4 Ideas for Catalog Printing Layouts

How can you design your catalog printing layout so that customers will most easily see your products and their details?   If you want your products to shine and translate into more sales, here are four important ideas for your catalog printing layout.

1. Column Layout

The most easily read catalog printings are symmetrical and evenly spaced between products.  The column format is very organized and simply places a photo or illustration of your product with a description below it.  Column layout for catalog printing is especially effective for products that require more detailed descriptions, product specifications, and bullet lists of features.

2. Row Layout

The row layout for catalog printing is another popular organized design.  This style uses table rows to display your product and provide a written description beside it.  Catalog printing sizes generally have a longer page height than width, allowing for more rows on each page.  This gives you more space to include more products per page.

3. Magazine Layout

Catalog printing using a magazine layout takes up more space, but is better used when you want to include multiple photos of a product and have more space for text copy.  This style resembles a magazine article where you may find photos aligned left, right, and center in the midst of text.  This catalog printing style may be best used for high end products where you can include a close-up photo and multiple other photos with the product in use.  Magazine style layout may require both a professional writer for great copy, as well as a graphic designer for the best possible layout design.

4. Open Combination Layout

The open combination catalog printing layout allows the use of a variety of layout designs.  You may include both row and column product layouts on the same page.  Or you could include a table grid of products within a magazine page layout overview.  Although there is more freedom with this style, it should definitely be taken on by a professional layout designer.

Your catalog printing layout is an important design element for your promotional marketing document.  Take the time to consider how you want to list and highlight your products so that customers are compelled to buy.

How Well Does Your Business Stationery Represent Your Brand?

Your brand is your business identity.  Do you communicate your business brand with your letterhead and envelopes?  Business stationery printing is an important process in keeping your brand on a proverbial pedestal.

Your brand is not just a business name or logo.  It is the reputation associated with your business and should be reflected in the name, logo, or slogan.  That is why business stationery is important part of your branding strategy and should contain the names and logos that are associated with your brand.  Here are some questions to ask yourself when considering branding as part of your business stationery printing:

Is my business logo too big or small?

Business logos are one of the main identifiers of a business.  Think of the Golden Arches of McDonalds or a BMW circular logo.  These logos absorb much of the identity of these successful businesses.  Your letterhead and envelopes should always have your logo printed clearly at the top or the side and not look to small or too large on the page.

Do I use effective colors on letterhead?

Business stationery printing should be somewhat conservative and not look too busy to a reader.  Letterhead and envelope paper should be white or off-white, and any colors you use with your business name, logo, or slogan should offer good contrast to the page.  For instance, if your logo is yellow, it may not appear well on top of white paper.  Perhaps putting the yellow logo against a contrasting square of color, such as black or gray, might help your logo pop out better on the page.

Do I have a useful slogan?

Business letterhead and envelopes are a great place to put a slogan.  A slogan should be under or away from your business name and logo, and be short and succinct.  A clever slogan on letterhead can promote your business branding well.

Does my business name and logo set me apart?

Effective business branding requires that your business be set apart from your competition.  Be sure your name and logo does this and is clearly and proudly presented on your business letterhead and envelopes.

Effective business stationery printing can last for years if designed and presented properly.  Consider your business brand on your letterhead and envelopes and make them work for you.

Using Postcards to Jumpstart Your Holiday Sales

For many businesses, holiday planning begins months before the actual event, especially when the end-of-year holidays generate a large portion of a business’s profits.  If you are looking to get a jump start on holiday sales, then simple and cost-effective postcard printing could be a great idea for your business.

Postcards have many advantages.  Postcards are simple cardstock paper cut from letter size paper into halves or quarters.  You can print multiple postcards on a single sheet of paper, saving you money on printing costs.  Postcard printing can be easily designed because of their size.  In addition, you can easily and cheaply mail promotional postcards to your mailing or contact list to nudge customers to start thinking about holiday buying – and how they can get a great deal by shopping soon with your business.

Here are some ideas that can really make a punch with your holiday postcard printing.

• The first line is the most important – The postcard headline is the one line of words that catches a customer’s attention.  It could mean the difference between the recipient reading the postcard or tossing in the recycle pile.  Spend a lot of time making a great headline that really stands out.

• Punch the product – Try designing a postcard with an emphasis on a particular product you want to promote.  Get the product idea in the customer’s head and highlight why that would make the perfect gift.

• Limit the postcard idea – Postcards are great for promoting a single product or idea.  Don’t get caught up in trying to list a catalog on a single postcard.  There’s just not enough space.  However, by limiting your postcard to one idea, you have a better chance of getting a response.

• Give a call to action – All sales advertising include a call to action that tells the customer what they need to do next.  Include in your postcard printing a clear call to action explaining how the customer can take advantage of the offered deal.  A simple “Order now – supplies are limited” is a simple call to action that gets the customer to act fast.

The holidays always seem to arrive before we know it.  Don’t get caught last in line behind other businesses when it comes to promoting holiday sales.  Get on the bandwagon early and send out postcards to encourage customers to start buying right away.

3 Ideas to Create Eye-Catching Flyers

Within you marketing material arsenal, you probably have produced flyers either for general business promotion or to promote a specific event.  Flyer printing can be easy, fun, and cheap.  However, in order to get the most out of your flyer printing strategy, you need a flyer design that catches the eye and makes an impact.

Flyer printing is usually on letter size paper, making them very easy to design and print.  They can be passed out to customers, sent via mail, and even posted in windows and on various other visible locations.  With such ease of use, it’s no wonder that flyers are one of the most effective printed marketing documents your business can use.  Here are three great ideas for your flyer printing design.

1. Use a Bold Headline

A flyer is nothing but a pretty piece of paper if it doesn’t explicitly spell out its message.  Use a big, readable font for your flyer headline.  You flyer printing design should use good contrast so that your headline stands out against a background.  For instance, if you have a darker background, use a lighter hue as the headline.  A darker hue should be used or a white or lighter background.

Is your flyer meant to be seen from a distance?  Or will it end up in the hands of a reader?  A headline should be very short and large print if seen from a distance.  Flyers from close range can use smaller but bold print.

2. Turn Heads

Flyer printing is generally symmetrical.  Whether a flyer is printed in landscape or portrait, images and words are usually centered for easy reading.  Try a vertical side headline.  Or include an image that makes a looker have to stop and turn her head to see.  Simply changing the direction of a print or image can help your flyer printing be more effective at catching the eye.

3. Leave Space

Flyers with too much information can be confusing to the eye and turn a potential customer away.  Flyer printing design should include the element of “white space,” or space between lines of text and images, that allow a reader to easily focus on the important message.

Flyer printing can give your business a promotional edge in getting new customers and bringing back old ones.  Give your flyers that eye-catching edge to make the most impact.

3 Compelling Catalog Printing Tips

For companies that provide products, a catalog is the foundation for any marketing campaign.  While companies like Sears built their empire on catalogs, even in today’s internet world, catalogs still play an important role in stimulating sales.

Catalog printing may include a compilation of illustrations, photos, graphics and marketing copy that helps a reader make buying decisions.  However, what can really make your catalog stand out and promote better sales?  Here are three great tips for better catalog printing.

Catalog Printing Tip #1: Colorize!

If you want a stunning presentation for your customers, start by designing a catalog with lots of brilliant color.  Black and white catalogs can be useful for providing a simple price list of products, but catalog printing that includes top quality color product photos, colorful borders, and brilliant graphics can really catch the attention of a potential customer.

Catalog Printing Tip #2: Size Matters

Catalog printing generally comes in two sizes.  The standard catalog printing size is 8-3/8″ x 10-7/8″, and the digest size is 5-3/8″ x 8-3/8″.  Before you design your catalog for printing, take into consideration how you want to display your items, how you distribute your catalog, and total catalog printing cost.  Larger catalogs are great for providing larger photos and more product detail, but can be expensive to print and mail.  Digest size catalogs are great for sending via US Postal Service, but the space is limited.  You can save a lot of money by deciding beforehand which size works best for your business.

Catalog Printing Tip #3: Choose a Professional Designer

Your catalog is an important marketing document.  Poorly designed catalogs that look sloppy, too busy, or are confusing will not help your sales.  Catalog printing should be appealing to the eye and easy to read.  Professional graphic designers can design a catalog cleverly using photos, borders, illustrations, fonts, headings, and that all important “white space.”  Choose a designer who has training in professional design and has quality samples of previous work.  They may cost a little more, but the end result will be a catalog that puts more profit in your business.

Since your catalog printing is an important marketing endeavor, doesn’t it pay to do it right in order to generate the most sales?  Stick with these tips and your catalogs will end up dazzling and help your bottom line.

Black and White vs. Color Brochures Printing

Brochures are a staple of business marketing materials.  They are bigger than a business card and contain more detailed information about a business.  They can easily be size of an 8 1/2 x 11 standard letter paper or even special sized for greater impact.

There is so much business promotion potential with brochures printing.  However, to make the right impact, one must first decide to design a brochure using color or black and white brochure printing.

Impact

The impact of your brochures printing depends much upon the purpose of the brochure and the colors used.  Black and white brochures may be best when they are printed frequently with time-sensitive specials and a customer form to fill out.  In contrast, a full promotional color brochures printing by the thousands may be best done in choice for multiple use.

If your intention is to grab the eye of the beholder, then a color brochure printing may be the best choice.  Black and white brochures, however, can offer great simplicity and elegance for a business who does not want to seem precocious and overbearing.

Design

Brochures printing design can be a big color determination.  If your design includes photographs, especially of people and faces, a color brochure is the obvious best choice.  Graphic designs, logos, and illustrations are also best used in color brochures.

Black and white brochure printing should not be discounted automatically, however.  High contrast silhouettes or other single color designs and shapes can work very well in a black and white brochure.

Cost

Cost is an important factor when determining whether to utilize color or black and white brochure printing.  By far, black and white brochures will cost considerably less than full color brochures.  A full color brochures printing may cost three to five times more than a simple black and white.

However, the question one must really ask is whether the extra cost for color would translate into greater sales and more customers.  Sure, a black and white brochure may save money, but if it doesn’t drum up business, it is a waste of money.

Brochures printing will likely continue to be a major part of any business’s marketing materials.  If you are looking to produce a brochure for your business, be sure to consider the cost associated with printing, as well as the goals for the brochure.  Whether you choose black and white or color, a brochure will be one of the best marketing tools for your business.

4 Creative Ideas for Catchy Brochures

Brochures are one of the most effective marketing materials that a business can use.  Effective brochure printing can highlight the beauty of a product, clarify a business idea, and promote business services.  If your business brochure is not making the impact you desired, try using these 4 simple yet creative brochure printing ideas.

1. Lively Images

Brochure printing with lively and eye-catching photographs creates great impact.  Be sure to use high-quality photos and images produced by a professional.  A professional photographer can capture your product in the best light and angle.  You might also try incorporating professional stock images easily found on the internet for your brochure printing.

2. Creative Copy

Brochure printing with great images can create a solid impact, but words are what sell people.  Before your brochure goes to the printer, make sure you have quality copy.  Great copy should be succinct, informative, and persuasive.  In addition, be sure to put plenty of white space in a brochure.  A brochure with too many words is distracting to most readers who have little attention or time to read a brochure the size of a novella.  Use professional writers to develop your brochure copy.  The words you use on your brochure printing can be the difference between a glance and a sell.

3. Font Size and Shape

Words make the sell in brochure printing, but they do no good if the reader cannot read them.  Your fonts should be readable and in the style of your business and brochure.  Standard serif fonts are preferred for conservative businesses.  Artsy type companies could use a creative cursive font.  Make sure your headings and subheadings are different size as well.  Headings should be catchy, but not overbearing.  Try different colors for headings to make an even bigger brochure printing impact.

4. Irregular Size and Shape

Who says your brochure printing job has to be standard size?  Some of the best brochures with the most eye-catching impact are of irregular shape.  How about a brochure booklet?  Some businesses commission a brochure printing in booklet size, such as a small photo album.  The booklet is catching, high quality, and represents the unique standards for the business.  Or how about a brochure printing on an 8 x 20 inch paper folded like an accordion?  Some of the best brochure printing is performed on customized paper.  If you can afford it, the extra cost it could add the “oomph” you need to get your brochure noticed.

Soft vs. Hard Sells: Which Strategy Really Works?

Your business depends a great deal on whether you and your salespeople can close a sale.  Customers often prefer working with or talking to live people when they make a purchase.  However, the method of selling to a customer can make or break a sale.  Do you make a high-pressure sales pitch?  Or let the customer feel in control?

Hard and soft sells have been debated for decades.  We’ve all been through the experience of a car lot with a salesperson making high-pressure, almost desperate sales pitches to get us in the car of our dreams “today.”  And anyone who has seen the play or film, Glengarry Glen Ross, remembers the line, “A-B-C: A-always, B-be, C-closing.”  But does selling require such hard approaches, or should we give customers a little more credit?  Here are some things to consider:

Customers Buy on Emotion

High pressure, or “hard” selling, has been a staple of selling for highly emotional items, such as cars, homes, and large investments such as stocks.  Consumers spend money with emotional factors.  A house is purchased if it is “perfect” or “beautiful.”  Cars are bought with the emotion of having luxury, speed, good mileage, or comfort.  However, the same holds true for simple things like food.  A particular entrée is purchased because the customer is “in the mood” for that dish.  If you are going to make a sale, you must appeal to customers’ emotions.

Build Trust

Consumers will spend money with people they trust.  Whether your sales people meet a customer off the street and try to get to know them, or if your customer visits your retail store many times a month, you must be able to acquire and keep their trust.  Get to know the customer and their needs.  Find out what drives them, and how they like to be sold.  You can easily determine whether a hard or soft sell is necessary.

Call To Action

Don’t forget the call to action.  If you’ve appealed to a customer’s emotional states and gained their trust, let them know the ball is in their proverbial court.  It never hurts to ask a customer whether they want to buy today.

Both hard and soft selling techniques can be used for your customers.  The important thing to remember is to know your target customer and what type of selling messages appeal to them.

Tailoring Your Marketing Materials to Your Target Client

When you market your business, there are a number of goals you are trying to accomplish: building name recognition, branding, acquiring more customers, and developing goodwill.  However, in order to be successful in these endeavors, you need to think about your customers before you prepare your marketing materials.

Know Your Client or Customer

Who is your client or customer?  Are they conservative, wealthy, and classy?  Or do you cater to people who are outgoing with a sense of humor?  Your customer will dictate the theme for your marketing materials.  You wouldn’t want to turn away the discerning customer with fluffy and cheesy brochures.  Rather, choose colors and wording that appeal to their sense of class and style.

Printed Literature

What do you want to say to your customers?  How do you sell your business to them?  As in the example above, your target customer will dictate the color, tone and theme of your literature.  The size of your printed marketing materials may be determined by your customer.  If you sell complicated services, a booklet may be a better choice than a one-page brochure.  Always make sure your printed marketing materials are tailored to your customer base.

Promotional Gifts

A great way to brand and promote your business name is by giving promotional gifts as marketing materials.  Pens, coffee cups, T-shirts, all these and other ideas make great promotional gifts.  However, consider to whom you give them.  A colorful rainbow pen may be great to promote a kids play arena, but not for a serious attorney.  The attorney may consider, however, giving an executive desk accessory to clients, or an environmental firm may design and give away eco-friendly items, such as recycled paper notepads or recycled plastic travel mugs.

Do Not Offend

When you design your marketing materials for your target customer, be sure to avoid anything that could offend them.  For instance, even 30 years ago, most businesses could get away with giving away matchbooks with their name and logo.  However, in the 21^st century, smoking has become quite taboo for a majority of Americans.  Be sure to think twice about marketing materials with controversial subjects.

Promotional and marketing materials are important for businesses to get name recognition and advertising.  However, don’t let your personal tastes and ideas get in the way of designing marketing materials targeted specifically for your customers.