I found this diemensional promo piece in a Sheraton hotel room. It has different lenght panels with half inch tabs glued to the center. It makes a super-cool reveal – take a look!
Below is the embed code for this week’s fold: Sheraton Dimensional Promo Piece
If you were in the storefront printing industry in the early-to-mid Eighties, the sign “We Accept Disks” means something to you. It was the beginning of the digital and “desktop” printing revolution. “We Accept Disks”. It meant you had a PC and/or maybe a MAC, and would accept customer floppys in order to print out copies to paste up and shoot to a neg or output an analog poly plate, or maybe run copies (not files) on your copier. But it didn’t mean there was any compatibility with what your clients were bringing in. All you knew was that you had to do it because everybody else was.
Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. This is not going to be a crystal ball article. The rhetoric surrounding “green”, “sustainability” and “corporate social responsibility” has cooled a bit. This means we are now in the normalization phase. Between 2005 and 2008, literally everything gained a greenish tinge. It’s the same with every standard business practice bubble. First there were the early adopters, and then market acceptance comes along. This is typically followed by market saturation, and finally normalization. Many shops claimed to be a “Green Printer”. Maybe you got FSC certified, increased your recycling efforts, switched to low VOC chemistry or replaced or upgraded offset equipment, or implemented higher efficiency digital.
2009 capped the trend by becoming the year of the “green printing trade show”. Again, everything had a greenish tinge to it. It didn’t matter what the product or service was. It was either “green” or “sustainable”. Then the inevitable happened. The Six (or Seven) Sins of Greenwashing hit the print industry airwaves and uncertainty about the message and its credibility crept in. Trade shows in 2010 had a diminished green presence. Not that it completely disappeared; Green now has earned a secured place in Print’s message. Now the FTC is releasing new green claim guidelines.
So here we are in 2011. Responsible sourcing/procurement is fast becoming the driving realization that encompasses everything green and sustainable. Business Green offers 11 (as in 2011) things to look for in the next 12 months. Number 7 is “Ethical consumer spending will keep rising”. To quote a portion of the Business Green statement: “Every indication suggests this market will grow substantially this year even as other areas of the economy falter. It is time to stop treating green industries as a niche and appreciate them for the robust and fast-growing success stories they are”.
Let’s take a closer look at what this means to the printing industry.
Paper is most likely to be thought of first. Chain of Custody certification, whether it’s FSC, SFI or PEFC puts third-part verification of at the very least legal and ethical sourcing. The credibility of the certifying bodies, who themselves are validated by independent accreditation organizations provides transparency as well as credibility. Supplies, whether for offset, digital, or for infrastructure (janitorial, facilities) also have their certification and third-party certifying body counterparts.
Green computing is going to have a large presence this year as the IT industry takes sustainable computing mainstream. The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a nonprofit group of consumers, businesses and conservation organizations dedicated to promoting smart technologies that can improve the power efficiency and reduce the energy consumption of computers.
Formalized waste-stream reduction strategies have become profit centers for many organizations. Harmon Recycling, a division of Georgia Pacific is one of many organizations offering full-service programs to both manufacturing and office environments. Everything that can be recycled should, including strapping, containers of all types and other shipping material. In short, a zero manufacturing and office waste program is more of a reality now than ever as the reclamation industry matures.
A life cycle assessment (LCA, also known as life cycle analysis, ecobalance, and cradle-to-grave analysis) is a technique used by organizations to assess each and every impact associated with all the stages of a particular process from raw material sourcing through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling). LCA’s can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental, social and economic concerns which can validate both responsible sourcing and responsible disposal methodology.
Then there are all the other infrastructure improvements that also have their ethical, responsible and or sustainable components. This includes everything from buildings, HVAC, lighting, logistics and production equipment, to transportation and facilities management operations.
The end-game is that professional purchasers are embracing responsible sourcing. Organizations like The National Association of State Procurement Officials, the Responsible Purchasing Network, and The International Society of Sustainability Professionals are serious about responsible sourcing and many options are considered in choosing suppliers, based at least in part on their ethical sourcing policies. Don’t be caught out in the cold because you cannot quantify and provide objective evidence pertaining to where your raw materials, products and services came from, and where your waste and by-products are going.
Responsible sourcing is the new green.
In an earlier post “The Next Generation of Print –Evolve or Die!” I discussed the changing landscape of today’s Print Service Provider and the need for evolution. I made the point that in order to achieve success you have to identify the new dynamics associated with the new solution. I also noted that many companies acquiring new solutions fail to develop a comprehensive plan before going to market. They go right from training on the solution into the field (or onto the floor) with exactly the same approach that they used for their traditional offerings. This is a doomed approach.
With that in mind let’s discuss the new skills for new services that are required for success with a new solution.
First of all, the skills needed will depend on the new solution that you are bringing to market. If the solution is an extension of your existing print services, many skills you currently possess will not change radically. But if you are moving into a new area of opportunity like Integrated Marketing Services there will be some new skills required for success.
Let’s review some of the technical knowledge required for success:
Now let’s take a look at how each functional area of the business may be impacted. Each group will need a number of important skills before working with customers and prospects. Here’s a short list to get you thinking:
As I mentioned earlier this is simply a short list to get you thinking but it clearly demonstrates the need for effective planning, training and execution across the entire organization.
I would also suggest that you can’t do it alone. You are running a full time business in a changing environment. You need to have a partner to help you make the transformation. The good news is that there are many resources available to you in this area. The even better news is that hundreds of service providers just like you have made the journey successfully.
If you need more information on the options available to you please do not hesitate to ask for help.
Many of my posts originate in my head as rants, are subsequently doused with antacid (and some form of sedative) and thoroughly edited down to civilized business speak. Today I think perhaps I should just “let ‘er rip!”
Let’s face it, most participants in the RFP process (from either the Issuer’s or the Responder’s perspective) don’t profit from it. You would think that the Issuer would always benefit but, in fact, they usually only achieve cost savings in trade for:
Except in very rare cases of extremely well-crafted and needs-driven RFPs (those where a new solution or approach to a problem is being investigated, where current service levels are unacceptable or where there are major opportunities to consolidate vendor relationships) the sole beneficiaries of the RFP process are the procurement professionals themselves. The way most procurement operations are incented causes them to treat every possible purchasing relationship as a commodity and drive it into a box that can have an SKU and a price code slapped on it. And when you think you’re in the box buying business – everything starts to look like a box. This process also does not take into account how much it cost to build “the box” in the first place or how much it will take (in time and distraction as well as dollars) to build “the box” somewhere else.
And another pet peeve …
I can’t tell you how many times recently I’ve read that print is a commodity. Paper may be a commodity – but print is not paper. Print is a process – particularly any kind of variable print. Personally, I like to buy the best, most innovative, most reliable process I can get. “Print” may look like a bank statement or a personalized direct mail piece when it hits the mail – but, I prefer to work with a company that has a robust customer-self service and reporting portal and a top-notch postal management solution rather than one that lets me burn incense and pray while trucking my mail to a comingler in another State. But, maybe that’s just me.
Issuers reading this are saying to themselves “but wait – I have to save money. I have to squeeze X% out of all my vendors every 3 years.” Quite frankly, if that is your only goal, the RFP is probably the least effective way to get it. If you’ve been doing a sizable amount of business with a vendor for at least 2 years, that vendor should be able to come up with at least 6 ways to save you money. In many cases, saving you money may lower their revenue but actually boost their profit. I often see suppliers trying to save their customers money and they can’t get anyone’s attention. I’ve had to row that boat myself a time or two. If you’re thinking about issuing an RFP – make sure you really understand what you’re trying to accomplish and consider whether the RFP is the best way to achieve your goals.
Many suppliers have strong opinions on the RFP topic. John McMahon, VP at Madden Communications had this to say:
“If a current client takes you to an RFP and you’ve been unable to sell your way around that, face the facts and understand you’ve already lost. Don’t respond. If you compete on price you’re already dead. RFPs force you to compete on price – you should be dragged kicking and screaming into the RFP process.”
I don’t agree that you shouldn’t respond to ANY RFP from an existing client – but, I do agree that you should be kicking and screaming first. Sadly, due to the formerly referenced box jockeys, your client may be REQUIRED to go to RFP no matter how much they like you. So, what’s a poor supplier to do? Here’s my top 10:
With a little effort, any company can do what I’ve listed above. If you do, your client may still issue an RFP – but you will be in a much better position to win it if they do. Face it – you don’t win with existing clients through sales. You win through service.
The “desperate simplification trend” from noted marketing guru Rohit Bhargava suggests that “Information overload is leading consumers to seek simplification.”
In terms of direct marketing, I think Bhargava’s deals with seven important “musts.”
1. Get to the point immediately. It’s okay to write long direct mail letters – after all, these sometime work best, especially to recipients who already know (and like) your organization. But your point needs to appear upfront. The quick message explains the popularity of postcards, email coupons, and smaller retail catalogs in 2010.
2. Trickery? Don’t even try it. Consumers are very short-tempered – even vicious — with marketers who disappoint them or lure them in with one message and then switch to something else. The Internet makes such consumer activities as boycotts much easier.
3. Back up what you say. One magic development of the Internet is the ability for people to “check the sources” instantly, by clicking a link. If you want money or sales, back up your appeal with as many third-party endorsements as you can generate. The more you can Yelp! your own product, the better.
4. Make it visual. People haven’t got time to pour over complex data. When making a point, use info-graphics to make ideas jump to life.
5. Make it instant. Offer options for immediate response: p-URLs and QR codes are all about convenience and fast response. [Example: Know those plastic key-chain cards that your grocer and drug store always ask to see? Well, smart phones have an app that can scan barcode and QR codes off those cards, store the codes in your phone, and pop them open upon request.
6. Get smart. It’s a challenge, yes, but smart phones are part-and-parcel of the new integrated marketing model. See if a text marketing campaign using short codes might work for you as well as it has for the pizza industry.
7. Be nimble, be quick. When it happens – whatever it might be — be ready to move immediately to practice random acts of marketing.
It’s hard to believe, but to date I’ve done more than 80 Fold of the Week videos. The shirts that have become my trademark have been very popular with my viewers, and I get a lot of questions and comments about them. Many ask if I repeat the shirts, or of they’re new every time. It’s hard to believe, but they are new every week. And, just when I think I might run out of clever folding slogans, my mind sends me a nice little burst of ideas to get me through the next 5 or six videos. Even better, sometimes my viewers send me great shirt slogans to use. For those who don’t believe I could come up with 83 fun folding saying, I give you my list as proof.
And if you like these slogans, check out our new foldfactoryGEAR store.
Get t-shirts and mugs with your favorite folding slogans on them. And, if you don’t see your favorite, contact me at trish@foldfactory.com and I’ll add yours to the store.
If ever there were an opportunity to personalize documents, it’s school pictures. Yet I spent this morning bleeding out my eyes because I needed personalization and it wasn’t there.
The story starts with poorly designed print documents and online order site that didn’t match one another. The sample was digitally printed, with my order number and customer pin printed underneath the picture of my daughter. Across the top was text inviting me to the website to order additional prints. Yet once I logged in, there was no place to enter the order number, pin, or access her picture. When I clicked the FAQ and “help” links, they took me to answers about tracking orders but nothing about how to place an order in the first place.
So much for the ability of this digital print shop to upsell me with personalized mugs, calendars, and photo books using their e-commerce solution. Huge lost sales opportunity there.
So I went back to the print materials. The sample print had the order number and pin, but it was not accompanied by an actual order form for the pictures. There was some kind of order form, but after further examination, it was for an entirely different type of product.
I finally located the order form printed on the backside of the large window envelope. It was hidden from view, static printed, and clearly ordered in bulk to be as cheap as possible. By the time I cut out the form (after having to turn the packet inside out and extricate it from the folds), I was so frustrated that I forgot where my order number and pin number were located.
There I was, staring at a blank order form from this digital photobook printer, thinking, “Why isn’t this form personalized? What on earth is wrong with these people?”
This should have been a high-margin sale. The printer had already included a sample print with my daughter’s picture on it, her name, the order number, and the pin. I should have opened the packet, pulled out a pre-filled order form, along with pictures of the high-margin upsells the company would have loved to sell me (preferably with my daughter’s picture already imposed upon them). Instead, I wasted nearly 40 minutes looking on the website, sorting through papers, and then filling out a blank order form with information the company already had. By the time I was done, I was so irritated that I placed the smallest order I could get away with just to be done with the whole business.
So if you’re printing any type of form for your clients, be the hero. Pre-filled forms are one of those no-brainer steps that any client sending out forms should be doing. Not only does pre-filling forms decrease the client (or prospect) irritation level, but this simple act of personalization is shown to increase response rates, as well.
CJ Graphics in Toronto produced this 16 page booklet with Stitched-in Folded insert. Check it out:
Folding Makes the World Go ‘Round!
In 2011, more than ever we live in a technology driven society. Communication has become instant and it can be said it can be better. It is much different than say 10 years ago but is it still better than print on paper? Does paper based communication still have a place in the world? Well let’s look at some facts.
Paper communication can’t be deleted, lost because of a power outage. Paper documents can be read no matter whether or not your monitor can display it. Because print and paper is a physical form it can be copied then stored in different locations! It doesn’t have to be charged. You don’t need to reboot it and when done with it you can shread it or recycle it fairly easy and it is used again in some other product.
Paper can be fun, personal and important. Paper if you think about has a value in our lives. Paper based communication can’t be hacked. Your paper based bank and credit card statement won’t be compromised. Think about it how many of your important documents are on paper. Paper’s serious side can be the important letter from a college letting you know that you have been accepted. Paper can be that refund check from the tax man. Paper can be that birthday card from a friend or a love letter from someone important. It is still a very personal way to communicate.
Try sending your resume out on paper today. It will get noticed! Paper and print have a feel to it. It can be portable, taken with you and looked at whenever. On a plane they don’t ask you to turn off your book do they ! E Readers are all the rage but do you really curl up next to a fire with it like that favorite book you have? When we look around us pape ris every where. Paper companies have made great efforts to lower their “footprint” in sourcing, production and transporting paper. Forest certification has helped insure things are being done right in the forest where raw material is sourced. Recycled material is at it’s all time high being used in many different paper based products. Renewable energy usage is on the rise and less water also is being used.
Paper also is sustainable.
So look at that piece of paper with informantion differently next tme. Print and paper is the original “wireless” communication. Paper Still Works!
In my previous post I talked about the key factors took look at when considering expanding your services offering. One market opportunity that has been targeted for explosive growth is the area of Integrated Marketing Services.
Integrated Marketing Services (or Cross Media Marketing) is the all-encompassing term for launching one marketing campaign across a spectrum of media formats connecting with the target audience on a more personal and relevant basis.
For many Print Services Providers this is a natural extension of your services business and – armed with the right training and tools – you can launch a new customer offering successfully. Let’s say you were considering Integrated Marketing Services or Cross Media Marketing as a market opportunity. Starting with the end in mind, are the prospects for long-term revenue growth good?
According to Forrester research, marketers are going to spend over $55 billion dollars on Integrated Marketing Services through 2014. When you add all of the other services that fall under the marketing umbrella the number is over $150 Billion. This is definitely an area that qualifies as a high growth opportunity worthy of consideration!
With the rapidly changing marketing landscape, marketers are evaluating all aspects of how they “connect” with their prospects and customers. They are leveraging a vast array of new Cross Media Marketing tools to drive improved results. This impacts your company because they are looking for “partners” that can consult and recommend new media use cases for success. This leads to the question – “Are you a partner or a vendor to your customers?”
We are currently experiencing a dynamic shift in the print industry which is creating a number of implications for all service providers. Cross Media and Web-to-Publish services will impact traditional printing and Web-to-Print. Businesses will form partnerships or acquire the new skill sets to participate in data analytics and behavior modeling. No service provider will be successful if they can’t quantify and communicate their value proposition and provide the ability to measure their effectiveness for their customer.
What’s the key for success in 2011? Providing high-value services to your customers that they want and need that meet their objectives and deliver quantifiable results that improve ROI.
Previously I hit a few high points on what issuers and responders face when dealing with Requests for Proposals (RFPs). One factor that can send the whole RFP process downhill is the issuer’s desire to get the best results with the least amount of work.
In theory, if you really want to find the best solution at the best price, you need to talk to a lot of different suppliers and be willing to review a lot of bids. But who wants to source 100 vendors – or even 20 for that matter? In the past, I have always encouraged my clients to issue a short “Request for Information” or RFI in advance of the RFP process. Some possible goals of the RFI may be to:
Now that you’ve read this far, let me confess that I don’t think that social media can actually replace the RFI – but, I do think it can help to make the RFI and the RFP process a lot more effective and efficient. There is a wealth of information out there that can be accessed without 16 advance meetings and a full legal and compliance review!
Let’s look at LinkedIn for example. In the Question and Answers area there are over 500 topics on Request for Proposal (from both the issuer and the responder perspectives.) It’s helpful to look at the questions that other people have asked – but it’s also a straight-out opportunity to ask questions of your own. Naturally a lot of the questions will get jumped on by suppliers trying to present their solution – but often they have some good insights on what makes a good RFP. And – you’d be surprised at how many times peers of yours at other companies log on to share their experiences, recommend suppliers, or share what they’ve learned about new technologies. Many times members will also recommend experts on a particular topic which may lead you to articles, blog posts, or even sample RFPs.
There are also discussion groups on particular topics. For example there is the Print and Procurement (International) Group which has 6,936 members from around the world. I would say that there is more Printing (3,478) than Procurement but it still posts some pretty lively topics. If you post a thread saying that you are looking for companies that can provide a specific service your likely to get a quick response. For example, the post:
“I have a 400 Pg + Cover perfect bound book live project. Quantity = 1,500 and involves spot colors. I am looking for a book manufacturer with digital and offset capabilities.”
. . . received 38 responses within a matter of days. The neat thing is, social media sites allow you to drill down on the responses you get. If someone responds to a post you can click over to their profile and see who has given them recommendations or look at the anwers they have supplied to other questions. Click again to look at the company page on LinkedIn – or go directly to the company website. You can see who else works there and if they have any interesting presentations or recommendations as well. All of this is available before you have sent any formal communication out from your company.
Potentially, you can quickly identify many new suppliers that you might not have considered, identify experts who can help you define all of the things you should ask for in your RFP and identify ways of making the RFP process much more efficient. I still think that you will want to issue an RFI to narrow the field before you issue an RFP – but maybe in some cases you can get what you need from a bit of online research and networking. Let me know what you think.
And, stay tuned (or stay RSSed or something.) Next time I’m going to talk about why you might want to skip the RFP all together!
I posted Fans and Foes of Fonts awhile back about the fanaticism and activism that is out there related to the use of fonts (seriously.) I recently saw a video on design:related promoting submissions for this year’s Type Directors Club competitions. This video talks about being a “type snob” and being darn proud of it!
I would just like to say to Matteo Bologna – with great mustache comes great responsibility. If he takes typography as seriously as his mustache, the man is very, very serious.
If you think you have typography worthy of submission – the deadline is next week. Finalists and winners may be included in the TDC Annual (#32) which is quite an honor. Are you a type snob?
Joseph Manos, EVP MindFire Inc.
The number one priority for every business is revenue growth. Leading print and marketing service providers have learned that working more closely with their customers is critical for success. They are focused on offering services that bring the most value to their customers.
Many industry studies support the fact that marketing professionals – today more than ever – are tapping into the digital, interactive world of personalized cross-media marketing opportunities.
Based on this important customer dynamic it is critical that service providers evaluate how they can create more value for their customers in the form of high-value services.
As our industry continues to evolve as a result of internal and external factors one message is clear – Evolve or Die! A service provider cannot afford to remain static and continue to offer the same services if they expect to grow their revenues in a world where customer needs are changing at a very rapid pace.
In these circumstances, many seek new solutions to help them. There are numerous technologies under consideration, such as W2P, VDP, PURLs, Image Personalization, QR Codes, Augmented Reality and the list goes on…
As one would expect all of the technology vendors claim they can grow your business. But is that true?
Yes – new solutions can drive improved results! But, only when it is the right fit for the customer’s overall objectives and needs. In my experience, often service providers approach their customers’ needs in terms of features, functionality and capabilities instead of meeting specific customer objectives through a well designed strategy (where the solutions are orchestrated to deliver specific customer results!)
As you consider how to create new revenue in your business let’s start with where you are today. There are only a couple of ways to create new revenue in your business:
Keep in mind that new revenue opportunities (new product or service offering) for your company don’t all offer the same return on the investment of time and resources to your organization. The solution you offer may be price sensitive or commoditized. In many cases, new high-value products or services offer significantly higher profit and ongoing revenue growth opportunities. But there are other considerations that need to be evaluated as part of the decision to move to a high-value service offering, such as:
Just acquiring a new solution won’t automatically guarantee your success. Regardless of the technology selected do sales just start flowing into your organization because you purchased a new solution.
Of course not!
In order to achieve success you have to identify the new dynamics associated with the new solution, such as:
The number one failure point for companies acquiring new solutions and going to market is the failure to develop a comprehensive plan. In many cases they train on the solution and then go to market with exactly the same approach that they use for their traditional offerings. This can become a serious issue when the decision maker level for the new solution changes or the complexity of the service offering increases.
This approach causes new sales results develop at a much slower pace than anticipated. Frustration grows, desperation sets in and poor decisions are made that can have long-term consequences. Maybe you lower your price to get business in the door to feed the press, drive W2P adoption or create a need that isn’t there. Once price is lowered it is very difficult to move the bar back up with customers.
Start with the end in mind. What are your long-term objectives for this new area? What investment do you need to make in your organization beyond the technology for success? What additional “tools and training” do you need for all areas of your organization to successfully achieve your long-term objectives? Will the market support long-term revenue growth?
Integrated Marketing Technology is not a panacea – but with the right fit, the right strategy and the right execution it might make the difference between growth or decline for your company in 2011.
Editor’s Note: Joe Manos is an Executive Vice President with MindFire Inc. He is joining the DigitalNirvana team of bloggers in 2011 for a weekly series on the various factors affecting if, when and how printing firms can successfully add integrated marketing services to their menu of offers. Please join me in welcoming Joe to the team.
If you haven’t already checked out Twitter and created a profile, what are you waiting for? Twitter is an excellent micro-blogging platform for you to spread the word about company news, special events, discounts and more. Want to connect with prospects? Want to display your expertise? In 140 characters or less you can “tweet” tips, coupon codes, links to press releases…the sky is the limit. Here are some tips on how you can set your marketing services provider business up for success on Twitter:
Make sure you complete your profile. You want to have it represent your company and further your brand, so upload your logo to use as the avatar. Choose a Twitter name that is either your actual company name, or an easy to understand shorter version of your company name. Your online bio allows for 160 characters only, so try to use keywords that make your profile searchable, rather than a vague tagline or slogan. You may want to create a custom background for your Twitter page that utilizes your logo in some way and clearly shows the URL address to your website.
After you set up your Twitter profile, you want to “follow” other Twitter users. This allows you to see their tweets from your home page. As you follow others, you will find that many follow you back. You want to build up your list of followers, because these are people who will be able to regularly see your tweets as you make them.
Finding people to follow isn’t difficult. Some of your customers may actually invite you to follow them, by placing a twitter badge on their website or adding their Twitter profile url to their email signature. You can also click on the “Find People” link at the top of the Twitter page. From there, you have four options: find people on twitter via their name, business name, brand, keyword or twitter handle; find people via other networks such as Google, yahoo or AOL; invite people via email; look at suggested users.
After you begin following people and businesses you already know of, your best bet may be two-fold: One, check out the followers of those Twitter users you admire. If you are following someone or a company and you like their tweets and admire the way they handle themselves online, then it makes sense to see who they are following and do so as well. Two, use the “find people” search option and use keywords that your target market would use in their twitter handles and profiles.
You’ll find you have to be creative at times to get your message in 140 characters or less. In fact, you will want it to be shorter so that others can “re-tweet” your message…getting it more exposure. It’s okay to toot your own horn, but try to make sure your twitter stream isn’t a constant barrage of sales pitches. And make sure to keep an eye on your messages. You may receive private messages via the “Direct Message” system, or you may receive a public tweet when someone includes your twitter handle in a tweet. You should respond in kind when appropriate – no one likes a tweeter who only tweets about their own stuff. So keep in mind that Twitter is a conversational tool, not a one-way onslaught of your promotional tweets.
There’s plenty to tweet about. Here are some ideas:
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard at least some buzz (!) about social media marketing. Everywhere you look online, you hear people talking about using social media to boost their business. In fact, in recent months, you don’t even need to be online- social media is making itself known in Hollywood- think Ashton Kutcher – TV – Oprah did a show about Twitter – OPRAH!
The print industry has headlined social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter time and again. Yet, you still haven’t stepped out and joined the ruckus because you’re a brick and mortar printer who makes physical paper objects and the Internet just isn’t a logical way to promote your business, right? WRONG!
If you’re in the business of printing marketing materials for other businesses, you absolutely need to be utilizing the power of social media to promote your company and build your business. The Internet doesn’t replace print media, no matter what anyone says. It doesn’t operate independently of print; it doesn’t function in a different business world than print. In fact, Internet businesses have a huge need for printed materials- brochures, flyers, invoice materials, packaging materials and dozens of other hard copy paper materials with text and images printed on them.
Where do Internet entrepreneurs look for business partners? On the Internet, of course- and they are using social media to find them.
Grow Socially on LinkedIn
One of the first sites where these entrepreneurs and other prospect may look for you would be LinkedIn. This is the most important social media site you should have yourself and your entire company join. It may appear to be a site that is useful for a job search or a way to rub shoulders with fellow colleagues, but it really has evolved into so much more. You can update your profile page with your RSS feed, be “introduced” to new connections, join groups and ask questions. The atmosphere is definitely more professional in nature than others, and it’s the perfect addition to your social media efforts. Better yet, LinkedIn is a great research tool for prospects and could be thought of as the new way of cold-calling. You can use LinkedIn as a sales lead generator by connecting with prospects, reminding them of what you do, and giving them more information about your business.
Another way of connecting with sales prospects is by joining and participating in LinkedIn groups. Doing this gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your company’s and your own attributes. Engage in a group; show yourself as a thought leader.
Facebook is the big daddy of the social media sites. This platform allows you to create a profile or even a Fan Page. The difference between the two may actually seem quite negligible to the average user, but they make a difference to you as a business owner. The Facebook Fan Page allows you to have a professional business page where you can announce information, promote special deals, or provide other information about your business. You can target your posts so they are broadcasted to all of your fans or just to those in specific demographics, such as location or language. Pages don’t utilize the inbox like personal profiles do, so you cannot send or receive individual messages. Only the administrator or owner of a business can create a Page, but you can assign other administrators to help you maintain and manage the page. You invite people to become fans of your page and build your following when those fans invite their own fans and friends.
Twitter is another big player in the social medial game. Twitter plays a little differently than Facebook by limiting each post to a maximum of 140 characters. While it may seem like the restriction could impede communication, the truth is many people love the challenge of saying what they need to say in a short, concise message and find it a time saver! Twitter is a great way to share links, posts to blogs and short messages with your customer base.
YouTube is another popular social media outlet. On YouTube, you post video for people to watch and share- they even share it on other social media networks, like Facebook and Twitter! By utilizing video, you can show your products, demonstrate unique ideas, let your customers see the person behind the name, and allow a customer to see your facility, equipment, staff or anything else that makes you stand out from your competition.
One of the key features to remember with all social media platforms- is that you need to make sure you are actually being social and not just promoting your products. If all you do is hard sell, you will lose your followers or at best, simply be ignored.
