Listen to your....

...members, customers, clients! In today's world we have so much data on each other its insane, but do we always use it to the best of our ability? NO. Next time you are planning an event or meeting ask your members/clients/attendees what they want to hear about. Collect that data and send it back to them so they can see how many people wanted to hear about a specific topic. Everyone wants their voice to be heard so take advantage of today's technology and LISTEN.

Some ways to listen to your attendees and get your attendees to talk:

• Use personalized URLs to collect data
• Use prepaid postcard with surveys
• Offer incentives for people who fill out your questionnaires
• Use QR codes with offers and make the landing page a survey for a chance to win

There are plenty of ways to get people to voice their opinion and most will do it all on their own if they feel strongly enough so the lesson today is to make sure you are listening when they speak!

Are you listening? How so? I'd love to hear. Shoot me a comment!

Have a good one!
Sarah

Feeding all of the Senses

Now I know I spend a lot of time talking about how great print is, and that's because I do think it is great, BUT online marketing has its place as well. I think the best possible marketing campaigns involve all of the mediums, print, online, interactive, etc. Its sort of like when you watch the food network (don't pretend you don't. I know you love it as much as I do!) and they talk about feeding the senses. Well think about eating a bowl of Rice Krispies(yes very gourmet!) Is it the same without the sound? what about the taste? and obviously you want to see what it looks like. Sure we could live without one of these things, but isn't it that much more fun to eat with your senses?

The same thing goes for marketing! If you aspire to reach all of the senses and reach out to your audience in many ways it makes for a more enjoyable experience. Especially in today's world where we "save" an e-mail for an event we want to go to find out the next week we missed it because the e-mail was out of sight out of mind. What if we had gotten an e-mail, a postcard and a reminder magnet? Chances are we would have remembered.

There is a fine line between reminding and being annoying so don't drown your audience, but be sure that your message is heard through the ongoing BUZZ by using a multitude of mediums!

Thoughts? Feelings? What do you think? Let me know!

Have a good one!
Sarah

Timing your Marketing

Timing is a main factor in getting your audiences attention. When you are on a road trip you pass how many billboards on the way but when you are hungry all of the sudden you are looking at them trying to figure out what to eat. Or maybe you just moved (as I recently did) and you are looking for furniture or a mattress or a kitchen table, all of the sudden that "junk" mail from the furniture store is looking pretty good! It's all about timing.

Below is a link to a great article from the What They Think e-mail last week that I finally got a chance to read and I'm glad I saved it!
Pulling The Trigger: http://whattheythink.com/articles/article.cfm?id=47402#

Along these same lines I have a great case study that I pass out to my clients and prospective clients that deals with a hospital and sending out direct mail to people who have just moved to the area so in the event that they need medical attention they are more likely to go to that hospital over another one they have never heard of. Genius!  E-mail me if you want a copy from PODI. sarahk@hbp.com

Friday Entertainment- Google Maps

OK this has nothing to do with printing or marketing, but a friend had this posted yesterday and it's just too darn funny not to share with the world. And well it's Friday so why not! Enjoy!

Enter in Google Maps:
Japan to China and check out step #43
Japan to California check out step #27

What other funny routes can you find? Just goes to show that Google is always on their toes. Thanks Google!

Happy Friday!
Sarah

DVD's and CD's make you open your mail!

It's a 2 for 1 Thursday. I really do love the Print in the Mix articles because they are short and sweet! I get the details I need and that interest me and I can then pass them along to you. This article is about the ability to get consumers to open your mail.

91% of all respondents who received a DVD/CD in the mail opened the mailer!

More facts in the article: http://printinthemix.cias.rit.edu/fastfacts/show/381 Holy Cow! Can you imagine having 91% of your mailers opened. Well apparently the trick is to put a DVD in the mailer! Obviously you need to make sure the DVD has pertinent information, but hey maybe you should try it! Let me know what you think! Do you open mail when it looks like there is a DVD inside?





Have a great one!
Sarah

Customer Barcode Scanning Up 700%

This is great news! I was introduced to this barcode technology back in 2007 when I was interning at PrintPack Inc. in Atlanta GA. We did a variety of packaging for just about every consumer item you could imagine. I still notice the PrintPack bug on packaging to this day! But before I get off topic let's get back to the barcodes. So if you have been following me you know that I love the "trackability" that a barcode gives the client. Well the verdict is out! There is a 700% increase in the number of people using barcodes. This information is from the article from Print in the Mix. See more stats below!

*An aggressive growth of scanning traffic – up over 700% in 2010 demonstrating consumer adoption of this emerging advertising device.
*Starting in July 2010, there were more scans in a single month than all of 2009 combined

Read this article and find out what percent of barcodes that are scanned are on books!!
http://printinthemix.cias.rit.edu/fastfacts/show/375

Let's Eat Out Menus Bridging the Gap with QR Codes!

Monica was recently featured in an article in her hometown of Fredericksburg, VA. She tells her story about how she started Let's Eat Out Menus and why it is such a success and at the end she talks about the future of her business. Her decision to start using QR codes will help bridge the gap between her print and online presence.

Monica's Article: http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/102010/10302010/585024?______array

Are you using QR codes yet? In what ways? If you are interested in learning more don't hestitate to contact me!

Have a good one!
Sarah

QR codes for Let's Eat Out Menus!

I met a great friend for life while I was at Clemson University and her name is Monica VanCleve. She started Let's Eat Out Menus (http://letseatoutmenu.com/) right out of college and is now growing her business in Texas with interest from several other people in other states across the US. Let's Eat Out Menus provides readers with full menus from local restaurants so readers can make informed decisions on where to eat! (Don't you wish you had thought of that!) http://epaperflip.com/aglaia/viewer.aspx?docid=399983f9b52647d5a8ca248912dbc045- ebook.

Long story short... she needed a way to track how many people view each page in her publication and provide the restaurant clients with up to date data that they can use to alter specials, marketing tactics and increase their business. I was talking with Monica last week and I told her about QR codes. She knew what they were, but then I talked with her about putting them on her restaurant pages. The codes could link to a mobile page personalized to each restaurant and then the viewer can choose to view the menu or specials. And then the kicker! Tracking all of the views so each restaurant can see how many people viewed their page, looked at the specials etc. Finally a way to measure responses. Isn't print grand!

More to come on this. We are in the pricing stage of this project, but Monica is very excited and is already marketing the tracking features. Great idea for any company looking to track the seemingly "untrackable"

Have a good one!!
Sarah

Cloud Computing- What the heck is it?

I've found myself searching the web and trying to find something worth while to post on here about Cloud Computing. I keep hearing about it, but I don't have a good grasp of what it is exactly , what it will do for me, and how to use it. So in this post I'm asking you to post any links you may have found helpful on this topic. I'm willing to check them all out... so let the copying and pasting fly!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Thanks!
Sarah

Chocolate or Vanilla? Online or Offline? Start thinking BOTH not OR

LOVE this article so I'm choosing to post it here in the hopes that you will enjoy it too. It reiterates the importance of multichannel marketing and you guessed it!- Print is not dead!!! I'm not sure why I enjoy the topics of print remaining king of the hill and young adults responding better to printed materials, but perhaps it's my rebellious nature or my need to jump off the wagon instead of on it. Either way it appears I'm not alone in my beliefs, so read on and enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

http://blogs.forbes.com/lisaarthur/2010/09/08/chocolate-vanilla-or-swirl-the-debate-between-online-and-offline-marketing/

Cone pic courtesy of Wikipedia.

StickyDrive

Any idea what I'm talking about? No it's not a flash drive that you spilled coffee on! I was recently introduced to Sticky Drives and I'm immediately thinking  how does this work? What does it do? How does it do that? And most importantly WHO is going to use this? Can I interest a customer in such a product? Will this be the new way to keep in touch with your members or clients? Lots of questions, but let's start off with the facts courtesy of stickydrive.com.

• StickyDrive is a customized, branded interface -- it allows you to advertise your company, products, brand, and proprietary information.
• StickyDrive is an ongoing medium for communication. You can remotely update and change the interface design, the video or other content seen inside the interface, and even change the documents that are loaded inside the drive.
• You can receive tracking reports that deliver data on the frequency and types of use, including # of times the drive is used, documents launched from the drive, website click-through activity, etc.
• Any content that is viewable on the Internet can be delivered through stickydrive. (Video, Slideshow, Flash presentation, animation, PowerPoint, etc.)
• The functions available through stickydrive (music player, photo viewers, etc.) make this a valuable tool for the end user. Their entire experience remains branded, even when the drive is used for personal activities.

Pretty cool concept right? I'm still trying to wrap my brain around how to market this type of product to my clients, and well figuring out pricing as well, because today most people for some reason want to know how much something will cost them. Weird isn't it, I guess they have something called a budget?? Just kidding! I get it people you see cool things, but it's only cool if you can actually afford it. Hopefully more to come on this front.

Could you see a use for stickydrives in your company??

Happy Friday Everyone!

Young Adults Prefer Offline Marketing

Courtesy of Print in the Mix: http://printinthemix.rit.edu/uploads/File/newsletters/PIM_Fall%202010.pdf  Proof of my theory!  :)

Like I've been saying for months now- I don't like reading online, I can't stand having to worry about electronic devices in my purse getting broken, and I enjoy being able to make notes with a PEN or PENCIL right on the page!!! Many poeple think that because younger generations understand and quickly adapt to new technology that we automatically switch to online everything. Well that's not the case and I challenge you to survey how many people on the subway, metro, bus or my favorite, the airplane, are under the age of 30 and using an iPad or Nook or some other e-reader. I bet you will find that most people using them are actually around 40-60. I bet most people under the age of 30 have a magazine, book or catalog in tow when traveling. Please post your comments below. I'm interested to hear your feedback!

Have a great day!

Will the Internet kill Magazines? Did instant coffee kill coffee?

FANTASTIC ad I found in the September 17/24, 2010 issue of Entertainment Weekly. Love this ad and so I have typed it out below. (Magazines- The Power of Print). Enjoy and Happy Friday!

 

"New technologies change many things. But not everything. You may surf, search, shop and blog online, but your still read magazines. And you're far from alone.

Readership has actually increased over the past five years. Even the 18-to-34 segment continues to grow. And typical young adults now read more issues per month that their parents. Rather than being displaced by "instant" media, it would seem the magazines are the ideal complement.

The explanation, while sometimes drowned out by the Internet drum beat, is fairly obvious. Magazines do what the Internet doesn't. Neither obsessed with immediacy nor trapped by the daily news cycle, magazines promote deeper connections. They create relationship. They engage us in ways distinct from digital media.

In fact, the immersive power of magazine even extends to the advertising. Magazines remain the number one medium for driving purchase consideration and intent. And that's essential in every product category.

Including coffee."

Print Vs. Digital

So what medium to you prefer to get bills, read the news, read books, get coupons etc? I know that I'm a paper girl. I can't stand reading on a computer screen and love being able to make notes and use post-its to record my ideas rigth on the page. So what are your feelings? See the link below to Print in the Mix that has some interesting data about this topic. PRINT RULES! Have a great day!

Fall 2010- http://printinthemix.rit.edu/pages/by_title?title=Newsletter+Archive

USPS- increase denied!

I'm keeping up with my promise of a post every morning! Today I'd like to start off the week with some great news that dropped last week. The USPS had proposed another rate hike from $.44 to $.46. Last week the Postal Regulatory Commission denied this request. Read more about the story here: http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/30/news/economy/postal_rate_announcement/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

For those of you in the DC metro area enjoying yet another rainy Monday, I hope this cheers you up a bit! I'd love to hear from you about how postal prices affect your marketing strategies in the comment section. Don't be bashful!

HBP and Balmar- Together as One!

If you are in the printing/marketing/advertising industry in the DC metro area, you know that competition is high and everyone is trying to stay on top of the ball when it comes to new technologies and services. HBP and our owner John Snyder have done a fantastic job keeping HBP ahead of the game. Offering not only print services, but also design, mailing, fulfillment, wide format printing, digital printing, online inventory systems with tracking and reminders, online ordering systems, personalized URL capabilities, data collection and reporting, website hosting and the list goes on ands on.

In a nut shell HBP is a 1-stop shop for any and all of your marketing needs!

Now to make things even better HBP and Balmar, another great printing company in the area havwe merged and together I feel that we will be one of the biggest difference makers in the DC area. If you haven't had the pleasure to work with us before, NOW is the time to inquire. With the merger we have access to even more equipment and man power to handle larger volumes and give clients faster turn arounds! More to come of this major change! There is just too much to post it all at one time. Have a great day!!

Nose to the Grind

Alright people, clearly I have fallen a bit off the wagon with posts. With sooo many online opportunites to communicate I find it hard to keep up with all of them. Who else is with me? Anyways, I'm making a point to try and either post or update everyday even if it's just an article or something cool going on in my life of sales (which by the way I just hit my 2 year mark in June, boy how time flies when you're having fun!)

Today I want to talk about QR codes. I am planning to use my blog as a landing page for a QR code that will be located on my business card. It's a great talking point along with being a fun tool to drive traffic to my site. Keep you eyes out for my new business card!! E-mail me if you would like to learn more about the codes and how they can help drive traffic to your business! (sarahk@hbp.com)

A little info about QR codes for you : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code

The iPad

So over looking the awful name, Apple has once again changed the way we think of technology. What do you think the iPad is going to do for everyday business? It's something none of us thought we would be thinking baout 10 years ago, but now it's time to adapt once again.

I recently had a conversation with my Sales Manager about the iPad and the threats and opportunites that are going to arise from it's birth. Obviously working for a print and marketing company we sqirm everytime we see a new technology that looks like it could take away another print run, but there is always a silver lining to every story. What about the opportunites. Yes I work for what started out as printer, but now we are a full service marketing company and we are exploring the idea of becoming some sort of liason to help your organization publish your previously printed projects on an iPad or Kindle.

From what we can tell, publishing and selling your files online is not going to as easy as posting your PDF to your website. Special programing languages must be used as well as designing the items in InDesign differently than you would for a print peice. So with the work week already way over 40 hrs a week who wants to deal with figuring out how to create iPad and Kindle friendly file then handle the logitstics of following all the rules and regulations that I'm sure are going to apply to these files? We may be able to help you understand what you need to do and even help you convert your files and start selling your pieces and connecting with your members, or clients like you never have before. Stay tuned for more info!!!

Print Delivers

Are you stressed about budgets? Trying to figure out where to spend your money? Should I do go with social media, Internet blogging, personalized URLs, variable data e-mails with links and tracking?

WHAT ABOUT PRINT?

Print Delivers is an event celebrating and educating people about the power of print. Over the next few months Print Delivers Events are occurring in all of the major US cities. My company has been chosen to represent a marketing services provider in the mid-Atlantic area, and I am so excited. In the recent years everyone has been making the switch to digital, but now people are realizing they aren't getting the bang for their buck and their messages are getting lost in e-mail land. People are learning that:

• Print Build Customer Loyalty- 70% have renewed a relationship with a customer as a result of receiving direct mail Source: Print in the Mix; printinthemix.com
• Print Energized the Marketing Mix- Consumer receiving a printed catalog are 2x more likely to purchase online than those who don't receive a catalog Source: USPS
• Print Drives More Sales- 75% of consumers say they made a purchase as a result of direct mail Source: Print in the Mix; printinthemix.com
• Print is a Responsible Choice- 45.2 million tons of paper was recovered from recycling in 2007. That's 57% of all paper and paperboard products. Source: American Forest & Paper Association

Who's going to be there?

• Ben Cooper, Executive Director, Print Council
• Marc Johnson, Marketing Programs, Digital Printing Solutions- Americas, Eastman Kodak
• Ferko Goldinger, Advertising & Promotion Manager, Appleton Coated
• John W. Snyder, Owner/President, HBP, Inc.
• David Mastervich, Manager, Periodicals, Catalogs & Saturation Mail Mailing Services, United States Postal Service
• Jim Dunn, President, Heidelberg USA

Details...

• Friday, March 26th, 2010
• 10:30am-12:30pm
• Johns Hopkins University
  Montgomery County Campus
  9605 Medical Center Drive
  Rockville, MD 20850

Annnnnnd.......

Free Lunch! So sign-up today and reserve your spot. Hope to see you there!