Advertising for Industrial SMEs

Over some 30 years working in the industrial SME environment as marketing manager, sales manager, sales/marketing consultant, PR agent and Marketing Agency MD, there have been many lessons - some of which relate to advertising - all of them coming from a distinctly practical restricted budget perspective.

So what works? What is cost effective? How can industrial SMEs create a presence that big companies and competitors would envy?

In particular clients tend to focus on advertising and often do not understand how advertising differs from all the other many forms of promotion - there is a perception that "if I pay for it then it is advertising" - not so - and to understand the difference is to understand what advertising can do and what it cannot - plus how it can work with all the other forms of promotion to get you in front of your target audience.

So let's be clear - the advertising I shall be discussing here is what you pay for directly in media supplied by other publishers, e.g. space in journals, banners on websites, enhanced entries in directories, paid for entries in journal newsletters/newsflashes and the like. So, NOT PR/editorial (unless you pay the publisher to include it), not free entries in directories, not your own newsletters, not brochures.

Advertising then is what you put in space in someone else's publication, where you can say pretty much what you like - so long as it is legal, decent and honest etc.

Where then to start - well personally from experience I start from a PR program - this is probably the most cost effective promotion a company can do and lays the groundwork for so much else. With that covered then advertising can work hand in glove with your editorial profile so that you can use your advertising to support your P.R. - and use feedback from PR to inform your advertising choices.

Clearly publications that think your press releases are sufficiently interesting to their readers that they will publish them for free are publications worthy of consideration for your advertising spend. But before you spend your budget take a look at the responses you have received from this editorial to check that the people who see your material really are potential customers - and sufficient of them to justify the cost.

Now with a measure of understanding of your media candidates - focus placement carefully - a few packages supported with a contingency fund can be a very cost effective strategy.

By now you may well have started thinking what you would like to say and this is an important consideration - probably relating to your products, your company ethos and your customer needs - when you have considered this carefully I would suggest that you maintain a simple strong key phrase across all promotional activities e.g. "Total Widget Supply" or "Specialist Aerospace Widgets."

This is a good point at which to initiate creation of suitable adverts to suit the media and space dimensions that you expect to use. A good designer or advertising agency should be able to help with this - all I would say is keep it simple - keep it relevant, do not get carried away with costs but spend enough to look good.

Now you are getting to the "brass tacks" - how much do you plan to spend and how can you get best value? Well - do deals - advertising is one area where really good deals can be done.

Then let it be known you are a player - you will get very good offers.

Think about the sort of media you want to use then advertise online as widely as you can afford - become ubiquitous.

But do not neglect printed advertising which still has major part to play - simple ads with product/application picture plus website address, phone and e-mail are often all that is needed

To enable you to take advantage of deals when they come up create some stock adverts, e.g. quater-pages, banners and tiles to be available at short notice.

When you are ready to commit - talk to ad reps - they are a highly motivated group of people and generally well informed about their industry. They can do deals with great flexibility and can often give good advice about the best way to use their publication - after all they also want you to succeed as a long term customer, just as you do with your customers.

This conversation with media reps should then enable you to check out the packages available - where often quite extensive coverage can be bought for very moderate budgets - but be realistic about what you need as "bells and whistles" can easily run away with the cash if you cannot bargain them into the package at reduced cost.

Choosing the Best Postcard Printing Services

Many business owners today use postcards to promote their investments to potential customers. These cards are not only effective in promoting a business but also affordable. However, for you to make commercial capital from these cards they need to be designed and printed by the best printing expert. This makes it important for you to take time to choose the right postcard printing expert. This shouldn't be a brainer since there are copious printing companies and individuals in the industry that can provide you with excellent printing services. However, you shouldn't be blind to the fact that there are some unscrupulous printers whose main aim is to make cash from innocent customers.

The increasing number of postcard printers in the industry can make your search of the best printing expert quite overwhelming. That is why it is essential for you to take time to research on the available printing experts and what each of them can offer. Choosing the best printer for your cards will guarantee you the best results. This can be easily translated into more customers and hence more sales. There are several important factors that you should consider whenever you are looking for postcard printing services.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Postcard printing Experts
For starters, postcard printing is not an easy task considering that you are supposed to make them as attractive as possible. This shouldn't bother you a bit since a good postcard printer will help you design your cards in the most professional and attractive way. The following criteria will help you find the best card printer:

• Experience: When searching for a postcard printing expert, it is important to consider the amount of experience he or she has. How do you go about this? Well, it is quite easy. Just ask them to give you samples of their previous work. You can also ask them to direct you to their references. If you are planning to hire a company, then ensure that it has the capacity to offer effective services. You should also find out what kind of printing experts the company has. Ensure that the experts have the necessary skills and expertise to deliver impressive results.

• Design options: You need to understand that your postcard reflects who you are. So when it comes to printing your cards, you have to ensure that they have the best designs. That means you have to test the ability of your card printing expert to come up with amazing designs. The expert should be able to select the best templates for your cards.

Bare Necessities Needed for Bookmark Printing

Bookmarks are currently used by a majority of businesses as a means of advertising business. If they are well printed, they can make lasting impressions in the minds of those who get them and also boost your sales. When carrying out bookmark printing project, there are a couple of necessities needed to make it a success. Ideally, some of these are as listed below.

The Technique Used
The type of technique used is dependent on the type of business you have. In this respect, there are a couple of things you need to consider. For instance, would you rather settle for a full color or the traditional 2 color? Do you prefer custom bookmarks which are fast to deliver? By answering such simple question, you are better placed to make an informed choice. There are other aspects you need to consider as well such as the copies needed the type of design that is capable of complimenting your business need and the budget you are working with. When selecting the method to be used, also take into consideration the design which is absolutely important. Bear in mind that the type of design selected reflects the quality. Take into consideration the tastes of your clients and what appeals to them most before settling on any bookmark printing technique.

Type of Service
During your bookmark printing project, you should design on the type of service to use. You have 2 options to choose from and these include digital and traditional. Currently, majority of businesses tend to settle for digital since the turnaround time is fast. However, traditional options are known to deliver meticulous results. Weigh your options and consider which one of these two appeals to you most. Take into consideration the urgency of the bookmarks before making your decision.

The Service Provider
Currently, there are hundreds of companies offering these services. If you intend to get quality for your money, you need to use some sort of discretion. Looking for the right company can be an uphill task. However, when you know what to look out for the process becomes easier. For starters, make sure that the company is well experienced. This is reflected in the projects they have handled before. Ask for references and talk to these people in order to get a feel of the type of services offered. In addition to this, confirm the reputability of the company. This can be done with ease by reading reviews and reviewing the manner in which they answer your questions.

You can only get the best out of bookmark printing if all these concerns are addressed. Therefore, take your time to carry out thorough research and ensure the printing company you use is well experienced.

Advertising With Flyers - Creative Ways to Display Flyers

If you have decided to do some advertising with flyers there are some creative ways to use that will get you better results over the competition and get your flyer not only read but pinned to the fridge.

The purpose of a flyer is more than just informing people about your business but enticing them to realise that your offer is a "keeper". A keeper flyer is what is known as an evergreen-offer.

What is an Evergreen offer?

An evergreen offer is a continuing offer and has no start or end date to it. These offers work best because people see them as ongoing value. Any ongoing value that is in a field or offer that people use continuously or one that they may need soon, is one that they are more likely to pin to their fridge with a magnet.

I'm sure anyone with school age kids has a fridge full of magnetised drawings, school notices and other likely-to-be-used-soon flyer offers decorating their refrigerators. It is what helps to make a family home.

The trick to getting your flyer pinned into this menagerie of bright colour is to make it so it stands out.

A Creative suggestion for an Evergreen offer

My suggestion to make your flyer stand out amidst all the 'gunnabe 'Picasso's adorning the fridge door, is to make it a different shape. A star or a Triangle or perhaps a circular shape will be a more eye-catching reminder to use your services.

By not only changing the shape of the flyer but to print your flyer on a coloured background that is not usually found in a kindergarten or art class will also help it to stand out in a crowd.

By offering an evergreen special on this flyer will make people want to keep it. After all, everyone today needs and wants to save money.

What sort of evergreen offer lasts longest?

The longest lasting evergreen offer I found was a permanent discount. Not just a 5% discount but 15% discount was a good one I found for Plumbers and Electricians. This 15% discount could only be had when they quoted the 'magic' discount word from off that particular flyer.

To make sure they never lost that word, people would pin the flyer to their fridge door for the next time they needed to call a Plumber or Electrician. This type of flyer advertising can be used in any number of ways to promote a service but may not work as well for a retail offer.

The important thing to remember when using flyers to advertise your business is to be creative and innovative.

Important Tips for Effective Club Flyer Printing

When you are planning to do marketing campaign, there are several essential factors you need to take into consideration. For instance, you need to choose the most effective way to market your business. Thankfully, there are copious marketing techniques that can help you make your investment known to the largest number of potential customers. If you really want to make your marketing campaigns successful, then you should consider using flyers. Club flyers have proved to be quite effective in marketing businesses. If you have a big event happening in your business, you should use your club leaflets to make the necessary announcements. But for these flyers to be effective, they have to be designed properly. The question is: How do you make your club flyer printing project successful?

How to Make Club Flyer Printing Successful?
It is worthwhile noting that there are copious companies and individual offering flyer printing services. These services are important because they help you come up with attractive and effective club flyers for your marketing campaign. However, not all printing firms have the capacity to offer quality services. Some of them are only interested in making a quick buck from unsuspecting customers. Therefore if you are planning to hire a printing company for your club flyer printing services it is important that you exercise caution to avoid falling prey to these unscrupulous printers. If you are planning to do the printing all alone, then you can use the following tips:

• Quality templates: A good club leaflet should have an attractive template to capture the attention of the reader. Human eye tends to be attracted to the interesting items, so you have to ensure that your leaflets are as striking as possible. Luckily, there are bounteous online templates that you can use. However, before you use any template make sure that it augers well with your theme.

• Personalize your flyers: For your leaflets to be effective, they need to be customized to suit your customer's needs. That is why you need to look for better ways of personalizing your club flyers. There are various ways to customize a club leaflet. For instance, you can add text and graphics to support your message. Graphics also make the flyer to look more attractive and stylish. However, when you are incorporating these graphics in your leaflets you have to ensure that they do not make the flyer look overcrowded. Choose elements that only reinforce and emphasize the effect of the leaflet.

Tricks for a Good CD Insert Printing

CD insert printing is significantly becoming one of the best ways of communication to business owners. However, not so many people are knowledgeable on some on the ideal tricks that should be applied to ensure that the messages contained in the CDs are conveyed in the most effective way. Below are some of the useful tricks that you can be able to help you in ensuring that the project is successful:

• Currently, there are several online sites that offer free CD inserts templates and software that you can use in your project. The main reason why it is recommended that you obtain the free templates is because you will be able to save up on the costs of obtaining the items. Besides, the free templates will also make your work much easier compared to developing inserts from scratch. Free label designs are also recommended because they will help you in the creation, saving and customizing the inserts in the best way that you need them to appear.

• When undertaking CD insert printing, it is also advisable that choose artworks that match and can help you in selling the project. In doing this, you have to put into consideration your target audience to ensure that you are able to come up with a project that will not only stir up their needs but also meet their specific demands. You can try printing on either sides of the insert. Make sure that you include instructions of use and also your contact information therein.

• When creating the artwork for CD insert printing, it is also important that you take into account the bleeds. This is a term used in printing to mean that an eighth inches of artwork background that is required to extend past the edges of the page. The bleeds are to give room for any errors that may occur during printing. In fact failure to put into consideration the bleeds will lead to the unprinted spaces of white appearing on the edges of the inserts.

• The other important trick for an effective CD insert printing is a test run. It is advisable that you first carry out a test run by printing your art and the texts on a sheet of plain paper to see the results. This will save you from spoiling several sheets of inserts since the project may not be able to come out as desired on the first stages. Ensure that the printed sheet is aligned with the perforated sheets of inserts so that you are able to determine whether the design of the template will fit in the space that is allocated for it.

Five Signs Of A Bad Auto Wrap

A good auto wrap is powerful advertising for your business. It draws the "right" kind of attention, turning heads and making people want to know more about your product. A bad auto wrap is even easier to spot, because as you drive by, you'll see people making disgusted or embarrassed faces. The differences between good and bad auto wraps are subtle, and many people can't tell you specifically what the differences are. They just shrug and say "I know what I like, and that's not it." Let's take a look at five powerful indicators that you might be wasting your advertising dollars and driving your customers away with a bad auto wrap!

1) Aesthetics

A good auto wrap has clean, clear lines and a well-emphasized message. A bad auto wrap looks cluttered, jumbled, or "busy." With a bad auto wrap, deciphering your message from everything else that's going on in the wrap may be too much work for many customers. The American public has a notoriously short attention span, and on the street, you've got about two seconds to make a positive impression and get them wanting more information. If a prospective customer has to take longer than two seconds to figure out what your message is, odds are you've already lost them, and their business.

2) Color

Color is everything. If you've got a bright red vehicle, putting a dark blue wrap on is a huge mistake. Not only will it muddy both colors, but contrasting hues, tones, and tints subconsciously make people nervous or agitated. The color scheme you select for your wrap will make a huge difference in whether your phone starts ringing or stays silent. In an ideal situation, you want your wrap to have complementary, not opposite, colors. On a blue truck, this would mean green or purple. On a red car, orange and yellow are wise choices. This helps draw the right kind of attention, rather than jokes like "I didn't know Ray Charles made car wraps!"

3) Clarity

We touched on this before, but it deserves more consideration as a stand-alone concept. Your wrap should be designed in such a way that the critical information you want to impart to the viewer "pops" right off the vehicle. If you stand by the vehicle and you can't be sure what the focal point ought to be, the phone number or web address fades into the design, or the company logo is obscured by pictures, text, or both, then you need to rethink your design. Sharp, crisply printed, professional-looking wraps are designed to grab attention and hold it, but the information on the wrap is still easy to see and decipher. An unclear wrap says that your business is amateurish and unprofessional, and that's not the appearance you want to give to a prospective customer.

4) "Cuteness"

We've all seen an auto wrap where someone was trying to be clever, cute, or funny. Unless you're promoting a comedian on the Las Vegas Strip or your business tag line is designed to be intentionally funny, you should probably avoid humor in your wrap. One notable exception is the motto for a plumber actually seen in Las Vegas: "A flush beats a full house." This pun works on several levels, particularly in Sin City, and is a great motto because it's humorous and memorable. However, if your business motto isn't intentionally slanted toward clever punning, you would be well advised not to attempt this with your own advertising.

5) Trying Too Hard

A boring wrap can be just as bad as a busy one. Too little information or "tombstone" advertising can be even worse than too much. A plain black and white wrap makes your vehicle look like it's covered in newsprint, and this is sure to prompt snickers and quips on the street. "Is that a car or did someone need to wrap up a fish?" Having made their little bon mots, your prospective customers move along, having assimilated none of the information you were trying to impart. While your wrap shouldn't have such a hectic design as to be illegible, it should have enough impact to get the customer's attention and keep it. That way, even if they don't remember the exact text, something on the wrap will stick with them enough to help your customers locate you through the phone book or online when they need the services your business provides.