Showing posts with label printing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label printing. Show all posts

Friday, April 11, 2014

PRINTED CAMPAIGN PRODUCTS THAT HELP GET OUT THE VOTE


It’s campaign season and candidates are getting ready for elections. Business cards, bumper shirts, t-shirts and postcards are necessary items to promote candidacy. Prospective congressmen, senators and other elected officials need name and face recognition and what better way than with printed promotional products.

Business cards with the candidate’s face, slogan and important information such as QR code to website or email and phone information to sign up are essential. But campaign finances must kept low so finding a high quality printer with cheap low prices are important. Price alone is not the only consideration. Candidates must also make sure that what is printed does not appear cheap and flimsy because this will reflect on them. Business cards printed on 14 or 16 PT stock will give the impression of quality that is passed on to the prospective official.

Postcards must be sent out on a regular basis in order to make sure name recognition grows. Postcards can be sent using EDDM. Political campaigns can customized their mailings regionally targeting their demographics at a small fraction of the traditional direct mail marketing costs. 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. You can target local area mailings for only $ .175 cents for each piece. EDDM Retail is a strategy that produces very high returns on a very small investment. It's simple and easy to take advantage of this cheap direct mail service offered by your local post office. You don't need bulk mail permits, mailing lists or address imprinting. You choose the zip codes, city or mile radius and quantity you want delivered. Your message will go to every residential address and business or just residential address in that zip codes, city or mile radius of your choice. Rules for everydoor direct are specific so be sure to check them out.

Bumper stickers are a cheap way to make sure your slogan and candidacy is remembered. They get fast and easy attention.  It is an affordable way to get your message out. Cheap to produce, bumper stickers are cost effective marketing and advertising. Besides bumper stickers, posters and yard signs help keep awareness.

Buttons and t-shirts are also important campaign products. Buttons are a must for any political ad campaign and are great giveaways. But buttons alone should not be used for low cost advertising, t-shirts are a vital election item too. Campaign workers wear custom t-shirts with pride and show their support of their candidate. It makes a great keepsake and can make a political statement that lasts.

Doorhangers, letterheads and envelopes add to the list of political printing.  Reaching people where they work and live, doorhangers are a great alternative to a direct mail piece. Let's not forget that custom printed stationery is also imperative. Custom printed letterheads and envelopes gives validation to campaigns and can carry requests for support.



Whether you are using cards, buttons, banners, bumper stickers and more, these political printed materials all work to increase awareness, gain recognition, or speak your mind. Campaign time is here and now is the time to get started.

Friday, March 14, 2014

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRINTED BROCHURES

Printed brochures are an ideal way for companies with large product lines to showcase their goods. If you are only presenting your line on your website, you are missing a large sales opportunity. Online brochures are proactive, meaning that potential customers must find you online (hopeful by a search engine). Chances are they will also find your competition. A strong advantage of a printed brochure is the fact that they are passive. You present your brochure to your customer base. They directly receive your full color brochure. You can target your market and they can view your product brochure without turning on a computer and connecting to a URL. Full color printed pages can be viewed more easily than a web page and they create a stronger impact. They can be easily shared with others and that can increase your distribution.


Many brochures are distributed at trade shows. The purpose of trade shows is to increase sales and attract new customers. Many companies with large product lines often introduce their new brochures at major trade shows. Frequent buyers look forward to seeing the new lines and products being offered in a new brochure. For many buyers, there is true anticipation and excitement in receiving a new brochure.


 Although trade shows can be an overwhelmingly busy experience to attendees, one way to give them a lasting memory of you and your company is to present them with the most attractive high quality sales and marketing literature you can. There are a number of online companies that can provide these services. Color Printing Pros is such a online printing company that can fit all your needs. With our state of the art technology and the availability of gang run printing, the costs of printing a brochure is actually cheaper today than printing the same brochure ten years ago. Our full color printing service with our FREE aqueous coating on top quality 100 Lb coated text paper is our standard.


 Color Printing Pros is there for you offering cheap trade prices without compromising service or quality. We pride ourselves on unsurpassed skill and professionalism. Communications between commercial printers and their clients is paramount in building a relationship. Therefore we are always available to discuss your project and when appropriate offer our expertise in suggesting possible alternatives that may save you time and money. We strongly believe it is better to build long term trust than to maximize profit on any job.  

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Selecting the Best Online Color Printing Service

Finding the best online color printer with the cheapest prices can be a challenge. When it comes to your business, only the very best in printed products will suffice. Your business card, catalog or flyer will often be the first glimpse that a prospective customer has of your company, and it has been proven time and time again that first impressions really do count. Therefore choosing the best online printing service to handle your important orders is vital.

A great way to get a feel for the company is to request a free sample of their products. A reputable, professional company will be more than happy to provide free samples of the products you need. It’s always worth ordering samples from a few different companies so that you can compare the quality of the color printing, as well as the general service and speed of delivery.

Online testimonials are a really fantastic way of getting an idea of the service and quality of product you would receive. A good company will usually have a page of testimonials submitted by previous customers for you to peruse. If you feel you would like a more impartial opinion, the internet is full of independent reviewing websites and some light searching should reveal all you need to know. Of course, it’s impossible to please all of the people all of the time, so make sure you read the reviews carefully. If a company has a majority of good reviews, you can be certain you will receive a good service.

When choosing a company to handle your full color printing requirements, it pays to find a company that really knows about their products. A good website will have an in-depth FAQ section to help decipher the jargon and make it easier to order. You should always feel free to contact the company if you have a specific question, or if you just want to talk to a human being about your color printing requirements. You need to use a company who will recognize that its success is entirely dependent on yours, and that take that responsibility seriously.

A good online ordering website will make it easy for you; there will be options ranging from the very basic upload-and-order, to full custom orders with which you can have full creative control over the product you will receive.

The company that fulfills all of these requirements and more is Color Printing Pros. Their combination of user-friendliness, professionalism, quality of work and genuine care for their customers make them the clear choice out of the many online printing services that are available. Be sure to check them out.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

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.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CMYK AND PANTONE COLORS?

     Commercial color printing uses 4 colors, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, also referred to as process colors. It is theoretically possible to make about 10,000,000 colors using screens with tiny dots of each of the 4 colors from 0 – 100%.  The more dots the better detail. For high quality printing the standard number of dots per inch (DPI) is 300, some offer 500 DPI. Process inks are opaque and transparent so the can produce the desired color using different percentages of each of the four colors.



     Pantone® is an international organization that established a matching color system, (PMS) using to describe each color. Pantone® colors have exact standards and formulas so the can be duplicated worldwide. This system is use by printers and designers in every field including paint, interior design, fabrics and where color is critical. Pantone® colors are made by ink manufactures for the print industry.  The ink is best described as “spot color”. Spot colors are colors that don’t require screens because these are applied as a solid color.  Spot colors cannot be created in CYMK or on your RGB computer screen. The only way to match them is using a Pantone® swatch book.

     Color gamut is the range of colors that can be made in CYMK and RGB and other color matching systems. CYMK has the smallest color gamut; RGB has a larger gamut and other color less popular color systems where combinations of colors are used can only simulate PMS.

     For very custom jobs only a few online printing services can combine process color and with PMS colors. This requires a printing press that can print 5, 6, 8 or more colors at the same time. These kinds of jobs are not inexpensive, but can achieve spectacular effects with brighter, richer colors and metallic or florescent inks. These additional PMS colors make a spectacular presentation the will not go unnoticed.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

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.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

ENDURACE WATERPROOF HIGH PERFORMANCE PAPER


Many businesses in harsh outdoor and indoor environments have a need for printing on waterproof, tear resistant paper. The solution is EndurAce paper.

EndurAce is a 10pt. smooth bright paper which prints brilliant colors that are durable, tear and crumple resistant and don’t fade in the sun.

Restaurants need a high performance paper for menus and table mats. EndurAce is less expensive compared to heavy laminated menus. It wipes water and grease off easily for reuse.
The menus can be used as a promotional free give-away, customers will keep them so your brand is in front of their eyes and minds.

 For outdoor marketing and branding EndurAce is the perfect choice.  They can be used for business cards, flyers, postcards and door hangers. Some of their popular leisure and sport uses are for marinas, boating, divers, fisherman, golf cards and hikers maps.

Trades that use EndurAce high performance paper for printing are: builders, contractors, architects, garden maintenance, construction and companies in the sports industry to name just a few.

Their ability to preform well in extreme conditions, low need for replacement and affordable cost make this an ideal choice for any business needing high performance paper.


To find out more about EndurAce, go to: Help Center/ Waterproof 

Monday, August 26, 2013

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.

Friday, July 19, 2013

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.



Thursday, July 11, 2013

BOOKMARKS - A GREAT WAY TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS

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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.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

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.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Learn Four Rackcard Marketing Tips For A High ROI

Rackcards are a high ROI marketing strategy. Tourists are always looking for places to go and spend money. Some tourist attractions, like the Grand Canyon attract everybody. Other attractions fit best with a specialized demographics, for example, bus trips that go to lots of points of interest in a short time, others are looking for golfing, hiking, horse back riding, zip lining and sky diving to name just a few.

Rackcard design is very critical to attracting your targeted market. On the front side you should have easy to read large bold eye catching copy and exciting photos of the location and the activities you offer. Below there should be a strong call to action that offers a special discount or a free desert at your restaurant or some other incentive to attract interest and show your friendliness.


 Rackcard printing tips. It’s not difficult to find an online printing service that offers rack cards. Looking for the best value rather than the cheapest price is a good idea. If the card is thin it feels cheap and it’s likely it won’t convert as many buyers as one with a heavier feel. The card weights for the biggest bang for your buck are heavy 14 PT or extra heavy 16 PT UV coated or matte / dull aqueous coated stock. When your card is first picked up the thing about these stocks is they are generally the same or less cost than as the thin stocks so look for the best value. Matte/dull card are elegant and a perfect choice for an upscale restaurant, hotel or a trendy shop. UV coating is best for excitement and fun. For an additional eye candy, WOW FACTOR EFFECT pop try adding spot UV coating to you your rack card. It costs less than you might think and it draws attention like a magnet. The standard size for rack cards is 4 X 9 so they fit in rack card racks.

Rackcard distribution should be affordable. Since most tourist attractions are local go online and find a distribution service in your area. To save money you or an employee can ask to put them in card racks at visitors bureaus, welcome centers, chambers of commerce, bulletin boards, hotel and motel lobbies, restaurants, other tourist destinations to help your neighbor and they will reciprocate.

Rackcards attract business and one of the most affordable marketing strategies to create more business you can do. Just one or two conversions could pay for the cost.

Monday, January 28, 2013

COLD FOIL VS HOT FOIL PRINTING

FOIL PRINTING

Foil has long been the standard to express the best in high quality printing
There are 2 ways to print using foil.

COLD FOIL PRINTING

Cold foil printing is a 21st century hi-tech WOW FACTOR EFFECT marketing tool that makes printing gold, silver and every combination of CMYK foil colors easy to create. You can even make color blends and gradations. The way it works is that on a selected area you want to foil an adhesive is printed on the card A foil laminate is then sealed on top of the glue using UV light to cure and dry it. This process is done on a offset printing press so you don’t need expensive custom made dies and traditional hot foil stamping. This revolutionary eye candy printing technique cost less and attracts as much attention as the old way. At this time we can only print cold foil on standard 2 X 3.5 business cards and 4 X 6 postcards. This is a designer’s and marketer’s dream because it’s not only possible, it’s also affordable for the average small business.

PROS:
Cold foil does not require a custom metal die.
Silver or Gold Foil printing as well as EveryColor Foil is printed in-line with the printing press.
It only requires a simple mask to indicate the foil area.
Registration is very accurate.
You can combine as many process colors as you want using EveryColor Foil.
You can make blends and gradations using EveryColor Foil.
You can add high gloss Spot UV coating as an option.
The process is fast.
The process is more affordable than traditional hot foil stamping.
Quick online quotes are available. Check out our cheap and affordable prices at https://www.colorprintingpros.com/foilbusinesscards.html

CONS:
Cold foil is not as bright as hot foil.
Colors are not as deep.
Dark colors are not recommended.




HOT FOIL STAMPING

Hot foil stamping, also know as foil blocking, became practical in the 1950’s when new formulas for colored foils became possible and they did not fade. The way it works is a custom metal die (usually a magnesium die) is made of the area you want foiled. A foil stamping machine is then used to heat the die and pressure is applied to a roll of foil onto the substrate you want stamped. If printing is needed for the project, it is printed on an offset printing press first and then transferred to a stamping machine.

PROS:
Foils are brighter and richer.
Holographic, Lenticular and Psychedelic colored foils are available.
You can use darker colors.
You can emboss or deboss foils.
You can emboss or deboss the substrate without foil.
You can make custom sizes with stamping.
You can use die cutting as an effect.

CONS:
Tight registration can be a problem.
Dies are expensive.
Stamping dies are usually outsourced. The more steps and people in a job, the greater chance of problems. Who is responsible when there is a problem may occur.
Different foils have different cost.
Size of the custom die affects cost.
It is more expensive than Cold foil.

Custom quotes required.
Color Printing Pros provides both cold foil and hot stamping services. If needed, our customer service experts are always available for free consultation to help you decide the method and practices needed to meet or exceed your expectations. 

Monday, April 4, 2011

HOW TO GET STRONG BRANDING FOR LITTLE MONEY

In today's business climate, creating a strong brand is the most effective investment you can make for your business. A recognized brand is the best way to make your business stand out from your competitors. By creating a brand that people trust, not only will you be able to claim attention, you will be able to capture it. If you're are able to hold people's attention, you have a customer base.


This means that instead of needing to get your customers, your customers will come to you. Branding is also a best way to cultivate customer loyalty. When you have loyal customers who recognize the quality of your product or serves, they will actually go out and sell for you by recommending your business to their friends, family and colleagues.

While a brand is more than a logo or a slogan, visual communication is a major component of establishing a strong brand. In general, people are visual creatures. To establish and convey your brand and its message, you need strong visuals that communicate the distinctiveness of your business.


It's probably not in your budget to plan for magazine, radio or tv marketing. Use your printed marketing collateral materials and packaging as an inexpensive opportunity to visually communicate your brand to potential and current customers. With printed advertising, sales and marketing literature, you are able to decide how you want your business to be remembered. While many businesses miss this opportunity by settling for marketing materials that are boring and unoriginal, savvy entrepreneurs can make their marketing materials stand out and grab attention using a strong visual WOW FACTOR effect, like plastic cards, silver metallic ink, colored metallic effects, gold or silver foil on silk laminated paper or spot UV coating.


When someone receives your printed marketing materials, they need to be drawn to reading your message, to accomplish this use your choice of eye candy printing effects to create a powerful attention getting visual. You have less than a second to seize the moment.


If you want to highlight a specific area of text, you can use spot UV coating. This works great to spotlight a special offer or discount or call to action. If you want an elegant look matte/dull finish is a good choice for your cards. This is an excellent choice for any business that is branding itself as a luxury option. You can also combine matte aqueous coating with high gloss spot UV coating for a very impressive presentation.


Because people will hold your printed marketing material as they look at its design and read what it says, their sense of touch also plays a role in how they perceive your brand. To stand out from other businesses use lheavy weight papers. Fourteen or sixteen point card stock is a great choice. by using a heavy papers, you will be perceive as a professional quality leader.


In addition to coatings and stock, when you order your marketing materials from an online printing company that offers these unique options, you will establish your business as different then your competitors. This may sound expensive until you acturally see how affordable it is even if you’re a start-up or small business you can level the playing field.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

WHEN EXCELLENCE IN PRINTING IS AVAILABLE, GOOD IS NOT ENOUGH

Nobody likes to rock the boat, but you can’t get to where you need to be by standing still. When buying printing for your company’s advertising, sales and marketing literature. there is a lot on the line.
You have to make the best impression possible while keeping the costs down. If you are a small company or a new startup, you have many printing ideas in your business plan with a budget that has to support it. You know your business depends on excellent marketing tools but cost plays an important part.

Your first step is in creating a marketing piece. Design is very important. You have to take into account how will your flyers, brochures, catalogs and postcards stand up against your competitors. If your designs are just like or similar to other companies in your trade group, you could be missing a great opportunity to separate yourself and get noticed as a trend setter. Powerful branding is a good stratergy to gain market share. Take the time and make sure your design is innovative and eyecatching.

Once you have your printed piece designed, it is time to get it printed. Worried about costs, you start seaching online for cheap printing prices. Pricing is important but value is what you should be looking for. Cheap pricing does not mean quality printing. What and how you are printing can change the course of your business. A poor quality printing job can do more damage than not having a printed piece to present to a prospective customer. Your printing job reflects on you and your business. Look for a printer that will exceed your expectations.

You should also consider creating printed literature that will set you apart from your competition. You can still have a unique design look with the highest quality printing at a cheap low price. Look for a printer who can offer you special services at a reasonable cost. New ideas drive the market so it may be time to look for a new designer that can provide a fresher look. To get noticed and remembered, you may want to consider adding an attention getting effect to your color printing. The WOW FACTOR and eye candy effects can be achieved by use of spot UV coating, matte / dull coating, a combination of both, metallic silver ink or colored metallic effects. Achieving these eye candy effects can be expensive and may require custom printing. But finding the right printer who can provide these services at a reasonable cost is not impossible. Your small local printer generally can’t manage these kind of jobs. Most online printers don’t do these printing techniques either. However there are a few full color commercial printers who can do this on gang runs, which will save you lots of money and still give you that custom one-of-a-kind look.

Take your time and look for that printer that can provide value, service and quality. Sure you need to look for the best price but when excellence is available, good is not enough. If your designer and printing service can’t provide these services then it may be time to find another. Remember your printed materials reflect on you and your business. If it is exceptional, potential business will think you are exceptional as well.

Be sure to visit us at http://www.colorprintingpros.com