ONLINE PRINTING - PRICE vs. VALUE

Do you want to save money on business printing? It's a dumb question, I know, but, many businesses don't know they can buy wholesale color printing online, so they rely on the big store franchises, the local printer down the street or the guy that designed their job and are paying way too much for their printed advertising, sales and marketing color printing.
Buying wholesale high quality full color printing online is fast, easy and safe as long as you select a reputable printer, and most are. The web is the most competitive place for anybody buying any thing. Online color printing services are falling over each other to give their best deals in order to win new customers and keep the old. It's a buyers market, but you have to be careful and do a bit of research to get the best value. Remember best value may cost a bit higher than the lowest price.

For example, let's look at one of the most popular keyword searches for printing- "color printing" and let's look for 1,000 8.5 X 11 tri-fold brochures. Let's pick the first site under organic searches. Their price for 1,000 tri-fold brochures printed color on both sides on 100 Lb. gloss text is $ 202.13. Aqueous coating is not available and shipping to a local zip code is $ 12.15. Total price is $ 214.28.

The second online printing company (with low prices in their name) has a base price for the same product of $296 with a paper upgrade of $10. 40 and an additional up charge of $ 29.00 for aqueous coating. Their cost for shipping is an additional $20.50 making the total price $ 355.90 for the same product.

The third site listed (which is one of the largest online printers in the world) states the price for 1,000 8.5 X 11 tri-fold brochures on 100 Lb. gloss coated text with aqueous coating as $ 254.99. It includes free shipping but you have to wait 21 days for delivery to get that price. To be competitive with the other sites if you want 3 business days, it is an additional $ 20.00. Total price for this printer is $ 274.99.

The fourth site (also a very popular site) sells 1,000 8.5 X 11 tri-fold brochures on 100 Lb. gloss coated text with aqueous coating included has a price of $203.53. It has a turn-around time of 2 - 4 days and charges 14.53 for shipping to a local zip code. Their total price is $ 217.88.
Although Printer Number 1 has the lowest price for 1000 tri-fold brochures, it is not as good a deal because it does not offer aqueous coating. Printer number 4 has the best value since they include aqueous coating in their price and they are only $3.60 higher than Printer Number 1.

You may ask what's the value of aqueous coating. Do I really need a printer who has it? Aqueous coating towers are available on newer and more expensive presses. Aqueous coating seals the ink making it more scratch and scuff resistant. It also adds a nice luster, which enhances color and makes the sheet brighter. This feature will definitely add value to your job. You may want to also see if any of the other online printers offer other options such as high gloss UV coating for your brochure. Additional offers giving you more choices of paper and finishes on most of their products will also show you that other value added services are available. Eye candy WOW Factor Effects can make a big difference in your ability to customize your sheets and cards to insure that you separate yourself from your competition and stand out.

The sites I choose were all from in a same day search. Sites, positions and prices are always changing. This article is for understanding how important value is to price. It is not to show you the pricing for trifold brochures. These prices will change. But knowing what to look for will stay the same.

It's easy to a find wholesale color printing service online but you have to spend a little time to compare apples to apples. The differences in order to find the best value printing service are designed to be confusing so companies with higher prices can compete. If you choose the cheapest price, you may lose value in the end. Marketing professionals with big custom printing budgets uses wholesale color printing services. Small and medium sized business can level the playing field with the highest quality wholesale color printing. Order online from http://www.colorprintingpros.com.

Now is the time to take the challenge, which could put your business on a new road to success. It costs nothing more than a few minutes to see how affordable and easy using a personal wholesale online color printing service is. Make your business stand out as a leader in your field. Go to the value leader online printing service http://www.colorprintingpros.com and see all the useful WOW Factor Effects to customized your printed advertising, sales and marketing tools that are available to help separate yourself from your competition and make your business stand out as a leader and grow your brand.

HOW TO FIND THE BEST ONLINE FULL COLOR PRINTING SERVICE

You can save quite a lot of money buying your companies advertising, sales and marketing literature online. By combining your job with other common jobs and sharing the cost of a gang run you only pay for the amount of real estate on the press you use. This benefits you but be sure you are getting quality as well as price.

There are over 3 million printer sites on the internet. They are all fighting for your business. Some are excellent and some are scams and thieves. Most are average and will get the job done. Even if you narrow down your search and google on one of the most popular search terms “cheap business cards”, you will find over 700,000 responses. Finding the best one for your need can be a challenge.

When you have an important deadline for a trade show or need to send out cards or flyers for a direct marketing campaign, your reputation is at stake. Here are some tips that may help you become a hero by getting the biggest bang for your buck- quality as well as price.

Of course, every search term has the pay per click ads at the top and along the side of the page. The companies with the top positions in the paid areas are not always the best deal. Positioning on these pages are determined by auction. The company that pays the most gets the best spots. These positions have nothing to do with quality or service. They merely represent the companies with the biggest budgets for that spot at that time of day, week or month. Every few minutes or hours they move around and change positions until their daily budgets run out.

Most experienced search engine users prefer using the organic listed sites directly below the sponsored area. To get and maintain good organic positioning, these companies have to work really hard over a long period of time and that’s a plus but it’s no guarantee that they are the best value. You need to also be aware that some of these companies are the same site under multiple names. When you click on these sites, they all look and work the same and their pricing is the same too. The only change is their name and logo on the top. You may think you made a better choice by choosing one over the other and that’s their strategy. They are just clones trying to keep the individual quality cheaper printer from getting discovered.

Most of us are suckers for the lowest prince. But the lowest price is often not the best value. For example, when you order the house wine in most restaurants it’s generally the cheapest. The truth is the restaurant makes the most profit from the house wine. For some people who are looking only for the cheapest price and don’t care about quality and value, this is just fine. They got what they paid for. Would you order it if you were entertaining an important client you wanted to impress? Probably not. Be sure to look for that commercial printer who offers quality, service and price.

For free samples and more information about quality full color printing, go to Color Printing Pros: http://www.colorprintingpros.com or call 800.598.1841 or 818.735.0385.

COLOR PRINTING PROS saves you money, and offers CHEAP TRADE PRICES while still offering SERVICE and QUALITY. You supply the files and we will do the rest.

PRINT CHEAP FLYERS TO GET HIGH RETURNS

Millions of businesses receive high ROI using cheap flyers. Why? Flyers attract attention. Some of the things businesses do with printed color flyers include advertise new promotions, introduce new products and services, offer specials and discounts, and make announcements.

Flyer printing has been used as a powerful marketing tool since the invention of the printing press. High quality low-tech flyers find and passively convert customers when they weren’t even thinking about your products and services. Flyers activate both tactile and visual senses. They can be held in your hands and be saved so buyers can learn the benefits of your products or services. Flyers explain how the lives of the reader will be better when they buy what your offering.  Online marketing can only be read on a computer.

The big difference between offline and online marketing is printing color flyers are passive so they can sell products and services the buyer didn’t know they needed. Customers can be motivated with the benefits of your offer and your promotion will be kept for future viewing. When you send out a flyer your customers will not see your competitors and comparison offers.

When buyers search online, unless you’re on the first page of your target market you probably won’t be found. One thing is for sure, your competitors will be found.  I’m not saying you don’t need a presence online. What I am saying is, that they both work in different ways and have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Savvy marketing strategists use both print and online services to maximize their customer base to find new business. Printed flyers are cheap, fast and easily targeted to the buys. Online marketing is expensive with slow results and it’s very difficult to get and stay on the first page in every competitive market sector.

Color Printing Pros flyer templates are free and available in many sizes, all the folds are indicated for easy and fast layouts and designs.

ATTRACT ATTENTION WITH POSTCARD PRINTING

Postcard promotions fill mailboxes every day and a majority of households don’t read them and instead put them directly into the trash. The average 1 to 3% conversion rate can be greatly improved by adding a secret sauce.  To improve your odds, you need Wow Factor that captures eyes like a magnet. Color Printing Pros supplies Wowfactor options.

 

The reason most postcards go unnoticed is they are not interesting and don’t grab the eye. It takes just a millisecond to either lose attention or capture it. The secret to attracting instant attention is to capture the eye with something unique, unexpected and interesting so that the offer is seen.

To grab attention, you should use an eye candy wow factor that grabs attention. By using this secret, you can turn a simple cheap postcard into an affordable, powerful mailbox billboard that attracts immediate attention. Using any one of the following high tech printing effects will increase attention.   

Spot UV Coated Postcards
Spot UV coating is a high gloss laminate coating that can be placed on selected areas of a postcard. It can be used to highlight photos, illustrations, copy or backgrounds. Spot UV coating adds a modern distinguished elegance that is sure to stand out and be noticed.
By placing spot UV selectively on a solid color background you can print copy, patterns and textures. It works best with darker backgrounds because you will get a high/low contrast finish the eye can’t resist.
 

Silk Laminated Postcards

Silk laminated postcard offers a smooth silky feels that implies expensive, elegance and luxury. Silk laminated cards are very affordable. They are printed on heavy 16 pt card stock that is water and tear resistant and make a very professional strong statement of quality. The immediate reaction to a postcard is the feel. This is very important because feel is the first sense that decides quality and a positive or negative impression. If your postcard is unique and different, it will create immediate curiosity, which is the first step that takes the targeted receiver to the next step and and forces the important second look. Spot UV coating can be applied to silk laminated cards for an extra sensory pop.

Gold or Silver Foil Postcards

Gold and silver are precious metals that have been strongly desired before recorded history. They are recognized as the standard for the highest quality. Some online printing services offer a high tech process that’s less expensive than the traditional hot foil stamping process, which requires expensive stamping dies and a hot foil-stamping machine. The new cold foil process prints on silk laminated card stock. Printed foil postcards are very elegant and will create a lot of buzz. Foil is actually printed on the card inline with or without the standard CYMK color process. Costly dies and specialized hot foil machines are not needed.  The power of bright gold or silver foil printed on a postcard is irresistible and very impressive.

EveryColor Foil Postcards

EveryColor foil postcards are a designers dream. This new inexpensive process can make every CMYK color in foil. You can even make gradations and color blends never available before. It’s very simple to make as many colors as you want into foil using an easy-to-make foil mask that is a second layer under the areas you select to be foiled. Foil can be used as spot color on both sides of the card. EveryColor Wow Factor effect is spectacular and will hold attention for a long time. By using this effect, you will extend your brand awareness because these cards are kept and shown around as well as gets a lot of attention. It is so unique that it will be passed around and shown to others. These foil cards are a perfect solution to getting your promotion noticed and remembered. They are also effective as handout at trade shows, networking functions and any place people gather.

4D Lenticular Postcards

Lenticular postcards are the newest, most sophisticated extreme eye candy Wow Factor illusion you can use for a postcard campaign. Lenticular cards have 2 or 3 flips that animate your message and tell a story. Lenticular postcards always attract excitement because they are fun to play with. They make an unforgettable positive statement to reinforce your branding. They are the most powerful direct mail marketing strategy to build customer retention and branding. With a strong call to action, you will capture new buyers and attract repeat customers. Lenticular cards will attract more attention than any other postcard. 

The truth is, the first mailing of a postcard marketing campaign, probably will not produce the high return you may expect. Don’t waste your time and money unless you plan to use these strategies for at least 3 monthly mailings to the same people. The more you mail over a period of time, the stronger your branding, the higher the retention and the better your ROI.  Every Door Direct Mail Retail is a USPS cheap and effective direct mail marketing solution for targeting political campaigns, nonprofit organizations and businesses with affordable direct mail services. It's simple and easy to take advantage of this cheap direct mail service offered by your local post office. Every Door Direct Mail Retail is easily the best inexpensive marketing value for many small businesses, political campaigns and nonprofit organization.

BROCHURE PRINTING TIPS

Most businesses need cheap brochure printing to achieve their marketing objectives.   Color Printing Pros offers free tips on printing and designing a brochure at our Help Center.

Your brochure design determines the success of your promotion. 

Here are some design tips you should think about.

• Know your market and the competition before you design a unique brochure.

•  Don’t use more than 3 fonts, one for the heading, one for the subhead and one for the body copy. Make sure they are easily readable. Fine line serif fonts may not print well on busy or some come color backgrounds.

•  The paper stock should be at least 100 lb. book weight, 100 lb. cover weight or 14 pt. card stock. 16 pt. or heavier may crack when folded. For more information on choosing the right paper stock, read Choosing the Best Paper for Online Printing

• Avoid dark colored backgrounds on folds of heavier card stocks. They will call attention to any cracking.

•  Your design must be appropriate for the targeted market you want to reach. Ask yourself is the brochure for a handout at a trade show, to be mailed, used as a counter pickup or have some other use. Remember simple design works best.

•  Don’t try to impress the reader with fancy words or long detailed sentences.

Stay on point. Brochures should focus on the benefits to the customer. Explain how you product or service will make their life better. The reader doesn’t care about you or your company, Write as if you’re speaking with a friend.

 Remember brochures are a good way for professionals providing needed services to promote their businesses or practices.

BOOKMARKS - A GREAT WAY TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS

-->

Despite what techies may think, people still love reading paperback and hardcover books.  If you need proof, just walk into any bookstore or library, and you will find plenty of people looking for or enjoying a paperback or hardcover book. 

Since people still read paperback and hardcover books, they still need a way to keep track of how far they have read in a book.  And although it's by no means new or cutting-edge, a bookmark is still the most effective way to accomplish this task. 

When someone is reading a book, they are going to see their bookmark on a regular basis.  Each time they open and close their book, they will see the bookmark that they are using.  This regular exposure makes a bookmark a valuable marketing opportunity. 

Not only is a bookmark a valuable marketing opportunity, but it is also a cheap one.  While marketing with bookmarks can delver a lot of value for your business, it doesn't cost much to print them.  Therefore, even if your marketing budget is fairly tight, you can still take advantage of this opportunity.  In addition to being cheap, when you order from an online bookmark printing service, you will be able to choose the stock your bookmark is printed on, as well as its finish.  Best of all, placing an online bookmark printing order is easy, and you can rest assured that the bookmarks you receive will be very high quality. 

So, what's the best way to market your business with bookmarks?  Well, there are actually several effective ways that you can use bookmarks to market your business.  The first method for marketing with bookmarks is to use them as a giveaway.  You can give them to customers who visit your business, as well as potential customers you meet in person or target through a mailing.  To obtain the best results from this method, you will want to put an offer on your bookmark that will motivate people to come back to your business, or visit it for the first time.  Depending on your business, what you offer can be anything from a special discount to giving them something for free when they make a purchase from you. 

Another way to successfully market your business with bookmarks is to use them to spread awareness about your brand.  Because people will look at your bookmark on a regular basis, it can help you establish a strong brand identity.  For this method to work well, you will want to not only create a bookmark that conveys your brand, but also one that people really like, which will ensure that they continue to use it.  A great way to do this is by incorporating a WOW Factor into your bookmark's design. Using a Spot UV effect can add both a textural and visual experience unlike ordinary bookmarks. The idea behind a full color printed bookmark as a marketing tool is to attract positive attention and create interest in your message. Spot UV coating is an affordable technique that separates your promotion from your competition.

BOOKMARK MARKETING STRATEGIES - The Power of Bookmarks

Want more business? Need a very cheap promotion that really works?  A custom printed bookmark is an affordable strategy that produces very high ROI . Here’s why, Everybody appreciates a free gift that’s useful.  Printing and distributing bookmarks is a savvy way to gain market share. If you could reach everybody in your market area that reads books, do you think your sales would grow quickly?

Custom bookmarks with your message are frequently seen multiple times a day, a week and a month. Every book reader moves bookmarks from page to page. Each time they see your bookmark, your brand is strengthened and reinforced passively without sales stress.

The best part of bookmark marketing is you can print 10,000 extra heavy 16 pt. 2 X 8 with full color bookmarks on both sides with your choice of free high gloss UV or matte coating for less than $ 250.  That’s .025 cents each. You can make your own bookmark, hire a professional print designer or  have Color Printing Pros design it for you.

Many sizes and finishes are available. Choose from 2 top quality card stocks. Heavy 14 pt. is available as well as extra heavy 16 pt.  Both weights come with your choice of free UV or matte coating that protects the card from fingerprints, scuffing or scratching. Want to add something to catch attention, optional spot UV coating is available.  

Our custom bookmarks come in 7 different sizes- 1.5 X 7, 2 X 8, 3 X 4, 3.66 X 4.25, 8.5 X 2.75, 8.5 X 3 and 8.5 X 3.66. Pick the size that best fits you need.

About The Design

When designing your bookmark, you need to consider your bookmark as  being an asset to your customer.  To create a value bookmark, you must have an eye-catching photo, illustration or graphics.  If your company has its own colors scheme, use it. You may want to use an inspirational message to give the bookmark value. A poem, proverb, famous saying or funny cartoon gives it value.  You can use a small logo and /or your business name stating

"Compliments of  (insert your business name here)"

The back of the bookmark is the selling place. To give your bookmark more value, offer a coupon, discount or other deal. Your logo is important for branding. Don’t forget your name, address, phone number and website URL. QR codes are handy to add on your bookmark so customers can find you easily. It can be scanned to add to smart phones or to take customers directly to your website. Be sure to put a strong call to action on any marketing promotion.

Personal custom printed bookmarks starts a friendly relationship between you and your customers that your competitors won’t have.  Bookmarks can be a powerful promotion for organizations, charities, medical practices, retail stores, free promotional gifts, coupons, high traffic area handouts and more.

GET A HIGH ROI WITH CHEAP BOOKMARKS

Cheap bookmarks are an affordable promotion for small and local businesses that don’t have the resources to do expensive advertising and marketing campaigns. If your business isn’t growing because you don’t a budget or plan for a marketing promotions, you need to find a strategy that’s fast, cheap and effective. When sales are low and new or old customers aren’t buying your products or services, it’s probably because your brand isn’t in their mind so you are losing business that could have been yours. Buyers need to know what your company can do that will make their lives better and they have to remember your brand instead of your competitors.

A low cost solution to the problem is to create a powerful affordable marketing promotion campaign. One idea is to find an online wholesale custom bookmarks printing service. Everyone likes a free gift that can be used to promote your brand with a useful, soft sell bookmark. Full color bookmarks are so cheap you can give them away. They’ll work and be kept for a long lifetime because they’re useful. Bookmarks are very popular and every time anyone opens their favorite book, they see your name and contact information. When they need your product or service, your brand will be in their mind so they don’t have to look far to get your information. If they are searching online, they will find your competitors and your chances of making the sale are greatly diminished. Custom printed bookmarks with your logo, name, address, phone number and an inspirational or useful message will get attention. If you give them away as handouts, your distribution costs are $0.

If you’re creative and have a flair for design, you can design your own bookmarks but be sure to know the file requirements. The other option is to ask your printing service if they have a design department or you could hire a professional graphic designer that specializes in designing for printing. If your printing service can do it, you may what to work with them. The price may be lower and it will work like an insurance policy so you don’t get caught in the middle of a potential problem.

The message on your bookmark is important so here are 4 ideas.

    1.    Put a social message on one side and a marketing message on the other, for example, “Love is Reading with your Child” or “Shop Local” on one side and your promotion, “Pipe Pros Emergency Plumbing Service”, 24/7, Call 123-456 7890 on the other. Make an offer that can’t be refused. Add a code on the card so you can easily track the success of the campaign. What you put on the card is up to you, but make it powerful enough so it will have some value and will be saved.

    2.    Put emergency services and contact information on one side and your message on the other.

    3.    Print your local high school football and or basketball calendar on one side and your promotion on the other.

    4.    For take-outs and local restaurants include a few photos. Give a discount with a code so you can track the sale to the promotion.

The idea of any marketing promotion is to create sales and reinforce your brand. This is where graphic design is important. Your bookmark needs to be visually exiting. Color combinations, fonts, photos and illustrations have to capture the eye and hold attention to be effective.

When you consider the investment and risk compared to the good will and potential ROI, custom printed bookmarks are a very effective marketing strategy.

HOW TO DESIGN A TRI-FOLD BROCHURE

Tri-fold brochures printed in full color are a very powerful advertising, sales and marketing tool. A well-designed printed full color brochure is sure to get an excellent response and a high ROI. If you have a good sense of design and are comfortable using professional design software like Photoshop™, Illustrator™, InDesign™, Quark™ or other professional design software you may want to design your brochure yourself. Most people in business don't have the time or knowledge and hire a professional graphic designer that understands all the technical stuff involved designing a color printed brochure.

A word of caution, many small business owners think they don't have the money to hire a professional graphic designer. The idea of a printed color brochure is to attract more business. If the design, the text or both is not created correctly and there is technical printing issues you could be shooting yourself in the foot.

Keep in mind; no one knows your business better than you. A professional graphic designer is an insurance policy for the success of the job. Make sure you know what you want and keep control. Make the changes you deem necessary. If you spend some time doing your homework and thinking about your tri-fold brochure you should know what you want. Many design customers know what they don't want after they see it. By having a clear picture of the finished brochure you can save a lot of time, money and aggravation. Over the years I've seen this happen over and over again. It's not the printer's fault. Remember the old saying "garbage in, garbage out".

Before you even think about the design think about what you want to say. You know your product or service better than anyone else. A brochure contains more information than a flyer. The most common for a brochure size is an 8.5 X 11 tri-fold. No matter what kind of fold you choose if you take a piece of 8.5 X 11 paper and fold it into thirds you have 3 panels on each side, each panel is 3.366." Brochure templates online are free and it's a good idea to use one for your copy layout. You can design your tri-fold brochure using all 6 panels or use the backside of the brochure opened to 8.5 X 11.

The front panel of the brochure should feature a photo or illustration. The design should be compelling so your brochure will be opened. Keep the copy to your logo, headline, subhead, company name and 3 to 5 bullets listing your products or services, don't forget to make sure your phone number, address and URL are correct.

The inside panel behind the front panel of your tri-fold brochure should have a photo or 2 and tell the reader the name of the product or service. Your tri-fold brochure should explain all the features and describe what the product or service does to make the reader life better in a short few line of copy. Bullets should tell the customer exactly why they should buy your product and how it will improve their life, for example:
• Guards against cracks 

• Moisture resistant 

• Dries in 2 hours 

• Easy one-step application
 
• Protects your investments

The back middle panel and right side pane can be used with additional copy that may include more detailed information about additional benefits or specs of product and or service.

The next brochure panel is on the right. It folds inside to the left inside and can be used for anything you want to get attention. Keep in mind that this panel must be about.062 narrower than the other panels so when it folds in it doesn't touch the middle panel fold line. The brochure panel that forms the back cover side is the outside middle panel. Be sure to make a strong closing with a call to action and a small discount code or other free benefit that will increase your response. The great thing about using a code is that you can track the effectiveness of the brochure.

If all of this is not for you, contact an online printing company and ask if they have an in-house design service or can recommend a designer that knows how to design a tri-fold brochure. If the online printing company recommends a designer you can be sure they know how to set up files for print. If the online printing company can do the design for you let them do it so they become responsible for the quality of the printing. Even if it's more expensive consider you are buying an insurance policy to make sure the job is printed to the highest quality.

Marketing professionals with big custom printing budgets use full color printed tri-fold brochures to increase sales and brand awareness. Small and medium sized business can level the playing field with wholesale priced high quality cheap full color brochures you can order online.

Now is the time to take the challenge, which could put your business on a new road to success. It costs nothing more than a few minutes to see how affordable and easy using a personal online color printing service is. Make your business stand out as a leader in your field. Go to Color Printing Pros and see all the useful custom printed marketing tools to help you make your business grow.

POSTCARDS - A Cheap and Effective Marketing Tool

Postcards are one of the oldest direct marketing tools that are still effective today.

In our high tech digital world low tech postcards are still the best, fastest working direct marketing tools ever. If you don't believe me, check your mailbox. Don't think the companies that stuff your mailbox are stupid. If they didn't make big bucks, you wouldn't get all that mail from the same companies over and over again.

Postcards Get Noticed

A well-designed inexpensive postcard campaign with strong call to action copy will keep your company at the top of the mind of customs.

Postcards Are Cheap

Postcards when compared to other marketing tools are the cheapest to print than they ever have been. Online printing companies make it easy to find the best value cheap postcards without spending a lot of research time. As a matter of fact, full color postcards are cheaper than two color cards were just a few years ago, so you get more bang for your buck. You can buy 5,000 4.25 X 6 high quality full color postcards for under $160

Postcards Are Read By Almost Everyone

It's harder not to read an interesting postcard than to avoid reading it. An eye candy design and a compelling offer can catch your eye and it's difficult not to read it. Nothing else in your mailbox can capture that much attention except a large check from the government. Most junk letters never get opened unless they looks official. People don't have the time or care to read. Flyers can also have too much to read and they instantly get tossed. On the other hand, postcards are noticed and read because the message requires just a second to decide if you're interested or not. They don't have to be unfolded and they don't waste time with a lot of words.

Postcard Campaigns Return a High ROI

If you plan on sending only one postcard, you may be wasting your money if you are trying to determine the results.You don't have to have a huge mailing list to monitor your postcard stats. If you don't have a lot of money to test the direct mail marketing waters- and what small business does-, you can print wholesale inexpensive postcards in short runs of 100, 250, 500 or 1,000. The trick is to send them every 4-6 weeks to the same list. Each time with a different offer. It's not the quantity, but the frequency that keeps your brand in front of your customer.

Postcard Effectiveness Testing is Fast and Easy

Use short run postcards to try different ideas and see which ones have the best returns. Once you know what works slowly increase your mailings and keep on checking results. The best value for short run postcards is about $55 for 1,000. You can send as few as 100 cards at a time to spread your mailing cost. Just make sure you change lists.

Postcard Printing Tips:

1. When buying cheap postcards online, don't buy the cheapest deal you can find. Cheap looks cheap, feels cheap and can represent your company as cheap. Considering the size of a postcards, the paper stock should be the issue unless you are printing hundreds of thousands. The minimal card stock weight should be a heavy 14 Pt or extra heavy 16 Pt.- either UV or matte coated card stock.

2. If you're distributing the card through the mail, the address area should NOT be UV coated. UV coating is a liquid laminate that can't be overprinted with a personalization or address for mailing. There are two solutions for this issue. Order your cards with UV coating one side matte coating one side or pay a little more have your cards printed with spot UV coating so you can decide what is to be glossy. Spot UV coating is an eye candy wow factor effect that will catch attention so your card has a better chance of standing out and getting noticed.

3. Bigger is better when it come to postcards and diamonds. Postcards are available in many sizes. Small 4 X 6 and 4.25 X 6 postcards can be sent at lower postcard postal rates. You'll save money but lose impact. If you're going to do it, do it right.

4. Print "SAVE THIS CARD," you'll be surprised at how many will then save it. If you say it, they will be it.

5. Be sure to put a time limit on your offer. Add a tracking code so you can identify the mailing you sent out. The offer should be redeemable only with that code. Customers like to receive codes because they are identified as being special.

It doesn't matter if you have a small local pizza takeout or you're selling tours to Europe nationally, the key is to make sure you have a "can't refuse" offer and your card looks impressive. You don't have to spend much money to get a postcard campaign going. Plan to send six different postcards in 6 months and you will make money fast and easy once you get your program started. Remember it takes money to make money and cheap but high quality postcard campaigns will make you money and a high return on what you have spent.

WHERE TO FIND CHEAP BROCHURE PRINTING

Whether it is for a real estate listing, a trade show handout, a data sheet, or another application, brochures can be a great promotional tool. They can be very expensive or surprisingly affordable, depending on your needs and where you look. Two of the easiest ways to find good prices is to search online or to contact printing companies for quotes. There are so many competing printing companies- both offset and digital - that the job of finding a cheap brochure printing company couldn't be simpler.

Digital printers tend to be less expensive than offset printers, but some argue that their quality is not as high. It is best to investigate what the printer you are interested in offers and to see a sample before making a judgment. Digital printing is best when you need small quantities. They can keep the pricing down on these shorter runs. Some commercial printers offer both services, digital as well as offset.

If you have limited internal marketing services, you can still easily make a brochure that will be of high quality, appealing and cheap. The key elements are creating and implementing a clear design plan and doing all of your electronic file work in-house. This will avoid enlisting the extra services that some printers will charge you and will help keep the cost low.

Many brochure printing companies will prominently their no-frills prices to attract customers looking for bargains. The prices for brochures will usually include a few standard paper choices, full color and a standard fold. They may even offer free shipping as an incentive. Be sure to include all the features you want in shopping for the best price. Watch out for those extra charges for better paper grade, coatings or increased prepress costs. Make sure when you are pricing your brochure printing job that it includes full color. It is a buyers market and there is no reason to compromise on color.

Remember with a rapidly changing economy, it is not enough just to have a nice brochure. What is needed is a brochure that stands out from the rest and gets your company noticed. A brochure that a potential customer may keep even though they are not ready to buy. A brochure that shows you care about quality as much as they do. That means looking for the best prices but taking into account quality when looking at price. Paper weights and finishes are very important in your decision. Sales can be won or lost by the impression you make. Look for a printing company that may give you that “WoW factor”. Something different than the rest yet inexpensive. You don’t have to break the bank in order to achieve this goal.

If you can find a online printer that can help you achieve your goals of a great promotional brochure than you know that you have chosen wisely. So don’t settle for vanilla when you want and can get chocolate. Be sure in making your final decision, you take into account what you wish to achieve. Price is an important factor but the quality and service is equally important. Shop for value not the lowest price and your customers will do the same.


Visit us at http://www.colorprintingpros.com