Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Tips for an Effective Catalog


The Internet age makes catalog marketing a little bit tricky, since everything is online now. However, if you're up for the challenge, utilizing a color catalog as a marketing tool still has its benefits if you design with purpose. Here are some tips for you to keep in mind when designing a catalog for your business:

  • Length – First decide how many pages long you want your catalog to be. Too little and it can look like a brochure, too many and it's more like a novel with pictures. You want enough pages to include all your best products and then some; there need to be options, but not an overwhelming amount.

  • Font – Try to sustain one font size throughout most of your catalog. Things like detailed descriptions of products can be smaller than the norm, and products that you think will do well can be in a slightly bigger font. Use your largest fonts sparingly so they have more effect. It doesn't really matter what style the font is as long as it is legible; it may look pretty, but avoid cursive writing at all costs.

  • Amount of Products – Don't put every last product you have into your catalog; if you do, chances are that it's going to be too much. Choose products somewhat selectively, and put them in order with some amount of logic. For example, you can order them alphabetically, or group them into categories.

  • Incentive – Add incentives. Make sure to give consumers a reason to look through your catalog. Give them a reason to purchase from you and not from the competition. This means – you got it! – discounts, special offers, limited time deals, and so forth. Quality over quantity applies here as well. It's better to have a few, or even just one, really solid deal than several minuscule ones.

  • Printing and Distribution – A common mistake made by businesses is printing too many catalogs. Catalogs are a fairly pricey form of advertising, and they're going out of style. Using them selectively is the best way for them to function. Don't give them out to just anybody either. The people most likely to buy from your catalog are those who have purchased items from your business in the past. They are the people who are less likely to look at it as just another catalog before carelessly flinging it into the nearest trash bin

By abiding by these simple tips, you are more likely to print catalogs that will result in a successful marketing campaign. One last word of advice: Before ordering in bulk, have one copy printed and go through it carefully to make sure everything comes out the way you envisioned.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Add Some Value to Your CDs and DVDs by Labeling


Since the addition of a CD/DVD burner to practically every computer model out there, consumers have found every use imaginable for it. The demand for blank compact discs suddenly rose, as did the amount of clutter in the home, office – and beyond. CDs may be filling up the car, flung on top of the desk, or accidentally used as coasters – and none of them are labeled. You might be about to listen to Bach or Barney, and the difference there is huge!

Here's a novel idea: Stick a label on those blank discs so that next time you find yourself fumbling with a handful of slippery blank discs you are able to find what you are looking for. Got a birthday or anniversary coming up? Create custom CD/DVD labels or home movie and present it as a gift; it will likely be treasured for much longer than the turtleneck you were about to buy. Or give them to friends on minor holidays. The ideas are virtually endless.

Labels are also great for the musician putting a mark on his/her CD. Think anyone's going to want to listen to something that doesn't even have a label on it? Add credibility to your project with a professional label, because if your work looks professional, then so will you. A label is more than just a set of words or an image; it's also a big part of the branding process for any successful endeavor. Perhaps you are a wannabe filmmaker and you are trying to get someone to watch that short movie you slaved over for weeks. Having a professionally printed label for the DVD makes your work appear more legitimate. CDs also store files, so anyone in business that needs to hand vital information to a client had better make sure it's labeled. Putting labels on things is just part of staying organized, no matter the project.

In short, a couple of labels will go a long way towards the success of whatever it is you may be working on. Be it for your own personal use, or for the use of your business, you may want to get a handle on all those blank discs that are slowly taking over every empty surface in your office or home. If you are using the disk for promotional purposes, you should print CD/DVD sleeves to help add credibility.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Online Printing Services: Choosing an Online Printer


In many ways, choosing online printing services can be more complicated than simply working with your local printing shop. There are many businesses online that specialize in design services and printing services, so you may be confused about which company to choose. On the other hand, because of the many businesses offering such services as calendar design, you will be likely to find competitive prices for the best quality products. Generally, choosing the best printer to accomplish the services involved in designing and producing advertising items is using common sense. Here are some of the qualities to look for in choosing an online printer.

Reputation

Choosing online printing services for any type of advertising printing that you need means checking out the reputation of the short list companies. For example, if you are in the market for catalog design, you can review the reputation of companies that mention this type of product on their web site. The companies who do a specific printing product or even a range of products can be checked through Better Business Bureau or similar organizations to ensure that previous clients have had good experiences with their printing purchases. You can also check out online forums to see whether the company you are considering has a reputation for producing good work.

Experience

You should look for online printing services that have considerable experience in doing the type of work that you will be requesting. The design part of any printing job is just as important as the technical execution of the job. Choosing a letterhead design that helps to tell the story of your business or organization can be a simple as incorporating the same business logo throughout all your marketing efforts. Whether it is a newspaper advertisement or a logo on the side of your building, you will get the best results from an experienced designer.

Cost

Cost is always a factor in your marketing campaign. Even a simple printing project such as a door hanger design can have an impact on your business or organization advertising budget. Look for online printing services to find the most economical choice for your printing jobs. Because online companies tend to have a lower overhead than similar organizations in the real world, you can take advantage of significant savings on your printing jobs. Increased time efficiency with an online company will save set up and design time as well.

Size

The size of the online printing services company can often make quite a difference in the price that you expect to pay for your envelope design project or other printing activity. A large and well-equipped commercial color printing business is more likely to have the investment in equipment and personnel to ensure that your printing design and execution is of the highest possible quality. Further, due to economies of scale, you will gain additional savings on your project. At the same time, you maintain the quality of the finished project. Another size aspect in choosing the right printer is the size of the job you are trying to finish.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Essential Tips on Flyer Printing


A flyer is a single sheet of printed material created to announce an event, promote a cause, or advertise a product. Flyers, along with postcards, leaflets and small posters, are vital modes of communication for people who want to reach out to the public, but do not have the resources or the desire to purchase advertising via TV, radio or print media.

When designing a flyer printing project, keep your target audience in mind. Pictures and images that appeal to them specifically, rather than to the public as a whole, should be used. In addition, where you distribute your flyers is equally important. Distribute them in places where your target market is most likely to be.

One of the best things about online flyer printing is that the same design can be used for a variety of different applications. A properly designed printed flyer can handle almost any task, from advertising a special offer to launching a new product. The key is to design the flyer to be as flexible as possible.

Flyers can be designed with many different desired results in mind. The following are ways in which marketing flyers can be used:

  1. Flyer printing can be used to promote clubs or groups.

  2. Print flyers to advertise a new product.

  3. Launch your next sale through flyer printing.

  4. Attract new customers by placing flyers in targeted locations.

However, if you are not familiar with effective flyer design, you could end up wasting a good deal of time, money and energy on your flyer printing. If serious design mistakes are made, you could increase the turnaround time for your printing job. You may also make the mistake of ordering too few or too many flyers, thus leading to waste. Make sure to put thought into how many flyers you will need.

If you are planning to design your own flyers, use standard deigning tools such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Both are supported by professional flyer printing services. These programs also allow you to work easily with photo images.

Avoid printing flyers that are too cluttered with design or text. Pick just one marketing message and focus on that. This will maximize your efforts. Also, all important details should be double checked. Incorrect or incomplete information on your flyers can make you appear unprofessional.

Additionally, you should always be aware of your advertising costs. When large orders for flyers are placed, the cost per flyer comes down. You should therefore place bulk orders whenever possible to reduce your advertising costs.

Consider a professional flyer printing service. Experienced flyer printers can ensure great results and prevent costly mistakes.

To get the most of your flyers, keep the above points in mind. As with any marketing venture, reducing your risk and eliminating mistakes will save you both money and time.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Car Door Magnets: Increase Your Business Exposure


The use of car door magnets is one of the best ways to make certain that the message of your business or organization reaches hundreds or even thousands of potential buyers each day. Creating a car door magnet design is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to ensure that your company receives maximum exposure each day. When you place a message on your automobile door it is seen by everyone along the path to and from work. If you use the car for sales calls, it quickly identifies who you are and the company that you represent.

Low Initial Cost

One of the significant advantages in the use of car door magnets is their low initial cost. These signs placed on the automobile door reach the attention of potentially thousands of readers, making the cost per view extremely low. The goal with an online printer is to create your magnets as a quality sign that is virtually indestructible. With a car sign, your advertising message will remain in the public eye until removed from the vehicle. This is unlike a newspaper ad that may be used to start a fireplace blaze.

Wide Readership

The use of car door magnets is one method to have very wide readership for your company or product. Because automobiles travel varying routes during the day and are seen by hundreds or even thousands of other drivers, it is a positive way to spread the message about your product. Online printers have the knowledge and expertise to produce an attractive and informative car sign. When other drivers or even pedestrians see a vehicle with a sign magnet, there is an almost unconscious recognition of the name, logo or even the slogan. Each time the sign is seen, the recognition factor is stronger.

Name Recognition

Car door magnets represent an excellent bargain in the use of your advertising dollar. They are long lived and if tastefully done, will attract the kind of positive attention you want for your business or organization. High levels of name recognition, through repeated viewings of the contact information about your business will bring the business name to mind when the potential customer has need of your business products or services. The specialists at a commercial printing business can offer other tips to get your name before potential customers in a positive way.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Poster Printing and Poster Campaigns: How it Can Help Your New Business


Poster campaigns are considered a great way for you to advertise your products and services, especially if you have just set up a new business. Compared to other advertising strategies, poster campaigns may fall short in generating sales. Nevertheless, the use of posters printed by poster printing companies can definitely do your new business some good. Here are some ways you can utilize poster printing campaigns to help your new business.

Increase Exposure

The use of posters printed by poster printing companies can help increase the exposure of your new business. Business owners who utilize poster campaigns often select areas where there are always a lot of people passing by. While the posters printed by poster printing companies do little to actually convince people to use your products and services, it does make them aware about your new business. They would eventually become interested in the business, products, or services you are offering. As a result, they would end up visiting your website or your store to learn more about your products and services.

Supports Other Advertising Strategies

Poster campaigns can further be beneficial to your new business because they are able to provided that much desired boost to the other advertising strategies you are using. That is because the posters you ordered from poster printing companies have already made the public aware about the existence of your business. It would have also provided them some clues about the types of products and services that you are offering. At this point, you should now concentrate on using your other advertising strategies to convince the potential consumer that they need to invest in your products and services.

Establishes Trust and Credibility

The Internet has been utilized by many new business owners as a marketing and advertising medium. Through the Internet, you are able to reach more people while incurring minimal expenses. The problem faced by new business owners is that they now have to convince their potential market that they are credible. This is, in part, due to the fact that it is difficult for advertising regulation boards worldwide to monitor and regulate advertisements placed online. This is not the case in poster campaigns. Before the posters you had printed by poster printing companies can be placed in a public area, they must first be approved by your local advertising regulation body. By launching a poster campaign, you are able to build the trust and credibility of your new business because the posters would not be approved by the local advertising regulation body unless they were satisfied with the credibility of your business.

Helps Instill Familiarity

The only way to make the products or services offered by a particular company familiar to a target market is through repetitive exposure. Television and radio advertising are great ways of doing that but for a new business owner, these methods can be quite expensive. Poster campaigns provide a cost effective alternative to these advertising methods. Since the posters, printed by poster printing companies, are fixed, people who are passing this area numerous times during the day slowly become familiar with your business.

Tap into Cultural Branding

Poster campaigns can be a great way to tap into the individuals who pertain to a particular lifestyle or value. When an individual is able to view these in the posters you have had printed by online poster printing companies, you are able to catch their interest. When you launch other marketing campaigns, that people understand, it will then be a lot easier for you to convince them to use your products and services.