6 Common Print Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

“Print marketing is dead!” Oh, really? Then, why do thousands of companies still send mailers every week?

Businesses just like yours are turning to print marketing to bring in more customers, and you should consider it too. Now, you can market with the same power as the big companies by putting print marketing to work.

That’s why we’re here to discuss 6 of the most popular print marketing mistakes we see from customers.

Keep reading below, and by the end of this article, you’ll be doing print marketing right and bringing more sales into your business.

1. Marketing Without Research

As we mentioned above, even the biggest companies still conduct market research. These companies budget it as a regular expense for their business.

Every month, or every quarter, these companies are constantly refining their target market. They do this to get the most “bang for their buck” when they spend marketing dollars.

Do your research on who wants your service or product, and have a target market or target customer in mind.

This will greatly improve the accuracy of your print marketing strategy. It will also help to keep print marketing costs as low as possible.

2. No Digital Option

Digital is the primary medium for communication these days. Give customers a way to communicate with you digitally.

There are several ways to do this. You can provide links to social accounts or your website URL.

You can even be as fancy as including a scannable QR code on your mailpiece or be as simple as just including an email address.

Whatever it is, give customers a digital option.

3. Too Much Artwork

Too much artwork in your design can make your mailpiece too busy.

You want things that are going to stand out, but if you get caught up using too many patterns, fonts, and images, your message is going to get lost.

This can result in a marketing piece that’s pretty, but not effective.

4. Using Stock Images

People can tell when you use stock images. Your customer can spot those cheesy stock “picture frame” photos from a mile away.

Use something unique that helps get your message across. You may have to pay a little bit more for production, but it will help you to get a higher response rate in the long run.

5. Not Proofreading

This seems like common sense, but it’s surprising how many of our customers skip this step.

In all honesty, we’ve been there before. You’re excited to start a new campaign and bring customers to your store or website. And in the rush to market to them, you forget some of the finer details.

Marketing with printing can be a big chunk of your marketing budget as it is, so you want to limit any extra expenses whenever you can.

When you think your mailpiece is finished, step away for a few minutes. Then come back and proofread before sending.

6. Doing It All Yourself

When you first start a business, money is tight. We understand. But, as the owner, there are certain things you shouldn’t be doing.

Printing your marketing is one of them.

In the very beginning, it may make sense to do the first couple of campaigns on your own. But once you start to bring in some revenue, that money should go right back into outsourcing your marketing.

That way you can focus on your strength: growing the business.

Print Marketing Mistakes in a Nutshell

Now you’re all set. Avoid these 6 print marketing mistakes and you’ll be well on your way to a successful first campaign.

For more information on marketing with print, pricing, or for help setting up campaigns, we’d love to help. Also, if you’re a smaller printing shop looking to sub out some of your existing workloads, we can help with that, too.

Whatever your printing needs, contact us today. We’re standing by to bring your marketing to life!

Top 5 Factors to Consider When Choosing Printing Companies

Printing and physical advertising are massive businesses. Even in the digital age where marketing and advertising are seeing extensive growth on platforms, print companies are still going strong.

There are approximately 25,000 companies in the commercial printing industry across the US, sharing a combined annual revenue of $83 million.

But many of these services are local, small to medium-sized businesses which means choosing printing companies that are right for you can be a challenge.

So, we have pulled together 5 of the most important factors for choosing the service that is right for you. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Reputation

It is important to do your research online which you are doing because you’re here.

In addition to articles on this site, you should spend some time looking at customer references and reviews to learn about the companies you are considering.

Any company can sing their praises, but if through excellent customer service, they have also managed to garner affection from previous clients, you can be confident you are on the right track.

But please, don’t take our word for it, check out our Google reviews.

2. How Long Have They Been in Business?

With over 25,000 printing companies around, and this number leaping up year by year, it is unlikely that many can claim very much experience at all.

Here at Modern Mail and Print Solutions, we are proud to declare that we have been operating for over 40 years of experience.

This family-owned business knows how to deliver consistent and brilliant results every time.

3. Value for Service

We provide high-quality printing services with a quick turnaround and we pride ourselves on delivering on time.

Combine this with our 25,000 square foot facility with specialized in-house equipment and you won’t find a better more dedicated team to fulfill your orders.

Comparing printing costs is a great way to gain insight into the market and see what the value is. Too high and you feel cheated and too low can raise suspicions about quality and service. You need to find the right balance.

4. Range of Services

Now, when it comes to different printing services, there is a lot to consider.

The language may appear intimidating at first but when you are in contact with a company that values customer service like Modern Mail and Print Solutions, you can be confident that someone is waiting and ready to help you make the best choice for your needs.

5. Choosing Printing Companies Relies on Clear Communication

Does the company you are screening answer your questions and offer more information voluntarily? Do they treat your questions as naive and exhausting or with care and kindness? Do they appear to be passionate about what they are doing?

If you can answer these questions, then it sounds like you’re moving in the right direction.

What About the Fine Print?

Using this list as a guide, you will be able to find a high-quality printing service to deliver your business needs.

But we know that it’s important to ask any other questions that are especially relevant to the service you need.

You can contact us here to see how we can work together and don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you have about the process because we love talking about it.

Quick Guide to Materials for Marketing Prints

Are you looking to get marketing prints for your business?

Even in the age of digitalization, traditional media remains a crucial tool. Studies show that two-thirds of businesses still use traditional media. Many people still rely on newspapers, brochures, and flyers for information.

If you want to drive your business’s success, don’t neglect marketing prints. However, successful print marketing campaigns require time, effort, and careful planning.

Having trouble planning your print marketing campaign?

Modern Mail has you covered. This article covers a quick guide to choosing the right materials for your print ads. Read on to find out more:

Create a Logo

Your logo is your brand’s defining feature and will set you apart from your competitors. Companies often add their logo on the face of their brochures and flyers. A good logo is memorable and unique, so it’s crucial to choose the right elements.

Adding complicated elements may not be easy to remember. Look at similar brands in your area to get an idea for your logo. When creating a logo, it’s best to work with a professional graphic designer.

Your logo must reflect your services. Though it’s not bad to add in personal preference, look at the logo from a customer’s perspective.

Printing Material

Marketing print ads are often cheap to produce. Many companies even offer discounts when you buy in bulk. However, if you want to deliver the best, choose good materials.

A plain sheet of paper may not reflect your brand well. Add a premium feel to your print materials by using high-quality papers. You may even laminate your materials or print on glossy papers.

Business cards and brochures should have a sturdy feel to them. Ensure to consider card weights when choosing printing material.

Choose a Font

A unique typography can add visual appeal to your print media. However, be careful not to overdo it. Save premium and fancy fonts for your headings or titles.

Good print typography should be legible but appealing to the eye. Sans-serif fonts like Arial are simple and modern. If you want to add a more sophisticated look, go for serif fonts.

This includes fonts like Georgia and Times New Roman. However, these are only standard fonts. Consider investing in newer and more unique fonts.

Stick a Theme

Choose a theme that reflects your brand and your ideals. One of the main factors that go into a theme is your color choices. Color is a crucial factor that affects a customer’s impression of your brand.

Certain colors can evoke different feelings and thoughts. Each one has positive and negative connotations, depending on the culture. If you’re going for a modern look, opt for monochrome black and gray.

Yellow offers warmth, happiness, and positive energy. Blue can connote authority, peace, and integrity.

Your Guide to Creating Marketing Prints

Now you know how to create effective marketing prints. Though planning can be a long process, taking the right steps will drive your business to success.

Looking to create high-quality marketing prints? Contact Mod Mail and get access to our various printing services.

Boost Your Sales and Grow Your Business: 8 Benefits of Print Marketing

So much marketing takes place in the digital sphere these days.

Or at least that’s the received wisdom. But predictions of the demise of print marketing are much exaggerated.

When it comes to digital vs. print marketing, there are certain clear advantages for digital. For instance, it can be cheaper and more accurately targeted. But it’s also less personalized, and it can be lost among the deluge of emails and clickbait ads that swamp us every day.

In the right situations, a print marketing campaign can make much more sense. It’s tangible, it can be personalized, and it tends to be more memorable for customers. Let’s look at some of the many benefits of print marketing.

1. Digital Saturation

This is an important factor in the question of print marketing vs. digital marketing.

The fact is, people are overloaded with digital advertisements. Whether it consists of bulk emails or ads on Google or YouTube, digital marketing has reached a definite saturation level.

It’s even reached a point where people automatically tune out these advertisements—becoming, in effect, blind to them. Turning to something old-school, like print marketing, is just the thing to re-engage a customer’s attention.

2. Print Marketing Is More Appealing

Physical objects are just more appealing than impersonal, ephemeral digital ads.

Despite the growth of e-books, people are still reading good old-fashioned printed books. There’s an important lesson here: something physical and attractive, like a well-designed catalog, conveys a sense of worth and demands attention.

3. Print Makes a Connection

Print marketing is much more likely to make a lasting impression. There’s a kind of “touch memory” involved, and high-quality printed material suggests that a business is professional and trustworthy.

4. Effective Local Advertising

A print campaign is a great way to build your brand locally. Whether through leaflets, posters, or brochures, print marketing is an effective means of boosting awareness where it matters most—local neighborhoods and businesses.

5. Printing Is Changing All the Time

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that print advertising is an old fossil.

Using new technology and methods, like variable data printing, print continues to evolve. And it’s not as expensive as it used to be. New methods of printing have conspired to lower costs, meaning budget considerations are less of a concern when choosing print marketing.

6. Better Sales

These days, people spend an awful lot of time on the computer or mobile devices.

Printed media, such as an old-fashioned catalog, lets them take a break from staring at a screen. Just the action of flipping through a catalog, examining products at leisure, can realize more actual sales.

7. Longevity

Printed ads last longer because they’re physical objects. Digital ads are ephemeral—here one minute, gone the next. They only exist so long as the customer is online.

But printed material can stick around, and even if it doesn’t make a first impression, there’s always a chance for a second or third later on.

8. Trustworthiness

Believe it or not, people trust printed advertisements more than digital ones. A report by MarketingSherpa found that 82% of respondents trusted print ads in newspapers and magazines more than any other type of advertisement.

If you want to make a real impression, print marketing is the key.

Boost Your Sales With Print Advertising

The advertising pendulum is starting to swing back, and print marketing is looking much more attractive now than digital ads.

Printing has been a tried and true marketing strategy since the invention of the printing press, and its future is looking bright. So contact us today at Modern Mail to learn how we can help with your print marketing needs.

Best Solution: 4 Reasons Marketing Your Small Business Is Important

Did you know that up to 90% of direct mail gets opened? Direct mail is one of many forms of marketing for your business. Why is marketing your small business important? What ways can your business grow from employing marketing efforts? Where does your business see the most marketing success?

Keep reading to learn more about the importance of marketing your business.

1. Engaging Customers

Engaging customers is important when marketing your business. One way to do this is to utilize social media channels to connect with your customers. By starting a conversation here, you can market without worrying about high costs.

One example of this is user-generated content being used to market your product or service. This marketing is formed by asking your customers to promote your business by using specific hashtags or sharing their content. This form of marketing allows your business to spread through each customer’s social network.

Engaging customers is important throughout the sales cycle, from initial contact to creating repeat business in the future.

2. Communication

Communication is important when marketing your business. If you can communicate well as a company, it will not only help you attract customers but also people that want to work for you that align with your vision.

Direct mail marketing can be used to increase consumer awareness while communicating details about your business. If you are able to deliver the right message or offer to interested prospects, you can achieve a high response rate.

The ability to personalize the content and deliver it in a cost-effective way is a benefit of using this form of marketing. Consider partnering with a reliable direct mail marketing company such as Modern Mail and Printing Solutions. We have a broad range of marketing solutions and direct mail strategies you can choose from. We can help increase your communication. Start a personal relationship with our partnership.

The goal of communication in marketing is creating brand awareness for your business so that potential customers can become familiar with who you are and how you can help them. In order to have continued success in creating this awareness, your company must do research on the different demographic groups and find out who your target customer is.

3. Sales: The Highest Importance of Marketing Your Business

Sales. Revenue. Profit.

Your business needs to be making sales in order to continue functioning and marketing helps get you in front of potential customers. Imagine if a company never advertised anywhere and called a list of random people to sell their product. It would be very difficult for them to sell something that the customers have never been introduced to.

Effective marketing will bring in more potential customers and increase the chances of successful sales in the future. Think of marketing as a conversation starter for a salesperson.

Marketing pieces that have a clear call-to-action can create new inbound leads for a business. This is very important because your business will not be spending time and money calling on people who have not expressed interest in your product or service.

4. Choose a Quality Direct Mail Printer

When looking for a company to fulfill your direct mail and marketing needs, there are some key questions to consider. For example, does the printer work on your project in house? Or do they outsource the work? Another key question to ask is if they have mailing capabilities in house? Another one is, what is the scoop of their work?

Choosing a printer that has the ability to do both large runs and small runs gives you flexibility with your project. In other words, you can do small targeted mailers and large blanket campaigns. Depending on your needs, finding a partner that has the ability to do both offset print runs and digital print runs is another benefit.

Contact Us Today

Please contact us today for help with marketing your business. We recognize the importance of marketing your business and are here to help you. Check out our blog for more articles about the importance of marketing your business. We have a full service mailing house to fulfill your direct mail and marketing needs.