As a marketer, who for the past 12 years has made a living in the printing industry, you could forgive me for being a little bias towards Printing when it comes to the Email and Web v’s Print topic. The thing is in running a business I also need to be a realist. Print is expensive when combined with distribution costs. Email marketing costs you next to nothing in comparison but you do have to have your own database of opt -in subscribers which is difficult to acquire – or is it?
Example of Business Printing
It is no secret that if you want to communicate your message to 1000’s of people when you haven’t got your own database, Postcard and flyer Printing is a logical choice, but it does cost you a lot of money and there are no guarantees. First you need to pay for the design and then the printing, but then you also need to pay for the distribution company to get your material to your targets and that is another cost all together. There are printing companies around that have used technology to improve systems and processes to give you greater value for your money but there is no excaping the distribution companies. The common worries of “have my brochures been distributed in the right areas” or “have they been distributed at all” is never going to change. And believe me, I hear these weekly!
Taking the above into consideration we have listed 6 simple steps to ensure that you get the most out of your printing investment, many of these should work in conjunction with your exisitng marketing plan.
1. Do your market research!
Market research is essential for any marketing and it doesnt have to be complex. Although, like anything, the more you put in, the more you get out.
A very simple example of market research is- In our business we deal business to business so there is no point me doing a letterbox drop to householders as they are not my target market. I would have a far greater return on my investment if I reduce my quantity and pay extra for Australia Post to deliver into PO boxes for businesses. Targeting PO boxes is more expensive, so if I am on a limited budget ,I will outlay the same amount of money for a smaller quantity, but because I have narrowed my target, I will be expecting a far greater return.
2. Put the time and Energy in to developing a solid Sales Process
Your sales process will be a plan on how you are going to Generate leads and then how you are going to turn those leads into customers. There is no point spending a large some of money on lead generating if you dont know what to do next. By taking the time to invest in your own sales process you are laying a foundation for a sustainable business, providing much easier ongoing marketing setup time and a far greater return on investment. Tools required for your sales process are:
- Lead generating tools (Business Printing, SEO, PPC, Newspaper etc)
- Website to capture propsects,
- Free Offer to encourage prospects and act as your ‘call to action’
- Email Marketing software and schedule to build realtionship with prospects and turn them into customers!
3. Think Business Printing as a Lead Generating Tool
If you are investing in printing to build revenue, you want your Business printing distributed and passed through as many hands as possible. Whether you are printing a postcard, flyer, newsletter or Annual Report , you first want people to take notice of your publication and then you need to have your printing designed in such a way that it encourages your target market to make contact with you or sign up int0 your database. To do this, you need to have a understanding of your target market and an offer which is of high value to them. An example of an offer could be a discount, free report, free consultation or a how to guide. Once you have decided on the offer , it becomes your ‘call to action’ and then in future, all of your Business Printing will have your ‘call to action’ clearly visable so that your prospects take notice and you continually update your database with new prospects.
4. Develop your Email Marketing Schedule
Once people are starting to sign up for your database, you need to make sure they receive information at that point of time, otherwise they may forget who you are and why they signed up. Take the time to develop your weekly, fortnightly or monthly email campaign schedule and setup a couple of autoresponders so that new prospects receive material from you as soon as they sign up. Your email marketing will also be great to introduce new products, promotions and sales and turn prospects into paying customers.
5. Update your Website with latest Products and Services and helpful Information
In the fast paced society we live in, statistics prove that peoples buying patterns have changed. Giving your customers and prospects the option of being able to purchase goods, services or acquire information at their leisure, via the internet, will give your business long term business sustainability. Updating this information regularly gives you a reason to send an email or direct mail campaign to your database and just may be another reason for them to buy.
6. Promote future Sales and Promotions to your Database as well as send out lead generating Business Printing to update your Database
Now that you have your database you can start to direct market to people that have shown interest in your product or service in a more cost effective way and you will start to see immediate results. But don’t rest on your laurals, you need to still get your business printing out there to keep new prospects coming into your database. Then from your database contacts, you can start to direct mail your customers to cross sell and upsell other products and services which will really start to see you kicking goals!
4 simple things to keep in mind when using Business Printing to promote your business:
1. Use your Business printing as the lead generating tool to build your database
2. Start to nuture your database through Direct marketing to your customers and prospects via Email and Direct mail
3. Use your Website to maximise the original investment in your printing and convert prospects into customers. Do this by providing a perceived level of value to your target market and offering sales and promotions that turn them into paying customers.
4. Persist - Take the time to pull all this together and you are going to see real value coming from your business printing investment!
