With a drop in revenues and economic doom and gloom around every corner, one would think it impossible to get ahead or to advertise effectively, with less money. The truth is that even though times are difficult for many of us, there are still several ways you can differentiate your business from your competitors without breaking the bank! An unfortunate fact is that many companies that do not continue to advertise, pound the pavement, or fail to differentiate themselves become obsolete...especially during rough economic patches. In this months newsletter, we will discuss some simple and effective ways you can try to increase your bottom line without blowing up your budget!
Return on investment is an overlooked factor in many marketing decisions. Often times, the "cost per piece" is king. This is understandable as business owners must watch their budget and want to contact as many people as possible. However, let's look at it from another point of view. Often times, when a mailing piece is sent, it is a generic piece with the same information on each piece. What if you could send a personalized piece to each of your clients with text pertaining to what they have purchased in the past, their gender, or maybe even adding a promotion for products that would go well with what you know they already have purchased? What if you could even change the graphics and put a specific message on the client's piece? Do you think it would make a difference? The answer is a resounding "YES"! When you make anything personalized to the individual, there is an exponential chance that your marketing piece will be read verus becoming a wadded up "three point shot from behind the kitchen table"! This makes the potential return on each piece greater as more of them will actually be read. At The Copy Store, we have state of the art software and equipment that will allow you to do just that! It's called personalized printing, or variable data printing, and it is available today! Contact us for more information or click here to learn more!
A lot of fees that are incurred in the printing industry are related to prepress. This would include the initial creation of the document, the proofing process, and any setup fees or alterations to insure that the document will print accurately. To save on these fees, you can use The Copy Store's EZ Design & Print Software that will allow you to create photo books, calendars, greeting cards, business cards, postcards, posters and more! The software is FREE and can either be downloaded from our website or you can request a free CD! Live, create, print!
Ever ordered 10,000 pieces for an event or mailing only to use 5,000 before the piece became obsolete, therefore, you had to throw the rest away? This happens often as conventional printers will give greater discounts, as do we, the more you order. What print on-demand does is save you money in the long run by not forcing you to print a ton of inventory which takes up a lot of space ,money, and potentially waste. At The Copy Store, we can archive your files digitally or keep a hard copy on record and print what you need, when you need it! For projects where the documents are static and reproduced on a regular basis, The Copy Store can negotiate a price based on your targeted needs, but only produce and bill you for your printing as you order. We can also create customized portals where you can have your documents in a password protected, on-line environment for easy ordering and document verification. We can also produce perfect bound books and manuals on-demand as well...no more minimums, costly setup fees, or long turn times from publishing companies!
If you are computer savvy and create your documents yourself, we have another solution for you to save big...The Copy Store's on-line store! Simply create a pdf of your file and go to www.thecopystore.com! Several products are available for on-line ordering such as business cards, postcards, magnets, brochures & flyers, and more! By eliminating the labor intensive processes such as proofing, setup and design, transactions, etc., we eliminate some of the cost to you! If you need software to create a pdf, visit our resources and tools to download free pdf creation software or simply use The Copy Store's EZ Design & Print Software which creates a pdf file as well. Click here to learn more about our on-line order process or click here to learn how to order using EZ Design & Print Software!
When marketing, especially to new clients, patience IS the virtue. Many companies will send a postcard or marketing piece to a potential client once or twice, then move on. This is a HUGE mistake that many companies, ourselves included, have made. The truth is that on average, a potential client will need to see or hear your message several times before they take action. Whether they threw the mailer away the first time, the second piece didn't grab their attention, or the message didn't stick, you have to be patient and persistent! Basically, the more times you can get your message and image in front of potential customers, the better chance you will have at an opportunity to earn their business.
"There is no such thing as a free lunch" -- Anonymous