Smart Business Promotion Strategies with Door Hangers

Are you a local service business or retail store?  One of the most effective types of business promotion is the door hanger.  These simply advertisements are distributed door-to-door in the hopes of attracting neighborhood customers to your store or office.

Door hanger printing is easy and relatively inexpensive as a promotional expense.  Typically, you might find door hangers used when a new business opens and wants to give an introductory price for items or services to local residents.  A new restaurant could use door hanger printing as a way to offer special deals on meals.

Whatever your promotional idea, door hanger printing requires an attractive design and professional printing to let potential customers know that you mean business.  Here are some tips to consider:

Border or Bleed?

Door hanger printing can be designed with simple text and images that exist within a border or simple white space around the edge of the hanger.  Bleed printing creates color images that appear all the way to the edge.  Depending on your budget and promotional needs, choose the best one that will work for you.  Bleed printing will be more expensive, but will give your door hanger a more zestful and professional appearance.  Border printing can work just fine as well and will save money on the final cost.

Big Headlines

For your door hanger printing to get noticed, use big headlines.  An attractive headline in bold font will get the reader the most important information quickly.  This is where you can say, “Free Dinner” or “Now Open.”  Get your reader’s attention quick and entice them to read on.

Keep it Simple

Remember, you want potential customers to read on past the headline.  Don’t fill a door hanger with too much copy.  Write simple copy with bullet points that provides a solution to problem or need, and gives a call to action.  Offer a coupon so they hold onto the door hanger.

Use the Flip Side

Don’t neglect the other side of a door hanger printing job.  The back of a door hanger can be used to include other important details, such as a map to your business location, diagrams, coupons, or a bold and highlighted call to action.  Don’t forget a teaser line on the front to encourage the holder to read the other side.

Door hanger printing is a great way to promote your business.  Get the design right and trust a professional printer to produce a stock of usable door hangers that will bring customers to you.

4 CD/DVD Sleeve Printing Tips

The 21^st century is the digital age.  It is common for businesses to use digital media for business promotion, and one of the most common tools is using a CD-ROM or even a DVD video.

CD-ROMs and DVDs are great for distributing press kit information.  They are the perfect medium for providing clients with information at a trade show; your potential customers will thank you for not having to carry heavy paper catalogs for eight hours!

Send a CD-ROM with your business software to customers.  Make a demonstration video and distribute on DVD media.  Perhaps you have important business documents you want to send as PDF files on CD-ROM.  CD or DVD sleeve printing will be necessary for all these purposes.

If your business uses this type of media, or if you are thinking about including CDs or DVDs in your promotional arsenal, you need to have a professional CD or DVD sleeve printing completed for that expert look and to stand out from competition.

Here are some important factors to remember about CD or DVD sleeve printing.

Choose the Right Cardstock

The type of paper used in your CD or DVD sleeve printing is important in protecting your business appearance.  You certainly don’t want to appear as an amateur or one who skimps on cost with a CD sleeve printing on regular paper.  Be sure you have a professional printer perform the job and choose the right cardstock.  Typically, CD or DVD sleeve printing includes a quality, 12pt to 15pt cover stock.

Opt for Glossy or Matte

Your CD or DVD sleeve printing can have a glossy or matte coating.  Most printing companies will have these options and offer a coating for free with certain orders.  A glossy coating will help your CD sleeve printing job look more brilliant and professional.  Matte coatings will also give that professional appearance and a more subdued look to your sleeve printing design.

Consider Design Templates

CD and DVD sleep printing is used so often that a variety of templates are available.  You can simply perform a search online and find a template for CD sleeves.  Include your own text and even your own images.  There are plenty of quality templates that can help give your CD sleeve printing job a professional look and feel.

Prepare for CMYK Printing

If you create your own design, be sure your CD or DVD sleeve printing design is prepared for CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK) printing.  Many times, businesses make a great design using RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) software, but don’t know how to convert the image file for the printing.  Check your software and be sure you are able to provide your printer with a quality CMYK file.

How to Use Bookmarks for Effective Business Promotion

In any company’s promotional printing arsenal, bookmarks are a great way to keep your business name in the minds of current and potential customers.  Bookmark printing is easy and inexpensive – yet quite useful for a customer.

Bookmark printing jobs can be used for multiple promotional endeavors.  Drop one in the bag with every customer purchase.  Hand them out at conventions.  Include one in every sales letter mailing.  Promote holiday sales, or include as a gift with every customer purchase during the holiday seasons.

Bookmark printing is a cost-effective way to get your business name to a large audience and improve branding.  The ROI is usually very positive when you consider the goodwill customers receive.

Here are a few important things to consider when designing a bookmark printing order:

Card Stock

Make sure your bookmark printing order has sufficient and quality cardstock.  At least a 14pt premium cardstock should be used.  If you want your bookmark to be sturdy and have a professional look, choose a premium card stock.

Glossy, Matte, or Laminate?

Depending on your needs or how you want your bookmark to look, you can choose a glossy UV or smooth matte coating.  Another option is simply to laminate the bookmark, which requires additional steps and costs, but will last much longer.

Black & White or Color?

If you are using bookmark printing as a promotional device, you should consider full color.  Color adds brilliance and charm to a bookmark.  Use a well-designed graphic or photo.

Bleeds

Simple bookmark printing can be designed with a simple border. However, if you want to add an additional impact, consider bleed printing.  Bleeding means the color and images are printed to the edge of the bookmark.  This may be a little more expensive because more paper is used to get the bleed effect, but the cost can be worth it if you want to impress customers.

Double Sided

Why print on only one side?  Use both sides of a bookmark printing to elaborate on your business, make a call to action, inform of upcoming events, or include a coupon or a simple inspiring message.

Tassels

Add a tassel for a great bookmark characteristic.  Bookmark printing jobs can include a hole punch at the top for the ribbon or string of your choice.  While tassels cost more, if you want your bookmarks to stand out, it’s worth the cost.

3 Effective Booklet Printing Tips

Larger than a brochure and flyer, yet smaller than a catalog, booklets are an ideal solution when you might need an employee handbook, sales piece, event program, or even a short investor report.

However, booklets can come in many designs and can be fraught with mistakes along the way.  Here are a few important things to consider when you design your booklet printing.

Booklet Printing Binding

The binding of a booklet can be in many forms.

• 3-ring - This type of notebook binding is popular because it allows the maker to remove or add pages when necessary.

• Saddle stitching – Saddle stitching is very durable and used for booklets that should last and have a professional feel.  However, pages cannot lay flat with this type of binding.

• Staple – One of the most popular bindings for business booklet printing, staple binding booklets are designed with an even number of pages.  They are then stapled in the center and folded.

• Spiral – Also called coil binding, spiral binding should not be used for booklet printing jobs that need to last.  Pages tend to tear and binding can have a tendency to uncoil.

• Thermal – Also known as “perfect” binding, this form uses heated glue to attach pages together, along with a cover spine.  This option is usually more expensive, but comes with the feel of a paperback book or magazine.

To Color or Not to Color?

Color adds a certain professional look to a booklet printing job.  Particularly if you are making a booklet printing for customers or investors, color should be considered in the design.  For instance, if you are making a sales booklet printing order, yet include only black and white photos and graphics, a potential customer may not be as impressed as a showcase of crisp, clear, color photos.

A black and white booklet printing, or 2-tone booklet printing, may be more appropriate for an internal purpose, such as an employee handbook or training manual.  Consider the cost of color vs. black and white depending on the function of the booklet printing.

Consider the Order Number

Many businesses have a tendency to order too few booklets.  Sometimes the reason is the cost of the booklet printing or simply an underestimation of the number needed.  Before making any booklet printing order, make sure you have the right number to prevent expensive re-prints or simply be left out cold.

How To Catch Your Customers’ Eye With Postcards

Catching the eye of the reader is one of the keys to the success of a postcard mailing.  If your postcard printing doesn’t produce an eye-catching image, then it is most likely on its way to the recycle bin.  If you want your promotional postcard printing effort to make a difference in your bottom line, then follow these helpful tips to get customers to take a second look.

Use Stock Photos

Postcard printing doesn’t allow much room for using images.  With the right photograph, you can get customers to look closer at your postcard.  However, commissioning a photo shoot, complete with a photographer, model, makeup artist, and art director is cost-prohibitive for many companies.  Thankfully, stock photographs can be a great addition to your postcard printing.

Stock photography for your postcard printing job can be found easily through the internet.  There are databases of free stock photography in which you can browse and download high resolution images.  If you want to find something more specific, look through a pay-per-image stock photo database.  Either way, you are sure to find a professionally created image that can help your postcard printing effort look its best.

Use Original Photos

Of course, if your budget allows, you could also use custom and unique photographs for your postcard printing.  Hire a photographer who has a well-lit studio.  Models hired through an agency will add an extra sparkle as well.  If you want to focus on a product, make sure your photographer captures the image using creative lights and setting.  Photos that are brilliant and colorful are the right choice for a postcard printing and marketing effort.

Use Custom Graphics and Illustrations

You don’t have to always say it with photos.  A graphic designer can create stunning images with computer graphics, or even hand drawings scanned into digital form.  Graphic images have more freedom to be creative with colors, point of view, and can even add important details or highlights.

Say It with Font

To catch the eye of the postcard beholder, you don’t always need to use images.  Your successful postcard printing could utilize the creative use of fonts.  Use large fonts, round fonts, puffy fonts, or curvy fonts.  With little precious space, the use of fonts does need to be minimized and readable.  However, when you use catchy headings with stylized fonts, your audience will want to know more.

Postcard printing efforts are one of the most cost-effective marketing tools a business can use for promotion and special deals.  If you want to make your postcard printing a success each time, spend some focus on the images you use.

4 Strategies for Creating Brochures that Sell

A great brochure is one of the most versatile marketing tools available, winning old and new customers alike.  A printed brochure can be used for direct mail marketing, given to inquiring customers, handed out at events, and even posted on bulletin boards.  If you want to reach your customers effectively with brochures, then read on to find out how you can make your brochures stand out.

Print Photos and Images

Your brochure printing job should contain clear, colorful images that promote your product or service without being distracting.  Photos should be produced by a professional and have the following qualities:

• Lighting – Images should be well lit from all angles and sides.
• Close on subject – Stay away from wide shots.  Use close-up images that show detail.
• Crop – Photos and images should be cropped and sized for the best effect and use of space.

Use Clear, Brief Descriptions

Brochure printing generally uses only 2 sides of a standard 8-1/2′ x 11″ paper.  If you have a lot to say about your business (and what business owner doesn’t?), you need to carve your copy and use brief descriptions that offer clear word pictures.  A brochure is not the place to write novel-length product descriptions.  Save that for a catalog printing.  Use the brochure to get a customer’s attention and call for more information.

Utilize Lists

A brochure’s real estate is limited.  Part of a great brochure printing design is the use of white space, or blank space, behind and beside text.  That is why lists make a great pairing with brochures.  Use bullet lists, numbered lists, or any type of list that provide easy-to-read benefits to your potential customers.

Highlight with Font

The use of font in a brochure is vital.  Font style should match your business.  For instance, a financial services business would not use a script font, but a jewelry designer might.  Font size is also important.  Use large font for headings and subheadings.  Grab the reader’s attention with catchy headings.  Utilize bold and italics for emphasis on lists or other important details in your brochure copy.

Good brochure printing choices can turn an unmemorable brochure into a customer catching marketing masterpiece.  Take some time to develop your brochure.  Better yet, hire a professional copywriter and graphic designer who know how to use these techniques to create a winning brochure.

How to Make Your Newsletter Valuable

An important marketing document is the newsletter.  Newsletters can be a great way to stay in touch with your customers, keeping your company at the forefront of their minds.

If you want to send out a newsletter to your customers, here are some valuable tips to help you achieve the most out of your newsletter printing.

• A short message from the leader – A brief introduction from the CEO, president or owner of your business keeps them in touch with your customer base.  If customers feel that the business leader is approachable, it is likely they will come back.

• Know the difference between providing information and writing a story – People want to read stories.  A newsletter that contains a lot of product information and descriptions is not likely to be read in its entirety.  Format your newsletter articles with stories that have an angle on a product or creatively describes how a particular service benefits other customers.  An article reveals the secrets of a product – not just its two-dimensional description.

• Include customer testimonials – In each newsletter, you should highlight a customer who is willing to provide a stellar testimonial.  Include photos if possible.  A positive testimonial in a newsletter gives your customers the idea that you provide a valuable service or product and they can benefit just the same.

• Hire professional writers and editors – A newsletter that is poorly written and edited does not gather a lot of attention from customers.  You can add that extra edge to your newsletter by hiring a professional writer, or even various contributing freelancers, as well as an editor, who are able to pen fantastic, clean copy free of errors and keeps the reader’s attention.

• Use graphics – A newsletter full of words looks like a daunting task to readers.  Don’t just fill your newsletter with words and headlines, but add photos and graphics that help emphasis your message.  Try to avoid using cheesy clipart images that are simply cute but have no meaning to an article, and avoid too many graphics that detract from the message.  At least one graphic per page is a good standard.

Your newsletter can be an important communication tool with your current and past customers and clients.  However, don’t produce a newsletter for the sake of a newsletter; make your newsletter printing shine and promote your company in the best light.