands, and how close people will pass by the signs.    

The same is true for material choices, where Print Cafe generally offers a limited number of materials that are known to perform well for each type of sign. Outdoor banners, like those used for advertising at ball fields, can be printed on scrim vinyl or mesh. The difference is that scrim vinyl is a solid, reinforced material that may also need wind slits added to allow the breeze to flow through the sign. Woven mesh materials inherently allow wind to flow through.

How the sign will be attached, affixed, mounted, or otherwise installed requires careful consideration. Banners can be hung with grommets, a sleeve, and a pole, or placed in a retractable stand. Road and yard signs made from fluted coroplast commonly use an aluminum frame that can be staked in the ground. Window and floor graphics are affixed using adhesives. The environment will impact the placement and the best method for installation.

Design for Effectiveness

With these decisions made, the final design considerations relate to the artwork and color choices. These are important decisions because the research tells us that small unclear signs do not help a business. The Sign Research Foundation says that 61% of US consumers missed a business location because a needed sign was unclear or too small. 

Bold colors and simplified designs usually work best for most signage because the message needs to capture the viewer’s attention within seconds. Photographs, graphics, and fonts must be sized appropriately. We have all seen signs where the font is too small to read from the highway, street, or sidewalk as we pass by. Do not let your clients make those mistakes. 

Colors not only relate to those used in the artwork design but also to what inks will be used to print the sign. Some signs, due to the materials used, are only printed using four standard inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) on one side, which is often expressed as 4/0 printing. Other types of signs, like coroplast yard signs, are often printed on both sides or printed 4/4. Also, remember that printing on metals or other colored materials must use white ink as a base layer for the colors to “pop” on the sign.

Place with Deliberation

Signs allow smaller companies to compete for attention, even in mall and shopping center locations. A well-placed sign hanging at eye level or on a sidewalk sign by the store entrance gets people to stop and take notice. And once you get them in the store, don’t forget way finding signs to guide customers to the specials. 

For non-retail customers, like event organizers, sports teams, and schools, the same rules apply. Keep the sign designs sharp, vibrant, and easy to find. Ask about feather flags, retractable banners, and other types of portable signage that can be stored between events.

Work through this set of design considerations with your clients to avoid most mistakes before placing an order. Reach out to the experienced team at Print Cafe that is available to answer any more nuanced or specific questions related to your signage requirements. Call 516-561-1468 or Visit Our Website at:www.printcafeli.com