How many times have you come into your office or store to find someone has shoved a business card or flyer awkwardly in the door? Usually the business is a service business, like an accountant, handyman or a hairdresser. Presentation is important, no matter what the aspect. A door hanger, printed with your services is a much better format for an every door communication. Not only will you be able to use all of the space on a door hanger, but your potential customers will know that you printed those specifically for that reason. 

Brochure printing quantities depend on the use of the brochure. A brochure is usually printed with a clear goal in mind. To have in the office for potential customers, to be handed out at conventions and expos, to be placed in racks or to be mailed, etc.

People love gifts. It leaves a smile on the face. So if you print your logo on a gift, even a small inexpensive gift, it will be taken positively. And that's what you want when people see you're logo. To associate it with positivity.
    It's not just that people love to get stuff for free, although they do. Promotional products deliver more impressions or frequency than other type of media, because promo items are kept for a longer period of time than other media like print or radio advertising. Print lasts for as long as it takes to get read and thrown away and radio spots only last as long as the commercial.
    According to a recent industry study, promotional items are kept for an average of 5.8 months. 87% of recipients could identify the advertiser associated with the item and
31% reported a high likelihood of doing business with the advertiser after receiving a promotional product. That's a great return. Money well spent.
    Remember though, it's like any other marketing, you need to understand that some products will be more effective than others. The promotional item needs to be relevant and useful.  The majority (81%) of promotional products were kept because they were considered useful. 90% of an audience reported currently owning or possessing a promotional product that they received in the last 24 months. That's a long duration for any advertising.
    Choosing something that corresponds with your business is also the best bet. A good example would be a measuring tape for a decorating company or a bottle opener for a beer company. The relevancy to the promo product will make the association with your company stronger.
    Writing instruments are the most-recalled advertising specialty items (54% of respondents recall owning them), followed by shirts, caps and bags.nAmong wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently with respondents indicating that they used their bags an average of 9 times per month.
    Although promotional products have a wonderful return, your not going to make millions of dollars on return with them. Definitely add promo items into the budget and tie into your campaign, but don't spend all of your ad dollars on freebies. It should accompany radio, print and online advertising.

This is a topic that has perplexed the printing industry for years. OMG 5,000 cards for $20! Thats crazy. It sure is. And in the printing industry you will get what you pay for. And if you pay crap prices you're going to get crap product. You may get 5,000 cards to hand out, but they are going to be of thin stock, have color irregularities throughout the run and probably have the printer's logo on it. Is that the impression you want to give about your company? Absolutely not! You want an impression of integrity.

When you hand your customer a piece of your company, you want that customer to know that your company is worth investing in. They desire confidence in your business. And handing them a crappy, flimsy card is no way to go about it. And today, printing has changed so much it is not necessary to do do that anymore. The price difference isn't that great between quality and quantity.

You can still get a professionally designed business card, full color for under $100.00. And that is a minimal business expense to promote confidence, wouldn't you agree?

That goes for more that just your business cards. That goes for brochures, presentation folders, everything you're going to put your name on. Give your customers confidence. Print your materials professionally and with the right designer.

I know I do not have a bunch of readers, but I would like to share the most amusing videos I have ever seen on a business card below. Please take a look, it is fabulous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBxeDN4tbk

Our current business card is to the left. It is printed on a silk laminated 14 pt stock with spot UV. You cannot see the contrast in the background and the shine here, but you can request a card to be sent to you by going to our contact page. I will be glad to send one out right away.

Presentation folders are a great way to make a first impression. They not only come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, but you can get them custom made to your specifications. Which makes it a wonderful way to show a little creativity. You can get very original with die cuts.

Die cuts are custom metal shapes designed for cutting paper (and other materials). Usually when you have a custom folder shape, they are made specifically for your project, so there is an additional charge. So custom folders are more expensive. But I say, make sure you get exactly what you want, even if you have to pay the additional expense. 

There are many types of materials to use. Thousands of beautiful papers. Now there are a variety of inks to choose from. Folders can be embossed, printed with metallics. The sky is the limit. It really depends on how you and your designer choose to use your budget.

The inside pages should reflect the design and materials on the outside. You want the entire package to be cohesive down to the business card.

Folders are usually pretty expensive so there are a few ways to get the most of your budget. Go with higher runs. Low runs will run you $1 or more a piece, but if you get into the 1000, 2500 or 5,000 quantity range, you can really bring that number down significantly. What you need to do is get the most out of your higher runs. Do not put dated artwork on them.Also no contact information, that is for your business card. You want to put the minimum amount of words on them so that there is less chance you will need a reprint any time soon. I would suggest a nice full color folder with just a logo. And make sure you get the business card slits. That way when numbers, website or anything else changes, you won't have to get your folders printed, just your business cards. And those are cheap.

QR Codes, also known as portals, are a tool that will change your business forever. Over 40% of adult mobile phone users have smart phones.  With all of the apps available, you can get a tremendous amount of information immediately. Information is literally at your fingertips.

Japan has used portal technology for years, but within the last few years, they have been popping up all over and I am starting to see them on marketing materials everywhere. And I will tell you why. Portals can direct interested customers to a URL, phone number or text. So they can take you to any information you can place on a web page, immediately call you or to a text. Social media pages, special offers and coupons, instructions, videos, and most importantly; your contact information are all at the click of a button. 

Portals are free to register, although there are several services that will gladly take your money to set them up. Portals are also completely trackable, so you know where your marketing dollars are best spent and where to save. You are able to create your code and log in to check your statistics and reporting, and the results post immediately.

It is much better to know the response of your advertising than it to be a guessing game. The portals can be tracked and reports can be downloaded in different formats, giving you lots of helpful information. Let's not forget, that if a person is interested enough to scan it, you already have their undivided attention to get your message across. So make it a good one.

Used as an electronic business card, they are invaluable. And electronic business cards have a 40% more response rate than a traditional paper card. That is because it is a lot easier to have the information electronically stored than to try to remember where you physically put someone's paper business card, hoping it didn't make it to the washing machine.

Designers have gotten quite creative with the portals and there have been gallery shows featuring portal design. The few I have here I threw together for the purpose of this article, but I encourage you to research other ideas. Some of them are amazing. If you have a design, please share it with us. I love to see what other people come up with.

       "Should I have a website?"  Absolutely!  Everyone with a business, no matter how small or large should invest in a website.  Websites can be simple and small, as long as they are easy to navigate and offer the information your customer's request, your customers and potential customers will visit.
     Websites are an infinite platform to fully explain your products or services. What information you cannot get into a 30 sec radio or t.v. spot, you can easily get on a web page. It is a great way to give the whole story of your business without a time constraint or having to pay for every second you are "up."  Websites have become the standard for business information. This allows your customers to know everything you are willing to share with them about your business. 
     The accessibility of a website mainly means convenience. It is easier to look up a business online than by flipping through thousands of pages to find the right contact information. And then, only getting a phone number. Now they have to call and ask all the questions you could have easily answered on your site.  But information is just one benefit.
    Websites also offer expansion to your existing business. If you are a small retail clothing store, you can also add your products to the site for sale. You can also announce your upcoming sales and fashions before they are actually in your store. There are many ways to gather the information of people visiting your site who have interest, providing you with a list of shoppers who are already interested in your products. You can them send out email blasts promoting your store.
     Many business owners are actual experts in their field or can at least help other people understand their specific field. A blog is a great way to not only beef up your content, but also offer helpful information to others that may be interested in learning more.
     Bloggers usually host advertising on their sites to generate additional income. There are many affiliate programs out there to take advantage of for this purpose. This is a great way to generate income if you have a steady customer base. Otherwise the advertisers are just taking up space. 
     For advertising there are several programs out there to take advantage of but it is best to place advertising of the same interests to your site. That way you are reemphasizing your products or services. All of the major search engines offer advertising programs and some even offer a free start up program of $25 to $75 to sign up. Most of the programs are very easy to manage and start up.

What should I have on my website?
 The information needed in a simple starter website is below:
1. Contact Information
2. Interactive map to your business location
3. Products and Services you offer and any other information associated with them
4. About the business, business owners, employees, etc.
5. Links to organizations or affiliations you may have

The more information the better, as long as it is useful information. Some of the other items that can be added for a more interesting site are rss feeds, slideshows and galleries, you tube videos, flash animations, audio player for music, contact forms, social networking, file uploads, etc. You have many options today for expanding your business. It is up to you to take advantage of them.


Feel free to email me with any questions you may have. [email protected]